This is a rather interesting cocktail made from Gin, Champagne, lemon juice, and sugar. The drink was created in 1915 at the Paris landmark, Harry's New York Bar by barman Harry MacElhone. The combination was said to have such a kick that it felt like being shelled with the powerful French 75mm howitzer artillery piece.

The drink's recipe was first recorded in The Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930. A later cocktail book The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks by David Embury claims incorrectly, and without evidence, that the French 75 is a Cognac based drink.

Ingredients

2 oz. Gin
1 oz. simple syrup (or 2 tsp. superfine sugar)
1 oz. lemon juice
Brut Champagne or other dry sparkling wine

Combine Gin, sugar, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into an iced highball or collins glass. Fill with Champagne. Garnish with a twist of lemon.

Brining, is a great way to keep your poultry (or other meats) from drying out when BBQ'ing.

Brining makes cooked meat moister by hydrating the cells of its muscle tissue before cooking, via the process of osmosis, and by allowing the cells to hold on to the water while they are cooked, via the process of denaturation. The brine surrounding the cells has a higher concentration of salt than the fluid within the cells, but the cell fluid has a higher concentration of other solutes. This leads salt ions to diffuse into the cell, whilst the solutes in the cells cannot diffuse through the cell membranes into the brine. The increased salinity of the cell fluid causes the cell to absorb water from the brine via osmosis. The salt introduced into the cell also denatures its proteins. The proteins coagulate, forming a matrix that traps water molecules and holds them during cooking. This prevents the meat from dehydrating.

I've been playing around with a brining recipe for poultry for awhile now. Last night I think I stumbled upon a winner.

The chicken was awesome. I brined it over night and smoked it for 4.5 hrs.

Here is my recipe

1 - Gallon of Water (I use filtered water)
3/4 - Cup of Kosher Salt
3/4 - Cup of Brown Sugar
1.5 - Tbs of Poultry Seasonings (I used one from penzeys.com) or any other brand
2 - Tbs of Garlic Powder
2 - Tbs of Onion Powder
1 - Tbs of Chili Powder
1/2 - Tbs of Green Goddess herbs (I used one from penzeys.com) - if you dont have, just add some dill & basil.
2 - Tbs of Cajun / Creole spice mix, any brand should do well

Mix everything in a large, clean stock pot and add your poultry to the pot.
Refrigerate over night

The great thing about brining recipes, is that you can add whatever you want & like. Remember, experimenting is half the fun.

J Herbin Vert Olive [full size photo] - I've been playing with this Vert Olive ink a lot lately. I wanted to really get a grasp on it. My plan was to release this review a couple days ago. Well, playing with it made me want to play with it even more. This ink is addicting. Spoiler Alert: I love this color.

I inked the J Herbin Vert Olive in my Sheaffer Stylist [M] for this ink review. I originally had it in a Snorkel, but I was having issues with the pen. This Vert Olive ink is amazing, the shading is unbelievable... It has so much depth, I get lost in it. It goes from a light yellowish green to an olive. Vert Olive is a perfect name for this ink.

I used the J Herbin Vert Olive for a few days at work, and I noticed myself really doodling a lot. Like most other J Herbin Inks, this one lubricates and flows very well. As I said before the shading is amazing, spread is well behaved, no real signs of feathering. Just a tiny bit of show / bleed through. Nothing unacceptable at all though. In the Sheaffer fountain pen, it seemed to dry pretty fast. During the water test, I noted the ink bled rather quickly.

The color not only reminds me of an olive, but also the spring. It seems to be tugging on a childhood memory, but I can't remember exactly which one. This is a bold color to use, but not frightening by any means. I would have to say, this J Herbin Vert Olive ink will stay in my rotation for a long time. It's a fun ink, that brings out some sort of curiosity. People commented very well on the ink. Although, one person mentioned it was a little hard to read, he noted in his opinion there was not enough contrast against the paper. I don't seem to have that issue at all though.

I have to give the J Herbin Vert Olive ink two thumbs up. It just makes me want to smile. I highly recommend it!

Here are some of the other J Herbin Inks I have reviewed.

Please Note: The color depicted below is washed out a bit, due to some lighting issues at the time of shooting. I will reshoot at a later date.

J Herbin was established in 1670, when Louis XIV, the Sun King, was 32 years old.

M. Herbin was a sailor, and from his many journeys to India he brought back to Paris formulas for manufacturing sealing wax. His special lacquer formula improved the quality of the seals in adhesion and neatness, helping him to become famous throughout the kingdom.

J. Herbin is also the oldest name in ink production in the world.

By 1700, the company was producing “l’Encre de la Tete Noire,” followed by “Perle des Encres,” (The Jewel of Inks) and “l’Encre des Vaisseaux” (The Ink of Ships).

J. Herbin made ink for Louis XIV, and a black ink for the sole use of Victor Hugo, author of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables. These formulas still reside in our company archives in Paris.

The US Distributor for J Herbin Inks is Exaclair
This ink can be purchased from: Peartreepens.com

I love doing ink reviews. I really love them. Inks are awesome, they can be used to draw out emotions and reference your current mood or attitude. When I do an ink review, I normally load a pen or two, use various test papers (anything I can write on), fill at least one page in my Habana Notebook, lastly I write a review - on my ink review form. Once thats done, I post it on various social media outlets, and sometimes reference them in the videos I shoot.

Here is a list of Ink Reviews I have done to date. As I add more inks to my arsenal, I will continue to update this list of Ink Reviews . You know -- the ink apocalypse is coming, so you can't have too many inks.

These inks have all been reviewed by myself, with no outside influences. I have however, received some free ink samples from various distributors (for example Karen at Exaclair). Please note, that these samples in no way swayed me towards a positive review... when I review inks, I remain neutral at all times.

If you are a manufacturer or distributor, and would like to have your inks reviewed - please contact me. I would love to try out & review your inks.

Aurora Inks
Aurora Blue - Coming Soon

Camel Inks
Camel Black - Coming Soon
Camel Green Ink Review
Camel Royal Blue - Coming Soon

Diamine Inks
Diamina Pumpkin - Coming Soon
Diamine Onyx Black - Coming Soon
Diamine Royal Blue - Coming Soon
Diamine Turquoise Ink Review

J. Herbin Inks
J. Herbin Ambre De Birmanie Ink Review
J. Herbin Bleu Azur Ink Review
J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche Ink Review
J. Herbin Cacao Du Bresil - Coming Soon
J. Herbin Eclat De Saphir Ink Review
J. Herbin Larme De Cassis Ink Review
J. Herbin Perle Noire - Coming Soon
J. Herbin Rose Cyclamen Ink Review
J. Herbin Vert Empire - Coming Soon
J. Herbin Vert Olive - J. Herbin Vert Olive Ink Review
J. Herbin Vert Pre Ink Review

Montblanc Inks
Montblanc British Racing Green - Coming Soon
Montblanc Royal Blue Ink Review
Montblanc Seasons Greetings 2007 Ink Review
Montblanc Violet Ink Review
Montblanc White Forest Ink Review

Noodler's Inks
Noodler's Baystate Blue Ink Review
Noodler's Dragon's Naplam - Coming Soon
Noodler's Heart of Darkness - Coming Soon
Noodler's Habanero - Coming Soon
Noodler's V-Mail Midway Blues Ink Review
Noodler's Year of the Golden Pig (Highlighter Ink) - Coming Soon

Pelikan Inks
Pelikan Royal Blue Ink Review
Pelikan Turquoise - Coming Soon

Private Reserve Inks
Private Reserve Midnight Blues - Coming Soon
Private Reserve Purple Mojo Ink Review

Quink Inks
Quick Blue - Coming Soon

Rohrer & Klingner Inks
Rohrer & Klingner Fernambuk Ink Review
Rohrer & Klingner Helianthus - Coming Soon
Rohrer & Klingner Leipziger Schwartz Ink Review
Rohrer & Klingner Magenta - Coming Soon
Rohrer & Klingner Morinda - Coming Soon
Rohrer & Klingner Solferino Ink Review
Rohrer & Klingner Verdura Ink Review

Visconti Inks
Visconti Blue - Coming Soon
Visconti Turquise - Coming Soon

Waterman Inks
Waterman Black Ink Review
Waterman Havana Ink Review

J Herbin Bleu Pervenche [full size photo] - For this review I inked up a Parker Vacumatic [Fine] with the Bleu Pervenche. As a side note, the Parker Vacumatic is on loan from a friend, and will soon be reviewed. This Bleu Pervenche ink by J Herbin, reminds me of the ocean. Its a soothing blue ink, that shades well.

As with most J Herbin inks I have reviewed. Flow and lubrication are very nice. This one is rather well behaved, with only minor show through and bleed through in some of the test papers I used. The ink is drying almost instantly with this fine nib Parker Vac. So, be aware that the dry times may differ for you. I showed a few people the ink recently, and they all seemed to enjoy the color. I had one person comment that the color was not for them, that they prefer traditional royal blue. Also, the ink seems to be semi water resistant.

I have come to expect great things from J Herbin, and they always deliver. This J Herbin Bleu Pervenche ink is definitely worth a try, specially if you like non traditional blues.

Here are some of the other J Herbin Inks I have reviewed.

J Herbin was established in 1670, when Louis XIV, the Sun King, was 32 years old.

M. Herbin was a sailor, and from his many journeys to India he brought back to Paris formulas for manufacturing sealing wax. His special lacquer formula improved the quality of the seals in adhesion and neatness, helping him to become famous throughout the kingdom.

J. Herbin is also the oldest name in ink production in the world.

By 1700, the company was producing “l’Encre de la Tete Noire,” followed by “Perle des Encres,” (The Jewel of Inks) and “l’Encre des Vaisseaux” (The Ink of Ships).

J. Herbin made ink for Louis XIV, and a black ink for the sole use of Victor Hugo, author of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables. These formulas still reside in our company archives in Paris.

The US Distributor for J Herbin Inks is Exaclair
This ink can be purchased from: Peartreepens.com

Think Iceland Fountain Pen... First off, I must preface, I am lucky - really lucky - to have some very nice friends. One such friend, has been following my fountain pen adventures for awhile now. He suggested that I should try one of his pens. So, he sent me this beautiful Think Iceland fountain pen. Think Pens, come in a variety of colors and styles. These pens are all made using highly creative motifs, primarily using multiple colored acrylics.

The first thing I noticed when I received the Think Iceland Pen, was the box it came in. It is made of a wood, and painted in the same bright colors as the Think Logo. The top slid out to reveal a well packed, Think Iceland Fountain Pen. I Have to say right off the bat, it is a beauty. A bigger pen than I am accustomed to, as I traditionally use smaller vintage pens...

I removed the Think Fountain Pen from it's case, the weight is pretty hefty - in a good way. It feels good in the hand. I uncapped the pen to check out the nib... This Iceland was equipped with an iridium tipped silver medium nib. After examining the nib, I unscrewed the top section and found a piston converter already installed. I love when companies include a converter.

I didn't take much time to ink the Think Iceland Fountain Pen up... I really liked the blue accents in the acrylic, so I picked a nice Royal Blue ink from Pelikan. The pen started immediately. That's right, the first down stoke produced a nice fluid and smooth line. After some testing on various paper, I found this pen to be extremely smooth. The pen and ink combo was very well matched everything behaved very well. Ink stayed put, no scratchiness on the nib. The pen was able to produce some decent shading even with the M nib. For more on the ink, here is a link to my Pelikan Royal Blue Ink Review.

One thing I must confess, I normally like to post the cap on my pens. I couldn't handle the size and weight of the Iceland when it was posted, but this is just a slight issue. All in all, this pen was very impressive. I brought it to work for a couple weeks, where many people commented on the appearance. The Think Pens Iceland received nothing but great comments, from men and women alike.

The pen has a great fit and finish. It works great, is a conversational piece while not being gaudy. I had a great time with it, I was sad that I had to return it. Very thankful that I was afforded the opportunity to try a Think Pen.

For all your Fountain Pen & Ink Needs try - Pear Tree Pens

Apple released it's new trackpad this morning. They are calling it the Magic Trackpad, to go along the lines of the Magic Mouse naming convention. It seems to be a good deal at $69, it competes well with other trackpads in the current marketplace. I will be reviewing this product shortly.

More info about the Magic Trackpad:

Magic Trackpad gives you a whole new way to control what’s on your Mac desktop computer. When you perform gestures, you actually interact with what’s on your screen. You feel closer to your content, and moving around feels completely natural. Swiping through pages on screen is just like flipping through pages in a magazine, and inertial scrolling senses the momentum in your fingers as you move up and down a page.
More to touch, more to love.

Your fingers will fall for the Magic Trackpad. It’s made with smooth, wear-resistant glass that feels great to the touch. And it’s nearly 80 percent larger than the built-in trackpad on the MacBook Pro, giving you plenty of room to perform gestures. Because the entire surface of Magic Trackpad is a button, you can click on objects just as you would using a traditional mouse. And Magic Trackpad sits at the same height and angle as the Apple Wireless Keyboard, so you can go from trackpad to keyboard in one seamless motion.
Bluetooth technology.

Magic Trackpad connects to your Mac via Bluetooth wireless technology. Use it in conjunction with the Apple Wireless Keyboard for a cable-free, uncluttered workspace. And if you feel like venturing away from your desk, Magic Trackpad maintains a reliable and secure connection up to 33 feet away from your Mac.

It can be purchased online or in stores now.

Noodler's V-mail Midway Blue [full size photo] - This past weekend, I attended the Miami Pen Show. While I was there I picked up a bottle of Noodler's V-mail Midway Blues. Noodler's created the V-mail series of inks when they had a chance to try some vintage inks from the 30's-40's. On the original bottles, the inks were referred to as V-mail inks. They also were labeled with highly patriotic images. Well, Noodler's went to town reverse engineering those vintage inks. What they came up with was their own version of V-mail inks.

I also, recently purchased a couple of vintage Osmiroid nibs. So, what a better time than now to test both a new nib and ink! I loaded the ink and nib into an Esterbrook. I played with various test papers and wrote into my Quo Vadis Habana ink log.

The ink has a very nice shade and tone. Very pretty. I only have the Noodler's V-mail Midway Blue inked in one pen. From what I can see, the ink seems very dry. This could also be due to the choice of nibs I used. This pen/nib combo doesn't seem to lay down much ink, the flow is ok - just a tad bit dry for my liking. The shading looks nice with slight gradients... in general the ink seems very well behaved. There is just a tiny bit of show though. No bleeding or feathering. Dies in about 2 seconds.

I love the color of the ink. Its a very nice medium/bright blue. It reminds me of another ink color, but the name eludes me at the moment. As far as Noodler's inks go, I am relatively new to them - as I only own a few of these inks. One thing I have to give Noodler's credit for. They fill their inks to the very tippy top of the bottle. So, be very careful when opening these inks. I always end up spilling a tiny bit.

This ink, as well as many other inks and pens can be purchased from - my friends at Pear Tree Pens.

This past weekend was rather interesting, for me anyway. The Miami Pen show was in town, and I decided I would attend, since it is not very far from my home. This was my first pen show I have ever attended, and while it was rather small. I enjoyed it immensely. The event was held at the Marriott on Biscayne Blvd, and was held for three days.

I am a member of FPN, and as such I met up with a few of the other FPN members that were in attendance. I hung out with "Speckled & Spotted", "Okami", "OcalaFLGuy", "pb2", "sumgaikid", Bert from Bertrams Inkwell and various other FPN members.

I visited all the vendors, chatted pens and inks. I bought some Noodler's VMail Midway Blue, Noodler's Year of the Pig highlighter ink and a Stipula LTD Miami Sunset pen. While I was there I brought an old Watermans Ideal FP to Mike Masuyama (Mike-It-Work) to check the nib. I also spent time with Chuck Swisher & Susan Wirth. Susan spent a nice amount of time with me explaining some of the finer points of fountain pens. While at her booth, I looked at Flex, Italics and some Broad nibbed pens. At pb2's booth, I took some video as Pendleton opened a vintage NOS Esterbrook from the UK.

I drooled over the new Visconti Homo Sapiens fountain pen. Which looked and felt awesome, but at $600 was "slightly" out of my price range. I looked at many of the vintage pens that were available for sale. I actually prefer mostly the older stuff since, I find much of the newer FPs a bit gaudy. Plus, there is just something about writing with a vintage pen... they sing to you.

The one gripe I had was parking. I read on the website that parking was $10. Not for me, I was told to park in the lot directly across the street. Come to find out that was a $30 lot. I would have much rather spent the $30 on some more ink.

After the show, OcalaFLGuy, Speckled & Spotted, Sumgaikid and I spent the evening at Bayside... eating chatting and relaxing. I had a great time with them, and hope that we can all get together again soon.

J. Herbin inks have to be some of my favorite fountain pen inks available. J. Herbin inks come in 30 beautiful colors. Currently, I have ten of the J. Herbin Inks. I have purchased a few of these, but most have come directly to me from Karen Doherty. Exaclair, is the US distributor for J. Herbin Inks... [Please note, in no way does receiving these inks to test, inhibit the neutrality of the reviews.] Thanks again for the inks Karen!

J. Herbin Inks:

Gris Nuage
Perle Noire - Review Coming Soon!
Bleu Azur - J. Herbin Bleu Azur Ink Review
Bleu Pervenche - J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche Ink Review
Bleu Myosotis
Eclat De Saphir - J. Herbin Eclat De Saphir Ink Review
Bleu Nuit
Rouge Caroubier
Rouge Bourgogne
Vert Pre - J. Herbin Vert Pre Ink Review
Diabolo Menthe
Vert Olive - J. Herbin Vert Olive Ink Review
Lierre Sauvage
Vert Reseda
Vert Empire - Review Coming Soon!
Ambre De Birmanie - J. Herbin Ambre De Birmanie Ink Review
Lie De The
Cacao Du Bresil - Review Coming Soon!
Cafe Des Iles
Terre De Feu
Poussiere De Lune
Bouton D'Or
Orange Indien
Rouille D'Ancre
Rose Tendresse
Bouquet D'Antan
Rose Cyclamen - J. Herbin Rose Cyclamen Ink Review
Rouge Opera
Violette Pensee
Larme De Cassis - J. Herbin Larmes De Cassis Ink Review

As I get more of the J. Herbin inks, I will continue to review the inks. Again, thanks goes out to Exaclair for the opportunity to review these amazing inks.

J Herbin was established in 1670, when Louis XIV, the Sun King, was 32 years old.

M. Herbin was a sailor, and from his many journeys to India he brought back to Paris formulas for manufacturing sealing wax. His special lacquer formula improved the quality of the seals in adhesion and neatness, helping him to become famous throughout the kingdom.

J. Herbin is also the oldest name in ink production in the world.

By 1700, the company was producing “l’Encre de la Tete Noire,” followed by “Perle des Encres,” (The Jewel of Inks) and “l’Encre des Vaisseaux” (The Ink of Ships).

J. Herbin made ink for Louis XIV, and a black ink for the sole use of Victor Hugo, author of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Les Miserables. These formulas still reside in our company archives in Paris.