A Heady Glass Of Fall

 That nip in the air means a refreshing cocktail or mocktail to welcome in fall. It's time to use the flavors of the season in tasty sips that are great on their own or with hors d'ouevres. They're easy to make and perfect for those beginners throwing parties.Pears

Apples are the main fruit and flavor of this season.Of course there is cider both hard and soft.Both make the perfect base for a layered concoction, full of zest and spice. Get a few bottles of hard cider. A chilled bottle on its'  own is refreshing but add a splash of bourbon and ginger beer. Add some lemon juice for a refreshing zing. You can also create the classic Old Fashioned.It;s cider missed with bourbon and Angostura bitters. A dash of maple syrup sweetens it up. Cider mocktails are also refreshing and have a kick of their own. Mix up a sparkling one with blending in cranberry juice, ginger ale and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Everyone thinks that cocktails and mocktails should be served cold. Not true. They can be warmed, perfect for a chilly night around the fire pit. A hot cider mocktail should be served in a  mug to contain the heat.  It's making a simple ginger syrup using ginger and brown sugar. The cider and syrup are mixed and microwaved for a minute. A squeeze of fresh orange juice  gives it a citrus-y freshness.

Pears are another fall fruit that can be used I both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Try  a fresh pear cocktail for something delightful and different. The base is a citrus infused vodka (easily made by letting vodka sit with sliced lemons in a jar for two days). there is a tablespoon of agave syrup and three tablespoons hard apple cider. Lime juice gives it brightness and either sliced or shredded pear gives it that mild, sweetly woody taste. This can be made into a mocktail by using a mix of apple juice and plain seltzer.. You don;t want to use the flavor powerful apple cider for this  because it will smother the pear taste. A more sophisticated sip is a pear martini.Use pear flavored vodka, Le Poire along with four ounces of pear juice. (if you have a juicer then make the juice fresh). Add a splash of plain sparkling water and a splash of lemon. Serve in a sugar rimmed cocktail glass. A pumpkin martini is also a wonderful fall cocktail.It's mixing pumpkin puree,vanilla and vodka. Maple syrup or a simple one gives it sweetness while pumpkin pie spice provides color and flavor.

This is the time for fun and fancy drinks. Celebrate fall with these cocktails and mocktails. Enjoy them on a nippy night.

A Trippy Stripey Sip

 Nothing hits like a relaxing cocktail. Mostly everyone goes for the taste, whether for a punchy bright screw driver to a creamy White Russian. Yet there's a new layer to both cocktail and mocktail culture. That's layering. All of a sudden drinks are both eye catching and flavorful.

Regular contributor and cocktail expert Robert Simonson  wrote about this not so mew phenomenom in yesterday's new York Times Food section. Striped drinks are nothing new. They go back to the other turn of the century when the very popular Pousse Cafe or Coffee Pusher was invented. This is a ribboned drink of creme de menthe, grenadine , bourbon and triple sec layered with rum. Then there was the mid Twentieth Century New York Sour, basically a whiskey sour with a top layer or float of red wine.Now a whole new generation of both drinkers and even non drinkers are discovering them. Bartenders are calling them "the fajita effect."One catches the eye of drinkers or diners and then others order it. There is also the social media effect where people are taking picures of these colorful drinks and posting them on different platforms. "There is an aesthetic appeal. " claims Conrad Hayes, the beverage director at the trendy Brooklyn bar Ottava. The result is striking with bright or deeply rich floaters - the layers on top and sinkers - the bottom layers.

The drinks are deceptively easy to make so any home bartender could easily make them. The Brother Wolf, an aperitivo bar  in Nashville makes the jaunty Bicicletta. This is soda water layered with Pinot grigio and Italian red bitter liqueur. Another drink that can be served to guests is the Oaxacan Sunrise, which is Mezcal and orange juice blended . Grenadine is the sinker that provides the deep orange base.This  is  a popular drink at Dante;s in New York.At Paducah ,Kentuckey's Freight House they make the easy to replicate Oh Brother where Are Thou which has layers of bourbon, honey syrup and red wine.There are some bars that will let customers mix their own - which is good practice for those wanting to do this at home. There's Chez Zou in Manhattan,Their concoction  Haifa Vice  lets drinkers apply their floater themselves. The drink comes in a special glass vessel with two chambers. One is a milk punch, made of rum mango coconut and fruit juices. The other is a mix of Aperol and pomegranate. The orange punch is poured in first , followed by the red float.Lilistar also has a do it yourself drink in a hollowed out passion fruit. Then there are the mock tails at Brooklyns ElNico layered drinks made with yogurt green tea and grapefruit. The floater  is beet juice and when combined  produces a healthy alternative  to an alcoholic beverage.

Layered drinks are becoming popular again. These fun sips are easy to make. Try them at home or at any bar.

Flag Day - Start Of The Barbecue Season

 Today is Flag Day and it's really the start of the barbecue season. What will work this season of getting back together. Everything and anything goes.

Barbecue is coming back in a big way. We can now have family get togethers and pool parties again. You can go huge with bison burgers and rib eye steaks, For a smaller get together think of grilled lamb chops. These are over the top but affordable. Keep in mind to let them warm up to room temp before putting them on the barbecue.Another over the top meat to grill is lobster. The tail is the best for this so you can easily buy the tails at your local fish market. Preparing it is not as hard as some home chefs think.Use the same cooking shears you use for butterflying chicken to cut away the shell. It's then using a knife to split the tail meat. THis will curl up when cooking so put it on wood skewer to prevent this from happening. You could also use the skewers for shrimp kebobs too. Intersperse grape tomatoes and pepper chunks for more flavor.This works for scallops too along with London Broil.

 It's also time for fancy  summer drinks since we are celebrating again.Many would just prefer beer  but what  about some of the fancier IPA(or India pale ales). Get the best like the San Diego brewed Ballast Point Sculpin. This has a tropical fruit flavor, a great thirst quencher for a hot night. The company has gone out on a limb with such diverse flavors as habenero, grapefruit and coffee.Another IPA is the popular Dogfish Head Flesh and Blood. Try this with good old fashioned burgers and dogs.It's brewed with lemon flesh and blood orange juice. Lemon and orange peels are also added in to give this a grown up lemonade vibe. Another grown up lemonade is the actual stuff with a shot of vodka. Just make the lemonade fresh and add what you feel is a good and heady amount. Want something tamer? Try mocktails. You can create a refreshing one using pureed watermelon, lime juice and seltzer. Garnish with mint leaves.A non'alcoholic punch made up of cranberry and orange juices and spicy ginger beers. Float orange slices in it for a more festive look.

Flag Day begins the barbecue season. Celebrate with a good old fashioned barbecue and a fun drink. It's time to enjoy the grill again.

Happy Birthday ,Poppy.

Treat Yourself To A Fun Dinner

By now we're all sick of all those lunches and suppers that feature beans. It's time to liven up meal time with fun and new recipes. That also includes dessert. we need to give ourselves a fun treat now and then.

Since it's getting close to Memorial Day, think hamburgers and hot dogs. Everyone love burgers with all the fixings. Go double and have two patties like your favorite fast food joints. Add sliced onions or better yet caramelized ones. Caramelizing is an easy process.It's just slowly cooking them in olive oil until the pieces turn a golden brown or tan. You could add butter and even balsamic vinegar for more flavor. Avocado slices or homemade guacamole can be layered on too. The bun should be buttered and then toasted on the grill for about three seconds. Hot dogs can also get the special treatment. Slices them and stuff with shredded cheddar. To make sure the dogs don't split either spear them with toothpicks or wrapped slices of bacon around them. You can do something similar with veggie burgers and dogs. There's vegan cheddar and also mozzarella. As for sides there's potato chips for a fun side or you can air fry them. Air fried chips starts with mandolining potatoes and then spritzing them with olive oil cooking spray. You can add some rosemary sprigs for more flavor.

Fruit is good for you but it can also be fun. Think banana  non dairy ice cream. Dr. Oz featured this on his show a few years back and it was a big hit. It's slicing banana slices and putting them in a freezer bag. It;'s then freezing them overnight and then blitzing them in a food chopper. The result is a creamy, low calorie dish that can be jazzed up with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. You can sub in non dairy whipped almond or coconut milk. Add M&M's or nuts if you want. Caramel apples are always fun. For a different take, air fry them with some cinnamon or plain and then dunk the crunchy slices  into caramel. Of course strawberries are big right now, There's nothing as decadent as strawberries dunked in any kind of chocolate, whether in syrup form or melted chips. You can do the same with blueberries and raspberries too. Of course you can also use fruit in tasty mocktails and cocktails.Think screwdrivers either using seltzers or vodka. Try Bellinis and mimosas with the addition of champagne , peach nectar or  fresh squeezed orange juice.

It's time for a fun treat. Liven up lunch, dinner or even dessert. You deserve it.