Oh Gooseberries!

 These golden orbs stood out yellow and shiny on Easter morning. They were nestled between the strawberries and blueberries at Stop and Shop. What are they? Gooseberries or Cape gooseberries.

They truly intrigued me. I've heard about them as many other people have, yet I thought they were just wild growing somewhere. It turns out they're from originally from England but also thrive in Peru , Columbia and even Hawaii. That may explain why they're mentioned in  some Nineteenth Century  British novels and stories. Their Latin name is Physalis Peruviana and the fruit grows inside a  calyx, or petals, producing a small tomato like fruit. They have a sticky exterior, Imagine a grape tomato covered in honey or maple syrup. You have to wash your hands after eating them. Their flavor is a strange mix of sweet and tart. Think pineapple married to peach while the texture is like that of a tomato. The skin is thick with a pulpy , seeded inside. They  have Vitamin K - good for blood clotting and beta carotine.

The question is what do you with them? The Brits turn them into pies and crumbles along with soaking them in gin and turning them into jam. You could put them into a cake. The recipe that I think would highlight them best is the classic English fool. This  was found on the Good Food section of the BBC. Fool is usually made with freshly whipped cream but this one has Greek  yogurt added. You could just make it with the heavy cream and confectioners sugar, along with vanilla extract. You do have to smash them  until they become pulpy. I'm also thinking salads. They're like tomatoes and would be an interesting change up from orange or apple slices. They'd be great in a grilled chicken one dressed with a light vinaigrette. You could also add some slices to fruit salad to for some tang and color.

Those golden robs have a lot of potential. Buy them if you see them at your local grocery. Gooseberries are an interesting fruit, a neat snack and addition to desserts and salads.

A Businessman's Dinner

It's hard to have any kind of fun,boozy lunch or dinner business meeting. We miss those meetings that also include a lavish steak and potato or surf and turf dinner. However if you have a kitchen - and a well stocked liquor cabinet you can create these meals at home - and even in your yard.

One of the standards of any business lunch is the mixed drink. If you feel it's too strong there's always seltzer to mix in. There's also mocktails which have the flavor without the punch. Try the classic Italian Americano which is a mix of the low in strength vermouth, Campari and club soda. It can be converted to the more potent Negroni by skipping the club soda and adding gin.A cool summertime treat is gin and tonic which just calls for those two ingredients with a hint of lime for more flavor. For a true light drink is the spritzer. This is any wine  - red or white equally mixed with a plain seltzer (although you could use any berry flavor for red wine and any lemon lime flavored one for the white). Mocktails are another way to go. They have the flavor of a mixed drink but without the alcohol. One is a blueberry ginger cooler which has blueberries and a home made ginger syrup mixed with lemon lime soda or seltzer. A Bloody Mary is also a nice accompaniment to a steak. Try one without the vodka, adding some fresh from the garden tomatoes into the drink.

The great American business lunch or dinner is nothing without a steak, Usually most restaurants and chophouses serve a T bone steak which is a good, meaty cut. It's better tasting on the grill and easier to cook out there also. Just flavor  it with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, then cooking it for nine to ten minutes, five minutes on one side , six on the other. You can add a round of garlic , herbed, or lemon butter for more taste.Many a classic business dinner has lobster included. Again use the grill for this.It is a little more work than the steak. The tail has to be split open and then flattened, usually by hand pressing it.It's then placed on a wooden or metal skewer to prevent from curling up. Brush with olive oil and then grill flesh side down for five minutes. Flip it over and add either a squeeze of fresh of fresh lemon or melted butter. Shrimp cocktail is another classic business lunch or dinner appetizer or entree.Make it 21st Century with roasting the shrimp on a sheet pan for eight to ten minutes. Serve with a good dollop of homemade or store bought cocktail sauce. What goes with all of these?  Classic baked potatoes. Use the grill for these too and salt crust them with Kosher salt. This makes for a fluffier interior , better for holding all that butter, sour cream and chives.

We may have new offices these days and new ways to meet. Yet we still can have the classic business lunch or dinner, drinks included. It's just enjoying a tasty meal with a iced drink in our shorts as opposed to business wear.

A good birthday to my favorite guy, Dad. This is for you.

The Gin And Tonic Game

It could be that summer is here. It could be a renewed fascination with all things Fitzgerald and Gatsby. Whatever the reason gin is king again and that means a return to classic drinks. One is the summery G and T or gin and tonic. This cocktail is suddenly hot again and is the thirst quencher of the Summer of 2013.

Gin was the highlighted subject of an article in today's New York Times Wednesday Dining section The entire section is dedicated to summer cocktails(more in days to come) and Dining regular Jeff Gordonier wrote about this classic. Gin is making a comeback, possibly more because of Baz Luhrman;s The Great Gatsby and people wanting to relive the  carefree,crazy times of the Twenties. The big drink of the era was the gin and tonic,an insanely simple mix of just two ingredients. Gin however   is not just gin these days. There's one named after the famed writer of the day Dorothy Parker.  This is a  pure gin but there are some that are anise flavored as well as some with a lavender taste.

Gin and tonics should be just that. However Mr. Gordonier has tried the drink with a muddled kumquat  found at his glass' bottom. There are recipes that call for a grapefruit slices and basil. There's also one with lemon and lime twists  from Manhattan's Spanish restaurant Cata. This eatery has dozens of varieties on the classic G and T. The drink is the perfect foil for tapas, going well with the salty and oily nibbles. Another kind is gin and tonic made with fresh made tonic ,The last comes from cinchona or quinine and it gives the drink an iced tea hue. It's one of the best versions out there, with artesanal tonic complimenting well made gins.

Gin and tonic is the perfect summer drink .It will brink you back to the Twenties when gin was king. Create the perfect one with good quality ingredients. Then sit back and feel like a Fitzgerald character at a glam warm weather soiree.

Hip Gin

Can gin ever be hip?Or trendy? New York Times Dining writer Eric Asimov does. He expands his weekly Pour column to defend one of the most traditional liquors. Along with fellow Times writer Julia Moskin, he defends this sometimes maligned drink. In his revelations he finds that it is now trendy and on the verge of being rediscovered by young hipsters.

Gin itself has had somewhat of a bad reputation for the last two centuries. Originally created by a 17th Century Dutch doctor to cure stomach problems it fell into abuse a century later. Gin became the drink of choice amongst England's poor working class.It was finally accepted by the upper class after genteel companies like Beefeater and Boodles started to manufacture it. However there were bad connotations like gin soaked and bathtub gin to also deal with in the 20th Century. Nowadays most people prefer their drinks, especially summer ones mixed with the drink's rival vodka.

This is all changing. Gin is starting to be made by smaller distilleries, thus the drink is getting a taste makeover. Juniper is the main ingredient in it and different blends of botanicals and fruits are being added to give each distillery's type unique flavors, different from each other.Mr. Asimov predicts that some distilleries may take a crack at the Dutch classic genever, a form of gin , which has a malty edge to it.The best gins according to him and Ms. Moskin are still the standards:Beefeater,Tanqueray and Plymouth. These are better straight or mixed with juices, other liquors and seltzers. Smaller distilleries seem to produce gins that are not quite up to par or try too hard to make something amazing. Yet these do sell.

Looking for a hip drink? Try a punch or a gin fix  made with that classic gin. It's a refreshing departure  ye tit also harks back to another time when gin and tonics or a gin fizz ruled the summer cocktail party.

Pimms A Summer English Classic

The English know how to celebrate summer. There are breezy afternoon teas, along with outdoor cocktail parties.Their food and , especially their drinks are classic with a twist of elegance. This applies to that British standard Pimms. Surprisingly enough a new generation of Americans are discovering this warm weather must and they're enjoying it as much as they're enjoying anything British from ColdPlay to Kate Middleton.

The tasty libation was the subject of an article in today's New york Times Dining section. Usually devoted to food, this week's section was almost completely devoted to summer drinking. Pimms is one of those warm weather classic drinks , held beloved on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The piece's writer , Robert Simonson, explores the drinks history and different recipes. Pimms was started in  1823 by Englishman James Pimm, a Kentish farmer who opened an oyster bar in London. It was originally made for aiding in digestion. The recipe included quinine and a variety of different bitter herbs.The Number one is based on gin and has a mild spicy and citrus-y flavor that appeals to everyone.

Pimms usually is usually mixed with lemonade for the summer months. It can also be mixed with ginger ale or Champagne for a lighter but more powerful cocktail. Vegetables such as cucumbers and borage and fruit such as apples, strawberries and orange and lemons are also put into a Pimms cup.A new recipe, introduced by Manhattan bartender,Maks Pazuniak adds pineapple juice to it for a more tropical flavor while the bar The Napoleon House  mixes the drink with lemonade and 7 UP.Pimms can also be blended with watermelon or even cantaloupe juice for a refreshing cocktail, perfect on a warm summer's night.,

The British know how to celebrate summer right with a Pimm's cocktail. Open a bottle, add what you want and celebrate with the same English flair and style. It's a cool and sophisticated way to enjoy the warm weather.