I'm on a new mission. No longer will bags of produce be pulled from my crisper dripping in brown ooze that only comes from buyer neglect. I'm determined to find a use for that little bit of feta cheese that lingers in the cheese drawer just waiting to get moldy. And I vow to use up every heel of every loaf of bread I ever buy again. I will boldly go where I seldom go and force myself to regularly use up what's in my refrigerator before returning to the grocery story. I will think more creatively about what I can put together with the ingredients on hand as opposed to pulling out a new recipe and adding unwanted food to an already crowded refrigerator.
Oh, these vows sound so good, but they are so difficult for me because I am a recipe kind of gal. Blame it on my mom who created terrific meals but was wedded to her cookbooks. I am not genetically predisposed to winging it in the kitchen. Which is why I marvel at Lynne Rossetto Kasper who hosts NPR's show The Splendid Table. She has a piece each week where someone calls in with five ingredients they would really like to use up from their refrigerator. Now I might be able to do this if given some pasta, pasta sauce, Parmesan cheese, a bag-o-salad, and a bottle of dressing. But Lynn is WAY better at this than me. She can take fig jam, jalapeno peppers, fish tails, a rutabaga, and chocolate syrup and create an amazing dish. Now I have never actually tried to replicate one of her five-ingredient feasts, but once she is done explaining the recipe each week, I want to run out and buy five more bizarre ingredients to add to my already overflowing refrigerator. The kitchen gods have not bestowed upon me the gift of creativity. But I am on a mission to change.
My last drink recipe required the purchase of a bottle of maraschino liqueur. When I went to purchase the stuff, I was really hoping to find a small six-ounce bottle, or better yet one of those tiny airplane bottles. What I ended up with was a 750ml bottle -- enough for A LOT of pink flamingos. Maraschino liqueur is not exactly a common drink ingredient, and as I added the tall bottle to my overflowing liquor shelf within my overflowing pantry, I realized that my new mission needs to extend beyond just the refrigerator lest I end up on that tv show about hoarders. I must get creative.
So this week I bring to you a drink recipe that comes from my new creative self. I did indeed start with a recipe but then adjusted the ingredients to ones I had on hand. I was inspired by the blackberries that grow with abandon this time of year. I was also inspired by the loganberry liqueur I purchased for my sangria recipe that is about as useful as the maraschino liqueur. I am boldly going forth, and I hope you enjoy the first by-product.
Blackberry Press
adapted from The Modern Mixologist
1 oz. limoncello liqueur (another liqueur in my pantry just looking for a new use)
1 oz. loganberry liqueur (you can substitute blackberry liqueur if you're not on my same mission)
2 oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup
10-12 fresh spearmint leaves
4 fresh blackberries
In a mixing glass muddle 2 blackberries, the spearmint, and the simple syrup. Add the liqueurs, lemon juice, and ice; shake until well blended. Strain into a cocktail glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with two blackberries dusted with powdered sugar. A perfect August drink.
Oh, these vows sound so good, but they are so difficult for me because I am a recipe kind of gal. Blame it on my mom who created terrific meals but was wedded to her cookbooks. I am not genetically predisposed to winging it in the kitchen. Which is why I marvel at Lynne Rossetto Kasper who hosts NPR's show The Splendid Table. She has a piece each week where someone calls in with five ingredients they would really like to use up from their refrigerator. Now I might be able to do this if given some pasta, pasta sauce, Parmesan cheese, a bag-o-salad, and a bottle of dressing. But Lynn is WAY better at this than me. She can take fig jam, jalapeno peppers, fish tails, a rutabaga, and chocolate syrup and create an amazing dish. Now I have never actually tried to replicate one of her five-ingredient feasts, but once she is done explaining the recipe each week, I want to run out and buy five more bizarre ingredients to add to my already overflowing refrigerator. The kitchen gods have not bestowed upon me the gift of creativity. But I am on a mission to change.
My last drink recipe required the purchase of a bottle of maraschino liqueur. When I went to purchase the stuff, I was really hoping to find a small six-ounce bottle, or better yet one of those tiny airplane bottles. What I ended up with was a 750ml bottle -- enough for A LOT of pink flamingos. Maraschino liqueur is not exactly a common drink ingredient, and as I added the tall bottle to my overflowing liquor shelf within my overflowing pantry, I realized that my new mission needs to extend beyond just the refrigerator lest I end up on that tv show about hoarders. I must get creative.
So this week I bring to you a drink recipe that comes from my new creative self. I did indeed start with a recipe but then adjusted the ingredients to ones I had on hand. I was inspired by the blackberries that grow with abandon this time of year. I was also inspired by the loganberry liqueur I purchased for my sangria recipe that is about as useful as the maraschino liqueur. I am boldly going forth, and I hope you enjoy the first by-product.
Blackberry Press
1 oz. limoncello liqueur (another liqueur in my pantry just looking for a new use)
1 oz. loganberry liqueur (you can substitute blackberry liqueur if you're not on my same mission)
2 oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup
10-12 fresh spearmint leaves
4 fresh blackberries
In a mixing glass muddle 2 blackberries, the spearmint, and the simple syrup. Add the liqueurs, lemon juice, and ice; shake until well blended. Strain into a cocktail glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with two blackberries dusted with powdered sugar. A perfect August drink.
Looks yummy! Here's to some wonderful drinks at Sundog!
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