BLOOD ORANGE MARGARITAS

Posted in Drinks by sallybr

Almost six years of blogging, and I shared THREE drinks with you. Three. That is an average of one drink post for every two years. Would that mean we are a boring couple as far as alcohol is concerned? Not quite the case. Phil enjoys a shot of tequila every once in a while, caipirinhas, good quality vodka on the rocks (he likes a brand called Chopin), and the eventual dry Martini. Shaken, not stirred. It turns out that “I” am the boring alcoholic component in our relationship, as 99% of the time I stick to white wine. But, even a boring person will occasionally go for a walk on the wild side. Take for instance these Margaritas, made with one of the sexiest fruits in the world: blood oranges. I love them. Now, keep in mind we made this drink quite sour, with no sugar added to it. Most people will prefer a little more sweetness, so adjust to your taste with simple syrup or a little agave, as suggested in the recipe.

BLOOD ORANGE MARGARITAS
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

makes 1 drink

2 shots of blood orange juice
1.5 to 2 shots tequila of your choice
1 shot lime juice
1 shot Curaçao (or another orange liqueur)
1 drop vanilla extract (optional)
sugar to taste (simple syrup, agave) – we omitted

Mix all ingredients in a shaker. Pour over crushed ice. Take a sip, and open a big smile!

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Many (too many) years ago, I could enjoy a festive drink before dinner, then switch to a glass of wine or two with the meal. No major harm done, life next day would be normal. Not anymore. I do not dare mixing types of alcohol, not even those that are supposed to “work”. You know, the famous saying: Liquor before beer, never fear… Not for me. I now have a huge respect for alcohol, as a hangover will knock me in horizontal position until 5pm next day. For the record, the last time I had a hangover was after a 4th of July party in 2010. No desire to face another one. So, I have this fascination for beautiful drinks, but rarely indulge. When I do, that becomes my drink for the evening, no wine with the meal.

These Margaritas were so refreshing and light! We like our drinks very sour, in fact this time they were almost too sour for Phil’s taste, but I thought they were pretty good. You never know how red a blood orange will be until you cut it open, so there’s always some excitement associated with them. Only one grocery store in town carries them, and it’s the one on the other side of town (you know, a 10 minute drive instead of 5). I bought a few with the intention of preparing a blood orange vinaigrette, perhaps a blood orange pound cake, but Phil came up with the idea of a colorful drink, and that was it. With a Mexican-type dinner, it was a delightful evening. The vanilla addition was something I saw as a tip somewhere a while ago, wish I could give proper credit. Just a little drop, don’t go wild with it, or it might overpower your margarita.

ONE YEAR AGO: Smoked Salmon Appetizer

TWO YEARS AGO: Clementine Cake

THREE YEARS AGO: Springtime Spinach Risotto

FOUR YEARS AGO: The end of green bean cruelty

FIVE YEARS AGO: Torta di Limone e Mandorle

9Jun2012

BORDER GRILL MARGARITAS

Posted in Drinks by sallybr

Remember the Two Hot Tamales? I was a huge fan of Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken‘s show back in the good old days of FoodTV Network. When we lived in Los Angeles, I made a point to go to one of their restaurants in town, the “Border Grill”. We chose a perfect day, Cinco de Mayo! The place was packed, but the service was nonetheless outstanding. We had their spicy margaritas with our dinner: a touch of jalapenos swimming in enough booze to make us happily oblivious to the heat. It took me over a year to finally make those drinks at home, but it won’t be long until we make them again. A fitting drink for a summer evening!

CUCUMBER JALAPENO MARGARITA
(adapted from Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken)
Makes: 2 drinks

12 slices peeled cucumber
4 to 6 slices jalapeño (we used Serrano peppers)
2 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
1 heaping teaspoon superfine sugar
crushed ice
3 ounces silver tequila (we used Herradura)
1 + 1/2 ounce orange liqueur
2 cucumber slice, for garnish

Combine the cucumber, serrano pepper, lime juice, and superfine sugar in a small blender (or a cup suitable to use with an immersion blender). Blend everything together until smooth.

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add tequila and orange liqueur, then add the cucumber mixture. Shake gently to combine, pour into a couple of margarita glasses, and garnish each with a cucumber slice. Serve immediately.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Our main modification of the recipe was to process the cucumber using an immersion blender. I tried my best to mash the cucumber as they do in the restaurant (according to the recipe in the link), but we were getting nowhere. Cucumber was flying, pepper was flying after it, not exactly the atmosphere we were hoping for our Friday evening. If you have the skill of a seasoned bartender, grab the mortar and pestle. Moi? I was a lot happier with this setting:

But, no matter how you get around to it, make this drink! And play with the amount of pepper. Next time, we’ll be up for a little more heat, just because… 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Goodbye L.A.

TWO YEARS AGO: Vermont Sourdough

14Mar2012

A PEARFECT DRINK

Posted in Drinks by sallybr

In almost three years of blogging, I have shared one recipe for a drink. One. Check the index, and you will see caipirinha, the Brazilian national drink, sitting all alone in that category. This disturbing situation changes today, with a nice drink Phil made for us this past weekend, inspired by a recent show from Giada de Laurentiis: the peartini. We modified the recipe making it a lot less sweet, and a tad less alcoholic.

PEARTINI FOR TWO
(inspired by Giada de Laurentiis)

for simple syrup (you won’t use it all)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
for drink
4 shots of pear juice (homemade, of course!)
2 shots of Vodka (we like Stolichnaya)
2 shots of lime juice
1 shot of simple syrup
shaker full of ice
two gorgeous strawberries

Make the simple syrup by heating the water and the sugar in a small sauce pan, until completely dissolved. Allow it to cool to room temperature, and store in the fridge for future uses.

Place ice cubes in your shaker until half full. Add all other ingredients for the drink, shake well and pour on martini glasses.

Garnish with a strawberry sliced halfway, not all the way through (obviously).

Sip slowly, it will match perfectly your favorite type of sushi and sashimi.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

When juicing the pears, be careful because they oxidize very quickly. Mix the juice with some lime juice to slow down the process, or the drink will have a bit of a brownish hint. No harm in flavor, only in looks.

You may ask why the strawberry decoration when we could have added a slice of pear? Two reasons:

1. We passed all pears through our Juiceman Jr., and forgot to put aside a couple of slices for garnish.

2. Strawberries are a lot sexier. So, there! 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Ming Tsai Under Pressure

TWO YEARS AGO: Paris, je t’aime!

14Jun2010

CAIPIRINHAS 101

Posted in Brazilian cooking, Drinks by sallybr

THE WORLD CUP IS FINALLY HERE!

The World’s Most Adorable Dog….
printed with permission from Life of Jalo

I grew up watching all the games, and I still remember well when Brazil won (for the third time) in 1970, with a team that joined the one and only Pele’, Rivelino, Tostao and Gerson, to name four of my favorites. Most people in Brazil have their own routine to watch the games and the whole country pretty much freezes when Brazil plays. Our family gathered at my parents’ home, with my Mom sitting in her favorite chair, always wearing the same robe. It turns out that she wore it in the final game of 1970, when Brazil beat Italy in a nail-biter to capture the World Cup. That outfit became, and remains to this day the “World Cup robe.” It was carefully washed and stored away, only to appear every 4th year after that 1970 game.

Since I left the country watching the games hasn’t been the same, but to bring the right spirit to the festivities I like to make “caipirinhas“, Brazil’s national drink. It’s a blast of refreshing lime with “pinga” – a sugar cane distillate not too hard to find in the US.

CAIPIRINHA
(the authentic way, prepared one drink at a time)

1 thick-bottomed glass
1 large lime
1 Tbs granulated sugar
ice cubes (enough to fill the glass)
pinga (aka cachaca, aguardente de cana)

Wash the limes, cut both ends. Quarter the lime lengthwise, removing the central white pith which is bitter. Cut each quarter in half crosswise and place the lime pieces in the glass.

Add the granulated sugar, and working with a wooden pestle , crush the limes with the sugar. Crushing the fruit with a wooden pestle is essential to the authenticity of this drink, but such tools are hard to find in the States. If you don’t have one, maybe the handle of a heavy wooden spoon will suffice. Once you’ve crushed the limes fill the glass with ice cubes or crushed ice. Pour pinga to the top, mix with a spoon and serve.

ENJOY!

Comments: There are many types of pinga around. Some are clear, some are aged, turning yellow or light brown. Those are smoother, with less bite, and besides in capirinhas they may also be enjoyed by sipping. In the US, the chances are that you will only find clear pinga, among which the most popular brands are “Ypioca”, “51”, and “Pitu”.

Recently in Food and Wine magazine the well-respected chef Daniel Bouloud shared his take on caipirinhas, and served them in wine glasses. My jaw dropped in disbelief when I saw the photos of this crime! Mr. Boloud would certainly not approve of Champagne served in a teacup, and drinking caipirinhas from wine glasses is just as bad. So please, stick to these basic rules: prepare them in a large, strong glass, one drink at a time using granulated sugar (no simple syrup, no agave nectar, no mint).

Brazilian-approved variations: You can use vodka in place of pinga, for a drink called “caipiroska“. They’re delicious too, and probably a little easier next day ;-). Some of my friends have been trying to convince me that “kiwi caipirinhas” are as good as the real thing, but I am a purist and I haven’t made them. They do sound tasty, plus you get to eat the kiwi at the end. Go lighter on the sugar if using kiwis, though. And let me know if you try it, I might just relax my standards and go for it. 😉

Finally, a few sound files to help you with Brazilian words…

Caipirinha click here