Summer Cocktails

SUMMER DRINKS

Three-Ingredient Summer Cocktails

The Times asked some of the country’s top bartenders to suggest streamlined coolers built for easy warm-weather drinking. The rules were simple: three ingredients, not counting straightforward garnishes, sugar, seltzer and simple syrup. The goal was loads of refreshment with minimal effort.

Take 3

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Take 3

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Cherry Caipirissima

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Cherry Caipirissima

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Italia Libera

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Italia Libera

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Spellbinder

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Spellbinder

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Absinthe Frappé

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Absinthe Frappé

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Live Basil Gimlet

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Live Basil Gimlet

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Sumo Collins

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Sumo Collins

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See full article at: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/06/22/dining/20110622-summer-drink-recipes.html?ref=dining

Guadalajara Sour

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Guadalajara Sour

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From the Middle East

Check out my friend Lissa's blog from her current residence in Doha, "An Oryx in Qatar": http://alittleoryx.blogspot.com. She chronicles her many new cultural (and food!) experiences, describing everything from the classic Arabic food with meats, pita and hummus, and traditional Kuwaiti desserts, to the cross-cultural fushion of different cuisines coming from around the world to the Middle East.

In Doha one finds that many of the international restaurants are located in the luxury hotels that stud the city, and the economic boom that follows the financial surge of the more well-known Dubai has spawned a thriving metropolis. In addition to the supurfluence of regional cuisines such as Lebanese, Iranian ("Persian") and Pakistani, it goes far beyond - American chains such as Applebees, even TexMex. One can find sushi in Qatar, if desired.

Yet as with every instance of cultural dissemination, and food is perhaps the best example of all, one sees how an interpretation of what a dish should be can result in something quite different - therein lies the fun. Ice cream with the consistency of gummy candy, hot chocolate that resembles pudding, tacos served in wanton wrappers ... seeming absurdities galore. For me this almost anthropological study of food is what I relish, the opportunity to discover how ordinary (to us) western foods are transformed into new hybrids in other places in the world. Hybrids you can eat.

So follow the Oryx in her travels and adventures with food throughout the Middle East ...

Symphony Sushi

Ok, it may appear that I've gone a bit sushi-crazy lately. But of all food obsessions, can you blame me?

We had heard about Symphony Sushi through word of mouth; it seemed almost an urban myth of delicious yet affordably priced sushi right in our own Fenway back yard, really. Yet the rumors proved true - the sushi was absolutely delicious.

In my mind there are three types of sushi in the U.S.: the cheap, the traditional, and the innovative. Now cheap sushi can be easily found in most places (probably not in the rural midwest, but I've never been there, honestly) and it'll do the trick if you just need a quick fix california roll. Real traditional sushi comes from authentic Japanese restaurants that tend to use the same standard fish and seafood staples, so you know what generally to expect from the menu, whether it be in New York or San Francisco. (West coast typically wins for freshness and authenticity in my mind, but the actual tuna roll itself is the same concept.) The third tier, innovative sushi, is the more eclectic sushi restaurants for today's diners in the modern culinary community. See my previous post "Fish and Fruit" for more fussing over this. Symphony Sushi tiptoes off the edge of authentic and dips its feet into the innovation pool, with a nice smattering of surprising sushi.



Most importantly, it was extremely fresh. The sashimi platter (pictured above) came with an array of mouth-watering high quality raw fish, propped on a shimmering nest of shaved daikon tendrils. Appetizers include the agedashi tofu, which has received rave reviews from my friends who go back to feed their cravings for Symphany Sushi nearly every week; agedashi is hot tofu, fried and served in a tentsuyu broth of mirin, sho-yu and dashi - if you think you don't like tofu, try this. Trust me.

Then came the creations that led me to dub Symphony innovative, such as the French salmon tata with chopped apple, black caviar and grapeseed oil. The signature rolls included the Mexican roll, with spicy tuna, avocado and tobasco sauce, and the Cowboy maki with asparagus and broiled sirloin steak. Not exactly standard. I chose the Hawaiian maki, spicy tuna with avocado and mango in rice nori, and it was incredible. Literally an explosion of flavor with every bite, the spicy fish and sweet mango juice melding together in my mouth - it was, in fact, a taste symphony ... of sushi. (Pun intended.)

Bittersweet

For a dinner party I made chocolate mousse with no sugar - gasp! - and no butter, and used bittersweet Godiva chocolate for a rich, velvety decadent dessert. I designed this recipe drawing on elements from different recipes I've done over the years and simplifying, and here's what I came up with:

Ingredients
1 12-0z. package of Godiva bittersweet chocolate chips, at least 60% cacao
1 cup whipping cream, cold
3 eggs
1/4 cup Baileys/Baileys coffee creamer
Pinch salt

Method
1.) Put your beaters and bowl in the freezer. Set up double boiler on the stove on low heat and begin to melt all the bittersweet chocolate, stirring with a wooden spoon.
2.) While the chocolate melts, whisk your eggs and Baileys in a bowl. (Most recipes would call for sugar here but in my opinion the Baileys is sweet enough - if you can't get to the liquor store then use the newish Baileys flavored coffee creamer as a substitute.) Add a pinch of salt to bring out the flavors.
3.) Remove the melted chocolate from the stove and let it cool down.
4.) As the chocolate cools, beat your cold heavy whipping cream in the now frosty bowl, until stiff peaks form.
5.) Temper the eggs in the melted chocolate and then combine.
6.) Fold the chocolate-Baileys-eggs mixture into the whipped cream. *Tip: when my mother taught me how to fold when I was young, she always made a "swoosh!" noise to illustrate the arm motion as she cut the spatula through the cream. To this day I still hear her "swooshing" noises in my head when I fold - I find it helps to think of swooshing as you fold for the best result.
7.) Cover with plastic and chill over night. Garnish with fresh raspberries before you serve.

Note: this mousse can also be frozen into a chocolate mousse pie, if desired; simply fill chocolate cookie crust shell with mousse and freeze, topping the finished pie with Baileys whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Fig Almond Tart

This rustic tart was an experiment that turned out really delicious:


Fig almond tart in puffed pastry crust (brushed with almond extract and sugar) with filling of mascarpone, almond paste, honey and lemon zest, topped with homemade fig preserves, sliced figs and finished with apricot glaze. Secret ingredient: sea salt sprinkled over top to bring out the marriage of sweet fig and almond flavors.

Stewed Indian Cauliflower

When I think of an Indian cauliflower dish I typically think of aloo gobi, spiced cauliflower with potatoes, but that is a dry dish whereas the following creation is more "wet" - filled with vegetables and robust flavors, this is one you've got to try:

Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower, cut into pieces
1/2-1 yellow onion
Few tbsp. minced ginger
Few tbsp. minced garlic
Spices to taste: garam masala, coriander, tumeric, curry, chili, tandoori spice, salt, pepper
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 can chickpeas, drained
1/3 cup (or so) roasted cashews
Bunch of fresh baby spinach leaves
Golden raisins
1/4 lb. fresh Greek feta, diced (this was a last minute addition on a whim)

Method
1) Add oil to large skillet and heat to medium high, adding sliced onion to saute until near translucent. Add minced ginger and garlic.
2) Season with spice mixture to taste (I am of course a bit heavy-handed with spices ...), stirring with wooden spoon to mix evenly.
3) Add the cauliflower and stir to coat with spices - veggies should be a bright golden color. Cook for about 10 minutes on medium-low heat, allowing the cauliflower to roast, and add chicken stock.
4) Add diced tomatoes and simmer, adding chickpeas, cashews and golden raisins after a few minutes. Adjust seasoning as necessary.
5) Wilt in spinach, stirring into vegetable mixture. Turn off heat and add in diced feta (this was my last-minute substitute for paneer, Indian cheese, but if you can find it then go authentic!)

Squeeze some lime juice over top for fresh acid if you like, and serve over sweet brown rice. Enjoy!

Fish and Fruit

Haru is yet another one of the many sushi restaurants in Boston that I've been meaning to try, and finally had an excuse to go. Perhaps as equally exciting as the sushi itself was the fact that the weather was decent enough to dine al fresco, at one of Haru's outdoor tables overlooking fashionable Back Bay, with great pedestrian foot traffic for prime people-watching.

The sushi wasn't bad, either. Haru has all the expected staples of rolls and sashimi - yellowtail, eel, vegetable tempura, etc. Yet they also have some more upscale and innovative menu items, such as lobster mango cervice, crab cakes with pomegranate sauce, and a selection of tartares including salmon with citrus jalapeno sauce and red & white tuna with miso lemon sauce, which was truly gorgeous on the plate. Special rolls include the Kiss of Fire, with spicy tuna and jalapeno peppers, and the Strawberry Fin, yellowtail and mango topped with scallops and fresh strawberries - not exactly your everyday sushi. Haru sushi chefs experiment with the whimsical marriage of fish and fruit, taking east-west fusion cuisine to a new level.

The restaurant interior is elegant and chic, with a Japanese garden, modern minimalist Asian decor, and a private party room with a centerpiece lighting fixture that resembles a cascade of floating bubbles. Haru is a great setting for after-work cocktails, business meetings, or romantic dates alike - it's a definite must-try.