A Life, Lived

Mint and Cucumber Martini

When we were searching for a drink to sip on St. Patrick's Day we selected this one. I was looking for something which would be refreshing and light. I also didn't want a cloying minty beverage - something one sees a good deal of on St. Patrick's Day!

This sounds like an odd combination. Don't be offput by that as the final drink is anything but!

It is easy to make, light, refreshing and with a delicate tint of green . . .

Mint and Cucumber Martini

4 slices of peeled cucumber, each about 1/4 inch thick
10 mint leaves
3 tablespoons simple syrup
1 lime, juiced
5 oz vodka

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the cucumber, mint and simple syrup until the cucumber offers no more resistance.

Fill the shaker with ice, then pour in the lime juice and vodka. Put the lid on your shaker and shake until the cocktail is thoroughly chilled, about 20 seconds.

Strain the mixture into a martini glass. Garnish with a tiny sprig of mint and a cucumber slice.

New Year's Tapas

It is the first Wednesday of the month so that means I'll be hanging out with the wonderful women who have taken this curmudgeon into their midst for the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club. Even better - it is the first supper club of the new year so we have an added treat for you!

Treats are a grand thing . . . right?

It was Susan's turn to pick the theme and she selected a late night tapas meal with a cocktail. Not only did we all bring a dish to the meal but also a drink. It's a shame this is a virtual supper club and not an in person one! LOL

My dish isn't really a true Tapas dish - you'd likely not find this in a bar in Spain - it is, however, a wonderful snacking sort of dish. It is also a bit on the fussy side and has an interesting presentation so that makes it a perfect dish to bring to a celebration.

The shrimp pot stickers won the "Starters and Beverages" category in the Cooking Light Ultimate Reader Recipe Contest.  Recipe author Lindsay Weiss of Overland Park, KS, remarks, "I love the huge flavor packed into these tiny packages, especially when they're dipped in the peanut sauce. These are best served immediately, but they can be made in advance, refrigerated, and then served at room temperature." I agree about how amazingly delicious these are.

The ingredient list is long and seems complex. Don't fret. I prepared the filling and filled the pot stickers in advance at which point I froze them. Once frozen I packaged them for later use.

For my beverage I went with a Satsuma Vodka-tini-now I have to confess that I had never heard of a satsuma (other than a long ago Harry Potter book where Harry's ends up at the wizard's hospital visiting friends and finds himself shunted aside by a witch with a satsuma jammed up her left nostril.) I googled a bit and discovered that they are like a tangerine. I used tangerines. This drink had two things I really liked - you make most of it in advance and you measure the alcohol using a measuring cup. Sure it will serve 10 people but it just seems decadent measuring out booze in a measuring cup.

Ginger-Shrimp Pot Stickers with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

Pot stickers:
3/4 cup shredded green cabbage
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup matchstick-cut carrots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound cooked peeled small shrimp
Dash of hot sauce
24 wonton wrappers
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
1 cup water, divided
Sauce:
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Remaining ingredient:
Chopped green onions (optional)

To prepare pot stickers, combine first 10 ingredients in a food processor; pulse 4 times or until coarsely chopped. Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers with a damp towel to prevent drying), spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons shrimp mixture into center of each wrapper. Moisten edges of dough with water; bring 2 opposite corners to center, pinching points to seal. Bring remaining 2 corners to center, pinching points to seal. Pinch 4 edges together to seal. Place pot stickers on a large baking sheet sprinkled with cornstarch.

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 12 pot stickers to pan; cook 2 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Slowly add 1/2 cup water to pan; cover and cook 4 minutes. Uncover and cook 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil, 12 pot stickers, and 1/2 cup water.

To prepare sauce, combine 1/4 cup water and next 5 ingredients (through sugar) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Serve sauce with pot stickers. Garnish with chopped green onions, if desired.

Satsuma Vodka-tini

1 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup vodka
1/2 cup sugar
4 satsumas
3/4 cup Grand Marnier
1/4 cup lime juice

Combine cranberries, vodka, sugar, and satsumas in a food processor; process until pureed. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Strain mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve over a bowl, pressing to extract juice. Discard solids. Stir in Grand Marnier and lime juice. Place 1 cup satsuma mixture in a martini shaker with 1/2 cup crushed ice; shake. Strain mixture into 2 martini glasses. Repeat procedure to yield 10 cocktails.

Blackberry, Sage Martini

I know that some folks get depressed about turing 50. I have decided to embrace it! My 50th is on July 14th and I am determined to enjoy a drink on the 14th of every month to celebrate this new decade.

On January 14th I celebrated with cake and champagne in Berlin.

On February 14th I celebrated with a martini and charcuterie in front of the fireplace.

On March 14th mom and I went out to lunch at one of our favourite wineries (and mom paid!).

On April 14th we enjoyed a ginger spice martini at home.

For May 14th Paul took me out for dinner and we had a nice Blackberry Ginger Lemonade drink.

I was in Venice for June 14 and we enjoyed a classic Venetian Spritz.

July 14th was my actual birthday and I celebrated with not 1 but 2 special drinks!

I've been in a meeting since Monday and by the time I get home it willbe all I can do to crack open a brewski. ICK. My special drink for August was this Blackberry, Sage Martini that we enjoyed on Sunday at the Pre-Annual Meeting dinner with our friends.

Since I really like cocktail recipes that contain fresh ingredients, be it fruit or herbs, this one hits all the right spots because it has both.

Blackberry, Sage Martini

1 1/2 ounces vodka
1/2 ounce Grand Marnier
1/2 ounce blackberry liqueur
1 ounce bkackberry sage simple syrup (see below)
1/2 ounce lime juice

Fill shaker with ice.

Add ingredients to shaker.  Cover and shake until thoroughly mixed.

Pour into a chilled martini glass and garnish with an orange and blackberry (I garnished our drinks with a sage stem on which I strung three blackberries).

Blackberry, sage simple syrup

1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup blackberries
½ cup roughly torn sage leaves

Combine water, sugar, and blackberries in a small saucepan or pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir occasionally, until the sugar is fully dissolved. (Be careful not to leave the syrup unattended or the sugar may burn or it may become too thick.) Add the sage to the pot, stir, and remove from the heat. Allow to steep for about 15 minutes. Strain the sage out and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. Transfer to a glass jar or bottle and store in the refrigerator.

Lemon and Basil Martini

Naren Young created this martini variation after tasting a lemon-and-basil sorbet at a restaurant. Sweet white vermouth emphasizes the basil's herbal quality, while limoncello and lemon juice give the drink a double-citrus punch.

We made this last week and found it to be a wonderful antidote to the stifling summer heat.

Lemon and Basil Martini

3 basil leaves, plus 1 basil sprig
1/4 ounce Simple Syrup
Ice
2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce limoncello
1/2 ounce bianco vermouth (sweet white vermouth)
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the basil leaves with the Simple Syrup. Add ice and all of the remaining ingredients except the sprig; shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with the sprig.

The Canton Cooler

It's funny how a new beverage can 'enter our lives'.

In this case I was chatting with a friend about a ginger liqueur that I wanted to buy for Paul for Easter. During the conversation I was reminded that I already had some ginger liqueur. When I got home I found the bottle at the back of the shelf of bottles and immediately started looking for a recipe to try.

We made this for Good Friday and loved it.

We mad it for our Easter Sunday Easter Basket Hunt and loved it even more.

 

The Canton Cooler

5 - 6 fresh raspberries
sprig fresh rosemary
1 1/2 oz Domaine de Canton
1/2 oz dark rum
1 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz simple syrup

Muddle raspberries and rosemary with simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Add remaining ingredients. Fill shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass.

Rosemary Pear Martini

We in vented this martini for our Thanksgiving dinner cocktail. We wanted something that screamed 'fall' to us. Not only did this do the trick but it also screamed bloody delicious!

Rosemary Pear Martini

1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
3 sprigs rosemary

Heat sugar and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add rosemary; remove from heat. Let stand 30 minutes. Discard rosemary. Let cool completely. Syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 month.

2 oz pear vodka
4 oz pear nectar
1 oz rosemary simple syrup
1/2 oz lemon juice

Mix all ingredients n a ice filled martini shaker. Shake until chilled. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

Ice Wine Martini

We arrived back in Canada in the midst of the ice wine festival. We briefly debated heading out and joining in in the festivities but saner heads (read Paul's) prevailed. While we like ice wine we don't often drink it. I have 9 bottles of the stuff down in the cellar ( quite an investment when you consider a bottle retails for anywhere from $ 25 - $ 60!) and I have no control at wine festivals. None at all. I taste it. I like it. I buy it. Full stop!

Some of you out there might not know what ice wine is. Ice Wine is a rare gift from a magical (and bloody cold!!!!!) Canadian winter. Picked at the coldest moment of a winter's night, each frozen grape creates just one drop of Ice Wine. One smooth rich, luxurious drop.

In Ontario, Ice Wine must be made from approved grape varieties; the most popular are Vidal Blanc, Riesling and Cabernet Franc. Some small lots include Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The season starts with netting the grape vines in the autumn, to protect the grapes from being devoured by birds. Grapes are left on the vine until a sustained temperature of -8°C or lower is reached (sometime between December and February). During the time between the end of the growing season and harvest, the grapes dehydrate, concentrating the juices and creating the characteristic complexities of Ice Wine.

Grape growers and wineries carefully watch the weather, looking for an optimum stretch of temperatures between -10°C and -12°C. This range will produce very sweet juice in the range of 35°Bx to 39°Bx (degrees Brix, a measurement of sugar). Typically, a period of at least six hours is needed to harvest and press the grapes—usually during the night. Many wineries harvest by hand.

While still frozen, the harvested grapes are pressed, leaving most of the water behind as ice. Only a small amount of concentrated juice is extracted. Juice yields for Ice Wine grapes are much lower than for table wines—only 15% of the expected yield for grapes harvested for table wines. The juice is very sweet and can be difficult to ferment. High sugars can create a hostile environment for the yeast, and fermentation stops early, leaving relatively low alcohol and high sugar levels in the finished wine.

A few years ago Paul and I participated in an ice wine harvest with our friend Catherine. I blogged about it here, back in the early days of this blog. I can still remember the bone chilling cold, the bright moon at midnight, and the amazement of watching the thick juice trickle out as it was pressed from the frozen grapes.

All of the chatter about ice wine recently caused me to crave it. I decided to make a martini that I've made a few times yet never blogged about. I've have blogged about ice wine martinis before but that was a combination of vodka, Grand Marnier, and Ice Wine. There are times I want something that is more pure - this one fits the bill!

In addition to the local ice wine we decided that the martini had to be mixed with a local vodka! I used some of the whole wheat vodka from Ontario's own brilliant 66 Gilead Distillery. The result was brilliant!

 

Ice Wine Martini

1 oz Ice Wine
1 1/2 oz Premium Vodka
Frozen grape or twist of orange peel

Shake the Ice Wine and Vodka in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the frozen grape or twist.

Pear Martini

With fall in full swing here I no longer want 'summery' martinis AKA those made with berries and citrus. Instead I am looking for apples and pears. We've been sipping our favourite orchard martini with great regularity.

On the weekend, craving something with pear flavour, I whipped this up.

The result was brilliant!

Pear Martini

2 ounces pear juice
1 ounce Absolut Pear Vodka
sliced pear

Chill a martini glass. Mix juice and voka in a shaker with ice. Shake. Strain into a martini glass.

Garnish with sliced pear.

Cab Franc Icewine Martini

For our Valentine's Dinner last week we decided that it was a fine time to start with a martini. We have 5 or 6 bottles of precious ice wine in the cellar and I'm never sure how long it can cellar for so I sent Paul to google to find a icewine martini. This is the drink he came up with - we though that the cabfranc icewine would give it a pinkish tinge - which it did.

We both thought that this was a pretty brilliant beverage. Perfect for sipping slowly while relaxing by the fire . . .

Cabernet Franc Icewine Martini

1 oz Cabernet Franc Icewine
1 oz Premium Vodka
1/2 oz Grand Marnier

Mix ingredients in a martini shaker filled with ice. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a raspberry.

Fireside Martini

It's been ages since I featured a drink on these pages!

This martini, from the mixmaster at the LCBO, is perfect for sipping by the fire (hence the name). We made them on Saturday for when our friend Elise came for dinner and we loved them. Just a waring - this is one of those drinks that tastes so smooth you forget there is alcohol in it . . . until you try to stand up!

Fireside Martini

3/4-oz vodka
3/4-oz Bailey's
1/2-oz white Crème de Cacao
shaved chocolate (for garnish)

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake & strain into martini glass. Garnish with shaved chocolate