It's in the air.....

Italy.  Can you smell it?  Ever so lemon-y, with the sun dipping slightly in the sky with the shorter days....and the basil.  And maybe a little tomato, Buffalo mozzarella....it basically reeks of Caprese Salad, people. 

Scott and I celebrated our 15 years of marital bliss last year with a trip to Paris and this year we thought we'd tip our hat to Italy, with a little dinner party for a few of our back-to-school friends.

On the menu, we'll have the maybe-prosaic-but-also-loved::

Limoncello and Prosecco with a dash of basil.

Insalata Caprese

Prosciutto e Melone

Honey Tomato Bruschetta with Chestnut Honey

Cerignola olives, Arugala and Bresaola Salad

A plate of stinky Italian cheeses

and we'll laugh...and laugh....and wish we were all sitting *here* with our kids, that weren't quite back to school.

Dad's favorite cocktail

We're heading to Little Rhody for the weekend with weather that's purported to be in the 90s. And after the beach on Father's Day, we'll have this:


A gin and tonic with Angostura ice cubes and cucumber slices.

The how-to from the nytimes.

Getting in the muddle

It's only Tuesday...and I'm all ready thinking of the weekend cocktail.

I think we've tested every vodka-pomegranate-gin-lime-rickey on the planet. We've worked the tequila. We've squeezed countless citrus. Made vast amounts of simple syrup.

But I think this weekend is all about the muddle. And four ingredients:

(image from MAP magazine)
The Caipirinha

• ice
• lime
• sugar
• cachaça (a cheap Brazilian rum-like concoction that is surprisingly easy to find)
  

Sweet, tart and strong, the caipirinha is mixed with the Brazilian spirit cachaça. Cachaça is similar to rum but made from sugarcane rather than molasses. "It's more sophisticated than rum because it's more pure," says Brazilian artist Vik Muniz, patriotically. Directions

Here's a nifty little video that shows you exactly how to make the perfectly muddled and executed Caipirinha!

Caipirinha with tender loving care! from nando cuca on Vimeo.

Nando Cuca teaches you how to prepare that king of the Brazilian cocktails, the Caipirinha, with a little 'tender loving care'.

Cuca Brazuca is produced by UK web agency Dancing Bee ltd - come back every week to watch marketeer-turned-chef Nando Cuca creating another delicious classic of the Brazilian Cuisine. Send your comments and suggestions to info@cucabrazuca.com or visit our site at www.cucabrazuca.com.

Liquid Lemony Goodness

Lemons are in my head these days. With Spring and Easter and Passover....I feel like surrounding myself with lemons.

Tarragon Lemonade

(from Food&Wine)

Ingredients
10 cups water
2 1/4 cups sugar
17 tarragon sprigs
6 cups fresh lemon juice, strained (from about 40 lemons), plus 12 thin lemon slices for garnish
Salt
Ice

Directions
In a medium saucepan, combine 4 cups of water with the sugar and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer over moderately high heat until reduced to 3 1/4 cups, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 5 of the tarragon sprigs. Let stand, stirring often, until cooled to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Discard the tarragon sprigs.

In a large glass pitcher, combine the remaining 6 cups of water with the tarragon syrup and fresh lemon juice. Add a pinch of salt, stirring until it dissolves. Serve the tarragon lemonade over ice, garnished with the lemon slices and the remaining 12 tarragon sprigs.

~OR~


Lavender Lemonade

Ingredients
3-1/2 cups water
1 cup sugar

5 fresh lavender flower heads, or 1-1/2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender

2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained

4 springs fresh lavender, for garnish

Directions
Combine 1 cup of water with the sugar in a medium saucepan over a hot flame and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the remaining 2-1/2 cups water and the fresh or dried lavender and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. (If using dried lavender, put it in a tea ball.) Remove from the heat and let the mixture steep for 20 minutes, or until it has a light lavender taste. 

Strain the mixture into a pitcher or jar, and stir in the lemon juice. Refrigerate until it is cold.

To serve, pour the lemonade over a glass of ice and garnish with a sprig of fresh lavender.

I see no reason why you couldn't spike either recipe with some favorite spirit, maybe Vodka, St-Germaine, or even a Rye or a Bourbon for the adult version.

The Maple Syrup Cocktails (that are dancing in my head)

"What are you doing today?"

"I'm driving to Connecticut to spend the day with some good friends. Alone."

"Why can't I come?"

"You have to be taller than 4 feet to be invited."


Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of spending the day with friends that recently moved to Pomfret, CT. I've known these friends for some time and selfishly planned the day so that I could have them and their near 2 year old all (that's not quiet 4 feet but he might be some day) to myself, while my husband and kids were flittin' around doing other things. In Brookline.

Pomfret sits in the Quiet Corner of Northeastern Connecticut. It is verdant, hilly, and for now covered in green grass and almost-bare gray trees. It's an amazingly lovely and peaceful area.

(CA on flickr)

Part of our day included some art projects that Dave had planned. Another was walking around an old Colonial farm that has been in the family for centuries.

It was over the art project (and midday gin and tonics) and our discussion of a recent trip that Dave and Linda had taken to Quebec City that Linda began describing a cocktail that she had that has stuck in my head ever since.

I think it was either Linda's skill at chronicling this maple fantasia or Linda's ability to set the stage and take you right into the dark wood bar, fireplace, and serve you your drink....and

it. just. sounded. delicious.

Maybe, because to me, nothing beats a well-crafted cocktail?

Maybe because the ingredients seem particularly timely and autumnal?

or maybe I'm just forever looking for an excuse to try a new libation-seasonal or not?

The cocktail was basically a whiskey with maple syrup. And with some research, I found three concoctions worthy of sharing:

The Maple Leaf


(a variation on the Whiskey Sour)

2 oz Bourbon

½ oz Maple Syrup

½ oz Lemon Juice

Shake and strain into a cocktail glass filled with crush ice. Drink on a porch with an old dog.

and for something that doesn't require an old dog or a porch.....

Pure Canada Cocktail

2 oz Canadian whisky

1/2 oz maple syrup

1/2 oz fresh apple juice

3 dashes aromatic bitters

1/6 of a fresh lemon

In a cocktail shaker full of ice, combine all ingredients. Squeeze the lemon segment over top and drop in the rind. Shake well and strain into a chilled martini glass.

Filibuster Cocktail

(adapted from Food & Wine's Cocktails 2008, from a recipe developed by Erik Adkins for the restaurant Flora in Oakland, CA)



1 1/2 ounces rye whiskey (bourbon can be substituted)

3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice

1/4 ounce pure maple syrup

dash Angostura bitters

1 egg white

lemon twist (for garnish)

Place all ingredients (except for the garnish) in a cocktail shaker and shake thoroughly. You should begin to feel a slight difference in the way the liquid moves in the shaker as the froth develops. Now add the ice and shake briefly again, to chill. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Notes: Described as a very sophisticated, well-balanced cocktail. It has a smooth texture and a complex flavor. The maple flavor doesn't stand out here as noticeably as it does in the more rustic Maple Leaf, but blends in almost seamlessly with the bitters, bourbon, and lemon.

(More on the Maple Leaf and Filibuster recipes and notes can be found *here*)

Answer: A French Gimlet

Question: What is the answer to a gloomy Thursday?



I know, I know. I've posted about St-Germain before. This amazing liqueur made from elderberry flowers. Here's the deal:

French Gimlet

* 2 ounces gin
* 1 1/2 ounce St-Germain
* 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice

Combine all ingredients in an ice-filled shaker and shake until cold. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with only a tasteful twist of lime.

I finally picked up our dusty only slightly opened bottle of St-Germain tonight. There are a lot of really interesting drinks out there using this liqueur but the overcast skies called for something different.

St-Germain is sweet, but not too sweet, floral, but not too floral, and really quite interesting. This liqueur is used in some very creative ways.

IN THE foothills of the Alps, for but a few fleeting spring days,
this man will gather wild blossoms for your cocktail.

That is the very reason one should fully enjoy the complexities of St-Germain.

Ice in the round

Another reason to stare at your cocktail: spherical ice.

Found here :: momastore

Today I crave.....

Sitting in the sun, right on top of the Isle of Capri, drenched in warmth. Eyes closed, maybe a limoncello in one hand. You know that color you see when you close your eyes with your face in the sun? It's like a soft brownish-orange? - I want to see that color and when I open my eyes, I want to see this view.

Healthy Cocktail?

We figured that maybe, somehow, the amount of anti-oxidants in any given cocktail might counter balance the liver-damaging alcohol? Possibly?

(uploaded from www.donjulio.com)


A twist on an old favorite:

Pomegranate Margarita
2 oz tequila
2 oz Blauchant, Grand Marnier, or Cointreau
2 oz fresh lime juice
4 oz pomegranate juice
Crushed ice

Shake until well-blended and serve in to salt-rimmed glass.

Cocktail Conundrum

If you had to pick a house drink for a holiday party and you wanted to make it a vodka-based drink, what would your options be?

There's the prosaic and now nearly dated Cosmopolitan. There's all sorts of cranberry-infused vodka this'n thats. And there's a whole buncha pomegranate cocktails. But what if you wanted to do something simple but unique? Something festive and tasty? And perhaps something that you might have more than one of, but switching to wine with dinner wouldn't kill the mood....? It's truly a cocktail conundrum.

However, here are some options. Please consider the following:

French Martini
1.5 oz Vodka
1/2 oz Chambord
2 oz Pineapple juice

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a pineapple wedge or a leaf from the pineapple for a sleek modern look.

PAMA Pine
4 oz Van Gogh Pineapple Vodka
4 oz PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur
Splash of lime juice

Combine, shake and serve

Belvedere Sparkle
1 oz Belvedere Vodka
2 oz cranberry juice with ice
1 oz Moet & Chandon Champagne

Shake vodka and cranberry juice with ice. Strain into chilled martini glass and top with champagne. Garnish with raspberries.

The Flirtini
1 1/2 oz Grey Goose L'Orange
1 oz Pineapple Juice
Once poured, finish with Champagne and

Served in a Martini Glass

Kobe Punch
1 oz Lemon Infused Ciroc Vodka
1 oz Mango Rum
2 oz Pineapple Juice
2 oz Cranberry Juice

Mix ingredients together and serve in a punch bowl or tumbler over ice, or individual glass tumbler. Garnish with a pineapple and cherry.

Your thoughts? (and if you're thinking: "you're sh*ttin' me, right? if this is the biggest concern on your plate, well lucky you!" that's okay, too.)

Glögg

Glögg.

glug?

No. Glögg. G l ö g g.

G l u h g? Sounds like glug. Why are you harassing me with this troll-like talk?

I'm not a troll. I'm saying "Glögg". You know, Glögg. Mulled wine. Swedish mulled wine. For the Holidays. We should have it again. With the raisins and almonds. And the vodka. And wine.

You sound very Shrekish to me when you say glug.

It's not glug. It's Glögg. And it's good. And I'm not Shrekish. At least not now.

Glögg

(House & Garden Drink Guide | November 1973)

There are a number of variations of this traditional Scandinavian Yuletide drink. Dry red wine, muscatel and sweet vermouth, with aquavit in place of the brandy, may be used. In another version, 2 bottles of dry red wine, preferably Bordeaux, are used with the quantity of aquavit increased to a whole bottle, which is poured over the flaming sugar.

Yield: Makes about 10 servings

Ingredients:

1 bottle tawny port
1 bottle Madeira
1 bottle medium dry sherry
1/2 bottle dry red wine
15 cloves
15 cardamom seeds
1 stick cinnamon
1/2 pound lump sugar
1/2 cup brandy
1 cup raisins
1 cup blanched almonds

Combine all ingredients except the sugar, brandy, raisins and nuts in a heavy saucepan and heat slowly. When the wine mixture is hot, place a rack on top of the saucepan so that it covers half of it. Arrange the sugar cubes on the rack, warm the brandy, pour it over the sugar and set it aflame. Ladle the wine mixture over the flaming sugar until sugar is dissolved. Serve in 8-ounce mugs, garnished with the almonds and raisins.

(we prefer the Bordeaux version with vodka. And we skip the flaming sugar-we just use simple syrup - why bother any fire with the shaking hands and all?)

Seasonal Inaugurations

There's no denying it.....

The chill of Autumn is here.
And last Sunday was the first inaugural
fire in the fireplace since last April at 33 Kent Street.

Another inauguration was our opening our long-awaited bottle
of Maker's Mark bourbon. With a little spice and bubbles from
Reed's Ginger Brew, loads of ice, and a squeeze of lime
it was the perfect accompaniment to the crackle of the fire.

And what goes better with a whiskey highball? Cheese log?
A crock of Wispride and Triscuits?
No. No. and No.
The answer is: A savory mix of wine bar nuts.

(from Food and Wine)

Ingredients

2 cups pecans

2 cups almonds

2 cups walnuts

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped mixed fresh rosemary, sage, savory and thyme

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a bowl, toss the nuts with the maple syrup, olive oil, herbs and cayenne. Spread the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Season the nuts with salt and pepper and toss frequently until cooled.

Make Ahead

The nuts can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Summer Reading

Look what arrived in the mail yesterday! This sweet, little, pocket guide to all things fun and celebratory.

I'm not sure why we got this, either some American Express gig or Food & Wine gig or maybe a joint gig. Double gig. Twofer. Gig gig.

Yeah, so a little freebie present in the mail that just made my day.

With this, we now have three cocktail reference books, F&W's Cocktails 2008, Mr. Boston Official Bartender and Party Guide, and Field Guide to Cocktails.

It's our 'libationarybrary'.

Just a quick rundown on these three reference books -and they are reference books, right? Maybe not found in the Resources section of your library or something you'd want to footnote....but they offer up loads of helpful info., and history.





Even for the old school, traditional types I'm gonna have to say this is way too staid. First published in 1935, it's last copyright is 1984. I think Orwell would have even found it tedious.

It also includes cheesy-glossy advertisements for average liquor.

For the common-denominator; decent. For the creative; not so good.













And then there's the Field Guide to Cocktails. I love this book. Here is where we discovered the recipe to the fabled Moscow Mule and here is where we might find many a drunken night. It reminds me of what a Peterson's Guide might produce if asked to create a guide on par-tays. With the descriptions, how-to's and wherefores, this is just an awesome book.

I highly recommend this. The perfect go-to for what one might serve in the middle of February when there is nothing goin' on but a fire in the fireplace and parlor games.


And then finally, my newest bedside reading:

What I love about this (not only was it apparently gratis) is that it is clearly written for the cocktail enthusiast. With each drink highlighted with it's commencement and history.

I would say that perhaps the purpose of the book may be to document bar ideologies - maybe we should recognize the dominance of classically-styled drinks as a sign that a more sophisticated approach to cocktails is becoming more mainstream. Oh heavens.

Features include:

• over 150 recipes from some of the coolest bars and restaurants in the country,
• incredible photography featuring gorgeous glassware, and the designer,
  
• the names and addresses of bars, clubs and restaurants in major cities across the country, making it a great traveler's companion,
• a directory of some of the best liquor stores across the country,
• a "cocktail clinic" section covering the tools and techniques of the professional bartender,
• alcohol free "mocktails," and,
  
• recipes for loads of delicious appetizers and cocktails accompaniments.

So, a toast to the cocktail, summer or otherwise. May you shine in all your glory - written, celebrated, and consumed.

Cheers!

Savez-vous de l'absinthe?

Absinthe, or this bastardization of the crazy absinthe of yore, is making a come back. Scott brought back a couple of small bottles from some past trip to Europa a while back. They sit quietly on our monster liquor shelving unit, adjacent to the Maker's Mark.

While I'm not entirely interested in the taste....I'm thinking it's a lot like Pastis or Orzo or Sambuca (in that licorice-y, bitter, tongue-sucking family).....I do love all the hype and vintage stuff you see everywhere. So Parisienne circa 1920s.


First, a little history on the la fee' verte :

Art and the influence of absinthe

It has been labeled as mind altering, and even been the blame of murder back in 1905. It’s a strong liquor and some even label it as a dangerous drug. It’s called Absinthe, the Green Fairy.

Absinthe started out as a medicinal tonic invented by Dr. Pierre Ordinaire to administer to his patients. The concoction was made by distilling alcohol similar to moonshine in a plethora of herbs. Some of the herbs commonly used were anise, fennel, Angelica, Hyssop, Licorice, and peppermint, but the most notorious of them all was the grand wormwood. Wormwood was the herb that caused Absinthe it’s biggest controversy due to the thujone content. Thujone is a terpene found in wormwood and is blamed for absinthe’s secondary effects, which were hallucinations, convulsions and madness. All unfounded might I add.

Absinthe has a very sordid history due to the prohibitionists of France during the 1800’s. It also has a huge presence in art over the years. Many of the artists, poets and writers living or visiting Paris and living in London in the late 1800’s were absinthe drinkers. With a over 21,000,000 liters annual consumption, absinthe was a very popular drink among the aristocrats down to the poorest working man.

Absinthe was the subject of many art works by very famous artists over the years, but not always correlating to their personal consumption. Jean Francois Rafaelli was a heavy drinker of absinthe, and was used as a theme in many of his paintings. Henri de Toulouse Lautrec was also a heavy drinker of absinthe but devoted very few of his works to the Green Goddess.

Some people claimed that Absinthe Liquor was an aphrodisiac, Ernest Christopher Dowson claimed in his writings that “Absinthe makes the tart grow fonder”. To some artists of the period, hallucinations caused by the Green Fairy claimed to be mind stimulating and essential to produce the works of art they created.

Two of the most famous paintings with Absinthe Alcohol being the subject matter is “At the cafe by Paul Gauguin and “The Absinthe Drinker” by Pablo Picasso. Both of the paintings were similar and featured a blue seltzer water siphon near glasses of absinthe.

Other notable artists associated with Absinthe liquor: Ernest Hemingway was probably one of the most recent artists who partook of Absinthe Green Fairy. Hemingway drank absinthe way after it was banned in most parts of the world. Some works he did that mentioned of Absinthe was Death In The Afternoon and For Whom The Bell Tolls.




























Love the art nouveau....so dreamy and surreal.

Bonne année !

Kir Royale

1 part crème de cassis (black currant liqueur)
5 parts-give or take- champagne

Taking the edge off.....

It's just Wednesday and I'm already longing for a night by the fire, drink in hand. Maybe it's the holiday-obsessed children I'm desperately trying to keep at bay.





Or maybe it's because Scott's in London for the week and the fun of single-parenting lasts only so long.




So, one might ask: What's one really good way to really get through these next weeks as peacefully and calmly as possible as a single parent or otherwise?

Well.....I've found that, particularly on our free-for-all Friday nights in the Sutton household, a nice, seasonal cocktail will certainly help.

Second only to the Moscow Mule, a mix of Maker's Mark bourbon whiskey and Reed's ginger ale is nothing short of nirvana on a cold, winter's night. We like to load our highball glasses with ice, maybe two jiggers of Maker's and then top it off with Reed's. It's a spicy, warming, taste sensation.

Have some nice, meaty Cerignola green olives and salted cashews on hand and the edge will be well on it's way.....

Moscow Mule Anyone?

Moscow Mule

2 ounces vodka
3 ounces ginger beer
1 ounce lime juice

Build in an ice filled highball glass (or copper mug). Garnish with a lime wedge.


Winner: best new seasonal drink.
Runner Up: Maker's Mark and ginger ale.


No, we're not talking about Putin. This mule is the one that apparently kicked off the vodka craze in the United States back in the '50s. A strange creature with a mild bite, the Moscow Mule owes more to stateside hucksterism than to its Commie namesake.

Legend has it that a year after World War II, Americans were intrigued by one of their more notorious allies. Some went as far as to suggest that the Moscow Mule, made with the white whiskey most associated with Russia, was a heady olive branch. Although we'd like to encourage such claims of goodwill, we must not misrepresent the true tale of this ersatz classic of a mixed drink. Made with 2 ounces vodka and an ounce of lime juice topped with 3-4 ounces ginger beer, the Moscow Mule was a mere marketing ploy of some Capitalist American. Anyone that has tried one would agree that the Moscow Mule is a cool vodka libation with a slow ginger burn that warms the blood on a cold winter night. And who doesn't love a little lime shot in the dead of the freezing season.