Pickled & Dirty Tomato Martini

A page from the September 2015 Food Network Magazine that's been sitting in a pile of similar ripped pages, from various sources, has kept being moved to the top of the pile for a while now. For some reason, who knows why, the urge to make them (finally) was so strong it sent me out the door for dill and tomatoes. (And later again for the coriander seeds I was sure were in the cabinet, but were not. (I'm sure they'll appear when I don't need them.)

The pretty tomatoes were tart, tangy, sweet, salty, garlicky, dilly - with just a bit of heat. SO good were they, even the pickling brine was delicious enough to drink. So why not make a pickle martini? I did. Thus, the Pickled & Dirty Tomato Martini graced my glass. (Pickled & dirty...I know there's a wry comment out there somewhere!)

I made a few small changes to the Food Network Magazine recipe - mainly more spices and garlic. Next time I'll try adding jalapeno or serrano peppers for even more heat. One of the benefits of cherry and grape tomatoes is that there are always tasty and colorful baskets of these lovlies year 'round. You (and I) can make them anytime!

Pickled & Dirty Tomato Martini

• 2 1/2 oz. Uncle Val's Peppered Gin (or gin of your choice)
• 1/2 oz. Dolin Blanc vermouth
• 1/2-3/4 oz. pickled tomato brine (pickled tomato recipe below)
• ice

Garnish

• pickled cherry and/or grape tomatoes - recipe below (I like the multicolored ones)
• fresh dill sprig

In a shaker tin (yes, I commit the sin of enjoying a shaken martini), add the gin, vermouth and pickled tomato brine. Add ice halfway up tin, cap and shake until tin is frosted. Strain into a chilled martini glass,  add a spear of pickled tomatoes, slap the fresh dill sprig to release the fragrance and garnish. Mmmmmmm....pickle-y.......

My own Quick Pickled Tomatoes

Quick Pickled Tomatoes

(adapted from the September 2015 Food Network Magazine)

• 1 pound cherry and/or grape tomatoes - I like lots of colors and sizes for a pretty jar full of pickled tomatoes
• 1 C apple cider vinegar
• 1 C water
• 1/4 C sugar
• 2 T Kosher salt
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 1/2 t coriander seeds
• 1 1/2 t mustard seeds
• 1/2 t red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 t black peppercorns
• 3/4 t pink peppercorns
• 3/4 t green peppercorns
• 3/4 C fresh dill

Have a clean 1 quart canning jar ready.

Bring vinegar and water to a boil. Add sugar, Kosher salt, coriander, mustard seeds, red pepper flakes, and the various peppercorns. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved, remove from heat and allow to cool while you proceed.

Put a couple of dill sprigs into the bottom of the quart jar, add a layer of tomatoes and a smashed clove of garlic. Repeat the layers until the jar is nearly filled. Pour the warm liquid into the jar, cap and allow to cool completely on the counter. Refrigerate. The tomatoes will be ready to serve the next day.

Jamaica Mon Coffee Rum & Tonic

Imagine your favorite iced coffee and an ice cold Coke had a baby...a Caribbean baby, baby! There's no doubt my Jamaica Mon Coffee Rum & Tonic was partially inspired by Hidden Harbor's new icy, slushy, frozen coffee/banana/rum and spice delight, the Oka Kope Kooler...it's my current tiki crush at Squirrel Hill's hot spot. 

Hidden Harbor's Oka Kope Kooler 

Then, too, Alton Brown recently posted a recipe for his cola syrup; I whipped up a batch of AB's syrup and got down to some serious testing.

What resulted was a tall, crisp, little-bit-sparkly summertime refresher with a good buzz of caffeine (via the coffee and cola), and a light kiss of chocolate courtesy of the bitters. Notes of cola spices, a wee touch of coconut, a little tartness of lime and a finish of summery not-just-for-gin tonic might lift your weary spirit from the shores of the Mon to the soothing turquoise waters and white sands of a beach somewhere in faraway Jamaica. 

Why Jamaica Mon? Because Jamaican rum. And Pittsburgh's own MON-ongahela!

Jamaica Mon Coffee Rum & Tonic

• 2 oz Appleton Estate Reserve Blended rum
• 1 oz St. George NOLA Coffee Liqueur (this isn't easy to find, so feel free to use your favorite coffee liqueur)
• 3/4 oz Mexican Coca Cola syrup (see recipe below)
• 1 barspoon cream of coconut - or 1/2 t.
• 7 drops Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate bitters
• Fever Tree Lite Tonic
• lime wedge
• lime peel garnish
• a grating of nutmeg

In a cocktail shaker, combine rum, coffee liqueur, coca cola syrup and cream of coconut. Dry shake. Add ice and shake again until tin is frosted. Strain into an ice filled glass, add the bitters, stir gently, then top with tonic and a squeeze of lime. Stir gently again.

Garnish with lime peel and a grating of nutmeg.

Alton Brown's Cola Syrup

• 12 oz bottle Mexican Coca Cola - find it at Reyna's in the Strip District
• 1 C demerara sugar - believe it or not, Giant Eagle carries it

In a small saucepan, bring the Coke to a boil. Add the demerara sugar and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. 

Cool and store in a covered container (I use a Mason jar) in the fridge.

R(h)um And Rhubarb Cocktails - By The Batch

Deck drinks time is here! FINALLY. Holy hell, what's the point of enduring months of cold, snow, freezing rain and just plain miserably gray days if it isn't time to get our butts out into sun and warm, gentle breezes? 

And as long as we're out there, why not celebrate the occasion with a cocktail that is simply, perfectly in season? Better yet, make a batch of this cocktail base ahead of time. Why? More time in the sun instead of in the kitchen!

Right now, rhubarb is fresh from the fields and you'll find it all over local farmers markets and grocery stores. If you're lucky, you have some growing in your own backyard or even in a generous neighbor's backyard. In my old neighborhood, right around the corner, a neighbor used to heap piles of beautiful ruby red stalks on a picnic table by the road. We customers picked up fresh from the garden bundles of the spring delight and left our money in the box provided. Couldn't get any fresher than that!

Since the season is so short, I buy and use rhubarb as soon as I see it. This year, a big batch of rhubarb simple syrup for richly tart, sweet and sparkly cocktails was on the top of the list. Next I made a refreshing rhubarb shrub...also for cocktails. Finally, there will be a rhubarb upsidedown cake and maybe even strawberry rhubarb shortcake to round out my rhubarb list for this year. 

But first, let's just pull up a comfy lounge chair on the deck or the balcony and simply enjoy a damned fine cocktail. Cheers!

Rhum and Rhubarb Cocktails - By The Batch

Cocktail base:

• 3/4 C rhubarb simple syrup (recipe follows)
• 1/2 C fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 C Barbancourt Rhum from Haiti 
• 1/3 C Koloa dark rum from Hawaii

In a glass pitcher, mix the above ingredients. Chill.

When it's cocktail time, fill a glass with ice, pour the cocktail base halfway up the glass and top with Sanpellegrino limonata and 6-8 drops of Bittermens Elemakule tiki bitters. Pretty it up with a decorative paper straw and a fun stirrer, sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Rhubarb Simple Syrup 

• 1 C sugar
• 1 C water
• 3 C thinly sliced fresh rhubarb (be sure NOT to use any leaves - they are poisonous!) 

In a medium heavy bottomed pot, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Once all the sugar is dissolved, slowly add rhubarb to the liquid. Stir until the rhubarb wilts down, then simmer 20-30 minutes. Cool. 

When cool, strain the mixture into a large container, then carefully pour the pretty pink liquid into a quart Mason jar and cover. 

Don't throw the solids out! Use those to top ice cream. Yum!

NOTE: Store any leftover cocktail base in a covered jar in the fridge. You can double the base recipe easily, just be sure to use a bigger pot!

A Smoked Fig Rum Old Fashioned and A Simple Mai Tai With Appleton Estate Rum

Rare would be an afternoon more convivial than one spent in the good company of rum afficianados, especially when the rum is Appleton Estate, "Crafted in the Heart of Jamaica." The gathering consisted of bartenders, rum fans, food and drink journalists, and David Morrison, Appleton Estate's Senior Blender (the fine gentleman straight from Jamaica!) to guide us in the afternoon's rum education. 

Both David and Willy Shine (Total Beverage Solutions Agency) led us through the provenance, history and the blending of fine Jamaican rum....Appleton Estate rum!  As Senior Blender, David schooled us in what it takes to blend some of the finest rums available: growing the best types of sugarcane in the fertile fields in the heart of Jamaica, distilling the precious liquid, Appleton's dedication to protecting the environment in the Nassau Valley of Jamaica, and the blending of the fruits of their efforts. Speaking of blending....

Each participant was provided with four bottles of various rums from the Estate and asked to create our own individual blend. The object was to create a "mixable" rum. We all set to work with bottles labeled "A" - "D" for our own take on what we'd enjoy making into a fine cocktail. 

The Appleton blending challenge lineup.

We each added our own selected portions into a bottle that would eventually contain our own private blended, mixable rum. Once that was done, we were instructed to write our name on the bottom of a clean glass, pour a bit of our individual blend into it, and present it to David and Willy who then selected the three top mixing blends of the session.

Lynn, of Acacia in the Southside, quite deservedly won the top prize! Stunningly, I won third and a bottle of Appleton Estate Reserve Blend. Honestly, I couldn't have been more shocked. 

David Morrison, Appleton Estate Senior Blender, awarding my prize bottle of rum!

Okay, now that we have a "mixable" rum, what do we mix with it? I came up with twists on two classics, the first using the bottle I got for third place in a Smoked Fig Rum Old Fashioned, and the 2nd cocktail using my custom blend and Appleton Signature Blend. I hope you make one (or both!) of them to enjoy soon.

Smoked Fig Rum Old Fashioned

• 2 small sugar cubes (Domino calls them "dots")
• 1/2 oz smoked fig syrup (see recipe below)
• 1/2 t. Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters
• 2 oz. Appleton Estate Reserve Blend rum
• a strip of orange peel for garnish
• a fresh Black Mission fig half for garnish

In an old fashioned glass, muddle the sugar cubes, smoked fig syrup and the bitters. Add the rum and stir well until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add a large ice cube, twist the orange peel over the top of the glass and garnish the drink with the peel and a fresh fig half. 

Smoked Fig Syrup: Smoke 10 fresh Black Mission figs, cut in half, in a smoker for half an hour until the figs are soft and syrupy juices are running. I used a combo of apple and pecan wood and threw the figs on the top shelf while I was smoking meatloaf on Sunday. Cool the figs.

In a small pot, combine a cup of sugar and a cup of water. Add the smoked figs and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer the figs in the syrup for 20 minutes. Mash the figs a few times while cooking. Turn off the heat and let cool. 

Pour the mixture into a strainer over a bowl and let the syrup drain. Press the solids with a spoon against the sides of the strainer until ALL the liquid is released into the bowl. Pour the fig syrup into a jar and cap tightly. Don't throw out the solids! Use the remains to make cookies or fig bread. Yum. Now go make you Smoked Fig Rum Old Fashioned. You've earned it!

A Simple Mai Tai

• 1 oz light rum (Appleton, of course!), I used my very own blend
• 1 oz. Appleton Estate Reserve Rum Blend
• 1/2 oz. orgeat (I used Beach Bum Berry's own from Latitude 29, you can make your own or buy one online)
• 1/2 oz Grand Marnier
• juice of 1/2 a lime

Fill a cocktail tin 3/4 of the way of up ice. Add all ingredients and shake until the tin is frosted. Pour over ice and garnish. Told you it was simple!

Christmas Vacation, Edible Souveniers and Gypsy Kielbasa Unstuffed Cabbage

After a refreshing break, I'm back in gear once again and ready to go grab the New Year for all it's worth. (Ciao 2014, glad to see YOU in the rearview mirror!) 

This post might just as well be titled "What I Did On My Winter Vacation" and it's complete with lots of photos. Be grateful there isn't a slide show ala the 50's and 60's! (At least I would have served up some decent party foods and more than a few cocktails to make for an interesting evening.)

Where did I go? Baltimore. Yes, once again. It's so close and there is SO much going on all over! We visited old favorite spots and checked out new (to us, anyway) restaurants and bars...one we felt so comfortable in, we went back the next night! (Yes, I'm talking about YOU, Rye!)

Come on! Let's go on a guided tour. I just wish you could be feeling the warm sun and 60 degree weather we had IN DECEMBER(!) nearly the entire time we were there. Once we're done, there will be a new recipe for an easy, comfort food kinda dinner for the fam or company. Ready? Let's go!

No, it didn't take long to hit our favorite spot...you all know by now it's Bad Decisions. Let it be known that we DID check in to the Admiral Fell Inn first and even had a quick bite across the street before entering.

Really. There was food involved too...Ale Mary's is KNOWN for their tots! We enjoyed the Reuben tots....YUM!

Okay, I digress...back to Bad Decisions. AND Ostrowski's Home Made Sausage! John Reusing, owner of Bad Decisions, bought the sausage factory next door recently. Along with the famous Ostrowski family recipes, one massive smoker came along with the deal. What a find for the bar famous for Beer and Bacon nights! 

Kimber and I, and our dear friends Marti and Meredith, were favored with a private tour of the historic shop along with some excellent sampling. We left with containers of Sriracha sauerkaut, gypsy kielbassa (LOTS of black pepper!) and good spicy and smoky andouille.

Ostrowski's by night. (Photo credit: John Reusing)

On to the next stop!

Rye (see above, we stopped here BOTH nights in town!) is sexy as hell, if you're a cocktail afficianado. We are. Don't miss one of Doug and Dan's classic or original creations. Obviously, with a visit both Friday and Saturday nights, Kimber and I are fans. BIG fans! 

Tots seemed to be the noshing theme of the night. On the way back to the hotel, we made a stop at a new-to-us spot on South Broadway. 

Look at the size of the crab lumps in these Crabby Tots at Alexanders's Tavern! And for me, they have an extensive gluten-free menu. Apparently that's what happens when both the owner AND chef are celiac. 

Back to the hotel for a good rest....LOTS to do tomorrow!

Good morning, Fells Point! You're beautiful! (The view from our windows...not too shabby, eh?)

Starting the day at Slainte (where soccer is religion!)...and yes, a substantial breakfast followed. The housemade corned beef hash was particularly incredible! (Note to self...more effort must be made on photographing food, not just cocktails.) 

And now, our morning walk.

Dragon boats at the Inner Harbor. Notice the National Aquarium in the background?

Um...the Chesapeake. Duh.

From there, we stopped at shops galore and walked along the water the entire way back to Fells Point. Such a walkable area! Along the way, we noticed Brian Voltaggio's Family Meal nestled into the Power Plant by the other side of the aquarium. Temporary signs were in place and it looked as if it were ready to open at any time. After we got home, I saw that was their opening day. Missed opportunity! (The Frederick, MD Family Meal is a favorite spot of Kimber's and mine to stop on the way back to Pittsburgh.) 

Of course, our walk included a pause at The Horse You Came In On...complete with a wee sample of the Jack Daniels vanilla infusion. Happy moment WITH live music during the day!

Once back at the hotel, it was time for a nap before heading out once more. On the way to dinner at Lobo, there were a few dalliances at familiar watering stations along the way; Riptide By The Bay ("where the locals lounge"), the Waterfront Hotel (if you watched Homicide any time during its long run, this is the bar the cops bought). 

With the sun starting to lower in the sky, it was a cool, crisp walk to Canton on the far side of the harbor. And absolutely lovely.

And there was this "sailing" down Aliceanna Street heading for Canton. Captain James Landing is quite the landmark!

At last, we arrived at our destination for our evening's repast. Lobo is a new and thoroughly delightful restaurant on the scene in the Fells Point/Canton area of Baltimore. It came highly recommended by John Reusing, the owner of both Bad Decisions and Ostrowski's. He was SO right!

One gorgeous charcuterie board at Lobo! (BTW, Lobo = the Spanish word for Wolf...and the restaurant is on  the corner of Aliceanna and WOLF Streets!)

Crab fingers in the dead of winter and luscious shrimp cocktail. Oh, and a kickass cocktail to boot!

A slow walk back to the hotel, another stop at Bad Decisions (a GOOD decision), and nitey nite.

Good morning, Baltimore! (Cue song from Hairspray). No beautiful sunrise this morning. It was dreary. Who cares, we'd experienced warm 60 degree weather the entire trip and rain on the way home would be no big deal. And from here on we'd be driving to our destinations anyway. We had reservations for brunch at the esteemed Woodberry Kitchen in Hampden awaiting!

Nope, that's not Woodberry Kitchen. It IS the kitschy and delightful Cafe Hon in Hampden, home of Honfest. We were running early and stopped for a cuppa Joe.

Look who was waiting for us inside! Who knew Elvis was an ugly Christmas sweater fan?!

Finally at Woodberry Kitchen with a brunch cocktail. We HAD to, it was Doctor's Orders! (Name of the cocktail, really! It included carrot shrub, so you KNOW it was good for you.)

Well, look at that...I remembered to take a pic of our food. Cheese grits on the right, and on the main plate, housemade maple sausage and their own bacon. The toast was the most wonderful gluten-free bread I've ever had. Owner/chef Spike Gjerde's wife is celiac so they KNOW their GF!

Once full and happy, we headed for one last stop before hitting the road. We always peruse the aisles of the local spirits stores looking for the new and unusual.

What an extensive collection of wines, spirits, beers, bitters, charcuterie...everything you'd ever need for your very own party extrordinaire!

Well, look at that. Right in the heart of one of the hippest areas of Baltimore, we found a little bit of Pittsburgh. Hello, Wigle!

So cool finding a bit of the 'Burgh in the heart of Baltimore. And now, since I brought back a bit of Baltimore to the 'Burgh, the promised recipe using our treasured Sriracha sauerkraut and Gypsy sausage from Ostrowski's. Don't you just love delicious, edible souvenirs?!    

Gypsy Kielbasa Unstuffed Cabbage

• 1/2 head of cabbage, roughly chopped
• 3/4 of a large onion, diced
• 1 LARGE potato, scrubbed, peel left on and sliced thinly

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 3 T minced onion
• 1 T Crazy Salt
• 3 T jalapeno ketchup (Heinz makes it and we can't live without it!)
• 1 1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce

• 1 lb Ostrowski's Sriracha sauerkraut, drained - RESERVE JUICE* - optional, regular sauerkraut or add Sriracha to a pound of fresh sauerkraut to taste (or wait for John to get online ordering up and running for Ostrowski's!)
• 1 lb fresh, Ostrowski's unsmoked gypsy kielbassa, fried until browned on the outside and sliced into rounds - again, use regular unsmoked or wait for online ordering at Ostrowski's!
• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

First, mix together the filling ingredients: ground beef through Worcestershire sauce. Set aside.

In a lasagna or other casserole dish, layer the diced cabbage, diced onion and sliced potatoes. Dollop beef mixture on top. 

Dollops of filling while the dish is in progress.

Cover with sauerkraut, tomatoes & rounds of kielbassa. Cover dish securely with foil and bake for 2 1/2 hours. Uncover and bake another 20 minutes. Check to be sure the potatoes and cabbage are cooked thoroughly and give it another half hour if not soft and tender. Let sit 15 minutes before serving. 

Makes great leftovers!

*Why reserve the sauerkraut juice? For picklebacks, of course! What's a pickleback? A shot of Jameson IMMEDIATELY followed by a shot of picklejuice, or in this case, sriracha sauerkraut juice. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it. 

Have A Figgy Old Fashioned Christmas!

'Tis the season for all things figgy. Figgy puddings, trifles, cookies and such just seem to fill the Christmas bill.

It's also the time for cocktails redolent with the spices and deep, rich flavors we associate with the season. In the spice vein, that might include cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom and allspice, while in the classic holiday fruits category, raisins, figs, dates, oranges, cranberries and the like would qualify. Which brings me to this year's Dinner Plan-it holiday cocktail, the Figgy Old Fashioned.

Made with a Black Mission fig, warm spice simple syrup, bourbon (or rum perhaps for yet another, sweeter twist) and kissed with a touch of orange bitters, it's a cocktail that will have you remembering Christmases of old by a crackling fire with those you love. Cheers, friends...lots of Christmas cheer to all of you!

Figgy Old Fashioned

• 1/2 oz fig simple syrup* 
• 2 dashes Regan's orange bitters
• 2 oz good bourbon - I used Bulleit or a good spiced rum like Pittsburgh's own Maggie's Farm for a sweeter cocktail
• 2 Amarena Fabri or Luxardo cherries - reserve one for garnish
• 2 strips fresh orange peel - reserve one for garnish
• 1 or 2 whole cloves for garnish

In a cocktail mixing glass, muddle one cherry and the simple syrup together. Add spiced rum and stir well. Strain into Old Fashioned glass (what else would you use?!) over a large ice cube and stir well, add the bitters, twist the peel over the surface of the drink and lightly swipe the orange side of the peel around the rim of the glass. Garnish with another cherry and a clove studded orange peel.

Cheers!

* Fig Simple Syrup: 1 C sugar, 1 C water, 1/2 C dried Black Mission figs - cut in halves or quarters, 3 green cardamom pods - cracked lightly, 1 cinnamon stock - 4" long, 4 whole cloves. 

In a small pot, bring sugar and water to a boil and all the rest of the ingredients. Immediately reduce heat to bring the contents down to a simmer and continue simmering for 5 minutes. Let cool in pot, then strain the liquid into a small bottle. You're all ready to make cocktails now!

NOTE: Try using big, plump Medjool dates (be sure to remove the big pits in the center before adding to the pot) instead of figs if you wish...equally fabulous!

Paw Paw Ice Cream or Concord Grape Sorbet...One Difficult Decision

This week's Millie's Homemade ice cream CSA presented we fortunate subscribers with a choice: a pint of native Western PA paw paw ice cream or harvest fresh concord grape sorbet? Tough decision, right? I love choices where there are no wrong answers. I chose paw paw. 

Why? Because I've been dying to try paw paws for many years. From the time we moved into our house in the North Hills 28 years ago, all those fruit tree catalogs tempted me with descriptions of the exotic sounding fruit tree. The fruits look like a large mango with a flavor description of a banana crossed with citrus. Described as having a custardy texture, I SO wanted to try them. 

The trees themselves were unlike any local tree I'd ever seen...so cool and tropical looking! Somehow I never got around to ordering a pair. Yet another gardening regret in hindsight as paw paws have become the darling of the fall fresh and local scene. Blew that one!



I was tickled to see the last Cure'ated dinner (at Cure in Lawrenceville with Chef Brian Voltaggio of Volt in Frederick, MD (and of Top Chef fame)) used paw paws in every course. (I was first on the waiting list for this dinner if someone cancelled. They didn't. Damn.) And now, I was being offered paw paw ice cream delivered directly to my door? Yes, please.

Now that I had a pint of my dream paw paw ice cream in my hot little hands, would I be disappointed after years of imagining the exotic, yet local, fruit's flavor? Not on your life. It was everything I'd imagined and more! Just a hint of banana with a subtle melon nuance and a smidge of pineapple in the forefront delighted my tastebuds. THIS is ice cream to savor!

And you know what? When Lauren delivered my pint to the door, I was lucky enough to be gifted a bonus pint of Concord Grape sorbet, too. I hit the ice cream lottery! 

One taste of this intensely grape-y sorbet had me imagining a tall glass of gin and tonic with a big scoop - or TWO - of this gorgeous deep purple grape sorbet bobbing in a bubbly tall glass. So that's exactly what we enjoyed last evening. Ahhhhhhhh...a perfect purple-y adult float. Cheers to Millie! And her homemade chilly delights.

Millie's Concord Grape Gin & Tonic Float

Serves 1

• 1 1/2 oz.  Bluecoat gin
• 2 nice big scoops of Millie's Homemade Concord Grape Sorbet (or another brand if you can't get your hands on Millie's - I bet blackberry would be pretty amazing, too!)
• Fever Tree Naturally Light Indian Tonic Water (or regular, not light) - enough to fill the glass

In a nice tall glass, add the gin and a little tonic. Mix. Add hefty scoops of sorbet and pour enough tonic to fill the glass. Gently stir and serve with a straw. (I love my metal spoon straws...dual purpose!)

Girlfriends, Girls' Night IN And One Sweet, Hot B*tch (Surprise...That's a Cocktail!)

Girls' Night with great friends is exactly what the doctor orders sometimes. Last Saturday night the physician writing orders wasn't quite the regular General Practitioner sort of doctor you might normally visit, but more of the kind who heals your spirit and soul.

While perusing the bottles of liquor on the shelves for our evening's indulgences, we began with impromptu tastings of Zaya rum followed by Patron XO Cafe in tiny stemmed glasses. Tres chic (not)! Judy and Stacey (mom and daughter, too, like Kimber and me) and my dear friend Marti (all three of them in from Maryland), lounged in our estrogen-charged living room swapping stories, catching up on all the latest happy, sad and mundane goings on in our lives and sharing both sweet and bittersweet memories we'd been blessed to have with Mark.

Chicken, beef and pork soft tacos (yay Verde Mexican Kitchen & Cantina (their catering menu is muy bueno)!!!!) and gluten-free Chipotle Brownies (yay Marti!!!!) provided sustenance as Kimber kept us happy with delicious and creative cocktails. Bourbon on the rocks for Marti, a cucumber and jalapeno gin & tonic for me and rum and Cokes for Judy and Stacey. Hmmmm...there maybe have been some experimental picklebacks mixed in there somewhere, as well.

For herself, Kimber came out of the kitchen carrying a martini glass with 2 pickle slices perched prettily on its rim. That little riff on a pickle-tini turned out to be everyone's favorite! (You know we were all sampling each cocktail that magically seemed to appear...quality control and all that.)

Zesty Bread and Butter pickle juice (with just a little muddled cucumber and jalapeno for zip) created a perfect combo of sweet and salty, hot and sour to cap off a "Girls' Night IN" to remember. (No drinking and driving here!) Somehow the name transformed from "pickle-tini" to "One Sweet Hot B*tch." (I can't imagine what could have influenced such irreverence. *wink*) And the cocktail shall forever remain named just that.

Here's the recipe so you can create a night of your own to treasure with your very BEST girlfriends, no matter how old you are. Remember, great girlfriends can get you through just about anything while holding your hand, simultaneously making you laugh...and sometimes shedding tears of their own right along with yours. Cheers, my friends!

One Sweet, Hot B*tch

• 2 cucumber wheels - save 1 for garnish
• 2 fresh jalapeno wheels - save 1 for garnish
• 3 oz. Bluecoat Gin (made right here in Pennsylvania!)
• 2 oz. Zesty Bread & Butter pickle juice (Vlasic!)
• splash of tonic (I use Fever Tree)
• ice
• 1 pickle slice for garnish, too

In a cocktail tin, muddle the cucumber wheel and jalapeno wheel. Add gin and pickle juice, then fill the tin 3/4 of the way with ice. Shake vigorously until the tin frosts and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with the cucumber, pickle and jalapeno wheels. Enjoy!

 

Krak The Wall Punch For A Roller Derby Tailgate Kinda Evening

Fellow bloggers, Jenn and Michael of 101 Achievements fame, invited me to tag along at last Saturday night's roller derby bout. Pittsburgh's Steel City Roller Derby teams, the Steel Beemers and Steel Hurtin', skated against teams from Indianapolis in a dizzying, seesaw scoring battle...what a showstopper!

Funny enough, the first showstopper of the evening wasn't on the oval track at all, but started with a tailgate. Yep, the back parking lot of the Romp n Roll skate arena in Shaler was the site of our first ever, high faloutin', roller derby tailgate. The menu for such an auspicious event? What else would you serve, but derby themed cocktails. And a lovely charcuterie board. Of course.

Michael crafted a gorgeous pink number, a riff on a Pink Lady he named "Gritty In Pink," using tequila and cynar in place of gin. A lady it wasn't. Smooth with a swagger, sweet with a throat punch attitude and perfect for the occasion.

My own contribution was a little something I ended up naming Krak The Wall Punch. The odd name came from the use of Kraken rum, local Stone Wall rum (thank you Boyd & Blair) and (while not local, still a local favorite in Pittsburgh's Italian community and among craft bartenders here) Janamico Super Punch, an amaro. To that combo, I added a mint and jalapeno simple syrup and a hefty zip of lime. To quote the label of Super Punch, the cocktail was "refreshin."

Add to the cocktails Jenn's charcuterie board of fine meats, cheeses - I especially liked the one with volcano ash, gourmet mustards, a fine baguette, jellies and fruits and we had one classy ass, bang up, pre-derby feast. Oh...and I made a little dessert with layers of crushed chocolate cookies, cannoli cream and drunken Bing cherries in screw top jelly jars for a sweet ending before the derby began. What a fun and fabulous way to spend a summer Saturday night!

Krak The Wall Punch

4-6 servings 

• 3/4 C Kraken rum
• 1/2 C Stone Wall Rum
• 1/4 C Janamico Super Punch
• 6 oz jalapeno mint simple syrup - recipe below
• 1/4 C freshly squeezed lime juice
• crushed ice
• lime wheel and mint sprig garnish for each cocktail

In a small pitcher, stir well the rums, Super Punch, jalapeno mint simple and lime juice. Fill glasses with crushed ice, pour the punch over and garnish each with a wheel of lime and sprig of mint.

Jalapeno Mint Simple Syrup: 1/2 C demerara sugar (find it in the sugar section of the grocery store), 1/2 C water, 6 nice sprigs of mint and 1/2 half of a LARGE jalapeno, sliced across into rounds. (If you like less heat, use less...if you like more heat, use more!) 

In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil, lower heat and simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Add the mint sprigs and jalapeno slices. Stir until the mint is wilted into the syrup and let the mixture cool completely. Strain the mixture into a jar and store in the refrigerator.

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