Drinks – Page 3 – First Look, Then Cook

Cool as a Cucumber

Published on February 7, 2013February 8, 2013 by Dawn11 Comments

Is it the weekend yet? I’m not sure why, but this seemed like a really long week. It may have started when my younger daughter – upset at her sister for trying to make her take a shower first – ripped the towel hook off the wall (and made a nice big hole in the wall) when her older sister asked her to hand her the towel. Or when my older daughter called from school because her ear hurt, when I was just about to leave work to take my younger daughter to the doctor. Or when I got an email about my younger daughter’s school that was in lock-down because of a man who robbed a bank 15 blocks from the school – and actually escaped. Or maybe when I dumped rice all over the my office, and I had to pick up the pieces one by one before I stepped on them and smashed them into the dark brown solid colored carpet – who thought that color was a good idea?

I know these are all little things (ok, maybe not the bank robber), but they take their toll. I am ready for a break. I am ready for a drink. When it comes to drinks, I am definitely partial to cucumber drinks. I have posted my share on this site, and each one has been delicious in their own way – but this one was exceptionally good. This one was actually healthy – there was no peeling of the cucumber – you just cut off the ends, and put the entire thing in a blender. After you strain the solids, you end up with this beautiful green cucumber juice – crisp and clean. Wow.

So, for those of you who don’t drink alcohol – you can still enjoy this refreshing drink, the cucumber juice with lime juice and simple syrup is definitely a treat. Better yet, you can get your kids to eat their vegetables, and they would never in a million years believe you that this was good for them. My mind is starting to churn…there is a lot I can do in this space.

Here’s to the weekend – that is not here yet, but soon enough. For those of you on the east coast – blend your cucumber tonight, before the storm hits. You will thank me later. Stay safe and warm everyone – and Cool as a Cucumber!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons strained cucumber, made from blending an English cucumber
3 tablespoons Effen Cucumber Vodka
1 tablespoon elderflower liquor
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon simple syrup or agave nectar

Preparation

Mix all ingredients together in a shaker with ice. Serve in a martini glass with a garnish of cucumber (peel a long strip of cucumber and fold it onto a toothpick).

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Fall Classic Cocktail

Published on December 13, 2012 by Dawn5 Comments

It is so easy to make summer cocktails – it seems as though anything fruity on ice is just perfect to drink in the summer. I think it is harder to make a really great fall/winter cocktail – without making a warm drink. You want to create something that gives the aura of warmth, something with an intense flavor.

When my husband and I go to New York City, one of our favorite places for a delicious cocktail and dinner is the Gramercy Tavern. The restaurant is very fancy – but we stick to the bar – in fact we have never even been to the dining room. They have a wonderful prix fix meal that is extremely reasonable, and some of the best cocktails around. They are classic cocktails – not the kind that are completely outrageous, but just good solid drinks.

I saw this recipe printed in Bon Appetit last month – and because it was from the Gramercy Tavern, I had to give it a try. I changed things up a little – since I have been trying to make cocktails without using simple syrup – so I substituted for Snap Liquor – a wonderful sweet liquor with all the flavors of fall – like a Gingerbread treat. I thought this was amazing, and our friends liked it as well. It will definitely be my favorite this season.

Bon Appetit – Gramercy Tavern

Ingredients

2 tablespoons apple brandy (such as Calvados or Laird’s)
2 tablespoons bourbon
1 tablespoon Snap Liquor
2 tablespoons fresh apple cider
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 dash of Angostura bitters
Dried or fresh apple slice (optional)

Preparation

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add apple brandy, and next 5 ingredients. Shake cocktail vigorously 10-15 times and strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with apple slice, if desired.

For a printer-friendly version of this cocktail, please click here: Fall Classic Cocktail

Strawberry Smash

Published on September 23, 2012September 23, 2012 by Dawn2 Comments

It’s the first weekend of fall, and I should be posting the Apple Cake I made today, or the jam that is sitting in my pantry setting up so it is the perfect consistency – don’t worry, those posts will come – but I had to get one more summer cocktail in before we said goodbye to warmer temperatures and long days.

When we lived in Denver, we had these very good friends that we did everything with. This was before we had kids – and we had more time on our hands. This was also before I knew anything about making drinks. Our friends were from Canada, and his favorite after-work drink was a Rum and Coke. My husband (boyfriend at the time) were more beer drinkers – but we would also have some cans of coke in the refrigerator in case he happened to be at our house on a Friday or Saturday night.

Years later, after we had our children, I took my older daughter back to Denver for a visit. We flew in on a Friday, and as a special treat, they made me a Strawberry Margaretta. I asked what happened to the Rum and Coke – not to worry, that was still his go-to drink, but that this was a special occasion. I am not crazy about ultra-sweet drinks, but I had one anyway – it was like dessert in a glass. When I saw this recipe from Cooking Light (which I adapted below), I immediately thought of that night – and decided I needed to see if this would be more my style.

I know that strawberry season is long gone, but if you are lucky, you can still find some shipped from California. Or, if all else fails – you can always thaw some frozen strawberries. This is still a sweet drink (omit the simple syrup if you want it less sweet), but not too sweet – it was actually perfect for me. What a perfectly nice and refreshing drink, made with real strawberries. So – here’s to the end of summer. I am actually really excited for fall – it just happens to be my favorite season – for many reasons…and yes, most of them have to do with food, so stay tuned!

Ingredients

1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup vodka
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons simple syrup
1 cup of ice

Preparation

Place the strawberries in a shaker, and using the back of a wooden spoon or a muddler, smash the strawberries. Put in the rest of the ingredients, shake well and serve, slightly strained.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Strawberry Smash

Watermelon Soda Float

Published on August 26, 2012August 28, 2012 by Dawn8 Comments

My older daughter has started reading my cooking magazines – it is adorable. So last night, as we were heading out for date night – she asked if she could take my Bon Appetit upstairs to read before bed. This morning I got the run down of all the great recipes – but the one that stood out the most was the Watermelon Soda Float. What is summer without a little watermelon? Summer is basically over here, but that doesn’t mean we have given up all hope – we are still trying to eke out every last bit. A few weeks ago we were in the super market, and they had these adorable baby watermelons. My kids are both suckers for cute things (I wonder where they got that from?), but I held strong, and did not put one of those babies in my cart. I told them that at some point during the summer we would get one though. Well, with Labor Day coming next weekend, we were running out of time – so today I walked past the display, and chose the most perfect one I could find.

When I brought it home, the girls were so excited, but not half as excited as they were to learn what I was going to do with it. They couldn’t wait for dessert. When dinner was finally over, I broke it to them that I wanted to clean up first. Am I a mean Mom? I was making the Watermelon Soda Float after all, but waiting is so hard. So – I finally got them into the glasses, with the perfect pink straws that my sister gave me – and the girls were just about to dig in, when I stopped them. I had to take a picture! At this point they were bouncing off the walls – it was almost impossible to get a shot without their little hands trying to sneak in – but I managed to get a couple. We all loved the dessert – the watermelon soda was so sweet and summery – and the frozen yogurt on top gave it just enough cream flavor to mix in with the soda. It was summer in a glass – hey, we will take what we can get.

Ingredients

1/2 medium watermelon, chilled, plus ½ cantaloupe
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Pinch of kosher salt
1 cup seltzer
1 pint store-bought vanilla frozen yogurt, preferably Greek style

Preparation

Using a melon baller, scoop out 1 1/2 cups watermelon balls and cantaloupe balls, into a small bowl. Cover and chill. Cut enough watermelon into 1″ pieces to measure 8 cups. Stir sugar and 1/3 cup water in a small bowl until sugar dissolves. Set simple syrup aside.

Purée melon pieces (not balls) in a blender until smooth; strain juice through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or pitcher (you should have about 4 cups juice). Discard solids. Whisk in simple syrup, lime juice, and salt.

DO AHEAD: Purée can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Add seltzer to watermelon purée. Divide melon balls among tall glasses. Pour watermelon soda over. Top with scoops of frozen yogurt. Serve watermelon float with a straw.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Watermelon Soda Float

Peach Cooler

Published on August 22, 2012 by Dawn3 Comments

Summer is over already, I just can’t believe it. I was really getting used to those nice warm temperatures – when you can sit outside well into the evening, and it is just wonderfully comfortable. Last night I actually had to close some of the windows in our room because it was so cold.

Last weekends post got me thinking about when we moved here – 16 years ago this week. Denver was a beautiful place to live – the mountains were so accessible – and there were definitely four seasons. It would get so hot in the summer that we had to head to the mountains every weekend and camp, just to escape the heat. We didn’t have air conditioning, and most of the windows in the house we rented didn’t open. When we decided to move to Seattle, we had really only spent a few weekends there. We really had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.

I remember when we left Denver to make the drive to Seattle, it was a typical summer day – sunny and hot. By the time we arrived in Seattle, we had gone from summer to fall. It was cold and cloudy, and we were depressed. We looked at each other and said, “What have we done?” Well, it couldn’t have been much of a mistake, since we still live here happily 16 years later, but it is funny to think about it. So – what do you do if you want to think summer but it really isn’t anymore? Make a summertime cocktail – that’s exactly what you do. I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, and it is just yelled summer to me. I couldn’t really wait for the peaches to macerate before pouring myself a glass, and even then, it was absolutely delicious. I seriously could have drunk the whole pitcher myself, if it wasn’t for my husband and our friend who was helping out. We actually had to save a glass for his wife, otherwise, we would have completely finished it ourselves.

So – whether you are still in the throes of summer, of you have moved begrudgingly into fall – this is a perfect drink for either occasion. It will either cool you off, or make you forget that it is no longer summer…

Ingredients

2 very ripe peaches, peeled, cut into 1/2″ wedges
6 tablespoons peach liqueur
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup vodka
1 English hothouse cucumber
2 cups chilled Prosecco
1 1/2 cups chilled soda water
12 fresh mint leaves

Preparation

Using a muddler or wooden spoon, mash peaches with liqueur and lemon juice in a large pitcher. Stir in vodka. DO AHEAD Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Cut 1/3 of cucumber lengthwise into 4 spears for garnish. Thinly slice remaining cucumber. Stir Prosecco, soda water, mint, and sliced cucumber into pitcher. Fill glasses with ice. Pour cooler into glasses; garnish with cucumber spear.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Peach Cooler

Blueberry Bliss

Published on August 1, 2012 by Dawn2 Comments

It’s time for a drink – a summer cocktail that is, and not just any summer cocktail. For those of you who drink alcohol, you will understand it when I say that choosing alcohol for your drink, is almost like choosing what you are going to eat for dinner (unless you happen to be in college…then it seems that any alcohol will do, but now that I have children, I am choosing to ignore that for the moment). Everyone seems to have a personal preference, or at least certain types of alcohol that is off-limits – either the flavor is not appealing, the smell, or you just happened to overindulge a little too much one night, and it reminds you of that time that you really just want to forget.

I am not a big drinker, but making cocktails has become more and more interesting to me over the years, now that it has become similar to cooking. Mixing different flavors to create something extraordinary – and just like cooking – I love it when I can make something that people gush over. Gin is one of those types of alcohols that I always hated – that was until I found Hendrick’s. The combination of cucumber and rose petals really creates an aromatic wonder. I have blogged about this before, because I am still in awe how different Hendrick’s is to other types of gin. Recently we came across a local stuff called Counter Gin, which is also excellent – and they even sell it at Cost-Co now!

The other weekend when I was visiting my parents, I made this cocktail for my family. My step-sister can’t stand gin, but she LOVED this – so did my grandmother, and everyone else who had a sip. There is nothing not to love about this recipe. The blueberry infused gin is incredible, and paired with the cardamom simple syrup – I am telling you, this is one to write home about. The inspiration came from a recipe I found in Cooking Light, but I adapted it below, based on my own taste. So – if you are looking to wow someone this weekend, look no further. Now, cheers to that!

Ingredients

2 cups blueberries
1 1/2 cups dry gin
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3 cardamom pods
Ice
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
Additional blueberries (optional)

Preparation

Place 2 cups blueberries in a large, heavy stainless-steel saucepan; mash with a fork or potato masher. Place over medium-high heat, and cook 3 minutes or until berries begin to release juice. Remove from heat; add gin. Cover and let stand at least for 1 hour or up to overnight. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl, pressing berries with the back of a spoon to remove as much juice as possible; discard solids.

Combine 1/2 cup water, sugar, and cardamom pods in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Cool completely; discard cardamom pods.

To serve, add the ice to a cocktail shaker to come halfway up sides of container. Add 1/4 cup blueberry-gin, 1 tablespoon cardamom syrup, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice; shake until chilled. Strain cocktail into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with additional blueberries, if desired. Serve immediately. Repeat procedure with remaining ingredients.

If you prefer a fizzy cocktail, pour gin, cardamom syrup, and lemon juice over crushed ice in a glass; top with chilled club soda.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Blueberry Bliss

Watermelon Lime Jello Shots

Published on July 5, 2012 by Dawn13 Comments

Summer decided to come on the 4^th of July, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. I looked at the 10 day forecast, and we are supposed to have the nicest stretch of weather we have since seen last fall. You can hear the people cheering in the streets, so much so that they kept my husband awake last night. So, what did I make to celebrate the fact that summer is finally here? I think you can see by the picture…I definitely had some fun with this one.

The other day my husband was talking about watermelon – and how reminiscent it was of summertime when he was growing up. We don’t usually have watermelon in the house – mostly because there are only 4 of us, and I am not a huge fan – and really, there is only so much watermelon you can eat. It is not like these, where there really is no limit. So, instead of playing the watermelon game, and trying to make sure my family eats it all before it goes bad, I choose smaller quantity of fruits to keep in the house. Last year, I remember seeing these – and I went nuts. I have been waiting for the perfect time to make these all year – and the day finally arrived. They were fantastic – such a big hit. Of course everyone was afraid to have more than 1 or 2, but really, you need to have 10 to equate to one drink. They were a perfect little treat. Next time I will make them for the kids without alcohol – because they were all looking at them longingly. The chocolate chips really make them look adorable, but I was also going with taste – and the thought of chocolate chips, cherry and vodka, just didn’t sound that appealing – but that is another option.

So – go have some fun with summer, and try these little cuties – with or without alcohol they are sure to give everyone a smile – and the bonus? They won’t last long enough to worry about them going bad…

Ingredients

10 limes, pulp removed
1 small box red Jello (I used cherry – does watermelon jello exist?)
1 cup boiling water
1 cup cold vodka (or if you are going non-alcoholic, just plain water)
Mini chocolate chips (optional)

Preparation

Cut the limes in half, then squeeze out the juice (which will make getting the rest of the pulp out easier). I then used my fingers to scrape out the rest of the pulp. This is not an easy task, and will take time, but the cleaner your limes are, the better they will look. I was actually able to get all the lime pulp out, like I was peeling an organge.

Take a mini-muffin tin, and place a couple of damp paper towels over the wholes, with slack. This will give the limes a way to sit in the tins without rolling around. Set lime halves empty side up on top of the towels, one in each muffin mold.

Add 1 cup of boiling water to the Jello powder, and stir for 2 minutes until fully dissolved. Stir in cup of cold vodka (or water, if non-alcoholic). Pour mixture into lime halves, filling all the way to the top.

Chill the jello-limes in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

One at a time, turn the jello-limes over on a cutting board, and using a sharp knife, carefully cut each lime half in half again, making wedges.

Stick in chocolate chips, if desired.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Watermelon Lime Jello Shots

Fennel Lemon Drop

Published on June 24, 2012 by Dawn9 Comments

Time to pick up a drink and toast to the beginning of summer. Of course, in the Pacific NW, we are lucky if we can break 70, but if the sun is out, people are smiling. Friday evening when I came home from work, it felt like January – exactly the reason why my husband and I call this month Junuary. I hear the rest of the country is in a huge hot spell…not us. On the bright side though, no need for air-conditioners or sprinklers – aren’t we lucky.

I am obsessed with fennel – if you are a long-time reader, you will remember some of my other posts on the wonderful topic. At one of my favorite restaurants in Seattle, they have taken fennel to a whole new level. One night I was there and they served fennel ice-cream with this sumptuous morsel – with some candied fennel on the side, I swear there is nothing better. Another night they served a fennel cocktail, that was also outstanding. I have been thinking about that fennel cocktail ever since…

The other week I had a bulb of fennel in the refrigerator, and no time to roast it – so I had an idea. Fennel infused vodka – I was well on my way. Once the vodka was nicely infused, it was time to decide how to prepare the cocktail. I didn’t want to do anything too crazy that would mask the taste of the fennel – so I decided to go real simple – just a little simple syrup and some lemon juice. I shook it up, and I was in love. The first night I made it, I served them in high ball glasses over ice – a nice fennel lemonade. I didn’t like though how the ice melted into the drink – so the next time I served them straight up – and that was the key. Just like a lemon drop, with a wonderful flavor of fennel. So – here’s to summer – may we have many nice sunny evenings to enjoy these!

Ingredients

2 cups vodka
1 medium fennel bulb
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup simple syrup
ice cubes
lemon slices for garnish

Preparation

To make the fennel infused vodka, cut up one medium fennel bulb and place in a jar. Pour vodka over the fennel and seal. Place in the refrigerator until the fennel is infused, around 3-4 days. The longer the vodka infuses, the stronger the fennel flavor.

The recipe above makes 8 drinks. To make 2 drinks, take a shaker and fill with ice cubes. Pour 1/2 cup vodka, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoons simple syrup into the shaker. Shake well, and strain into two martini glasses. Garnish with lemon slices.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Fennel Lemon Drop

Mango Marti

Published on May 21, 2012May 23, 2012 by Dawn7 Comments

Mangos are a coveted fruit in our house. I don’t buy them that often, because for some reason I am the subject matter expert when it comes to cutting a mango – and to tell you the truth, it stresses me out. I hate to waste food, and I can never seem to get all the good mango around the pit without seeming like I am leaving a lot of good fruit. In the scheme of things, if that is what I am getting stressed out about, I am pretty darn lucky. Too bad that’s not the only thing…

So – this weekend, I had three beautifully ripe champagne mangos sitting in the fruit basket, staring at me. I swear they were calling to me, and the cucumber vodka I had just bought in the liquor cabinet – that started chiming in as well. I knew what I had to do. So – I looked around the kitchen while thinking about a recipe I saw in Cooking Light the other week (Champagne Mango Margaritas), and decided to go my own route. Basically you can’t go wrong with deliciously ripe mangos. I made a virgin batch for my kids first, and they were hooked. The next batch was for my husband and I, and wow…that’s just about all I can say…wow (who knows what that’s from???). What an awesome drink. The cucumber vodka gave it this flavor like I was in a spring meadow, the wind whipping through my hair…ok, I have no idea where I am going with this, but it was one of the best cocktails I have ever made.

So – how did it get its name? I was looking for the pictures I took tonight, and my phone syncs wireless with my computer, and to my files on the cloud (what an awesome phone I have). When it syncs, it gives me a little notice that new files were loaded – so I clicked on the program, and it showed me one of the pictures – and put a title on the photo with the folder name. I named the folder “Mango Martini” – but for some reason it cut off the last two letters – so I had a picture called Mango Marti. I burst out laughing – my husband asked if I named the drink after my long-lost friend “Marti” – I said who? Then he proceeded to make up this story about my long-lost friend (that doesn’t exist), and how I created this drink in honor of him. So – there it is, our Mango Marti, best drink ever. Here’s to you Marti!!

Ingredients

3 Champagne mangoes, peeled, seeded, chopped, and frozen (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup cucumber vodka
1/4 cup mango nectar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup Triple Sec
1 cup ice

Preparation

Combine mango, and next 4 ingredients in a blender, and process until smooth. Add ice to blender; pulse to combine. Chill in refrigerator 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Mango Marti

Indonesian Avocado Milkshake (Jus Alpukat)

Published on March 17, 2012March 17, 2012 by Dawn12 Comments

You would think we were Irish with the way the kids have been acting today. They are fully decked out in green – they even found green beads to wear around their neck, and green hair accessories. They pretty much hate green every other day of the year. Last night they asked if I would make them green pancakes for breakfast with green milk – why not? I told them if they made their beds in the morning, I would – now, call me crazy, but I actually think a leprechaun came in and did it for them – I found notes on their night stands…

After making green shamrock pancakes for breakfast and turning their milk green, I started getting in the spirit – and looked at that ripe avocado on the counter. I asked the girls if they wanted green smoothies in the afternoon, and of course I got a resounding “yes.” I remembered a while ago I saw some recipes in the Pacific Northwest Magazine about Avocado Milkshakes – so I went searching. It was hard to decide which one to make, but I went with the Indonesian version – boy does an avocado make a smooth milkshake – it was velvety. If you like avocados, these milkshakes were delectable with just the right amount of sweetness. You would have sworn you were eating ice-cream it was so good. The kids on the other hand were not too impressed. They are not big avocado fans, so I wasn’t expecting much – but they at least had a few sips. This was definitely my treat. I didn’t add the espresso since I don’t drink caffeine, but I am sure it would be delicious.

So – I hope you are all celebrating your inner-Irish today – whether you are Irish or not – and this milkshake will put a little hop in your step, just like a little leprechaun.

Ingredients

1 medium avocado
1 cup crushed ice
1/3 cup cold espresso and/or a drizzle of chocolate syrup
2/3 cup milk, or as needed
1/3 cup superfine sugar or simple syrup, or as needed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Halve the avocado lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a blender, discarding the pit. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until completely smooth. Taste and add more sugar if desired, and/or a little more milk for a thinner consistency. Serve immediately, with a straw and spoon.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Indonesian Avocado Milkshake