eat make read

It looks like it’s bound to be a slushy snowy weekend here… the perfect time stay nice and warm indoors and toast the city with it’s namesake drink the Manhattan. A little bourbon and vermouth, a dash of bitters and a cherry to top it off… yum!

Cheers to staying warm!

Manhattan
makes 1 drink

2 oz bourbon
1 oz italian vermouth
dash of bitters
maraschino cherry

1
Chill glasses in freezer for 5-10 minutes
2
Combine bourbon, vermouth and bitters in a shaker along with an ice cube and give it a good shake.
3
Strain cocktail into chilled glass and top with a cherry.

Oh happy day! It’s been a while since we’ve had a happy hour around here and boy am I ready! Since things are a bit nutty, I went for something super simple but pretty dang lovely to liven things up. There’s no easier way to make something pretty in the winter time than using blood oranges. I absolutely love those red gems. So go find yourself a few, pick up some gin on the way and make a lovely blood orange gimlet to celebrate another Friday.

Cheers!

blood orange gimlet
serves 1

1 oz blood orange juice
2 oz gin
ice
blood orange slice, to garnish

1
Pour the juice, gin and ice in a cocktail shaker and give it a good shake.
2
Strain the liquid into a nice, dainty glass and garnish with an orange slice.

I had a revelation in my new kitchen last weekend and have been meaning to give you an update. You may have noticed that I’ve raved about mr. dishwasher, but haven’t said much else about my new space. That’s partly because it’s nothing fancy and partly because I painted it blue. I had this vision in my head of this perfect light, grayish blue that would look totally awesome. Well, it turns out light grayish blue is a particularly hard color to find and my walls ended up looking like a classic baby boys room. I tried to like it. I lived with it for a month, telling myself it wasn’t that bad (it was). But then I finally admited to myself and Aaron that I hated it. What a relief! I almost immediately found a new solution, which sounds a little crazy until you see it. I painted the walls slate gray and it did exactly what I wanted in my kitchen… it makes it feel modern and fresh and even a little bigger. I still have a little work to do in it and then I will unveil the goodness. Thank you to everyone who’s been interested in what it looks like, I can’t wait to show you!

In celebration of that, I saw the ingredients for this drink and immediately had to make it. Tequila, honey, lime and bitters…. it’s so close to a margarita, but not quite there. That’s why I decided to call it the favorite cousin (the original name wasn’t listed). It’s a delicious break from my favorite cocktail and a great way to start the weekend.

Cheers to taking risks and drinking cocktails (hmm, but not together)! I hope you had an excellent week and are looking forward to an even better weekend.

Woohoo! We made it another week! That’s always a good sign. I came across two things that made me super happy this week and decided to combine the two. First, as I was flipping through Saveur (which I always forget that I like so much) I found a recipe for the New York cocktail, a combination of Rye whiskey, lime juice, confectioners sugar (?!) and grenadine. That sounded crazy and awesome all at once. The second thing that made my day was walking into the grocery store and seeing blood oranges. Oh how I love those beautiful, sweet oranges! Do you see what I’m getting at? It’s delicious and full of goodness.

I hope you have a lovely weekend!

new york in love
inspired by New York Cocktail in Saveur
makes 1 cocktail

Hip hip hooray! It’s happy hour! I had to make this years inaugural happy hour my all-time favorite drink, a margarita. I’ve made many margaritas and drank many more, so when I happened to imbibe one with an agave syrup and salt coated rim, I considered it an evolution of the already-perfect cocktail. Try it out and I think you’ll agree.

Cheers!

classic margarita with salted agave rim

1 1/2 oz 100% agave tequila
1 oz lime juice
1/2 oz Cointreau
agave syrup
kosher salt

1
Squeeze about a Tablespoon of agave on a small plate.
2
Place a tablespoon or two of salt on another plate. Dip the rim of a glass in the agave, then quickly dip it into the salt.
3
Combine tequila, Cointreau, lime juice and ice in a cocktail shaker and shake for 10 seconds.
4
Pour margarita into salt-rimmed glass and enjoy!

Am I the only one who can’t believe it’s the Friday before Christmas?! Holy smokes, where has this month gone? I have to apologize for my lengthy absence. Luckily my time away has brought about some good news… we are moved in (yay!), Remedy Quarterly has been printed and sent out to our lovely subscribers (woohoo!) and good news in a weird way, I’ve missed this place! After blogging for nearly two years, almost on a daily basis it can begin to feel a little overwhelming at times, but I’ve been happy and reassured to find myself missing it (and you!).

So in honor of good things, I’ve whipped up one delicious beverage called the maple leaf. A little rye, a little maple syrup and a good squeeze of lemon is all you need. It will leave you with a festive, wintry warm kind of feeling.

Cheers friendos!

the maple leaf
adapted from Trader Vic’s Bartender’s Guide
makes 1 cocktail

2 oz rye
1/2 oz maple syrup
juice of 1/2 lemon
lemon peel to garnish

1
Place a few ice cubes in a cocktail shaker and add all ingredients.
2
Shake for about 10 seconds and pour into a highball glass.
3
Garnish with a lemon and drink up!

Happy Thanksgiving! It is a big week here in the Caramabula household. Not only is it Thanksgiving, but it’s also my birthday. woohoo! I love birthdays and I especially love when mine lands on the biggest eating day of the year.

As if that’s not enough excitement, after months of hard work (and a few tears) Aaron and I are officially homeowners! Holy smokes how awesome is that?!! Look how beautiful the keys are:

I am so thankful for so much this Thanksgiving. I am thankful for you, my lovely readers, for the food I am able to make, for my family and friends who make me smile so often and for all the amazing opportunities that have come my way. I am also thankful and thrilled beyond belief that we actually have those keys.

Cheers! To another great year, to a great Thanksgiving spent with family and friends.

Oh happy, happy hour! It’s Friday again… woohoo! This week I whipped up a super easy cocktail (you don’t even need a shaker), called the presbyterian. All you need is bourbon, ginger ale and seltzer water, perhaps a lemon peel if you have one. See? Easy stuff.

Cheers! Have yourself a lovely weekend! Next week look out for a little Thanksgiving round up leading up to the big day.

the presbyterian
makes 1 cocktail

1.5 oz bourbon
2 oz ginger ale
2 oz seltzer water
lemon peel to garnish

In a highball glass, stack 3 ice cubes, then pour in the bourbon, ginger ale and seltzer. Give it a stir and garnish with the lemon peel.

This past week has been one where I feel like I’m living in my dream life… My little side project Remedy Quarterly has turned into a ful-fledged project that is really going to happen. I am beyond thrilled to say the least, so this week I really wanted to celebrate. I found a cocktail called dream a little dream, a little cheesy, I admit, but I thought it sounded just right. Unfortunately I didn’t have exactly the right ingredients, but they’re close enough and right now, that’s all that counts. Plus, it turned our tasting super fancy and you can’t beat that.

So cheers! To all of you who’ve helped make Remedy a reality and to everyone who’d doing something that makes them happy! Let’s have a great weekend! Woohoo!

dream a little dream
modified from mix shake stir
makes one drink

ice
1 1/2 oz bourbon
3/4 oz cadamom syrup*
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice (about half a lemon’s worth)
1 lemon peel
2 cardamom pods

1
fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
2
add the bourbon, syrup, and lemon juice and shake vigorously.
3
strain into glass of your choice
4
garnish with lemon peel and cardamom pods

* to make cardamom syrup, combine 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar 8-12 cardamom seeds. cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. let steep over low heat for at least a half hour. the longer it sits the more flavorful it will be.

I thought it would be appropriate to make spiked apple cider on this last Friday of October (!!). It’s the perfect fall cocktail, full of warmth from both the warm cider and the bourbon and of course a little cinnamon sugar pizazz around the rim.

Cheers to you! Have a fantastic weekend!

spiked apple cider
makes 2 cocktails

1 cup apple cider
2 cinnamon sticks
4 oz bourbon
1 Tablespoon cinnamon sugar

1
Warm the cider on the stovetop with the cinnamon sticks until it’s reduced to about half a cup. This should take about 15 minutes over low heat.
2
Pour the cinnamon sugar on a plate. Just barely dip the rim of your glasses in the cider, then dip it in the sugar.
3
Add the 2 oz bourbon to each glass and top with the cider.
4
Garnish each glass with a cinnamon stick and enjoy!