A Real Gas!

Modern Living flying in a balloon is the ultimate ego trip. No aeronautic spectacle could command more attention--except, perhaps, the arrival of a Martian space ship in Central Park or another moon-shot lift-off at Cape Kennedy. But even if the sight of a balloon didn't cause a commotion on the ground, the ride in a gondola built for two would be a private pleasure worth every bit of the effort it takes to launch an 80-foot-tall nylon "envelope" filled with hot air.

Today's breed of balloonists bears little resemblance to the itinerant hydrogen-bag jockeys of the 19th and early 20th centuries who played the county-fair circuits, inviting farmers to "Step right up and see the city from the sky--for which a small fee will be charged." Ballooning has evolved into a sophisticated sport enjoyed by urban couples who happen to dig riding the wind suspended from a colorful bubble that looks like an enormous Christmas-tree ornament (but, fortunately, is nowhere nearly as fragile).

Not all the fun of ballooning is sky-high. There's also the excitement of coming to rest on a remote hilltop with a fabulous view, a spot where a picnic lunch is more than just a meal; it's a unique experience, since chances are that the wind currents won't carry you to that location again.

And if you think one balloon is a ball, try four. A ballooning party similar to the one pictured on these pages is a friendly way to fly when it's a lazy summer day and you feel those hot-weather doldrums coming on. Six couples are the minimum number for a four-balloon affair. The extra pairs act as a chase crew, following (text continued overleaf) their quarry from the ground in a wild cross-country variation of a fox hunt. If additional friends volunteer to aid in getting the festivities off to a flying start, that's all to the good: Plenty of helping hands on ground ropes lessens the chance that a balloon will take off with nobody aboard.

After the balloonists are aloft and well downwind, the chase crew will speed ahead to an open field and lay down a marker (we used a giant Playboy Rabbit) that indicates where the aeronauts should land. Because a ballooning trip is such a kick, it calls for final celebration after touchdown--an alfresco payoff in food and drink that's worthy of the day's flight fantastic.

Hot-air ballooning as a sport has been around since 1783--the year France's Montgolfier brothers sent aloft a heated bag with a gondola containing a duck, a rooster and a sheep. These barnyard balloonists rose to a height of 1700 feet, then descended safely two miles away after only eight minutes of flight. King Louis XVI applauded the aerial animal act and plans were made to send a man into the sky.

Jean Francois Pilâtre de Rozier, the king's historian, volunteered for the ascent. His balloon was a huge blue-and-gold sphere made of heavy cloth and decorated with the royal cipher and the signs of the zodiac. The platform on which he rode could hold just one man, a fire pan and some wet straw to burn so that the bag's air would stay hot. Water and sponges also went aloft, in case the flames got out of control. In October 1783, De Rozier ascended to the dizzying height of 84 feet and remained there four and one half minutes, bobbing at the end of a tether; he was the first man in history to view Paris from the air.

Ten years later, the sport of ballooning crossed the Atlantic when another Frenchman, Jean Pierre Blanchard, in a hydrogen balloon, made America's first aerial ascent. A Philadelphia newspaper reporter, obviously carried away by the spirit of the occasion, turned in the following story: "Mr. Blanchard was dressed in a plain blue suit, a cocked hat with a white feather. As soon as he was in the gondola, he threw out some ballast, then began to ascend slowly, perpendicularly, while he waved the colors of the United States and the French Republic and flourished his hat to the thousands of citizens who stood gratified and astonished at his intrepidity. After a few minutes, the wind blowing from northwest and westward, the balloon rose to an immense height and then shaped its course toward the southward and eastward. ... And various were the conjectures as to the place where he would descend." The landing site, it turned out, was about 15 miles away, just east of Woodbury, New Jersey. There, after his 46-minute flight, the daring Blanchard boarded a carriage and returned to Philadelphia, where he was greeted by George Washington, who became the first American President to personally congratulate a space pioneer.

As ballooning progressed from its infancy, hot air was replaced by such lighter-than-air gases as hydrogen and coal gas, since, in those embryonic days of flight, it was impossible to carry a safe or efficient on-board fuel supply. In addition to stowing straw, early hot-air men had used lamb's wool as fuel, and there was always the danger of sparks going up inside the balloon and igniting the fabric. Thus, hot-air ballooning swiftly diminished in popularity; and for about 150 years, gas-baggers ruled the skies. Early in 1960, however, the Navy awarded Raven Industries in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a contract to build a modern version of the Montgolfier balloon as a training device for student blimp pilots. Within a few months, a safe hot-air sack was fabricated and test-flown. Since then, continued improvements have been made in the design and thousands of flying hours have been logged. Although aluminum and nylon are now used in the manufacturing of the basket and the bag, the basic Montgolfier principle of hot air for buoyancy has remained unchanged.

Balloons for civilian use and ownership are now available from Raven--in one-, two- and four-passenger capacities, with larger units made to order. The prices for complete ready-to-fly bags of wind--including full instrumentation and ground inflator--are about $3500, $5000 and $6400, respectively, for one-, two- and four-man balloons. Instruction for a ballooning license--a document you must have--costs another $500 or so. Any commercial lighter-than-air-balloon pilot can act as a teacher. A student must have a logged minimum of eight hours' flying time; up to six hours can be supervised with a licensed balloonist in the gondola, but two hours must be solo time in the sky. In addition, the Hot Air Balloon Club of America, a loosely knit nationwide organization of aeronauts, arranges club charters and licensing and also leases balloons. For taking lessons, HABCA maintains a fleet that can be rented like any other aircraft. A two-man balloon rental is $50 an hour, which includes two tanks of propane gas and both launch and chase crews. (Should you have any questions concerning this, write to Bill Berry, President, Hot Air Balloon Club of America, 3300 Orchard Avenue, Concord, California 94520.)

To get the feel of this highflying sport, let's assume you have your license and are about to take your skyship on its maiden flight. The first calm day finds you heading for an open field that's well away from power lines or major bodies of water, where you can drive an appropriate vehicle such as a pickup truck or a four-wheel-drive off-road machine. After you unload the balloon and spread it out flat on the ground, ready for inflation, start your ground inflator--a powerful gasoline-engine blower that throws a shaft of air deep into the billowing bag. As the balloon swells in size, more hands will be needed to keep the skirt (the removable section of material at the base of the balloon) from flapping wildly in the man-made wind. Once the bag is nearly full, the propane burner mounted at the top of the gondola is ignited and the craft is almost ready to fly.

Normal ground inflation can be accomplished by two experienced people in five to ten minutes. Having a couple of extra friends along, of course, will make the task easier. When you're ready to take off, your companion climbs aboard, all hands let go of the gondola and you hit the blast valve, sending a jet of flame up into the balloon. In a few seconds, the air temperature inside the bag will soar and you'll be free of the ground, drifting with the prevailing wind. Once aloft, you'll want to take a reading of the three flight instruments built into the gondola; an altimeter, a rate-of-climb indicator and a pyrometer. This last device is used to monitor the temperature of the balloon's surface at the peak of the bag.

To successfully maneuver a hot-air balloon, novice aeronauts must master the technique of heat anticipation, as this is what causes the craft to ascend and descend. (Obviously, the wind is what provides the horizontal propulsion.) When you hit the blast valve above you, the burst of flame that shoots into the nylon envelope soon heats the captive air to a temperature that's higher than that of the surrounding atmosphere, and up you go. The opposite, of course, occurs if you release the gas valve too long and the bag cools down. To illustrate this point, let's say that you've just taken off, planning to peak at 500 feet. Probably, your first reaction will be to hold the flame on too long, and up you'll go past 500 feet to 1000. Because you're at an altitude higher than expected, you'll probably let the bag temperature cool too long. This time, down you go, perhaps to 200 feet. With a few hours of practice flying, you'll learn how to level out at various altitudes by anticipating your airship's reactions.

You'll be happy to know that hot-air balloons have a built-in safety factor; should you run out of propane fuel-- something that's very unlikely but possible--the balloon will stay inflated while descending. And because the volume of air in the bag is so great, small holes or tears have practically no effect on performance. You will want to get them repaired, of course.

Landing is relatively simple. The pilot maintains a low altitude until he's above a suitable-looking field. Then he uses the fuel valve, as described, to control the final rate of descent. (A vent called the hoo-hoo, located on one side of the balloon, can also be pulled open for an extra-quick response.) Upon landing, the balloon is collapsed by pulling a rip cord that peels open a deflation port located in the crown. (Aeronauts call this popping the top.) Or, if it's a calm day and you plan to fly again, you can tether the craft with two lines, turn the burner low and, if it stays calm, the bag will sit there like a big colorful ball, bouncing slightly in the breeze.

For a day of ballooning, you'll want to dress in comfortable clothes and tennis shoes. And if it's summer, you won't need a heavy jacket; the burner above you will keep the gondola pleasantly warm. But there's one additional ingredient needed to ensure the success of a hot-air ball--an ample supply of the bubbly. Champagne is the traditional drink of balloonists and the only potable that can match the intoxicating kick of the sport. The French, who invented both balloons and champagne, and who know that the latter's buoyant effects are equally delightful on the ground and in the sky, appreciate the pleasures of a midmorning champagne toast. Before the ascent, its effervescence will make everyone feel lighter than air. And after the landing, champagne both signalizes and celebrates the completed trip; it's a perfect thirst quencher and an aperitif before the landing picnic.

Toasting a launch is a sparkling moment for all concerned but not the occasion for spending hours appraising the fine differences among various vintages. And you needn't carry a cargo of crushed ice to have cold champagne for a balloon party. The best technique is to chill it in the refrigerator overnight, then wrap it in several layers of aluminum foil and secrete it in an insulated tote bag. Crumpled paper or excelsior may be used to keep the bottles from bouncing against one another on rough terrain, and a can or two of refrigerant may be placed in the bag for added insurance.

All picnic preparations--except making the coffee for the vacuum jug--should be completed the day before the party. As the host, you shouldn't hesitate to delegate food-and-drink assignments to others in your crowd. They'll enjoy playing a part in the festivities. The picnic baskets should be packed with foods of substance that show imagination--roast rack of lamb, for instance, that can be held in the hand for hungrier-than-usual appetites, or chicken coated with chopped almonds, rather than the usual bread crumbs, before frying. A cold curried shrimp soup or a gazpacho, as well as summer fruits in season and iced coffee, will appease the special thirsts balloon pilots and their first mates always develop after a hot-air ride in the boundless blue. If you own an outfitted wicker basket, you won't have to worry about lugging along outdoor eating and drinking equipment, although it's a good idea to check the menu item by item to make sure everything is in order, such as two sets of drinkingware if you're having both soup and coffee.

Toward sundown, you'll be ready to descend (ballooning after dark--except on a short tether--is not the way to fly) for cocktails and dinner under the same serene sky in which you floated earlier in the day. The evening meal is planned as a lazy long feast beside a charcoal fire. By the time the stars are beginning to appear, it will be sufficiently dark to appreciate the blue flames of cognac and Irish Mist licking a pan of sizzling crepes.

Here, then, are Playboy Food and Drink Editor Thomas Mario's suggestions for what to prepare as tasty picnic totables and, later, for the grand-finale evening meal.

Balloon Picnic I

Cold Curried Shrimp Soup

Cold Roast Rack of Lamb

Dutch Potato Salad

Sliced Beefsteak Tomatoes

Bread-and-Butter Sandwiches

Brie Cheese, Crackers, WholeFresh Elberta Peaches

Iced Coffee

[recipe_title]Cold Curried Shrimp Soup[/recipe_title]

(Serves four)

[recipe]1/2 lb. raw shrimps in shell[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]Juice of 1/4 lemon[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup diced onion[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup diced leeks, white part only[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons butter[/recipe]

[recipe]3/4 cup sliced potatoes[/recipe]

[recipe]1-1/2 cups milk[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup light cream[/recipe]

[recipe]2 teaspoons curry powder[/recipe]

Wash shrimps and place in saucepan with 2-1/2 cups cold water, 1/4 teaspoon salt and lemon juice. Slowly bring to a boil; turn off heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove shrimps from pan with slotted spoon, leaving cooking liquid in pan. Remove shrimp shells and vein running through back; return the shells to cooking liquid and simmer slowly 20 minutes. Strain; discard shells. In another pan, sauté onion and leeks in butter until onion is light yellow. Add shrimp stock and potatoes; simmer very slowly until potatoes are tender. Add milk and cream and slowly bring up to boiling point; remove from fire. Dissolve curry powder in 2 tablespoons cold water and add to soup. Cut shrimps crosswise into 1/2-in. slices and add to soup; let cool for about an hour. Place in blender--in several batches, if necessary--and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill overnight. Check soup for thickness; thin with added milk, if necessary.

Cold Roast Rack of Lamb

A rack of lamb is the section from which the rib lamb chops are cut. Buy a double rack, separated into halves, for four portions. Have the butcher remove the backbone for easy carving. Remove the meat from the refrigerator at least an hour before roasting. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in a preheated oven at 400° in a shallow roasting pan and roast 3/4 hour or until meat thermometer registers 160°. Let rack remain at room temperature about an hour before carving. Carve roast into chops; trim ends of bones for easy handling or for chop holders. Chill well. Bottled mint sauce or a mixture of red-currant jelly and bottled mint sauce is a refreshing garnish.

Dutch potato salad is flavored with bacon and made sweet and sour with vinegar and sugar. Chopped bacon, onion and leeks are sautéed together until onions and leeks turn yellow. The bacon fat takes the place of the usual mayonnaise or oil. Boiled sliced potatoes are combined with the bacon mixture, seasoned with vinegar, sugar and mustard and, if you wish, chopped hard-boiled egg. Be generous with the salt and pepper and chill well before packing into the picnic basket.

Allow one or two beefsteak tomatoes per person, depending on the size. Be sure brie cheese is soft ripe. Allow two large ripe Elberta peaches per person. Coffee should be brewed double strength before it's diluted with ice cubes and poured into the prechilled Thermos container.

Balloon Picnic II

Gazpacho

Cold Breast of Chicken with Almonds

Rice Salad with Olives and Peppers

Pickled French String Beans

Club Rolls, Water-Cress Butter

Fresh Strawberries, Melba Sauce

Iced Coffee

[recipe_title]Gazpacho[/recipe_title]

(Serves four)

[recipe]1 lb. ripe fresh tomatoes[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup diced cucumber[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup diced French bread[/recipe]

[recipe]2 cups cold water[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup sliced scallions[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup diced green pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup olive oil[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup red-wine vinegar[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper[/recipe]

Lower tomatoes into boiling water for 20 seconds. Hold under cold running (continued on page 182)A Real Gas(continued from page 96) water; remove skins and stem ends. Cut into sixths, press lightly and remove seeds; cut into dice. Cut cucumber in half lengthwise; remove seeds with spoon and cut into dice without peeling. Soak bread in water. Put all ingredients except salt and pepper into blender. Blend at high speed 1 minute or until thoroughly puréed. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill.

[recipe_title]Cold Breast of Chicken with Almonds[/recipe_title]

(Serves four)

[recipe]4 boneless and skinless chicken-breasthalves with shoulder bone, if possible[/recipe]

[recipe]6-oz. package sliced almonds[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]Flour[/recipe]

[recipe]2 eggs, beaten[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons butter[/recipe]

[recipe]Salad oil[/recipe]

Place almonds in shallow pan in oven preheated at 350°. Bake 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until almonds are just beginning to turn light brown. Remove from oven and allow almonds to reach room temperature. Place almonds in blender and blend at high speed until pulverized. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper; dip in flour, shake off excess; then dip in eggs, coating thoroughly. Pat almonds onto chicken with palm of hand to coat completely. Melt butter with 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet. Brown chicken on both sides, turning carefully to keep coating intact. Add more oil to pan, if necessary, to brown uniformly. Transfer chicken to shallow baking pan and bake 15 minutes in oven preheated at 375°. Remove from oven. Chill.

Allow 1 cup raw rice for four portions of rice salad. Cook, following directions on package. While rice is still warm, combine with chopped fresh tomatoes, very finely minced onion, sliced pitted black olives, chopped roasted sweet red pepper, olive oil and wine vinegar. Be generous with the oil; use a restrained hand with the vinegar. Toss thoroughly, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Pickled French string beans are available in jars at gourmet counters. Chill well. Rolls should be small size, cut horizontally and spread generously with sweet butter at room temperature mixed with finely chopped water cress. If strawberries are mammoth size, leave stems on for dipping into cold melba sauce, available in jars.

Later in the day, you'll want to start the evening dinner with a big relish dish piled with assorted black, stuffed and green olives, celery hearts and imported small artichoke hearts in oil. For predinner drinks, offer a choice of Southwest One, a bitter aperitif cocktail named after the London district in which it originated, or a tart apricot sour. A Southwest One is made by shaking vigorously with ice 3/4 oz. vodka, 3/4 oz. orange juice and 3/4 oz. Campari and straining into a cocktail glass. For an apricot sour, pour over ice in cocktail shaker 1 oz. blended U.S. or Canadian whiskey, 1/2 oz. apricot-flavored brandy, 1/2 oz. lemon juice, 1/4 oz. orange juice and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Shake well and strain into whiskey-sour glass. Both cocktails may be assembled in quantity beforehand and shaken with ice just before serving.

The main course that follows may be made in a large paella pan or heavy saucepan of equivalent size or may be made in two batches, if necessary, over an outdoor charcoal fire. Onions and mushrooms for the main dish, as well as the noodle casserole, should be cooked at home as part of the movable feast.

[recipe_title]Beef Tenderloin Sauté with Mushrooms[/recipe_title]

(Serves 12)

[recipe]9 lbs. (trimmed weight) whole beef tenderloin, stripped of all fat[/recipe]

[recipe]2 lbs. small silver onions[/recipe]

[recipe]Butter[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper, sugar[/recipe]

[recipe]2 lbs. fresh mushrooms[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup finely minced onion[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon finely minced garlic[/recipe]

[recipe]4 l0-3/4-oz. cans beef gravy[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup dry red wine[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup brandy[/recipe]

At home: Cut tenderloin into 1/4-in.-thick slices; cut into 1-in. squares or as close to that size as possible. Chill. Peel and boil silver onions in salted water just until tender; drain. In large saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add cooked silver onions; sprinkle with salt, pepper and sugar and sauté until onions are lightly browned. Remove from fire and chill. Cut mushrooms into 1/4-in. slices. Sauté in 3 tablespoons butter with minced onion and garlic, stirring frequently, until liquid has evaporated from pan. Chill.

At outdoor fire: Melt 1/4 lb. butter in large paella pan or saucepan over charcoal fire. When butter melts, add sliced tenderloin. Sauté close to brisk fire, stirring almost constantly, until meat loses red color. Add mushroom mixture, silver onions, beef gravy, wine and brandy. Bring to a boil and simmer about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

[recipe_title]Noodle Casserole with Scallions and Peppers[/recipe_title]

(Serves 12)

[recipe]1-1/4 lbs. fine-size noodles[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup sliced scallions[/recipe]

[recipe]7-1/2-oz. jar roasted sweet peppers[/recipe]

[recipe]1-1/4 lb. butter[/recipe]

[recipe]1-1/2 cups light cream[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, white pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup parmesan cheese[/recipe]

At home: Using white part of scallions and light-green part that is firm, cut them lengthwise in half, then crosswise into thinnest possible slices. Drain peppers and cut into thinnest possible julienne strips. Cook noodles in salted water, following directions on package. When tender, drain and wash them thoroughly in cold water; drain again. Melt butter in pan; add cream and bring up to the boiling point, but do not boil. In a large shallow casserole (don't use a deep casserole or reheating noodles will be troublesome), combine noodles, scallions, peppers and cream mixture. Toss well, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with tight lid and chill.

At outdoor fire: Reheat casserole over moderate heat or Varaflame burner, stirring almost constantly and adding milk or cream, if necessary, to keep noodles from scorching. Mix cheese with noodles just before serving.

[recipe_title]Crepes with Cognac and Irish Mist[/recipe_title]

(Serves 12)

[recipe]9 eggs[/recipe]

[recipe]1-1/2 cups milk[/recipe]

[recipe]3/4 cup cold water[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 teaspoon salt[/recipe]

[recipe]1-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon lemon juice[/recipe]

[recipe]1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract[/recipe]

[recipe]Grated rind of 1 lemon[/recipe]

[recipe]3/4 cup clarified butter or salad oil[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup butter[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons sugar[/recipe]

[recipe]5 ozs. cognac[/recipe]

[recipe]5 ozs. Irish Mist liqueur[/recipe]

At home: Pour eggs, milk, water, salt, flour, lemon juice, vanilla extract and lemon rind into blender. Blend at high speed until batter is smooth. Heat 1 teaspoon clarified butter in heavy cast-iron pan or crepe pan 6 ins. across bottom. Use a moderate flame and adjust from time to time, if necessary, to brown crepes uniformly. Pour 3 tablespoons crepe batter into pan (a jigger may be used as a batter measure) and tilt pan quickly to cover bottom completely. When the crepe is mottled brown on bottom, turn and brown lightly on other side. Remove crepe from pan, set aside and continue in this manner until all batter is used. Fold each crepe in half, then in half again. Store, covered, in refrigerator.

At outdoor fire: Heat 1/2 cup butter in a very wide shallow pan or in two pans, tilting pan to cover bottom completely with butter. At once, place crepes in pan in a single layer, if possible. Sprinkle with sugar. Turn crepes to coat thoroughly with butter. Add cognac and Irish Mist. When liquors are hot, set ablaze. Serve crepes when flames subside.

A tart red wine cup may be assembled and prechilled at home and mixed with ice and soda just before pouring. Three pitchers of the recipe below will yield two rounds for 12 balloonists.

[recipe_title]Beaujolais Cup[/recipe_title]

[recipe]1 quart (32 oz.) beaujolais or similar dry fruity red wine[/recipe]

[recipe]4 ozs. cherry heering[/recipe]

[recipe]4 ozs. lemon juice[/recipe]

[recipe]1-1/2 ozs. grenadine[/recipe]

[recipe]8 to 10 1-in. pieces cucumber peel[/recipe]

[recipe]12 ozs. iced club soda[/recipe]

Combine and chill beaujolais, cherry heering, lemon juice and grenadine. Just before serving, pour into 2-quart tall pitcher. Add cucumber peel and stir well. Add club soda and enough ice to fill pitcher to rim. Stir lightly.

The preceding recipes will add the final flourish to the myriad pleasures of a highflying balloon outing. Bon voyage and happy landings.