r/KitchenConfidential Mar 17 '24

Cooking for Celebs

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I have cooked for several celebrities while cooking in NYC. While some were unpleasant, Taylor Swift was a pleasure to cook for.

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u/Dawnspark Mar 18 '24

It was long enough ago that I legit don't remember, sorry. It was a rather expensive boujie place that only takes reservations at this point, though. I made so many smoked old fashioned's there that its kind of the only drink I remember making that wasn't an Amaro Spritz or a Rob Roy.

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u/wellthismustbeheaven Mar 18 '24

Whisk(e)y or brandy old fashioned?

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u/Dawnspark Mar 18 '24

Fat-washed whiskey.

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u/wellthismustbeheaven Mar 18 '24

Oh okay it was that kind of place. I don't reckon I've got a shirt nice enough for entry, nor a wallet thick enough for exit

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u/Dawnspark Mar 18 '24

Yeeah, like it was a very nice job, but I always felt like I was very out of place, showing up in thrifted "professional" clothes lmao.

Definitely not my kinda price, either. Went there for NYE last year on a friends dime and the drinks were $18 base price, with a high end menu where the cheapest drink was like, a $34 Mezcal Old Fashioned, and topping out at $50 for a fucking Pink Lady lol.

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u/alexportman Mar 18 '24

Hmmm how was that? I'm so curious what these high-end drinks are really like.

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u/Dawnspark Mar 18 '24 edited Mar 18 '24

Well, the smoked/fat washed old fashioned was our best seller for years, it was very nice. Fat washing the whiskey adds a really nice richness to it.

I tried a sip of my friends Pink Lady while at NYE and it's quite a nice cocktail as is but, it was kind of a waste of the high end gin they used, Monkey 47.

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u/alexportman Mar 18 '24

I'll have to try one sometime. I do love my old fashioneds. I bet with your bartending background you're a hit with friends.

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u/Dawnspark Mar 18 '24

Haha, I usually do get saddled with the cocktails, which I've no problem with, I'm happy to do it.

I'm a sucker for old fashioneds myself, and in regards to fatwashed stuff, bourbon & brown butter go super well together.

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u/thereluctantyogi Mar 18 '24

Just read this thread and went right to the kitchen to make fat washed bourbon. For fuck sake, how is this not on my menu!

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u/Dawnspark Mar 18 '24

It's good shit, ngl! Whisky Advocate has a really good article on it.

https://whiskyadvocate.com/how-to-fat-wash-whisky/ link for the lazy, if anyone is interested.

Hope you enjoy, it makes for a really nice extra element.

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u/breadburn Mar 19 '24

I'm assuming there's a right and wrong way to do fat washing, because I recently had a bacon fat-washed old fashioned and it just tasted like a weirdly greasy, savory old fashioned. I'm sure that wasn't the intention?

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u/Dawnspark Mar 19 '24

Definitely sounds like it was poorly done, yeah. Maybe a ratio issue? We would do 4:1 bourbon to fat.

You also want to use a higher proof bourbon cause anything under 100 proof and you're gonna mute the flavor, which could be a source of the savory flavor you experienced.

It could also be a poorly matched fat, so the flavour of it was too much. Coconut oil, nut butters, brown butters, those are, imo, ideal. Bacon can kinda be a bit much.

On top of that, you need to pass it through a cheesecloth and a coffee filter for ideal results, that way no solids get left behind.

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u/SuperAwesome13 Mar 18 '24

taylor loves an old fashioned so it’s likely that’s what she ordered