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Watermelon Agua Fresca – It’s Like Water, But Fresher!

“Agua Fresca” translates to “Fresh Water,” which is kind of funny, since it’s made mostly from fresh fruit. Sometimes I do extensive research into why something has a certain name, but this time, because it's too nice to stay inside surfing on a computer, I’m just going to speculate.

I’m guessing that back in the day before modern plumbing and refrigeration, water may not have always been the best tasting beverage around. Drinking wine and beer all day is a fantastic alternative, but not necessarily when you have things to do, and empires to build.

So, they took some stale, tepid water, and freshened it up with some nice cold, sweet fruit. You have to admit, that sounds pretty plausible. Anyway, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. The bottom line is, there’s really nothing quite as restorative and refreshing on a sweltering summer day. I hope you give this delicious agua fresca a try soon. Enjoy!

To make 2 quarts Watermelon Agua Fresca:

5-6 cups freshly scooped watermelon

2 cups cold water

enough simple sugar syrup to sweeten to taste (recipe as follows)

Simple Syrup:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

(you can make any amount by simply using a 1 to 1 ratio, and heating until the sugar dissolves)

View the complete recipe

Chocolate, Egg, and Cream? Fuggeddaboutit!

This chocolate egg cream video was inspired by our recent trip to New York City, where my wife Michele and I enjoyed them on several occasions. As I watched the expression on her face while she sipped this unique treat, I knew I had to film a quick how-to as soon as we returned.

Contrary to the name of this New York City soda fountain classic, chocolate egg creams do not contain any eggs or cream. What is does contain is Fox's "U-bet" chocolate "flavor" syrup.

This uniquely American ingredient hails from Brooklyn, New York, and despite the picture of the woman on the label (why is she looking at me like that?), I love the flavor of this syrup. If you can't find it, I'm sure a certain brand from Pennsylvania will do just fine.

Along with the chocolate come the simple additions of milk and seltzer water. The magic of this drink is how the minimalist design produces such a rich, yet refreshing chocolate beverage. In fact, one of the reasons the beverage was so popular in its time, it was considered a cure for indigestion! Chocolate, Egg, and Cream? Fuggeddaboutit!

There are all sorts of arguments about the origins of this drink (when it comes to sports and food, New Yorkers do seem to enjoy a good debate), but most chocolate soda fountain drink historians think this was invented somewhere in Brooklyn, in the 1920's.

The technique is very simple, and as I suggest in the video, you'll want to adjust the trio of ingredients to the ratio that you find most satisfying. Some prefer this very light and frosty with extra milk, others go for the darker, flatter and richer.

Enjoy!

Ingredients per glass:
1-2 oz chocolate syrup
1-2 oz cold milk
8-10 oz very cold seltzer water

Happy National Margarita Day!

I just heard that today is National Margarita Day (thank you, Twitter), and so I thought I’d repost this ancient video recipe I did for About.com. Please keep in mind that this isn’t a Food Wishes video, so there’s a few things you may not be used to. I had to be under 3 minutes; it couldn’t contain inappropriate humor; and maybe worst of all, I was forced to show my “face for radio.” In fairness, I do get better looking after a few of these. Enjoy!

Happy National Margarita Day!

“Red Hot” Liqueur – Nicer AND Quicker

There’s an old Valentine’s Day saying that goes, “Candy is nicer, but liquor is quicker.” It’s really a lovely sentiment, but implies you have to choose one or the other. Hopefully this beautiful and delicious homemade cinnamon liqueur will prove that you can use both.

This is dead simple to make, and I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it came out. As I mention in the video, the candy’s spicy cinnamon flavor and sweetness really mellows the burn of drinking straight 80-proof booze. This makes for some very smooth sipping, but at the same time demands at least a modicum of restraint.

I enjoyed mine neat, but imagine this would be great over ice, maybe with a splash of soda. I’m also wondering how it would be in a mug of hot cider, and by wondering, I mean obsessed with finding out. Stay tuned.

I’d like to extend a very special thanks to my friend, and fellow food blogger, Sean Timberlake. Sean publishes Hedonia and Punk Domestics, and he’s the one who turned me on to this brilliant elixir. His only request was that I use the knowledge for good, and not evil. Sorry, too late!

Anyway, giving edible gifts like chocolate is very traditional on Valentine’s Day, so why not a drinkable gift? And if you do decide to bottle some up, don’t forget your own customized warning label, as it will really show how much you care. I hope you and your Valentine give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes about 2 1/2 cups of “Red Hot” Liqueur

1 cup Red Hots candy
2 cups cheap vodka

“Red Hot” Liqueur – Nicer AND Quicker

Makes about 2 1/2 cups of “Red Hot” Liqueur

1 cup Red Hots candy
2 cups cheap vodka

Affogato and the Magic of Cold Brewed Coffee

Michele and I are still in steamy Chicago, where the temperature is about 95, but the humidity makes it feel more like the sun. Man, could I go for an iced coffee right about now. I’ve been interested in trying this cold-brewed coffee technique for a while, but it was this lovely post on An Edible Mosaic that moved me into action.

Of course, the glamor shot (formally referred to as the “money shot”) is of an Affogato – the ultra-simple, Italian coffee dessert – but the real star here is the amazingly easy iced coffee concentrate recipe.

Apparently, since the flavors are extracted without heat, the results are a smoother, less acidic, less bitter product, which supposedly offers a purer coffee experience. All I know is that it made the best tasting iced coffee I’ve ever had. This would’ve been a complete success just for that fact alone, but that it also made possible this incredibly refreshing affogato, puts it way over the top.

You can use the coffee concentrate straight on ice cream or gelato, or dilute it with an equal part water for iced coffee. Of course, the purists will tell you that affogato is made with hot espresso, but the cold coffee works really well. The ice cream melted more slowly, and seemed to be even creamier than the standard technique.

Anyway, this only takes about five minutes to make, there are no special tools or equipment needed, and one taste is all you’ll need to become a believer like me. I hope you give this a try soon…while it’s still hot. Enjoy!

Cold-Brewed Coffee Concentrate (makes about 2 3/4 cups)

3 cups cold water

2/3 cup very freshly ground coffee (I used the medium grind on my espresso machine)

*Mix water and coffee in a large glass container. Cover and let it sit at room temperature for 12 hours. Strain though coffee filter or paper towel, and serve!

For the Affogato:

1 or 2 scoops vanilla ice cream or gelato

as much coffee concentrate as you like (I like equal parts)

shaved dark chocolate

Affogato and the Magic of Cold Brewed Coffee

Cold-Brewed Coffee Concentrate (makes about 2 3/4 cups)

3 cups cold water

2/3 cup very freshly ground coffee (I used the medium grind on my espresso machine)

*Mix water and coffee in a large glass container. Cover and let it sit at room temperature for 12 hours. Strain though coffee filter or paper towel, and serve!

For the Affogato:

1 or 2 scoops vanilla ice cream or gelato

as much coffee concentrate as you like (I like equal parts)

shaved dark chocolate

Cold Strawberry Soda on a Hot Summer Day

Michele and I are still mid-remodel, so this easy, breezy, strawberry syrup recipe was a welcomed addition to the video schedule. I have my friend Jen Yu from Use Real Butter to thank for that, since it was her gorgeous post that inspired this answer to all those “summer drink” food wishes I’ve been receiving lately.

Jen publishes one of the best blogs around, and if you want to see how this beautiful beverage should really be photographed, check out her original post. Jen's fine food blogging prowess is only eclipsed by her photography skills. Speaking of which, don’t miss her photos of the recent eclipse!

I can’t think of many summer drinks this wouldn’t be great in, but for me it doesn’t get any better than a simple strawberry soda. Give me a big icy pitcher of this blush brew, an Adirondack chair, a little SPF 100 for my bald spot, and I’m ready to happily take on any heat wave. Of course this is only going to be as great as the strawberries you use, so bide your time until you come across those perfect pints.

By the way, the long-lasting aroma that will envelop your home is so enticing, so heady that the syrup almost seems like an added bonus. Michele walked in just as the berries had finished simmering, and couldn’t believe how wonderful the flat smelled. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Strawberry Syrup (makes about 1 quart)

Original recipe from Marisa McClellan’s highly regarded Food in Jars.

2 lbs very ripe strawberries, hulled and sliced
3 cups cold water
2 cups white granulated sugar

Cold Strawberry Soda on a Hot Summer Day

Strawberry Syrup (makes about 1 quart)

Original recipe from Marisa McClellan’s highly regarded Food in Jars.

2 lbs very ripe strawberries, hulled and sliced
3 cups cold water
2 cups white granulated sugar

Chocolate, Egg, and Cream? Fuggeddaboutit!

Ingredients per glass:
1-2 oz chocolate syrup
1-2 oz cold milk
8-10 oz very cold seltzer water

As the Night Falls at the Chateau de Grey Goose

The media cannot live on heritage breed meats and sustainably farmed vegetables alone. While I was primarily in Aspen to collect and share content regarding the all-star line-up of chefs, and their dizzying array of food, it was a perfectly made cocktail that may have left me with my most enduring taste memory.

The cocktail was called As the Night Falls, and was being served exclusively at Chateau de Grey Goose, Grey Goose Vodka's beautiful Aspen lair. I was invited to a cocktail party to meet its creator, François Thibault (pictured here with Dimi Lezinska, left), and taste the intriguingly named concoction.

In the spirit of full-disclosure, let me say that I'm not a vodka drinker, nor do I regularly frequent cocktail parties. My wardrobe and personal style pair much more naturally with beer, but as I stood in front of the marble bar watching my As the Night Falls being muddled, measured and mixed, I was getting genuinely excited to taste this drink.

It was love at first sip – a delicious combination of Grey Goose L'Orange vodka, fresh grapefruit juice, and an exotic spice blend, including ginger and pink peppercorns. As I tipped the frosty glass for a second sip, François asked me what I thought.

It's moments like that where I really wish I spoke French, so I could have given him a compliment worthy of this brilliant formula – but I don't, so I said, "it's really good, I like it." Stupid English.

Happily, Grey Goose was mixing drinks at events and parties throughout the Food & Wine Classic, and thanks to my As the Night Falls experience, I consumed not a single beer. Thanks to François, and his French vodka, I had become a cocktail party guy.

Anyway, below I've included the recipe for the As the Night Falls, as well as another cocktail I had a few of (five), called the Pear Flower. I don’t know if I'll be running out to buy the box set of Sex in the City anytime soon, but thanks to Grey Goose and François, I have decided to expand my drinking horizons.

If you have any questions you can check out Grey Goose's website site which has lots of recipes and information. Enjoy!

Grey Goose L'Orange As the Night Falls

2 parts Grey Goose L’Orange Flavored Vodka
1 part white grapefruit juice
2 coriander (cilantro) leaves
7 red peppercorns
1 1/2 tsp white sugar
Small piece of ginger
whole star anise to garnish

Add the peppercorns, ginger, and cilantro to the bottom a cocktail shaker. Muddle slightly (means to crush a bit with a blunt wooden dowel) to release the flavors in the spices. Fill the shaker with ice and add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and shake vigorously. Double strain into chilled coupette or martini glasses. Present a whole star anise floated on top to garnish. Learn French (optional).

Pear Flower

1 1/2 parts Grey Goose La Poire Flavored Vodka
1/2 part St. Germain® Elderflower Liqueur
3/4 parts freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1/3 part freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 part sugar syrup
very fine granulated sugar

Rub a lemon wedge around the rim of a cocktail glass. Roll the moistened glass in the sugar. In a cocktail shaker, combine all ingredients. Shake well and double strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a pink grapefruit zest.

Making Margaritas for Fun and Profit

When I was in culinary school, I worked at a Mexican restaurant called Casa del Sol (Spanish for Casa "of" Sol). I was a line cook, but on weekends the owner let me get some extra hours working behind the bar on the restaurants outdoor patio (you can see the umbrella in the old photo below).

I didn’t have any bartending experience, but luckily 95% of the orders were for beer, simple mixed drinks, and the Casa del Sol's famous margarita. The food was very, very good - the owner had actually sent the chef down to Mexico for a month before opening to taste the real thing - but, the restaurant's claim to fame was its perfectly concocted margarita.

Like many bars that feature the margarita as the signature drink, the recipe was a secret. Not only was the recipe a secret, but the owner, Harry Tucker, would make the mixture across the street in his home, and carry over a bucket to the bar when needed.

It was quite a show (done intentionally, no doubt) - we would "run out" of margarita mix, and everyone would sit, wait, and watch, as the mix-master himself walked across the street to return a few minutes later with a 5-gallon bucket of his secret potion. Sloppy clapping and drunken hoots of joy would fill the air. Good times.

Here is my "secret recipe" for margaritas, presented in a video recipe I recently did for About.com. Remember, I can't embed the video, so when you click on the video, a new window will open. Enjoy!

Casa del Sol Photo (c) bunksplace.com

Watermelon Agua Fresca – It’s Like Water, But Fresher!

Chocolate, Egg, and Cream? Fuggeddaboutit!

Happy National Margarita Day!

Happy National Margarita Day!

“Red Hot” Liqueur – Nicer AND Quicker

“Red Hot” Liqueur – Nicer AND Quicker

Affogato and the Magic of Cold Brewed Coffee

Affogato and the Magic of Cold Brewed Coffee

Cold Strawberry Soda on a Hot Summer Day

Cold Strawberry Soda on a Hot Summer Day

Chocolate, Egg, and Cream? Fuggeddaboutit!

As the Night Falls at the Chateau de Grey Goose

Making Margaritas for Fun and Profit

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