Tag: Recipes

Categories
Health

Summer time Drink Recipes – The New York Occasions

Summer Drink Recipes - The New York Times

Like moving turtleneck sweaters to the back of the closet, it’s time to retire well-aged whiskeys and bring on the clear spirits, fruit juices and crushed ice. The warmer seasons demand refreshing drinks, alcoholic or not, served in tall, frosted glasses.

The classic repertoire has much to offer in this category; it’s hard to go wrong with a gin and tonic or a caipirinha. But many of these summer staples could stand a creative update or a touch of surprise without compromising their honest appeal. Detailed below are a gin and tonic with a Spanish twist, sangria made with rosé wine and a Bellini buzzed with one of the new pink Proseccos that did not exist when Giuseppe Cipriani created the now-classic in Venice. There is also a slushy Southside, with rum replacing the usual gin, a Paloma bolstered with grapefruit liqueur and spiked with chile, and a spritzer bejeweled with cherries, which always ramp up the refreshment level of a glass of wine, especially red.

For drinks of the nonalcoholic sort, Agua Fresca is the Mexican and Central American quencher made by simply adding some fruit purée or juice to cold water with a squirt of lime and, depending on the ripeness of your fruit, a touch of sweetener. Almost anything goes for this drink, even non-sweet additions like cucumbers. The Fourth of July American version would be lemonade, an almost blank canvas that can be splashed with summery flavors like strawberry, peach or mango.

Beyond these suggestions, you can add liqueurs like triple sec and elderflower or white rum to make a happy-hour iced tea, or drop a jigger of Sambuca into iced coffee to serve with or instead of dessert. Gin in the lemonade is a quick nod to Tom Collins, a summer standby, and crushed fresh berries enliven chilled sparkling cider, alcoholic or not.

Having fresh fruit, like watermelon and strawberries, on hand will give you access to festive, colorful summer drinks on a moment’s notice. Process some of it, diced, in a blender, stir into a glass of ice with (or without) the spirit of your choice and top it off with soda water. You might consider expanding your wardrobe of fruit liqueurs and spirits beyond the usual orange to include grapefruit, lemon, raspberry and apricot. In small amounts they can brighten up many summer drinks. And for sweetening drinks, especially chilled ones, it’s a good idea to have simple syrup on hand, made by simmering equal parts granulated sugar and water together until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Refrigerated, the syrup will keep for a month.

To serve, warm-weather drinks demand generous glasses; tall ones are best, chilled before filling. Plastic is often the choice for outdoors, and manufacturers have improved the quality of these, though glass has more class. And then there’s the question of straws. Avoid plastic; look for paper in the disposable department, or some of the new, reusable stainless-steel ones. There are also silver straws, long, and often with a spoon at the end for a posh yet convenient touch.

For drinks to serve more than two (or to have refills ready and to transport outdoors), you’ll want a pitcher; some have lids or come fitted with an enclosed receptacle for ice. A long mixing spoon is a useful accessory, and a good citrus juicer is also a worthwhile investment. Frozen drinks also call for a blender to reduce the ice to slush or fruit into purée; there are compact cordless ones on the market that can even go to the beach or on a picnic. And be sure your ice maker or ice cube trays are ready for overtime.

Adapted from Rosie Schaap

Time: 15 minutes plus chilling

Yield: 6 servings

1 ½ cups mixed red and pink fruit, such as raspberries, halved strawberries and grapes, pitted cherries, cubed apple with red or pink skin, peeled pink grapefruit or blood orange segments

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

¼ cup triple sec or other orange liqueur

1 bottle (750 ml) chilled rosé wine

½ cup chilled pomegranate juice

1. Place the fruit, sugar and triple sec in a pitcher and stir to combine. Refrigerate until the fruit softens a bit (at least 4 hours and up to 8).

2. Add wine and pomegranate juice, stir. Serve over ice in wine glasses, and include some of the fruit in each serving.

Adapted from Socarrat Restaurant, in New York City

Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 1 drink

2 ½ ounces gin

8 juniper berries, lightly crushed

2 dashes Angostura bitters

2 to 3 strips lemon peel (about ½ lemon)

4 ounces good-quality tonic water, chilled

1. Half-fill a large stemmed wine glass with ice. Add gin, juniper berries and bitters; stir.

2. Twist lemon peels over the glass to release the oils and drop them in. Add tonic water, stir and serve.

Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 6 drinks

1 cup chilled peach purée, preferably white (about 2 ripe peaches or purchased purée)

1 bottle (750 ml) rosé prosecco, preferably brut

12 fresh raspberries

1. Place 2 tablespoons peach purée in each of 6 champagne flutes. Slowly add 4 to 5 ounces prosecco, stopping as it bubbles up and continuing once it settles.

2. Drop 2 raspberries into each glass and serve.

Adapted from “The Ladies’ Village Improvement Society Cookbook”

Time: 10 Minutes

Yield: 2 drinks

2 ounces simple syrup

4 ounces white rum

2 ounces lemon juice

1 ounce lime juice

1 cup crushed ice or small ice cubes

Mint sprigs for garnish

1. Combine the simple syrup, rum and citrus juices in a cocktail shaker with ice; shake.

2. Strain into a blender with crushed ice. Blend until slushy, then pour into chilled goblets or glasses. Garnish with mint and serve.

Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 2 drinks

4 ounces blanco tequila or mezcal

3 ounces lime juice

3 ounces grapefruit juice

1 ounce grapefruit liqueur

4 ounces club soda or seltzer

Pinch chile powder or cayenne

Grapefruit wedges for garnish

1. Combine the tequila, citrus juices and grapefruit liqueur with ice in a cocktail shaker; shake well. Strain into tall glasses with ice and add soda.

2. Dust chile powder on top. Garnish with grapefruit and serve.

Time: 20 minutes plus chilling (optional)

Yield: 4 drinks

2 cups cubed ripe watermelon or honeydew, chilled

2 cups ice cubes

Juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon simple syrup or agave syrup to taste (optional)

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

Pinch ground white pepper

Basil sprigs for garnish

1. Purée the melon with ice in a blender. Stir in lime juice, syrup to taste, salt and pepper.

2. Transfer to a pitcher, add 2 cups water, stir and chill or pour into ice-filled glasses. Garnish with basil and serve.

Time: 15 minutes plus chilling

Yield: 6 drinks

4 cups brewed lemon verbena tea, chilled, or cold water

3 tablespoons simple syrup

Juice of 3 lemons (about ¾ cup)

1 cup diced strawberries, puréed

Lemon wheels and strawberry halves for garnish

1. Place tea or water in a pitcher or other container. Stir in simple syrup, lemon juice and strawberry purée. Chill at least 1 hour.

2. Stir well, pour into tall glasses filled with ice, garnish with lemon and strawberries and serve.

Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 1 drink

1 glass (4 to 6 ounces) fruity red wine (white or rosé can be substituted)

4 ounces sparkling water

Twist of lemon peel

3 ripe Bing cherries, pitted and halved

Pour wine into a large stemmed wine glass or goblet. Add sparkling water. Drop in lemon twist and cherries and serve.

Categories
Health

Mint Drink Recipes – The New York Instances

Mint Drink Recipes - The New York Times

Mint has a lot to say. This stubborn perennial gives food and drink a refreshing coolness, often with a bittersweet edge and sometimes with notes of pepper. It’s not subtle like some herbs and makes its presence known in everything from cocktails to candy, regardless of whether the context is savory or sweet. In all fairness, it’s hard to overdo its usage. Mint is also easy to grow in a window box or garden so the leaves are always on hand, especially in spring.

There are several types of mint, but the standard option is spearmint, which is less aggressive on the palate than peppermint. If you buy sliced ​​mint from a counter or farmers market, make sure it has a nice flavor. Dried mint on the spice rack is often used in Persian cuisine, but it’s a fresh kind of spirit.

Mint is a wonderful flavor to add to coolers with warm weather. One of the best drinks on the cocktail menu at Cheeca Lodge, a resort in the Florida Keys, is a nojito, a non-alcoholic mojito that’s so sour-sweet and fragrant that you might not miss the rum. Mint also plays a role in Moroccan tea, usually served sweetened and hot but also deliciously frozen, and can add a cool dimension to smoothies. Refreshment is on the way.

Adapted from Cheeca Lodge, Islamorada, Fl.

Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 1 serving

8 green mint leaves

3 tablespoons of lime juice

5 tablespoons of simple syrup (see note)

6 blueberries

4 ounces club soda

Lime wedge for garnish

1. Lightly crush the mint leaves and place in a cocktail mixing glass with lime juice and simple syrup. Fill with ice. Cover with a shaker jar and shake for 10 seconds.

2. Pour into a tall glass (a Collins glass) and add blueberries. Top with lemonade, garnish with a lime wedge and serve.

Note: To make simple syrup, simmer equal amounts of sugar and water until the sugar has dissolved. Keep refrigerated.

Time: 20 minutes plus 1 hour of chilling

Yield: 4 servings

1 tablespoon of Chinese whole leaf green tea, preferably gunpowder

½ cup green mint leaves, wrapped, plus sprigs for garnish

¼ cup honey or more to taste

1. Brew tea with 3 cups of water in a teapot with a sieve and let it steep for 10 minutes.

2. Put the mint in a small bowl. Add 1 cup of boiling water and mix in the mint. Let it steep for 5 minutes. Stir in honey. Strain into a 6-cup jug.

3. Slowly pour the brewed tea into the pitcher and hold the teapot at least a foot above the pitcher – this is the essential Moroccan technique for aerating the tea. Try tea for sweetness and adjust the amount of honey if necessary. Store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

4. Pour tea into ice-filled glasses, garnish with mint and serve.

Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 1 to 2 servings

½ cup of green mint leaves, packaged

1 cup chopped, peeled, and pitted cucumber (roughly a regular cucumber)

8 ounces pineapple juice

1 ripe but firm Hass avocado, pitted, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

½ teaspoon of ground white pepper

pinch of salt

1. Put the mint, cucumber and pineapple juice in a blender and stir until smooth. Add the avocado and mix again. Add lemon juice, pepper and salt. Mix briefly. To use a food processor instead of a blender, first turn the machine on and push the mint into the filler neck. Scrape the sides of the bowl, add the remaining ingredients and stir until smooth.

2. Pour into one or more glasses and serve.

Categories
Health

Recipes for Scorching Cocktails – The New York Instances

Recipes for Hot Cocktails - The New York Times

There is nothing quite like sitting outside around a fire pit or even inside to escape the cold with a hot drink to warm your hands, body and mood. Like a Southside in summer, warm cocktails and other drinks want winter. There are classics like mulled wine, Irish coffee, and Tom and Jerry, or you can always throw a dash of brandy in a mug of hot chocolate or tea.

For those festive warmers well stocked with liquor, bartenders can use mugs or coffee mugs at home. Glass are beautiful. Remember that the drink is hot and the container needs a handle. Seasonally decorated cocktail napkins are just as necessary as tinsel on the tree.

Here you can find some warm drinks to sip before or even after dinner. There’s a pretty classic mulled wine, a smoky tea-based smoker who relies on Lapsang Souchong tea and peaty scotch for charred appeal, and a riff on hot butter rum from Ivy Mix and Julie Reiner, two stars in the New Yorker Bartender Galaxy Run a seasonal menu called Sleyenda at Brooklyn Bar Leyenda. An espresso machine or at least a milk frother is required for the cappuccino egg liqueur, an egg-free preparation.

Adapted from Quality Eats, Quality Italian and Quality Bistro restaurants in New York City

Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

½ cup) sugar

2 cinnamon sticks plus more for portions

1 teaspoon of whole cloves

1 teaspoon of whole allspice

3 cups (1 bottle) of rich but dry red wine such as Zinfandel

¼ cup Benedictine

¼ cup of cognac or brandy

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

Orange wheels for garnish

1. Put sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves and allspice in a 2 liter saucepan. Add ½ cup of water. Bring to the boil and, after the sugar has dissolved, simmer for 5 minutes while stirring.

2. Add the wine, Bénédictine, cognac and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and pour into a jug, sifting out the spices. Spread on cups or a heavy stemmed glass and garnish each with a cinnamon stick and a slice of orange. Serve warm.

Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 2 drinks

1 teaspoon of Lapsang Souchong leaf tea or 1 tea bag

5 star aniseed

5 green cardamom pods

6 black peppercorns

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

1 tablespoon of honey

3 ounces of smoky scotch, like Laphroig or Lagavulin.

2 lemon wheels for garnish

1. In a small saucepan, brew tea in 6 ounces of water. Add 3 star anise, cardamom and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes over low heat. Stir in lemon juice, honey and scotch.

2. Pour into 2 glass cups, garnish each with a star anise pod and a lemon wheel and serve.

Adapted from Sleyenda in Brooklyn

Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 1 drink

2 ounces of dark rum

2 tablespoons of passion fruit puree or lemon curd

1 tablespoon of honey

2 tablespoons of pineapple juice

1 tablespoon of lime juice

½ tablespoon of salted butter in a single pat

1. Mix the rum, passion fruit puree, honey, pineapple juice and lime juice in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring, until the ingredients are well mixed. Pour into a preheated coffee cup.

2. Sprinkle with butter and serve.

Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 1 drink

Ground coffee for a 2-ounce espresso, regular or no coffee

1 tablespoon of sugar

2 tablespoons of brandy or other liquor

¼ cup of heavy cream

Pinch of nutmeg

1. Brew the espresso in a cup or mug (at least 6 ounces capacity). Stir in sugar and brandy.

2. In a separate container, lather the cream by machine or with a foam stick. Pour over the coffee, dust with nutmeg and serve.

Categories
Health

Recipes for Chocolate Truffles – The New York Occasions

Recipes for Chocolate Truffles - The New York Times

Slightly uneven little balls dusted with cocoa to simulate the bottom of a freshly dug mushroom – the black tuber melanosporum – define a chocolate truffle in its most basic form. Inside there is a firm but velvety center, a confection called ganache. Truffles are never cheap, but before taking the credit card out, consider the homemade variety. They couldn’t be easier to manufacture and don’t require special equipment. Under supervision, an 8-year-old can sculpt and dive truffles for a nice afternoon activity.

In addition to the classic version with a cocoa coating, chocolate truffles are often wrapped in a chocolate shell, which is sometimes decorated with nuts, frosting, and even gold leaf. Their taste can also be varied depending on whether you go for dark, milky, or white chocolate, adding ingredients like raspberry puree, nuts and coffee, or spirits like port, brandy and even champagne. Size also plays a role. Chocolate truffles should be just one bite and no more than an inch in diameter – three-quarters of an inch is ideal.

Time: 4 hours including chilling

Yield: approx. 40

6 ounces high quality semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, 70 percent cocoa

½ cup of heavy cream

3 tablespoons of ruby ​​port or grape juice

½ cup of unsweetened cocoa using the Dutch method

1. Cut the chocolate into small pieces, place in a small, heavy saucepan and add the cream. Place on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted. Remove from heat, stir in port wine or juice; put in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until mixture is firm, about 2 hours.

2. Spread a sheet of waxed paper or parchment paper on a baking sheet. Have a bowl of ice water ready. Use a spoon or spoon or melon baller to scoop up mounds of mixture about 3/4 inch in diameter. Roll lightly between the palms of your hands to form beautiful balls and place them on the paper. Occasionally moisten the spoon and your hands with ice water to keep the chocolate from sticking. Chill until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

3. Spread the cocoa on a chilled plate. Take the truffles out of the refrigerator, roll them each in cocoa and place them back on the baking sheet. Cool to firm. Truffles can be frozen for up to a week.

Time: 6 hours including chilling

Yield: approx. 40

6 ounces high quality semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, 70 percent cocoa

½ cup of heavy cream

3 tablespoons of prosecco

½ pound high quality white chocolate to coat

1. Break the dark chocolate into small pieces, transfer them to a small, heavy saucepan and add the cream. Place on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted. Remove from heat, stir in the prosecco and place in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until mixture is firm, about 2 hours.

2. Spread a sheet of waxed paper or parchment paper on a baking sheet. Have a bowl of ice water ready. Use a spoon or spoon, or a melon baller, to scoop up mounds about 3/4 of an inch in diameter. Roll lightly between your palms to make beautiful balls and put them on paper. Occasionally moisten the spoon and your hands with ice water to keep the chocolate from sticking. Chill until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

3. Break white chocolate into pieces and melt on top of a double boiler or place in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 50 percent power for 1 minute, stirring every 15 seconds. Let the chocolate cool to about 90 degrees at room temperature and stir it from time to time. Drop chilled truffles one at a time into melted chocolate and quickly lift them out with a small fork or professional wire dip loop to allow excess water to drain off. Place on a baking sheet and store in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.