A Manhattan cocktail

This is a a slightly spicy version of a classic Manhattan cocktail. Ginger is steeped and simmered in 1 cup of water, and 3/4 cup of demerara brown sugar to make a gingered simple syrup. The simple syrup can last in the fridge for several weeks. I store mine sealed in a ball jar. Making simple syrup is easy. Combine 1 part water with equal parts sugar. I add less sugar, and never notice.

The cardamom bitters add a little something special.  Readers, I must confess. I had made this fine cocktail and then placed it on a coaster on top of the coffee table. I thought, "this deserves blogging." So Neeli kicks her feet up, laptop on lap, bottom on couch, and extends her feet and then watches in slow motion as she knocks over the drink. Clumsiness at its finest. In the pic above, there are two Manhattans. The hubs happily gave me his. Feel free to omit the honey. The dry vermouth adds a bit of balance.

A Manhattan with gingered simple syrup and cardamom bitters
Adapted from a classic Manhattan; yield 1 beverage

Ingredients:
2 oz rye, such as Bulleit Rye
1 oz gingered simple syrup (see note below)
1/2 oz dry vermouth (sweet vermouth is usually preferred) I like Dolin Vermouth
1-2 dashes cardamom bitters (Scrappy's bitters are featured here)
honey (optional)
maraschino cherry

Directions:
1. In a shaker (or other suitable vessel good for mixing drinks without spilling) add ice, and then the rye, gingered simple syrup, vermouth, and bitters. Shake for 10 seconds. If you are opposed to shaking, stir everything together until chilled and combined.
2. In a martini glass, add the cherry, and line just under the rim with a a bit of honey. Strain the drink into the martini glass, and serve immediately. Oh yum.

Gingered simple syrup
Yield: 1 cup of simple syrup

Ingredients:
4-5" segment of fresh whole ginger, chopped into 1/2 inch slices. I also use a microplane and grate about 1" whole.
1 cup water
1/2 cup to 1 cup sugar (I used demerara brown sugar)

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Let it cool down, and strain into a ball jar, or other glass jar. The syrup will keep in the fridge for a few weeks.

Tuna with black bean sauce

This recipe is adapted from Mark Bittman's Roasted Thick Fish Fillets. 

This dish smells marvelous when it's cooking. It's rich and filling for a Monday night dinner. Although it appears to take much longer to prepare, I made the fish, a brown rice pilaf, some flash-fried potatoes, and some steamed cabbage - in under an hour. Honestly, I did. I even put a bottle of wine into the freezer. 

I used frozen thick cut tuna steaks, and lots of freezer items. The premise of this dish is to pan-sear the tuna over medium-high heat for a few minutes on each side, and then finish the cooking in the oven. You add a liquid and some herbs and it creates a rich sauce. I chose a white-wine base with lots of Asian herbs (Thai basil, cilantro), ginger, fermented black bean sauce, and sun-dried tomatoes. My freezer is stocked with frozen herbs, and my pantry is stocked with useful ingredients. The freezer items included frozen fresh ginger, frozen cabbage from my fall CSA-box, Thai basil, and frozen cilantro. Frozen herbs aren't as good as fresh, but they seem more flavorful than dried. I store them whole in zip top bags, or I store them in ice cube trays. Place freshly chopped herbs and water in an ice-cube tray and freeze until frozen. Ginger root stores well in the freezer. When you want to use it just grate it frozen over a microplane, or run under water until just softened and chop. Jalapeños store well in the freezer.

The tuna was served with the sauce alongside a brown rice pilaf and steamed cabbage. Top the tuna with the fried potatoes and serve immediately. I paired this meal with a Sauvignon blanc. 

Tuna with a white wine fermented black bean sauce and Thai-basil

This recipe is adapted from Mark Bittman's Roasted Thick Fish Fillets

Yield: Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients:

3 tbsp olive oil 

1 medium potato, peeled and cut into a small dice (1/2" by 1/2")

1 or 2, 6 oz tuna steaks

salt and pepper

3/4 cup white wine plus 1/4 cup water (can also use vegetable broth instead of wine)

1 tbsp fermented black bean sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)

1/2 cup mixed Thai basil and cilantro 

1 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

Fresh ginger, shredded 

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450º F (230º C).

2. In an oven-proof skillet, heat up 3 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in the small diced potatoes and cook until golden brown (6 minutes). Once golden, spoon off the potatoes with some of the remaining olive oil and place on a non-stick baking pan in the oven to finish cooking. Set a timer for 8 minutes to avoid overcooking. You should have about 2 tbsp of olive oil leftover. 

3. Dredge the tuna in a bit of salt and pepper. I used Trader Joe's chili sea salt. Place the tuna in the skillet, and sear on each side for about 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, combine wine, water, and the fermented black bean sauce and pour into the skillet. The skillet will make an impressive sizzling sound. Lift the pan and swirl around the liquid, and then place in the oven. Set the timer for 10 minutes. 

4. Combine the herbs, sun dried tomatoes, and slivered, or shredded, ginger in a small bowl and set aside. 

5. Once the 10-minute timer goes off, flip the tuna over, add the bowl of herbs from step 4, and set the timer for another 5-6 minutes. If the tuna is thicker, it may require additional cooking time. Alternatively, if you like your tuna on the medium side, cook for less time. The fish is done when it flakes easily. Serve immediately and garnish with potatoes. 

Pineapple top shelf margs

It was warm and sunny today; a balmy 65 ºF at the end of January. That's winter in the south my friends. The hubs is on dinner duty tonight (chili cheese enchiladas!) so I pulled out some pineapple from the fridge and made margaritas.

The fresh pineapple and freshly squeezed orange juice is really killer. However, they could easily be subbed with frozen or canned pineapple, and commercial oj. I bought a sample pack of bitters (lime, cardamom, chocolate, and grapefruit), and the lime bitters made a tasty addition. However, I would've just added lime juice if I didn't have them.

On a side note, this weekend was spent exploring some nearby hometown digs. The Sloss Furnaces
in Birmingham were visited, followed up with a visit to Avondale Brewing Company. The Sloss Furnaces are a historic site with preserved intact post-industrial steam furnaces used to make iron and pig iron. I learned why Birmingham is called the Magic City, and that it was founded at the junction of two railroad crossings. The iron factories would operate all day and night, and when the iron was being poured out it would light up the budding Birmingham skyline a gleaming orange. That, coupled with tremendous growth, caused Birmingham to rapidly change, as if magic had miraculously expanded the city.

Avondale beers have a distinct flavor. They have a jolly rancher-esque tang that permeates the saison-styles, and is on the nose of many of their other beers. The hubs enjoyed a few pints of the oud bruin, a Flemish-style red, and I liked the Miss Fancy's Belgian-style tripel. It's always fun to hear the Flemish words pronounced in the American way. Oud sounds like ode, when it should be the "ow" that you hear in town; bruin was pronounced "broon,"  but should be said like it's English translation, "brown." Duvel gets it the worst. Everyone here thinks Duvel is French and pronounces it the French way, but (alas and sigh) it's Flemish and is said like "doovle" and not "du-VEL" with the emphasis on "vel." Alright folks my snobby self is leaving you with these margs: which is said exactly like it's spelled.

Pineapple Top-Shelf Margs
Yield: 2 margaritas for 2 greedy people, or enough for 4

Ingredients:
1 cup, fresh pineapple chunks (frozen pineapple would be great)
Juice of 2 medium oranges or approx 1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup tequila (I used Don Julio)
1/4 cup triple sec
2 T brown sugar (or 2 T simple syrup)
lime bitters (optional), I used Scrappy's Lime Bitters, but feel free to sub in fresh lime juice
ice
pineapple wedges for garnish

Directions:
In a blender, add all of the ingredients from the pineapple to the ice. Blend on high speed until fully blended. Pour into mason jars, or festive glasses, garnish with pineapple chunks, and a swizzle stick. If you don't have a swizzle stick, a single chopstick works well. The margarita tends to separate into 2 distinct layers, so a swizzle is nice.

Of course, you can substitute rum for the tequila, and some coconut milk for the orange juice, for a top-shelf colada.

Jewelry Cork Boards

Somehow, my favorite jewelry pieces always end up getting tucked into drawers. Necklaces come up  intertwined and tangled, a single earring when I need the pair. I wanted a quick way to store jewelry, but also show it off so I could remember what pieces I had. The other day I was perusing Michael's on  a Friday evening when I saw cork boards (yes, you read that right - sigh - Michael's Craft Store on a Friday evening). I was trying to find frames, and instead came up with an idea for turning the cork boards into lovely jewelry holders. 

I picked up a set of cork boards that are advertised for dorm rooms, a few frame holders, and a box of clear tacks. The idea is to set the cork boards on the frame holders, place tacks on the board randomly, and hang jewelry from the tacks. When I came home, I realized that the cork boards were a bit messy. They flake very easily leaving cork dust everywhere. I had some Modge Podge and foam brushes at home, and I used the Modge Podge as a seal for the edges. The cork boards I picked up were 12" by 12." Find wide frame holders with a tall back. This way, they won't tip over when you set all your jewelry on top. Since I was really feeling the creative streak, I repurposed beer bomber bottles into bangle holders. This project costs about $20.00 for all the items. However, it may be a bit more expensive if you need to find yourself some beer bombers. But then you have the best craft night ever. (craft + beer = duh). 

Jewelry Cork Boards

Yield: 2 boards, or as many as you like

Items needed:

2 cork boards 

2 frame holders

50 clear tacks

Modge Podge

a foam brush

Directions:

1. Lay out some old paper on a table. The cork boards tend to shed everywhere, so I like to brush off the edges and seal them with Modge Podge to keep them from shedding on my dresser. 

2. Next set each board on the frame holder. Dip a foam brush in some Modge Podge and place a layer along the edges of the cork board. This will seal the edges and prevent the board from crumbling excessively. Leave the cork boards on the frames to dry. I did 3 sides, let them dry for a day, then finished the last side. They dry easily when they are mounted on the frame holders.  

3. Once dry, lay the cork boards flat and arrange the tacks all around the board. Place the cork boards on the frame, and start displaying your favorite jewelry. 

Autumn quiche

This quiche, baked up from seasonal CSA kale and escarole, was among some of the better things I baked up this past fall, hence the name autumn quiche. If you don't bake the quiche, at least tuck the French tart dough recipe into your web archives. It is that good.















Autumn Quiche
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 recipe French Tart Dough
olive oil
6 large eggs
splash milk
3 cups chopped raw kale and raw escarole
1-2 cloves chopped garlic
3 tbsp kalamata olives, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, or a goat cheese would be very good)
1/4 cup chopped basil
2-3 spring onions, chopped fine
salt and pepper to taste
pinch nutmeg

Directions:
1. Prep the tart dough. Allow it to cool before using. This tart dough is one of the best out there. I have used it to make lemon tarts, chocolate tarts, almond-pear tarts, and now quiches. It never fails. It's simple, it's easy, it's my favorite.
2. Once your quiche (tart dough) is cooling, heat up about 1 tsp of olive oil in a large skillet. Once it's hot sauté the kale, escarole, and garlic in the olive oil. Add a few tbsp of water to the pan if the greens start to stick.
3. Turn the eat to low and let it wilt down. Turn the heat off and set aside.
4. Prep the oven to 350º F or 180º C.
5. In a small bowl, combine the chopped olives, shredded cheese, and herbs.
6. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs and milk with a whisk. Add the remaining ingredients to the egg mixture and season with salt and pepper, and nutmeg.
7. Add the egg mixture to the quiche dough, and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until done. Let stand about 1 hour before serving. Stores well and makes excellent leftover lunch where you can brag to coworkers about how the escarole melts into the quiche.