Bean Bow

This is my mom's handiwork, which is why the photo is so blurry - I had to take it with my phone. She made a special meal for the holidays, and I think the idea is actually from one of the Tom Douglas cookbooks, but it is Chinese long beans tied into a bow for presentation.

MixWillogist

December, 2011

This cocktail was deliciously-spiced for the holidays. After the buzz we got from our cocktail-contest entry, Will has been having a lot of fun with spiced-up cocktails. This one isn't named or photographed, but it is tested on an unrelated vodka-lover and voted a winner:

Make a spiced syrup by infusing one part water and one part honey with whole anise seeds, coriander seeds, whole cloves, and black peppercorns (a pinch or so of each). Bring it to a boil, allow to rest, then strain.

Shake one part syrup with one part vodka and ice (dilute with a bit of water if desired) and serve in a cocktail glass.

August 12, 2011

I burnt-out Will's immersion blender (trying to make garbanzo bean crackers - not worth it!!) before we left for our long trip, and it wasn't until the beginning of August that I finally got him a replacement. He has been busy frapping and blending since and making me feel extra-guilty that I didn't replace it sooner.  This is what he called "Granita Maya" for the coffee, cinnamon, and hot sauce flavors. And don't forget the decorative layers of cream and whipped cream! I don't know if the Mayan's would agree to be this drink's namesake, but if you taste it, we don't think you'll care what it's called!

Granita Maya

February 26, 2011

1 1/2 parts vodka (something that you already like the taste of to drink)

1 part basil sugar syrup (dissolve 1 part sugar with 2 parts water, add 2 large sprigs basil, bring to boil, cover, remove from heat and steep as desired - I do overnight in the fridge. Strain.)

1 part freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

crushed ice

top off with sparkling water

garnish with grapefruit peel and a tiny basil leaf

February 14, 2011

This doesn't exactly include mixology, but it's still a beverage, and one of Will's favorites at that.

A happy Valentine's Day photo emailed to me during my workday.

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This isn't technically Will's drink, I found the recipe, and I made it, but it's a drink so here it is posted. I wanted a festive sparkling wine drink for a girly party. I was at a holiday party where the champagne cocktail was spiked with a shot of cherry juice to give it a romantic, red hue. But it was pretty sweet, and if done improperly, could come out tasting like cough syrup. So I was looking for something else to mix with sparkling wine that would still have a warm holiday glow. I discovered this use for the campari we scored as leftovers from someone else's party, which Will loves adding into every beverage concotion, but which often ends up being too bitter for me: Due Campri Nuovo. I followed the proportions in the recipe, but substituted half of the lemon juice with limoncello to give it extra sweetness and extra kick. I also skipped the matchstick business, though a plain orange twist or iced cranberries would make nice garnish. I actually mixed everything but the wine in a pretty decater the night before and kept in the fridge. Then just eyeballed a 1-4 ratio when guests were ready to be served, pouring in a bit of the mix and topping off with champagne. It was a hit!

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I first came across HotLips soda at Homegrown, a terrific breakfast and sandwich shop in Fremont (and Queen Anne!) with a focus on local and sustainable ingredients. HotLips is a Portland company, also with a serious commitment to sustainability. Homegrown had their Pear Soda on offer, and I didn't buy it, but I couldn't stop thinking about how good it would be, especially after I read more about it on their website. So the next time I was there, I invested in a bottle. I knew Will would have some awesome ideas for how to mix it.

We started out each tasting one-ounce of pure soda, to appreciate the baseline, and get a sense of the intensity. It is delicious - it is sweet, but not cloying, and light and refreshing, while very much imparting the experience of biting into a fresh pear, with just a dabble of carbonation.

That left us 10 ounces remaining, which we divided equally into four cocktails: Will is quite creative with the beverages, because I don't provide him much outlet with the food prep.  Here was one of his first labyrinthine garnishes (it's an orange peel.)

• with light rum and lime (this was good, but the pear was lost in the bold flavors of rum and citrus, left adding only sweetness.)
• with cognac (also good, pretty boozy)
• with Grand Marnier (mmm, lip smacking delicious)
• *** and our favorite, a thick slice of fresh ginger left to infuse into good quality vodka for a few minutes, topped off with the soda. This is an incredible beverage, spicy, sweet, and sophisticated.

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Labrinthine garnish (orange peel).

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This is one of our favorites to date, and it was especially delicious with the meal I posted about in "Entertaining a Pescatarian."

It's called a Bassilltini. It has an incredibly sophisticated flavor, yet completely delicious, and so unexpected as to be quite amusing and playful.

Basilltini (recipe coming, I have to rely on Will for this one...)
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Will says this is a "FrappIt," it is best drunk on FrappIt Fridays! (He was an advertising exec in a previous life.) It's mocha on the bottom, a layer of vanilla sweetened whipped cream, espresso upper, and a star of whipped cream on top.

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Yes, I know this isn't a cocktail or beverage, but it is 100% made-by-Will. He said he made a few cakes with his mom growing up, but this is the first one he's made since I've known him. It's also the first time he ever made frosting, and he iced the cake himself. Yum!

This doesn't have a name, but this direct quote from Will says it all: "Coconut pineapple ice cream shake with chocolate-vanilla sweet whipped cream, thanks to the immersion blender and charged whipped cream dispenser, a dynamic symphony of gadgetry."

Eggstraterrestrial

This egg came straight from the carton, and the holes were through the shell but not through the membrane; the egg inside was intact. Any idea how this happened?  I figure it was an organism of some kind...

And this shell was pointed on top!



Meat for Meat-Haters

I'm not a big fan of meat. I don't think I'd be disappointed if I never ate it again, but I KNOW I wouldn't be disappointed if I never had to touch it raw again. This is one reason I am such a fan of the frozen individual portions-bags at Costco (see my "Fish Tacos" post.) Another of my favorites are the fully-cooked smoked sausages (for example, Hillshire Farms.) They are easy to work with and can be added to lots of different styles of recipes. Be sure not to add salt if you're cooking with these, because they are already loaded (as no doubt will our arteries be as well.) For all you meat-lovers though, I'm sure this recipe would be even better with your favorite sausage.

Sunshine Sausage Pasta
Serves 6 as main or 12 as side

1 tbsp olive oil
½ white onion, thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound bowtie pasta
1 can yellow corn (or fresh if available)
1 15-oz turkey polska kielbasa or other mild sausage, sliced ¼-inch thick and quartered or julienned
1 tbsp stone-ground or Dijon mustard
1/3 cup chopped parsely
Black pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in wok. Add onion and cook until tender and starting to brown.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions then drain.

When onion has cooked, add garlic and corn and sausage, continue to saute until sausage renders some fat.

Stir in pasta and mustard.

Mix well and toss with parsley. Season with pepper. Serve hot or cold.

My First Date with Chard

Actually, dates and chard would be delicious together!! Why didn't I think of that when I was making this? Definitely need to try that next time. But alas, it was the first time I'd bought chard. It's nutrional profile was tantalizing, and it's so striking in the produce aisle with it's deep green frills and slender red stillettos.

So I scooped up a bundle and home we went. Spoiler alert, it ended better for me than for chard.
Swiss Chard with BarleyServes 2 as main, 4 as side.

Cook 1 cup barley (or quinoa) according to package directions. If desired, add 1 peeled and cubed sweet potato during last 10-12 minutes of cooking.

In large saute pan, cook 6 strips bacon until crisp, drain and crumble.

Add to the drippings:
½ onion, thinly sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp crushed red pepper
If needed to coat, stir in 1-2 Tbsp butter

Cook until onion is softened, then add:
1 bunch red chard, chiffonaded
8 white mushrooms, sliced

Cook until chard is wilted. Then stir in:
Barley
2 tsp fresh oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Note: Although the chard was beautiful when it was fresh, this recipe became very dirty colored from the mushrooms. A different variety of mushrooms could probably eliminate this problem, or saute them separately and mix them in at the end so they don't cook down with all the other ingredients. But it's a purely cosmetic issue and the taste was dense, earthy, and satisfying.

Fish Tacos

I am a big fan of the frozen, individual portions of white fish available at Costco. They defrost faster than other frozen entrees, so they're great for last minute. They're also affordable, and easy to prepare and clean-up after. Tilapia is a favorite, as is mahi mahi.  Both are firm, with large oily flakes. Tilapia is especially bright white, making it easy to pair with colorful side dishes. And both are mild in flavor, so they hold-up to and even absorb strong and robust seasonings.

The easiest thing for me to do in the summer is hand the fish filets to my husband, who puts them on the grill with just a light brush of oil and some salt and pepper. (For super easy clean-up, just put the fish on foil instead of directly on the grill; you'll miss the attractive grill marks but it's so fast, and tastes just as good.) Then I make a salsa of whatever fruit is around.  Peaches are a favorite, with some tomato, lime, garlic, cilantro, and jalepeno. Pineapple is another exotic twist. Flake the fish into a tortilla and you have a fabulous fish taco. 


This time, I decided to go a different direction with a pear mint salsa served on mahi mahi.

Pear-Mint Salsa for Mahi Mahi
Serves 4

1 ripe pear
1 small chili, favorite variety
2-3 cloves garlic
Juice from one lime
4-5 large fresh spearamint leaves
3-4 large fresh basil leaves
Salt to taste

2 large filets (4 portions) mahi mahi.

Crush and then mince garlic. Mix with lime juice.

Dice chili and pear. Toss with garlic.

Chop or tear herbs into tiny pieces. Mix with pears.

Sprinkle with salt to taste. Add additional lime juice to ensure all fruit is well coated (this will prevent browning).

Stir periodically.

Cook plain fish (without any oil or seasonings). Simply place it on a sheet of foil and bake or grill until no longer translucent in the center.

Plate and top with salsa.

Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad, the classic "ladies luncheon." I regularly get together with a group of girlfriends for a potluck and decided to go retro with my contribution and bring chicken salad. I went to college in the South and the specialties of the dining hall were anything-with-bacon. As a back-up, they served anything-with-potatoes.  I didn't eat either in college.  But they did make some mean mac & cheese, and this delightful chicken salad which seemed only to come out over reunion weekend and homecoming. Back then, meat and fruit together was a new concept for me, so it always stood out to see grapes in the chicken salad.  But it was delicious.  This is my attempt - 12 years later - to recreate it, and I'm pretty happy with this.  I eat it straight from the bowl, but it also makes an excellent salad, would be charming for those ladies at lunch served atop mixed greens, and could also simply be spooned onto a cracker or baguette.


Chicken Salad

About 12 chicken fingers, poached, and diced/shredded
2 ribs celery finely diced
About 20 red grapes, halved
2 tsp dried crumbled tarragon
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1-2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil mayonnaise
2-3 tbsp toasted sliced almonds

Poach* chicken and dice. Toss with celery and grapes. Stir in tarragon, vinegar, and pepper. Stir in mayonnaise. Toss with almonds just before serving.

*To poach, just cover the raw chicken with water in a saute pan, then heat to simmer and cook until chicken is white all the way through. No need for any seasonings or oil.