By Dana Davis

Reporter, Carbon Count Comet

As the weather turns cooler and fall sets in, there’s nothing quite as comforting as homemade baked goods to warm up the home. Cooler days make the oven’s heat welcome again, filling the kitchen with the scent of freshly baked treats and a sense of cozy nostalgia.

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

There was a time when I went into bars that specialized in whisky and almost 75 percent was single malt scotch.

This was in Asia.

American whiskey, whether bourbon, rye, or Tennessee whiskey (Jack Daniels), was not a favorite of the Chinese.

Scotch was dominant.

Single malt is the most sought-after, although Jonny Walker blends were popular.

Compiled by Dick Perue

GATT Correspondent

Several folks have been gathering at the piano to sing hymns following a delicious free meal served on the first Monday evening of each month at the Saratoga Presbyterian Church.

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon Count Comet

I am not a huge fan of eggplant. As a kid, we had eggplant Parmesan a couple of times and although I really enjoy Italian dishes, it was not a favorite of mine. Now I have to admit my stepmother was a wonderful person who I loved dearly, but she was really not a good cook.

So my aversion to eggplant might be partly attributed to it not ever being cooked well.

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

I have mentioned the Sloe Gin Fizz when writing about Sloe Gin, but I didn’t go much into detail about the fizz as a classification of cocktails. It is probably because I did not make many until I opened my restaurant/bar, Lost and Found.

I was bringing back old drinks and one that was featured as a special sometimes would be a Gin Fizz or a Ramos Gin Fizz.

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon Count Comet

I have been to Indonesia about a half a dozen times and it is a place that is not like any other country I have visited.

Jakarta is a megacity with 12 million living in the city and 33 million in the metro.

I have friends who live in this metropolis and have stayed in the city a few times, but the place I love in Indonesia is Bali.

Bali is magical.

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

The highball is one of the simplest drinks to make. It is a recipe in a way, but many cocktails are a Highball.

The name Highball is credited to Patrick Gavin Duffy, who was bartending back in the 1890s in New York City. 

His Highball consisted of two ingredients: 1 1/2 to 2 ounces of liquor and a mixer.

The Highball had its own glass created for it.

By Dana Davis

Reporter, Carbon Count Comet

Frog Eye Salad sounds like a recipe for a dish that should be served for Halloween. But this dessert is so good, you’re family will be craving it all year long.

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

Summer is very close to being over. I was thinking the other day of a summer drink my father used to drink on occasion.

I have mentioned in the past that my sister and I used to make my father’s drinks for him quite often.

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon Count Comet

I am eating a lot more tofu in the past five months than I have in the past five to ten years.

The only time I ate more was when living in China and Taiwan, which makes perfect sense, especially in Taiwan. 

I bet I ate some sort of tofu dish five times a week.

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

As a tyke, my father had me and my sister making him his drinks on weekends, just before dinner. I became quite proficient at making Manhattans, Old Fashions, Martinis and Gibsons. Our reward was the fruit that was left over, like the cherry or cocktail onions. I hated olives (still do), so there was no reward for martinis.

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon Count Comet

A dish that I put on my menu in Taichung, Taiwan when my kid brother left our restaurant was Chicken Cordon Bleu.

Fred had left fM (our restaurant) and although our parting was not a bad one, he took all the people from our kitchen, barring one.

I was the bar guy of our operation and Guan Wei, the one kitchen person left, was not exactly chef material.

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

Bacardi is a monster spirits company. I realize not everyone realizes what a liquor behemoth Bacardi is. This became apparent to me when I came to Taiwan and started to become aware of how huge some spirits were and how the industry was changing.

Compiled by Dick Perue

GATT Correspondent

As “Indian Summer” approaches, everyone, especially the hungry and lonely, is invited to “Gather at the Table” for a free meal and fellowship Monday evening, Sept. 1, from 5:30 to 7:00 in the Saratoga Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall at the corner of Third and Bridge Streets in downtown Saratoga.

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon Count Comet

There was a time I didn’t eat many eggs and that means egg sandwiches too.

That all changed when a girlfriend got me to eat an Egg McMuffin. Smitty (first name was Laura and last name Smith) got me to try a lot of different things, from skiing to food.

We were together for seven years, so her influence was strong in ways I still see now.