Remember those ads for Evelyn Wood speed reading classes? The ones where people simply turned the pages in the books they were reading and voila! The books were fully read and comprehended. Those ads always appealed to my need for project completion. When I start working on something, I like to keep working until it is finished. No interruptions. I marvel at people who have five or six books on their nightstands that they are reading simultaneously. How can you possibly do this? To me that feels like cheating those characters out of their due respect while having a quick fling with someone else in a completely different story. Maybe that's a bit harsh, and maybe I just need to embrace the art of multitasking. But remember I'm 50 years old and old dogs...well, some just like to go one book at a time.
Last December I set a goal: 50 drinks in my 50th year. Research, concoct, photograph, and blog. I sit at 21, and I am well past the halfway mark. This does not sit well with me. If Evelyn Wood offered a speed blogging class, I would sign myself up immediately. I thought the summer would give me a chance to get ahead, but you've probably noticed a slight bit of lethargy. It's not really lethargy, it's the incredibly beautiful summer we've had. Sitting down in front of a computer does not have the same appeal on a sunny 80-degree day as it does on a cold and dreary one. I am behind and the new school year is bearing down upon me. I fear this goal will not be reached because there have just been too many other flings worth the detour.
But instead of lamenting my slow progress, I'm sending a detour your way. My friend Deborah threw a party last night with a theme: Double. Every food and drink item had to relate to doubles. It was a birthday party for her husband. Well, it was a party disguised not to be a birthday party for someone who was turning 55. Double fives. On the menu were double cheeseburgers, twice-baked potatoes, some cheese from a couple who had bought twice as much as they needed recently for a party they threw, double chocolate brownies, and so on. As you can see there was a certain amount of creativity allowed in determining how to fit the theme. When Deborah called to invite us, I had a cocktail book open on my lap and was looking at a drink with two straws. That seemed a bit lame until I thought a bit more on the ingredients: two types of alcohol, two types of fruit juice, two types of grapes. And the name, Pink Flamingo, brings to mind a bird whose most distinct feature is its two legs. This drink was meant for this party and conveniently there was both a single serving and pitcher-sized recipe. So the pink flamingo was my contribution to the double-themed party and is now my detour for you. Good luck resisting.
Pink Flamingo
as adapted from The Modern Mixologist by Tony Abou-Ganim
11/2 oz. Absolut Citron vodka
1/2 oz. Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
2 oz fresh lemon sour (you make this by combining 1 oz. of fresh lemon juice and 1 oz. simple syrup)
1/2 oz. white grape juice
1 oz. pomegranate juice
Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice until well blended. Strain into an ice-filled Collins glass. Garnish with lemon slices and green and red sliced grapes.
Batch Recipe
750 ml. bottle of Absolut Citron vodka
6 oz. Maraschino liqueur
44 oz. lemonade (or fresh lemon sour if you want to squeeze a ton of lemons. I used Odwalla, which is less sweet than some lemonade.)
20 oz. white grape juice
20 oz. pomegranate juice
Mix all ingredients in advance along with 10 to 12 slices of lemon. When ready to serve, transfer to an ice-filled pitcher. Add fresh lemon slices and grape slices to each cup.
**A note about Maraschino liqueur: this is a fairly rare liqueur made from Marasca cherries found in Italy. It is a clear liqueur made from distilling the cherries and then adding a separate distillate made from the crushed stones, which add a somewhat bitter-almond flavor. Luxardo is the cream of the crop apparently, but I used the Maraska brand. Even this liqueur nicely fit the double theme since both parts of the cherry were used to make it. Score. And now I'm up to 22.
Last December I set a goal: 50 drinks in my 50th year. Research, concoct, photograph, and blog. I sit at 21, and I am well past the halfway mark. This does not sit well with me. If Evelyn Wood offered a speed blogging class, I would sign myself up immediately. I thought the summer would give me a chance to get ahead, but you've probably noticed a slight bit of lethargy. It's not really lethargy, it's the incredibly beautiful summer we've had. Sitting down in front of a computer does not have the same appeal on a sunny 80-degree day as it does on a cold and dreary one. I am behind and the new school year is bearing down upon me. I fear this goal will not be reached because there have just been too many other flings worth the detour.
But instead of lamenting my slow progress, I'm sending a detour your way. My friend Deborah threw a party last night with a theme: Double. Every food and drink item had to relate to doubles. It was a birthday party for her husband. Well, it was a party disguised not to be a birthday party for someone who was turning 55. Double fives. On the menu were double cheeseburgers, twice-baked potatoes, some cheese from a couple who had bought twice as much as they needed recently for a party they threw, double chocolate brownies, and so on. As you can see there was a certain amount of creativity allowed in determining how to fit the theme. When Deborah called to invite us, I had a cocktail book open on my lap and was looking at a drink with two straws. That seemed a bit lame until I thought a bit more on the ingredients: two types of alcohol, two types of fruit juice, two types of grapes. And the name, Pink Flamingo, brings to mind a bird whose most distinct feature is its two legs. This drink was meant for this party and conveniently there was both a single serving and pitcher-sized recipe. So the pink flamingo was my contribution to the double-themed party and is now my detour for you. Good luck resisting.
Pink Flamingo
as adapted from The Modern Mixologist by Tony Abou-Ganim11/2 oz. Absolut Citron vodka
1/2 oz. Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
2 oz fresh lemon sour (you make this by combining 1 oz. of fresh lemon juice and 1 oz. simple syrup)
1/2 oz. white grape juice
1 oz. pomegranate juice
Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice until well blended. Strain into an ice-filled Collins glass. Garnish with lemon slices and green and red sliced grapes.
Batch Recipe
750 ml. bottle of Absolut Citron vodka
6 oz. Maraschino liqueur
44 oz. lemonade (or fresh lemon sour if you want to squeeze a ton of lemons. I used Odwalla, which is less sweet than some lemonade.)
20 oz. white grape juice
20 oz. pomegranate juice
Mix all ingredients in advance along with 10 to 12 slices of lemon. When ready to serve, transfer to an ice-filled pitcher. Add fresh lemon slices and grape slices to each cup.
**A note about Maraschino liqueur: this is a fairly rare liqueur made from Marasca cherries found in Italy. It is a clear liqueur made from distilling the cherries and then adding a separate distillate made from the crushed stones, which add a somewhat bitter-almond flavor. Luxardo is the cream of the crop apparently, but I used the Maraska brand. Even this liqueur nicely fit the double theme since both parts of the cherry were used to make it. Score. And now I'm up to 22.
My guess is that the movie about the woman who made one recipe a day for a year with Julia Child's famous cookbook appealed to you:)
ReplyDeleteThis recipe sounds delicious AND I can't believe you are 50!!
Yes, I do admire both Julias immensely. And yes, time does fly by. I, myself, am still trying to get used to Annette!!
ReplyDelete