Random Psychotronica
Some of my recent contributions to the Flickr Name That Film Pool:
November 19, 2008
November 18, 2008
Jim's Special
A modern classic from the Tiki-Ti in Los Angeles, invented by the Ti's bum-in-residence, Rasta Jim. I had the pleasure of meeting Jim, and sampling his namesake cocktail back in 2005. Now, thanks to Beachbum Berry's Sippin' Safari, I can enjoy a simulacrum Jim's Special in the comfort of my own home.
2 1/2 oz. Tequila Reposado
2 oz. Dark Rum (1 oz. Meyer's, 1 oz. Cruzan Blackstrap)
1 oz. Tiki-Ti Mix ( 1/2 oz. Curacao, 1/4 oz. Orgeat Syrup, 1/4 oz. Demerara Cane Sugar Syrup)
1 oz. Fresh-squeezed Lime Juice
1 oz. Passion Fruit Syrup (Trader Vic's)
Cut lime wedge and squeeze into tall tiki mug or large snifter filled with ice cubes. Blend all ingredients with 1 cup of crushed ice for 5 seconds. Garnish with Maraschino cherry speared to pineapple wedge.
November 14, 2008
The Natives Are Restless
An original cocktail, inspired by this very un-PC chimney glass I found in an antique store recently.
3 oz. Mango Nectar
1 1/2 oz. Fresh Orange Juice
1/2 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 oz. Cointreau
1/2 oz. Cognac
1 oz. Rhum Agricole Blanc
Dash of Angostura Bitters
Shake with ice cubes and pour into chimney glass. Garnish with orange slice.
November 10, 2008
Floatin'
My project this weekend was to take the two vintage fishing floats that Mrs. BH gave me for my birthday last September, and convert them into a hanging lamp fixture for my tiki bar. It was tricky (not to mention a little expensive), but after a couple of hours of drilling, wiring, and picking glass shards out of my palms, I wound up with a fabulous hanging float lamp that now casts its warm and relaxing glow upon a once-dark corner of the Hai'deaway.
I was so impressed with my handiwork, I decided a commemorative cocktail was in order, so I dug around in an old box of fishing tackle, pulled out my tattered copy of Beachbum Berry's Intoxica!, and riffed a bit on the Demerara Dry Float recipe. A few minutes later...voilà!...Mr. Bali Hai's Fisherman's Float was born. Here's how you make one for yourself:
2 1/2 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
1 Tsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
1 1/2 oz. Passion Fruit Syrup
1/4 oz. Demerara Cane Sugar Syrup
1 oz. Trader Vic's Authentic Spiced Rum
1/4 oz. Lemon Hart Demerara Hart 151 Rum
1/4 oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
1 dash Fee Bros. Orange Bitters
Shake all ingredients - except for the 151 - with ice cubes and strain into a double old-fashioned glass filled with crushed ice. Carefully float 151 on top.
Garnish with a fishing lure hung from the end of a bamboo skewer.
November 6, 2008
I'll Have a Pad Thai Dog to Go
Not Fooling Anybody: A chronicle of bad conversions and storefronts past.
The Dictionary of Hammer Horror
November 2, 2008
RIP: Yma Sumac
The Queen of Exotica is dead at 86. Sleep well, Incan Princess.
[Link]
October 30, 2008
Hula Girls and Tiki Gods: Part Deux
More postcards I've found recently, featuring vintage Hawaiiana along with a view of the old Tonga Room Restaurant at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco.
October 27, 2008
All the News That's Fit to Screencap
Ripped From the Headlines: a Flickr pool dedicated to images of newspapers in films.
October 15, 2008
MST3K: Manhattan
October 14, 2008
Doom, Despair, and Agony on Me
[Link: HEE HEE HAW HAW HAW HAW]
October 12, 2008
Beep Beep....Fashion
Blogger Will Kane (mentioned 2 posts previously) achieved his Warholian 15 minutes of fame in last Sunday's Observer, by appearing in this Giallo-inspired ensemble. I particularly like the cheap, National Health eyeglass frames.
I could never pull off a look like this. If I tried, I'd resemble Barney Rubble in a turtle-neck and sports jacket.
[Link: Fame at Last]
October 9, 2008
The Great Rock and Roll British Butter Swindle
Many thanks to the Cartoonist for alerting me to this bizarre commercial, currently running in the UK, which features that eternally-spotty, punk übermensch, John Lydon, pimping himself for Country Life Butter.
If this was 1977, I'd probably be crying "sellout!" and rioting outside the Whisky, or something. Nowadays, I just laugh and reach for the English muffins.
Mmm....butter....[drool]
[Link: John Lydon Butter Commercial]
October 8, 2008
Will Blog for Frites and Mayo
Greetings. I'm in the UK this week, and spent last Monday evening partaking of a spectacular meal at the Belgo Centraal restaurant in Convent Gardens, in the company of two of my favorite bloggers, Will Kane and Tiki Chris. Chris invited us to join him, as he was reviewing Belgo for the Londonist, and Belgo's publicist was kind enough to comp Will and I as well, in exchange for a meal review. Always happy to prostitute myself for free eats, I decided to break my posting hiatus in order to convey my impressions of the grub to you, my long-neglected readers.
All 3 of us ordered Belgo's current special, the Oktoberfeast, a 3-course meal paired with a flight of Belgian beers. As I'm a good Wisconsin boy who loves me some fried cheese, I ordered the Croquettes de Fromage for starters. The croquettes arrived, done to a crispy golden brown, and accompanied by a golden, hoppy Trappist beer called Orval, served (as always when drinking Belgian brew) in the proper glass. The croquettes were filled with a Belgian cheese of unknown provenance that was a bit too mild and soft for my tastes, but the pickled onions and peppers that shared the plate with them added enough bite and spice to balance out the presentation.
For my main course, I ordered the Carbonnade Flamande, a braised-beef dish, swimming in a rich, brown gravy made from Faro Beer, nutmeg, and brown sugar, with chunks of yams. The beer pairing was Mort Subite Gueuze, an unfiltered, crisp, slightly-sweet and sour, amber-colored beer made from a mixture of young and old lambics. The Carbonnade was very good. The beef was tender, and the gravy was delicious, the yams adding a nice sweet texture to the dish. A side of Belgian frites and mayonnaise provided some fried, salty, heart-unhealthy goodness to the proceedings, although I thought they were far too small to be proper Belgian chips, which are normally about the size of a quarter of a large potato.
Dessert arrived in the form of Crème Glacée à la Leffe, ice cream made from Leffe Beer, topped with Sirop de Liege, and pralines. The beer pairing was a small bottle of a strawberry-flavored brew called Frühli, which was reminiscent of Kriek, but much sweeter. The flavor of the Leffe in the ice cream was very subtle, and worked well with the stronger taste of the syrup. Oddly enough, the pralines tasted more of beer than the ice cream did.
All in all, a wonderful meal (and not just because it was free). Throughout our repast, Will regaled Chris and I with Anthony Newley's life story, and spoke of his efforts to put on a star-studded tribute to this amazing talent on the 10th anniversary of his death. Save me a front-row seat, Will!
In other news, I also had a lovely pub lunch with Mr. and Mrs. Cartoonist last Saturday, and spent 4 sun-drenched days with good friends, on the beautiful Mediterranean island of Mallorca. Photos of my visit can be viewed at my Flickr account.
Cheerio!
Mr. BH
Previous 10 entries...
Battling Bastards Aug 24, 2008A Little Night Tiki Photography Aug 21, 2008
Virtual Comic Book Rack Aug 18, 2008
Kapu Kai and Mai Tai Pie Aug 17, 2008
Done Fishin' Aug 16, 2008
Gone Fishin' Aug 8, 2008
Circus Museum Aug 7, 2008
Satanerd Aug 7, 2008
Critiki Updated Aug 7, 2008
Mad Monster Movie Music Party? Aug 6, 2008
Missionary's Downfall Aug 3, 2008
Secret of the Incas Aug 3, 2008
Ride the Tragic Roundabout Aug 2, 2008
Havana Before Castro Aug 2, 2008
