rye thyme for a collins

the name of this drink is further along the spectrum of ridiculousness than i'm normally comfortable with, but after a weekend which included the unwelcome discovery of a discomfiting little visitor from the past in our car's a/c vent, it seemed fine for now.

after all, it's after 5 on a hot summer sunday - it IS high time for a drink of some sort, and it might as well be this.

i usually think of whiskey as more of a fall/winter drink, but when you add citrus and herbs and sparkling water, all of a sudden it makes sense as a summer pick-me-up+cool-me-down. a tom collins typically uses gin, but all we had was rye and silly old texas doesn't allow one to purchase liquor on sundays. 

other things that were handy included thyme and grapefruit, whose bitterness made it seem like they would go together. i've since looked up the combination and both marcus samuelsson and martha stewart have cocktails that use it, so i'm in illustrious company, i guess? the peppercorns were an attempt to complexify it and respond to the pepperiness of the rye.

just peel a grapefruit, taking care not to dig deeply enough to get the extra-bitter white pith with it. i ended up using maybe 15 sections that were about 3/4" x 2" or so, but it's not an exact thing. then add it and some thyme and peppercorns to 1 cup each of water and white sugar and bring to a boil. let it boil for 3 minutes or so, then turn it off and let it cool. 

i like making simple syrups with lots of things in them. i think it gets to the same childhood idea of cooking that making chicken stock brings out - just toss things in a pot with water and voila! it's magically something much better. 

once the syrup is cool, strain it and mix a couple of tablespoons with an ounce of rye and 1-2 tablespoons of grapefruit and/or lemon juice in a short highball or old fashioned glass. as per usual, this is all to taste. then add a couple of ice cubes and fill the rest of the way with sparkling water or club soda. we often get that water that has pink grapefruit flavoring (it's not sweet - just grapefruity), so if you have that you might as well use it. 

then just kick back with a magazine and let your cares lift away. try not to think about how hot it is or how gross that mouse in your a/c vent probably definitely was. 

 *ingredients*

grapefruit/thyme/pepper syrup

peel from 1 medium grapefruit

7-10 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons dried (my thyme plant is a bit sad right now, so i augmented the 5 or so fresh sprigs i had with a couple of large pinches of dried lemon thyme)

12-15 whole black peppercorns (just grab a large pinch. sichuan pepper might be really interesting here, too, though i'd probably use less)

1 cup water

1 cup white sugar

rye thyme, etc., collins

2 tablespoons syrup

3 tablespoons rye whiskey (we usually get old overholt or bulleit rye)

2 tablespoons grapefruit and/or lemon juice

sparkling water or club soda

listening to: beirut

moroccan carrot salad with citrus and spice

oh hey, look, it's almost march. time flies when you're unemployed! (no it doesn't) 

i've been trying to make the most of this interlude of working part-time. i tend to be one of those people who really doesn't do that well with enforced time off (i get antsy), but it's been nice to have time to do various cooking-related projects (i seasoned a new wok!), take the dogs on long walks, and finally get around to planting a small herb garden. actually "herb garden" sounds fancier than it is - it's just a couple of plastic bins, really. but i'm super-excited about the culinary possibilities of my new endeavor - now i'll have italian parsley, basil, oregano, chives, orange and chocolate mints, pineapple sage, and mexican tarragon (aka mexican mint marigold) at my fingertips. 

unfortunately the garden came about after i made this moroccan-y carrot salad, or i'd definitely have used some of the orange mint in it. even sans orange (or any) mint, though, it was well worth making and it brightened up an otherwise dreary february day with its citrus-spicy carrot ribbons and non-homegrown herbs.

i tend to keep a lot of dried spices around, as they're easy to get in small amounts in the bulk section of our fancy local supermarket. if i could only get whole bottles at a time, i'd probably have fewer. so if you don't have some of these, nbd. just leave them out or add more of what you do have, to taste.

here i used about 1/8 of a teaspoon each of ginger, cinnamon, cumin, sumac, and coriander and perhaps 1/4 teaspoon each of za'atar and kosher salt.

then i added juice from 1/2 a lemon and 1/2 a small orange and a couple of teaspoons (aka a "glug") of olive oil and maybe a teaspoon each of honey and pomegranate molasses. ta da! dressing! it's totally to taste, though, so play with it a bit.

you could cut the carrots in whatever way you prefer. i was going to grate/julienne them with my mandoline, but i can't find it and now i'm not sure if i've even seen it since we left portland. it's possible that my mom threw/gave it away, as i'm not sure she's forgiven it for chopping the tip of my finger off a couple of years ago (lesson: be so SO careful with those things. they WANT to hurt you. also brussels sprouts are hard to cut on a mandoline.). 

so i used a peeler to cut them into long ribbons instead. because pretty!

a little bit of chopped shallot or scallions wouldn't be out of place here in addition to the herbs, but not having any, i just tossed in a big handful each of chopped parsley and cilantro. because in adversity we make do. just like the pioneers.

this will keep well in the fridge for at least a few days. the dressing pools in the bottom of the bowl a bit, but you could add some chickpeas or other beans or some chicken or hard-boiled eggs  or feta and make a very pleasant little lunch for yourself.

*ingredients* for maybe 4 servings
4 large carrots
1/8 teaspoon or so cumin, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, sumac
1/4 teaspoon or so za'atar and kosher salt
2-3 teaspoons olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon and 1/2 small orange (~1/4 cup or less total)
1 teaspoon  honey and 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses (or just 1-2 teaspoons honey)
1 handful each chopped parsley and cilantro (and/or mint) - maybe 1/2 cup total

listening to: a pandora station for MIA's paper planes, so kate nash, lily allen (wow, do not cross that kid) and (perhaps inevitably) MIA herself.

indian summer

and now we've come to the weird interstitial time between summer and fall. here in texas, summer doesn't really give up the ghost until november sometimes, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to get out the scarves and start wearing boots again. this year, however, i'm trying to stop and enjoy whatever weather we actually have, since it's been a few years since i've experienced a texas fall.

the greatest thing about autumn in texas is cold fronts. the air will be still and sticky and you can't believe it's late september and then all of a sudden there's an electrical charge in the air and the wind starts blowing briskly from the north and the temperature drops 20 degrees in 20 minutes. it's very exciting.

this drink kind of reminds me of that, since it's full of summery gin and citrus and warming spicy ginger. it's refreshing, but not too light. the ginger and the use of the rinds of the citrus gives the whole thing some heft that's usually lacking in summer cocktails. thus it's perfect for this weird liminal time when you don't know what kind of weather the day will bring.

basically you probably need a food processor for this. all you do is cut the citrus into medium-sized chunks, cut the ginger into coins, and blend the whole thing up with some sugar. process it for a minute or so or until everything's well-blended.

then put the delicious sludgy mass into some cheesecloth to strain it. gather up the edges of the cloth and bring them together (if you don't have cheesecloth you could use a really fine strainer, probably).

then just squeeze the juices out as hard as you can. it's quite therapeutic. 

mix a little gin and some club soda and a few tablespoons of the citrus-ginger syrup (it's pretty thick and intense, so go with your tastes), and you have a friendly but assertive drink to keep by your side as we wave goodbye to summer and hello to fall.

*ingredients* (syrup for 6 - 8 drinks or so)

1 lime

1 lemon

1 small orange (i would spring for organic on all of these, since the rinds get included in the drink. no one wants a pesticide cocktail)

~3 inches of fresh ginger root

3/4 - 1 cup sugar

gin

club soda or tonic

instead of what i'm listening to, here's something else i wrote: http://thebillfold.com/2012/09/texas-london-texas-portland-texas/

it's about the many (many!) places i've lived over the last few years. also you should probably read the billfold and its friends the awl and the hairpin anyway, because they are good. 

springy lentil salad with citrus-mustard vinaigrette

lo, it is spring! the flowers are flowering, the birds are singing, and the chilly rain is still falling. but in between the cold and rainy days are drier, warmer days that stay light longer and longer and make you feel like maybe things won't be so bad.

i make a lot of variations on this salad, because lentils and mustard go well together and it's a nice, filling, and portable lunch that only gets better after you make it. i usually make a very large batch and we eat it (on and off) all week. also, it's vegan, which is nice. although sometimes we eat it with sausage, which is not vegan. usually.

these are french green lentils (or "lentilles du Puy") and they are the best for lentil salads because they keep their shape much better than the yellow or brown lentils that are always hanging shiftily around bulk bins. those lentils are great for dals or lentil soup, but for a salad these are really worth seeking out. i usually find them in the bulk section as well. they have a great texture and a bit of a peppery taste that i really like. fancy lentils! who knew?

because the dressing and vegetables add so much flavor to this salad, you don't really need to cook the lentils with much - just rinse them and put them in a big pot with water covering them by a few inches. i also usually add a bit of salt. then just bring the water to a boil, turn the heat down to low-medium, and let them cook for maybe 30 - 40 minutes, or until they're tender. the cooking time depends on how fresh they are, so just keep trying them. then drain them and add them to the vegetables that you have thoughtfully been preparing while the lentils cook.

you can use various vegetables - some fennel would be good, as would a little broccoli. i liked the orange and green color scheme that was going on with this batch, though.

just chop whatever vegetables you like into smallish pieces. i quartered the thicker parts of the carrots and halved the thinner ends, then cut them into pretty thin slices - maybe 1/8" or so. it doesn't have to be exact, of course. i sliced the celery lengthwise into maybe 3-4 strips per stalk, then cut it into thin pieces as well. the asparagus i cut into coins, for the most part, but left the ends whole. finally, i just diced up the orange bell pepper (green bell peppers are the devil and are not fit for human consumption).

oh! and a large shallot also got in there, but not in time for initial picture-taking.

you can just leave the vegetables raw, if you like, but i prefer to cook everything a bit to take the edge off. heat up like 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large pan (medium heat). then add the shallot (you could use onion instead, but shallots are a little milder and more garlicky), let it cook for a little less than a minute, then add the carrots and celery, let those cook a bit (2 minutes?), then the pepper. at this point, i also added a few tablespoons of chopped italian parsley and perhaps a teaspoon of dried thyme. fresh thyme would be good, but i didn't have any. other herbs would be nice as well - marjoram, any of the famed herbes de provence, etc.

let everything cook until the carrots lose their rawness - maybe 5 minutes or so, depending on how thick they are. add the asparagus towards the end, so it doesn't get too mushy - asparagus is so wonderful right now, you barely need to cook it at all.

then just stick everything in a bowl to hang out for a bit while you make the dressing.

i love when we're almost out of mustard because the jar makes a perfect vehicle for dressing and you don't have to try to scrape out the dregs of the mustard. lots of dijon mustard is good in this, because mustard and lentils are basically the chocolate and peanut butter of the savory food world. they just go together SO WELL.

since we're still in winter-spring crossover mode here in oregon, this salad really fits with both seasons. citrus is great right now, so i used the juice of a whole orange and a whole lemon, along with most of the zest of each. these, plus olive oil, the mustard, garlic, and salt are all you need for a very tasty dressing that brings everything together.

with the garlic, it's nice to make it into kind of a paste so it mixes in well. chop it fairly finely with about 1/2 a teaspoon of coarse salt, then use the side of your knife to slide across the cutting board, which helps the salt and garlic grind together. the rough salt crystals help speed up the process. once you get the hang of it, it's really fast. here's a video if that doesn't make sense.

everything goes into your mustard jar, then you can just shake it up, et voila!

it's best to have the dressing ready by the time the lentils are done, so that you can put it on while they're still warm - it seems to help the dressing get absorbed better. start with maybe 1/2 the dressing, toss everything together, add more if you like. i ended up using all of it, but there were a lot of vegetables and lentils to cover. add more salt as well, if needed. undersalting things makes them gross and bland. it's probably a good idea to add a little more fresh parsley and other fresh herbs, if you have them. sometimes it needs a little more acid, too - more lemon juice or some apple cider or sherry vinegar would be good. it just depends on what you like.

this is one of those salads that just gets better as it sits, so it's great for bringing to work all week. you can add things like goat cheese, sliced sausage, hard-boiled eggs, etc., if you want to bulk it up a little, but it's really quite filling on its own. it's also great for a picnic or potluck, since basically anyone of any dietary persuasion can eat it - vegan, gluten-free - it's got it all! or rather, doesn't have it, if "it" is animal products or gluten.

*ingredients* for A Lot of salad - you can cut it in half if you want

1 pound (~ 2 cups) dried french green lentils

1 large shallot

2 large carrots

2 celery stalks

1 orange, red, or yellow bell pepper (NOT GREEN)

1 bunch (more or less) of asparagus

thyme, other herbs

2 -3 tablespoons dijon mustard (i like it pretty mustardy)

juice & zest of 1 orange

juice & zest of 1 lemon

1 small/medium garlic clove

1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)

maybe 1/3 - 1/2 cup olive oil (also to taste - i like more citrus and mustard and less oil, myself)

listening to: nothing, really, but i've had simple song by the shins in my head all day. and, of course, the weight. rip, levon helm.

blackberry & grapefruit cupcakes

okay, so technically this is yet another blackberry recipe and it looks a lot like the blackberry streusel muffins i already made. BUT there are very important differences.

1. although there is no frosting in the pictures, these are actually cupcakes. therefore, they're much sweeter and richer than the muffins. although i did call them muffins when i took them to my class. but that was just because i ran out of time to make the frosting and no one wants to eat frosting-less cupcakes.

2. these have grapefruit juice and zest, which is great with blackberries.

3. i guess those are basically the only differences.

first things first. get out the butter (1 1/2 sticks) and the eggs (despite the picture, use 4) to let them get room temperature-y. the butter needs to be soft so you can cream it in with the sugar. i don't really know why the eggs have to be room temperature as well, but that's what all the real baking people say to do, so i generally do it.

once everything's achieved some kind of temperature equilibrium, preheat the oven to 350. then beat the butter for a couple of minutes so it's nice and fluffy. then add 1 1/2 - 2 cups sugar. using 2 cups makes them quite sweet, so be forewarned. it's forearmed.

let this just beat around for awhile (4-5 minutes) while you zest a grapefruit and then squeeze its delicious juice. i had a fairly small grapefruit that was really rather recalcitrant in its zest-giving, so i only had about a teaspoon. i think a little more would be nice - maybe 2. or 1 if it's really packed in there. you also need about 1/3 cup of juice.

add both of these at once to the butter-sugar mixture and let them mingle. then add the 4 eggs, one by one, mixing in between each.

i like to crack eggs into my measuring cup before adding them, because otherwise i'm always scared that i'll get shell bits in there and mix them in and it'll be gross. so be careful. no one likes biting into eggshells (except maybe mongooses/-geese).

once the eggs are nicely mixed in, add the flour mixture and the milk, alternating between the two. i add ~ 1/3 of the flour, mix a little, then 1/2 the milk, mix a little, and so on. you definitely don't want to overmix it, so don't go crazy.

once it's all come together, add lots of blackberries. i used about 2 1/2 cups, which made them quite berryful. you could probably get away with a little less or a little more, depending on what you have around. or other berries would be great, too - blueberries, raspberries, etc.

fold them in carefully so they don't all break apart and make the batter a weird color. then just fill up some muffin cups like so:

and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until they're goldeny brown on top and seem pretty firm, like this:

this makes about 2 dozen cupcakes and i ran out of the paper cup things midway through. luckily, you can make ersatz cups with parchment paper. just cut ~ 5" squares (mine were like 5" x 6" because the paper was 12" wide) and use a glass (or beer bottle, in my case) to smush them into the muffin tin. it describes it more on the linked page.

it worked pretty well, although some came out better than others. if you try it, you should attempt to get the paper pretty well folded so the cupcakes don't get weirdly shaped. but it isn't that big a deal. cupcakes are going to be crowd-pleasers even if they are funny-shaped.

as far as frosting, i didn't make any for these, but i usually make cream cheese frosting with two softened bricks of cream cheese, half of a softened stick of butter, a little vanilla (~1 teaspoon), and some powdered sugar. mix everything but the powdered sugar together, then add it ~ 1/2 cup at a time until it's as sweet as you like. you could also add some grapefruit zest to this and it would be aces.

cupcakes may not be as trendy as they once were (i guess the glitterati have moved on to ... cake pops? whoopie pies? macarons? i don't know), but they still are a sweet and tasty little dessert with a high ratio of frosting to cake. you can't really go too wrong.

*ingredients*

i don't know where this recipe came from originally (maybe epicurious? i can't find it there, but that seems right), but it started out as lemon-blueberry layer cake. i've made it that way, too, and it's excellent.

3 cups flour (~ 15 ounces)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup butter (~ 1 1/2 sticks), softened

2 cups sugar (could use less)

1/3 cup grapefruit juice

1-2 teaspoons grapefruit zest (or whatever you can get off a recalcitrant grapefruit*)

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup milk (or buttermilk/milk+yogurt mix would be great)

whisk dry ingredients together

beat butter until fluffy, add sugar slowly as the mixer runs, beat until light and fluffy

add juice + zest and mix thoroughly

add eggs one at a time, mixing in between

add ~ 1/3 of flour mixture, mix a little to incorporate

add ~ 1/2 of milk, mix a little

alternate, ending with flour mixture

fold in berries (i used frozen, but fresh would also be wonderful, of course)

bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until firm and golden-brown.

frost with cream cheese or other frosting, or pretend they're muffins and eat them for breakfast.

listening to: of monsters and men. icelandic accents + boy/girl harmonies = good times! i really think you should watch this video - it is somewhat scary and very awesome.

*recalcitrant grapefruit would be a good name for a band. or maybe not.

adventures in fruit

look! it's a cherimoya! they were on sale at the grocery store, and i've heard that they are also called custard apples, which sounds good.

the lady behind me in line was very complimentary re: my cherimoya-choosing skills until i told her that someone who worked there had picked it out for me. that kind of lowered me in her estimation. but she cheered up when she started telling me about her time in spain where she first tasted the wonders of the cherimoya and apparently ate it for dinner for like two weeks or something. people always like to talk about their travels.

ever since i bought it half an hour ago, i keep thinking the word in my head with different syllables emphasized. CHERimoya. cheriMOYa. cherimoYA. i haven't cut into it yet, but i'm excited. CHERIMOYA!

... later that day ...

so. we ate some cherimoya. you guys, cherimoya is SO WEIRD. at first it tastes like blue cheese (?!), then it changes to tasting all fermenty (??!), then it tastes sweet with a weird background of something savory.

i cannot in all good conscience recommend it, exactly, but it was a taste sensation. it's worth trying, but we could only really eat a few bites of it. very interesting. cherimoya!

luckily i also got some exciting citrus, which was much better. above is a lovely meyer lemon. these are the best ever. they're extremely fragrant and slightly sweet. i use them in cocktails (peel some zest and add it to a martini or add it and some of the juice to a gin & tonic) or things like lemon curd. they're also good with fish - you can slice one into thin rounds and lay it over halibut or something. fantastico!

the other citrus thing i got was called "cocktail citrus" at the store. it's apparently part pomelo and part mandarin. it has a lot of seeds, but i liked the slight bitterness. it was great in a gin & tonic and i could see it being good in some kind of tequila drink as well. time to get some more and do some experimenting.

listening to: red house painters. trying not to think about cherimoya.

fennel & apple slaw with citrus

the super bowl is today and what is more super-bowly than a crisp cool slaw? probably a lot, actually, like guacamole or nachos or (i guess this is a thing?) an entire edible stadium made of things like cold cuts, twinkies, and pigs-in-blankets.

this is not at all decadent or cheese-laced, so it's probably more like something you might want to eat tomorrow, after the delicious orgy of gluttony that this mighty day inspires.

this is a very simple and quick salad that uses some of the greats of winter produce - citrus and fennel. a little apple adds some sweetness, while celery brings more crunch. a bunch of scallions lend their mild vegetal bite and some apple cider vinegar ups that slaw-y tang.

basically the majority of the time it takes to put this together lies in cutting up the ingredients. slice the scallions into small coins or slightly on the bias to add a little more angular visual interest. slice the celery (i used 4-5 of the small tender inside ribs - the outer ones are more tough and may be better saved for a mirepoix or something, although if you do use them i would make sure to slice them extra-thinly) into crescents of ~ 1/8 of an inch or so.

cut the fennel in half lengthwise (in the picture above, you'd cut right down the middle) - fennel bulbs are kind of ovoid in shape, so you're cutting through the thinner side. then cut out the core using two cuts going down from the top of the core like an inverted V. slice the fennel very thinly, going horizontally from the bottom to the top. here is a very advanced diagram:

i'm pretty sure we're on the same page now. also, i always save the fennel fronds and add them in for a wispy garnishy effect. the rest of the fennel cast-offs can be saved in your freezer bag of stock-makings.

so yeah, get your ingredients cut up. for the apple, i quartered it and cut out the core, then cut the quarters in half (as you can see in the bottom left of the picture below) and then cut them into kind of large matchsticks or so. you could also use a mandoline to slice the everything but the scallions, but i think it's pretty easy to cut things up by hand.

put it all in a big bowl and add maybe 1/4 teaspoon each of orange and lemon zests. you can use more if you like, but the oils in the peel start to be more assertive after it sits for a bit and you want to make sure that all of the other flavors aren't overpowered.

then add the juice from the whole orange (or half, if it's enormous) and maybe half the lemon. add about a tablespoon or a little less of apple cider vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon or so of salt. i sweetened it with about 2 tablespoons of agave syrup, because i had it on hand and it dissolves well in cold liquids, unlike honey. you could also use some sugar to taste.

and that's it! this is a nice crunchy salad with some pleasant sweetness and brightness from the lemon and orange. i imagine it would also be good with different types of citrus - meyer lemons, blood oranges, tangerines, or grapefruits would all be interesting to try. also some radishes might be a good addition.

*ingredients*

1 bulb fennel

4-5 small inner stalks of celery

1 apple

a small bunch scallions (~5 or 6)

small amount of zest from 1 orange and 1 lemon

juice from 1 orange

juice from 1/2 lemon

~1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

~2 tablespoons agave syrup or sugar, to taste

listening to: iron and wine, the sea and cake, the slug and lettuce (two are bands, one is a british chain of pubs. but which is which?!)

lime vanilla icebox cake

icebox cakes make the world go round in summer. now that portland has made some strides toward catching up with the rest of the country in the heat department (it was 90 degrees the other day!), no one really wants to go to the trouble of baking anything. it's just not worth it to heat your house up all day.

that's where icebox cakes come in. there are many varieties and levels of kitschiness one could go for with these. there is one that calls for layering nabisco wafers with whipped cream (or you can make the wafers yourself and make them into cakes or cupcakes and yum), others that use graham crackers or different kinds of wafer cookies.

this one uses ritz crackers, those buttery little delights that ... actually, i don't like ritz crackers that much. but they are good in cake-like things! who knew? and yes, as the picture above demonstrates, i think it is very important that the crackers you use for this have a marketing tie-in with glee on the packaging. glee and ritz! together again for the very first time!

anyway, the idea for this baby came from here, and i changed just a couple of things. first, i added some vanilla to the batter/milky layers. then i layered the crackers somewhat differently and added a yogurt layer over the top. next time i think i will maybe crunch up some of the remaining crackers and caramelize them and people can put them on top when they eat this, because i think the textural contrast would be nice. but this was very very good as made.

so this is the first layer. before you get to this step, you have to mix everything except the crackers together in a bowl. or whatever you want to mix it in. i used a bowl, but perhaps i lack the spark of imagination that would enable me to say, "i know everyone uses bowls for mixing things, but i am going to use.... an old boot." it's probably just as well though. mixing bowl it is!

so, seriously, that picture at the top contains all of the ingredients in this except for the yogurt. that's how crazy-easy it is. just glob out two cans of sweetened condensed milk, a pint of whipping cream (not whipped. just the cream one could whip, if so inclined), 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract or paste, a tablespoon of lime zest, and half a cup or so of lime juice (yeah, this used a lot of limes. but under no circumstances should you purchase one of those vaguely lime-shaped thingies that they cunningly sell right next to real limes. those suckers are nasty. juice real limes yourself! don't be so lazy - the rest of this is super easy. get one of these - they're great! or whatever brand. i don't care. just not those plastic shame-filled monstrosities.)

hmm. so. anyway. i guess i feel more strongly about lime juice than i realized. well.

you mix those things together and they thicken right before your eyes! it is a miracle! no, don't freak out. it is just lime juice plus science. something something acid milk dairy thicken proteins something. ta da!

put a largish (like a cup or so) dollop of that sweet limey ambrosia in your mouth in the bottom of a smallish pan. the one i used measured about 4 ritz crackers by 3 ritz crackers. really, it doesn't matter - the smaller the pan, the deeper the cake will be, the larger, the shallower. go with your instincts on this.

once i made one layer, i spread a little of the filling (like 1/2 a cup or maybe 2/3) over the inside part of the crackers. see the picture above? there were fairly large gaps between which the little round darlings didn't touch, and i wanted the cake to be more cohesive. then i did more layers like that - 12 cracker layer, then 6 cracker layer. finally i got to the end and i didn't have that much filling left so it looked weird:

that's why i decided to do a yogurt layer. i waited to do that until after the cake firmed up overnight in the fridge though. that's another big thing about this. you can apparently make it a couple of hours before you serve it, but i would definitely strongly suggest that you make it the day before. i mine like 24 hours before and it was great. i don't think 2 hours would be nearly enough to ensure the proper level of ingredient cohesion.

so you've layered it and put a little plastic wrap over it and let it hang out in the fridge overnight. then the next morning, mix some greek yogurt (2/3 - 3/4 of a cup or so) with a few tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk (to taste). you did buy some extra condensed milk didn't you? have you had that stuff in cold coffee? if you don't have more condensed milk around, you could probably use honey or a little agave nectar. or you could save a little milk from the cans that go in the filling and use that. or you could skip the whole yogurt thing and layer so that you don't have crackers showing at the top.

then sprinkle the whole thing with some more lime zest. that's just for pretty. then let it chill awhile more so that the yogurt sets up.

then eat it up! this is really one of those things that's more than the sum of its parts. it's tangy and sweet and rich and really just amazingly good. it's great for potlucks and parties! it's like the easiest key lime pie you never made!

you could also use other citrus fruits instead of limes, as long as they are acidic enough. i think this would be wonderful with grapefruit, for instance. also you could layer some fruit in there - lemon juice and blueberries, lime and blackberries or strawberries, tangelo and tayberries ... the possibilities are endless.

*ingredients*

2 cans sweetened condensed milk (plus a few tablespoons, if using yogurt for top)

1 pint whipping cream

1/2 cup lime (or whatever) juice

2 sleeves (or so) ritz crackers (or analogue - i'm sure there are generic ritz things that would be fine)

2 teaspoons vanilla

2-3 tablespoons lime zest

2/3 - 3/4 cup greek yogurt (optional)

mix the first 5 ingredients, plus 1 tablespoon zest. layer with the crackers. chill overnight. top with yogurt mixed with a little condensed milk, chill another few hours. sprinkle with more zest and enjoy.

raspberries, citrus, tonic, tequila

i ordered a tequila & tonic at our neighborhood bar recently and the bartender was taken aback. i didn't know it was such a weird thing - maybe years of gin & tonics made me realize that everything is better with tonic. but i think i ended up convincing him that it was actually good.

he in turn informed me that when you are buying tequila, you should at the very least buy one made from 100% agave. this was helpful, because i really don't know anything about tequila and actually rarely drink it. but it always tastes summery when i do, and this drink tastes like liquid summer.

all you need are some raspberries (i used frozen ones, but if you have fresh, obvs use those), some lemon, some agave nectar (or simple syrup or sugar - i just liked the idea of agave plus agave and agave nectar mixes easily into cold drinks, unlike sugar or honey), some tequila, and some tonic!

first, muddle the berries and lemon together. for two tall drinks, i used about 1/4-1/3 cup raspberries and 1/4 of a lemon, rind and all. i just smashed them with a wooden spoon until the berries were mostly smushed and the lemon had been broken down fairly well. it's not like it has to be uniform in texture. then add some agave to taste - it depends on how sweet your berries are, etc. i used about 1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons, maybe.

then divide into two glasses, add whatever amount of tequila you are comfortable with, top the glass off with tonic and lots of ice, and imagine yourself on a beach in cozumel or something.

or, in my case, acknowledge that you are in portland and it is still chilly in june and you need a sweater when you sit outside sipping exotic cocktails.

either way.

refreshing citrus & cucumber soda/cocktail

although i rarely find myself in the company of children, more and more of my friends in other parts of the country are having them and it seems like a drink that is good with or without alcohol would be a hit at any summer party.

if you are a child or are with child, you can make this with sparkling water and still feel like you are drinking something special, rather than making do with another boring soda. if you are a member of the drinking set, you can splash in the liquor of your choice - tequila, gin, or vodka would all each be welcome here.

first, you need to make a citrus syrup. you can use whatever citruses you have on hand - i had lime, lemon, and what i think was a tangelo. something like grapefruit would also be good.

get the rind off the citrus with whatever kind of removal thing you may have - the one in the picture below was like $2, i think, and it makes nice long peels, but you can also use a vegetable peeler - just try not to get any/much of the bitter white pith along with the rind.

this was all the citrus i had (one of each fruit), but i think if you have more, it couldn't hurt to add it. but this was good anyway. or you could cut down on the sugar and water a bit and just make a little less syrup.

now all you do is put the rinds in a pan with sugar and water (i used a cup of each) and put it on high and once it boils, stir it a few times and let it boil for about 5 minutes or so. then let it cool and you can either remove the rinds or just leave them in there. i left them in.

then once it's all cooled, all you have to do for the drink is muddle together some lemon/lime/orange slices (i used 1/4 of a lemon), some cucumber (just a couple of slices), and some mint.

add however much syrup you want (depending on how sweet you'd like it - i used maybe 1 1/2 tablespoons for one large glass). then you can add booze, if you'd like. i won't tell you how much to put in; let your conscience be your guide. then top the whole mess off with club soda or sparkling water and go drink it outside while reading a magazine (or continue your beach party or cookout).

aah, summer!

*ingredients*

syrup

rind from 3+ citrus fruits of your choice

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

drink

1/4 of a citrus fruit

3 or so slices cucumber

1-2 tablespoons citrus syrup

sparkling water/club soda

liquor of your choice (optional)