Ohh fall. I wish I could keep you around forever! The air is crisp, the market still has new things arriving—or at least a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, and it’s cool enough to bake again. If you ask me, it doesn’t get better than that. This weekend I took advantage of all those things and whipped up these incredible apple crumb coffee cakes. They’re rich and streusely and oh-so-delicious.
Holy moly it’s already November! And while I think November rates among the best months of the year (I may or may not have a birthday this month), it brings with it the biggest food holiday of the year. Does anyone else find that a little scary? I mean, what’s a girl to make? Do I keep the classics or try new things? Ahh, my heart is already fluttering. Luckily I’ll be headed out of town and will be cooking with Aaron’s grandma and mom— I think I’ll be in good hands. But you know what, that’s weeks away, so until then, let’s settle ourselves down with a tasty little number I dubbed the drunken pear. It’s good—apple cider, pear brandy and whiskey—and it’ll calm those nerves right down because this one packs a bit of a punch.
Cheers! To the best month, strong cocktails and good times!
P.S. If you’re in New York, mark you calendar for next Thursday! My friend Caroline and I will be mixing up some super tasty cocktails and serving snacks at the Shiny Squirrel Pop Up. In addition to tasty food and drinks, they’ll be some awesome independent designer goods. Stop by and say hi!
Shiny Squirrel Pop Up at Smith + Butler
225 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY
drunken pear
makes 1 cocktail
adapted from Mix Shake Stir (originally called the hayride)
2 ounces cider, mulled* if possible
1/2 ounce pear brandy
2 ounces whiskey, like Basil Hayden
1 pear slice, to garnish
cinnamon sugar, to garnish
1 lemon slice
1
Rub the lemon slice along the rim of the glass, then dip the glass in the cinnamon sugar in order to coat the entire rim. Set aside.
2
Meanwhile, combine the cider, pear brandy and whiskey in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake for 10 seconds. For a warm alternative, skip the ice and just combine the ingredients, using warm cider instead of cold. I haven’t tried that, but it sounds good, right?
3
Strain into cocktail glass. Add pear slice and enjoy!
*To mull the cider, combine a half gallon of cider, 1 cinnamon stick and a few cloves in a large saucepan on the stove top. Gently simmer for about a 1/2 hour. Strain the cinnamon stick and clove and let cool.
I’ve been in a slump lately. I’m not sure what’s going on—sometimes it’s just that I don’t have the time to make (and photograph) things, but in the past few weeks I’ve tried a few new recipes and just haven’t felt they were good enough to share. It’s such a bummer because I love sharing things with you! Luckily I finally had some success… This weekend we had a crazy early snowstorm and we scratched our plans and just stayed inside to watch movies, read magazines and generally indulge in doing very little. It was awesome. As I was flipping through the November issue of Food & Wine (it’s full of gems!), I came across a recipe for maple pecans that sounded awesome. Sweet and spicy nuts seemed like the perfect snack for the first snowstorm of the year.
Making a simple nut mix is one of my favorite fall/winter snacks. They require very little effort but almost always turn out great—and they make great last-minute gifts. These are no different—simply toast the nuts, add some spices and the maple syrup, then toss them all with an egg white (which will make them crispy), and pop them in the oven. About 40 minutes later they were smelling great and nice and crisp. After breaking them apart and letting them cool a bit, I brought out a little bowl to snack on while watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s. They’ve got a perfect balance of sweet from the maple syrup and spicy from the cayenne pepper—I love a sweet and spicy combination.
maple mixed nuts
slightly modified from Food & Wine, November 2011
4 cups mixed nuts, such as pecans, walnuts, pistachios (4 cups pecans would work great too)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg white, at room temperature
1
Preheat the oven to 350°.
2
Spread the nuts on a large rimmed baking sheet and toast until they are fragrant, about 10 minutes. Let the nuts cool. Lower the oven temperature to 250°.
3
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss the nuts with the maple syrup, butter, salt, cayenne and black pepper. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy. Add the egg white to the nuts and toss well.
4
Spread the nuts on the lined baking sheets in a single layer. Bake for 40 minutes, until the nuts are golden brown. Immediately loosen the pecans from the paper with a spatula. Let cool completely on the baking sheets before serving.
The nuts can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Sometimes you just need a strong drink. You know those kind of weeks when things just aren’t going your way and everyday feels 8 hours longer than it should be. Yeah, that’s when I lose the fruit and make something quick and strong. This little number, which is from the latest issue of Remedy Quarterly, was originally called the Post-Courtroom Martini, to be drunk after a stressful situation. Luckily I didn’t have to visit the courtroom this week, but it still fit the bill. It’s the perfect remedy for a tough week.
Cheers! To the weekend, relaxing and more relaxing.
Vodka Martini
makes one drink
2 ounces vodka
1/2 ounce french vermouth, like Noily Pratt
olives, to garnish
1
Fill your martini glass with ice and set aside.
2
Pour your vodka and vermouth in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
3
Pour the ice out of the glass, then pour the martini into the glass. Garnish with two olives (if you have them).
It’s time to start thinking about fall and winter fruits—we’re not just talking apple and pears anymore either. How about pomegranates, cranberries, clementines and kumquats… I’ve even been toying with the idea of a beet cocktail, but that’s for another day. This pomegranate gimlet is a cinch to make and it’s tasty to boot! It’s a nice balance of juicy sweet and sour with an underlying herby booziness from the gin. It’d also be lovely for holiday parties, but I’m getting ahead of myself…
Cheers! To new fruits coming our way, cool weather and tasty drinks!
pomegranate gimlet
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1 ounce pomegranate juice
1/2 ounce maple syrup
2 ounces gin, like hendrick’s
1
Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for about 10 seconds.
2
Strain into a cocktail glass and enjoy!
This week, a little low on inspiration, I went to one of my favorite vintage cocktail books in search of ideas for happy hour. I landed on a drink called the Klondike—a combination of french vermouth and applejack with a splash of orange bitters. I made it and tasted it and decided it needed some pizazz—something sweet to cut through sharpness and add more depth. I found the perfect remedy, rosemary syrup. I remade it with the syrup and it’s exactly what it needed. It’s bright and light with a nice, slightly herbal undertone. Plus it’s super easy—just pour, stir and sip. Now that’s my kind of cocktail!
Cheers! To trying new things, being inspired and tasty cocktails!
jack & rose
makes 1 cocktail
1 ounce applejack
1 ounce french vermouth
1/2 ounce rosemary syrup
dash of orange bitters
sprig of rosemary, for garnish
1
Combine all ingredients in a glass filled with ice.
2
Stir and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary. Enjoy!
With apple season in full swing it’s time to experiment with some new recipes. I have a history of loving pancakes in various forms—from the traditional to silver dollar with raspberry curd to spicy corncakes— they’re the perfect vehicle for experimentation with fresh fruit and veggies; Apples are no exception. I found a little inspiration over on smitten kitchen and decided to build on her idea of shredded apples, since I had some left over from our apple picking adventure.
This morning we went to the market and came upon these green things that have a tough, bumpy skin. I stopped and asked the vendor who was actually writing a sign as we spoke. It said: dry them, peel them, crack them, eat them. Do you know what they are? (answer after the jump).
I’ve been roasting up a storm lately—give me a fall fruit or vegetable and I’ll toss it in the oven. This week I roasted a bunch of pears, then puréed them so I could use them in cocktails. Roasting gives pears just a bit more umph and the sugars start to get nice and caramelized during the process. I kind of think pears and whisky are long lost lovers—when reunited they’re bring out the best in each other. The pear tastes juicier, the whisky tastes sweeter— it’s like a match made in heaven and one of the flavor combinations I look forward to each fall.
So go on, turn on that oven and whip up a little pearfection this weekend.
Cheers! To roasting, tasty drinks & the weekend.
Pearfection
makes 1 drink
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1 ounce roasted pear purée
1 1/2 oz whiskey, I like Rittenhouse Rye
angostura bitters
1
Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
2
Strain into a cocktail glass & enjoy!
Shiny Squirrel Pop Up catered by yours truly
Looking for an awesome time this Thursday? Well look no further my friends. Come visit Caroline (from num num chronicles) and me at the Shiny Squirrel Pop Up where we’ll be serving up some super tasty brown butter sage popcorn, mini ginger cookies with cinnamon cream cheese, and pear rosemary bourbon Cocktails from Buffalo Trace. It’s going to be awwwesssome!!
Shiny Squirrel Pop Up Shop
Smith + Butler
Brooklyn
Thursday November 10, 6-8pm