Bands With Pans: Ava Luna
- Carlos’ Famous Squid And Rice
Carlos’ Famous Squid And Rice emerged a delightful shade of muted brackish black. The rice absorbed and mellowed the ink’s folksy quality. I had trouble detecting concrete squid rings among the onions and olives—something, as a hesitant pescatarian, I counted as a bonus. It was hearty and yielded more than enough to feed our six-person crew.
As we let the range heat up the kitchen, everyone cracked open a brew. “One of the great pleasures of cooking is you don’t feel bad about drinking while you do it,” Ethan pointed out. “It’s like, ‘Hey, I’m fucking making food like a grown-up. I’m gonna have a beer if I want.’” As a novice mixologist, he offered to whip up a tequila-based drink. It unfortunately never materialized (Coors complimented the final culinary result just peachy), but over the course of the evening, he and Carlos revealed some past mixing attempts. I’ll share all seven with you now, perhaps making you more popular at rooftop parties this summer (thank Ava Luna).
• Honey + peach brandy + whiskey + lemon juice
Ethan says: “If you shake it enough, it’s sort of like you have a simple syrup.”
• Traditional Blood Mary + kimchi
Ethan says: “It’s spicy. It’s got that little fermenty, funky taste.”
• Spiced rum + Arizona green tea
Ethan says: “It cuts the nastiness of the spiced rum and the green tea makes it a little nicer, cooler.”
Carlos says: “I can see that. There are actually a lot of green tea mixed drinks in China.”
• Andre champagne + bourbon + apple juice
Ethan says: “It tastes like hard cider but it’s really really really fucking strong. It was a success. Like, it tastes really good and it gets you fucked up and that’s my criteria.”
• Grand Marnier + vanilla soy milk
Ethan says: “I made a Creamsicle drink once. It’s dangerous.”
• Tequila + dark beer + frozen limeade
Ethan says: “It’s like a slightly fizzy, rich margarita. Dude, beer cocktails are the way to go because the beer adds so much.”
• Jack Daniels + milk
Carlos says: “I used to drink [it] in college.”
Ethan says: That’s raunchy, man. I don’t get down with that shit. Sounds pretty super gross.”
Carlos says: “It’s disgusting.”
Heat swallowed the living area, sending troops in turns outdoors. The Instagram-famous Super Moon hung over Ethan’s balcony while we shot the shit.