Gin Tropical as an Antidote to PAD

by Brian on September 2nd, 2010 in Cookbook Reviews,Dedicated Drinker's Diary,Recipes No Comments

Suzen is crocheting and she’s pulling on the yarn so fast it’s making a purring sound. There is a serious look on her face.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Nothing,” she says, not looking up.

Well, something is wrong and I have to help.

Suzen was recently diagnosed with PAD. While it should not prove fatal, it can be quite painful. Fortunately, she is not alone. Millions of Americans unknowingly suffer from PAD. I’m looking for a support group.

Oh, what is PAD? It’s Pre-Party Anxiety Disorder.

We’re giving a party this weekend to celebrate the winding down of summer. No sooner had Suzen issued the last phone call invitation then it began.

“What are we going to serve? What if the hurricane hits? I can’t do the focaccia again because Alice had it here last month.” And on. And on.

Being a systems kind of guy, I sat with her and we’ve worked our way through the menu. Dish by dish. She’s calmer but wants something different at each step along the way.

And as bartender, she wanted me to come up with a good gin drink. Well, I did, and I tested it last weekend. Testing seemed to start out well.

“This is a good drink,” she said.

Then it stopped being well.

“It has the goop in it, doesn’t it?” she eyed me and I had to look away. She’s referring to coco lopez, that coconut stuff in pina coladas.

“I haven’t served you that in five years,” I said in defense.

“I hate it. You know that. Stop trying,” she said warmly. Something about coco lopez clogging the arteries although I think that is an urban myth. How can anything so tasty be bad for you?

Back to my cocktail bookshelf. I wanted something summery with no coco lopez. I even vowed not to have any sugar syrup. Suzen’s cousin Karen was in the kitchen as I was testing, came up to me, and announced, “You make everything too sweet. You make my teeth hurt.” I bit my tongue and did not tell to find a better dentist.

This is a great gin drink, tropical with juice flavor and vibrancy that is ideal for a party. This recipe is for 3 drinks. It easily scales to a pitcher.

The recipe is British — where else would you find a gin recipe? The Little Book of Gin Cocktails was published in 2000, just as the current rash of great cocktail books began. I love this book because it is a bit pre-trendy, avoiding some of the wilder ideas and additions. This drink is perfect example. Just gin and juices.

Oh, Suzen likes it. And I can vouch that it reduces anxiety. Try it for your PAD, too.

Gin Tropical

Yield: Serves 3

Ingredients:

• 12 ice cubes
• Sugar for rimming
• 6 more ice cubes
• 6 ounces gin
• 4 ounces lemon juice
• 4 ounces passion fruit juice
• 2 ounces orange juice
• Soda water
•  

Preparation:

Crush the ice cubes and place in a bowl.

Juice the lemons and reserve the lemon halves. Run a lemon half around the rim of a cocktail glass, then dip the glass into sugar. [See my recent post for Citrus Sugar for rimming!]

Put the gin and juices in a cocktail shaker. Add the 6 ice cubes and shake vigorously until cold.

Pour into the prepared glasses. If you want garnish with a slice of lemon.

Be prepared for compliments and requests for more.

Source: Little Book of Gin Cocktails by Hamlyn

Crispy Cauliflower with Lemon and Mint

by Brian on September 1st, 2010 in Recipes No Comments

I know that the title of this post will have caused some people to pause for just a moment. How can a blog devoted to chocolate and alcohol present something about cauliflower?

It turns out that my food pyramid is defective:

• Level 1: Sugars: white, light brown, dark brown and confectioners
• Level 2: Butter, eggs and milk
• Level 3: Flour and baking powder
• Level 4: Bacon and chicken wings

It appears that I left out vegetables. And it further turns out that there are some rarely eaten vegetables that can be delicious. Even cauliflower. How many times have you eaten cauliflower? Unless you eat a lot of cheap stir fry, I bet you can count the number of times on your fingers.

But this dish is a reason you’ll need to start counting on your toes, too. This is an excellent side companion, one that will create conversation at the dinner table.

This recipe can be quickly made and gives you the freedom to experiment. Try more lemon or chile or mint, bump up the onion, maybe add some Asian hot sauce. This can be your cauliflower gateway. The recipe is from Chef Bruce Binn of Termidor in San Francisco. It’s further proof that San Francisco is an American culinary mother lode.

In the directions below, the cauliflower is baked, cooled, then warmed in a skillet. We were testing, we were hungry, we skipped the cooking and warming part. We went directly from oven to seasoning and found the disk yummy.

Not to worry, my readers. I will be returning to chocolate and alcohol in the next blogs.

Crispy Cauliflower with Lemon and Mint

Yield: Serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients:

• 1 medium head of cauliflower, rinsed, trimmed and cut into small florets (about 1 pound)
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Salt
• 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 mint leaves, torn

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large mixing bowl, toss the cauliflower floret with 2 tablespoon of the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Transfer the cauliflower to a rimmed baking sheet and roast, rotating the baking sheet and stirring the cauliflower halfway through, until the edges are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add the cauliflower and cook over medium-high heat, stirring until crispy and warmed through, about 4 minutes.

In a large blow, toss the cauliflower with the lemon juice, pepper flakes and mint. Season with salt and serve immediate.

Source: Chef Bruce Binn, Termidor, San Francisco and published in Tasting Table