kalimotxo - spanish red wine cocktail

it has been Too Long since we talked about cocktails.

this is not due to a dearth of cocktails in my life, so please don't worry your pretty little head about that. there has been a notable lack of new cocktails, though, as mainly i've been sticking to tried'n'true equations such as bourbon + ginger = best. even when we went out to a fancy cocktail place last night i stuck with good old bourbon/ginger. it didn't hurt that they make their own ginger ale and augment it with generous shavings of fresh ginger. that didn't hurt at all.

but sometimes you want to go in another direction, i guess, so today i saw that there was a small amount of red wine that was just sitting around bored and then i remembered that we had coke (normally we don't - we are a proud diet coke family) and - ta da! - kalimotxo! (aka calimocho)

i first had this in spain, at a little bar in barcelona. it was incredibly hot and we'd been walking around forever. the ice-cold red wine and coke served in a cool dark courtyard was just the thing to refresh and revive us for another round of sightseeing.

this is kind of a weird cocktail. it tends to divide tastes. mike, for instance, thinks it's gross. i like it, but it's something i get a craving for maybe once a year. it's probably best in the summer, because it's not-very-alcoholic and is sort of refreshing and i could see taking a pitcher of them to the beach or on a picnic or something.

but here we are in the dead of winter and it's raining somberly and it was still pretty good. so.

making a kalimotxo is dead easy. just mix equalish amounts of red wine and coke and squeeze some lime in! you've just made a cocktail! i didn't have any limes, but lemon worked a treat. you can also leave the citrus out, but i think it adds a lot.

clearly, this is not something in which you want to use your best red wine that you've been saving for a special occasion, but if you have some indifferent and cheap wine and some coke lying around, this is an interesting way to use it. the wine and coke combine to make a beautiful dark ruby-colored drink that is somewhat sweet but has some savory deeper flavors from the tannins in the wine. it may not be an earth-shaking experience, but it's well worth a try.

mix some up, sit back, and pretend you are in beautiful spain, looking out on the mediterranean and thinking about having some jamón, a siesta and going out to dinner at 11 pm.

the above is some vodka that is patiently awaiting its time in the sun. i'm steeping some lemongrass and ginger in it and plan to make something like the cocktail equivalent of tom kha soup. but it still has some sitting around and infusing to do, so it will have to wait. in the meantime, enjoy your coke-and-wine!

listening to: santigold, MIA, more santigold.

cold-brewed coffee revisited

i have been diligently making cold-brewed coffee all summer and have learned a few more things that i thought might be of interest.

first, several times i have left coffee brewing in its little jar on the counter and forgotten about it until the next day. turns out, if you let it cold-brew at room temperature for 24 hours and then put it in the fridge and then filter it later (a few hours or days - it doesn't seem to matter much - the coffee just gets a little stronger the longer it brews), it is perhaps even better - i think the flavors get more nuanced - maybe even more kind of caramel and vanilla and chocolate-y.

second, light coconut milk is delicious in iced coffee. i've been using some coconut milk and some regular milk, but if you super-like coconut and like somewhat viscous drinks (pleasantly so, but still), maybe you should try it with just coconut milk. since coconut milk comes in cans and it's sort of gross to leave stuff in cans in the fridge (isn't it? am i just too squeamish here?) i open a can and pour it into an old jar to store - one can lasts a week or so in daily coffees.

finally, and this will certainly have occurred to the more astute coffee connoisseurs out there already, sweetened condensed milk. yesssssss. vietnamesify that coffee, son! this is to taste, because i usually don't sweeten my coffee at all, but a little condensed milk stirred into cold coffee on a hot summer afternoon never hurt anyone. even if it did, it was probably worth it.

one final note* - if you want to bring cold-brewed coffee to work with you and you don't have a fancy cup with a lid that keeps liquids in, you can put it in a jar and drop the jar into an enormous wool sock - the sock will insulate the jar and keep your coffee cold. it will also help to ensure that coffee doesn't flood your bag.

*final note may only be applicable to my own situation and collection of capacious wool socks.

gin/ginger/mango/pineapple punch

punch is a fun thing to make for any gathering of friends. it can be as complicated or simple as you want (i am fond of the idea of having sherbet in punch, but it seems like that doesn't happen as much as it used to).

the genesis of this particular punch was the fact that mangoes and pineapple were both on sale at safeway. it's not much, as creation myths go, but it is the truth.

first you must get some jars together (or, if you are fancy, get out your pitcher) and then you should cut up some coins of ginger (i just wash it and cut it up with the skin still on). for three largish (like spaghetti sauce jar-sized) jars, i used perhaps 2 inches of ginger root, cut in pretty thin slices. then cut up the pineapple (for instructions on that, see rhubarb-pineapple crumble) and the mango.

mangoes seem to intimidate people sometimes. when i was buying this one, there was an elderly fellow in front of me buying like a dozen of them and he was talking to the cashier about what a pain they were to cut up. apparently he was peeling them first and then trying to cut them, which to me sounds like an exercise in slippery fruit, futility, and sliced fingers. it is much easier to cut them up with the peel still on them, then cut the pieces out of the peel.

mangoes are sort of flat on two sides and if you use a sharp knife and hold the fruit so that the stem is facing up, you can cut down on either side of the pit. these are the larger oval pieces above. then there are just the two smaller side pieces and you're almost done! then just make hatch marks as above, push the skin in so that the flesh goes out as in the bottom part of the picture, and use a small knife to cut the little cubes off. so easy! and it's already cubed for you! i used a whole mango and almost half of a pineapple.

then just put the fruit and ginger in with some gin to soak. i let it soak on the counter for a good couple of hours - this infuses the gin with the fruit flavor and infuses the fruit with the gin. i used about a liter of gin in total - just try to get all of the things evenly distributed, if you are using more than one vessel.

after a couple of hours (and i'm sure it would be fine if it was longer than that), add some soda or similar. i used one bottle of grapefruit italian soda and then added some sparkling water to each glass as it was poured (the picture at top is post-italian soda addition). this made for a not-too-strong and very refreshing summer cooler.

we enjoyed it while picnicking and playing bocce ball, which is the preferred way to enjoy it, but it wouldn't be too bad if you sipped it at a cookout or similar.

isn't summer just the best?!

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.

rhubarb syrup

my friend jen and i made the arduous journey to portland's famous saturday farmers' market yesterday to partake of spring's bounty. well, it wasn't that arduous a journey, but i did take the bus there, so that's something.

anyway, the market is a huge tourist and family attraction and it was sort of crazy-making for people who just want to buy produce. i liked the variety of things available, but i don't think i will go again soon because there are lots of other markets here that aren't so insanely crowded. but i got a ton of wonderful stuff that will be showing up in things here this week.*

one of the things about which i was most excited is rhubarb. it is at its best right now and i bought over two pounds and already made it into a rhubarb-pineapple crumble, which will be posted soon, and this simple rhubarb-vanilla syrup, which is good on practically everything.

rhubarb syrup is dead easy and requires like 5 minutes of your attention (though it cooks for longer than that, of course).

wash however much rhubarb you want to use - i used four medium stalks and ended up with perhaps a cup and a half of syrup.

cut off the ends (and be sure to get rid of any leaves - they're kind of poisonous!) and slice the stalks crosswise into thin crescent-y coins - perhaps 1/8 - 1/4 inch or so (though it all breaks down anyway, so it really doesn't matter how thin they are, as long as they aren't like 2 inches long or something).

put in a saucepan with (in this case) about 1 1/2 cups water and about 1 cup sugar. this is also kind of to taste, although you want to use enough sugar to make the texture syrupy, so i wouldn't use much less. i happened to have some vanilla sugar already, since after i use vanilla beans i rinse them and put them in a thing of sugar - they add their remaining flavor and perfume as it sits. i also put the vanilla bean in with the rhubarb at this point, but it really isn't a big deal - don't go out and buy a vanilla bean or anything - this was really just because i had it around. if you really want a little vanilla flavor you can also add a splash (maybe a teaspoon) of vanilla extract at the end, before it goes in the fridge.

so - you have your cut-up rhubarb, sugar, water, and perhaps vanilla bean in a saucepan. turn the burner on high and when the mixture boils (as it will, as long as you are not watching it too closely), turn it down to medium-low and let it cook down for about 20 minutes or so, until the rhubarb breaks down - stir occasionally - maybe 3-4 times as it cooks. i usually use the back of a wooden spoon to kind of smoosh the rhubarb against the walls of the pan - it makes it break down faster (or seems to).

once it is all broken down, many people strain it through a sieve or cheesecloth or whatever so you end up with a lovely clear pinky-red syrup. i am lazy and i also don't really see the need for this, so i just let it cool and pour it in old jars to keep in the fridge. it should keep quite a while - at least a week or so. i think if you strain the solids out it would probably keep longer - like several weeks, but i just make smaller batches and don't bother with the straining.

you could probably freeze it as well - maybe in ice cube trays. that might be nice for keeping it longer, but frankly i just can't be bothered.

there are so many possible uses for this delightful syrup - experiment!

i use it on greek yogurt in the morning, mix it into club soda or sparkling water for rhubarb sodas, have it over pancakes or in cereal, or add it to cocktails for a springtime treat.

you can also eat it out of the jar while looking guiltily around to see if anyone is watching and judging you.

the solids from the rhubarb could also be smeared over toast or an english muffin. possibilities!

this is an easy and delicious way to enjoy spring's finest red stalks.

*ingredients (can be scaled up or down depending on how much syrup you want)*

4 stalks fresh rhubarb

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup sugar

*other wonderful farmers' market stuff: green garlic, 5 large bunches of asparagus (i know - it's a lot. but we love it! and they gave me a deal! i couldn't resist), baby mustard greens, japanese turnips, and a big bag of wild sorrel for which i have big plans that involve eggs and cream - more on that later.

cold-brewed coffee

cold-brewed coffee is far superior to regular coffee that you put on ice or refrigerate so it gets cold. that is just the truth. it is caramelly and nutty and creamy in a way that hot-brewed coffee made cold will never be. it isn't at all bitter and even people who normally like sugar in their coffee would probably like this just with some milk.

according to wikipedia, cold-brewing results in a less acidic drink, which may account for the extra-tastiness. there are a number of things about cold-brewing online - there are also many gadgets that promise to make it easier.

the thing is, it is ridiculously easy already, so don't buy any dumb gadgets.

all i do is fill old jars about 1/4 of the way with coarsely ground coffee* (you can use espresso or any dark roast you like. or probably whatever - that's just what i like) and fill the rest with cold water. lid it, shake it up, let it sit for overnight on the counter or 24 hours or so in the fridge (although it can sit for much longer than that - i have left it for days in the fridge and it gets stronger, but is still fantastic).

then when it is ready, shake it up again and put it the whole mess in your french press.

you have a french press, right?

if you do, this is super easy - just press it like a normal thing of coffee. then pour and add milk to taste. voila! so delicious and easy.

if you are one of those poor souls without a french press, you can still make this coffee, but it will be a little more of a hassle. you would probably do best making it in a mason jar with one of those lids where you can remove the lid part but still have the screw top part. then put some cheesecloth in several layers over the top, put the screw top part on, and strain it. or you could use a sieve and cheesecloth or a regular coffee filter set over something. but that sounds like kind of a pain, frankly, so while i said you don't need gadgets, i really think a french press is the way to go. but i don't consider that a gadget so much as a household necessity. so.

you can also pour some of the coffee into ice cube trays so that you can have coffee ice cubes so regular ice cubes don't water down your perfect cold-brewed coffee. i am not quite that devoted, though, and since i usually use the longer-time-in-the-fridge method, the coffee and milk are already cold and i don't need ice.**

seriously, this is a wonderful addition to your summer drink rotation and it takes practically no time and is FAR better than just chilling regular coffee. f'reals. i make it every day - just filtering the jars i have in the fridge and then reusing the jars to get more ready for tomorrow. it takes about 5 minutes a day and is 100% worth it.

*this makes it quite strong - you can add less coffee if you like - maybe an inch or inch and a half

**more about options here.

pineapple-sage gin and tonic

say hello to an easy and delicious way to fancy up a classic g&t!

sage and pineapple go together amazingly well. the effect is a heady mix of tropicalia and some herby bitterness from the sage. with the sweetness and bitterness of tonic and the herbal juniper notes of gin, this is a great go-to for summer tipples on the patio.

in whatever glass you have handy, muddle 3-4 chunks of fresh pineapple with 3-5 fresh sage leaves (depending on how big they are and how much you like sage).

if you have a real muddler, so much the better, but a wooden spoon or its handle also works. just make sure to get them nice and smooshed and the sage bruised up so that its oils get all mixed in with the pineapple.

pour in a healthy glug of gin (a nice clean-tasting gin works best - you don't need anything too fancy or something like hendrick's which, while tasty, is expensive and has flavors of rose and stuff, which is unnecessary here).

add tonic (fancy tonics like Q or fever tree would be great, since they use real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, but something like schweppes is totally fine and is usually what i use, because i am poor).

add ice and perhaps a straw so you don't end up slurping some sage leaves (although personally i don't mind that).

drink up! repeat as needed.