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A Nightcap for All Ages

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Cup of cocoaSo! Originally I thought we’d finish up the preparation of drinks with smoothies and other non-alcoholic bevvies. Things change, however, and with the temperature dropping and folks spending early nights at home, together, a really good hot cocoa recipe can’t be beat. Here’s the one that Todd and I have been enjoying and I’ll bet you have have everything you need right in your cupboard and fridge!

Spiced Hot Cocoa*

1/3 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
1 tsp ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground Nutmeg
3 cups Milk, divided
Mini-marshmallows

Whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small saucepan. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the milk until smooth and heat until steaming. Stir in the remaining milk and heat through (do not boil).  Place some mini-marshmallows into the bottom of a couple of handled mugs or cups and pour the hot cocoa over them.

This recipe makes 4 tidy 6-ounce servings. Or, if you’re like us, 2 normal 12-oz servings. I’m one of those girls that always uses more of the cocoa mix than the package calls for, so I took the original dry ingredients but used only 3 cups of milk instead of 4 and really liked the richness of this ratio instead of following their directions. Who wants wimpy hot chocolate, right?

*adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

 

Cocktail Appreciation

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Cocktail, Anyone?

Cocktail, Anyone?

Well, now that we’ve covered how to avoid and/or compensate for a hangover should we overindulge, let’s get on to the business of appreciating all (okay, some) of what the world of cocktails have to offer.

Of course I understand some people have religious, dietary or other reasons and restrictions as to why they don’t drink alcohol. (If you find yourself in that group, no worries: we’ll cover non-alcoholic libations next week.) But many time I’ve hear folks say: I don’t like the taste of alcohol. And I’d hazard a guess that the majority of them, and maybe you’re one, were just served a bad drink.

If you’re only encounters with a mixed drink or cocktail were at a college party or ladies’ night at a local bar, chances are you didn’t experience the best the world of cocktails has to offer. If you’re only taste of a margarita was from a slushy machine at a dive Mexican joint, chances are there’s some improvement to be had. And if you’ve ever started a night with a Long Island Iced Tea (and remembered nothing else), you could stand to give the bar menu another shot.

Pun unintended.

And let’s talk about shots for a moment: I’ve never been fond of them. Yes, I did an entire series of so-called shots, but my recipes were merely cocktails small in stature but big on flavor. And they were meant to be sipped, not shot. Shots are for getting drunk as quickly as possible, and I’m not really down with that.

Back to the cocktails, though. It’s pretty impossible to distill (okay, I meant that pun) all there is to know about cocktail appreciation into 1000 words or less, but I’m going to break it down to a few important points.

1. Quality

They say you get what you pay for and that often translates to if you want quality, you have to pay for it: a lot. This is not always the case in alcohol (think of how many excellent bottles of wine can be found for $10 or less) but it does, often, pay to go “top shelf” or premium if you really want to enjoy your drink. For instance, if you’ve ever been served a Cosmopolitan made with Triple Sec (a low-cost type of orange liqueur) and didn’t like it? Consider trying one made with Cointreau (a higher-cost and -quality orange liqueur)–the difference will astound you!

Another good example is vodka. A really good vodka might make your mouth tingle a bit but it shouldn’t burn in the back of your throat. A jug of cheap vodka will need a lot of mixer to make the drink smooth, but a good vodka can be sipped and enjoyed for it’s bracing quality (though good vodka also has little to no flavor–on purpose–so sipping an all-vodka martini has always baffled me).

2. Balance

Which brings us to balance, which can be achieved as much in the recipe of a cocktail as in the technique of your bartender. Since, again, my qualification for a good cocktail is one that doesn’t beat me over the head with the alcohol, the cocktails I love as well as the ones I design make use of mixers (non-alcoholic ingredients) to balance the alcohol.  This also makes a cocktail a bit easier to customize for individual drinkers. If it’s all-alcohol, there’s not really much you can do to tone it down, a mixer allows you to add a bit more if it’s going to suit the recipient’s palette.

Where technique comes in is with the mixing. Traditionally, cocktails that are all-alcohol are stirred (yes, think of Bond’s “shaken, not stirred” line), whereas those with mixers included are shaken. There are always exceptions to this rule, of course. Drinks that include carbonated beverages are shaken without the soda, perhaps, or not shaken at all so that the bubbles are still present. And I’ve been known to shake an all-alcohol cocktail because a well-shaken cocktail gets up to 25% of it’s volume from the melted ice, and sometimes that’s all you need. I also include garnishes and rimming glasses with salt, sugar or other items a mark of technique.

3. Flavor

Finally, alcohol is an amazing conveyor of flavor. Don’t believe me? Think about vanilla. Yes, the vanilla that you use in baking. It is actually a very low-proof alcohol that serves to contain and confer the flavor of costly vanilla beans better than any other liquid. You can even make your own vanilla with a few beans and a little brandy, rum or vodka (and a fair amount of time–but the results are amazing).

With all that said, why drink alcohol at all? It’s certainly not a required element of being an adult! But I look at it as the same as people who start their day with coffee, or have soda to pep them up. Alcohol has a similar (if opposite) affect on us and I fully admit to liking that tipsy feeling a good cocktail can impart. The languor from sipping on a nice drink at the end of a long week is just as fabulous as the flushed, convivial atmosphere some spiked punch can add to a party. Can these things be achieved sans-alcohol? Sure, but it’s not near as much fun!

Of course, I must close with the following caveats:

  • Don’t ever let anyone pressure you into doing something you don’t want to do.
  • Drink responsibly
  • Always use a designated driver

Hangovers–and I Don’t Mean the Movies

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Moving on from cooking basics, now we move onto their complementing art of beverages.

24 The Preparation of Drinks

Drinks are of two kinds, distilled or not. The latter may be fermented or not. Unfermented drinks are made by squeezing mudga beans [Phaseolus mungo], mango, or mulberry fruit, and adding sugar or tamarind fruit. Fermented drinks are made with palm wine [toddy], or wild fig wine [mahua]. When distilled, a liqueur is obtained that may be mild, medium or strong.

There’s almost as much to discuss about cocktails as there is for food, but since this is the day after a holiday and some may have attended a Halloween party or two last night, perhaps we should start at the end, so to speak, and talk about what to do if you’ve over-done it.

A hangover is brought on by 2 things: dehydration and excess stomach acid. In an ideal world we’d all be responsible and drink a glass of water (or two!) between cocktails to stay hydrated, not to mention a bottle of water and 2 aspirin before bed. But we don’t live in that ideal world and sometimes we get a little carried away and the next morning–whether it comes at 8 am or 2 pm–can be a bit of a bear.

(the following comes from a November, 2008, post from my Nibbles column at Random Acts Comics)

The other issue, the sour stomach of too much sugar sent down the pipe (again, alcohol is sugar, folks, all breaks down to the same carbs, carbs, carbs in the final equation), can be both more or less difficult to manage, depending on your point of view.

A lot of party-goers know that a stop by the local all-night drive through (or stumble-to, judging by my last such experience) will make one feel better. The reason this works is that the fat helps coat your stomach and protect it from some of that excess acid that gets churned up trying to deal with the excess sugars in your system. Plus the protein from a burger or chicken finger will give your body something else to work on in the interim.

When I was in culinary school the subject of drinking came up (go figure). You know why so many chef’s drink? It’s because you stare at food for hours and hours, late into the wee hours, and need to do something else when it’s all over (or to get through, depends on the chef); at least that was our chef’s position on the matter. As such, chef’s have a great wealth of ideas on how to get rid of (or prevent) a hangover. This was my favorite.

Hangover Sandwich

2 slices of good bread
Butter
Mayo
Smoked salmon
Bacon
Horseradish or mustard (optional)

Spread the butter on both sides of the bread and saute in a hot pan until golden, essentially making two large, French-style as opposed to salad style, croûtons. Spread some mayo on one side of each crouton and layer on the smoked salmon and bacon. You can add horseradish sauce or mustard to taste, it’s up to you, but the butter, salmon and bacon really are the key parts due to the fat and protein gains. Eat up!

I’ve never actually had to make use of that recipe, but it’s nice to know I’ve got it in reserve.

There other prevailing theory on hangover cures seems to revolve around the idea of “hair of the dog” in one way or another.

First off is just to get up and keep drinking. Not necessarily a lot, just enough to take the edge off; a good time for a Bloody Mary or Mimosa. Speaking of Bloody Mary’s, it occurs to me to wonder about adding more acid to an already roiling stomach. Aside from the nutrients and vitamins in the tomato juice (or o.j., for that matter), adding more acid is the hair of the dog, as well, just a different breed. But I still think water is the best thing to drink after a late night with one (or three) too many.

Another popular remedy that I hadn’t considered before is eating spicy food. Now, I don’t know about you but I’m not really down for Mexican or Thai when I’m feeling green, but some friends swear that the spices help to “sweat out” the toxins and speed the recovery process. I’ll leave that to them, frankly, and just try not to over-indulge in the first place.

~~~oOo~~~

Now that we’ve covered how to prevent and “treat” a hangover, next week we’ll talk about making the drinks that got us there!

Practice Safe Eating: Use a Condiment

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(if you get that pun right off, I love you to pieces)

Okay, so another facet of this art of cooking is the use of condiments–sauces, toppings, dressings, etc.–to enhance the flavor of the everyday vegetable. (And, if you haven’t noticed, this cooking art is vegetarian; consider the source and all that.)

Frankly, a farmer’s market-fresh vegetable prepared simply (steamed or roasted) and seasoned only with a bit of salt and olive oil is, to me, a beautiful thing. I’m all about not mucking around with natural flavor.

HOWEVER…

This practice can get a little boring over time. And if you don’t have fresh veggies available year round for whatever reason and you’re resorting to the freezer section to find you favorites, it’s nice to be able to dress them up from time to time.

Have you ever noticed how some bottles say “tomato ketchup” rather than just ketchup/catsup? Or read an old recipe that listed it like that? The reason, if you’re curious, is that tomatoes are not the only things to be made into ketchup! The name ketchup comes from a Chinese brined-fish sauce that the British colonist of the 18th century fell in love with and brought back home (that’s one theory, at least). And recipes exist for mushroom and walnut ketchups, neither of which I’ve tried but it is intriguing. There’s even banana ketchup!

While ketchup is most often found being paired with fried potatoes of some sort, if you think about its components–tomatoes, vinegar, spices and a little sugar–you might find it goes well with other vegetables, too.

And then there’s the ubiquitous mayonnaise (a popular fry-dip in parts of Europe, by the way). Folks either seem to love it or hate it (and some a little of both, truth be told). I’m on the love side mostly for it’s flavor and ability to make sandwiches not dry. I can’t stand dry bread. But there’s more to this emulsion (the combination of 2 things that usually don’t combine) than just a sandwich schmear. Not only does it form the base of many popular sauces (tartar, remoulade, thousand island, etc.), it’s close cousin, aioli, steps up the lowly salad dressing with the inclusion of garlic, first and foremost, as well as other spices. Aioli is a lovely accompaniment to grilled vegetables (both green and root), fish and meats.

Oh, and if you’ve ever wondered about that sauce they serve at most chicken strip places and wanted to make your own? Combine equal amounts of mayo and ketchup, season with Worchestershire to taste and then, the trick I’ve been told, is to cover the surface with ground black pepper, stir it in, and repeat. Seriously, it’s that simple!

On the not-so-simple front is yet another emulsion but one that’s worth the effort for the culinary dare devils. I’ve never had a problem with making Hollandaise sauce but many fear it it. If not done correctly it can break (separate from it’s emulsion) or the eggs can scramble rather than combine smoothly with the butter and lemon juice, but when done right it’s amazing on grilled fish or steamed asparagus. And it’s tough to make a proper Eggs Benedict without it!

Now those are all creamy sauces and ones I really like because, to me, creamy is right up there with carbs as heaven-sent! But I know not everyone likes cream sauces, so what are some other options?

Vinaigrette comes immediately to mind. A simple combination of oil and vinegar (3 parts oil per 1 part vinegar) flavored any which way you want. You could go simple with salt and pepper or toss in some fresh herbs and smashed garlic. You can also change up your style of vinegar to change the dressing.

Chutneys come in two main forms: the Indian/South Asian style which is highly flavored and usually pureed or pounded smooth by a mortar and pestle or the chunky sweet and tart reductions of America and Europe. The first are often thin sauces relying on herbs or finely chopped fruit and vegetables for their flavor while the latter prefers large chunks bound together by a thick, syrupy sauce. You can make them yourself or purchase them ready-made, but either way they add a lot of variety to otherwise plain dishes. Salsa isn’t exactly a chutney, but it is a lovely condiment that can either be nice and chunky or pureed nearly smooth.

Finally, there are a couple of sauces with odd names that are worth knowing. A gastrique (ga-STREEK), for instance is a sauce of carmelized sugar deglazed with vinegar, flavored with any number of things. Likewise a coulis (koo-lees) might show up on a lot of fancy restaurant menus but all it is is a pureed and strained fruit or vegetable sauce.

This, of course, is just an overview. Did I miss a favorite sauce or condiment that’s a staple in your home? Let me know in the comments!

Meet Your Veggies!

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Farmers Market BountyAll ten of them!

According to the list-maker, their definition of vegetable is the broader one: as in, if it’s not animal or mineral, it must be vegetable!

Now, the key to cooking well is not so much in being able to follow a recipe–that’s a great place to start, of course–it’s in the cook’s comfort with their ingredients. The more you cook, the more you learn how ingredients work in various situations. After a while you will find that you’ve gained enough proficiency to save a failing recipe or improve a sub-par one.

So let’s see about these 10 types of vegetables!

Roots

Carrots, Parsnips, Beets, Radishes and Turnips

Split ’em, Peel ’em and Roast ’em up crispy. Any of these veggies (yes, even the radishes) are wonderful after some time in the oven. Turnips, sliced like steak fries and drizzled with olive oil and spices, make a great French fry alternative. Wrap each beet in foil before roasting, the skins just rub off–no knife required! And if you’ve never had a parsnip (they look like a white carrot), they’re slightly sweet with a hint of pepper and can be whipped and mashed in addition to roasted.

Leaves

Ah, those leafy greens. Everything from Arugula to Watercress can make for wonderful salad bases. The heartier greens (like turnip, mustard and kale) make amazing side dishes that cook up quickly in a hot pan with a little bit of garlic and some olive oil. Don’t be deceived by their volume, though: there’s a lot of water in those leaves and they cook down to next to nothing in seconds. Start with way more than you think you’ll need and you’ll have a nice side dish in no time.

Seeds (and Nuts)

When I took Latin in high school a common phrase we learned translated to “from soup to nuts” meaning the whole kit and caboodle since formal Roman meals began with soup and ended with nuts. While a nut course isn’t part of today’s usual line-up, they make a great snack because of their B vitamins and relatively healthy fats (though the latter is why it’s a good idea not to eat too many).

Cooking with nuts is fairly straightforward: they’re great as fillings and toppings and can be ground, in the case of almonds, as a sauce thickener. Mostly you have to be careful that the nuts haven’t gone bad–those fats they are so rich in? Can easily turn rancid, which is why it’s not a bad idea to store leftover nuts and seeds in the freezer–they’re one of the few foods that isn’t harmed by the freezing process.

Seeds also encompass beans and peas and even lentils. Those are best soaked and cooked long and slow in order to tenderize them but they are serious power-houses when it comes to protein and fiber. Always good things. That, and they are so malleable and will take so many different flavor profiles they can be used over and over without feeling like you’re eating the same thing.

Buds

This category is full of the unexpecteds. Buds aren’t something we think about eating but the most common one are the little tiny buds that make broccoli florets look like little trees. Blanch them in boiling water to bring up their color and then use them however you want. We like to just steam them and toss them with a little olive oil, lemon juice and garlic.

Other buds in hiding are cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Cabbage is another one of those foods that deflates as it cooks and looses all that water in the leaves. Steam it in a big pot with a ham hock for your New Year’s Day meal or shred it for an awesome cole slaw. Brussels sprouts are usually boiled or steamed, but split them and roast them with a little curry powder and you will be in for a wonderful surprise!

Fruits

Easy mark, right? Fruits are sweet, juicy, lots of natural sugars and perfect for desserts. All true. But don’t annex them to that final course so soon.

Mangoes and pineapples have enzymes that make them wonderful natural meat tenderizers. They also pair wonderfully as a topping (like a chutney) for grilled meats. Apples and pears are each great matches to pork. And tart cherries or cranberries with chicken? Perfection.

Fruits are pretty delicate, though, so you want to be careful not to cook them too long or they’ll be mush and mush isn’t always great.

Tubers

Potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams and water chestnuts. The first three? Boil them, roast them, bake them or mash them and they’ll be great. Now, for white potatoes you might need to pile on the flavor agents–salt, herbs, garlic out the wazoo. One of the best things about white potatoes is that they are so malleable but if they’re under seasoned? It’s blech.

Sweet potatoes and yams, though, they have a wonderful natural sweetness but you don’t have to stick with the cinnamon and brown sugar. Experiment with a little bit of chili powder or cumin along with the “sweet” spices and edge out of those tuber-ruts!

Now water chestnuts are great in an entirely different way. I have two main uses for them: stir fries (where they soak up that wonderful sauce) and spinach dip. Something about the crunch among the creamy is just heavenly.

Stalks

Celery, anyone? Not just for dieters, some diced celery livens up a chicken salad, helps round out your basic stock-making veggies (along with onions and carrots) and really is good when filled with peanut butter or pimento cheese. So what if it’s a carrier some days, every veggie has its purpose!

Another favorite stem or stalk is the asparagus. Always look for tightly closed tips (those are actually flower buds!) and snap off the bottoms before cooking (if you hold each end and bend they’ll snap where they need to–discard the bottoms, they’ll be too tough to eat). Steam them and add a little lemon juice and pepper. You can go the hollandaise-route, but only if you’re feeling really ambitious.

Peels

Two quick(?) thoughts here: citrus peels are fabulous for flavoring all sorts of dishes without adding extra liquid because the zest is chock full of wonderful oils. All you want is the colored part, the white spongy bits are the pith and they are very bitter.

The other peel worth noting is cinnamon. It’s actually the inner bark of certain trees (cinnamon and cassia)–which is why the whole sticks look so woody. Try adding some to your meatballs the next time you make them–it’s great with red meat.

Flowers

Edible flowers are so much fun! They have the most impact when added as a salad accent but they can also be folded into tarts and cakes, dried and used as teas or–in the case of larger ones like squash blossoms–filled, battered and deep fried!

Always be sure of the source of your edible flowers, you want to make sure there were no harmful pesticides (which is why you don’t just swoop into someone’s garden and dig in!). Edible varieties include nasturtium, carnation, honeysuckle, chickory, cornflower, sunflowers and roses.

Bamboos

Bamboo is generally an acquired taste, but if you eat enough Chinese take-out you might just acquire it. Hundreds of pandas can’t be wrong, right? But don’t go making like a panda and just gnaw on a stalk–they must be fully cooked before eating to prevent unpleasant side effects.

So, are you inspired to try a different vegetable this week?