Rendezvous in paris: A Film by Claude Lelouch

I don't understand what all the fuss is about - this is exactly how my driver behaved when I visited Paris (and I'm not really kidding). It's not normal? =)
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On an August morning in 1978, French filmmaker Claude Lelouch mounted a gyro-stabilized camera to the bumper of a Ferrari 275 GTB and had a friend, a professional Formula 1 racer, drive at breakneck speed through the heart of Paris early in the morning . The film was limited for technical reasons to 10 minutes; the course was from Porte Dauphine , through the Louvre, to the Basilica of Sacre Coeur. No streets were closed, for Lelouch was unable to obtain a permit.
The driver completed the course in about 9 minutes, reaching nearly 140 MPH in some stretches. The footage reveals him running real red lights, nearly hitting real pedestrians, and driving the wrong way up real one-way streets.
Upon showing the film in public for the first time, Lelouch was arrested. He has never revealed the identity of the driver, and the film went underground.

cool it

In a conversation on FaceBook this weekend, I offered to send a friend of mine some mojito recipes, and I had so many other requests for them I thought I'd post them here. =) The mojito is a perfect summertime drink, making it way too easy to have one too many without realizing how the rum is hitting you until it's too late, but then that's part of the fun and a great way to come to terms with the higher temperatures Summer always brings. Make sure to drink responsibly, and hydrate hydrate hydrate - a full glass or few of water as you imbibe throughout the weekend-afternoon/evening can almost completely cancel out unpleasant post-drinking effects if you're liberal with the H20.

I'm not sure of your level of comfort in the kitchen or with such recipes, dear reader, so I've tried to be as descriptive as possible. =) Forgive me if I'm outlining things you already know.

Here is the classic mojito recipe and then one with a twist for you plus an extra Summertime staple; there are tons more recipes floating around out there, and I encourage you to explore some of the more unusual ones and find your favorites, and experiment with golden / dark rum as well as it really changes the flavors! You will need a muddler which can be purchased anywhere that sells barware and accoutrement; I'm assuming you have basic barware such as a cocktail shaker, highball and double-old-fashioned glasses.

Classic Mojito (serves 1)
A cooling, effervescent cocktail born - thanks to Prohibition - amid Cuba's thriving international bar culture. Probably derived from the Mint Julep, it was popularized by the legendary bartenders of Cuba's El Floridita and Labdeguita del Medio bars during the 1930's and '40s. Read more about the Mojito here.

12 mint leaves / sprigs
1.5 fl oz simple syrup (increase to taste if you like sweeter drinks)**
1 lime, cut into wedges
crushed ice
2 fl oz white rum
soda water

Muddle the mint with the simple syrup and 4 of the lime wedges in a highball glass. Fill the glass with crushed ice, add the rum, and stir, then top up with soda water. Decorate with the remaining lime wedges.

**To make simple syrup, use a 4-4 ratio (4 Tbsp sugar and 4 Tbsp of water) into a small saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil, without stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Simple syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two months. This will be a very small batch, so for a large pitcher of drinks that requires simple syrup, you will have to multiply the measurements by several. Keep in mind, however, that cooking large amounts of sugar over heat can be tricky, so if you need quite a bit of simple syrup, you might want to work with more than one saucepan etc. and perhaps make one pan at a time.
(from New Classic Cocktails by Allan Gage)

Apple-Soaked Mojito (serves 1)
8 mint leaves
1/2 lime, cut into wedges
2 teaspoons simple syrup (increase to taste if you like sweeter drinks)**
crushed ice
2 fl oz golden rum (use a top-shelf aged rum, or as close to the top as you can afford and at least 3 years old)
1 fl oz filtered apple juice (unfiltered will work fine but produce a cloudy drink)
mint sprig and red apple slices for garnish (if desired)

Muddle the mint, lime and simple syrup in a shaker. Fill a highball glass with crushed ice. Add the rum to the shaker and shake well. Do not add ice to the shaker! Strain the drink into the highball glass and top up with apple juice. Decorate with a mint sprig and apple slices.
(from New Classic Cocktails by Allan Gage)


One more you'll love; play with the ratios and beware - they go down easy. =)

The Caipirinha (serves 1)
The much-beloved Caipirinha is the national cocktail of Brazil and shares some of mojito's primary ingredients -- lime and sugar. It is made with Cachaca (pronounced ka-sha-sa), a Brazilian rum distilled from sugar cane juice. The caipirinha is typically served in a short, wide glass, since it contains less liquid than the mojito. Crushed ice works best because the smaller pieces melt faster, adding volume to the drink. Read more about the Caipirinha here.

1 lime
2 oz Cachaca rum
2 Tbsp sugar
crushed ice

Cut lime into 8 random pieces (not wedges); you're going for a really rough effect here. Muddle lime and sugar in the bottom of a glass or cocktail shaker. Add the rum. Add about 1 cup crushed ice. Cover whatever vessel you are using and shake vigorously. Garnish with a lime wedge and serve with a straw (if desired).

(from www.mojitocompany.com)