YumSugar

Happy Hour: Cherry Mojito

partysugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:00:09 -0700

Inspired by the success of YumSugar's mango mojito, I decided to experiment with my own cherry variation. It was wonderfully delicious and everything you expect a good mojito to be: refreshing, light, and not to sweet. The key is to use fresh squeezed lime juice and perfectly ripe berries. The recipe makes enough for a crowd, so this cocktail is excellent for Summer entertaining. I highly recommend that you take a look at the recipe, please read more.

Cherry Mojitos
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups fresh lime juice (about 9 limes)
3 pounds dark cherries, such as Bing or Burlat, pitted
2 1/4 cups best-quality black cherry or plain vodka*
1 (750 ml) bottle sparkling water

Directions

Bring sugar and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat; let cool completely. (Makes about 2 cups syrup.) Syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 month.
Put lime juice into a medium nonreactive bowl. Halve 2/3 of the cherries; add all cherries to lime juice. Stir in syrup. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (up to overnight).
Stir cherry mixture and vodka in a large serving bowl.
Fill 12 glasses with ice. Spoon 1/2 cup cherry-vodka mixture into each glass.
Top with sparkling water; serve immediately.

Serves 12.

*I used plain vodka.

Print recipe with images | without images

In Season: Cherries

YumSugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:50:02 -0700

Watermelon, strawberries, peaches - there are so many fruits that get me jazzed for Summer, but the cherry is my all-time favorite. Whether it's the mild, yellow rainier or the ultrasweet bing, there's something magical about the sensation of biting through the cherry's taut, shiny skin and getting a burst of sweet, slightly tart, juicy flesh. Take advantage of cherries now, because they have a short Summer season that lasts through July. Find out how to best choose - and use - these miniature stone fruits when you read more.

When picking cherries, select fruits that are firm, plump, and without blemishes. Cherries are among the fruits that don't ripen once they've been picked, so choose the darkest ones for the sweetest taste. Don't discount those bright red cherries, however: they make a wonderful tart addition to pies, jams, and drinks.

Admittedly, my favorite way to eat cherries is out of my hand, but nonetheless, I also enjoy making them a regular part of my Summer kitchen in a multitude of ways:

Serve sweet cherries alongside mint, grapes, and peaches in a Summer fruit salad.
Whip up a fast cherry pan sauce for lamb rib chops.
Make cherries the life of the bar with a cherry mojito or a bing cherry margarita.
Transport yourself to the French countryside by baking a classic cherry clafouti.
Cool down for dessert with ice cream sandwiches made with cherry chocolate ice cream and puff pastry.

What are your favorite tips for preparing cherries? Please share them with me below!

Come Party With Me: Independence Day - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:45:03 -0700

On a hot day, there's nothing quite like a tall glass filled with a tart mojito. Although the drink was created in Cuba in 1943, it's now considered a classic cocktail by America's top bartenders.

Since it's one of my favorite Summer sips, I'm serving them at my Independence Day party. While there's plenty of variations, from cherry to mango, I'm serving the traditional rum, lime, and mint version. The party is sure to last several hours, so don't forget to stock up on beer, soda, and wine.

For the mojito recipe, read more.

Mojito
From Gourmet

Ingredients

1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 lime
3 sprigs mint
1.5 ounces light rum
soda water

Directions

Put the sugar in a highball glass, squeeze in the juice of 1/2 small lime, and toss in the squeezed lime shell.
Muddle for a moment with mint sprigs, add the light rum and handful of fine ice, fill with chilled soda, and relax.

Makes 1 drink.

Print recipe with images | without images

Meet Tony Abou-Ganim, the Modern Mixologist!

partysugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:00:12 -0700

One of my favorite seminars at the Food and Wine Classic was Tony Abou-Ganim's party punches and sangria class. A pioneer in the world of classic cocktail making, Ganim is known for establishing cocktail programs at prestigious bars in San Francisco, New York, and most recently Las Vegas. Referred to as the Modern Mixologist, Tony takes a culinary approach to cocktails and considers himself a "bar chef."

Earlier today I had the chance to speak with Tony over the phone. To see what the fabulous Abou-Ganim had to say in my exclusive interview, read more.

Tony believes that when it comes to food, wine actually pairs better than a cocktail. While he loves to start a nice meal with a cocktail and end it with a strong spirit or dessert drink, in terms of fine dining, he leaves the food pairings to wine.

PS: What trends do you see in mixology?
TAG: We call it market fresh mixology. More and more people are utilizing seasonality to make cocktails. It's the culinary approach to cocktails. Don't wrestle with mother nature. Use ingredients that are in season.

PS: Why do you think people are so into classic cocktails now?
TAG: I think it was the missing link in the evolution of the culinary arts. Thanks to the rise of celebrity chefs and the Food Network, people have become more aware of cooking and entertaining at home. Most people these days know how to navigate a wine list and it was only natural for people to become more interested in cocktails.

PS: What is your signature drink?
TAG: It's called the Cable Car. I developed it in 1996 at the Starlight Room in San Francisco. I hope it becomes a classic cocktail and that in 100 years people are still drinking the Cable Car that Tony Abou-Ganim created in 1996.

PS: Do you think it's important to have a specialty cocktail when entertaining?
TAG: Absolutely! Specialty cocktails make it easier for you to host and it makes it more fun. I recently hosted a party where I gave every couple a muddler as a party favor. I gave a quick demo on how to make a mojito and set out a bunch of limes and simple syrup. Everyone made their own mojitos which made it easy on me because I didn't have to make a million mojitos.

PS: What do you think makes a good mojito?
TAG: The mojito is the simplest, most difficult drink to make perfectly. Love, you've gotta put love into it. If I order a mojito and the bartender doesn't get excited about it I know it's not going to be good. But if the bartender says, "I just got a bunch of clementines from the market, can I make you a clementine mojito?" I know it's going to be good.

PS: What's your advice to the home mixologist?
TAG: Learn the basic techniques. Search for a balance, the ying and yang of sweet and sour. Understand the flavors, taste everything. Use fresh, in-season produce. Once you know the basic techniques, the simple recipe you can have fun with it and utilize fresh seasonal ingredients. Now bing cherries are in season, so why not pit a bunch of cherries, muddle them with sugar, add ice and cachaça, and make it a bing-cherry Caipirinha?
PS: Vodka or gin?
TAG: Gin for the classics, but I'm pro vodka. It's a great spirit that has a bad rap in bartending.

PS: Martini or Manhattan?
TAG: Martini

PS: Shaken or stirred?
TAG: Depends if vodka or gin. If vodka shaken, I believe the ice crystals open up the vodka. If gin, stirred. Shaking gin will only dilute it.

PS: Straight up or on the rocks?
TAG: Straight up.

PS: Lemon twist or olive?
TAG: Lemon twist.

PS: Pineapple or cherry?
TAG: Pineapple.

PS: San Francisco or Las Vegas?
TAG: San Francisco.

PS: Bourbon or Scotch?
TAG: Bourbon.

PS: Red or white wine?
TAG: White wine.

PS: Margarita: frozen or on the rocks?
TAG: On the rocks.

Our Favorite Cocktails

partysugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:00:36 -0800

There's nothing quite like the sound of a cocktail shaker in action. As I wait for a bartender to make my drink, the noise of ice clicking against glass fills me with giddy anticipation. Why? Because a perfectly poured drink is one of life's most luxurious pleasures.

To help you truly enjoy happy hour, we regularly feature refreshing, tantalizing, delicious, and original cocktail recipes. Many I make at home, but others are expertly mixed by some of San Francisco's top bartenders, like H. Joseph Ehrmann, Aaron Smith, and Buffalo of the Alembic. To say cheers to cocktails, I've rounded my top 10 cocktail recipes of the year:

Come Paw-ty With Me: Dog Birthday - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 06:11:32 -0700

The dog party will be in the park, so serve cocktails and drinks that can be made in batches in advance. The menu is casual picnic food and a fun flavored mojito will pair perfectly. Bing cherries give a festive color and feel that are refreshing on a hot day at a park. Instead of regular lemonade, offer non-drinkers a pomegranate ginger lemonade. Stack clear plastic party cups near the drink pitchers so that guests can serve themselves. The guests of honor can't be forgotten, so be sure to have lots of fresh, cool water to hydrate your pooches. A super-sized, communal water bowl or a bunch of mini bowls with each doggie's name written on it are essential. Want to pour these drinkies at your next party? Then just read more

Cherry Mojitos
From Martha Stewart
Image Source

1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups fresh lime juice (about 9 limes)
3 pounds dark cherries, such as Bing or Burlat, pitted
2 1/4 cups best-quality black cherry or plain vodka
1 (750 ml) bottle sparkling water

Bring sugar and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat; let cool completely. (Makes about 2 cups syrup.) Syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 month.
Put lime juice into a medium nonreactive bowl. Halve 2/3 of the cherries; add all cherries to lime juice. Stir in syrup. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (up to overnight).
Stir cherry mixture and vodka in a large serving bowl.
Fill 12 glasses with ice. Spoon 1/2 cup cherry-vodka mixture into each glass.
Top with sparkling water; serve immediately.

Serves 12.

Print recipe with images | without images

Pomegranate Ginger Lemonade
From Dos Caminos restaurant in New York City
Image Source

1 qt. lemonade
2 tbs. fresh ginger juice
½ cup pomegranate juice

Pour over ice and garnish with a lemon wedge.

Print recipe with images | without images