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!

Good friends, good food

My good friend and soul-sister, TXMama, loves to cook and like me, isn't afraid to eat.  We've cooked many a meal together, put on many unforgettable parties and most of all, have shared many fabulous meals together--both out and in.  Over the weekend, we got together to cook and eat.  Appetizers were simple and low-maintenance (excellent dry salami and a sharp, buttery cheddar cheese) and cocktail hour was a refreshing, relaxing waterside experience.  We moved inside out of the heat to a memorable dinner and great wine--thanks again to one of my wine guys at Spec's.

Dinner had been smelling fabulous for some time (it had gone in the oven at about 3:30 p.m.), and the aromas promised great things.  We had a lovely spinach salad studded with fresh orange segments, strawberry slices and red onion, dressed in a piquant dressing.  The brisket was tender and deeply flavored thanks to aromatic vegetables and plenty of red wine in the braising liquid.  I had substituted rutabaga and carrot in the brisket recipe for parsnips, which were unavailable.  And the couscous?  Extremely simple to make and full of lemon, parsley and garlic.  Magical with the Montepulciano!!  I later had a second helping of the couscous in a small dish, paired only with the wine.  TXMama's husband, Richyson, commented, "You're eating that couscous like it's ice cream!"  To me, it was better than ice cream.


Here are the recipes:

Blueberry Basil Frozen Daiquiris

These daiquiris are tart and complex.  I've convinced myself that the antioxidant property of the blueberries more than compensates for the sugar and alcohol content in these drinks!

1 cup basil syrup (recipe follows)
3/4 cup fresh blueberries
12 large basil leaves
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 cup white rum
ice
blueberries, thinly sliced limes and basil sprigs for garnish

To make basil syrup:  Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 cup water in small saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.  Add 3 to 4 stems of basil leaves and let steep until cooled.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  Strain before using.  Makes about 1 cup.

In a large blender container, combine basil syrup, blueberries, basil leaves, lime juice and rum.  Add enough ice to come to top of blender container.  Blend until an icy/slushie consistency is achieved.  Pour into stemless red wine glasses and garnish with blueberries, lime slices and basil sprigs.  Makes four drinks.


TXMama's Sweet or Savory Spinach Salad

We had the sweet version of this salad, which harmonized beautifully with the main course.  Both versions are excellent.


Make the dressing:

1 egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup Heinz white vinegar

Put egg in small saucepan and lightly beat.  Add sugar and vinegar and mix well.  Heat over medium heat until boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes or until lightly thickened.  Allow to cool and then refrigerate.  

Assemble the salad:

Sweet salad is best with cold dressing.  Combine baby spinach, thinly sliced red onion, supremed fresh orange or mandarin oranges and sliced or quartered fresh strawberries.

For a savory salad, serve with dressing that is hot, room temperature or cold.  Combine baby spinach, sliced fresh button mushrooms, red onion thinly sliced into half rings, roughly crumbled bacon and hard cooked eggs either served as wedges on side or top salad with large diced egg.

Be careful not to over dress salad.  Add a little dressing at a time, mix very well and taste; add more if necessary, toss well and retaste.  Makes 4 generous servings.

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Several weeks ago, while slogging away on the treadmill at my local gym, I watched Food Network's Alex Guarnaschelli make this fabulous brisket and couscous.  This ain't your typical brisket--you might be shocked at the lack of barbeque sauce and smoke--and it sure ain't your typical couscous because it is graced with gremolata, which is bright and lemony, a perfect foil for the rich brisket.  With the recommended wine (see below for full review), it was a knockout dinner.  Recipes are embedded below:

Brisket with Parsnips, Leeks and Green Onions 

 

Simple Couscous with Gremolata 

For dessert we savored strong Community Coffee and Blackberries with Muscovado Cream Sauce.  I've posted this dessert recipe before, but because it is so simple, here it is again:  For each serving, place 1/2 cup washed, chilled blackberries in a small dessert dish or shallow goblet.  Combine 1 cup sour cream with 2 Tbs. muscovado sugar and blend well.  Pour muscovado cream over berries and garnish with mint leaves.

About the wine we drank with dinner:  My wine guy has a fabulous palate.  I can describe what I am planning to cook to him and he can translate that into a literal gustatory experience, matching wines with foods flawlessly.  He recommended a Montepulciano, Cantina Zaccagnini 2008 (Italy).  Full of plum and black fruit, this dry red is soft, and slightly peppery with a hint of leather and vanilla.  This is the best of country peasant wines, earthy, full-bodied and big enough to support earthy, country-style Italian dishes such as game, veal, sausages, lamb and intense red sauces such as Puttanesca.

May your taste buds dance!

"In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather...

...inside of 24 hours."  Mark Twain wrote that.  But evidently not about Texas, where it has been documented that there are actually 137 different kinds of weather inside 24 hours.

Sunday was a chilly, sunless day spent mostly in the gardens around our house, getting ready for spring and summer.  The coolness in the air made me think of roasted chicken with other cool-weather foods.  I opened a very lovely rose, a wine that typically straddles the not-too-warm and not-too-cold season right before the oppressive summer heat of central Texas hits us.  Pigmentum Rose of Malbec 2009 (France) has a slightly vegetal nose with a little green pepper, and backnotes of grapefruit.  But it brought me back to the scent of the floribunda roses that I grew while I lived in Albuquerque--lightly floral with strawberry notes.  This wine is very perky and brisk, with a nice hit of acid and a very clean finish.  In the glass, it's beautiful--the color of a just-caught sockeye salmon fillet.  The wine worked perfectly with the meal.  It was actually a bottle I had been storing since last November, when one of my Ab Fab wine guys at Spec's suggested it for another event--the Iron Chef Thanksgiving Leftover Cookoff Competition, if you must know.

With the rose as my muse, I was able to produce a quite satisfying dinner that smelled as it cooked like I would hope heaven smells when I get there to take up my new post as sous chef for Auguste Escoffier.  We sat on the patio and admired our work (and complained about our aching backs) while I sipped more rose and we deliberated on how we'd have to relocate all those pesky moles that kept eating the root systems out from under all my passion flower vines.  I couldn't be entirely unhappy with those moles because they do provide hours of digging pleasure for my dog, who really just wants to play with anything that's furry and moves faster than she does.  I wasn't feeling as kindly toward the squirrels, however, who had totally stripped a beautiful varigated sweet potato vine I'd been watering faithfully.  Fortunately, and we were able to soothe our souls at the table, pleased with our weekend's labors.  We supped on Oven-Braised Chicken Thighs Parisienne, Green Beans Sauteed with Garlic, Tomato and Herbes de Provence, and simple baked sweet potatoes.  Dessert, Blackberries with Muscovado Cream, was sheer inspiration and my husband requested seconds (but without the "green stuff").  Recipes follow.

Oven-Braised Chicken Thighs Parisienne

4 chicken thighs on the bone, cleaned of skin and fat

Salt and pepper to taste

1 large shallot, finely minced

1 tsp. fresh chives, finely minced (or ½ tsp. dried chives)

¼ tsp. dried basil

¼ tsp. dried tarragon

¼ tsp. dried chervil

Pinch dried dill

½ bay leaf

Olive oil for drizzling

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbs. brandy

1 cup dry white wine

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
2. Place chicken thighs in a baking dish.
3. Season generously with salt and pepper.
4. Scatter minced shallot, chives, basil, tarragon, chervil, and dill over chicken. 
5. Drizzle with lightly with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes.
6. Heat 1 Tbs. olive oil in small sauté pan over medium-high heat.
7. Add pearl onions and brown well.
8. Add brandy and reduce for about 1 minute.
9. Add pearl onions to chicken.
10. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and add 1 cup dry white wine.
11. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for another 45 minutes. 
12. Remove chicken and pearl onions from pan to a serving platter; keep warm. 
13. Reduce juices in a small saucepan over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes to concentrate flavors; taste and correct for seasoning.
14. Pour juices over chicken and garnish with parsley.   Serves 2.

Green Beans Sauteed with Garlic, Tomato and Herbes de Provence

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 cups frozen French-style green beans, thawed

Salt to taste

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 small Roma tomato, cored and chopped

½ tsp. herbes de Provence*

¼ tsp. mignonette pepper (I used Penzey’s brand)**

1. Heat olive oil until shimmering in a medium-size sauté pan over medium heat. 
2. Add green beans.
3. Salt to taste generously and sauté, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes.
4. Add minced garlic and chopped tomato; continue to sauté for an additional 3 minutes. 
5. Add herbes de Provence; stir well.
6. Add mignonette pepper, stir and serve while still hot.  Serves 2.

*To make your own herbes de Provence:  Combine the following dried herbs--3 Tbs. oregano, 3 Tbs. thyme, 1 tsp. basil, 1 tsp. rubbed sage  3 Tbs. savory (or substitute parsley), 2 Tbs. culinary lavender flowers and 1 tsp. rosemary, crushed.  Mix well. Makes about ¾ cup.  Store airtight.

** You can grind up equal amounts black peppercorns, white peppercorns and coriander seeds for the same results.

Blackberries with Muscovado Cream

     The sauce for this dessert is really a shortcut version of creme fraiche.  If you have that around, by all means, use it.  Muscovado sugar is not only richer in taste than other brown sugars, it has a higher mineral content as well.  It has a much deeper, more intense taste than regular brown sugar.


1 cup fresh blackberries, washed and dried well
2 Tbs. sour cream
2 Tbs. half and half
2 tsp. muscovado sugar (or substitute dark brown sugar)
fresh mint leaves for garnish

1.  Divide blackberries between two dessert cups.
2.  Combine sour cream, half and half, and muscovado sugar with a whisk.  If you want a
     thinnner sauce, add more half and half.
3.  Pour sauce over blackberries.
4.  Garnish with mint leaves.  Serves two.