Got dopamine?

Several years ago, I realized that sugar could be my heroin.  To be more precise, sugar, combined with the right amount of salt and fat, is my China White.  Now, thanks to those pesky, determined research scientists, we know why, since the dopamine receptors that get stimulated during heroin use are the same ones that get triggered by sugar and fat.

So, now you know that I am a closet sugar and fat addict.  And every once in a while, I go on a binge.  But I don't want a mainstream sugar fix--I want something with a little panache. Like these Coconut Cashew Curry Rice Krispies Bites.

Sweet, spicy, salty, rich and exotic, these treats make my dopamine receptors light up like a pinball machine and it's hard to stop reaching for more.  My dirty little trick is to cut them very small (about 1" square) so I can have several and feel totally decadent about it.

No unusual ingredients here, get them at your local grocery.  Easy, fun and elegant at your next cocktail party.  Rice Krispies and martinis?  You bet!  But when you share them with your friends, they won't know whether to slap you or kiss you since they'll be hooked too.

Coconut Cashew Curry Rice Krispies Bites

         

           ~~inspired by an idea in Food and Wine Magazine~~

5 Tbs. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan

One 16 oz. bag miniature marshmallows

2 Tbs. mild curry powder (such as Madras-style)

1/4  tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 c. toasted coconut

3/4 c. salted cashews, roughly chopped or smashed with a mallet

9 c. puffed rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies

Butter a 9" x 13" baking dish or a sided sheetcake pan (1" depth).  In a large kettle or 6 qt. Dutch oven, melt 5 Tbs. butter.  Add the marshmallow and reduce heat, stirring with a large spoon (avoid using plastic, it may melt) over low heat until marshmallows are melted. 

Stir in the curry powder, cayenne, kosher salt and toasted coconut, blending well.  Remove from heat, then add the cashews and puffed rice, stirring until completely coated.

Scoop the mixture into the greased baking dish and press into an even layer.  A nesting pan on top of a greased piece of waxed paper or foil laid over the top of the mixture is a great tool to use to press down evenly and to make sure mixture reaches into the corners of the dish.  Let stand at room temperature until cool and firm, about 45 minutes.

Invert the mixture onto a work surface and using a sharp knife, cut into 1" squares.  Makes about 6 dozen squares.

A little late-night "research" in mixology with my Wine Guy

When my friend and personal wine guy Bill and I get together to do "research," we inevitably end up making up new cocktails.  Perhaps this is as a result of our late-evening blood alcohol content, when we are more likely to fancy ourselves capable mixologists.  But perhaps it's because, between the two of us, Bill and I have some pretty impressive cocktail making skills and knowledge about booze.  I'd like to give option #2 full credence for our results, but option #1 does assist in the creativity department.  Both options are fully responsible for hangovers.

Take our most recent progeny: The Coho Martini.  An alchemy of house-infused pomegranate vodka, Damiana liqueur, Aperol and fresh lime juice, this drink is perfectly balanced and beautiful in the glass. 

Although you could use another commercially-produced pomegranate vodka, infusing your own is easy (but you will need to start about 3 weeks out) and contributes a glow to this cocktail.  To make your own pomegranate vodka, remove the arils from the pomegranate and place in a large, clean container along with 750 ml of mid-price vodka.  Cover and let things take their course.  Your vodka is ready when the arils are bleached of their color and the vodka is a deep blush in color.  This process takes about 3 to 4 weeks, so you need a little patience.  Then strain the infusion into a clean container (use a coffee filter if you want it to be exceptionally clear), discard the arils and cover your new baby tightly until ready to use.  It lasts for several months if stored away from heat and light and will eventually darken if not consumed.  You can also add a few ounces of store-bought organic pomegranate juice to plain vodka and get similar results in about 3 minutes.  For some of us, patience is just not a virtue and believe me, I do understand that.

Now, let's talk a little bit about Aperol.  Aperol is like the friend you only see once in a while, but when you do, you wonder why you don't see more of each other.  And if you don't have a bottle of this incredibly versatile, lightly bitter, orange-scented aperitif, now made by the folks who make Campari, you should run right out and get one (since I hear you can buy your friends nowadays).  This lovely stuff is a gorgeous color and also makes a great cocktail when mixed with grapefruit juice.  I was hooked when I tasted my first Pamplemousse (find Orangette's version here).  Truthfully, Aperol makes a lot of great-tasting cocktails, period, and I tend to reach for it when I want a more complex flavor profile.  But a little goes a long way in something like a martini.

  

  

So now let's talk a bit about my shy friend in the middle there, Damiana.  Maybe she's in the middle background because she's not wearing any clothes and she's an old-fashioned girl.  I first bought Damiana for the bottle she came in, modeled after an Incan fertility goddess.  Lord only knows why I would have brought that kind of energy into my house, since I've prayed fervently from the age of 8 to not EVER be pregnant or, worse still, a mother. Managing pets, gardens and husbands for the past 30 odd years has been quite enough responsibility, thank you.

Nonetheless, Dami sits in my collection of mixers and oddballs, and often gets neglected.  Maybe that's really because Dami and I both have body image issues.  But when Bill comes over and we've been doing a little "research," he usually ends up rooting around in my liquor cabinet, looking for something fun to experiment with.  Being a very persuasive and congenial guy, Bill managed to coax Dami out of hiding.  She shyly acquiesced.

Don't ask me to recall the exact science behind this particular mixology experiment (because there is none) am I'm still a bit fuzzy about how the components were picked, except that I wanted to brag to Bill about my latest vodka infusion.  As a sidenote, I'd like my readers to know that I do a lot of infusions in my kitchen (just in case you'd like to drop by and try your hand at late-night mixology experiments).  Most of them are brilliant (in my humble opinion), like the Kashmir Mogra saffron and vodka infusion I did one year for an Indian dinner party.  It made a fabulously gorgeous infusion and an infamously lethal cocktail, along with some allspice dram, lime juice and Vietnamese cinnamon.  I called it The Bollywood Bhindi and after most of the cocktails had gotten inside everyone, there were some interesting interpretive dance moves in response to the sitar music later that evening, as I recall.  If it's one thing we're not short on at The Voluptuous Table, it's hilarity.

But the chocolate mint-cocoa nibs-vodka infusion I did last summer and that I thought was going to be wonderful, not so much.  I think that will have to be relegated to adult hot chocolate drinkers.

Sometimes Bill and I disagree on methods and ingredients in our cocktail experiments (and that's OK).  But one thing Bill and I did agree on were the proportions in The Coho Martini and the addition of enough lime juice to tweak all the other components into making you think that you were going to want to have at least 3 more cocktails.  Why did we name it The Coho Martini?  Well, I thought it looked rather like the color of salmon in the glass, and the name "Sockeye Martini" and "Alaskan King Martini" didn't seem to have that special, inviting ring.  So there you are.

Find the recipe below.  Have plenty of ingredients on hand (even if you're alone), because these little beauties are really tasty.  If you use a pretty glass, like I did, just know that I am not responsible if you drink too many and tag yourself in your pictures on Facebook.

The Coho Martini                          

1 oz. pomegranate vodka
1 oz. Damiana
1/4 oz. Aperol
lime wedge
ice

In a cocktail shaker with the ice, combine pomegranate vodka, Damiana and Aperol.  Stir well, then strain into chilled martini glass.  Squeeze lime wedge into cocktail, rim the glass with the wedge, then discard lime.  Makes one cocktail.

If it has vodka, it must be Russian

This cocktail, with its exotic name and sweet, spicy and smoky sip-ability, is an intriguing way to enhance your Sochi Olympics viewing experiences.  Constructed of bourbon, lapsang souchong-infused vodka, elderflower liqueur, spiced tea, honey and lemon juice, this cocktail is seriously tasty.

The original Russian Caravan cocktail was created by Vitaliy Bukhtulov, a home mixologist who competed in and won the 2010 Brandy Library's Bourbon Cocktail Challenge. Since then, another version has been posted on Saveur.com.

Looking at both recipes, I didn't have everything called for: Russian Caravan Tea by Choice Organic Teas (as listed in Mr. Bukhtulov's recipe) or Russian Tea (as listed in the Saveur version). I wasn't sure what "Russian Tea" was except for my experiences with the intensely sweet, orange Tang-based version that my mother made countless jars of during my childhood for Christmas gifts to friends. In case you're curious about this sugary, retro instant hot drink recipe, find it here.

But after doing a little research, I discovered that I could approximate Russian Caravan Tea because I had infused some vodka last year with lapsang souchong tea.  And if a cocktail has vodka in it, it must be Russian, right?  I also had Constant Comment Tea on hand, which would capture the spice character of the Russian Tea of my childhood, without the sugary, synthetic orange aftertaste.

You need to know that true Russian Caravan tea is a blend of several black teas, at least one of which is smoky, and which tastes sweet and malty when brewed. Since my recent mixology experiment, I've ordered some of the same tea that Mr. Bukhtulov recommends and plan to remix the drink to the specifications of his original recipe, which includes St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur.

Using the Saveur.com recipe as my guide, I brewed 2 cups of hot water with one Constant Comment teabag for 2 minutes.  I used a Texas-produced bourbon, highly recommended by my wine guy, Bill, at my local Spec's.  Fresh lemon juice and lemon peel are a must of course, but you can be creative with the sweetener.  I used coriander honey because of the bright, citrusy and smoky characteristics it has.  But you could do a rich simple syrup, or use agave nectar, or use any honey you have in the pantry.  I didn't top my cocktail off with club soda, as called for in both recipes, but you certainly can.  Having made the drink both with the elderflower liqueur and without, I can tell you that both versions are lovely.

Vindaloo's Russian Caravan Cocktail

1 cup ice
2 oz. bourbon
2 oz. Constant Comment tea (steep 2 cups hots water with one teabag for 2 minutes)
1/2 oz. lapsang souchong-infused vodka
1/2 oz. St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/4 oz. coriander honey (or substitute another kind of honey, rich simple syrup or agave nectar)
strip of lemon peel for garnish

Combine ice, bourbon, tea, vodka, liqueur and lemon juice in a shaker and shake for a few seconds to combine.  Pour into a highball glass and garnish with lemon peel.  Makes 1 cocktail.

Nastrovie!

A cocktail for the January heat wave

Have you noticed that we've had a heat wave this week in Central Texas?  After biting winds and temperatures below freezing earlier in the week, the weather, perhaps realizing that it was unbecoming of a true Central Texas winter, smoothed down its rough edges and produced a hint of sunshine and warmth late this afternoon.

This warming trend is perfect weather for a refreshing cocktail.  And this cocktail was what I was concocting in my head during my wakefulness last night: the Flor de Jamaica Basil Margarita.  Made with good quality tequila, basil simple syrup, a double-strength Flor de Jamaica infusion and a little fresh lime juice, this drink tastes like sunshine and is a panacea for the winter doldrums.

The bright, tart, cranberry-like flavor of the Flor de Jamaica infusion (made with hibiscus flowers) has Vitamin C and minerals, and sources claim multiple health benefits. Will Flor de Jamaica cancel out the deleterious effects of alcohol?  I don't know, but it's worth a try.

The recipe below contains ingredients that you will need to make ahead and, optimally, chill.  Start with the basil simple syrup:

Combine 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil and remove from heat.  Add a generous handful of fresh basil, stalks and all, cover and let steep until mixture is cool.  Strain into a clean jar or other container and chill, discarding basil leaves.  Makes about 2 cups; keeps for one week in the refrigerator (or freeze for later use).

Now make the Flor de Jamaica Infusion:

Combine 1 1/2 cups Flor de Jamaica (find in places like Fiesta Market or a well-stocked grocery store with a Hispanic foods section) and 4 cups water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until volume of liquid is reduced by 1/3.  Strain through a coffee filter (hibiscus flowers can be a bit gritty) into a clean jar, let cool and chill.  Makes about 2 1/4 cups; keeps in refrigerator for one week (or freeze for later use).

Now you're ready to build your cocktail...

The Flor de Jamaica Basil Margarita

plenty of ice
2 oz. good-quality tequila (try to use 100% agave)
1/4 fresh lime
1 oz. Flor de Jamaica infusion
2 oz. basil simple syrup
fresh basil leaves for garnish

Fill a rocks glass with ice.  Pour tequila over ice, then squeeze lime, adding juice and lime to glass.  Add Flor de Jamaica and basil simple syrup.  Stir gently, then garnish with fresh basil leaves.  Makes one cocktail.

Blackberry-jalapeno mint juleps

Trust me, your mom needs this drink.  Now.  One or more blackberry-jalapeno mint juleps should make mom feel quite pampered today.  One drink is good.  Two is better.  Three would be just the ticket.  Then make sure you either offer her food or a nap.  Or both.  And even though my mom doesn't drink (her daughter more than makes up for it), I think she would want to start tippling if she had one of these on a pleasant May afternoon.

I've done quite a bit of sampling extensive research recently, testing this recipe until I thought it was fit for the rest of you.  Don't worry, it wasn't quite the sacrifice you might imagine.  I started the day before Derby Day  (those of you who are counting might assume I've been drinking blackberry-jalapeno mint juleps for the past 10 days--not true--I had new wines to try as well), and to further impress you, I taste-tested my final version on a large, scientifically significant sample a group of 35 people, which is plenty of time and effort to ensure credibility.  My home-base recipe was chef Edward Lee's jalapeno mint julep (waaaaaay good) and I wended my way until I wound up with the recipe I'm publishing today. 

 

Let's just say, for the record, that I'm very good at getting lost with a bottle of bourbon.

 

 

For the final Vindaloo-approved version, you'll need to make two simple syrups: one jalapeno and one mint.  Ideally, you'll get the best flavor when this concoction has time to mellow and macerate for at least 24 hours (Version No. 1), but you can do the quick and dirty version and serve it right away if you make Version No. 2, which only involves making the jalapeno simple syrup in enough time to cool it down.  Both versions will do the job, but they'll have different properties.  Version No. 1 is fine and mellow, refined and elegant in the glass; Version No. 2 is bright and peppery with lots of rustic qualities because it is not strained.

 

Pick your poison.

 

 

Vindaloo's Blackberry-Jalapeno Mint Juleps



 

Version No. 1 (serves 4)

 

Make the simple syrups:

 

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

2 jalapeno peppers, chopped, seeds and all

 

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 bunch mint

 

In two separate saucepans, combine water and sugar.  Put the jalapenos in one pan and the mint in the other.  Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and steep with the lids on the pans until syrups have cooked.  Strain and, if you wish to be the Polish grand-daughter who wastes nothing that I am, make candied jalapenos from the dregs of the jalapeno syrup by combining the cooked jalapenos with 1/2 cup vinegar, 2 Tbs. sugar and a little salt in a very small pan and simmering until the liquid is thickened and viscous.  Note: I often make simple syrups out of herbs and other things and freeze them without straining to get maximum benefit from the ingredients. 

 

Make the drinks:

 

1/2 cup fresh blackberries, plus extra for garnish

8 oz. bourbon

3 oz. jalapeno simple syrup

3 oz. mint simple syrup

chilled club soda or seltzer water

mint sprigs, for garnish

 

In a non-reactive bowl or a mason jar, smash the 1/2 cup blackberries to release the juices.  Add the bourbon and the simple syrups and blend well.  Cover and chill for several hours, or up to two days.  When ready to serve fill four short glasses with crushed ice.  Strain and divide bourbon-blackberry mixture evenly among four glasses; top with club soda and stir gently.  Garnish with fresh blackberries and mint sprigs.  Makes 4 drinks.

 

 

Version No. 2 (serves 4)

 

16 mint leaves

1 Tbs. sugar

1/2 cup fresh blackberries, plus extra for garnish

8 oz. bourbon

6 oz. jalapeno mint syrup (see instructions in Version No. 1)

chilled club soda or seltzer water

mint sprigs, for garnish

 

Smash the mint leaves and sugar with the 1/2 cup blackberries in a large pitcher.  Let sit for about 5 minutes to release the aromatics and juices.  Add bourbon and the jalapeno simple syrup and stir well.  Fill four short glasses or cooler with crushed ice.  Divide bourbon mixture among the glasses and top off each glass with club soda and stir gently.  Garnish with fresh blackberries and mint sprigs.  Makes 4 drinks.

 

Salud!

Basil-mint limeade

My personal wine geek, Bill, gave me a great compliment the other day.  He told me that he was impressed with my mixology skills.  I knew right away that he wasn't talking about my ability to handle a muddler and a Boston shaker (because I'm still quite a klutz with the muddler and the Boston shaker always seems to come flying apart at just the moment that a guest gets close enough for a surprise baptism).

In the two years or more that we have become friends, Bill and I have had the opportunity to enjoy many wines together, either due to his suggestion, or because he just decided to bring over a great bottle of wine. 

 

But I've also had the chance to enjoy many delightful cocktails with Bill, mostly because of his adventurous spirit (forgive the pun, but before he was a wine geek, he was a liquor and spirits geek), and also because I love to make a new cocktail.  It happens whenever the Muse, be she creme de violette, maraschino liqueur, velvet falernum or slivovitz, catches my attention.

 

In addition to The Muse, my efforts are usually fueled by: a.) what's in the liquor cabinet, b.) what's growing in the garden or available at the farmers' market, or c.) what I might need to create for an upcoming dinner party or event.  I won't make a cocktail for myself because I'm almost exclusively a wine drinker.  But if you drop by for a visit, or I'm planning a dinner or appetizers for you, I'm gonna wanna make you a drink.

 

Bill has enjoyed many of my efforts--like the infamously lethal Bollywood Bhindi I created with saffron-infused vodka, allspice dram and Vietnamese cinnamon for an Indian dinner last summer--and the hangover-inducing Bad Monkey (a combination of Railean Texas Rum, banana liqueur and a glass rimmed with cinnamon-sugar), not mention our tireless experiments with various kinds of amaro (grapefruit juice, good; artisanal tonic water and bitters, not so much) this past winter.

 

I'll tell you one of my secrets: I always have infused spirits (mostly vodka-based) and plenty of flavored simple syrups in the freezer.  Infusing vodka is so easy, your two-year-old could manage to do it with your patient instructions (along with bringing you more ice for your drink and any Valium you might require to make it through the day with a toddler). 

 

I've always got something steeping in vodka or other alcohol.  Looking at my countertops is like being in your high school biology lab.  Remember all those jars of pickled frogs and necrotic organs?  Yup, that would be my kitchen.

 

Chocolate mint and cocoa nibs in vodka

 

Making flavored syrups is even easier.  Simple syrup is a basic 1:1 ratio of sugar to water.  You bring that to a boil and after it has boiled for one minute, you remove the pan from the heat and throw in any flavoring ingredients you'd like, let it cool, strain it (or not) and chill or freeze.  My favorites are mint, basil, cucumber, any kind of citrus peels (but not the pith), rosemary, chiles, coffee beans, black pepper and lavender.  Don't forget that the stems of mint and basil (as well as cilantro) contain a lot of flavor.  Be brave--experiment.  It's a great way to use up little odds and ends of wilted herbs and pieces that are not pretty enough to garnish with.

 

The picture of the cocktail above was a fusion of several such ingredients and was incredibly refreshing at a recent mid-spring dinner.  Lime-ginger infused vodka, fresh lime juice, mint syrup and basil syrup were blended together, poured over ice and topped off with lime-flavored seltzer water.  I used lime slices and frozen Muscat grapes to garnish.  Here's the recipe:

 

Basil-Mint Limeade

 

1 cup vodka infused with lime and ginger (or just lime-infused vodka)

1 cup mint syrup

1 cup basil syrup

1 cup fresh lime juice

ice

chilled lime seltzer water

lime slices and frozen Muscat grapes, for garnish

 

Mix together the vodka, syrups and lime juice; taste for balance of sweet and sour and adjust as necessary.  Chill until ready to serve.  When guests arrive, fill glasses with ice, divide vodka mixture among the glasses until about 2/3 full and top with seltzer water.  Garnish with lime slices and frozen grapes.  Make 4 generous drinks.

Lemonade special enough for a birthday

My friend and fellow food blogger South Austin Foodie celebrated her birthday today with a fabulous party at The Flying Carpet, a fun South Austin eatery that has both inside and outside dining spaces as well as some pretty terrific Moroccan food.  My favorite was the chicken, lemon and green olive tagine that hit all the right notes.

Part of what made this evening's revelry so much fun was meeting the bloggers behind some of the blogs I enjoy reading.  Kisses to Mad Betty and Girl Eats World, whom I spent the most time visiting with.  I so enjoyed our talk about professional gambling, the Myers-Briggs, fast vs. slow metabolisms, Indian food and career prostitution.  Thank you!

The other part of the fun was making a new cocktail in honor of South Austin Foodie's birthday.  I did what I normally do when I'm experimenting: I don't taste the finished product unless I have other people tasting with me.  And we all agreed Vindaloo's Moroccan Lemonade was delicious, fragrant, refreshing and fun to drink.  It's a great cocktail for warmer weather.  I'll be making it again.  And again.

Moroccan Lemonade

     This lemonade gets its pedigree and its Moroccan influences from orange flower water, which you can find at Fiesta Market or online.

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup limoncello (or substitute citrus vodka and adjust sugar to taste)
1/2 cup vodka
1/2 cup sugar
4 1/2 tsp. orange flower water
ice
cold seltzer water or club soda, about 32 oz.
1 lemon, sliced and seeded
fresh mint leaves

Combine lemon juice, limoncello, vodka and sugar in a large pitcher.  Stir until sugar is dissolved.  Add orange flower water and stir well.  Fill tumblers with ice.  Pour in enough lemonade mixture to fill the glass 3/4 full; add seltzer or club soda to fill glass.  Garnish with lemon slices and fresh mint leaves.  Makes six drinks.