Low-Rent Royal Cocktails

Ah, New Year's Eve--a time for gathering with friends in your best (or cheapest) dress and trying strange, new cocktail recipes. Oh. Is that just me? Last year it was bellinis, this year it was the crack baby, a champagne cocktail enjoyed by Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Royal equivalent of Brad and Jen (or is it Angelina? Only time will tell...) I happened across the drink a couple months ago during my daily perusal of celebrity gossip (shut up) and, despite the decidedly un-pc name, thought it sounded delightful! Now, I'm guessing Wills and Kate's crack babies aren't made with goya juice and svedka vodka, but hey--same results, right? Here's the recipe for my version.

4 oz passion fruit juice
1 oz vodka
4 oz prosecco (or champagne)

Some fun modifications include swapping mango juice or peach nectar for passion fruit and subbing whipped cream vodka for viking fjord (or whatever brand you use)

Hot, Hot Toddy

What? This picture is relevant. The hot toddy's in the cup. I'm not a narcissist. Shut up.

Today I walked into my classroom and declared that it was icky outside. Two of my Chinese students looked confused and asked me to explain what 'icky' meant. Eventually, after much gesticulating and the use of an electronic dictionary, they got it. To combat this icky day I decided to make a hot toddy, then write about it. I came up with this idea around 10 o'clock this morning, which should give you an idea of the kind of week I've been having so far...

Anyways, nothing takes the chill out of a rainy day like a hot toddy. I'm rather partial to Grendel's hot mulled cider (it certainly thawed me out on many a snowy night last winter--heh) but was fairly confident I could make a reasonably good substitute. I decided to use that bottle of honey mead that Katie got me in Amish country and mix it with some tea and lemon. The owner of the winery she purchased it from mentioned that it tasted great in earl grey tea, but I couldn't find a decaf version at Trader Joe's so I used decaf green tea instead. I'll be honest: It doesn't taste that great. I blame the green tea. Something about that earthy taste mixed with the mead does not a good hot toddy make. Luckily, there's mead in it, so I'll finish it anyways. But I still learned a valuable lesson: always listen to the people who make your booze.

What Did YOU do this Labor Day Weekend?

Mine was pretty full--so much, in fact, that I am still exhausted on this Tuesday evening. But, here's a rundown:

Friday I went to a show at the Middle East, but I don't really want to talk about it.

Saturday a bunch of us went to Sacco's Bowl Haven in Somerville, MA. The bowling alley is something of a Davis Square landmark, but it recently underwent a renovation which included the addition of a Flatbread Company restaurant--because, naturally, one associates bowling and crunchy hippie pizza. The bowling alley is pretty cute and very old-school. No computerized monitors keeping tally here. And, like most fun things in Boston, the worst time to go is during a weekend. So, we ended up spending the evening at the bar. However, those hippies sure know how to make a good cocktail and at a reasonable price, no less! Behold, my St. Germain cocktail:


But, if elderberry-flavored liquor isn't your thing, they have plenty of beer on draft, all from local breweries.


And, of course, how can I forget the pizza. It's good. Really good. Just like my tip on cooking things in wine, cooking things in a wood-fired oven usually makes them taste awesome. This place is no exception.

Most of Sunday was spent in and around Fenway watching the Sox lose, then trying to forget about it, but beforehand I popped into Flour and had a sweet panini for breakfast. As soon as I saw it on the menu, I knew it was all over: berry compote and mascarpone cheese on grilled focaccia:

As I stood over the kitchen sink cramming the last few bites into my already-full mouth I murmured to James: "They shouldn't have been allowed to create this." Needless to say, I'm going to be paying for this weekend for a while. As Homer S once asked: "Why are all the good things so tasty?"

Postcard From (Not) France: Fin

I am capping off Francophone week with a trip to Le Petite Robert, this french bistro across the street from my cousin's place in the South End. I decided to have the Chicken Coq au Vin, which is a tres traditional French dish. Normally, it's made with rooster (hence the 'coq') but since we're in America and not the French countryside, chicken is a perfectly acceptable alternative. My dining companions were amazed at how tender the chicken was, noting that it looked more like a cut of meat. I explained that when you put anything in a pot with some wine and cook it for hours on end, it'll get fall-off-the-bone tender. That's pretty much the secret to cooking: wine + pot+ meat+ hours & hours = deliciousness.

It was served with buttered noodles and some vegetables, making it a rather hearty dish--better for autumn or winter. But, my goal was to go super traditional and by God I stuck to it. We also had some delightful drinks, which are apparently very popular in France. Katie got the Monaco, which was essentially a grown-up Shirley Temple: beer, sprite, and grenadine. It sounds kind of gross, but you really couldn't taste the beer. I had a beer with peach liqueur, which was great--nice and light for summer with just a hint of peach. I intend on recreating this at home immediately. Or, well, once it becomes an appropriate drinking time....

An Old Man Bar For The Old Man In You

One time I was out with a friend who suggested we head to the Fowler House for drinks. "Is it an old man bar?" I asked. Naturally, my friend was a bit puzzled and required a more detailed explanation. "You know, a place with leather seats and dark lighting? Like the library of some country manor?" He pondered this for a moment before answering that yes, he knew what I meant and no, the Fowler House was not that kind of old man bar. Fortunately, last night I checked out the Russell House Tavern in Cambridge and am happy to report that it met my old man bar standards, and then some. It opened a few months ago and is usually pretty packed, but this was the first time I had visited. In addition to two levels of dark lighting, lots of leather, and brass, they have an excellent cocktail menu. Normally I tend to keep things simple when it comes to alcohol, but the Jacobin Club caught my eye. It was a mix of St. Germain, Chartreuse, grapefruit juice, and Agnostura. Not too sweet, but not too bitter. My friend got the St. Germain cocktail, which was also excellent. Apparently I love Elderflower. All in all, I'd say it's a fine place to take a lady, an old man, or a mix of both. What?