Cooking World

One of the most prestigious areas of New York, between Madison and Park Avenue, placed new gastronomic restaurant Gilt. The creator of an interior - Patrick Juen, Phillip Stark’s apprentice.
Juen’s portfolio has a set of interesting projects, including Van Cleef & Arpels boutiques and Dukass restaurants - Plaza Athenee in Paris, Spoon network in several countries of the world, Mix in Las Vegas and New York. Restaurant Gilt is located in one of the most magnificent New York hotels New York Palace, representing a unique combination of a historical building of the end of XIX century and a modern 54-storeyed skyscraper.
The restaurant is located in a historical part of the hotel, and his interior also is made on contrasts and represents a quaint embodiment of luxury - a mix of the features inherent to the Greek and Roman styles, baroque, to an empire style and the Renaissance.
Thick as a book, wine card includes creations of the best wine-makers from the whole world: Louis Roederer (Cristal, Brut, Reims, 1985), Dom Perignon (Oenotheque, Brut, Epernay, 1976), Veuve Clicquot (Le Grande Dame, Brut, Reims, 1988), Coche-Dury (Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru, 1990), Marcassin (Marcassin Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, 1996), Bryant Family Vineyards (Napa Valley, 1994), Caymus Vineyards (Special Selection, Napa Valley, 1985), Screaming Eagle (Napa Valley, 1997), Penfolds (Grange-Hermitage, South Australia, 1964).

- 1/4 measure orange syrup concentrated
- 3/4 measure of cognac
- crushed ice or small ice cubes

Prepare in a jug :
- 2 measures of cognac
- 1 measure of just pressed lemon juice
- 1 measure of sugar syrup
- 1 measure Cointreau
- a bit of pepper (to taste)
Top a jug with water and mix. Leave in fridge for a few hours. Add crushed ice just before serving.

Aperitif (for 6 to 8 persons)
- 0,26 gallons sweet wine
- 7,0548 ounces sugar cubes
- 1 lemon for its peel, and another one for slicing
- 2 cloves
- 25 cl cognac
Directions: pour the wine into a stainless steel saucepan. Add the sugar and the lemon peel pricked with the cloves. Heat and stir until white foam appears on the surface. Remove the peel and pour the wine into a jug (preheat the jug with boiling hot water).
Heat the cognac in a small pot. When it begins to boil, light it and let it burn for just a few seconds then pour into the jug and mix well.
Place a slice of lemon in the bottom of a tall cup and serve almost hot.

Egg and liqueur based cocktail
- 1/3 cream of cocoa
- 1 part of cognac
- 1 part of Cointreau (popular in GB French orange liqueur
- fresh cream
- 1 egg yolk (for 5 persons)
Liqueur based cocktails:
- 1/3 white “creme de menthe”
- 2/3 cognac
- 1/3 banana liqueur
- 1/3 cognac
- 1/3 fresh cream
Without blending, pour equal amounts of:
- grenadine
- anisette
- green “creme de menthe”
- blue curacao
- “creme de violette”
- gold liqueur
- cognac
Egg based cocktail (in shaker with broken ice:
- 1/2 lemon juice
- 1/2 of an egg yolk
- 1 teaspoonful sugar
- 5 cl cognac
Direction: ice edge of glace with some sugar and decorate with a slice of lemon.

The Master Blender gets the eau-de-vies and follows them from the moment they leave the distillers. He supervises their ageing process, enjoys them from time to time, and makes the final decision on whether it is time to change them from one oak keg to another so they become rounder or dryer. Then he adds distilled or desalinated water to the eau-de-vie gradually in order to reach slowly the desirable alcohol volume needed for its sale (a minimum of 40% vol.). This delicate operation is named the “reduction”.
This task demands an comprehensive experience and allows each Master Blender to fine-tune the product’s quality. Creating a blend of the various eau-de-vies, blending different ages, the Master Blender is like an artist who is seeking for the perfect harmony of taste and aroma, such as the work of a painter or a musician. This is a true work of workmanship that will allow every consumer to remember and appreciate the Cognac of his or her choice.

Cognac is made only from grapes. It originates from a sharply defined region of France, around the town of Cognac. Its distinguished climate is unique in the world. With its chalky, stony soil and sunny temperate environment the region is just perfect for vine growing.
The traditional vineyard of the cognac region is divided into six growing areas (crus in French), and each has its unique characteristics. To guarantee the exceptional quality of its cognacs, Hennessy, for example, uses only eau-de-vie from the first four crus, those which have the best topsoil and very chalky subsoil.
The grape diversity covering most of the vineyard for the cognac production is called Ugni Blanc which creates a fruity and light white wine perfect for distillation.

Cognac is not just a spirit but a drink which holds the entity of the initial wine, without losing of its pleasant, much demanded aromas.
Distillers in the Cognac region have been using the double distillation method since the sixteenth century. During the whole winter and until the end of March, the pot-stills work steadily to turn the wine into eau-de-vie.
The first distillation, which lasts about 12 hours for 20hl yields a distillate called brouillis (about 30 % alcohol by volume), which concentrates the best floral aromas. The brouillis is then distilled. The second distillation gives a more refined and stronger alcohol drink named the coeur or heart. To produce one liter of eau-de-vie de coeur it is needed nine liters of wine. This coeur, which contains about 70 % alcohol by volume, is a crystal clear eau-de-vie, which will eventually become a cognac after a long maturing process.

The gradual and natural ageing in oak kegs develops the aromas, flavors and colors of these well-known cognacs.
In the process of ageing, the eau-de-vies lose some of their strength and volume. Each year, about 2 % volatilize from the barrels. This process removes the very volatile substances, leaving those that give cognacs their bouquet.
A great Hennessy cognac is the result of many drinks of different origins and ages, and with various features, that are gathered over time by the master blender.

Each Hennessy cognac is blended in its particular way, which is real mystery of its aroma and taste.
To ensure the original character of the cognacs, with their unique spicy, floral, fruity or woody features, the master blender leaves them to develop until they are just ready for the blending.

Master blender selects eau-de-vies for their additional qualities, shades and aromas and makes firstly a trial blend. When tasting, comparison and adjustment is completed this becomes the first blend. It is sent back to the cellars to age for a certain time before being combined with other first blends to make the final blend, which can only then be fine-tuned.

From the first step of selection of the eau-de-vies to the final blend, the Hennessy’s master blender and his team of professional oenologists lay the tasting sessions very close to heart. Every year they draw up a descriptive inventory of all the consignments of eau-de-vies to control their development. Master blender then take the decision on the future of every consignment.

Hardy Perfection - there are only 49 carafes left …The origin of this eau-de-vie that makes it so rare and perfect dates back to the 1870s. The founder, Anthony Hardy gathered several different varieties, thinking about the future of his family. This Cognac origins from the area that is known nowadays as Grande Champagne cru, its grapes were Folle Blanche and Colombard and this eau-de-vie is pure and unblended with its natural strength of 41% volume. Hardy Perfection is so full, so complex and so fine, that the most idealistic Cognac experts have called it incomparable.
Decanter: The Hardy family decided to bottle a very limited exceptional edition in 300 bottles of this family heirloom, and the well-known design house of Daum created a beautiful, numbered and signed piece of art - the Perfection Carafe.
Usual retail price for a bottle is about $6,253.33

A blend of Grande, Petite and Borderies Cognacs will enjoy you in Hardy Napoleon Cognac. Smell of nuts and honey, sweet chocolate covered cherries and oak, supplements each other very well. And light caramel cherry taste is delightful.
This Cognac was rated No. 1 in a blind tasting made by the Beverage Tasting Institute.
Aged a minimum of 15 years in oak.
Usual price about $63.33