Seersucker

Well, strawberries are back in season but you'd never know it, here in LA, as it is currently 56 degrees outside and I am literally sitting in front of the fire.  Let's call this an experiment, kind of R & D, getting ready for the inevitable summer.  Because it will get hot, or even warm, soon.  And I like to be well prepared.

Maple, Ginger and Bourbon

I had the privilege of attending an amazing dinner party over the holidays where I was among many creative and amazing people (McGruber was there!).   A fabulous night, under the Los Angeles stars, eating food from these guys and drinking drinks made by this guy. (OK, just kidding, I don't have a website for the bartender, but I do have his email if you live in LA and are in need of a kick-ass bar-tender...).  Anyway,  I was so taken by this particular cocktail, I had to get the ins and outs of it.  Let me be clear, I am not a bourbon drinker at all, (although I always wished that I was.  It has this sexy, dusty, smokey, Southern drawl about it).  I'm wary of drinking brown liquor, especially when combined with sugar = headache!!  This drink has serious hangover potential.  Don't say I didn't warn you!
So, here's the gist, equal parts ginger syrup and maple syrup, to two, (or 3), parts bourbon, (get the good stuff, I used Maker's Mark), a squeeze or two of lemon and garnish with a cinnamon stick.  Perfect for a chilly night among friends and by a warm fire, which is exactly how I've been doing it!

Maple, Ginger and Bourbon over Ice

makes 2 drinks

1 - 2 ounces ginger syrup
1 - 2 ounces grade A maple syrup
6 ounces good/best quality bourbon, Makers Mark
juice from 1 lemon
2 cinnamon sticks for garnish
club soda *optional
ice

In a shaker, combine everything but cinnamon sticks and lemon.  Add some ice and shake.
Pour into 2 rocks glasses filled with ice and add squeeze or two of lemon, or more to taste.
Top off with club soda *optional.
Garnish with cinnamon stick. * I've found good prices on cinnamon sticks at World Market!


Might pair nicely with this dessert?

Lavender Mojitos

The mere hint of lavender sends me into a world of utter and complete bliss. It invokes such an overwhelming calm that I generally forget everything else momentarily and I am suddenly able to just BE IN THE MOMENT. In Southern California, lavender grows happily and aggressively, (sometimes into the size of a VW Beetle!). I doubt that there could be anything better than combining the inherent calming properties of lavender with the equally relaxing properties of alcohol, (booze), making for the quintessential pool-side lazy-day drink. A match made in lavender colored heaven.

Naturally Flavored Vanilla Vodka

I cleaned out my spice drawer the other day and found a few vanilla beans hidden in the back. Score! This was an exciting find as I had just browsed a Donna Hay, (love her!), book of mine and saw a simple way of infusing vanilla bean into vodka. There are artificially flavoured vodkas out there, but I am somewhat of a purist and don't love the idea of fake flavouring, in any form. The recipe I have called for a whole bottle (750 mL) of vodka and 3 vanilla beans. I wasn't sure I was ready to sacrifice a whole bottle to this experiment, so I cut in into a third to see if this was something I might like. Well, one week in the sun, plus an overnight stay in the freezer, and this newly flavoured spirit is a welcomed addition to our liquor cabinet. Serve over ice, or if you can't handle that, (like I can't), it is especially delicious with ginger ale, sort of a grown up vanilla cream soda.

Vanilla Vodka

From Entertaining, by Donna Hay, 1998.

750 ml (24 fluid ounces) of vodka

3 vanilla beans, split

Place the vanilla beans in the vodka and allow to infuse on a windowsill for at least one week. To serve straight, freeze overnight, prior to serving. Serve the vanilla vodka over ice with tonic, soda, or ginger ale.

Want to get even further away from artificially flavoured stuff? Make your own ginger ale!

Ginger - Vodka Spritzer

Well, another weekend gone by and another cocktail has been tried, tested and filed under, AWESOME. I came up with this on a whim and was pleasantly surprised with the end result. The goal, other than the obvious, was to make use of the all the ginger in our fridge (left over from my homemade ginger ale experiment) - and what better way than to turn it into some sort of alcoholic elixir? Since I am in a simple-syrup craze recently, I am discovering that by taking the time, (all of 5 minutes, plus cooling time), to make a flavored syrup opens the door to stand out, unique cocktails. The only problem that I ran into was that I didn't have enough ginger to yield the amount of syrup I had hoped for. (Meaning, we only had enough for a few drinks, *sniff, sniff*). The 3 oz that I had only amounted to about 1/2 cup of syrup. It's best to use about 12 oz and you will yield about a cup and a half to have on hand. It will last a few weeks, covered tightly in the fridge.

Ginger Syrup

Yields about 1 1/2 cup of syrup

12 oz. fresh ginger, sliced thinly

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups water

In a small sauce pan, bring water, sugar and ginger to a simmer for about 2 minutes. Pour syrup through a fine mesh stainer, discard ginger. Cool syrup completely before using.

Ginger - Vodka Spritzer

Makes about 2 cocktails

8-12 fresh mint leaves, plus a few for garnish

4 oz. ginger simple syrup

4 oz vodka

juice of 1-2 limes (1 - 2 oz)

4 oz of club soda

In a shaker, muddle mint and add vodka, lime juice and ginger syrup. Add a few ice cubes and shake vigorously. Pour over 2 cups with ice, or martini glasses, without ice and finish off with club soda.

*Note - I'm thinking that candied ginger would be a fun garnish, as well. Try it!

MMMojito

Many parts of the country are bidding farewell to summer as it becomes a fading memory. In Southern California, however, Santa Ana winds are driving through the canyons and temperatures will still be blazing for a few more weeks. Making this Indian Summer all the more manageable, are the ample mint and limes in my fridge and the alluring bottle of rum in my liquor cabinet. I have to thank my lovely friend, Sara, who helped me kick off a weekend bender of mojito magic - I can now say that this has emerged as my fave drink for the summer, crisp, refreshing and slightly sweet. Take time to juice your limes in advance and make a simple syrup, (equal parts water and sugar, simmer until dissolved, cool).

Classic Mojito

Makes 1 cocktail

8 mint leaves, plus a few sprigs for garnish

1 TBLS simple syrup

1 -2 oz light rum

2 oz fresh lime juice

club soda

powdered sugar

Place mint in the bottom of a tall glass, with a wooden spoon, muddle the mint gently. Add ice cubes and simple syrup, lime juice and rum. Stir well.

Top each drink with a little club soda and garnish with a sprig of mint and dust top of glass with powdered sugar.

July 4th, a Retrospective...The Finale

It seems only fitting to bookend my July 4th trilogy with one last cocktail recipe. I mean, it is a party-prone weekend, and now that I have completely fallen for yummy specialty drinks, I have saved the best for last. If you are going to go through any trouble - whatsoever - to serve something different for your closest friends, do this and you will go down in history as the best drink-maker this side of the prohibition. I saw it on one of my most beloved sites, Design Sponge, and the photos alone got me feeling somewhat giddy. I tried it out with some close friends the day before the big day and I would have made a second batch for the 4th, but it was so good, so unbelievably good, it was long gone before the sun set on the eve of Independence Day.

For someone who isn't fond of gin (me), you'd be surprised at how delightful the gin actually tastes here. Hendrick's Gin is infused with cucumber and rose, so you can see why this drink is a marriage made in booze-y heaven. Take the time to prepare everything in advance and when you're ready, it's just as simple as measuring and shaking and then drinking!

Cardamon-Rose Cocktail

This makes 1 drink:

1.5 oz. Hendrick's Gin

.75 oz. rose syrup

.25 oz. fresh lime or lemon juice

.75 oz. fresh grapefruit juice - ruby red

2 dashes Peychauds Bitters

1 cardamon pod

club soda

Lightly muddle cardamon pod in bottom of shaker, not too much as the flavor could over power.

Add the rest of the ingredients.

Add ice

Shake for 20 seconds

Pour into glass

Add a splash of club soda on top

Garnish with rose petals or lemon wedge.

July 4th, a Retrospective...

After a long, fun, and friend-filled July 4th weekend, I have a few stand outs to share with you. The first look back is a drink that I believe should be made for me every weekend from now until the end of time. I have never been one to take the time out to make a "specialty" cocktail, as it always seems like too much work, but after this weekend, I have a new found love for alcohol mixed with a little imagination. I saw a recipe in July's Food and Wine, from Bobby Flay, and it looked too good to not try, especially when watermelon is so abundant. (Plus, one mention of tequila and I'm yours.)

Watermelon-Tequila Cocktails

From Food and Wine, July 2009.

Makes 8 delicious cocktails:

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

8 cups diced seedless watermelon (1 lb)

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 3/4 cup fresh blueberries

3/4 cup packed fresh mint

1 1/4 cup silver tequila

Ice

In a small sauce pan, bring sugar and water to a moderate heat, allow sugar to dissolve, allow to cool.

In a blender, puree watermelon until smooth, pass juice through a fine mesh sieve. Discard pulp.

In a large pitcher, combine sugar, syrup with lime juice, blueberries and mint leaves. Using a wooden spoon, muddle blueberries and mint.

Add watermelon juice and tequila, chill for about 2 hours.

Serve over ice and garnish with mint and lime wedge.

Rosé Sangria

We had some friends over yesterday - a great mix of people - all just hoping to sit in the sun and have a few cocktails.  In order to get them to drive up the long and windy road to our house, I enticed with booze,

rosé sangria, to be exact.  And from the way the rest of the afternoon went, (and into the night), I think that this is an excellent addition to your next summer time soiree.  

I adapted this from a Martha Stewart recipe I found in one of my favorite entertaining cookbooks.  If you like to entertain - you have to pick up her Hors D' Oeuvres Handbook.  It's fantastic not only for recipes, but the photos are beautiful and inspiring.

In all honesty, I don't really like most sangrias - they always seem to sweet and the burgundy is too heavy, but I thought rosé might be the ticket.  This version is very light and refreshing - and I added grapefruit chunks give it some zip.   Martha's recipe calls for 1/4 cup sugar, but after I made the first round, I didn't think that was necessary, so I omitted it in the next round(s). Besides, sugar tends to exacerbate that possible headache in the morning.  

Rosé Sangria

Adapted from Martha Stewart's Hor D'Oeurvres Handbook, 1999

Makes six 6-ounce drinks

6 oz. assorted grapes

24 oz. Rosé wine (1 bottle)

3 1/2 oz. tequila

3 1/2 oz. cranberry juice

1 ruby red grapefruit, remove peel and cut into chunks

fresh lime wedges, for garnish

Place grapes in a single layer on a sheet pan and freeze, 

over night, or until frozen solid.

Combine remaining ingredients in a 3 quart pitcher and add 

frozen grapes.

Serve with ice and garnish with lime wedge.