Lately Sipping On...

Grapefruit Juice

What's your summer time drink of choice? Lately, we have been sipping on grapefruit juice. It's refreshing straight up. But the possibilities are endless depending on your tonic of choice. The other night we mixed up a grapefruit cocktail with vodka, a sprig of rosemary and a splash of soda water. Its so good, its dangerous. And a quick tour around the internet yielded some might fine inspiration - hoping to try these others soon!

Tequila: It turns out the Margarita is not Mexico's most popular drink -- Check out this recipe for the Paloma from the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen.

Champagne: A grapefruit twist on the classic morning drink -- from Apartment Therapy's Kitchn

Gin: this Italian greyhound from familystyle food blog may just become my go to summertime drink

Bloody Marys!

Homemade Bloody Mary Mix

I don't think I learned the art of the weekend until I discovered Bloody Marys. My distaste for them used to be strong, I think in part driven by make-them-yourself-bars. I used to always fell prey to the array of options, resulting in overly complicated drinks that were less than enjoyable. That is, until I discovered a rock star Bloody Mary ingredient -- clam juice. We drank this straight up virgin style with pickled green beans to garnish. But of course, a shot of vodka or two would be a welcome addition.

ingredients:
1 liter 100% tomato juice
3 tbsp clam juice
7 dashes Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce (feel free to use reduced sodium)
1/4 tsp sriracha
pinch red pepper flakes
few grinds of peppercorns
yield: 3 servings (this is easily double or tripled)

1. mix together ingredients. taste & adjust to desired heat level, adding more sriracha & red pepper flakes in small amounts. 

2. pour over 2 oz of vodka & ice or drink virgin.

3. serve with a spicy pickled green bean & enjoy!

Lately Sipping On: Blood Orange Infused Vodka

Blood Orange Infused Vodka

Do you ever make infused vodka? Its simple really, as simple as placing the raw ingredient into the vodka & letting it seep overnight. I recently stumbled upon some blood oranges & on a whim we seeped the peels in vodka. These ruby red citrus fruits are a rare treat in our household. And blood orange infused vodka gave new purpose to something we would otherwise throw away. Brilliant!

Citruses are common for vodka infusions, but don't let your creativity expire there. We were on a vanilla bean infused vodka kick for a long time, using beans we picked up on work travels around the world. In the DC area, Mari Vanna has an interesting selection of infused vodkas, including dill & horseradish, both suggested to be excellent in a bloody mary.

Perhaps this goes without saying, but no need to use really high end vodka when infusing other flavors into it. We used Svedka, but any mid-grade vodka would work just fine. The longer the ingredients seep, the more depth in flavor you will achieve. We drank this on the rocks with no mixer, but I suspect this would mix well into a champagne cocktail. We welcome any other cocktails suggestions!
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photo credits: Andrei Sinioukov

Lately Sipping On...

Whistle Pig Rye Whiskey

Whistle Pig suddenly seemed to be popping up everywhere, despite its limited small-batch quantities out of a Vermont Distillery run by Master Distiller Dave Pickerell, formerly the Master Distiller of Maker's Mark. With all the hype, I was keen to try, but the price tag was daunting. In a bold move last night, I finally splurged. Drink neat, with a splash of water, or in a classic old fashioned. 

We are off to a "brown liquor" party this weekend, will be sure to report back with any new discoveries. Enjoy your weekend! 

By the way, did you know? Whistle Pig is a nickname for groundhogs who whistle to alert others in their colony to danger.

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photo credits (left to right, top to bottom): Lonny Magazine, Andrei Sinioukov, Andrei Sinioukov, Whistle Pig 

Baby, Its Cold Outside!

Hot Whiskey with Honey, Lemon & Cloves

Curl up on your couch & beat the cold with one of these - its like medicine for the soul.

ingredients:

lemon wedges

handful of whole cloves

4 oz whiskey or rye

spoonful of honey

yield: 2 servings

1. fill a kettle with water & wait for the telltale whistle to indicate its readiness

2. spike lemon wedges with whole cloves

3. pour whiskey into each glass

4. fill each glass with hot water

5. spoon honey over the lemon wedge

6. let the lemon wedge steep for 1-2 minutes, as you would with a tea bag & then remove (i find this prevents the hot toddy from becoming sticky sweet)

7. repeat & enjoy!

Happy New Year!

Rosemary Cocktails

Inspired by our holiday rosemary bush & our recent homemade limoncello, here is a seasonal cocktail we pulled together. If you never got a chance to try your hand at homemade limoncello, pop over here for a substitute recipe.

ingredients:

2 large sprigs of rosemary ~4 inches each

4 oz vodka

4 oz limoncello (see my original recipe here)

1 liter of soda water

yield: 4 servings

1. fill the cocktail shaker with ice & rosemary

2. pour in vodka & limoncello 

3. shake vigorously until the shaker is too cool to handle. take a break & shake some more.

4. divide over ice in 4 highball glasses or up in 4 martini glasses. fill each glass with soda water.

How are you planning to celebrate the passage of 2012 and ringing in 2013? Any fun cocktails or recipes to share? See you in the new year!

Homemade Cheer

Plenty of time to make either of these easy & celebratory offerings for a New Year's Eve party.

Bourbon Soaked Cherries

These make for an excellent snack on their own right, but are even better spooned over vanilla ice cream or swirled into a Manhattan.

ingredients:
1 bag frozen cherries
2.5 cups water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 lemon, juiced
1 tsp vanilla extract
10 oz bourbon
yield: 4 250ml jars

1. thaw the cherries. if you are using fresh cherries, even better - use about 4 cups, washed & pitted.

2. bring water and sugar to a light boil in a medium saucepan. stir until sugar dissolves.

3. add lemon juice and vanilla extract. cool completely.

4. divide the cherries evenly across 4 jars. pour the syrup over the cherries. then add bourbon, leaving about 1/2 inch head space.

5. unsealed cherries should be used within a couple of weeks, while sterilized & sealed cherries will last for months.

note: those in the DC area, i bought the jars & spoons at Trohv in Takoma Park, MD, a home & gift shop that makes for a delightful afternoon excursion.

Limoncello

An Italian digestif, best served cold.

ingredients:

10 lemons

1 bottle of vodka

3.5 cups water

2.5 cups sugar

yield: 7 cups

1. using a vegetable peeler, remove peels from the lemons in long strips. as needed, trim away any white pith from lemon peels & discard.

2. place the lemon peels in a pitcher, pour vodka over the peels & cover.

3. steep the lemon peels in the vodka for 4 days at room temperature.

4. dissolve the sugar into the water over medium heat, about 5 minutes. let the syrup cool completely.

5. pour the syrup over the vodka mixture. cover & let stand at room temperature overnight.

6. strain the limoncello through a mesh strainer. discard the peels. transfer limoncello to bottles.

7. refrigerate at least 4 hours, up to one month.

note: i used an old absolut bottle for this gift package, but world market sells resealable bottles which would work well for this purpose.

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recipe inspiration from here and here.

Fire Side Cheer

Cocktails & Desserts

'tis the season for merriment, eh? make your next holiday party one to remember with these easy, yet classy, offerings sure to impress.

Old Fashioned Cocktail

{recipe from Esquire with expert commentary}

ingredients:

1 sugar cube

3 dashes Angostura bitters

club soda or water

2 oz rye whiskey (lately we have been sipping on Bulleit - look for the green label)

1. place the sugar cube (or 1/2 tsp loose sugar) in an old fashioned glass

2. wet down the sugar with 2-3 dashes of Angostura bitters and a short splash of water or club soda.

3. crush the sugar with a wooden muddler, chopstick, strong spoon, lipstick, credit card, whatever. rotate the glass so that the sugar grains and bitters line the glass.

4. pour rye and garnish with a lemon rind.

note: rye can refer to either of two types of whiskey: 1) American rye whiskey, which must be distilled from at least 51% rye; 2) Canadian whiskey, which is often referred to and labelled as rye whiskey for historical reasons, although it may or may not actually include any rye in its production process. an old-fashioned can be made with bourbon, but expect a much sweeter drink, as bourbon is distilled from at least 51% corn, lending a telltale sweetness and fuller body. 

Ginger Snap Sandwich 

with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting
{frosting recipe from Country Living}

ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese, room temp
1/4 cup pumpkin puree (if using canned, note not pumpkin pie)
1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temp
1 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tsp grated orange zest
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners sugar

1. blend cream cheese, pumpkin puree, orange juice, zest and vanilla in a large bowl using an electric mixer until smooth.

2. add the sugar and continue to beat until light and creamy -- about 5 more minutes.

3. assemble sandwiches and enjoy. use the leftover icing as a dunk-a-roo dip - it's that good.

note: we found the frosting recipe to be a bit orange forward and added 1/4 cup additional pumpkin. i use store bought ginger cookies - Safeway Select Ginger Spice cookies - they are crispy thin, allowing the flavors of the frosting to really shine through. feel free to use homemade ginger snaps.

Ginger Snap Sandwich 

with Orange Chocolate Squares & Roasted Marshmallows

ingredients:

1 box ginger snaps

1 bag marshmallows

1 Lindt Excellence Intense Orange Dark Chocolate bar

1 cracklin' fire

optional: old fashioned cocktails or better yet a flask of whiskey to pass around

1. gather sticks or the device of your choice to roast the marshmallows. gather enough firewood & kindling to keep the fire burning strong through the night. 

2. light the fire, roast the marshmallows, enjoy a s'more sandwich with a dark chocolate orange square & ginger snaps. 

3. drink some whiskey, eat another. drink some more whiskey.

Feature Ingredient

Buddha's Hand Salad 

Striking, eh? Buddha's Hand plant is a citron variety. The origin of the this plant can be traced back to Northeastern India & China. I found mine at Whole Foods. And it was quite the attention grabber. 

In Buddhist tradition this beautiful fruit is used as a religious offering. It is said that Buddha prefers the "fingers" of the fruit to resemble a closed hand rather than an open one, as closed hands symbolize to Buddha the act of prayer. 

I paid homage to the fruit in the form of a zesty salad dressing. The finger-like fruit has the same waxy texture as a lemon, while the inside of the fruit is all pith. There is no juicy pulp as is typical with most citrus fruits, making its culinary uses perplexing. However the fruit is gushing with fragrance and the zest from the rind makes for a spectacular addition to a salad dressing. 

ingredients:

1 Buddha hand 

1 tbsp olive oil

1.5 tsp white wine vinegar
1 lemon 

2-3 fresh thyme sprigs, minced

salt and pepper to taste

yield: 3 oz

1. using a microplane or a fine grater, grate the zest off of the fingers of the Buddha hand over a bowl. pull apart the fingers as necessary

2. squeeze the base of the fruit, where the fingers meet, to gather any juice

3. while whisking, slowly pour olive oil over the rind & juice. add white wine vinegar & continue to whisk, add juice from one lemon & continue to whisk

4. pull leaves off of thyme sprigs & finely mince (I swear by the Wusthof Santoku knife). add to dressing, stir

5. add salt and pepper to taste. white pepper lends a nice, subtle flavor here

6. toss dressing with 1 small container baby romaine leaves, segments from 4 clementine oranges & 1/2 cup crushed hazelnuts. serves 4 as a side salad. some roasted beets and goat cheese would also pair nicely to make more of a complete meal.

other possibilities:

Buddha Gremolata

Chop together the zest from one Buddha Hand with a generous handful of fresh parsley & garlic until everything is finely minced. Add a grind or two of black pepper and strew over roasted or braised meats, pasta dishes or grilled seafoods & vegetables.

Buddha Roast Chicken

Stuff the cavity of a whole chicken with several Buddha fingers, 1 quartered onion, several fresh thyme and rosemary sprigs & 1 clove of garlic coarsely chopped. Salt and pepper the chicken. Roast chicken until cooked through. If using 1/2 chicken, line roasting pan with the above ingredients and lay the 1/2 chicken on top and squeeze lemon juice all over.

Buddha Gin Cocktail

Use fingers as a garnish with a gin cocktail - rub Buddha rind around the rim of the glass, twist & add finger to 1 oz of gin. serve up or on the rocks. 

Tequila, Lime & Cilantro Cocktail

Tequila, Lime & Cilantro Cocktail

Let's get started with a cocktail, if you will?

1. pour 4 ounces of tequila into a cocktail shaker (I prefer patron or don julio)

2. coarsely chop a generous handful of cilantro and add to shaker

3. squeeze 1/4 of a lime into shaker

4. vigorously shake all ingredients until the shaker is extremely cool to the touch

5. pour tequila mixture into 2 highball cocktail glasses

6. top with tonic or diet tonic water 

7.  garnish with an orange wedge and enjoy!