About Jackson Kuhl
Jackson Kuhl's first job was as an illegal dishwasher in a Chinese restaurant at age 15—which, incidentally, was the same age he started drinking. Jackson has since washed many more dishes, waited tables, hosted, worked special events, and tended bar. These days he writes about archaeology, history, and science. His website is jacksonkuhl.com.There are 40 posts by Jackson Kuhl
Quick Bites: Booze and Brine Edition
The proposal to allow Sunday sales of alcohol in Connecticut, like every previous attempt, has died an inglorious death. Thanks, Connecticut Package Stores Association! [Hartford Courant] This popular story (yesterday on ...Mar. 12, 2010 — Quick Bites
Cities Demand Suds on the Sabbath
The mayors of the three largest cities in Connecticut who want to revoke the state-wide ban on Sunday alcohol sales are facing opposition -- but not from moralizing politicians or teetotalers: The group that would sell most ...Feb. 25, 2010 — Food Law
Bag Tax Confuses, Dismays
Washington, DC's 5¢ tax on plastic bags applies only to stores that sell food. But which ones are those? The owners of Chocolate Moose, which sells quirky gifts and jewelry as well as candy, were certain the ...Restaurant Roundup
I've always felt awkward recommending restaurants at Crispy since half our readership lives outside southern Connecticut and the other two are incarcerated -- but what the hell. Here's a list of good eats where I've dined in the ...Jan. 8, 2010 — Restaurants
Happy Knishmas, Everyone!
My gift to you this holiday season: Snowshoe 1.5 oz. bourbon 1.5 oz. peppermint schnapps (I'm partial to Rumple Minze for its power to attract barbarian women riding polar bears) Serve over ice. I cadged this recipe from last December's ...Renaissance of Rum
The New York Times says these hard times deserve a return to hard rum -- because rum is the Disney World of liquor: Some major themes in fashionable bars lately: small, elegant, stemmed glassware; arm garters; house-made ...Dec. 7, 2009 — Drink
Give Thanks to the Gourd
If you live in New England, you gotta try Hood's Pumpkin Eggnog. Tastes like my pumpkin custard before it becomes ice cream. And only 180 calories per serving! The Williams-Sonoma Pumpkin Spice Quick Bread is ...Nov. 25, 2009 — Products
Switchin’ Bait
Down on the bayou, shrimp fishermen are picketing local processors who the shrimpers believe are "price-fixing [and] mislabeling imported shrimp as 'domestic'": "Reboxing imports is probably happening, though I don't have proof," said Danny Babin, a shrimp ...Nov. 16, 2009 — Food Politics, Seafood
A New One
I thought I had heard all varieties of eating weirdness: "vegetarians" who eat poultry and fish, cheesatarians, etc. But this doesn't make any sense. Mrs. Kuhl and her BFFs have been taking a series of wine-tasting classes where they ...Oct. 23, 2009 — Quirkies
Adventures in Providence
A weekend in Providence, RI to experience the season's next-to-last WaterFire brought this post by Jessica to mind. There are good, independent restaurants out there but having been chased into the deep forests by ...Oct. 13, 2009 — Travel
Rich and Meaty
Do you subscribe to the Williams-Sonoma catalogs for their recipes but never buy anything from them? Me too. Or at least I did until the September "French bistro" edition arrived with steak au poivre on the ...Sep. 21, 2009 — Products
Adventures in Grilling, Boozing
Having spent my summer grilling and drinking rum, I thought I'd share two recipes useful for outdoor entertaining. The first is a dry rub for steak that I impulsively whipped together early in the season: 1 Tbsp. granulated brown sugar 1 Tbsp. chili powder 1 Tbsp. curry powder 1/2 tsp. salt Mix all ingredients and rub into a thin-cut steak. Allow to sit a half-hour or so before grilling. Works best with indirect heat; that is, cooking the steak to the side rather than immediately over the coals. This allows the sugar to glaze over the steak. The granulated brown sugar is important since regular brown sugar is difficult to spread evenly on the meat, leading to clumping and burning. Also, while McCormick curry powder is fine, I use Oriental Brand Hot Jamaican, which has anise and is heavier on the turmeric, giving it a smokier taste that lends itself to grilling.Sep. 4, 2009 — Recipes
Blood for Barter
Usually when I donate a pint I'm given coupons to crap places I never patronize (Applebee's) but this time out I received something truly useful: a coupon for a free gallon of Friendly's ice cream. Yes, it's Friendly's, but it's ice cream. For ...Jul. 31, 2009 — Quirkies
Screwed Leonard’s
Stew Leonard's, a Connecticut-based grocery chain, is selling a parcel of property they bought with the intent to develop into a store -- 13 years ago: “I just put it on the market,” [Stew Leonard, Jr.] said ...Jul. 30, 2009 — Banned
The No Deer Hunter
Panic on the streets of Fairfield! After a particularly contentious deer management meeting on Tuesday night at which animal rights activist Nancy Rice berated Commissioner Landon Storrs saying, "You're evil, you're a killer!" Storrs has decided to resign from ...Jul. 17, 2009 — Food Politics
I Have Not Been Paid for This Endorsement. Yet.
For years I dithered over whether to switch to gas or stay with my Weber charcoal grill. While I found myself seduced by the convenience and quickness of propane and propane accessories, I was reluctant to abandon ...Jul. 7, 2009 — Products
Two Stories
Baylen's post brought to mind a pair of stories: During her illness, my mom was drawn to alternative cures. Polystyrene, chemicals, poisons in the environment -- these were the responsible forces. Not age nor race nor ...Jul. 2, 2009 — Quirkies
Standing the Heat
TIME Magazine (not Time but TIME!) has a review of five new books, fictional and non-, about life in a restaurant's back office. Writer Lev Grossman frames his roundup in "the post-Bourdainian era:" It was invisible ...Ask the Readers: What the Shell?
The family and I spent the holiday weekend in Boston where the missus PRed a half-marathon and I set new personal records in consumption: Legal Seafoods, The Barking Crab, Kingfish Hall. ...May. 26, 2009 — Restaurants, Seafood, Travel
FDA Cracks Down on Cereal Abusers
These evil corporations! Trying to convince us that a satisfying, nutritious breakfast is actually heart-healthy! In a May 5 warning letter sent to the company and posted on the FDA's Web site Tuesday, the agency said statements that ...May. 13, 2009 — Uncategorized
