Today is the first day of summer, the longest day of the year, and it's the first really warm day (i.e. mid 90's) we've had in ages. Perfect time for a margarita!
FOOD NETWORK INSTRUCTIONS:
Tuesday June 21, 2011
Toast the start of summer with margaritas: Blend 3 cups berries, 1/4 cup lime juice, 1/2 cup tequila, some sugar and ice.
Simple margarita, though I would do less lime juice and more tequila. And maybe leave out the strawberries. And salt the rim. Did I mention more tequila?
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Since I'm not really a beer drinker, I sent Mr. L to the local big box liqueur store to get the item requested.
FOOD NETWORK INSTRUCTIONS:
Sunday June 19, 2011
Treat Dad to a strawberry brew for Father's Day. Look for Pete's Wicked or Abita strawberry beers.
Mr. L was unable to find any of the above mentioned strawberry beers, but he did come back with two brands that he was able to locate.
In a word?
HORRID. I took one sip and threw the bottle away. All it took for Mr. L was a whiff of the offending brew and he wouldn't even touch the stuff.
I think I'd rather drink a bottle of Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill wine instead! PFFFTTT.
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I had a feeling I'd like the next entry into my strawberry a day challenge from The Food Network Magazine. It was for a milkshake they touted as being "grown-up" because it was spiked with some berry liquor. I didn't really care that it was spiked, only that it was a milkshake and it's hard to dislike a milkshake made with fresh strawberries!
FOOD NETWORK INSTRUCTIONS:
Friday June 3, 2011
Start the weekend with a grown-up strawberry milkshake - spiked with a shot of berry liqueur! See page 186 for the recipe.
So off I went to page 186 and saw...cream cheese? You're saying to put cream cheese in my milkshake? Really? Well, if you say so.
So off I went to make the milkshake. Only to find that my beloved, ancient glass Osterizer blender had pooped out on me. I've put off getting a new blender for ages because there is just something about my old blender that works...it seems to work better than any newfangled blender I've tried*.
I was seriously bummed. I went to the couch and pouted for a bit. And at that point I realized, a milkshake with a shot of something alcoholic in it was probably just what I needed. Out came the food processor and I proceeded to use that to blend the ingredients. You'll notice in the photo that the milkshake isn't blended as much as it probably could be. Don't worry. It's not a problem.
Because this little concoction is quite tasty even though it was nothing like a traditional milkshake. They call this a Strawberry Cream and that's a great description. It had a nice creamy texture, it wasn't too thick, the flavor of the strawberries still came through, and I wasn't even bothered that I was drinking some cream cheese. Mr. L even did a bit of pouting of his own when he realized I had only made a small batch.
STRAWBERRY CREAM
Food Network Magazine June 2011
1 cup vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup all-natural strawberry jam
1 ounce cream cheese
1 shot raspberry liqueur
2 tablespoons milk
Whipped cream, crushed graham crackers and/or sliced strawberries, for garnish
Blend the ice cream, jam, cream cheese, liqueur, milk and 3 ice cubes in a blender on medium speed until thick and smooth. Divide among small glasses. Top with whipped cream, crushed graham crackers and/or sliced strawberries. Makes 2-4 mini shakes.
Note: I used Häagen-Dazs Five Vanilla Bean ice cream. I used Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves. I used an off brand of raspberry liqueur, I used Cool Whip (because I needed so little and I had a bit left over from something else, don't judge).
This was a bit sweet and not very "cocktailish" but it was a perfect drink to start off a summer weekend. If we were actually having summer weekends that is. Cold and rain in June? Seriously Mother Nature? More of these Strawberry Creams then please.
*Mr. L was able to find a replacement part for my Osterizer online, so lets hope that when it arrives, it fixes my beloved appliance!
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Alas my first daily strawberry challenge from the Food Network Magazines strawberry calendar didn't turn out so good. At least not to me.
Part of the problem is that quantities or ratios of ingredients aren't given in their daily instructions. Which is I think, part of the whole process.They give you some guidelines to make something and you're supposed to either know or experiment to come out with something edible or in this case drinkable.
Not being a big fan of seltzer water, I have no idea if this soda needed more or less to taste halfway decent. You'll also notice in the photo, a ton of seeds in the finished Strawberry Soda which bothered me. I could have not pressed the strawberry puree but I probably would have gotten very little "juice" to work with.
FOOD NETWORK INSTRUCTIONS:
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Make your own soda: Puree 2 cups strawberries with 1/3 cup sugar; press through a sieve. Stir some into lime seltzer.
When you add the strawberry puree into the seltzer if foams up and gives the drink in your glass a nice foamy head. Alas, that dissipates quite quickly and you are left with a bunch of seeds and puree on the insides of the glass. Doesn't do much for presentation.
I honestly wasted a whole bottle of seltzer water and a bunch of strawberry puree trying different combinations of quantities to make this work. Couldn't drink any of them. Maybe I'll have better luck with day 2.
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What can I say about Bloody Brain Shots except that they are pretty disgusting looking. But then that's the point for a good Halloween drink right? These came from the Extreme Halloween book. Super simple to make, I think they would look perfect on a bar waiting for (adult) trick or treaters to down them.
A little tip on pouring the Bailey's into the schnapps...don't pour it directly into the shot glass, use the back of a spoon as a cushion. Pour the Bailey's into the spoon and let it dribble on top of the schnapps.
Now...as far as taste. These didn't taste bad at all. The Bailey's kinda goes right by the taste buds and all I really tasted was the peach schnapps. The problem with these was the texture. The Bailey's coagulates and it's just this mass that you feel going down your throat as you swallow.
Ewwwwwe.
Gross.
Kinda gave me the creeps.
But then this is a Halloween drink after all.
BLOODY BRAIN SHOTS
1 ounce peach schnapps
1 teaspoon Bailey's Irish Cream
Grenadine
Pour the peach schnapps into a shot glass.
Float the Bailey's Irish Cream on top of the schnapps.
Dribble a few drops of grenadine on top of the Bailey's. There's no hurry, take it nice and slow.
Serve. Hope that your first victim does not retch
Repeat steps 1 through 4 on your next unsuspecting victim, until everyone at the party has had some bloody brains. (You are the bartender so you are officially exempt from having to down these repulsive shots).
Note: The above descriptive directions are from the author of the Extreme Halloween book.
Note: They recommend clear shot glasses which is the whole point I think, to be able to see the layers of the drink. I had several clear shot glasses of different sizes. The amount of schnapps and Bailey's differed from shot glass to shot glass.
Note: If you put too much Bailey's or pour the Bailey's too fast (see note about using back of spoon to help), you don't get the nice "brainy" look from the liqueur.
Note: Depending on how much and how fast and I'm sure a few other things, you might get different effects with the grenadine. Mine had a faint red tinge to the top of the shot (on top of the Bailey's) and then just puddled red at the bottom of the shot glass. Photos in the book show where sometimes the red held on more to the bottom of the Bailey's and made a nice looking blood bubble in the schnapps.
Mr. L refused to taste test this recipe. I was left to sample it myself. I may never be the same.
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My summers can be defined by either songs, boyfriends or drinks...I still remember the summer that Foreigners "Urgent" was number one on my list. And there was that summer of that guy from Yale. And oh, I do remember the summer of Kamikazes at The Black Watch but maybe I should just forget about that.
You may need to experiment with the ratio. Though it says equal amounts wine and lemonade, some of the wines we used needed more lemonade in the mix. I usually start with half and half and add more lemonade to taste.
10-SECOND SANGRIA
Bottle of Cheap Red Wine
Bottle of Sparkling Lemonade
Pour equal parts over ice. Yep. That's it.
Note: I tend to use a Shiraz that costs anywhere from $5 to $8. The Bitten Word says that any cheap red wine will do so feel free to experiment.
Note: The lemonade I use is Lorina Sparkling Pink Lemonade. It comes in a wine shaped glass bottle with a swing stopper.
Simple. Easy as could be. Perfect for last minute guests. Really nice for sitting out on the porch while hubby is slaving over a hot barbecue and you're kicking back, enjoying the view, reading a good trashy novel and you have that glass of 10-Second Sangria in your hand. Just sayin...
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As you can tell by the half filled glass, this wasn't going to be a recipe I photographed for the blog. When looking at what to make for the June Gourmet Unbound, the Mango Sour was just kind of an add on to what I chose. But after taking a sip (or two, or three) Mr. L and I realized that though simple, this was quite good. In fact, I think it will become the drink of the summer of 2010.
I think I'm officially in love with Mango Sours. I guess I've never really had a sour before. Loved the taste. Love that it was so simple to make. Mr. L liked it too. I think we just came across our Summer of 2010 drink. This came from the June 2004 issue of Gourmet.
MANGO SOUR
1 cup mango nectarSpecial equipment: a cocktail shaker; 6 (12-oz) double Old Fashioned glasses
Stir together nectar, vodka, lemon juice, and sugar in a 1-quart glass measure. Shake half of mixture in a cocktail shaker half filled with ice cubes until cold, about 30 seconds. Strain into glasses half filled with ice cubes. Shake and strain renaming nectar mixture in same manner. Makes 6 drinks.
Note: I did use superfine sugar as it really does disintegrate better. I found a box from C&H once in my local grocery store and I've found it in specialty stores. It's great to keep on hand for drinks like this where you want the sugar to melt into the cold drink quickly.
Note: Didn't have any mango spears to add to this. Just used the Mango nectar in the can (Kerns). I'm sure fresh mango juice might make a difference but when it's hot outside and you need a quick refreshing drink, this is the way to go.
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In looking for what recipe to make for the Gourmet Unbound blog, I usually pick an issue and go to town bookmarking page after page of recipes to try. I then narrow it down to two or three that I might attempt for the upcoming month. Sometimes though, something comes along and makes me totally change my mind as to which dish to try.
May was one of those months. I had pulled out the May 2008 issue of Gourmet and had bookmarked a good dozen recipes. Chile Peanuts. Strawberries in Orange Caramel Sauce. Asiago Potatoes. Garlic Tomato Sauce. Aromatic Braised Chicken with Fried Onions. Adobo Chicken in Parchment. Ribs with Black Vinegar Sauce. Grilled Glazed Steak and Asparagus. Buffalo Salmon, Roast Chicken and Scallions. Chicken Breasts Provencal. They all sounded delicious, but I was trying to decide between the Asaigo Potatoes or Adobo Chicken in Parchment. But for some reason it was the last page of the magazine, The Last Touch, that remained in my mind when I was at the farmers market recently. The page was all about Strawberries and when I saw the wonderful organic berries at the market I knew I had to buy some and try out the simple milkshake recipe.
Now something as simple as a Strawberry Milkshake might not sound very gourmet. It's only strawberries, milk and ice cream. But it's the simplicity that made me think it would be worth making. I never order strawberry milkshakes at restaurants because I've found them to be too sweet or not very strawberry. And honestly, I don't think I've ever had a homemade strawberry milkshake before. That will be a thing of the past because this very simple Strawberry Milkshake was the prefect accompaniment to a warm spring day. I also think that this tasted so good because the ingredients that went in it were top notch. Simple. Perfect. Can't wait to get more strawberries from the market.
STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKES1 lb strawberries, halved (3 cups)
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
a pinch of salt
Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Makes 4 cups.
Note: We halved the recipe to make two shakes.
Note: I used fresh organic strawberries from the farmers market. I used Haagen Dazs' Five ice cream in Vanilla Bean. I used organic full fat milk.
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Ever since I made the Orange Peel Vodka from The Vodka Cookbook I've been looking for ways to incorporate it in future meals. Though I was looking for more savory dishes to use the orange flavored vodka in, when I came across this Blood Orange Cosmo recipe, I couldn't resist.
This Cosmopolitan recipe comes from The Babbo Cookbook by Mario Batali. I'm sure that any orange flavored vodka would work in this drink but it was the fresh blood orange juice that made it special.
BLOOD ORANGE COSMOPOLITAN2 ounces orange-flavored vodka (I used the Orange Peel Vodka from The Vodka Cookbook)
1/4 ounce cointreau
1/4 ounces fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce blood orange juice
orange twist, for garnish
In an iced shaker, combine the vodka, Cointreau, and juices. Shake to combine and pour into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with the orange twist. Serves 1.
Note: For those of you that mentioned you were going to make Orange Peel Vodka for gifts next Christmas, putting a little booklet with some drink recipes like the Blood Orange Cosmo and the recipe for the Half in The Bag Chicken Wings would complete the gift!
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You didn't expect me to make something out of The Vodka Cookbook without actually making a drink now did you? Besides how can you pass up a drink with the tag line "A Mimosa with attitudesky"?
I'm a huge fan of champagne so this was an easy choice for me (though Vodka Sangria or the Cuban Missile Crisis are drinks I'd also like to try at some point). Thanks to my friend Chef Barbie (who is holding the drink for me to photograph) for helping me taste test the beverage.
This was an easy way to use up some of the Orange Peel Vodka I made. We had these while baking some chocolate coffee cupcakes. Lets just say we had a good time. Yes, we shared with Mr. L. We gave him a sip anyway. An easy drink to serve for a brunch. Or maybe to make the next time you have some leftover champagne (like that ever happens in our house!)
CHAMPAGNSKY KOKTAIL
Pour all the ingredients, in the order given, into chilled champagne glasses and decorate with orange slices. Makes 2 (1.5 units per glass).
Note: We didn't add orange slices for garnishing because, come on, that would have just interfered with our drink!
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