The Mystifying Magic Mojito

One is never too old to learn a new lesson.  And so was the case for me, earlier this month.

My office mate/girlfriend and I shared a fun dinner of Japanese BBQ with a woman we both do business with.  Charcoal cooking not being a strong suit for any among the three of us, we were none the less proud of ourselves for taking on the challenge of coal grilling and were rewarded with many tasty meats and vegetables.  The night could have ended there, but part of the motivation for our restaurant selection actually had to do with the neighboring gastronomic concept next door at the SLS Hotel on the Westside here in Los Angeles.

Bar Centro @ The Bazaar,
Courtesy Esquire Magazine

The Bazaar, is Jose Andres' latest restaurant/bar/patisserie/market experiment.  Jose, if you are not acquainted, is considered one of the great culinary artists of our times.   The James Beard Foundation named him, "Outstanding Chef" of 2011.  He is internationally recognized for his superb Spanish cuisine while blending awe-inspiring creativity resulting in innovative presentations. 

As our cocktail waitress presented the drinks menu, she strongly encouraged us to try of their tapas creations.  She specifically suggested we try Jose's Cotton Candy Foie Gras.

That is not a typo!!  Cotton candy AND Foie Gras. Together.

We politely passed and indicated we'd only be having after dinner drinks and ordered accordingly.  My friends ordered red wine and a gimlet.  I ordered the "Magic Mojito."

The moment the waitress left, I volunteered how much I disliked cotton candy.  Another in our group said she wasn't too fond of Foie Gras.  Imagine pairing the two together.  No thanks!  At this table Jose's Cotton Candy Foie Gras had two strikes against it before the first pitch.

Our waitress returned with the three drinks.  I was fairly certain only two of the three were for us; the wine and the gimlet.  But the third drink could not possibly be mine...I sat staring at a martini glass full of cotton candy!

Magic Mojio,
courtesy LA Times

Apparently Jose's innovations are not exclusive to food alone.   Sure enough, that WAS my drink.  My companions laughed and laughed at my reaction.  Making such declarations only to now be faced with all that sticky yucckiness.  As our waitress poured mojito goodness over the fluff it dissolved away.  Like magic.  How did it taste?  Like the best cocktail I've ever had!

The lesson learned?  When it comes to food I should not place too much faith in my preconceived notions.