Category Archives: Cocktails
We have been talking about doing a cocktail series for sometime now. It is really sad, that we are just getting around to it, too, as we have had some pretty darn good cocktails. We love cocktails! There is something so nostalgic about them. We use to be purely wine drinkers with an occasional vodka tonic tossed in for excitement. Then we picked up a few cocktail books, and unleashed the beast over at Chez Chez. Since, it has been a sort of Dr. Hyde lab going on …..
We were going to wait until July 1st kick off all the thirsty fun; but, after sampling a couple of these lovelies over the weekend, we decided we needed to give you enough time to pick up the ingredients, particularly one very secret ingredient. We thought this particular cocktail would be perfect for any Fourth of July celebration, after all, two of the ingredients are from our beloved USA. The bourbon is from Kentucky and cherries are from Tennessee; it doesn’t get much more American than that!
What we are really excited about is Ole Smoky Moonshine Cherries. That is right, folks, Moonshine Cherries. As we said before, it doesn’t get much more American than that. It is true, there is moonshine being made in them their mountains of Tennessee, and what they are doing with fruit should be illegal. Moonshine started out being made by our Scottish and Irish ancestors who migrated to the Smokey Mountains. It did not take these wise fellows long, to realize they would make more money selling a gallon of moonshine, than a bushel of corn. Soon after the industry starting taking off, the good ole government came in and cracked down. Hence, all the bootlegging that started taking place. Folks in these small mountain communities did not take nicely to this, and they kept their moonshine businesses going strong. It was easy to hide a business in the mountains, after all, the law was not about to go deep into the unknown. Lucky for us, it is now legal to have a little moonshine and we recently had the opportunity to try out Moonshine Cherries.
Pretty Please With A Cherry On Top! Don’t let these small little cherries fool you. Think of these cherries as a party in a Mason jar. From the adorable packaging to the first little nibble, you will be wowed. Maraschino cherries are soaked in moonshine before being packed into a jar with a little more …. moonshine. As soon as you break the seal, you get that first whiff of moonshine, then a slight sweet, almost vanilla like aroma. As your fingers reach into the jar, you will be a little nervous. Moonshine? Cherries? Then you will slide that first cherry between your teeth and will bite down; sweet cherry juice with a bit of alcohol will burst into your mouth, slide down your throat and warm your belly. WOWZA, was the first word that slipped over both of our lips.
These cherries are delicious on their own, but be forewarned, they do have a kick after 5 or 6 of them. You can add them to your favorite cocktail or add a couple as the topping to your “adult” bowl of ice cream. I would definitely NOT serve these to the kids! There is something really special about these cherries, besides being made with moonshine. When you have some friends over and pull out the jar or bring a jar to a party, you have instantly become that “person” …. making everyone smile all night long!
We have been enjoying these cherries in cocktails as well as on an ice cream sundae. A couple cherries are a great addition to an adult Shirley Temple or Rum and Coke, as well as a traditional Manhattan or even with a little bourbon on ice. One of our favorite drinks to add the cherries too, is a spin on a Horse’s Neck. We use traditional Bourbon with a splash of Ginger Beer, a squeeze of lime juice, a drizzle of moonshine, and the cocktail nibble, Moonshine Cherries. It is sophisticated and refreshing.
Have you ever tried Moonshine? Do you have a favorite cocktail using it as an ingredient?
Recipe: Ole Smokey
- 4 ounces of bourbon
- 8 ounces of ginger beer
- crushed ice
- 1 lime, cut in half
- ice cubes
- moonshine cherries
In a cocktail shaker add the ice, bourbon, and the juice from 1/2 of the lime. Shake. In 2 cocktail glasses add a couple chunks of ice, pour 1/2 of the shaken bourbon in each glass. Fill with the ginger beer. Drizzle a small amount of the moonshine over the top. Garnish each glass with 4 moonshine cherries. Cut 2 thin strips of lime, rub each one on the rim of the glass, then twist the lime, and add to the glass. Serve. Drink.
If you like this recipe, check these out:
Moonshine Cocktail
Sweet Tea Bourbon
Peach Basil Sangria
The Picon, also known as the Basque Cocktail of the West is a familiar term around many Basque homes. It is vague as to where it originally was made but some say it was in Bakersfield at the famed Noriega. The drink is made of Amer Picon, which is a French aperitif that is made with herbs and burnt orange peel. Amer Picon was invented by a gentleman by the name of Gaëtan Picon in 1837, and the drink evolved from begin a French aperitif by the hands of the Italians, where it fell into the hands of the Basque. The Basque Americanized the drink into the Picon Cocktail also known as Picon Punch. It is near impossible to find the original Amer Picon in the states and now the recipe has transitioned to use Torani Amer.
 
I remember when we were kids and we got to tag along on an “adult” dinner down to the Winnemucca Hotel, the adults would always drink Picons. I loved the pretty color of the drink and I loved how happy it made everyone; I could not wait to try one myself. Years later, I found myself, back at the same watering hole when my sister was getting married. This time we were old enough to play along in their drinking games. Eager to try the forbidden drink, I bellied up to the bar and ordered a round. As the cold ruby red drink rolled between my lips, onto my taste-buds, I was left gasping and speechless; this potent drink was nothing as I had fantasized about for so many years. Instead, I was shocked and scared; too many of these and the wedding party would be dancing on the bar-top in no time.
Times have changed and taste-buds have grown. Over the holidays my brother in-law reintroduced me to the famed picon, but his version. Still the vibrant ruby red with a potent aroma but lighter in taste and gentler on my taste-buds with the addition of club soda and minus a brandy floater. An acquired taste, I am sure; but, still a nice addition to your cocktail party when you want a little something different to wow your guests with.
What is your favorite unique cocktail, that no-one has probably ever made?
Recipe: Basque Picon Cocktail
*originally these were served in mugs, we like to use pretty cocktail glasses
*inspired by Shawn Espinosa
2 oz Torani Amer Liqueur
crushed ice
1 teaspoon grenadine
splash club soda
lemon twist
Fill a glass with some crushed ice. Pour the Torani Amer Liqueur over the ice. Top with the grenadine and fill the glass with club soda to just under the rim. Rub the rim of the glass with the lemon twist, then add to the drink. Serve. Drink.
If you enjoyed this dish, you may enjoy these others as well:
Amer Punch Recipe
Pican Punch
Pican Beer
I am going to keep this short and sweet just as this drink is. I was not even going to share this recipe but then I was telling Allison about it and well … here is the scoop. We cheated on our Ten in 10 last night. It had been a long week and I decided as we were making dinner that we needed to take the edge off, as well Lenny was making his famous chili and one cannot drink tea with chili.
Recipe: Grapefruit Margaritas with Pomegranate Syrup
*makes two drinks
3 small grapefruits, juice squeezed out of them
1 small orange, juice squeezed out of it
pomegranate simple syrup, to taste
3 ounces dark tequila
ice
Pour everything into a cocktail shaker and shake. Put one ice cube in a glass. Strain margarita over ice cube. Pour a small tequila floater on top. Serve. Drink.
This is an electrifying cocktail that will surely tease your taste-buds and tantalize your senses!
Justin of Marx Foods contacted us right before we left for Boston, wondering if we would be up for trying out a couple of their products, in particular black garlic and the mysterious Szechuan (Sechuan) Buttons. We are always up for trying something new out and especially something we have never heard of, such as the Szechuan Button. Now, I did not know much about them but once I started investigating, my interest was peeked, especially when the package they came in said, “eat at your own risk”.
A bit about the Szechuan Button (taken from the Marx Food site) – “they are an unusual food in that their primary use is not nutrition or flavor but rather to impart a sensation to food and drink. They possess a slightly bitter, herby flavor that isn’t unusual, but a few seconds after consuming them something very interesting begins to happen in your mouth! Eating a few tiny petals from a Szechuan button will lead to a tingling sensation, almost like mild voltage or bubbles from an effervescent beverage popping on the tongue. It is similar to (but much more intense than) the tingling imparted by Szechuan peppercorns, which is how this flower gets its Chinese name, despite originally being from Africa. Part of the secret of this effect may be that these flowers contain a natural painkiller sometimes used to numb toothache (hence their other nickname: toothache plant). It is not unpleasant, but surprising, and sharing just a small pinch with friends will cause a look of confused wonder.”
I had a few ideas but the first that came to mind was to make a fun cocktail. Being the holidays I knew a bottle of bubbly would be involved. As well I had some Pomegranate Simple Syrup that I wanted to use, mostly for color, but also for a bit of tartness. I gently floated the Szechuan Button petals on the top of the cocktail and with every sip, a few of the delicate petals flowed into your mouth – let’s say there was definitely a party happening in your mouth! Not only did you get the sweet champagne bubbles on the tip of your tongue but there was an electrifying zippy feeling from the petals. A very fun cocktail to serve to the unexpected as they will be wowed! Would I use them again – definitely! I am already thinking of other recipes to use them in!
Recipe: Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail with Szechuan Buttons
1 tablespoon pomegranate simple syrup
1 glass of champagne
1/2 teaspoon szechuan button petals
Pour the simple syrup into a champagne glass. Lightly drizzle the champagne into the glass, do not disturb the simple syrup and do not stir. Sprinkle the petals over the top. Serve. Drink.
Jacqueline and I have been talking about hosting a virtual food event, for the past couple months; okay, really it has been since August. She was twittering and writing about a Spiced Mexican Chicken dish that she served with Tabasco Watermelon Margaritas and we got to thinking that it would be fun to have an event where we provide you with the main entree recipe and ask you, our readers to come up with the ultimate cocktail to pair with this meal.
In the same breath, David Leite’s newest book, The New Portuguese Table had come out and we decided to toss around the idea with David. We were really excited to use one of his pork tenderloin recipes as we thought it would be a nice transition into the holidays, something festive for a cocktail pairing. David was so kind as to let us publish his Pork Tenderloin in a Port-Prune Sauce recipe for this particular event. Just a quick review of David’s book, it is fantastic. Lenny is Portuguese and he loves the take on traditional recipes, the same flavors that mom makes but with a fresh and new taste. We have made a few of the items and all have been outstanding!
Lenny and I made this dish last night and it was amazing. I could not find any pork tenderloins at either of my butchers, so I did end up using a Pork Loin Roast, which worked out perfectly. The pork came out with a crispy outside and very moist inside. I loved that use of prunes and port in the sauce, it was not overly sweet and slightly smokey (thank you port). We tried two different plates, one with cilantro and one without, the cilantro really added a nice freshness to the sauce and we recommend using it. The only other thing that we did differently was to add slices of yellow potatoes and turnips, to the roasting pan, about an hour before the roasting was finished. One can never go wrong with potatoes roasted in pork fat!
We decided to serve a Sazerac with this particular dish as we both thought the boldness of the Rye would be a nice addition to the slightly sweet sauce. Normally, I am not a Sazerac fan, but I have to say, Lenny out did himself with this round; they were smooth, icy cold and perfectly balanced with the Herbsaint Liquer and Rye.
The rules for this dinner party are as is:
- Make the same Pork Tenderloin Recipe, if you can’t find tenderloins, use a roast or chops, but let’s keep it a pork dish in honor of Pig Tales
- Create a cocktail that you think will pair nicely with the dish
- Blog about the two being served together and be sure to include a photo
- Include a link in your post to both the Leather District Gourmet and Chez Us
- Email both of us the link to your post along with a photo of the two. Jacqueline – ldgourmet [at] gmail [dot] com & Denise – denise [at] chezus [dot] com
- Please have your submissions in before the 15th of December. A round-up will be posted shortly after the 15th.
Recipe: Pork Tenderloin in a Port-Prune Sauce
2/3 cup pitted prunes (about 15)
1 cup ruby port
½ cup beef stock
1 inch thumb of ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon honey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1 pound pork tenderloins, fat and silver skin removed
1 garlic glove, minced
1 tablespoons, sherry vinegar
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and crank up the heat to 450.
Dump the prunes into a small saucepan, add the port, beef stock, ginger, and honey, and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let steep for 20 minutes.
Pour the prunes and liquid into a blender or food processor and buzz until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot. Season both tenderloins well with salt and pepper and sear one at a time, turning occasionally, until brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and set the skillet aside.
Roast the pork until an instant red thermometer inserted in the center of the meat registers just under 150, 15 – 18 minutes. Transfer the tenderloins to a cutting board, tend with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.
Pour off all but a thin film of fat from the skillet. Lower the heat to medium, toss in the garlic and cook until lightly colored, about 2 minutes. Add the port-prune sauce and stir to pick up the browned bits stuck to the skillet. Pour in the vinegar, and any accumulated juices from the pork, and cook to meld the flavors, 2 to 3 minutes. If the sauce seems thick, add more beef stock. For an elegant take, strain the sauce through a sieve.
Cut the tenderloins on the diagonal into ½ inch slices. Divide the slices among six plates, drizzle with the warm sauce, and sprinkle with cilantro.
Recipe: Sazerac
1 teaspoon Herbsaint liqueur Ice cubes
1 teaspoon simple syrup
1 1/2 ounces rye whiskey
3 dashes peychaud’s Bitters – we used a blood orange bitters
1 lemon peel twist
Chill an old-fashioned glass by filling with crushed ice or refrigerate or freeze for at least 30 minutes. Add the Herbsaint to the glass; swirl it around to coat the entire sides and bottom of the glass. Discard the excess. In a cocktail shaker, add 4 or 5 small ice cubes, sugar, rye whiskey, and bitters. Shake gently for about 30 seconds; strain into the prepared glass. Twist lemon peel over the drink and then place in the drink. Makes 1 serving.
ROUND UP FOR DINNER & DRINKS
Here is the round up from our Dinner and Drinks event. Unfortunately (well kind of), we planned this event during the holiday season and everyone seemed busy or maybe peeps don’t like cocktails with dinner. We did have one great entry in our reindeer games and that was David over at David Dadekian Photography. David created a martini, that we cannot wait to make when we get home. It is made with Port and Domaine de Canton (a fantastic ginger liquer), which I think would be an outstanding combination with this particular pork tenderloin recipe. As well David had a special dinner guest that evening!
Jacqueline decided to pair her tenderloin with a favorite of Lennys, the sazerac. She thought the herbsaint or Absinthe that is in the the Sazerac gives a licorice note to the drink that would be fantastic with pork.
A big thank you to David for playing along in our reindeer games and to Jacqueline for being a great co-hostess!
Each month Foodbuzz sponsors an event called Foodbuzz 24,24,24 (24 meals, 24 blogs, 24 hours). Food bloggers who are part of the Foodbuzz network get a chance to submit a proposal for a unique meal and/or food related experience that will be featured by Foodbuzz. For November, we were one of the 24 that were selected!
Holidays are always a difficult time for us me. Not because of “family drama” but rather because we have to separate the holidays between families and coasts; but, what makes it even more difficult is that my family is divorced, so we have an additional separation to make. I have to separate the time between my mother and father, which basically means that I will make one person unhappy along the lines. This year we were suppose to be at my mother’s for Thanksgiving and then we found out a month ago that all of that would change as my mother had other obligations and my sister and her family would be gone over Thanksgiving. This would only mean one thing for us; no, not a trip to Boston but rather Thanksgiving with friends in Palm Springs. We were all set to drive a couple days before the holiday and then last minute decided to declare it our holiday since we had not had a chance to go on a “real” vacation this year. So we planned a week long road trip, which would involve, looking for good food along the way. We love road trips but have not taken a week long one, ever. Our hopes and dreams for this trip are to make a stop in Northern Nevada to see my family and then head down a desolate highway in the middle of Nevada towards Death Valley, finally making our way over to Palm Springs.
November 21, 2009. We are on our way to Winnemucca to see my family. No road trip is complete r us unless it involves a stop at IN-N-OUT Burger and it is always the same order, a double cheese burger for L and a single cheese burger for me, grilled onions on both. We have made this stop many times but we both agreed this time, that this was the best burger we have ever had there. The meat was grilled perfectly, crispy edges with just enough grease dripping off of it, to really give it some flavor. The meat was so hot that the cheese was melted and still gooey under the bun – it was perfect! Now our bellies are full and we are ready to tackle whatever may be ahead of us …. i.e. lots of snow!
November 22, 2009. We have had a good time with the family, eating a lot, catching up with my mother and siblings and playing with the kids. Now it is time to say good bye and hit the road. We are heading to Death Valley today. We have wanted to go there for a couple years but every time we think about it, it is the dead of summer. We are really looking forward to the drive through the middle of no where and are anticipating a lot of small country towns, which I am hoping means, good food (thinking chicken fried steak for some strange reason). WOW … there is not much out here, we are talking, just sagebrush and tumbleweeds. There is a town, called Austin, coming up …. we hope there is food, we are starving!
Austin, Nevada, is literally located in the middle of Nevada and is a living ghost town. It is a small community of about 300 people. It was named after Austin, Texas and was founded in 1862 during the silver rush that was triggered by the pony express. It was quite on a Sunday afternoon and lucky for us The International Hotel was open for service. The International Hotel, was first built in Virginia City in 1859 and parts of it were moved to Austin in 1863, they still serve meals and drinks, but do not rent out rooms. When we swung open the door the smell of fresh baked peach pie engulfed us, it was perfect with a couple cups of piping hot coffee. Not only was the pie fresh and the coffee hot but a couple of the locals were, well, let’s say “colorful”. After they were done chatting up us city folk we hit the road, again, and it was probably good timing as I am not sure how funny it was when Lenny told them, they reminded us of Cheech & Chong.
Well, we are back in the car and the scenery has not change much more. We have counted 6 cars and 1 fake donkey in the last 4 hours, there really is nothing on this highway. We just came up to another living ghost town, Goldfield, Nevada, with a population of about 400. Goldfield was a boom-town in the first decade of the 20th century with the discovery of gold between 1903 – 1940. Much of the town was destroyed by a fire in 1934, although several buildings survived and remain today, notably the Goldfield Hotel, the Consolidated Mines Building and the schoolhouse. Gold exploration still continues in and around the town today. We had wished we could have found a place to stay as it was quaint and it would have been fun to hang out for the night; unfortunately, the couple places we saw with either the name hotel or motel, were now boarded up.
Hitting the road again …. finally, a small sign, that says Death Valley is in 26 miles. We can’t wait as the sun is starting to settle and it soon will be dark. The road into Death Valley is twisted through tight canyons, with small wispy trees, not what we imagined at all. Then out of no where like an oasis in the desert is a castle, better known as Scotty’s Castle. A man, Walter Scott, also known as “Death Valley Scotty”, convinced a Chicago millionaire Albert Johnson to invest in his (fraudulent) gold mine in the Death Valley area. Johnson made many trips to the area, eventually bringing his wife, Bessie Johnson. Over the course of his visits Johnson came to terms with a disability that lingered from an 1894 accident and Bessie convinced him that Death Valley was good for his health. Construction began on Scotty’s Castle in 1922, at a cost of $1.4 million dollars. After looking around a bit, and watching the sun, turn the sky a burnt pink, we decide that we have to find a place to call home for the night or we will be stuck in Death Valley!
We decide on the first area that has accommodations to call our home away from home for the night, Stovepipe Wells. Stovepipe is a small community nestled by the Dunes of Death Valley. Unfortunately, for both of us and for you, we have come down with nasty colds and about all we can manage to do is have a glass of wine, hot showers and climb into a warm bed. Hoping for the better tomorrow morning.
November 23, 2009. After a good nights sleep, we are ready to take on Death Valley. First things first, coffee and food. We are going to blow out of Stovepipe and head down towards Furnace Creek. It seems that most of the things we want to check out on this trip to Death Valley are centered there. Time to find food …. Even though Death Valley is spread out, everything is pretty close. After stopping near the Borax mines to check out the scene we are in Furnace Creek, home to $4.12 a gallon for gas and the $12.95 burrito. We found a little diner, the Forty Niner Cafe. We decide to fill up on a breakfast burritos. The burrito is filled with chorizo, red peppers and lots of scrambled eggs, the perfect thing to energize one’s tired body.
Time to check out what Death Valley is all about. We plan on doing the “tourist” musts today: this morning: Artist’s Drive, the Natural Bridge and Badwater.
November 24, 2009. What a great day we had yesterday. Death Valley proved to be so much more than the Salton Sea – YEAH – for this we were really excited! After a long day of checking out the sites, taking pictures (not as many as hoped due to the swarm of tourists that appeared everywhere), and mini hikes, we are ready to head out of Death Valley. The highlights for us were the Artist’s Drive, which was a one way winding road through cut-out canyons of deeply colored mineral based walls. I wish we would have had the energy to go back at sunset as I imagine it would have been really beautiful. Badwater was also very interesting. Badwater is a dried up lake, that is located at the bottom of Death Valley at 300 feet below sea level. It is 4 times saltier than the ocean and yes, we did dip our fingers into the crusty salt to taste it. I had visions of taking all sorts of creative photos at Badwater and was all geared up with tripods, unfortunately, there was a swarm of European tourists who would not leave and we had colds that were starting to slam us. After wrapping up another evening with a glass of wine and a hot shower we are ready to hit the road; but, first things first, lots of coffee and some hot homemade date bread with prickly pear butter. The date bread and the prickly pear butter is out of this world, worth the stop at the Forty Niner Cafe, again. Every time I eat dates, I remember how much I really love them and I wonder why I don’t buy them. ‘Mental note to self, buy dates’.
We just consulted a map and Lenny sees a town he wants to check out, Baker, California. We are Baker bound and I have no idea what to expect but he promises me it will be like the Left Bank in Paris, hmmm, good espresso?
The drive has been scenic, we made friends (kind of) with a little fox, who we thought was adorable. We opted for the paved route out of the valley as the dried up dirt road may not be a good idea on our brand new tires, as well, we could end up as a one of those “missing peeps” of Death Valley. The drive put us past small living ghost towns and well as more sand dunes, this time, they were just as big as the mountains nestled near them. We are finally arriving into Baker.
Drum Roll …. the Left Bank of Paris (Baker) is the Mad Greek restaurant. Who knew, a Greek haven in the middle of nowhere. We are starving after another long night of no food and a long morning drive, we decide to have an order of lamb souvlaki, greek yogurt with cranberries and pistachio baklava. Surprisingly, the food is pretty decent or we are just really hungry. Regardless, what a good option over the standard burger joint.
Time to head to Palm Springs!
We love arriving at Andy and Jeff’s Casa in Palm Springs …. good friends and the cocktails are flowing, yeah, to the Rob Roy.
Recipe: Rob Roy
1 1/2 oz scotch
1/4 oz sweet vermouth
bitters to taste
maraschino cherry for garnish
Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with cherry.
November 26, 2009. Andy is making a feast today and knowing the cook he is, it will be outstanding. I have offered to make a dessert as my Daring Baker’s challenge is due. Otherwise, I will be at his beckon call as sous chef. The menu will be southwestern inspired and includes: a roasted turkey, chiptole mashed potatoes, homemade herbed rolls, roasted sweet potatoes with apples, mashed butternut squash, traditional bread dressing, two different cranberry sauces (jalenpeno w/Meyer lemon and Cointreau infused cranberry), brownies with homemade vanilla bean ice cream, apple ginger cranberry pie and pumpkin cannolis.
Orange Jalapeno glazed turkey – moist and out of this world
Roasted Corn and Chipotle Pepper Mashed Potatoes
Herb scented fresh baked bread with homemade butter
November 29, 2009. We have been blessed with a fantastic road trip that not only included spending time with our family but also with good friends and three Thanksgiving meals – that is right three. Last night we were invited to new friend’s home in Palm Springs and we had an outstanding deep fried turkey, the moistest I have ever had. As well we had that fantastic pineapple cake I was twittering about – recipe to come! Today we are making the journey back home and we are excited to sleep in our own bed and to see MEM.
Be sure to check out all the photos that would not fit on this post – more food as well as highlights from the trip.
Tracing the roots of the Hemingway Daiquiri to the El Floradita bar in Havana, Cuba, this smooth cocktail was originally called the Papa Doble. It was created by their famous bartender, Constantion Ribailagua, in honor of Ernest Hemingway. Don’t save this cocktail only for summer, it is sublime and really meant to be enjoyed all year.
I have fond memories of Daiquiris. I remember my mother and step father, having summer patio parties and drinking frozen daiquiris. Mind you these daiquiris were not the elegant shaken ones but rather from a cardboard container from the frozen isle, shhh, no brands named here. I even loved them in my early twenties but that is also when I thought white zin was a good wine. We made them often while I was living in Phoenix, the same frozen ones, from the same cardboard container, but from a different frozen aisle. How we grow up and learn better …. a few weeks ago while in Palm Springs, I had the ultimate Classic Daiquiri and all else is history ….. smooth, almost too smooth and oh so flavorful!
I squealed with delight last week when I heard the 19th was National Daiquiri Day, not that I needed an excuse to whip up a batch; but, I did! After some investigation, I found the Hemingway Daiquiri, which is made with fresh squeezed ruby red grapefruit and lime juice. Now, Hemingway did not like sugar in his drinks so the bartender, Constantion Ribailagua, would substitute it with maraschino liqueur. I am not a big fan of maraschino liqueur, so I whipped up a batch of simple syrup and used this with an abundant amount of fresh squeezed juice. This drink is smooth, citrus and very refreshing. This my friend, is my new favorite cocktail!
Recipe: Hemingway Daiquiri
*makes one drink
1 1/2 ounces white rum
1 ounce fresh ruby red grapefruit juice
1 ounce fresh lime juice
1 ounce simple syrup
ice
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass, garnish with a swirl of grapefruit rind. Serve. Sip.
We cannot believe how much Chez Us has evolved. It is so much fun to look back and see how the site has grown. Not to mention all the fantastic readers we have, who comment and share the same passion! The relationships are really amazing and we talk about this often over at Chez Us. If it was not for the love of eating, cooking, drinking and food, none of us would have ever met! We thank you for being here and sharing your lives with us!
We decided on our first Blogiversary (we had more time then and even had a video to show you how) to recreate the orginal meal we had at the very beginning, which was Vegetarian Enchiladas washed down with Blood Orange Margaritas. This year we decided to change it around a bit by making Chicken Enchiladas. The recipe I use is really fantastic – chicken thighs (they have more flavor) that have been poached with bay leaves and garlic and then combined with lots of sour cream, mild green chilies and cheddar cheese, finally smothered with a chipotle pepper sauce. We served them with Spanish Rice and re-fried pinto beans, which I spice up with mild chilies, lime juice and cheese. A birthday celebration would not be a celebration without our famous Blood Orange Margaritas!
Here’s to another great year – we have some fun things planned and look forward to you being a part of it all! We will be making/adding a BIG announcement to this post in a day or two!! It is BIG & FUN!
Recipe: Perfect Blood Orange Margaritas
1 cocktail
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup fresh blood-orange juice (you can use regular oranges)
1 lime, squeezed
4 tablespoons tequila, we like silver, as well you can add more if you dare
1 tablespoon Cointreau
Lime slice, for garnish
Cracked ice
DIRECTIONS
Put the juices into a shaker, add the ginger, tequila and ice. Shake. Strain into a glass. Float Cointreau on the top. Garnish with lime. Serve. Sip don’t glup.
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