Smorgasbord #6

Plans, Reads and Cognac

Hello friends! This is Peregrino, a newsletter about the journey. Welcome to another edition of Smorgasbord, a self-service buffet of ideas. If you’re new here, welcome! It’s good to have you. If you haven’t subscribed, I will make it easy for you to do so.

I hope everyone in the US had a good Thanksgiving. As for the rest of you, I hope you had a good Thursday. Can you believe Christmas Eve is in one month? I’m trying new sections today. Let me know in the comments if you like it.

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Thoughts

This is what’s been on my mind this week.

• Not being on social media (other than Substack) means I don’t have a window into my friends’ lives like I used to, so when I see them in person, I’m excited to catch up and find out how they’re doing.

• I haven’t worked out in a while–because of sickness, and I’m starting to feel it. I know I need to bite the bullet and do it. It didn’t help that I bought a 5 lb tin of butter cookies. Help.

• Speaking of eating, I spent some time planning my next series of essays about Mexican gastronomy. So far, I have three ideas for what to call it, but I could use help deciding. Feel free to cast your vote, and if you have any other ideas for a title, drop them in the comments. BTW barriga llena means full belly.

• I’m going on a silent retreat the weekend of the first Sunday of Advent. If you have any prayer intentions, let me know in the comments or email me at walthercantu@substack.com.

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Stacks on Stacks on Stacks

I have a confession to make: I’m terribly slow reader in both English and Spanish. I’m trying to keep up with all the stacks I subscribe to, but there are only so many hours in a day. However, here are five publications I think you might enjoy:

1. I have been enjoying

   Scoot
   ‘s “Duel,” a tech-noir serial featuring Detective James McElroy and his Detective Droid DB431. At the time of writing, there are four episodes out, with one coming out today, if I’m not mistaken.

2. “From Digital Dependence to Analog Dickens” by

   Ruth Gaskovski
   and her husband
   Peco
   made me want to organize a reading of “A Christmas Carol” with friends and family. Granted, it won’t be as good as The Muppet Christmas Carol, for example:

Rizo The Rat: That’s scary stuff, should we be worried about the kids in the audience?

The Great Gonzo: No, it’s alright. This is culture.

3. Speaking of reading stories out loud, the “Authors & Embers” podcast had its debut episode on November 19th with stories from Scoot,

   The Chronicler
   and your host,
   Cole Noble
   . It was a lot of fun! I’m looking forward to the next episode.

4. Dan Ackerfeld
   started an “Essay Club” over at
   Mind & Mythos
   and the first essay was “Why I Write” by George Orwell. It was a strong start and a marvelous piece that I didn’t know existed, and I’m glad I read it.

5. My wife

   Diana Cantu
   wrote a piece about grief, the death of her brother Diego, and how it shaped her life. With days getting shorter, Seasonal Affective Disorder knocking at the door, and the holiday season in full swing, it may be good to spend time with friends and family and reach out if you need help.

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Food & Drink

I went to a cigar bar to celebrate the birthday of one of my compadres, and I enjoyed a “My Father The Judge” cigar by Garcia & Garcia. It is a solid cigar, very easy to smoke, and enjoyable throughout. I ordered a Cognac Manhattan but was given a Cognac Old-Fashioned; it was okay.

Nights are getting colder in Phoenix, which makes me want to drink Cognac and Brandy. Fun fact: All Cognac is Brandy, but not all Brandy is Cognac. Brandy is any spirit distilled from fruit. Cognac, however, can only be made in the Cognac region in southwest France using white grape juice. That said, here’s the recipe for one of my favorite Cognac cocktails, which is perfect for the holidays.

Brandy Alexander

• 2 oz Cognac

• 1 oz Crème de Cacao

• 1 oz Cream

• Grated nutmeg (optional)

The Cognac I use is ABK6 VS; it’s affordable and good for mixing. For the Crème de Cacao I use Mr Stacks Creme de Cacao White Liqueur. However, I would like to use Tempus Fugit Spirits Crème de Cacao, a dark version of the same spirit with more body and ABV. You can use heavy cream, half-and-half, or your favorite non-dairy cream.

Add all ingredients–except the nutmeg-to a shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously until your hands feel numb. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass, grate nutmeg on top–or not, and enjoy. It tastes like adult chocolate milk. Replace the cream with a scoop of vanilla ice, and now you have a boozy milkshake.

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Sobremesa

1. What are you thankful for today?

2. Favorite Thanksgiving side dish?

3. Have you watched The Muppet Christmas Carol?

4. What are you reading these days?

5. What do you think of cocktails with cream in them? Yay or nay?