Champagne Punch for a New Year

For New Year's Eve, we had about twenty friends over for a party that included dinner. Evan wasn't as keen on making dinner, because it's a lot of work (see below), but we do both like to entertain and cook. I want us to have the kind of home that feels open and where we're able to feed the people we love. We haven't had that many gatherings in our current home, and I don't want to look back and regret that going forward. So in order to live according to our intentions, we just have to take the opportunities rather than letting them pass by.

To avoid any last minute rushing for big dinners like this one and Thanksgiving, I make a plan by working out the recipes and then creating a prep timeline for both food and set up. So even though we were preparing nonstop most of the day, I felt relatively zen about it. Granted, part of why it took all day is because preparing for parties in NYC apartments also tends to involve rearranging furniture. I dream about having a home with an already-entertaining-friendly open layout.

I fell on some of my group dinner standbys that can be made cheaply and in crock pots: my two bean quinoa vegetarian chili and shredded barbecue beef (just like pulled pork). I made the beef in the crock pot the night before the party and then the chili during the day. It's good to make the beef ahead, to allow for time to cool, shred, remove the fat and bones, mix with barbecue sauce, and reheat just before serving. I was able to fit 7 lb of chuck roast in my crock pot, which is exactly the kind of occasion for which I included my new, larger crock pot on my wedding registry. I always forget how long it takes to shred several pounds of meat, though. It kind of detracts from what is supposed to be a simple, non-time consuming recipe. My memories suggest that pulled pork is easier to shred. We're still working our way through the cow shares we bought a year ago and accompanying frozen beef avalanche.

For sides, I made mustard-balsamic braised kale and cornbread (this recipe multiplied by 1.5, baked in a 9x12 quarter sheet pan). As a bonus for certain guests, it was easy to make this meal completely gluten free by using all cornmeal and no flour in the cornbread.

We also wanted a special cocktail to celebrate the new year. After poking around several punch recipes, we created the raspberry lemon champagne gin punch below. We swapped raspberry syrup for strawberry syrup and eliminated the muddling step for ease. (We tend to have raspberries in our freezer from summer pickings of wild raspberries at the farm). We taste tested until we settled on a ratio that's not too sweet or too tart, but goes down easy and is a lovely blush color. Luckily, we also received a fancy new carafe from our wedding registry that is large enough to hold this many servings of alcohol.

With the party and my subsequent hangover behind us, we focused the rest of our long weekend on home organizing and hanging up artwork. After having to leave what was a nearly ideal apartment a couple summers ago, we felt kind of down about our current apartment for the first year or so. Its awkward layout has made it a challenge to configure. More recently, we've been trying to appreciate it as home. We didn't do any holiday decorations last year, so putting up a tree and making a wreath this year felt like a step in the right direction. Slowly, but surely we are decluttering, organizing and making it more homey.

Raspberry Lemon Gin Champagne Punch
Makes nearly 12 half-cup servings

8 oz gin (1 cup)
8 oz water (1 cup)
25 oz champagne (1 bottle)
4 oz lemon juice (juice of 4 lemons)
1 1/3 oz raspberry syrup
1 1/3 oz triple sec
1 orange

Peel one lemon into several peels. Juice four lemons. Slice one orange into wheels. Combine ingredients in a large pitcher or punch bowl and stir thoroughly. Add lemon peels and orange wheels for garnish. Keep chilled in the refrigerator. Serve in half cup portions over ice.

To make cocktails for two:
1.5 oz gin
1.5 water
4.5 oz champagne
1 oz lemon juice
1/3 oz raspberry syrup
1/3 oz triple sec

The Challenge of Healthy Eating

For about two months now, I've been trying to follow a restricted diet for health reasons. No alcohol, no coffee, no dairy (except yogurt), no sugar, limited fruit, and no grains except for low-glycemic grains like quinoa and steel-cut oats. It was easy the first couple weeks, but after that it became near-impossible. I've learned a few things about myself and society in the process:

* There are no particular foods that I really miss. In fact, I miss bread and pizza a lot less than I expected. Instead, I miss the overall feeling of indulgence. I've realized that our lives are built around little daily indulgences. A morning cup of coffee with honey. A chocolate chip cookie as a pick-me-up during a terrible afternoon at work. A glass of wine with dinner. The evening walk to get ice cream after dinner. I'm used to being able to eat relatively whatever I want whenever I want it. My days now feel like constant deprivation, as I'm confronted with other people consuming foods I can't have.

* Our society is built around unhealthy eating. In the abstract, reading sample menus for a healthy diet don't sound so bad. Really, it's the exposure to all the tasty, unhealthy food that makes sticking to a diet hard. It feels particularly so in New York City, where temptation is on every block, in every bodega, restaurant, pizza place, ice cream parlor, cafe, bagel store, falafel cart, and so on. I must pass more than a hundred places selling food on my bike ride to and from work. I suppose that's part of the fun of living in New York City -- all the easy access to restaurants and bars that push enjoyment as a lifestyle. They call at me to stop and relax and enjoy myself with a drink and whatever food I want. I imagine it would be easier if I lived in a place with fewer options where I drove directly to and from work. For example, I know was able to diet easily in the summers during college because my setting was restricted to campus without a dining hall.

Moreover, when eating out, it's hard to find meals that don't come with bread or noodles or white rice or fries or chips. Because tasty food is what sells, that's what restaurants and companies sell, sending the message that they're okay and normal to eat. Yet, it would be better for us all if refined grains and processed foods weren't so ubiquitous.

* I thought I had my approach to healthy eating down. I pride myself on incorporating a variety of grains and beans and vegetables into my home cooked meals. I consider whole milk and butter and meat healthy when sourced from grass-fed farms. I like to experiment with natural sweeteners like honey and pureed fruits. I have no problem making whole grain versions of foods like breads and crackers and muffins from scratch, but this doesn't even allow for that.

* I also miss making baked goods not for the tastiness of the sugary confections themselves, but for the act of making something fun and creative that will delight people. I used to bake a lot, as documented on this blog. My baking has waned over the past couple years. Part of that is because of Evan, who is always reminds me how unhealthy baked goods are (yet he eats ice cream every day...). Which is true, and which is why it has always fascinated me that some food bloggers bake seem to bake so often, also given that it's expensive to keep buying all that butter and chocolate. I used to take my friends and coworkers' birthdays as occasions to whip up some new creation. In the two years at my current job, I've brought baked goods into work only a few times. I've been wanting to get back into baking, especially now that fall is here. But alas...

* Which is all to say that I haven't kept to the diet strictly. I make small exceptions to help get myself through the days (and big exceptions on a recent two week vacation in Oregon). And it isn't forever. It's temporary. But it's been a good learning experience that will make me more conscious of what I'm eating going forward.

Have you done any crazy diets? What did you learn from them?

Lavender Gin Fizz

It might not seem like the right season for this refreshing cocktail, but I want to take advantage of the fresh herbs growing my backyard before they succumb to the cold. After transplanting my lavender plant into the ground to help it weather the winter, I picked a handful of green leaves to simmer into a sweet and lightly aromatic syrup.

Evan asked for advice from his friend who he considers to be a cocktail expert, and within minutes had a text back recommending a lavender gin fizz. This is my kind of drink - light, sweet and a little bubbly. It tastes just fine until you add the the soda water at the end, which really jazzes it up. Make sure not to add too much lemon juice, which can overpower the lavender.

I was happy to have a use for a new gin that I picked up on a trip earlier this fall to the Tuthilltown Spirits* distillery upstate. Being a fan of their bourbon, I was excited to learn they are expanding their offerings to include this gin, which is made of apples and wheat and is much more affordable than their whiskey.

We shook up several glasses of this drink for a party I threw a couple weeks ago. It was intended to be an outdoor party, but fickle October kept us mostly indoors, where a cool drink in hand was welcome. Evan was nice enough to man the grill and build the first fire in our chiminea, so guests could wander outside as they pleased and enjoy the smoky smell that signals the change in seasons.

Lavender Gin Fizz
2 oz gin
1/2 oz lavender simple syrup (see below)
juice of a quarter of a lemon
splash of soda water or seltzer
optional lemon twist garnish

In a shaker, combine several ice cubes with the gin, syrup and lemon juice. (You can combine up to about three servings in the shaker at once). Shake and strain into glasses that have been prepared with two ice cubes. Add a splash of soda water, or a little bit more if you want it even more fizzy and a little less strong. Add a lemon twist for extra class.

Lavender Simple Syrup
handful of fresh lavender leaves
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Combine in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Let cool and strain into a glass jar. Store in the fridge for about a week or two, mixing into drinks as needed.

*I am not receiving anything in return for mentioning them - I just happen to like Tuthilltown.

Watermelon Lime Mint Punch

Although the weather is easing into fall, watermelon is still making appearances at farmers markets and end-of-the-season outdoor parties. Now, have you ever noticed that it's nearly impossible to eat a whole watermelon, or even for that matter, a half-size one? It's fun to eat, but hard to finish off all that volume. Even after dinners with friends, there are leftover pieces that languish in my fridge.

So this watermelon punch is a great solution to the watermelon problem. It's light and refreshing and a little sweet, and depending on how much seltzer you add, a little bubbly. I served it straight up in a pitcher at the double birthday party, so our pregnant friend and anyone else who desired could have some non-alcoholic fun to drink. For the rest of us, a shot of gin or vodka was the perfect accompaniment in our punch glass.

The ingredients below are rough guidelines -- you can take liberties as long as it tastes good. At a party last weekend, the host served a variation that also involved infused cucumber and St. Germain. I do recommend fresh lime juice (even though I admit to using bottled juice because that was also sitting in the fridge needing to be used up). Note that it freezes just fine, so you could freeze half to take a little bit of summer with you into the fall.

Watermelon Lime Mint Punch
half a large watermelon
1 handful of fresh mint
3 tbsp lime juice (about 3 or 4 limes)
seltzer
vodka or gin (optional)

Chop the watermelon into large chunks, removing the rind and any large seeds. Blend it with the mint and lime juice until smooth. You could strain it if you want to be extra classy, but it's not necessary. At this point, you can choose to store it in the fridge for a few days or the freezer for a few weeks. When you're ready to serve, mix the punch with seltzer, which thins it out and brightens it up. You want about 1 part seltzer to 1-2 parts watermelon. Add a shot of vodka or gin to each glass for a nice cocktail.

Double Birthday Party

When we found out we were moving into an apartment with a yard, we instantly started to get excited about hosting Evan's upcoming birthday party at home. Originally we hoped to have an afternoon outdoor affair, but our bizarre daytime mosquitos dashed that dream (more on that later) so it turned into a nighttime inside-outside party. It was good motivation to get all unpacked and settled both inside and out within the month of moving, even if it did mean I was throwing up a few posters just before the first guests arrived.

Because we expected a large attendance, we went with a handful of appetizers rather than serving a full dinner. I made my white bean herb dip, which is versatile enough to use whatever herbs you have on hand. In the past I've mostly used rosemary, sage and thyme, but this time it was heavy on the parsley and marjoram because that's what's flourishing in my yard. The dip went out with a bowl of bruschetta topping (diced tomatoes, garlic, basil and olive oil) alongside vegetable crudite, sliced baguette, crackers and a cheese plate. The other birthday boy's wife made lemon ricotta sage butternut squash crostini and delicious mini tarts with feta, tomato, and cucumber (I think).

Like our party back in February, I like to put up a sign next to the bar suggesting cocktail options to make it readily apparent what's available. At this party, in addition to standard bar fare, we had a couple punches that could be enjoyed with or without the addition of alcohol - a cucumber limeade that a friend brought, and a watermelon-lime-mint punch (will share that recipe soon).

For dessert, I made mini flourless chocolate cupcakes - as expected, the miniature size is perfect because they are so rich that even the regular cupcake size is a bit much. I also made peach oatmeal crumble squares (pictured above) by adapting a Smitten Kitchen recipe for blueberry crumb bars. Since I don't have the requisite 9x13 inch pan, I did some math to determine that my 12 inch cast iron pan covers about the same area. I didn't believe that Deb was able to cut hers into 36 squares, until I started cutting mine and realized a little square will go a long way because they are tall and dense, especially so with my addition of a cup of oatmeal to the dough. And then, of course, there was the ice cream cake...

Pretty Pink Rhubarb Cocktails

Continuing with the year of cocktails, lately I'm all about rhubarb simple syrup concoctions. I love the vivid pink color, which feels so fun and elegant to drink.

Rhubarb syrup is versatile, as proven by Kelly's suggestions galore on The Best Remedy. I started with her rhubarb blush. Here I paired the rhubarb with lemon, seltzer and gin from one of the many new local distilleries proliferating in Brooklyn, New York Distilling Comapny, just down the block from one of my former Williamsburg abodes. Their Dorothy Parker gin is a "blend of traditional and contemporary botanicals including juniper and elderberries, citrus, cinnamon, and hibiscus," which sounds like the perfect pairing for a sweet rhubarb drink.

I also tried her Hello Rhubarb, which is simply bourbon, lemon juice and rhubarb syrup. Or as Sarah of Pink of Perfection recommends, add some rhubarb syrup to a white wine spritzer.

I'm pretty sure rhubarb can still be found at farmers markets (try Wilklow Orchards) in New York. I think this weekend I will find some to chop and freeze so I can mix up these babies throughout the summer and sip on them in my new backyard! Because yes, I'm moving again mid-month and this time achieving the holy grail of New York apartments, a private yard.

Speaking of which, I recently joined Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/tocolormegreen/. In particular, I'm keeping an eye out for ideas for the new yard. Follow along!

Rhubarb Simple Syrup
Chop 1/2 lb of rhubarb into 1-inch pieces. Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan and heat while stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add rhubarb and simmer about 30 minutes. Let it cool a bit and then strain the liquid into a jar, discarding the mushed rhubarb. The syrup will last for about a week in the fridge.

The Year of Cocktails

This is turning out to be the year of cocktails. I was never much into cocktails before, generally dismissing them as too expensive. But lately I've learned the pleasure of sipping on something deliciously classy rather than filling myself with beer.

For the party I helped my boyfriend host last month, we set up a full bar with some quirky mixers. Evan made habanero infused tequila for margaritas following this recipe, sans grapefruit. Thank you to Rachel for inspiring a way to use the insanely spicy peppers from his grandfather's garden.

We prepared ginger simple syrup, which can be used in both whiskey gingers and moscow mules. The recipes out there for ginger syrup vary in their suggested ratios and time (Martha wants you to use A LOT of ginger, or maybe you don't need as much sugar OR ginger), so I haven't figured out the perfect proportions yet but below is a rough guideline. Peppercorns are definitely essential for a nice spicy bite.

We also made maple simple syrup to use up the crystallized dregs of a jar of maple syrup, but I'm not sure anyone took advantage of it. I myself was too busy trying out the drinks below. And of course I had an Old Fashioned again last Sunday for the Mad Men season premiere.

Yes, that is still a little Christmas tree in the background. We have been trying to keep a potted tree alive all winter until it is warm enough to go outside, but it is pretty dried out at this point, so it's unclear how it will fare.

Have any fun cocktail recipes you want to share?

Ginger Simple Syrup
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp whole peppercorns
1 knob of ginger about 3 inches long

Peel ginger and cut into several thin slices. Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and steep for 30 minutes before straining out the ginger and peppercorns. Store in a jar for about up to a month.

Spicy Margarita
2 oz habanero-infused tequila
1 oz triple sec
1/2 oz lime juice

Old Fashioned
2 oz bourbon
3 dashes of bitters
1/2 tsp sugar
orange twist

Whiskey Ginger
2 oz bourbon
1/2 oz ginger simple syrup
2 oz seltzer

Moscow Mule
2 oz vodka
1 oz ginger simple syrup
1 oz lime juice
2 oz seltzer

Homebrewed Pumpkin Ale

I got together with friends for a skillshare day a couple weeks ago. Among the various food and drinks we made, the highlight was pumpkin beer, led by our resident expert homebrewer who provided all the necessary equipment. As a craft beer snob, I have always been curious about homebrew, so I was psyched to get an inside look at the brewing process.




Fall is the perfect time to make pumpkin ale. Like Sixpoint Craft Ales did for their Pumpkin Brewster beer, we chose to use real pumpkin rather than canned. I roasted a three pound sugar pumpkin, which yielded approximately 3 cups of puree, or the size of a 30 ounce can of pumpkin. Why use canned when you can easily get fresh, local pumpkins this time of year? Make sure it is a sugar pumpkin, though - the same kind used for baking, and not a regular jack-o-lantern pumpkin for carving.


Roasting a pumpkin is easy: Slice the pumpkin in half, scoop out the guts, and place it on a deep baking tray, flesh side down, in an inch or so of water. Roast at 450 for about 40 minutes, until flesh is tender and easily mashed with a fork.


I also roasted pumpkin seeds to snack on during the skillshare: Separate and rinse the seeds from the goop in the center of the pumpkin, toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper, spread seeds out in an even layer on a baking sheet, and roast for about 10 minutes. Crispy pumpkin seeds are addictive.


You can now find brewing supplies in Brooklyn at places like The Brooklyn Kitchen and the Brooklyn Brew Shop, but this kit was ordered online from Midwest Supplies. It was handy how everything came included in the box, even various spices associated with pumpkin pie like cinnamon and nutmeg. The complete recipe we followed can be found here.


It is important to keep in mind throughout the process that everything needs to be cleaned and sanitized, including the stirrer spoon, fermenter jugs, and transfer tubes. The first step was to bring a giant pot of 3 gallons of water to 155 degrees, which took a long time - probably over half an hour. We then steeped a bag of crushed grains in the hot water for 30 minutes. Then we removed the pot from heat and let it sit for another 5 minutes before discarding the grains.


Next, we stirred in a whole container of malt syrup, which is similar in consistency to molasses, as well as brown sugar, although most beers do not typically require sugar at this stage.


After adding the malt and sugar, we brought the water to a boil, added half the hops, and let it boil for 60 minutes. At 55 minutes, we stirred in the pumpkin puree, and at 58 minutes, we added the remaining hops and spices. Here you can see the pumpkin swirling in the wort as it boiled. Note: during this first day of the brewing process, the beer is called "wort."


Afterward, we had to cool the wort to 80 degrees, which we did by putting the pot in a sink filled with ice and cool water. This also took a long time, another half hour or hour, as we swapped out the water every 10 minutes or so to continue the cooling. The sink nearly overflowed as the ice melted.


Once the temperature dipped below 80 degrees, it was time to transfer the wort from the pot into the primary fermenter, a large glass jug.


Normally, the wort should keep streaming on its own through the tube after a couple pumps. However, the pumpkin sediment prevented a steady stream, so it took some time to manually pump all the beer into the fermenter. Somehow, beer sprayed everywhere when the tube accidentally got off course. I think we had one too many (storebought) beers to drink during the course of the skillshare day.


The final step was to add proofed yeast (similar to baking bread) to the top of the jug. This airlock stopper was put in place to allow air to escape without letting air or bacteria enter as the beer bubbled away occasionally for a few days. After a week, it was transfered to the secondary fermenter, or a second glass jug, to help reduce sediment.


Another week later, it was time for bottling. At this time, the beer is done fermenting, and a little sugar was added just before bottling to activate the carbonation process. We rinsed, sterilized, and rinsed again about 40 beer bottles and caps. You can collect empty beer bottles and recycle them for this second life. Using a special tube, we transfered the beer into the bottles, and capped off each one.

Normally you can get up to 50 bottles from a five gallon batch, but again, the pumpkin sediment caused some problems. Toward the bottom of the batch, sediment blocked the beer from flowing into the bottles, so we had to scrap the last dregs. In total, we ended up with 39 bottles. Lesson learned: beer with pumpkin or other ingredients added are tricky to work with.

We poured a sip to try, and it definitely tasted like a pumpkin ale, with a little sweetness and bitterness, but unfortunately it did not seem very strong. For whatever reason, it didn't bubble or ferment for as many days as normal. Now that the beer is bottled, it will be ready to drink in two weeks, and hopefully the taste will improve with carbonation. I am excited to drink it!

The Story of the Seltzer Maker

One afternoon my boyfriend called me up at work and excitedly told me he wanted to buy a seltzer maker. I'd read about the environmental benefits of such machines before so I wasn't totally opposed to the idea. But sometimes he gets carried away and splurges on expensive toys that he doesn't end up using. So I said, okay, let's not get it right now, but we can talk about it, and think about whether it would be a good decision to buy one.

However, a few days later I came home to several cases of bottled seltzer and water. What was plastic bottled water doing in my "green" home?? Turns out when I denied him on the soda maker, he went ahead and signed up for a delivery of seltzer bottles, which came with a complimentary delivery of regular water bottles as well. Apparently his interest in seltzer is not a passing fad but an obsession. He had been spending $$ daily on sparkling water from delis near his office and was looking for a way to cut this cost. It would have helped if he had told me this!

Then he read the receipt and realized he had inadvertently signed a yearlong contract for a monthly delivery of seltzer. The thought of hundreds of plastic bottles moving through our apartment unnecessarily every month was even more horrifying to me than the sight of the dozens of bottles currently housed in our apartment.

He yelled at me for blocking the seltzer appliance purchase in the first place. I yelled at him for making a decision without us having the opportunity to properly discuss the situation. (Oh domestic "bliss") In the end, he decided it would still be cheaper to pay the contract cancellation fee and buy the soda maker than it would be to continue with the delivery service. Score one more: by a stroke of luck, Poland Springs let him out of the contract without a fee because they had messed up the order slightly.

So now he has the Soda Stream Soda Maker. Not the $200 Penguin model with glass bottles, but the $80 Jet model with BPA-free plastic bottles because it was cheaper, plastic is lighter and easier to carry around, and the plastic bottles are larger and thus hold more water than the the glass carafes.

Homemade soda makers have several environmental advantages over store-bought seltzer. The machine comes with two reusable bottles and utlizes our own tap water. By not supporting bottled water companies, we are preventing tons of plastic from being manufactured and moving through the waste stream. Fewer fossil fuels are being used for the creation, transport, and recycling of bottles. Furthermore, tap water is actually more strictly regulated and safer than bottled water.

So far it's a hit. He makes seltzer daily, brings it to work, and it stays carbonated throughout the day. I'm not a big on seltzer personally (to me, the most environmentally friendly beverage of all is plain water, which I drink in abundance), but I do see the benefits. When I was sick a couple weekends ago, I was happy to be able to drink sparkling water with lemon slices as an alternative to sugary processed ginger ale. I pretty much cut out mixed drinks when I gave up conventional soda, among other processed foods, a few years ago, so I'm looking forward to experimenting with simple syrups and flavorings to be able to create homemade sodas and cocktails.

Have you thought about getting a soda maker? Do you have any other tips for cutting down consumption of bottled beverages?

Sixpoint Oktoberfest

One of my favorite local breweries, Sixpoint, recently came out with their first Oktoberfest beer, which I tried at the release party last month in the sweet little backyard of Sycamore in Ditmas Park. Beers were served in massive three-pint steins the size of my face, along with plates of bratwurst and potato salad. Oktoberfest indeed!


This is my favorite Sixpoint beer yet. I love complex fruity and spicy beers, such as cloudy Belgian wheat beers typically flavored with coriander and orange peel, as well as Harpoon's Winter Warmer spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. If I remember correctly, Sixpoint Oktoberfest had a hint of fall spices and was a touch sweet and round around the edges, softening Sixpoint's distinctive bite. I know it is currently being served it at The Vanderbilt in Prospect Heights, Flatbush Farm, and possibly Bar Great Harry. Give it a try if you see it on tap. What's your favorite beer for the fall?


It was a wonderfully warm October afternoon, so I biked to Ditmas Park. I never realized how easy it is to bike southward from Prospect Park, thanks to a dedicated bike lane on Ocean Parkway. Five miles of pure unadulterated biking on a quiet tree-lined path that takes you straight to Brighton Beach. I plan to hit that up next summer for some exercise-beach action.

photo 1 via Sixpoint's twitpics, 2 via personal collection, 3 via NYC Bike Maps Photo Gallery

The Lazy Minty Arnold Palmer

All the way back in May, (see I'm really behind!), I hosted a Memorial Weekend BBQ. A couple days beforehand, I spent an afternoon in the backyard of Nita Nita enjoying a few drinks. My drink partner ordered an Arnold Palmer - a mix of bourbon, lemonade, and iced tea on the rocks - that was perfectly refreshing for the hot summer afternoon. Then we saw the bartender come out and snip off some sprigs of mint from one of the many herb planters in Nita Nita's backyard for someone else's drink. Guerilla-style, we went and picked off some mint of his own to add to the Arnold Palmer, which transformed it from just good into total perfection.

So inspired, I cooked up a similar cocktail for our party, except instead of making lemonade, which would have been too much work, I just used iced tea as the mixer and added a squeeze of a wedge of lemon to each drink. I made cold brewed mint-infused iced tea for the occasion by steeping black tea in growlers of water in the fridge overnight, straining out the tea leaves in the morning and adding chopped fresh mint leaves.

I - and my guests - enjoyed the drink so much that we made it again for our Fourth of July BBQ. Do you have a favorite summer cocktail?

The Lazy Minty Arnold Palmer
1 part bourbon
1.5 parts mint-infused iced tea
ice cubes
1 wedge of lemon
1 sprig of mint

Pour ingredients into a cocktail glass and stir. Squeeze in the wedge of lemon and add to the glass with mint.

The Best News Ever

via Robert Wright for the New York Times

Sixpoint is going to start making bottled beer! It says so in this fascinating article in the New York Times today about a resurgence in beer brewing in Brooklyn, which once produced one fifth of the nation's beer and is now home to only three breweries. Most importantly it announces that Sixpoint Craft Ales is going to open a new facility in Williamsburg that will allow them to produce bottled beer!

I'm so excited. I looove Sixpoint, and have been eagerly awaiting the day I could enjoy bottles of it in our home, instead of having to trek to a bar or all the way to Bierkraft in Park Slope for a pricey growler. Their beers, which are all characterized by the same fast-acting yeast that lends a distinctive hoppy flavor, have been growing ever more popular over the past couple years, and it's about time. I'll be sure to let you know when the bottles hit stores so y'all can go out and try it too. In the meantime, you can use Beer Menus to find the bar nearest you with Sixpoint on tap.

The Dog Days

A simple dinner tonight of pasta caponata and a smoothie, that I forgot to photograph. So here are some pictures of my dog Spencer instead; more on him below.

I first made caponata last week, and munched into it atop toasted whole wheat bread spread with goat cheese, inspired by lunch I had a while ago at Landmarc in the Time Warner Center. Caponata is a Sicilian dish of eggplants, peppers, and/or tomatoes and other veggies, diced and cooked together until soft and mushy, spiced with olives and capers. However, olives and capers aren't local or budget friendly, so I left them out, and didn't find my caponata lacking at all. Instead I spiced it up with lemon, crushed red pepper, and red wine vinegar, which were already handy in my pantry.

Tonight I had tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers from the farmers market waiting patiently in the fridge to become caponata again. But I didn't have enough bread to serve it on, so I decided it would work just as well with pasta. And it did, though I found myself craving a little sausage in there too. Most recipes for caponata call for you to roast the eggplant first, but in New York City's oppressive summer heat, I grilled the eggplant, and it was a much quicker way to tenderize rounds of slightly-chared and oiled eggplant.

For dessert I made a peach and nectarine smoothie with Ronnybrook yogurt. I don't like to eat fruit or yogurt on its own, but I do like them in smoothies and baked goods. So I decided I would buy the ingredients at the farmers market to make smoothies, in a concerted effort to be healthier. Since I'm not a big fan of peach flavor, I also threw in the last of some frozen strawberries that had been hanging around in my fridge for, oh at least six months, to brighten the flavor - but if you like peach, then plain ice cubes will do just fine for cooling down your drink.

And as for the dog days...does anyone have advice for remedying a sweet-turned-vicious dog? We adopted our dog from the shelter and accepted his growling nature toward other dogs as a hazard of his troubled past. Because he's just so darned cute, and, though he doesn't like other dogs, he loves people and is a bit of a whore with seeking out petting from other people on the street.

Until suddenly after two years, for the past two weeks straight he has started growling and trying to bite random people. For no apparent reason. The people he targets run the gamut of teenagers, old ladies, construction workers, and guys just sitting on their stoop. It's scary, and I don't know what to do. And it's so bizarre! It's bad enough that I have to walk this guy every day when I could be getting a few more minutes of precious sleep or gallavanting about town instead of coming straight home after work, that we leave the energy guzzling AC on during the day for him (at 75-77 degrees), and that he gets a full third of the bed at night! And now he's turned into a devil dog! But then he's just so darned cute and lovable with us, and you have to forgive him/forget all his sins...

Grilled Eggplant Caponata
olive oil
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
3 green peppers
3 tomatoes
1 large or 2 small eggplants
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
salt
pepper

Dice onion and mince garlic and sautee in olive oil over low heat. Dice peppers and then tomatoes and add to pan. Let cook over low heat, with the tomato juices simmering away slightly.

Meanwhile, slice eggplant into thin rounds, brush with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill over medium heat, about 4 minutes on each side, until eggplant is tender with browned grill marks. Remove from grill. After eggplant has cooled a few minutes, dice eggplant and add to the pan, along with the remaining ingredients. Continue to sautee another 5-10 minutes, until vegetable mixture is evenly softened and flavored.

Serving suggestions:
Toast slices of bread, top with goat cheese or mozzerella, and then top with caponata.
Let caponata cool in the fridge, and then eat with pita chips on a hot summer day.
Make 4 servings of pasta, toss pasta with caponata along with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1/3 cup grated parmesan for caponata pasta.
As an accompaniment to fish or chicken.

Peach and Nectarine Smoothie
1 small peach
1 small nectarine
2/3 cup yogurt
1 1/2 tsp honey
2 frozen strawberries or ice cubes

Wash and roughly chop peach and nectarine. Add yogurt and honey to blender, followed by the fruit and frozen strawberries or ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Makes one whopping glass or two small glasses.