SUFFERING BASTARDS AT TRADER VIC’S

Posted in Drinks by sallybr

This is a guest post by my best friend, husband, and eminently satisfactory co-worker!

Their heyday passed a few decades ago, but if you had the good fortune to visit one of Trader Vic Bergeron’s restaurants, then you probably enjoyed a memorable meal of Polynesian appetizers, drinks and exotic Asian dishes. Delicious beef “cho cho” or crab Rangoon or cheese bings or crispy prawns… YUM, YUM! Or, perhaps you drank a Mai Tai or two in a tiki bar on a tropical beach in Hawaii …. Trader Vic created that classic libation. It all started in 1934, in Oakland, CA, but during the 2nd half of the 20th century Trader Vic’s franchise operated > 30 locations in all the major American cities. They were places to go and celebrate something … special, fun places to relax and laugh with best friends and family. I experienced the restaurants in Chicago, SF, Atlanta, Emeryville and Beverly Hills; just remembering my companions and those occasions puts a smile on my face. Now only two US restaurants remain, the original Trader Vic’s, now on the SF East Bay waterfront (in Emeryville), and a second in Atlanta.

This fond memory recalls my Uncle Bill and Aunt Mildred Sladek, who lived in Riverside, IL. Uncle Bill was a renowned Chicago proctologist, and consequently, a very popular man. I was a pre‐med major at Notre Dame, 80 miles away in S. Bend, IN. I spent many excellent weekends with my favorite aunt and uncle, who were guiding me toward a medical career. When I arrived on the South Shore train on Friday night we were off to one of Chicago’s fine restaurants. Uncle Bill was so well-respected that when he and Mildred a entered a Loop restaurant the Maitre d’ and wait-staff began to bow and curtsey as if Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn had just walked in. Such was the case at Trader Vic’s in the Palmer House in Chicago. It was where I had my first oyster on the half‐shell, and the site of fine meals with the Sladek family (my cousins Bill Jr., Bob and Barbara), including one dinner preceding the Chicago performance of “Hair” in 1972. We loved all the tropical drinks, but especially the Suffering Bastard, that Trader Vic also concocted.

The recipe was a secret, but Uncle Bill managed to get it from the Maitre d’, and passed it to me in a handwritten note that I saved in a lockbox until now. When you search for the recipe of a Suffering Bastard, you will find some drinks that originated at the Cairo Hotel, made from bourbon and gin. But that’s not the same thing we drank at Trader Vic’s. If you’re looking for a refreshing drink on a hot summer day, then you’ve found it!

THE SUFFERING BASTARD
(from Trader Vic’s)

1 measure white rum
2 measures dark rum (Light Burns or Mount Gay Barbados rum)
1 measure Mai Tai mix (Trader Vic’s is best … available at Amazon.com)
1.5 ‐ 2 measures fresh lime juice
for garnish:
fresh pineapple
Maraschino cherries,
cucumber
fresh mint

Give the components a quick shake, pour over cracked ice, and garnish. Be forewarned, it packs a (delightful) punch!

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments from Sally: This was one of the first drinks Phil made for us when we started dating. Sweet memories! Well, let me point out it is actually not a sweet drink at all. We love tart flavors, so it’s perfect for us. If you prefer a sweeter concoction, consider adding a half ounce of simple syrup or agave nectar. It’s not authentic, but we won’t hold grudges.

I hope you enjoyed one more guest post by my beloved! I actually feel very lucky he did not go to medical school, or we probably would have never met…

ONE YEAR AGO: Aloha!

TWO YEARS AGO: Fab Choc Chip Cookies

THREE YEARS AGO: Pumpkin-Chipotle and Kale Pizza

FOUR YEARS AGO: Enchiladas Suizas a la Marcela Valladolid

FIVE YEARS AGO: The Little Apple

SIX YEARS AGO: Majestic Sedona

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Watermelon-induced Daze

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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

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