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Drinks

The Martini

November 26, 2020 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

There's no cocktail that matches the cool, crisp taste of the classic martini.

It’s very American;  however, there are differing theories about the true origin of the martini as well as countless variations, including drinks called ‘martini’ or ‘tini’ something or other (e.g., vodka martini, appletini, french martini, dirty martini, chocolate martini).

The first dry martini, aka the ‘classic’, is often traced to a cocktail mixed in the early 20th century at New York City’s Knickerbocker Hotel and another called the “Marguerite Cocktail” in a drink mixology book published in 1904.  Tastes at the time were changing to a preference for less sugary cocktails, and by mid-century, the martini was at the peak of its popularity as it came to personify modern, sexy, sophisticated and glamorous ideals.  Watch any film from that era, and you’ll get the idea from the many scenes involving mixing and drinking martinis.  That sort of thing became outdated in the 1970’s, but in the 90’s, the martini experienced a comeback as it was rediscovered and remixed for a new happy hour crowd.

At the time of a recent search for ‘something other than wine’ to drink, it had been a few years since I’d even thought about drinking a martini, and the sparsely stocked liquor cabinet was lacking in options. However, a forgotten cocktail shaker was discovered hidden in the back behind an old bottle of rum. The big surprise… found gin and vermouth that had probably been aging 10+ years in half-emptied bottles, and there was a fresh lemon in the refrigerator.  It was destiny.

I had a memory of making martinis with friends, but it had been a long time and my cocktail making skills are wanting (‘no skills at all’ is more accurate).  Did some research, and came up with this version of a classic dry martini using ingredients on hand.  After the first icy cold sip, I wondered why I’d waited so long for this bliss.  It’s not really difficult to mix up one.

2 ounces dry gin  (Tanqueray)
1 ounce dry vermouth (Martini & Rossi, Extra Dry)
ice
lemon twist*

Chill martini glass in the freezer
Pour gin & vermouth in shaker, fill halfway with ice, and shake** about 20 seconds
Strain in the chilled glass and garnish with lemon twist
Serve immediately, and savor simple perfection

CHEERS!

Editor’s Notes:

*If you don’t have a ‘channeling knife’ bar tool, use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to remove a strip of peel from a fresh lemon with as little of the white pulp as possible remaining.  Before dropping the peel into the glass, ‘twist’ it over the drink to release the lemon oil scent. I chilled the peels in the refrigerator while mixing up the drink.  Olives are also a favorite martini garnish that create a very different taste.

**The ‘shake or stir’ controversy comes down to this— it’s your drink, you decide.  Shaking creates a cloudy, airy, slightly textured drink.  Stirring results in a clear, silky smooth martini. [Stirring Tips:  Add spirits into a chilled mixing glass. Place long spoon in the glass before adding ice (about 2/3 full). Stir briskly in circular motion at least 50 times (30-25 seconds).  Strain in chilled drinking glass using a julep strainer.]

The gin to vermouth ratio is personal choice.  I went with a conservative 2:1 for this experiment, and liked the results.  In the 1930’s the typical ratio was 3:1.  It went to 4:1 in the 40’s, and the gin portion continued to escalate in the late 20th century with ratios reaching as high as 50:1 and 100:1.

Reference:  “There is Something About a Martini”, by Max Rudin, American Heritage (July/August 1997)

 

Margarita mixology history, basic cocktail recipe and helpful tips for creating your personal "best" Margarita

Ready to try a Margarita?
Then you’ve got to check out Margarita Mixology 

 

 

 

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Feature martini photo by Flickr user, Billy Abbott, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Filed Under: Gastronomy, History Tagged With: Drinks, Recipe

Glowing Glühwein

November 25, 2020 By Zola Zeester 2 Comments

Enjoy hot spiced mulled wine during the cold winter days and nights with this easy to follow recipe for traditional Glühwein

Glühwein (‘glowing wine’) is a popular mulled wine with a tradition in German speaking countries and the Alsace region of France, especially during the holidays when it is offered at Christmas markets.  One taste, and there’s no doubt about the reason for the popularity;  it’s a delicious, flavorful winter drink that instantly warms and comforts.  It’s also easy to make this speciality at home on your stovetop with an added bonus — your kitchen will be filled with beautiful holiday aromas.

There are a number of Glühwein variations, and many family favorite recipes differ slightly.  Some recipes call for anise star, vanilla bean, or a splash of brandy, and there is a non-alcoholic version (‘Kinderpunsch’).  But, the best Glühwein recipes have traditional basics in common — heated red wine, spices, sugar and citrus, so we recommend you start with the recipe below (Zola’s personal favorite), and if you’d like to tweak it, experiment with added or adjusted ingredients and different wines when making the next batch.  And, there will be a next batch because you, your family and friends will love this holiday magic in a mug.

 

Enjoy hot spiced mulled wine during the cold winter days and nights with this easy to follow recipe for traditional Glühwein

Glühwein Recipe

Ingredients:

1 bottle Red Wine.  Use any good quality (but not expensive) big, bold and full-bodied red wine (Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Zinfandel, or try a blended red wine). 

2 cups Water
4 – 5 Tablespoons Sugar (adjust to your liking)

1 Cinnamon Stick
3 – 6 Whole Cloves
2 – 4 Allspice Berries

1 Orange  (sliced)
1 Lemon (sliced) 

Directions:

  1. Put water, sugar, and spices into a large saucepan or casserole dish placed on a stovetop, and bring to a boil. Let simmer for about 15 – 20 minutes.
  2. Add the wine, orange and lemon slices. Heat through until the wine is steaming, but be careful to not boil and don’t let it simmer.
  3. Remove the cinnamon stick, cloves and allspice berries. Serve immediately in mugs, or store cooled Glühwein in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, and reheat later to steaming in a saucepan (heat up slowly and do not boil).

Notes:  Makes approximately 5 servings.  Recipe can be doubled, or triple for a really big holiday party.

Feuerzangenbowl  (‘Fire Tongs Punch’) is a German celebratory wine punch often served during the Christmas holidays and New Year’s Eve, featuring a lighted, rum soaked sugar cone dripping into a hot bowl of Glühwein.  It is quite a show! Watch Chef Uwe Rudnick explain how it’s done in this demonstration video.         

 

        

 

There's no cocktail that matches the cool, crisp taste of the classic martini.It never goes out of style — How to make → The Perfect Martini  

 

 

 

 

 

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Feature Glühwein photo:  Hannah Permberton/Unsplash CC0

Filed Under: Cookery, FREEBIES, Gastronomy Tagged With: Drinks

Handcrafted Coffee at Home

September 29, 2020 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

How to brew the perfect cup of coffee, quick and easy with a french press

Those big beautiful single serve coffee machines — so much to love:  the convenience of a cup of joe in only a minute, effortless clean-up, and a selection of every coffee flavor imaginable.  My sister and I bought one for our mother after her stroke six years ago so that she could make her own breakfast in the morning despite her physical disabilities.  She loved it.  But, kinda knew from the very start that it was all too good to be true.

The little plastic 2×2 coffee pods (aka K-Cups) used in the machines have quickly become an environmental calamity because they are not recyclable and every year billions of them are incinerated, dumping poison into the air, water and soil.  And, until we come up with a solution, there’s no telling how many billions more will end up in the ocean and on our beaches as so much plastic waste does.    

For about a year, I substituted a re-usable plastic pod in my single serve coffee maker in an effort to reduce plastic waste at home as well as coffee making costs (the price of those pods add up over time!), but discovered the process of filling, cleaning and re-filling the small pods significantly reduces the convenience of a single serve machine, especially when making more than one cup.  Also began to realize the taste of the coffee is not that great when using single serve machines, and the machine takes up a lot of counter space.  Then, I had a brainstorm while visiting a friend in France — why not use a french press at home?

 

I love the rich taste of coffee made with a french press, but hadn’t used one in years as the latest and greatest technology took over the coffee making in my home kitchen.  Decided to make a change– go back to basics and simplicity.  So, I dug the thing out from its hiding spot on a top shelf, gave it a try and became a fan once again.  It’s a good feeling to do just a little something to help save our beautiful planet while enjoying a hot cup of coffee with maximum flavor first thing in the morning.  Easy clean-up, too.

 

It's surprisingly easy and quick to brew coffee using a french press.
Kettle and French Press © Zeester Media LLC 2019

Don’t know how to brew up a cuppa using a french press?  No worries.  It’s surprisingly quick and easy, and you don’t have to be a coffee expert or spend a lot of money to enjoy the process of brewing handcrafted coffee.  Here are the basics in French Press Coffee tools and technique:

What you need to start:

Kettle — for heating up water.  Any kind (both stove-top and electric) will work perfectly, and maybe you have one.  If not, I recommend you check out the electric kettles.  I like that they free up stove-top space and have automatic shut-off.  I’ve been using a Capresso model for two years without a problem, but the Hamilton Beach Electric 1.7 Electric Tea Kettle/Water Heater gets good reviews and costs less.

A French Press (aka cafetière, press pot, coffee press, coffee plunger) — is a coffee pot in the shape of a narrow cylinder with a lid and plunger made of fine stainless steal or nylon mesh.  A french press can also be used to make cold brew coffee and brew tea.  My favorite is by Bodum as they are well made, seem to retain heat longer than other less expensive brands, and come in all sizes and styles — even single serve and a travel mug version for on the go coffee drinkers →  Bodum French Press Selections

Coffee Bean Grinder — Your favorite, coarsely ground.  I love the taste of deep dark coffee (and chocolate), and go for the dark roast beans (a friend once told me the best coffee comes from beans that are almost black).  It’s typically recommended you grind coffee beans for a fresh pot every day as freshly ground beans make better tasting, flavorful coffee.  Whole coffee beans stay fresher longer (a few weeks, if stored in air tight container).  I sometimes buy pre-ground french roast (dark) coffee to save a step in the process when I’m in a big hurry to get that first cup or serving coffee to a group of friends, but I can also taste the difference — too bitter for some coffee drinkers.  If you’d like to grind beans at home, you’ll need a grinder.  There are two types of electric grinders:  blade and burr.  Krups makes a good blade grinder, and you can purchase from Amazon right now for less than $20 → KRUPS F203 Spice and Coffee Grinder (Tip:  Not a good idea to use same grinder for coffee and spices because your coffee will pick up the taste of spices.) Electric burr grinders are typically more expensive, but they do a better job of grinding the beans into consistently sized coarse particulars that are best for using with a french press.  Burr Grinders 

Instructions: (Tip: Everything you do or don’t do affects the taste of coffee with a french press (good & bad).  Take advantage by experimenting and adjusting this process until you find your perfect cup of coffee.)

1.  Boil water in the kettle.  I use filtered water from the tap, but water selection, just like coffee roasts, is really a matter of personal preference because tap water differs by location.  Experts recommend using ‘fresh water’, in other words, don’t re-use previously boiled water.

2.  Add coffee grounds to french press.  General rule:  2 tablespoons (28 grams) of ground coffee for every one cup (8 oz/30 grams) of water.  Adjust this ratio to suit your personal taste — use more ground coffee for stronger flavor.  

3.  After water boils, let it cool about a minute, then pour evenly over the grounds.  There are two methods.  i) Blooming method — gently pour hot water just to cover grounds (filling pot 1/2 – 3/4 full), and you’ll see foam start to appear (this is the ‘bloom’).  Let it sit for 15-20 seconds.  Then a quick stir around before pouring more hot water to fill the pot  ii) Stirring method – pour hot water evenly over the grounds and stir. For stirring, I use a chopstick or cocktail stirrer.  If you use a metal spoon or stirrer, avoid hitting sides of glass pot of the french press while stirring because that could cause cracking of the glass.

4.  Cover and let steep.  Place the lid/plunger on top of the french press (careful to allow a little space between coffee and plunger), and let coffee steep 2-4 minutes. The longer the steeping time, the stronger the coffee.  Here again, you should experiment until you find exactly the right steeping time for your perfect cup of coffee.  Here’s a general guide:

Standard – 4 minutes; 2 minutes for small french press (3-4 cups)
Extra dark & strong – as much as 10 minutes
Short/No steep – 30-60 seconds or no steeping time (produces a less bitter coffee taste, but you’ll probably need to use more coffee grounds to get full flavor)

Tip:  It’s easy to forget the time when multi-tasking in the morning.  A timer helps.  Use kitchen appliance timer or phone app.  

5.  Plunge and Pour.  Press down slowly on the plunger using one hand until the mesh filter reaches the bottom of the french press (just above the grounds).  Now. it’s ready to pour and serve!  Tip:  If you aren’t going to drink the brewed coffee immediately, keep it hot by pouring into an insulated carafe.  They come in all shapes and sizes → Coffee Carafes    

6.  Clean it up.  Dump out used coffee grounds in trash or compost because pouring down a drain could cause clogging.  Follow manufacturer’s instructions as to how to clean your french press for use the next day.  Most can be washed in dishwasher.  It’s important to remove all the oily coffee residue because it will quickly turn rancid and ruin the taste of the next pot of coffee.   

Information/Resources:
Kill the K-Cup – a non-profit organization committed to bringing attention to the growing waste created by K-Cups
Pressed Coffee Is Going Mainstream – But Should You Drink It? by Heidi Godman, Harvard Health Publishing (April 29, 2016) – recommended to limit to no more than 4 cups a day and keep a watch on cholesterol levels as pressed coffee may raise “bad” LDL cholesterol levels

This page includes affiliate links to Amazon shopping.  If you purchase a product or service directly through one of the links, Zeester Media LLC may earn a small commission.  This in no way affects the price you pay for the purchase.

Feature photo is courtesy of Quincy Alivio/Unsplash CC0

Everybody loved the German Chocolate Cupcakes made with traditional coconut-pecan frosting.Enjoy your perfect cup of coffee with a German Chocolate Cup Cake or after dinner with Chocolate Amaretto Truffles

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Cookery, FREEBIES, Gastronomy, Insight Tagged With: Drinks, Environment, Recipe

Margarita Mixology

February 22, 2018 By Zola Zeester Leave a Comment

Margarita mixology history, basic cocktail recipe and helpful tips for creating your personal "best" Margarita

[su_dropcap]T[/su_dropcap]here are many claims and theories regarding the origins of the Margarita cocktail, but best mixology guess is the tequila-based drink was developed during the late 1930’s – 1940’s in Mexico.  The first known publication of a Margarita recipe appeared as a featured “Drink of the Month” in the December 1953 issue of Esquire magazine:  “2 ounces tequila, dash of triple sec, and juice of 1/2 lime or lemon.  Pour over crushed ice, stir.  Rub the rim of a stem glass with rind of lemon or lime, spin in salt — pour, and sip.”

Since that time, the Margarita became an easy, fun and popular summertime drink with about a thousand versions and flavor combinations, some good and a few really awful.

Forty years ago, one of the best Margaritas was served at a restaurant/bar located in the small community of Sonoita, Arizona (located 50 miles south of Tucson).  After a chance meeting with one of the bartenders (and a lot of pleading), a purported ‘secret recipe’ was reluctantly provided that when tested, made a good Margarita, but did not result in a perfect match to the memory of the primo Sonoita Margarita.  That’s to be expected, however, as there are many variables in mixing up a cocktail and few details in the recipe, and the slightest change in an ingredient can make a big difference in taste.  It also would not be a huge surprise to discover something is missing from the bartender’s disclosure or faulty memory is a factor.

1 shot – Tequila
1 shot – Triple sec
1/2 shot – sweet
2 shots – sour
1 splash – lime juice
Blend

 

 

The International Bartenders Association (IBA) standard recipe calls for an ingredient ratio of 7:4:3 (50% tequila, 29% Cointreau, 21% fresh lime juice), but adjustments to the standard are what make mixing and drinking Margaritas fun.  Here’s a recipe to get you started on creating your own “best” Margarita, along with a few tips.  First Tip: Looks easy, but takes a lot of experimenting to get it right (See Sonoita Margarita recipe passage above).

Ingredients:
2 oz   Tequila (The key to a good Margarita is good tequila. Experts recommend 100% agave, e.g. silver)
1 oz   Triple sec (orange-flavored liqueur, e.g., Cointreu, Grand Marnier)
1 oz   Lime juice (fresh) It’s common to use Persian limes in US;  Key limes are typically used in Mexico.

Ice
Salt (course)
Lime (sliced into wedges)

Equipment:
Cocktail/Margarita glass
Cocktail shaker

Directions:
Chill the glass, then carefully rub the outer rim with a lime slice and dip lightly in the salt
Pour tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and ice in cocktail shaker
Shake and strain into glass (over ice or serve straight up)

 

There's no cocktail that matches the cool, crisp taste of the classic martini.

 

If you’re in the mood for another round, rediscover the perfect Martini .

 

 

Hobby brewing. It's fun and easy to brew brew at home.

 

While you’re at it, why not try home brewing in the kitchen!

 

 

 

Information/Resources:

The Man Who Invented the Margarita, by Brad Cooper, Texas Monthly (October, 1974)
Margarita Archives, Texas Monthly (the history, truth and best Margaritas)
Fun things to do in Sonoita, Arizona (wine tours & harvest festival; birding; quarter horse show)
Wikipedia:  Margarita

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Feature photo is a screen shot taken from “The Margarita” video

Filed Under: Gastronomy, History, Video Tagged With: Drinks, Recipe

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