Month: April 2021

10 Classic Cocktails Home Mixologists Should Get to Know Better
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10 Classic Cocktails Home Mixologists Should Get to Know Better

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There’s the cocktail and there’s the classic cocktail. They’re called classics for a reason – the quality of a well-balanced cocktail transcends time. Bartenders over time have riffed off these cocktails and created hundreds of variations. These ten classic cocktails have been swirling around in glasses for more than a century, some more than that and if you’re a home mixologist, you should get to know them better.

The Martini –  King of the Cocktail

At well over 100 years old, the martini is the most iconic cocktail in the world. This is in part thanks to James Bond and his vesper martini. Of course, we all know that the vesper was made up by Ian Flemming, author of Casino Royale but it sounded cool, right? Then, it became a thing and everybody wanted one. This isn’t the vesper. But it is a recipe for the perfect martini. Perfect meaning this martini includes equal parts sweet and dry vermouth. 

There have been so many variations and translations of the martini, we’ve lost count. That includes the endless array of “martinis” inspired by the world famous classic; you know, those fruity, creamy, and chocolaty ones. But, there is still the true martini and then there is the martini that best suits you.

Martini

Try this classic version then, play with it to find your own best true martini:

  • 2 ounces gin
  • 1/2 ounce dry vermouth
  • 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
  • lemon twist (or olives), garnish
  1. In a mixing glass filled with ice cubes, combine gin and both vermouths.
  2. Stir for 30 seconds.
  3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
  4. Garnish with olives or a lemon twist

Whiskey Sour 

The oldest historical reference to the whiskey sour was mentioned in the 1862 book The Bartender’s Guide: How to Mix Drinks by famed bartender, Jerry Thomas. Long before that though,  British sailors drank a similar concoction on the high seas to help prevent scurvy, and as a replacement for water which, in general, sucked.  It’s safe to say that the risk of scurvy today is slim to none but, this precursor to the sour cocktail, depended heavily on citrus. 

The foundational elements – spirit, sweet and sour – became the Whiskey Sour. Some people get a little weirded out by the addition of egg white which by the way, is not a part of the original recipe but, give it a chance.  The egg white while tasteless, adds a silky, luxurious mouthfeel to the drink.  Here’s the classic version of the Whiskey Sour.

Whiskey Sour
  • 2 oz bourbon whiskey
  • 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3/4 oz simple syrup
  • 1 egg white from a small to medium egg
  • maraschino cherry
  • ice
  1. Place the bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white in a cocktail shaker. Do not add ice yet.
  2. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds. (This is referred to as a “dry shake.” It’s good for incorporating the egg white before adding ice to the shaker.)
  3. Add ice, seal again, and shake for 7 to 10 seconds more to chill.
  4. Fit a Hawthorne strainer over the top of the shaker and pour the cocktail through a fine-mesh strainer into a coupe glass. This “double strain” catches any ice shards or pulp from the fresh-squeezed lemon juice.

The Negroni

Famed British bartender, Gary Regan’s book, *The Negroni: Drinking to La Dolce Vita, traces the Negroni back to Florence, Italy in 1919. According to the most  reliable source available, the cocktail was created for Count Camillo Negroni who had developed a taste for its predecessor while working—true story—as a rodeo clown in the American Wild West. The Negroni, obviously named after the Count, is actually a riff on the cocktail classic – the Americano – just a little stiffer. 

Negroni
  • 1 oz (1 part) Campari, 
  • 1 oz (1 part) gin, 
  • 1 oz (1 part) sweet red vermouth

Stir into glass over ice, garnish with orange peel and serve.

Margarita

Some say the cocktail was invented in 1948 in Acapulco, Mexico, when a Dallas socialite combined blanco tequila with Cointreau and lime juice for her guests. Others say that the Margarita, which translates to daisy flower in Spanish, was an inevitable twist on the Daisy, a cocktail template involving spirit, citrus, orange liqueur and soda. 

Margarita
  • 2 oz white tequila
  • 1/2 oz orange liqueur
  • 1 oz, freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1/2 oz agave syrup
  • kosher salt (optional)
  • lime wheel
  1. Add tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice and agave syrup to a cocktail shaker filled with ice, and shake until well-chilled.
  2. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
  3. Garnish with a lime wheel and rim glass with kosher salt (optional).

Tom Collins

A drink known as a John Collins has existed since the 1860s and is believed to have originated with a head waiter said to have been the drink’s namesake. He worked at a popular London hotel and coffee house. He didn’t actually invent the drink. The actual inventor was Stephen Price, an American who ran the Garrick Club, also in London. Price was foul-mouthed and an all around awful person. Collins was all personality. Moral of the story: don’t be a schmuck.  The specific call for Old Tom gin in the 1869 recipe is the likely cause for the subsequent name change to “Tom Collins” in Jerry Thomas’s 1876 recipe. The rest is well…history.

Tom Collins
  • 2 oz Hayman’s Old Tom Gin or Ransom Old Tom Gin, or gin of your choice
  • 1 oz fresh lime juice
  • .¾  oz simple syrup
  • soda water
  • lime wedge
  1. Add all the ingredients to a large, tall glass full of ice.
  2. Stir and top off with chilled soda water.
  3. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Whiskey Smash

It’s hard to think of a drink more refreshing than the Whiskey Smash, a fruity 19th-century cousin to the Mint Julep.  A smash is a julep, but a julep is not always a smash. The Whiskey Smash made its recipe-book debut in the 1887 edition of “The Bartenders Guide” by Jerry Thomas, though variations of this fruit-and-whiskey concoction were likely made for decades prior to this inclusion.

The smash is an open-ended cocktail, variable and seasonally flexible. There must be ice, though you can strain it out if you prefer. Try this Vodka Berry Smash. It isn’t whiskey but it is a smash! You can include your choice of fruit in season, simply add it as a garnish. 

Whiskey Smash
  • 3 lemon wedges
  • 2 oz bourbon
  • 3/4 oz simple syrup
  • 4 mint leaves
  • a mint sprig
  1. Muddle the lemon wedges in a shaker.
  2. Add bourbon, simple syrup, mint leaves and ice, and shake until well-chilled.
  3. Double-strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
  4. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Boulevardier

Loosely translated, a boulevardier is a man-about-town or in today’s vernacular, a dude that runs the streets. The creation of the Boulevardier, the drink, is credited to Erskine Gwynne, an American-born writer who founded a monthly magazine in Paris called Boulevardier, which was in publication from 1927 to 1932.  The drink included whiskey, sweet vermouth and Campari and is simply a variation on the classic Negroni. The difference however, between the two is anything but simple. While the gin-based Negroni is crisp and bracing, the whiskey-based Boulevardier is rich and warming.

Boulevardier
  • 1 1/4 oz bourbon (or rye)
  • 1 oz Campari
  • 1 oz sweet vermouth
  • orange twist
  1. Add bourbon, Campari and sweet vermouth into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled.
  2. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
  3. Garnish with an orange twist.

Manhattan

The Manhattan has been loved for hundreds of years because of its subtle bitterness and herbal undertones. Rye whiskey, however, is the more traditional spirit and it imparts its distinct spice and savory taste to this classic. As with many classic cocktails, the exact origin story of the Manhattan cocktail is as obscure as the other drinks on this list.. The most popular theory is that the recipe was invented by Dr. Iain Marshall in the early 1880’s for a party by Lady Randolph Churchill, the mother of Winston Churchill. And of course, there are numerous variations,

Manhattan
  • 2 oz bourbon or rye
  • 1 oz sweet vermouth
  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 1 dash orange bitters
  • maraschino cherry
  1. Add all the bourbon (or rye), sweet vermouth and both bitters to a mixing glass with ice, and stir until well-chilled.
  2. Strain into a chilled coupe.
  3. Garnish with a brandied cherry

Daiquiri

The Daiquiri was supposedly invented by an American mining engineer named Jennings Cox, who was in Cuba during the Spanish–American War. Another possibility is that William A. Chanler, a US congressman who purchased the Santiago iron mines in 1902, introduced the Daiquiri to clubs in New York. But, in 1795 the grog British sailors drank as a means of preventing scurvy while serving in the Royal Navy contained rum, water, ¾ ounce of lemon or lime juice, and 2 ounces of sugar: the basic recipe for a Daiquiri.

Daiquiri
  • 1 1/2 oz light rum
  • 3/4 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1/2 to 3/4 oz simple syrup, to taste
  1. Add the rum, lime juice and demerara sugar syrup to a shaker with ice, and shake until well-chilled.
  2. Strain into a chilled coupe.
  3. Garnish with a lime twist.

Mojito

As with so many classic cocktails, the Mojito has its share of contradictory origin stories.  From Sir Francis Drake’s scurvy crew suffering from dysentery being healed with a medicinal mixture of the juices from sugar cane, limes and mint leaves to African slaves being the creators. Even though it didn’t carry its modern nomenclature, the Mojito’s been around for hundreds of years, and your best friend’s cousin thought she was Instagramming something new!  Get a little curious and try some of the many variations like the Independence Day Mojito from The Spruce Eats.  Here is the classic Mojito recipe that anyone can add to their cocktail repertoire.

Mojito
  •  4 mint leaves
  • 1 tsp powdered sugar
  • 2 oz white rum
  • 2 oz club soda
  • 1 lime (for juicing)
  • 1 sprig of mint (for garnishing)
  • crushed ice
  1. Put the mint leaves into a Collins glass and squeeze the lime juice over them.
  2. Add the powdered sugar and then muddle the mint, lime juice, and sugar together.
  3. Add crushed ice.
  4. Stir in the rum and top off with the club soda.
  5. Garnish with a mint sprig.

This is by no means the all-inclusive list of the classics.  Pimm’s Cup, French 75, the Cosmopolitan are also included with about 60 other cocktails considered classics according to most bartenders and are worthy of a look, your favorite cocktail on the list?  As always be responsible and help those sharing adult beverages with you, drink responsibly and sip slow.

The Best Pita Bread and Garlic Sauce (Toum) Recipes
Recipes

The Best Pita Bread and Garlic Sauce (Toum) Recipes

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Living in Michigan, freshly made pita bread and garlic sauce is usually as close as a quarter mile away wherever you are at any given time. We have a large population of residents of Middle Eastern descent and there’s a good number of restaurants that serve delectable Middle Eastern cuisine. My favorite, garlic sauce and pita bread. It’s a beautiful thing. 

I love, love, love pita bread and garlic sauce!  It occurred to me the hard way to not love it so much at lunch time when you have to return to the office and/or lead a meeting. But occasionally, I’ll throw caution to the wind – and it’s always worth it. If you’ve never had it, garlic sauce as you might guess, can be quite pungent and the aroma has a tendency to want to hang around.  I mean it is garlic, after all.

If you love it as much as I do, it’s hard to resist slathering warm pita with a shmear of thick, creamy, garlic sauce. If you’re not careful, it is very easy to down one after another and another and get too full to have an entree’.

It’s Tricky

And, if you love it like that, finding the best recipe to make it when you want it is the next logical step. I learned that while it only uses four simple ingredients, making garlic sauce can be a little tricky to master.  I’ve made it a few times. The first time, it was an unmitigated, oily mess.  It didn’t occur to me that I could have just held on to that epic failure to add it in other dishes to great success.  Instead, I trashed that disappointment without a second thought.

I had a little more success the second time around but, not by much. But I learned since my second attempt though, that adding a little cooked, mashed potato into the sauce to thicken it up some can offer up a bit of redemption.  Makes sense I guess, but that bit of intel was about a year and a half too late. Also, while the taste of boiled potato is pretty neutral, it still seems to me that it would alter the flavor of the sauce.

Sometimes It Takes a Little Practice (For Me)

The third time was the charm, I nailed it!  No yogurt or boiled potatoes necessary.  All I needed to do was slow down. Who knew?  Well, apparently everyone that successfully makes garlic sauce knew. If the emulsion doesn’t come together or breaks, you’re not going to have a successful sauce.  Garlic sauce will not be rushed.

I would also recommend that if you dream of the creamy, snow white garlic sauce that’s served in restaurants, don’t use grapeseed oil.  I did that so you don’t have to. Grapeseed oil has a green tint. While that’s ok and the sauce turned out fine; it was still delicious, I was forced by the perfectionist in me to make it again just to get the lily white result I expected. This time I used canola oil. Grapeseed oil will still yield a tasty sauce but, it was the aesthetics that drove me nuts.

Most of the recipes you’ll find on the internet have the four basic ingredients that make an outstanding sauce: salt, oil, lemon and garlic.  Fresh garlic. But it was the one ingredient that was never listed on any recipe that eluded me, and it was patience.  Hardly anyone tells you about that fifth ingredient but, Yumna at Feel Good Foodie does and this is where we found this delicious toum recipe.

Take it Slow

Rushing through the process could result in a disastrous, soupy sauce. Then you’ll have to try to remediate it with boiled potatoes or yogurt.  Nobody wants that. Adding the oil very s-l-o-w-l-y and alternating with the lemon juice is the key. The lemon juice helps to combine and emulsify the sauce and prevents the oil from overpowering the garlic. 

Greek yogurt is helpful to thicken it up a bit if needed and will tamp down the sharp taste of garlic if it’s too strong for your taste. You can also soak your garlic cloves in cold water for about 45 minutes to help cut the sharpness.  The flavor of the garlic sauce will also mellow out after a day or so in the refrigerator.

Pita bread

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It’s hard to resist warm pita bread straight from the oven.  Just like garlic sauce, pita has very few ingredients but, it is sooo freakin’ good! Watching it puff up in the oven creating pockets perfect for hummus, garlic sauce, shawarma or tabouli is like magic. 

I find that of all the bread recipes I’ve made over the years, this is one of the easiest. Usually the recipes I make call for active dry yeast. This recipe calls for instant yeast but you can use active dry yeast if that’s what you have on hand. You  will have to proof it before adding it to the recipe.  The upside is there is no kneading this dough. And, you don’t need a mixer.

This is Not Your Run of the Mill Grocery Store Pita

Another upside is that you probably already have all the ingredients on hand and it’s so easy that making a few pita loaves is pretty much a slam dunk. 

If you have a pizza stone or steel, that’s great.  You can cook the loaves directly on the stone or steel. If you don’t have either of these, no worries.  You can cook the bread in a cast iron skillet in the oven.

I’ve made this bread recipe a couple times after trying a different recipe.  I prefer this recipe.  My pita remained a little light in color, even when I flipped them to get a little color but, it was still delicious.

It does not make a pita loaf that you’d find in the grocery store.  I hesitate to disparage grocery store pita because it is exactly the same as the pita you find in the Coney Islands here in Michigan. They taste ok but not like homemade.

Cook It Now, or Later

If you’re planning to cook it later, you can store the mixed dough in the refrigerator. After letting it rise for about 1-½ hour, punch it down, cover with cling wrap and sit it in the refrigerator overnight. You can also portion out the dough into balls and keep it in the refrigerator for a day as well, just seal it so it doesn’t form a crust.

How long does it last?  About 3 days in a tightly sealed container.  You can also freeze the pita loaves for up to three months. The pita bread recipe is adapted from Alexandra’s Kitchen and was the best and easiest one I’ve found.

Both the garlic sauce and pita bread are a great treat that’s easy to make for a few or for a crowd and is a perfect anytime snack.

Garlic Sauce (Toum)

Print Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 2 cups

Equipment

  • mini food processor

Ingredients
  

Garlic Sauce

  • 1/2 cup peeled garlic cloves, sliced length-wise with germ removed
  • 1-½ cup Canola, safflower or any neutral oil
  • ¼ cup Lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt

Instructions
 

Garlic Sauce

  • Slice each garlic clove length-wise and remove the green germ in the center of the clove, if visible.
  • Add sliced garlic and salt to food processor and blend until finely minced, for a about a minute, scrapping down the sides of the bowl.
  • With food processor running, slowly pour one to two tablespoons of oil, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl occasionally. Pour one or two more tablespoons of oil and process until sauce becomes emulsified.
  • Continuing with food processor running, add one teaspoon of lemon juice. Continue adding oil and lemon juice by the tablespoon and teaspoon respectively, alternating between the two until all of the oil and juice have been added. This process should take about 20 minutes.
  • Transfer sauce to a glass container with a tight seal and refrigerate. Sauce should last up to three months.
Keyword creamy, garlic, sauce, toum

Pita Bread

Print Recipe
Prep Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 6 loaves

Equipment

  • pizza stone or baking steel (optional) or cast iron skillet

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups All-purpose flour (plus more for sprinkling)
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • ¾ cup Warm water (110-115°F)
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil (plus 1 tsp)

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt and instant yeast.
  • Add water and one tablespoon of olive oil. Stir until combined and dough begins to form.
  • Knead dough just until flour is absorbed and form into a ball.
  • Drizzle extra olive oil over top of dough ball. Turn over making sure entire ball is coated with oil. Cover with kitchen towel or cling wrap. Move to a warm place and let rise for 1.5 hours.
  • After dough has risen to about double it's original size, turn out on lightly floured surface and knead into a ball.
  • Preheat oven to 550° F. Heat pizza stone or baking steel according to manufacturer's directions. If you're using a cast iron skillet, heat skillet for at least 5 minutes before baking.
  • Divide ball into six equal pieces. Roll each portion into a ball, using flour to prevent sticking. Let balls rest for 30 minutes.
  • Flatten a ball and using a rolling pin, gently roll out until it becomes a 6-inch round. Repeat with remaining dough balls.
  • Let rounds rest for about 15 minutes.
  • Using a pizza peel or spatula, slide flattened dough rounds onto pizza stone, baking stone or skillet. If using a skillet you'll bake one pita at a time. If using a pizza stone or steel, you can cook 2-3 rounds at a time.
  • Bake for2 minutes or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining dough rounds.
  • Pita can be stored in an airtight container for about 3 days.
Keyword bread, pita, yeast bread

5 Basic Bar Tools to Elevate Your Cocktail Game
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5 Basic Bar Tools to Elevate Your Cocktail Game

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Having the right tools for the job, whatever that job is just makes life easier. Whether you’re building a treehouse or a whiskey sour, the right tool to get it done successfully cuts down prep time and likely some frustration.  It also gives you more time to spend being more creative in your project and it doesn’t matter if you are working with wood or whiskey. These 5 basic bar tools can’t keep a treehouse from collapsing but, are sure to elevate your home cocktail game and make you look like a cocktail mixing ninja.

Cocktail shakers

Sure, you can shake a cocktail in a jelly jar.  But! But, there are some differences between mixing your drink in a Smuckers jar (no offence to Smuckers, they make great strawberry jam) and a proper cocktail shaker.  The cocktail shaker is a tin container that while mixing ingredients, also helps to quickly cool down the liquid and keep it cold.

When you’re mixing ingredients such as milk and cream for a thick, creamy drink or egg whites for the perfect sour, the shaker will give you the best results by aerating the milk or egg whites making a frothy drink more silky and improving the aesthetics (remember, your eyes drink first) and finesses the mouthfeel of the drink.

Cobbler Shaker

Which one to buy?  There are a couple standard shakers, the Cobbler  (which is what I use) and the Boston.  There are some differences.  Which one is best? It’s a personal preference. They both get the job done efficiently.

The Cobbler

The cobbler is a three-piece outfit: the tin shaker cup, built in strainer top and cap. This shaker is a multi-function tool that shakes to mix ingredients and strains the cocktail, and the cap that covers the strainer can also serve as a jigger measure.  This shaker eliminates the need for a strainer in most cases.

The Boston Shaker
Boston shaker

The Boston is a two-piece set that comes with the shaker tin and a pint sized glass or tin cup that is fits inside the shaker tin perfectly to form a tight seal. Once the drink is shaken to perfection, the tin gets a good smack of the palm near the bottom to release the seal.  You do need a hawthorne or julep strainer with this shaker to strain ice, and other ingredients that don’t belong in your finished drink.

 The  Double Jigger

Double jigger

Everybody loves the free pour.  You go to the bar and order your favorite drink and hope that the bartender gets a little heavy handed with their pour. Thing is however, unless you are a drink mixing ninja, and there may be a few, freestyling increases the chances of knocking off the balance of the drink. So the jigger is the humble bar tool that ensures all of the ingredients in a drink are measured correctly to make a perfectly balanced cocktail.

There are several styles but, according to Liquor.com, the conical double jigger is faster and more comfortable than the sexier (IMO), curved double jigger. Odds are you don’t have a need for speed if you’re standing at your home bar in your gym shorts mixing up a drink.  So, this is again, a matter of personal style and preference.

Hawthorn strainer

Strainer

Hawthorne or Julep? They are both functional items in your basic tool box that helps to deliver the perfect cocktail.  If you have limited space, limited funds or both and have to choose, the hawthorne strainer is more practical.  They both serve the same function however, the coil on the hawthorne extends it’s flexibility by being adaptable to different sized glasses.  Also, the julep strainer (no kin to the mint julep), has a smaller surface and if you’re using a boston shaker, it does not fit.

Muddler

Wooden muddler with teeth

Mojito anyone?  How about a mint julep?  The muddler is another necessary tool for your bar, something’s got to crush all of those ingredients that impart the unique flavors and aromas in the drinks you’ll be mixing up.

Muddlers can come with teeth or a smooth flat surface.  Some bartenders prefer not to “chew” their ingredients but rather gently smash them, coaxing the essential oils out of leaves and other ingredients.  Sugar cubes are one thing.  But herbs like mint or basil leaves are more delicate and really getting in there and smashing the heck out of some of these leaves and spices can release more than you bargained for.  Over-muddling can release some pretty bitter elements of the herb(s) you’re adding to your drink.  A couple of moderately firm twists of the wrist might be just the amount you need to unlock those flavors.

There are a few more options for you to consider: wood, plastic or metal?  Some bartenders swear by the wood muddler but it needs to be hand washed. washing in the dishwasher risks warping the wood. There are metal muddlers with a hard plastic base that can be put in the dishwasher. Then, there’s the hard plastic one-piece muddler.  It’s recommended that the non-toothy muddler will better release the oils from the ingredients without smashing the heck out of them. 

Mixing Glass

Mixing Glass with double jigger

“Shaken, not stirred” is the phrase synonymous  with the icon, James Bond.  While he may like his martini shaken, most people that enjoy a well poured, well balanced martini will appreciate it more if it is stirred. And then, even that depends on what the cocktail is composed of, especially martinis.  The simple rule is: if it has juice, puree, or sugar, it should be shaken. If it is a classic martini or other drink like an old fashioned or a Negroni or Boulevardier, these benefit much better by stirring.  Stirring these cocktails maintains the integrity of the liquor’s viscosity and allows more control over dilution. Stirring these drinks keeps them clear and sleek and not frothy.

Typically a good mixing glass is a clear glass with a heavy base and straight sides.  There are other styles of course, but this is my choice.  One that is not recommended so much is the footed mixing glass.  Sure, it’s fancy but not as practical as you might like and more prone to breaking.

These are the five most useful bar tools when beginning to set up your home bar.  There are many more tools, but unless you’re really into learning how to mix and shake up a whole encyclopedia of cocktails, these tools will get you through the basics.  But, there is one more thing you need and I’m including it as the bonus and that is the bar spoon.

Bonus – Bar Spoon

Bar spoon

Some cocktail recipes use the bar spoon as a measure.  The bar spoon’s functionality definitely exceeds one of a regular teaspoon.  It is long enough to get that good stir in in your cocktail shaker and mixing glass.  And, if your recipe include “2 bar spoons of …:”, I’m not sure what that measures up to but it is obviously a legitimate measure for some drinks.

The bar spoon is also used to help pour layered drinks.  And while not essential, you could use a regular teaspoon for that, I find that I have better luck with  the bar spoon when layering drinks.  

But Wait, There’s More!

Once the five basic bar tools have found a place in your home bar, start thinking about additional tools that can make your home bar even more functional and the envy of your friends.  Some other items to help amp things up:

The Lewis Bag

This bag is the perfect tool for crushing ice.  Of course, you’ll need a mallet to crush the ice and take out your frustrations.

Citrus juicer

Because a good citrus-based cocktail should always be made with fresh juice.

Microplane zester

A very handy tool for citrus garnishes.

Garnish Tongs and Tweezers

More a luxury than a must-have.  No tongs or tweezers?  Use your fingers, they do the same thing!

Paring knife

Necessary for citrus wheels and other garnishes.

Atomizer

Think of the Sazerac.  Sometimes a sprintz of absinthe is preferable over a wash.

Bitters bottles

Purely esthetic.  Absolutely nothing essential about these bottles, but they sure are pretty.

So, there you have it!  Go forth and mix, shake, stir and roll.  This is by far not the ultimate list of bar tools. These are the tools I suggest to start building your home bar. Most of the items listed are reasonably priced. I’d recommend taking a look at Cocktail Kingdom for a wide selection of bar tools. I am not being paid to promote Cocktail Kingdom, by the way, but they have some really cool stuff.

As always, drink responsibly and ensure your guests drink responsibly as well and if they go a little overboard, steal their keys and pull out the air mattress.

A Refreshing and Healthy Shaved Spring Salad
Frugal Foodie Friday

A Refreshing and Healthy Shaved Spring Salad

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Here is a tasty, refreshing and incredibly healthy spring salad arriving just in time to put winter in the rearview mirror. This salad is so delicious and it started as a project to “clean” the refrigerator. We used up the vegetables nearing the end of their freshness so we didn’t have to throw them away. The salad is a nice balance of vegetables and fruits so none takes over the bowl and becomes overbearing. This shaved spring salad is a perfect beginning course or side dish. I added chicken and bacon to turn it into an entrée’. And, it has just enough natural sweetness that you might even get the kids to eat it, too.

Jam Packed with Nutrients

Not only is this salad budget-friendly – it rescues veggies at risk of going past their “best life date”. It’s also simple, versatile, full of nutrients and bursting with flavor. Brussels sprouts are packed with fiber and vitamin K – 137% RDI and 81% of vitamin C and are low in calories. If you read my pork loin post you’ll know my relationship with the little cabbagey thingies have been renewed. Not very long ago, I would just as soon eat road tar than a brussels sprout. I love like them in this salad. Radishes contain coenzyme Q10 – a compound that helps protect against insulin resistance. Zucchini has 40% RDI of vitamin A and 10% magnesium. Strawberries is an excellent source of vitamin C and has a respectable amount of fiber per serving. The list of health benefits for this salad goes on and on.

It’s Not Complicated

Other than bacon which is not more than a garnish, there are NO artificial or processed ingredients taking up space in this healthy spring salad. The vegetables and fruits are sliced and shaved very thinly so their weight does not cause them to plummet to the bottom of the bowl. The slices are thin enough so that they all play well together. The vegetables can be cut on a mandolin or with a vegetable peeler to achieve the paper-thin slices. 

A word of caution for those of you that never used a mandolin: finger tips don’t grow back. Be careful and use the vegetable grip that came with your mandolin or another safety device as a barrier between the mandolin blade and your digits.

Shaved and thinly sliced fruits and veggies

The Dressing is Healthy, Too

The dressing is a simple pomegranate olive oil dressing.  Pomegranate is a fall season fruit and is almost impossible to find right now. So, I had some pomegranate juice handy and mixed it with a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and a pinch of garlic powder, it adds a bit of complexity and is the perfect topping for this salad.

Many dishes that begin with tossing together random ingredients can oftentimes end up becoming a favorite. This is my new favorite salad and will no doubt see the dinner table many times during the spring and summer.

Healthy Shaved Spring Salad

This vitamin-packed spring salad is perfect as an entree'
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American

Equipment

  • Vegetable peeler or mandolin, paring knife

Ingredients
  

  • 1 head Romaine lettuce
  • ½ bag Baby arugula
  • 1 bunch Baby spinach
  • 1 bunch Curly parsley
  • 1 cup Zucchini, shaved thin
  • ½ cup Red radish or daikon, shaved thin
  • 1 cup Brussels sprouts, shaved thin
  • ¼ cup Shiitake mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 cup Strawberries, sliced thin
  • 1 cup Mango, cubed

Meats

  • 1 lb Chicken breast, cubed
  • 5-6 slices Bacon

Salad Dressing

  • ¼ cup Good olive oil
  • ½ cup Pomegranate juice
  • 1 tsp Black pepper
  • ½ tsp Crushed garlic
  • Salt to taste

Instructions
 

Meats

  • Cut chicken breast into small cubes and season.
  • Heat pan on medium high, add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add seasoned chicken and sear 5 -6 minutes or until lightly browned.
  • Fry bacon and drain oil on paper towels
  • Set meats aside.

Spring Salad Greens and Vegetables

  • Wash and dry salad greens. Tear romaine into bite-sized pieces.
  • With a mandolin or Y-shaped vegetable peeler, shave zucchini, brussels sprouts, and radishes.
  • Wash, hull and slice strawberries, shiitake mushrooms and mango very thin.
  • Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with pomegranate dressing and toss.

Pomegranate Dressing

  • Combine all ingredients and shake vigorously to mix.
Keyword salad, shaved salad, spring salad, spring vegetables, vegetables

Dirty Horchata
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Dirty Horchata

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I’ve been wanting to make you a dirty horchata for a long time. I figured it was about time to get around to it because it looked sooo yummy. When I read about the dirty horchata a few years ago, making horchata just seemed like so much work, I just preferred to have someone else do the heavy lifting.  You’re soaking the rice and cinnamon, and blending and straining, aye-yie-yie! I’ve had “clean” horchata from time to time but only when someone else fixed it. When it’s good, it’s really good, the last time I had it though, I got it from a food truck. It was so sweet I couldn’t even drink it. 

Making horchata is really not as difficult as I built it up to be, however. So now, instead of being a drama queen about it and going all the way across town for one, now I make it myself. The upside of making your own horchata is that it is so versatile and YOU get to have total control over how it’s going to taste. You can add as much or as little sugar or any of the other ingredients that works for your taste. And, the ingredients are so basic; rice, sugar, cinnamon, and not to mention, water, there’s no doubt you already have them. That jar of cinnamon that’s about to celebrate an anniversary in your cupboard, you now have something to use it in. You’re welcome!

How Dirty Can it Get?

It only makes sense that the natural elevation of horchata was to booze it up, right? I made my dirty horchata really dirty. Based on my experimentation, it can get pretty dirty still and not lose it’s distinctive horchata flavor. It’s standard practice to use rum in a dirty horchata. I like bourbon so that’s what I used. I also added a shot of Bailey’s Irish Cream. For kicks and giggles I stirred in a dollop of whipped (dalgona) coffee instead of espresso and a little whipped cream. Whipping up the coffee and cream was a low bar and an easy addition and it added body to the drink. And I’ll tell you what, it was pretty boozy but it was also lip smacking good. The next time I mix one up though, I will use a little less bourbon and a little more whipped cream.

Still, the result was a great tasting, albeit strong drink with the consistency similar to a shake. Another adjustment I’ll make net time is to add crushed ice and frozen whipping cream to make an actual shake. Yum!

Because making horchata is so easy, I have no objection at all to making a pitcher of it occasionally. If you plan to give it a try just keep in mind that your horchata mixture will need to soak overnight. If you’re planning to serve it to a crowd, it does take a tiny bit of preplanning otherwise, it’s a snap.

Iced Dirty Horchata Coffee with Espresso

Horchata’s Many Variations

If you’re not the biggest rice milk fan, never fear. There are so many variations of this drink. Of all the horchata variations I’ve read about, so far I’ll be sticking with the rice based horchata for now. It can also be made with almonds and almond milk, coconut milk or tiger nut milk .Horchata has a centuries long history. As I researched horchata the modern form seems to have originated in Spain. The drink also sometimes called horchata de chufas[7] or, in West African countries such as Nigeria and Mali, kunnu aya is the original form of horchata.

Tiger Nuts

It is said that it may have originated at least around the 13th century and is part of a family of plant-based beverages. In West Africa, it’s also made with tiger nut milk and is known as kunnu aya. I’ll be trying the tiger nut version since they can be ordered online. I love the rice milk version, but I am curious to try the tiger nut version, too.

Have it Your Way

The endless variations makes horchata such an awesome drink base, both alcoholic or non-alcoholic. Make it vegan by replacing whole milk with almond milk.  Make it a little skinnier by replacing the granulated sugar with maple syrup or even stevia or monk fruit.  

The horchata recipe I use as my base for the cocktail is a version adapted from Charbel of My Latina Table, minus the almonds. Unlike many horchata recipes I’ve found that were in my opinion, unnecessarily complicated, hers is simple, yet very delicious. I’ve been making horchata quite a bit lately because it’s so refreshing. It’s also a nice change from carbonated drinks.

Leave a comment to let me know if you tried it and if you experimented with any variations.

Dirty Horchata

Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 hours
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Dessert, Drinks
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • large bowl with lid or cling wrap, measuring cups, blender, pitcher

Ingredients
  

Horchata

  • 1 cup White rice, rinsed, uncooked
  • 1 stick Cinnamon
  • 1 cup Suger, or less if you want it less sweet
  • ½ cup Chopped almonds
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla
  • 12 oz Evaporated milk
  • 1-½ cup Whole milk or almond milk
  • 4 cups Water
  • Ice

Dalgona Coffee

  • 2 tbsp Instant coffee
  • 2 tbsp Coffee
  • 1 tbsp Hot water

Whipped Cream

  • 4 oz Heavy Whipping cream
  • 1 tsp Sugar
  • ¼ tsp Cream of tartar

Alcoholic Add ins

  • 1 oz Bailey's Irish Cream
  • ½ oz. Bourbon

Instructions
 

Horchata

  • Start by soaking the rice, cinnamon, and almonds in a bowl of water all night, or at least for 5 hours so that the rice softens slightly.
  • Strain the water from the cinnamon, rice, and almond mixture that were soaking, disposing of water.
  • Blend the cinnamon, rice, and almond mixture with evaporated milk until a smoother mix is formed and the grains of rice are completely ground.
  • Strain the resulting liquid into ra pitcher, and add the sugar, vanilla, and milk. Mix well until everything is well combined. Add a liter of water, and serve with ice.

Dalgona Coffee

  • Mix instant coffee, sugar and water in a bowl. Mix on medium high with electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Whipped Cream

  • Combine heavy whipping cream, sugar, vanilla, and cream of tartar. Mix on high with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

Dirty Horchata

  • Mix horchata, dalgona coffee and half of the whipped cream. whipped cream. Add alcohol, stir well. Pour into glass, garnish with remaining whipped cream and ground cinnamon.
Keyword alcoholic drink, cinnamon, cocktail, dalgona coffee, dirty horhata, horchata, rice milk, rice milk beverage