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!

Roasted Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding With Spiced Streusel

Waste not, want not it is said. When it comes to an ingredient that's fairly (to me) expensive, waste is not an option! Silly me, I thought an available-everywhere-this-time-of-year sugar pumpkin would be a reasonably priced ingredient. Not so. Am I the only one that thinks $12 for a small pumpkin is over the top? The good thing is that once purchased (yes, of course I bought one!), I had a lot of it to work with. 

You may remember the Smoky Pumpkin Vegetable Soup With Chorizo I shared with you about a month ago. Since I'd only used half of the roasted pumpkin flesh in the soup, I first made this recipe with part of what was left and froze the rest of the pumpkin. My frugal pumpkin bread pudding hit the spot and I filed the recipe away to use the rest of the pumpkin another day.

You know how sometimes an idea seems to percolate behind the scenes in your brain (is that only me?) until it seems to pop into the forefront of your mind fully formed? That's what happened. Apparently my subconscious was working in the background on pumpkin bread pudding possibilities. It must have gone something like this, "If roasted pumpkin in a bread pudding is completely wonderful, wouldn't toasted pecans make it even better?  Wouldn't streusel send it completely over the top?" I listened to that inner recipe voice and then totally gilded THAT lily with ice cream nestled cheek to cheek with the bread pudding. Nirvana.

If you want to make it really easy, feel free to use butternut squash in place of pumpkin and roast it...it would be less expensive than a fresh pumpkin, for sure. Or maybe you'd prefer it with roasted apples or pears. Those would work beautifully, too.

Looking for a homey Thanksgiving dessert? You may just have found it right here. 

Roasted Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding 

With Spiced Streusel

• 2-3 C roasted pumpkin cubes, cooled (spray pumpkin cubes with coconut oil and roast on a baking sheet at 425 degrees until the pumpkin is caramelized and soft)
• 5-6 C stale bread, cubed (I use the crust and all) - challah or a sturdy bread work nicely (I use Whole Foods Gluten Free Light White bread to make this GF)
• 2/3 C toasted pecans, chopped coarsely
• 4 T butter, melted
• 3/4 C heavy cream
• 1/2 C buttermilk
• 1/4 C demerara sugar (or light brown sugar if you can't find the demerara - Giant Eagle carries it)
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• pinch of kosher salt
• 1 t pumpkin spice
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 3 T dark rum

Streusel

• 1/3 C toasted pecans, chopped coarsely
• 1/3 C dark brown sugar
• 1/3 C flour (I used gluten free flour to make this GF)
• 1/4 C oats (I used certified gluten free oats to make this GF)
• 1 t pumpkin spice
• 1/4 t kosher salt
• 3 T melted butter

Mix all the streusel ingredients together until all is wet and crumbly. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes and melted butter. Fold in roasted pumpkin and pecans and gently combine.

In a separate bowl, beat well the cream, buttermilk, eggs, sugar, salt, rum, pumpkin spice and vanilla. Pour the mixture over the bread mixture and gently combine.

Pour the mixture into an UNGREASED 9" X 5" loaf pan or 8" X 8" square pan - both with high sides. Sprinkle the streusel over the top evenly.

I used a loaf pan and baked mine for an hour and 15 minutes. If you use a square pan, the time may be less. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick or wooden pick into the center and when it comes out clean, that's it!

Serve with ice cream. YUM!

Hot from the oven!

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!

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!

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.

Roller derby action!

The Hot Spot For A Cool Cocktail - Wigle Barrelhouse And Whiskey Garden

What's one of the hottest spots in the Burgh for a cool refreshing cocktail on a weekend evening in the Burgh? Wigle Barrelhouse and Whiskey Garden! No, not the Wigle distillery on Smallman Street in the Strip, this is their new locale across the Allegheny River from the original. Oh, the Smallman Street location is still whipping up whiskey, ginever...and RUM alright, the casks are just transported across the 16th Street bridge to age in the Barrelhouse.

The new Barrelhouse and Whiskey Garden? It's not just a storage facility. When the garage door rolls up, the bar is open! Umbrella-ed picnic tables to lounge around while enjoying your Wigle-made delight of the day, a few games of cornhole to while away a warm summer evening, all accompanied by great conversation with friends and maybe even a guided tour of the facilities is what awaits at Wigle. 

Apparently, this is also where it's happening when it comes to cocktail throwdowns among local bartenders! Twice in one week, I've had the pleasure of being a spectator at some pretty enjoyable contests. 

The first (last Sunday) was a USBG (United States Bartenders Guild) event that pitted four teams of 'tenders against one another in a Whiskey Sour-off. Not just any cocktail competition, no...this one was blindfolded, timed AND judged for taste. 

Each team consisted of one bartender who made the drink while blindfolded and another who coached the competitor each step of the way. No matter the missed pours (very few), over-pours (not such a bad thing), broken eggs (yes, these Whiskey Sours were beautifully silky) and spills (fortunately contained in a capped shaker), the blindfolded bartending race was a sight to behold.

Cecil and Max

The team of Cecil Usher and his coach, Max Stein - both from Meat and Potatoes, Max also from The Butcher and the Rye - were the ultimate champions that night. Two teams from The Summit on Mt. Washington made it quite the contest, but my favorite team - sorry all you guys - was the well-choreographed, simultaneous-mid-contest-shot-swilling team of Carrie Clayton and Abbie Brehm from Bar Marco and The Livermore. The cocktail chicks extrordinaire stole the show! Congrats to EVERYONE!

Carrie and Abbie

And yes, I was back again on Friday evening for the release of Wigle's barrel-aged Landlocked Oaked Rum...and yes, yet another bartender challenge highlighted the evening. This one would be a Tiki competition...hellloooo...rum and Tiki go together like, well...rum and Tiki. What a night!

Hawaiian shirts, flowery leis and grass skirts wandered among the tables. Surf Rock sounds by Dr. Zombo and his Zombotron and the scent of coconut (well, maybe I just imagined that...) filled the air. 

Dr. Zombo says hello!

Were we still in Pittsburgh or were we in some secret Tiki hideaway in some wonderfully exotic locale? Nope, the presence of Pittsburgh accents all around proved that exotic is where you find it...even in Pittsburgh.

The contenders this night? Greta Dunn (aka, Greta the Grass Skirt Goddess) from Meat and Potatoes, Craig Mrusek (aka, Dr. Bamboo) from Tender Bar and Kitchen and Will Groves (aka...hey, what IS your aka Will?) from The Butterjoint threw down the Tiki moves! Each contestant used, of course, Wigle's newest release, Landlocked Oaked Rum.

Whether or not Will is aka-less, he did concoct an intriguing little tiki drink called the Coconut Groves...get it...Will Groves. Will's cocktail used Landlocked, coconut cream, lime AND orange juices and a hint of mole bitters. (Maybe I did smell coconut in the air after all?)

Greta, she of the grass skirt goddess fame, presented a little number using similar ingredients to the Coconut Groves, called a Bombora. Similar ingredients, yes, but totally different once all the parts came together. 

The Bombora consisted of Landlocked, lime and orange juices, honey, mole bitters and egg white. This Tiki drink had a silken feel as a result of the egg white and the honey. The Bombora was the bomb! (Come on, you knew I couldn't resist that one.)

Greta the Grass Skirt Goddess

Who came out on top? Craig Mrusek, Dr. Bamboo! Obviously, the good doctor had the right prescription for the winning Tiki drink of the evening. Craig's cocktail, The Cargo Cult, won by virtue of Landlocked, pineapple juice, a mysterious touch of allspice, finished with just a dash of orange bitters. Congrats, Craig!

Dr. Bamboo

What was going on outside while the competition raged inside? Wigle cornhole, of course.

And totally delicious offerings from none other than the Pgh Taco Truck and the Lomito Truck! Gotta have good eats with good booze!

Wigle Barrelhouse and Whiskey Garden might just be THE place to spend a beautiful Pittsburgh summer evening. Casual, laid back, relaxing, a damned fine cocktail in one hand, a taco in the other...kind of like chilling in your own backyard except YOU don't have to clean up after your friends leave. Nice. 

And maybe...if you're really, really lucky...a rousing cocktail competition might just break out!

Look! Up In The Sky! It's A Bird? It's A Superhero Cocktail!

You know I don't need much of an excuse to whip up a cocktail and this morning was no exception. Kimber and Jenn (101 Achievements blogger with her husband Michael) both ran in the Superhero 5K this bright and early morn. The run was for the benefit of The Superhero Foundation which fights the crusade against child abuse. 

Superheroes of all varieties - The Hulk, Batman and The Flash, caped superhero dogs and babies, even Superman himself to name a very few - ran side by side to help victims of child abuse. Superheroes to the rescue!

Wonder Woman and Katniss Everdeen

From the beginning, Jenn joked about having a cocktail waiting for her and Kimber at the finish line. Me? Cocktail? You know I did! 

The Beach Bum Berry tiki drink, the Jungle Bird, has been making the rounds on Facebook the last day or two so that seemed like a good jumping off point for a little riff. 

Hum (a lovely liqueur of hibiscus, ginger, cardamom and kaffir lime in a rum base made right here in Pittsburgh for Hum Spirits) subbed in for the Campari used in the original recipe. I used Mount Gay Rum instead of aged rum, cinnamon syrup in place of simple syrup (because that's what I had in the fridge...frugal you know), and because we'd be imbibing before noon, I lightened it up with a spritz of seltzer just before serving. And besides, pineapple juice is a great breakfast accompaniment and there's plenty of it in the cocktail so its perfectly appropriate in the morning! 

Look. Up in the sky. It's A Bird!

The unfancy version of It's A Bird?...perfectly acceptable apres run in the parking lot.

It's A Bird!

Makes enough for 4 large or 8 small cocktails

• 3 oz. cinnamon simple syrup (see note below for recipe)
• 12 oz. Mount Gay rum
• 6 oz. Hum 
• 12 oz. pineapple juice
• 4 oz. fresh lime juice
• seltzer or club soda

Mix all but the club soda in a small pitcher. Add lots of ice to a glass, pour the cocktail over and top with seltzer. Cheers!

Cinnamon syrup: In a small pot, bring 1/2 C water and 1/2 C demerara sugar to a boil and stir until dissolved. Add 3 cinnamon sticks to the hot liquid and let cool. Remove all but 1 cinnamon stick and pour the cooled liquid and remaining cinnamon stick into a Mason jar, cap and refrigerate. Keeps 1-2 weeks.

 

Dark n Stormy Stew

"It was a dark and stormy night." Remember Snoopy at his typewriter, sitting atop his doghouse, clicking out that cliched opening line to his novel? That thought may have just brought a smile to your face, it certainly does to mine.

You may not know (then again, you might just be hip to it already!), but there's another kind of Dark n Stormy that brings a smile, too...the classic cocktail of dark rum, ginger beer and lime by the same name. Not only that, there's Dark n Stormy Stew, too. Yep, why not put the same flavors that work as a cocktail into a rich, hearty and spicy beef crockpot-simple stew? No reason not to...so I did!

Rum and ginger paired perfectly to make a satisfying winter stew loaded with butternut squash, pearl onions, fingerling potatoes and lots of savory gravy redolent with ginger, clove and allspice to echo the spice notes of fine dark rum and good ginger beer. As the stew simmered slowly over the hours, flavors melded into such a conglomeration of sweet, savory, gingery, rummy goodness that even butternut squash became as one with the sauce.

What do you accent the inspirational cocktail with? Lime. And there's no more proper finish to the stew either than bright and fresh lime. Just as the green citrus fruit perks up the dark sweetness of the cocktail, freshly grated lime zest and a hefty squeeze of a lime wedge do the same thing for this savory stew. Lime and gingery beef stew may sound like an odd combo, but trust me...the accent of lime takes the party to new heights.

As for the perfect cocktail pairing? A Dark n Stormy, of course! Here's the recipe for BOTH the stew AND the cocktail.

Dark n Stormy Stew

• 2 T canola oil
• 2 1/2 pounds beef flapsteak (that's what I had in the freezer - use your own favorite, tender stew beef)
• 2 1/2 C butternut squash, cubed - you know I use the already peeled and cubed squash the grocer conveniently has waiting in plastic tubs in the produce section (repurpose the plastic...wash it out and use it to store cookies!)
• 12 oz bag of frozen pearl onions (hey...if YOU want to go to the trouble of peeling all those teeny, tiny fresh pearl onions, go ahead....we'll wait for you to catch up....)
• 2 pounds fingerling potatoes, cut in half 
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 t. ground cloves
• 1 t. powdered ginger
• 1/2 t. allspice
• 1/2 C dark rum - I used Meyer's
• 7 oz bottle ginger beer - I use Fever Tree
• 2 T cornstarch
• 5 oz. (1/2 a can) beef broth
• 2 limes - 1 zested, 1 cut into wedges

To get good deep beefy flavors going in a crockpot stew, you know I always like to start by browning the meat in a skillet - that's where we're starting this time, too.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. While the oil is heating, season the beef liberally with salt and pepper. Brown the beef cubes in 2 batches. Remove each to the waiting crockpot.

Add the rum to the skillet and stir well to get all those browned bits into the rum. Set aside.

Add the squash, onions and potatoes along with the spices to the crockpot and give it all a good stir. Pour the rum that's still in the skillet and a bottle of ginger beer over the contents of the crockpot. Cover.

Start the crockpot on high and cook for an hour, then lower the temp to low (my crockpot only has settings of "off" "low" and "high.") and continue cooking 4-5 hours until the beef is tender and the squash has nearly disintegrated - it becomes part of the rich sauce.

To thicken the gravy, mix 2 T cornstarch with half a can (5 oz) beef broth and stir into the stew. It will thicken in minutes.

To Serve: Ladle the stew into bowls, sprinkle a little lime zest over each and serve with a wedge of lime to squeeze over the top. 

Classic Dark and Stormy - The Cocktail

• 2 oz dark rum - Gosling's preferred
• 3 oz. ginger beer - Fever Tree or the excellent Pittsburgh-made Jamaica's Finest by Natrona Bottling
• a nice big lime wedge

In a collins glass filled with ice, add the rum and top with ginger beer. Add lime juice, stir gently and serve.

Summer State Of Mind In The Midst Of Winter - A Rum Drink

Okay, I'm in denial. But as cold and snowy as it is out there, I still think summer is a state of mind. 

Inspired by these adorable little mini-pineapples, a warm weather tiki-ish drink HAD to be concocted! Two kinds of rum, a little Don's Mix for tiki-ness, fresh lime, pineapple and Meyer lemon juices capped with a dash of Tiki bitters from Bittermens and I know it was summer...at least in my hand for a moment.

So what if its fluffy snow and not snow white sand? So what if it's just a wee bit chilly out there? Put a tiki drink in my hand and the snows melt, the sun shines, the seagulls squawk and the waves swoosh around my toes...in my mind it IS summer...until the REAL thing is here. And for now, that's good enough. Well, almost anyway.

Summer State Of Mind

• 1 1/2 oz. Zaya rum
• 1 1/2 oz. Mt. Gay rum
• 1 oz. Don's Mix - see recipe below
• 1/4 oz. fresh lime juice
• 1/4 oz. fresh Meyer lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. pineapple juice
• 6-8 drops Bittermens Elemakule Tiki Bitters (tropical flavors of cinnamon, allspice and other island spices) - optional
• crushed ice

Stir together both rums, Don's mix, juices and bitters together. Fill a glass, small tiki mug or hollowed out tiny pineapple with crushed ice. Pour the cocktail over the ice, garnish with colorful paper umbrellas, fancy straws, pineapple leaves...anything that makes you smile and forget the winter. Escape to the beach....aaaaaahhhhhhh.......

Don's Mix: 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 cinnamon sticks -  slightly crushed, 1 cup fresh squeezed grapefruit juice.

In a small saucepan, mix sugar and water, add cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain out cinnamon sticks. When the syrup is cool, add grapefruit juice. Store in a covered jar or bottle. Keeps 1-2 weeks stored in the fridge.

Gingerbread Figgy Pudding and Dark Rum Trifle

This is a first for Dinner Plan-it...the very first time a recipe is being repeated. Why?

Because it's so freaking GOOD! And, it's one of the best holiday-appropriate desserts I've posted. AND...because the Post-Gazette PG-Plate blog includes Dinner Plan-it on it's Blog Roll, I especially want my PG followers to have access to this gingery, figgy, boozy take on a traditional, very Merry Olde England-ish and positively Dickensian plum pudding.

Without further adieu, my very first rerun:

There are flavors that send me time traveling back to the Christmases of my childhood. Christmas dinners back then always started with orange sherbet in gingerale (fancy!) and ended with traditional desserts - usually more than one. 

Aunt Anna and Uncle Bert, PapPap, the cousins, my sister, mom and dad were all seated around the big old dining room table swapping jokes (occasionally even a slightly naughty one!) and telling stories long into the night. Sometimes we'd play cards around the same old table...Flinch, 500 Rummy, Canasta...good old-fashioned games those were. 

It's the nose-tingling scent of warm spices in the air - ginger, clove, allspice, cinnamon - that I think triggers those wonderful memories.  We always had a mincemeat pie or a plum pudding with those very same Dickensian notes - rum or brandy, dried fruits and spices. I was on a quest to recreate the flavors of Christmases of old. But with a twist. What to do, what to do.

So I decided a trifle would lighten up somewhat heavy flavors with a fluffy vanilla cream.  Fresh pears came to mind to add a little crunch and brightness. Thus the dessert came together. 

It was beautiful! Even better, it was just what I had in mind.  Gingery, spicy goodness all together with creamy mousse and lovely dark rum...and just a glimmering of zesty orange. 

Maybe it wasn't the simple, easy days of the 1950's again, but that's okay.  Back then we didn't have our kids and grandkids to make brand new memories together and to share some of the old stories with.  You know, that's what special family dinners are all about...remembering the past and making memories for the future. 

Wishing you all nothing but the sweetest of your own warm remembrances...and to making some of the best stories ever!
 

Gingerbread Figgy Pudding and Dark Rum Trifle

• 2/3 of an 8"X8" pan of gingerbread, cubed - I used the recipe from "The Cake Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free" by Ann Byrn using a Hodgson Mills Yellow cake mix.  (If you are using a normal, NON-gluten-free mix, make an 8"X8" pan and make cupcakes out of the rest of the batter.) Snack on the 1/3 that's left!

• 2 oranges, Cut the peel off with a sharp knife and make strips 3" X 1/8".  Cut the oranges in half and juice.  Reserve.
• 1 cup dried Black Mission figs, diced
• 1/2 cup dark rum, or more if needed, I used Kraken
• 2 Bosc pears, cored and diced

• 1 package French vanilla mousse mix, prepared. I used Dr. Oetker brand - gluten-free
• 8 ounces Cool Whip Lite®, thawed

• candied orange peel, see recipe below - use peel from above

Bake an 8" X 8" pan of gingerbread a couple of days ahead of when you want to serve the trifle. 
 
You're going to make the trifle the day ahead of when you want to serve it - quite nice for a more relaxed party, yes?  The morning you're making the trifle, put the diced figs into a 2 cup measuring cup.  Add the reserved orange juice and the rum.  If the rum doesn't cover the figs completely, add more until it does.  Set aside for several hours before making the trifle.
 
Later in the day, make the French vanilla mousse according to package directions.  Let sit for a few minutes and then gently fold the Cool Whip into the mousse.  Set aside.
 
Assembly:  To the bottom of a nice trifle dish or other tall, pretty bowl, make a layer of 1/2 the gingerbread cubes.  Strain the liquid from the figs - RESERVE!  Scatter half the figs over the gingerbread, drizzle half the reserved OJ and rum over the that, layer half the mousse mixture over top and repeat layers ending with mousse.  Refrigerate overnight loosely covered with foil.
 
Before serving, decorate the top with candied orange peel and serve in beautiful goblets.

Candied Orange Peel:

• the orange strips from above

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the orange strips, bring to boil again.  Boil gently 15 minutes.  Pour through a strainer and rinse while gently stirring the strips to rinse thoroughly. Set aside.

In the same pot, bring 

• 3 cups sugar
• 3 cups water

to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer gently for 45 minutes to an hour.  Let cool.

Pour the orange strips through a strainer and collect the liquid in a large container.  THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL ORANGE SIMPLE SYRUP!  It would be a shame to waste it.  Use it for cocktails or to drizzle over yellow cakes or...well, just use your imagination.  Refrigerate it.

Okay, back to the candied orange peel....now spread 

• 1 cup of sugar 

on a baking sheet.  Toss the orange peel with it until the strips are totally coated with sugar.  Let sit like that overnight. 

Use what you want for garnishing the trifle and save the rest for something else.  Wouldn't the orange simple syrup and candied orange peel make a lovely Christmas morning Bellini?  Maybe with a little cranberry juice for color?