[Photograph: Studio Schulz]
While most beer batters assume that any fizzy, flavorless swill will do, these onion rings were created to highlight the big-flavored, boozy brew that Stone Brewing Co. is known for.
Reprinted with permission from The Craft of Stone Brewing Co. by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner with Randy Clemens. Copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.
serves 6 to 8 , active time 30 minutes, total time 30 minutes
Arrogant Bastard Ale Batter: Pour the Arrogant Bastard Ale into a high-sided narrow container. Stir in the Cajun spice blend, salt, chipotle, smoked paprika, and garlic. Sift the flour and baking powder together, then add them to the beer mixture slowly, whisking well until they’re evenly and thoroughly incorporated. You may need a bit more or less flour to reach the ideal consistency for a tempura-style batter. It should be just thick enough to coat whatever you’re frying.
Cut off the ends of each onion, cut in half crosswise (around the equator), and remove the papery skin and thin outer membrane. Soak in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes.
Drain the onions, separate the concentric rings, and spread them on a kitchen towel to dry.
Preheat the oven to 200°F. Prepare a deep fryer, filling it with oil to the manufacturer’s suggested fill level. Alternately, use a wide cast-iron or other heavy-duty pan that’s at least 4 inches deep, pouring in oil to a depth of 2 to 3 inches, and no more than halfway up the side of the pan. Heat the oil to 360°F.
Dunk the onion rings in the batter and fry in batches until crispy and deep reddish brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan, as this will lower the temperature of the oil significantly and result in soggy onion rings. Transfer cooked onion rings to a wire rack set over a baking sheet (or directly on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet). Season with a sprinkling of salt and keep them in the oven until the entire batch has been fried.
Serve hot, with a side of BBQ sauce for dipping. (No ketchup!)
[Photograph: Studio Schulz]
If you think that it doesn't get any better than bacony brussels sprouts, you haven't tried beery, bacony brussels sprouts. Glazing these little guys with a bottle of Stone Pale Ale adds crisp citrus notes that bring out the horseradishy sharpness of the sprouts.
Reprinted with permission from The Craft of Stone Brewing Co. by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner with Randy Clemens. Copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.
serves 2 as a main course, or 4 as a side dish, active time 20 minutes, total time 20 minutes
Set up a steamer with 1 to 2 inches of salted water and bring the water to a rolling boil. Put the brussels sprouts in the steamer, cover, and cook until slightly tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and immediately transfer the brussels sprouts to a large bowl of ice water to halt the cooking and preserve their bright green color. Let them cool in the ice water for about 1 minute, then drain. Lay them on a clean dish towel and pat dry. Cut them in half vertically, right through the core.
In a large wok or cast-iron skillet, heat the oil over high heat until it begins to shimmer. Turn the heat down to medium. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Turn the heat up to high, add the brussels sprouts, and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the beer and continue to cook over high heat until the liquid is mostly evaporated. Deglaze the pan by adding the vegetable stock, stirring and scraping up any browned bits that may be affixed to the pan.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with the tomato and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve immediately.
[Photograph: Studio Schulz]
A few glugs of hop-heavy Stone Ruination IPA cut right through the richness of this cheesy, garlicky soup.
Reprinted with permission from The Craft of Stone Brewing Co. by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner with Randy Clemens. Copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press. Available wherever books are sold. All rights reserved.
serves 8, active time 30 minutes, total time 30 minutes
For the Roasted Garlic: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the top 1/4 inch off of three heads exposing the individual cloves of garlic. Place it cut side up on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle the olive oil over the garlic and season with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Gather the foil up around the garlic, folding and twisting the top to seal.
Roast for 1 hour, then let the garlic cool completely. Use a fork to pull the roasted cloves out of their papery skin. Alternatively, you can squeeze the cloves out from the bottom using your hands.
Melt 3/4 cup of the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, whisking briskly to avoid lumps. Cook, stirring frequently, until the flour takes on a light blond color, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Melt the remaining 1/4 cup butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and minced garlic and cook just until the garlic is aromatic, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the vegetable stock, IPA, and milk. When the liquid begins to simmer, stir in the garlic, paprika, and cumin. Using a handheld immersion blender or in a regular blender, puree until smooth. Whisk in the flour mixture. Add the cheese a handful at a time, whisking after each addition, until melted and smooth.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, garnishing each serving with some of the chives.
[Photograph: Caroline Russock]
I have to admit I was a bit taken aback when I came across kombucha recipes in Andrew Schloss's Homemade Soda since I'd always thought of this fermented tea as more of a health tonic than an easy drinking soda. But when you think about it, kombucha does fall into the flavored carbonated beverage category, regardless of how good for you if might be. Since kombucha has been on my try-it-out-at-home list for quite a while, giving one of Schloss's fermented tea recipes a whirl seemed like the perfect excuse to delve into the world of kombucha mothers and babies.
The first step is getting your hands on a mother, that bizarre, space blob-looking starter culture from which your tea will ferment. It's not the kind of thing that's sold in stores, so kombucha brewing buddies and internet ordering are your best bet. You'll also need a kombucha starter tea. This can be store bought kombucha, a friend's homemade stuff, or white vinegar, if you can't find anything else.
Once you've got your hands on a mother the next step is to invest in a gallon jug of distilled white vinegar. Since you're going to be fermenting, sterilization is key, and white vinegar is going to make sure that your equipment is clean and bad bacteria-free. You'll also need a clean glass jar, 1 1/2 quarts or larger, and coffee filters or cheesecloth.
Now that you're all set up, it's time to brew. Kombucha grows in sweetened tea, in this case black tea mixed with sugar and vinegar. Once the brewed tea-vinegar mixture has cooled, the mother and starter are added and the whole weird looking liquid is poured into a vinegar-sanitized jar, covered with something that will allow air to flow, and left in a warm spot to do all of its ferment-y magic. At this point your best bet is to mark your calender and forget about it for the next 8 to 12 days.
If you're lucky when you uncover your jar 8 to 12 days later, you'll see all sorts of weird jellyfish-looking action. The mother should have made a baby, i.e. smaller blob, that's going to be attached with a series of wispy looking strings. At this point you should sterilize a straw with vinegar and taste your tea. You're looking for a tart flavor, along the lines of apple cider vinegar.
Kombucha mothers can be used again and again—just scoop it out and store it in the fridge for future use. The final step on your epic kombucha brewing journey is to strain your tea through a coffee filter, add the orange juice, and leave it for another 2 to 4 days to ensure optimal effervescence.
As always with our Drink the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Homemade Sodas to give away this month.
Adapted from Homemade Soda by Andrew Schloss. Copyright © 2011. Published by Storey Publishing. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved.
Special equipment: 1 1/2 quart glass jar, coffee filters or cheesecloth
serves 1 liter, active time 45 minutes, total time 10 days
For the kombucha starter tea: In addition to a starter culture, you will need a starter tea to brew kombucha. For your first batch, this can be store-bought kombucha tea, or a starter tea obtained from a kombucha brewing friend. In a pinch, you can substitute vinegar. Then, every time you make kombucha, reserve a small amount (about 1/2 cup) of finished fermented tea mixed with an equal part of distilled white vinegar. This liquid is called "starter tea." Pour it over the kombucha starter culture ("mother") and store in the refrigerator.
Rinse out a medium stainless-steel sauce pan with distilled white vinegar. Add the water to the pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. As soon as the water boils, add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Remove from the heat, add the tea bags, cover, and let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse a slotted spoon with vinegar and use it to remove the tea bags from the pot.
Rinse a large (at least 1 1/2 quart) glass jar with distilled white vinegar. Pour the sweet tea into the glass jar and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
Stir the starter tea into the sweet tea and add the starter culture ("mother"). Cover the jar with a coffee filter, cheesecloth, or other material that will keep out debris but allow air to circulate. Secure with a rubber band. Set in a warm, dark place to ferment for 8 to 12 days (a spot in the basement near a water heater works well).
As the kombucha ferments a new starter culture (called a "baby") will form on the surface, while the mother will either float beneath it or sink to the bottom of the jar. Strings may extend between the two cultures. When the new baby is almost as big as its mother, it's time to taste-test the kombucha. Stick a straw partway into the liquid, cover the end still in the air with a finger, and withdraw the straw from the liquid, thereby removing a dropperful. Taste the kombucha that you've captured in the straw. If it is refreshingly tart, it's ready. If not, let the kombucha ferment longer.
When the kombucha is fully fermented, preserve the starter culture and starter tea for your next batch of kombucha. Rinse your hands with distilled vinegar, and then lift the mother and baby into a clean glass bowl or glass jar that has been rinsed with vinegar. Pour 1/2 cup of the unfiltered kombucha over the culture, and add the 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar. This liquid is starter tea. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 to 2 months. (If you're using a jar for storage instead and it has a metal lid, cover the jar with a layer of plastic wrap first, before putting on the lid, to keep the contents from coming into contact with metal.)
Filter the remaining kombucha through a damp coffee filter or several layers of damp cheesecloth into a clean glass jar. Stir in the orange juice and seal the jar with a plastic or plastic-wrap-lined lid. Let sit at room temperature for 2 to 4 days, until the kombucha is bubbly, and then chill for 24 hours. Serve over ice.
[Photograph: Caroline Russock]
A few months back This American Life aired a program entitled Original Recipe, all about uncovering what was possibly the original formula for Coca-Cola. This episode was one of the radio show's most popular, gathering enough traffic to their website to temporarily shut it down. Obviously we're dying to know what gives Coke its one-of-a-kind flavor. So what went into this alleged original formula? Oils of orange, lemon, nutmeg, coriander, cinnamon, and neroli, an oil derived from the blossom of the bitter orange tree.
As it turns out Andrew Schloss, author of Homemade Soda formula for Natural Cola is pretty similar to the recipe This American Life uncovered. The syrup is made with the juice and zest of oranges, lemons and limes, as well as dried bitter orange peel. It's simmered with cinnamon, nutmeg, and coriander, and finished off with vanilla and the unlikely addition of browning sauce, a blend of caramel color and vegetable concentrate that gives this cola its dark, caramel flavor. Schloss also recommends adding a bit of gum arabic for a richer mouthfeel, but I found that this soda was absolutely fine without.
With its herbal citrus notes, this Natural Cola is far more nuanced and delicate than today's Coke, and it lacks that certain tooth-aching sugariness. Its complexity is almost amaro-like—dark and filled with rich, sweet aromatics, a more grown up take on a cola.
As always with our Drink the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Homemade Sodas to give away this month.
Adapted from Homemade Soda by Andrew Schloss. Copyright © 2011. Published by Storey Publishing. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved.
serves enough for 5 quarts of cola, active time 20 minutes, total time 20 minutes
To make the Natural Cola Syrup: Combine the water, lemon zest, lime zest, orange zest, cinnamon, bitter orange peel, coriander seed, nutmeg, and gum arabic (if using) in a large saucepan. Whisk together until the gum arabic dissolves. Stir in the sugar and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Boil for 1 minute.
Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon, lime, and orange juices, along with the browning sauce and vanilla. Let cool, then strain.
This syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
To mix with seltzer: Pour 1/2 cup cola syrup into a tall glass. Add 1 1/2 cups seltzer and stir until just blended. Add ice and serve.
To carbonate with a siphon: Combine 3 1/4 cups water and 3/4 cup cola syrup in a 1-quart siphon. Charge with CO2 according to the manufacturer's directions. Siphon charged sodas can be stored in the siphon in a refrigerator for up to 5 days. Dispense as desired into tall glasses filled with ice and serve.
[Photograph: Aran Goyoaga]
When it comes to pairing beverages with Jewish deli fare, Dr. Brown's sodas are pretty much the only way to go. For the less adventurous there are black cherry and cream flavors but for die hard deli aficionados, Cel-Ray is it. Bittersweet and tonic-like, celery soda is definitely not for everyone ,but for those who love it the flavors are irreplaceable, especially when there's a corned beef sandwich on the menu.
Cel-Ray is a cult favorite and can be pretty difficult to find outside of Jewish deli territory, but thanks to Andrew Schloss's book Homemade Soda, its unique flavor profile can be replicated at home quite easily.
Schloss's Celrtzer is made with a sugar syrup infused with celery seed and a bit of kosher salt. Once simmered and strained, the syrup can be carbonated with a siphon or mixed with seltzer for a super refreshing, grassy sort of soda that's perfect for mixing. Add a few muddled mint leaves and a splash of white rum and you've got a gorgeous celery mojito.
As always with our Drink the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Homemade Sodas to give away this month.
Adapted from Homemade Sodas by Andrew Schloss. Copyright © 2011. Published by Storey Publishing. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved.
serves 3, active time 15 minutes, total time 15 minutes
To make the Celery Seed Syrup: Combine the water, celery seed, sugar, and salt in a small sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and let simmer, uncovered, for 7 to 8 minutes, until reduced to 1/4 cup. Strain out the solids and set the syrup aside to cool. The syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
To mix with seltzer: Pour 1 tablespoon of the Celery Seed Syrup into a tall glass. Add 1 1/3 cups seltzer and stir until blended. Add ice and serve.
To carbonate with a siphon: Combine 4 cups water and one batch Celery Seed Syrup in a 1-quart siphon. Charge with CO2 according to the manufacturer's directions. Siphon charged sodas can be stored in the siphon in a refrigerator for up to 5 days. Dispense as desired into tall glasses filled with ice and serve.
[Photograph: Aran Goyoaga]
The trouble with most cherry sodas is that they are enjoyable in an artificial lollipop sort of way, and have nothing at all to do with the flavor of fresh cherries. Enter Andrew Schloss, author of Homemade Soda and creator of this fantastic Sour Cherriade that smacks of fresh cherry flavor.
Instead of opting for sour cherries, those elusive sour treats that are only available for a few months out of the year, Schloss went with the more readily available sweet variety. To mimic that great sour flavor, Schloss adds a few tablespoons of red wine vinegar as well as a bit of almond extract, a sneaky touch that does wonders to accentuate the stone fruitiness of the cherries. Puréed together and strained, the sugar-simmered cherries, vinegar, and almond extract add up to a concentrate that tastes like fresh sour cherries with just the slightest hint of sweetness. Added to seltzer or carbonated in a soda siphon, this Sour Cherriade is great on ice—a splash of gin is optional.
As always with our Drink the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Homemade Sodas to give away this month.
Adapted from Homemade Sodas by Andrew Schloss. Copyright © 2011. Published by Storey Publishing. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved.
serves 3, active time 15 minutes, total time 15 minutes
For the Cherry Purée: Combine the cherries and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring often until the cherries are soft and have released their juice. Purée in a blender or food processor, and then strain; you should have about 2 cups of smooth purée. Stir in the vinegar and almond extract.
The purée will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, but will be best if used immediately.
To mix with seltzer: Pour 2/3 cup cherry purée into a tall glass. Add 2/3 cup seltzer and stir until just blended. Add ice and serve.
To carbonate with a siphon: Combine 2 cups water and 1 full batch cherry purée in a 1-quart soda siphon. Charge with CO2 according to the manufacturer's directions. Siphon charged sodas can be stored in the siphon in a refrigerator for up to 5 days. Dispense as desired into tall glasses filled with ice and serve.
[Photographs: Amy Webster & Michelle Palm]
Sweet tea vodka is quick becoming one of this summer's guilty pleasures. Mixed with club soda and garnished with a wedge of lemon, the stuff goes down just about as easy as its zero proof inspiration, making it prime jelly shot material.
Taking a cue from the Arnold Palmer (otherwise known as the half and half), these sweet tea and lemonade jelly shots from Michelle Palm's Jelly Shot Test Kitchen, this spiked combo of iced tea and lemonade could just as easily be called the John Daly for their hefty vodka content.
Just like last week's festive Blue Hawaii Jelly Shots, these Arnie Palmers are made using a two layer method. The tea layer is made up of both sweet tea vodka, strong-brewed black tea, and simple syrup. It's left to set while the lemon layer is prepared. You can either make a lemon syrup using fresh lemons or use Palm's shortcut method with strained lemonade mix—either one will pack plenty of lemony punch.
Once set and sliced, these shots end up being just as refreshing as their sippable inspiration but a whole lot more fun.
As always with our Drink the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Jelly Shot Test Kitchen to give away this month.
Adapted from Jelly Shot Test Kitchen by Michelle Palm. Copyright © 2011. Published by Running Press. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved.
Special equipment: 1-pound loaf pan
serves 18 to 24 jelly shots, active time 45 minutes, total time 3 hours
Prepare the Lemon Syrup:Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Muddle the lemon wedges. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain immediately. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature.
Short cut: A 50-50 mix of frozen lemonade concentrate and water may be substituted for Lemon Syrup. Make sure to strain to remove any lemon pulp!
Prepare the Simple Syrup:Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Prepare the Tea Layer: Pour the brewed tea into a small saucepan and sprinkle with the gelatin. Allow the gelatin to soak for a minute or two. Heat the mixture over very low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sweet tea vodka. Taste and add the simple syrup, if desired. Pour mixture into loaf pan and refrigerate until set, 1 to 2 hours. (When set, the mixture will be cloudy.) Prepare the Lemon Layer.
Prepare the Lemon Layer: Pour the lemon syrup into a small saucepan and sprinkle with the gelatin. Allow the gelatin to soak for a minute or two. Heat the mixture over very low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the vodka. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
Remove the set Tea Layer from the refrigerator. Using a fork, rake the set mixture until small, uniform globules form. Ladle the Lemonade mixture into the pan over the Tea Layer. Return the pan to the refrigerator until fully set, several hours or overnight.
To serve, cut into desired shapes. Makes 18 to 24 jelly shots.
[Photographs: Amy Webster & Michelle Palm]
As you may have noticed, we have a thing for Pimm's. We've long been fans of the Pimm's Cup, a citrusy sweet, lightly bitter refresher traditionally garnished with cucumber and sometimes strawberries and orange, and lately, we just can't resist a Pimm's concoction, whether it's mixed with whiskey or muddled with mint and Hendrick's gin. But a jello shot Pimm's Cup had never occurred to us until we saw these Pimm's No. 1 Cup Jelly Shots from Jelly Shot Test Kitchen.
In order to incorporate all of the flavors of the Pimm's Cup into the shots without veering into chunky Jell-O salad territory, cucumber, strawberries, orange and mint are muddled together with the Pimm's to make the base. A tart lemon syrup and ginger ale are mixed in along with the gelatin to mimic that sparkly tartness of the classic cocktail.
Once jelled you can get fancy with all sorts of elegant garnishes like slivers of strawberries and individual mint leaves or serve them on top of little discs of cucumber for easy popping.
As always with our Drink the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Jelly Shot Test Kitchen to give away this month.
Adapted from Jelly Shot Test Kitchen by Michelle Palm. Copyright © 2011. Published by Running Press. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved.
Special equipment: 1-pound loaf pan (approximately 8” x 4”), large cocktail shaker and cocktail muddler
serves 12 to 18 jelly shots, active time 30 minutes, total time 3 hours
Make the Lemon Syrup: Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Muddle the lemon wedges. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain immediately. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature.
Short cut: A 50-50 mix of frozen lemonade concentrate and water may be substituted for Lemon Syrup. Make sure to strain to remove any lemon pulp!
Muddle fruit together the strawberries, orange, mint, and chopped cucumber in a large cocktail shaker. Add Pimm’s and the ice cubes and shake vigorously. Strain liquid through fine mesh strainer and set aside (you should have approximately 2/3 cup of liquid).
Combine ginger ale and lemon syrup in saucepan in a medium saucepan and sprinkle with gelatin. Allow gelatin to soak for a minute or two. Heat over very low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is fully dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the reserved Pimm’s liquid, stirring well to blend. Pour into pan and chill until fully set, several hours or overnight.
To serve, cut into rectangles. To garnish, peel “ribbons” from cucumber using a vegetable peeler. The ribbons should be about 6 inches long for easy handling. Group the slivered fruit and mint as desired, and tie each bundle with a cucumber ribbon. Trim the ribbon ends to desired length. Place a fruit bundle on each jelly shot.
[Photographs: Amy Webster & Michelle Palm]
Last week we began our monthlong foray into the world of jelly shots on a stiff note with jell-ified old fashioneds. This week we thought we'd loosen things up with a recipe that's a little less serious and a whole lot more blue.
The Blue Hawaii, a mix of rum, pineapple juice, and blue Curaçao, conjures up Waikiki resorts, Elvis movies, and tiki mugs with paper umbrellas. And it's an ideal cocktail inspiration for fanatically colorful, tropically flavored layered jelly shots.
These multilayer shots begin by mixing up the blue base of blue Curaçao, rum, vodka, pineapple, and gelatin. Once that part has gelled, the lemony yellow layer is poured on top and chilled until firm and ready to serve. For crystal clear definition between the colored layers it's important to make sure that the blue base is totally set before the yellow layer is added or else you'll end up with a tray of rummy, pineapple-y shots that are a shocking but kind of fun shade of neon green.
As always with our Drink the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Jelly Shot Test Kitchen to give away this month.
Adapted from Jelly Shot Test Kitchen by Michelle Palm. Copyright © 2011. Published by Running Press. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved.
serves 18 to 24 jelly shots, active time 30 minutes, total time 3 hours
For the Blue Layer: Combine the pineapple juice and vodka in a small saucepan and sprinkle with the gelatin. Allow the gelatin to soak for a minute or two. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is fully dissolved, about 5 minutes. (Take care to use very low heat, to avoid overheating the alcohol.) Remove from the heat and stir in the curaçao and rum. Transfer mixture to loaf pan or molds and refrigerate for at least an hour or until fully set.
For the Lemon Syrup: Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Muddle the lemon wedges. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain immediately. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature.
Short cut: A 50-50 mix of frozen lemonade concentrate and water may be substituted for Lemon Syrup. Make sure to strain to remove any lemon pulp!
For the Yellow Layer: Combine the pineapple juice and 1/4 cup lemon syrup in a small saucepan and sprinkle with the gelatin. Allow the gelatin to soak for a minute or two. Heat over very low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Remove set Blue Layer from refrigerator, and ladle the yellow gelatin mixture over the top. Refrigerate until fully set, several hours or overnight.
To serve, cut into desired shapes or unmold shots.
[Photographs: Amy Webster & Michelle Palm]
It's easy to reimagine light, fruit juice based drinks as jelly shots, but what about more serious cocktails? For my first foray into the world of Jelly Shot Test Kitchen I decided to tackle a classic, the Old Fashioned, to see how it would fare in jelly form.
While the Old Fashioned is definitely a not a beginner's cocktail, it does have a hint of sweetness, making its transition into a jelly shot a bit less mind-bending. The recipe starts with a sweet Bitters Syrup: a mix of sugar, water, and lots of Angostura. A packet of Knox gelatin is added to the syrup along with a few spoonfuls of maraschino cherry juice and simmered until the gelatin dissolves. In order to keep the integrity of this boozy cocktail, the bourbon is stirred in once the mixture has been taken off of the heat. Poured into a shallow pan and left to chill for a few hours, your Old Fashioned Jelly Shots hardly take any more time than mixing one up on the rocks.
When it's time to serve, you can certainly get creative with cookie cutters and crazy shapes, but since this is such a classic cocktail, you can stick with an understated square garnished with slivers of orange and maraschino cherry. While the texture is pretty wild, the flavors of these Old Fashioned Jelly Shots are spot on, with sweet cherries and caramel-like bourbon and a hint of aromatic biters.
As always with our Drink the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Jelly Shot Test Kitchen to give away this month.
Adapted from Jelly Shot Test Kitchen by Michelle Palm. Copyright © 2011. Published by Running Press. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved.
Special equipment: 1-pound loaf pan (8" x 4"/20 x 10 cm)
serves 18 to 24 jelly shots, active time 20 minutes, total time 4 hours
To make the Bitters Syrup: Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until mixture boils, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
To make the jelly shots: Combine the soda water, bitters syrup, and cherry juice in a small saucepan and sprinkle with the gelatin. Allow the gelatin to soak for a minute or two. Heat over very low heat until gelatin is dissolved, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the whisky, stirring well to blend. Pour into pan and refrigerate until fully set, several hours or overnight.
Cut the orange and cherries into small slivers for garnish.
To serve, cut the set gelatin into desired shapes and garnish as desired.
[Photograph: Marleigh Riggins Miller ]
As always with our Drink the Book feature, we have five (5) copies of Food & Wine Cocktails 2011 to give away this month.
It's coming on summer, which is the time of year—at least for me—when tequila becomes ubiquitous. Phil Ward, bartender at New York's renowned Death & Co. and now the agave-focused Mayahuel, was tapped by Food & Wine to curate the tequila chapter in Food & Wine Cocktails 2011.
The focus of the program at Mayahuel, which opened in 2009, is entirely on tequila and mezcal, tequila's smoky cousin. The cocktails Ward selected for the book range from refreshing, citrusy classics like the Paloma and Margarita to contemporary originals that pair bitter Italian amari, vermouths, or sherries with fresh fruit and the spicy, smoky notes of tequila and mezcal.
The Dahlgren is a long, tall number with strong spicy notes underscored by the subtle richness of tawny port. A Ward original, he took his inspiration from the classic Diablo, a combination of tequila, lime, créme de cassis and ginger ale; Ward substitutes tawny port for the black currant liqueur and uses a spicy homemade ginger syrup instead of ginger ale. If you really love ginger, you can make this drink extra spicy by using the ginger syrup and your favorite ginger ale or a more robust ginger beer instead of club soda.
Shopping tips: I like the blanco tequilas made by Milagro or Corralejo for mixing; if you're looking for a blanco with a bit more oomph for stand-alone sipping as well, try Partida or the vintage, single-estate Tequila Ocho. For the port, Yalumba Antique Tawny and Graham's 10-Year are excellent products that are relatively easy to find. (Once open, keep port in the fridge; like vermouth, port is a fortified wine and can spoil if left out.)
About the author: Marleigh Riggins Miller writes and photographs for SLOSHED!, a website about cocktails, spirits, home bartending, and entertaining.
Special equipment: food processor, fine mesh sieve, cocktail shaker
serves 1, active time 10 minutes, total time 10 minutes
To make the Simple Ginger Syrup, coarsely chop the fresh ginger and puree in a food processor. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve; you should have about one ounce of ginger juice. Return the juice to the processor and add superfine sugar and process until well mixed. Strain the syrup into a jar, cover and refrigerate. Will keep about a week.
To make the cocktail, add the tequila, port, lime juice, 1/2 ounce ginger syrup and bitters to a shaker filled with ice.
Shake well and strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Add club soda to the glass and stir. Skewer the candied ginger pieces on a pick. Garnish the drink with the ginger and lime wheel and serve.
[Photograph: Marleigh Riggins Miller ]
We have five (5) copies of Food & Wine Cocktails 2011 to give away this month.
For the whiskey chapter in Food & Wine Cocktails 2011 the editors made a very wise choice in John Coltharp, who ran the program at Seven Grand, the whiskey-focused bar in downtown Los Angeles. I've known John for a number of years and he is one of the most knowledgeable whiskey drinkers I've ever encountered, as well as a top-notch bartender. He truly loves whiskey in all its iterations—bourbon, rye, Irish, Scotch, Canadian, blended, single malt, unaged; that love and his storehouse of spirits information show through in the drinks he selected (many of which he created) for the chapter. It reads very much like a who's-who of the whiskies of the world.
The drinks range from spicy-rich cocktails featuring Angostura bitters, Chartreuse or ginger beer to lighter, fruity concoctions featuring fresh citrus and mint. The Descanso Beach Smash is one of the latter, spiked with the spicy flavor of rye and bitter Aperol. Created by Coltharp while he was vacationing near Catalina Island, it has the lightness you want in a drink by the pool but without the cloying sweetness so often associated with "vacation" cocktails. As a bonus, it only requires two liqueurs to make. The remaining ingredients are fresh citrus and simple syrup, quickly and easily made at home with ingredients from the pantry.
Overall, this smash is a lovely, light and delicious drink for summer drinking. Almost any rye on the market will make a great drink. Start with Russell's Reserve 6-year Rye, Bulleit 95% Rye, Rittenhouse or Redemption; if those brands are unavailable the more common Old Overholt, Jim Beam Rye or Wild Turkey Rye will all work. There isn't a substitute for Aperol, but if you can't find it Campari will do in a pinch—you may need to adjust the sweetness some, since Campari is a bit more aggressively bitter.
About the author: Marleigh Riggins Miller writes and photographs for SLOSHED!, a website about cocktails, spirits, home bartending, and entertaining.
Special equipment: muddler and cocktail shaker
serves 1, active time 5 minutes, total time 5 minutes
Add the lemon slices and mint leaves to your shaker and muddle well.
Add ice and all remaining ingredients (except the garnish). Shake well.
Strain into a double old fashioned or wine glass filled with ice. Garnish with the orange wedges on a pick and the mint sprig. Serve.
[Photograph: Marleigh Riggins Miller ]
We have five (5) copies of Food & Wine Cocktails 2011 to give away this month.
The rum chapter of Food & Wine Cocktails 2011 is curated by a big name from New York, bartender Richard Boccato of Dutch Kills and Painkiller. He spends a lot of time in the Caribbean—which is where his love of rum was fostered—and the selection of drinks in the book shows off the breadth of rum's versatility.
Boccato's list of cocktails ranges from fruity-spicy, tiki-inspired concoctions like the Wildflower and Cradle of Life to more elegant, Prohibition-style drinks like the Hotel Nacional or Air Mail, and into the modern with cocktails like Don Gorgon and Stay Up Later, sporting mezcal and caçhaca bases. Rum and its cousin caçhaca are an increasingly popular spirits category, largely because of versatility and a reasonably low price point. The same base material—sugar—can be used to produce light, aromatic and easy-to-mix light rums; funky, robust, grassy agricoles; or rich, dark rums inflected with flavors of vanilla, molasses and toffee.
The Louanalao uses a tiki-style formula, incorporating white rum, bitter Campari, and allspice dram with the flavors of sweet strawberry and tart lime. The result is a bright pink, sweet-tart harbinger of spring that is far from the usual flavor profile of a fruit-infused rum cocktail. It's a pleasant surprise, brightening up the expected sweetness with Campari in a cocktail that is crisp and refreshing.
You'll want to use a fairly neutral light rum, such as Old New Orleans Crystal, and you can mix things up a bit by subbing Aperol for Campari. Allspice dram, also known as pimento dram, is a spicy liqueur from Jamaica that is commonly used in vintage tiki cocktails as a spice element. Commercially, you can pick up a bottle of the excellent St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram; if you have some free time, you can also make your own allspice dram quite easily. Any way you go about it, the resulting cocktail mixes spicy, sour and sweet for a refreshing springtime sipper.
About the author: Marleigh Riggins Miller writes and photographs for SLOSHED!, a website about cocktails, spirits, home bartending, and entertaining.
serves 1, active time 5 minutes, total time 5 minutes
Place the quartered strawberry in a shaker and muddle well.
Add the remaining ingredients (except garnish) and fill with ice. Shake.
Double strain (through a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer) into an ice-filled double old-fashioned glass.
Garnish with the orange wheel and strawberry and serve.
[Photograph: Marleigh Riggins Miller ]
We have five (5) copies of Food & Wine Cocktails 2011 to give away this month.
I have long been wary—if not actively suspicious—of anything purported to be a cocktail that does not contain alcohol. That wariness is the result of a voice in the back of my head, my inner adolescent food critic, who sees a mocktail remembers the sickeningly sweet rum-less "Piña Colada" and electric red virgin "Mai Tai" drinks that routinely appeared at the table when I was sixteen and my family was out for dinner.
If all mocktails tasted as good as the Black Tea Sour, I'm certain that more people would take the non-alcoholic route. If you're on a drinking hiatus, giving the ol' liver a rest, the chapter on Mocktails in the new Food & Wine Cocktails 2011 will be a welcome sight.
In this clever variation on the classic liquor-based sour, bartender Thad Vogler substitutes the assertive flavor of black tea for alcohol. The tannic qualities of the tea provide many of the same qualities as booze and give the drink a delicious backbone which stands up against tart lemon and sweet grenadine, and the frothy egg white gives the drink a velvety texture.
One of the great features of this drink is that it can be made entirely from scratch—the grenadine and simple syrup are both easily and inexpensively made at home (from recipes included in the book), and the remaining ingredients are in nearly everyone's pantry. Many black teas would be delicious here; I used Earl Grey, but orange pekoe or any other flavorful black tea blend would be lovely. Especially fruity, spicy, or artificially flavored teas won't work as well here, as too many additional flavors will overwhelm the balance.
About the author: Marleigh Riggins Miller writes and photographs for SLOSHED!, a website about cocktails, spirits, home bartending, and entertaining.
Special equipment: cocktail shaker
serves 1, active time 5 minutes, total time 5 minutes
Combine all ingredients in a shaker (without ice), close and shake well.
Add ice to the shaker, close and shake again.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and serve.