Showing posts with label drinks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drinks. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Pineapple Pink Lemonade Shaved Ice #FoodieExtravaganza

Pineapple pink lemonade shaved ice: Make some naturally pink lemonade with pineapple especially for shaved ice or popsicles. Shaved ice melting on your tongue and a cold, cold spoon against your cheek are one of the great joys of summer.


A few weeks ago I shared a nostalgic recipe for Sunday Supper, pink lemonade with crushed pineapple. It was something my grandmother liked to serve when we were visiting. I think it fancied up a meal to have a special drink.

While a cold glass of pink lemonade with pineapple is ideal on a hot summer day, it cannot beat the same made into shaved ice. Many years ago a friend gave our family a very simple shaved ice maker when she arrived for a holiday visit. It came with three little tubs that you could fill with the juice or the liquid of your choice, stack and freeze. At first I always had a couple in the freezer, at the ready. And then, as often happens, the novelty wore off – I think one or more international moves got in the way too – and the ice shaver was neglected.


After I made the natural pink pineapple lemonade, the old ice shaver was hunted down and exhumed and put back into use! For those who are interested, mine was made by Pampered Chef. They still sell them, if you can find a Pampered Chef rep in your area. An Amazon search reveals many ice shavers on the market.

Ingredients for one 2 quart or 1.89 liter pitcher
1/2 cup or 100g sugar
1 (15 oz or 425g)crushed pineapple in light syrup
1 1/2 cups or 355ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup or 177ml (or more to color to your liking) cranberry or pomegranate juice

Special equipment: Shaved ice maker

Note: If you can only find the crushed pineapple in heavy syrup, you might be able to skip making the simple syrup. The heavy pineapple syrup should sweeten the lemonade enough without additional sugar.

Method
Make simple syrup by dissolving the sugar in 1/2 cup or 120ml of hot water. Set aside to cool.

In your large pitcher, combine the crushed pineapple with its syrup and lemon juice. Add some ice and water to almost fill your pitcher. Remember that you need room for the cranberry or pomegranate juice and some simple syrup. Stir well.

Add the red juice and taste the lemonade.


Add enough of the simple syrup till it’s sweet enough for your liking. (See note above if using crushed pineapple in heavy syrup.)

To make the shaved ice, give the lemonade a vigorous stir and pour it into the little vessels that come with the shaved ice maker. Cover with the provided lids and pop them in the freezer.

Set a timer for 30 minutes and 1 hour. Each time your timer rings, give the little lemonade containers a shake to redistribute the crushed pineapple as the lemonade begins to set. Depending on the efficacy of your freezer, you might have to give it a third shake. Then freeze till solid.

To remove the frozen lemonade from the little plastic bowl, run it briefly under warm water.

Put a bowl under the ice shaver and put the lemonade into the top. Fix the handle by squeezing the spring closed and screw the top on to the bottom.


Turn the handle to shave the ice into the bowl. Easy peasy; it takes mere seconds. That blade inside is sharp so do be careful not to leave the ice shaver around where children can reach it. And store it up high, some place safe.


Each cylinder of lemonade makes two bowls like you see pictured. When you can't shave any more, remove the handle and scoop out the small sliver of remaining pineapple lemonade.



The pineapple adds lovely flavor and texture and the lemonade is so refreshing. Don't forget to hold the cold, cold spoon to your cheek or fevered brow occasionally as you eat. :)

Enjoy!



Summertime is the best time for lemonade! In fact, National Lemonade Day is celebrated each year on August 20th.  My Foodie Extravaganza group is bring you our recipes a little early so you can plan ahead! Many thanks to Lauren of Sew You Think You Can Cook for hosting this month.

Check out all the lovely lemonades and lemonade-inspired recipes you have to choose from:


Foodie Extravaganza celebrates obscure food holidays or shares recipes with the same ingredient or theme every month.

Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook group Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you!

If you're a reader looking for delicious recipes, check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out here.

Pin Pineapple Pink Lemonade Shaved Ice!

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Wednesday, December 9, 2015

San Permis Sparkling Cocktail #BloggerCLUE

Nothing says celebration like a glass of bubbly, unless it is a glass of bubbly with some added Cointreau and a lovely honey, infused with lavender like in this San Permis Sparkling Cocktail.


This month my Blogger C.L.U.E. Society is searching our assigned blogs for recipes of a celebratory nature. I must confess that while I loved poking around Confessions of a Culinary Diva for all sorts of party food, like her Fennel Pomegranate Crostini – such pretty colors for the season - and her Irish Seafood Cocktail with crab and Cognac or the fabulous Cèpe and Parsley Tart because I am a sucker for anything made with puff pastry - I had already pretty much made up my mind to make the sparkling San Permis cocktail from the moment I found it, conveniently located on a page full of cocktails.

In fact, I started weeks ago and made my own lavender-infused honey! That’s how set I was. It's actually super simple: Just mix the honey with culinary grade lavender in a clean jar and let it all hang out for a couple of weeks on a sunny windowsill. Then strain. I added back just half a teaspoon of the lavender for show.


Christy is an award-winning banker by day, talented blogger by night – her blog focus is delicious food and traveling and I just don’t know how she does it all! If you haven’t met Christy yet, please head over to Confessions of a Culinary Diva and get to know her.

Ingredients for 1 cocktail
Cava or sparkling wine of your choice, well-chilled
1 oz or 30ml Cointreau
Lavender-infused Honey

Method
Use a spoon dipped in the lavender-infused honey to drip just a little of it around the inside rim of a Champagne flute.


Pour in the Cointreau.


Top off with chilled Cava or a sparkling wine of your choice.


Enjoy!

The lavender-infused honey adds a very subtle floral note as you take each sip.




The December Blogger C.L.U.E. Society participants:

Pin this San Permis Sparkling Cocktail!


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Sunday, August 16, 2015

Mother’s Ruin (Gin) Punch


Originally created by master bartender Philip Ward, Mother’s Ruin Punch is a refreshingly light tasting punch made from gin, grapefruit and lemon juice, vermouth and sparkling wine. My version serves one.

Lately, I’ve been rediscovering the deliciousness of grapefruit juice in cocktails. My libation of choice when I was in Texas this summer was Deep Eddy’s Ruby Red Vodka with a capful of Campari, topped up with club soda. While in the south of France visiting friends in July, their “house” cocktail was a concoction of grapefruit cordial with sparkling rosé wine, served over ice. And now, Mother’s Ruin Punch. It’s supposed to be mixed up in greater quantities and served, as the name implies, as punch from a punch bowl but is easily adapted to serve one. For the original recipe, check out this link on Food and Wine.

This week the Sunday Supper theme is Back to School and everyone is bringing you recipes for great lunch box fare or quick dishes that are perfect for a busy school night. I couldn’t resist going in another direction to bring you a delightful cocktail that is as celebratory as it is refreshingly delicious. For many parents, it’s been a long hot summer, full of keeping children busy and barbecues and campouts and sleepovers and late night snacks and summer book assignments and ball games and lazy mornings. But you made it through! Tuck the children into bed and treat yourself to a special cocktail.

Do you have any special rituals for the first day of school? My baby graduated from university in May so this is the first year since 1995 that I won’t be sending anyone off to school. It’s bittersweet, friends, bittersweet.

Ingredients for one cocktail
Several cubes ice
1 tablespoon simple syrup (I used simple syrup made from demerara sugar.)
1 1/2 oz or 45ml gin
1 1/2 oz or 45ml fresh grapefruit juice, plus thinly sliced grapefruit, for garnish
3/4 oz or 22.5ml fresh lemon juice
3/4 oz or 22.5ml sweet vermouth
About 1/2 cup or 120ml chilled sparkling wine or Champagne

Method
Cut a couple of thin slices off of your grapefruit for garnish and then juice the rest of the fruit.

Tuck one of the grapefruit slices in a tall glass then add in several cubes of ice.

Pour in the simple syrup, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, vermouth and gin. Give it a good stir, adding another cube or two of ice and a second grapefruit slice.



Top up with sparkling wine.


Enjoy!

Many thanks to our hosts this week, DB from Crazy Foodie Stunts and Caroline from Caroline’s Cooking. We hope you find lots of recipes that make Back to School more enjoyable and fun!

Getting Started On School Days
Ideas for the Lunchbox
After School Snacks and Beverages
School Night Suppers
Sweets to End the Day




Sunday, December 14, 2014

Rhubarb Fool Cocktail


A bright, refreshing drink that is just the right combination of tart and sweet, this rhubarb lovely is drizzled with a little cream and some tangerine or orange zest, and is guaranteed to get you in the holiday mood! 

The first time I ever saw rhubarb, perhaps in Sydney circa 1987, I had no idea what to do with it so I didn’t buy any. It looked like pink celery and that was odd. Was it a vegetable? Used for seasoning like celery was? I didn’t have a clue. Finally I bought one of the Australian Women’s Weekly magazines (This was, after all, way before I had internet access of any kind.) and all was revealed. Rhubarb is a fruit! Or at least it is used like a fruit, in compotes, pies and other baked goods. Technically, of course, it’s a vegetable.

Our favorite way to enjoy rhubarb, up till now, has been in an apple and rhubarb pie because the apples and rhubarb complement each other so nicely with the rhubarb breaking down completely and the apples still keeping a bit of their shape and bite.

Another favorite is the British classic rhubarb fool dessert made by folding stewed rhubarb through whipped cream.

But this drink, made with rhubarb syrup, may be my new favorite way to enjoy my tart pink friend. I mean, really, just look at that color!



This week my Sunday Supper group is gearing up for the holiday parties by bringing you a plethora of concoctions, some made to imbibe directly, others using alcohol as an ingredient or flavoring. Many thanks to DB from Crazy Foodie Stunts and Alice from A Mama, Baby & Shar-pei In The Kitchen for hosting this fun event. Make sure to scroll down to the bottom to see the whole link list of libation-full recipes.

Ingredients
1 1/2 oz or 40ml rhubarb syrup
2 oz or 60ml vodka
2 cups crushed ice
Couple of tablespoons lightly whipped cream
Orange zest

Method
Put the crushed ice into a cocktail shaker and add in the rhubarb syrup and vodka.

Shake well for a minute or so, allowing the ice to melt a bit.

Pour the liquid through the strainer into a martini glass. Garnish with a drizzle – or more – of the whipped cream and a few pieces of orange zest.

I put my whipped cream in a decorating bag for easy drizzling but you can just as easily pile the cream into the top of the glass.

Enjoy!

If you are feeling extra generous, let your helper lick the cream off your empty glass. 

We are set to PARTY this holiday season! Join us!

Libations
Savory and Sweet Libational Dishes
Libational Desserts

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Jayne's Ultimate Iced Coffee


Making coffee with a long steep in lukewarm water creates a smooth, strong brew that is perfect for mixing with chilled milk or more water for a wonderfully refreshing glass of iced coffee. 

A month or two ago I received an email from my friend Jayne who is living in Saudi Arabia right now. She said, and I quote: “I've been on a mission to make the ultimate iced coffee- it's warming up nicely here! - and I think I've done it. Ok if I share?”

I am a huge fan of iced coffee during the hot months so you know I said yes. Jayne’s ultimate coffee is everything that she promised. Not that I doubted her. Jayne and I have been friends since way back in 2002 when we both got sucked into the International School of Kuala Lumpur PTA executive committee as newbies to KL. She is the type of person who always goes that extra mile for any job, paid or volunteer, and treats everyone with utmost generosity and kindness. It has been an honor to call her friend for all these years.

With my friend Jayne at our Christmas in July celebration 2006.

Ingredients
8oz (by weight) or 225g your fave ground coffee
36oz or about 1L tepid water (60-100°F or 16-38°C)

Method
Mix your water and coffee together in a big jug or cafetière and leave to steep for 12 hours.



Pour through cheesecloth to get rid of the grounds. I scooped all of grounds out of my jug into the cheesecloth at the end and squeezed all of the steeped coffee liquid out, to get every last good drop.



Chill, covered in the fridge. (I put mine in a clean juice bottle.)


Says Jayne: Serve one part coffee to two parts water or milk, over ice cubes. You can make it stronger if you like, equal parts coffee and water/milk, but I love the flavour, it's so intense. Sweeten with homemade simple syrup, if desired, and enjoy!

I didn't want to mess with making simple syrup so I add one teaspoon of sugar to my glass and just a little warm water to dissolve it.



After it's dissolved, add the ice cubes and the coffee.

Top up with milk for iced latte or more water for iced coffee.


So delicious. Enjoy!