Drinks Archives - Page 14 of 22 - Retro Food For Modern Times

28
Jun
2016

Political Partini

Well, the Brits have Brexited; here in Australia we go to the polls this weekend (Lord only knows why – every time we actually elect a Prime Minister internal party political infighting deposes them and puts someone else in the top job!) I’m sure my friends in the U.S. are sick to the back teeth with Trump and Hilary and there’s still a long way to go on that one….

Most of these campaigns are being run on scare tactics and fear mongering so why not kill the bad vibes with a super tasty cocktail. I’m in…how about you?

And oh boy do I have an absolutely beauty for you! The Political Partini! It’s not only delicious but punny which means I love it even more!!!! And what’s not to love? It’s pear infused vodka, traditionally Grey Goose La Poire but I made my own, Amaretto which I absolutely adore, simple syrup and lemon juice. So, it’s filled with fruit and nuts kind of healthy…in a boozy sort of way!

This is so, so good. I only wish I had made more pear-infused vodka so I could make it my election night tipple! Do people in other countries have election night parties? It’s kind of a thing here. My parents used to always have / or go to one. If I had not just started a new job I may have thought more about it and organised something for the weekend but that’s totally not happening…maybe I’ll tag along to my parents’ party….oh Lord really? Is this what my life has come to?

Well, here’s an ode to something I most likely will not be this Saturday from one of my favourite singers Dan Kelly. It does contain some of the naughty words so, if you are at work or there are kiddies about, you might want to delay playing it.

The Political Partini was created for the US 2008 election campaign but is delicious enough to celebrate or commiserate any election wins or losses. Or indeed anything.

OMG…it’s so good!!!! And that’s coming from someone who is not overly fond of pears.

Politcal Partini: The Recipe

[yumprint-recipe id=’69’] Have a great week!

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22
Jun
2016

This Goose is Loose – Goose in Spring Cocktail

categories: Cocktail, Lime, Raspberry, St Germain, Vodka

Happy hump day people of the internet!

This goose is loose!

For the next five days, I am a lady of leisure! And what better way to celebrate than with a cocktail (or two)! And this Goose in Spring Cocktail fits the bill perfectly!

After three years, I am leaving the amazing team at Protiviti in Melbourne for pastures new. It was so hard to say goodbye; I have made so many friends there and worked for three amazing bosses. But new challenges beckoned and I am moving on.

But not until Monday.

So, in the meantime, while I am unofficially unemployed, I am as free as this little bird.

If being free means:

Cleaning out my pantry
Clearing out my wardrobe
Clearing out my bookshelves
Putting my car in for a service
A visit to the dentist
A visit to the hairdresser
Catching up with a girlfriend for lunch
A visit to the beauty salon for a mani & pedi
Getting the broken strap on my favourite handbag fixed
Trying to cook as many recipes from Persiana as possible
Vintage Shopping with my mum
Writing at least three blog posts to schedule for when I am on holiday next month
Writing that novel I’ve been thinking about for years
Scaling Everest

Yep, totally absolutely free!

The Goose in Spring cocktail was the winner of the May 2012 Vodka Cocktail Contest, where it was created by Elijah Venanzi.

[yumprint-recipe id=’68’]The Goose In Spring combines all the delicious floral flavours I love – lavender and elderflower with some fruity deliciousness from raspberries and lime! The original recipe used lemon instead of lime but I didn’t have any – and you know, when life doesn’t give you lemons, a girl’s gotta improvise! My lavender vodka was also VERY lavendery so I needed to adjust the other ingredients around it. The original ratios are per the link in the recipe.

Have a lovely week! I’ll be thinking of you while I’m doing all that nothing!

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19
Jun
2016

Potted Cheese – Delicious Food, Impossible Ingredients

categories: Cheese, Leftovers, Starters, Wine

Hey there people of the internet!

Take a look at this super delicious snack plate. Good at any time – but my favourite? A snack plate, a sunny Sunday afternoon,sitting on my balcony with a good book and a cheeky glass of wine = heaven!

The star of this particular snack plate is some potted cheese. .

Which sadly relies on two ingredients that may as well be unicorn’s tears and dragon’s blood for the times they have ever been available in this kitchen. Just one of them is nigh on a miracle and as for both, you had better go outside and look up because that moon out there will be bluer than Tobias Funke!

So what are these two magical, nigh on mythical substances?

Leftover cheese
Leftover wine

Whoever has them? No one I want as a friend!

My cheeses were the remnants….actually it even pains me to say that. The cheeses were items from a cheese platter (probably the previous weeks snacking plate) that I had just not got around to eating yet. And I cheated and opened a bottle of wine to make this.

I used a goat’s cheese, a blue cheese, a pecorino pepato and some cheddar. You can use any cheese you have.

First up, place all your bits of cheese into a food processor and whiz it up! Then add in your flavourings – I added port, a splash of red wine, Worchestershire sauce, cayenne pepper and then, because it was a little dry after the first whiz through, a little more port and a bit of cream. My recipe is based on a classic one by Jane Grigson but you can play with the flavourings to suit your palate and your mix of cheese.

Once you have whizzed it all up , pop it into a pot:

The next step is optional but traditionally the pot was then sealed with a layer of clarified butter:

Why Potted Cheese?

The idea behind potted cheese is simple. Back in the day when refrigeration was not as it is today, cheese was far more perishable than now. Potting your ends of cheese prolonged it’s life – I’m guessing the booze helped to preserve it whilst the clarified butter seal stopped bacteria getting in.

Nowadays, it is done more because it tastes delicious than for the preserving factor.

What Can You Do With Potted Cheese?

OMG, so much. Have it on crackers with a glass of wine! Quick, easy, delicious.

Replace regular cheese in a grilled cheese sandwich! Here is my salami, potted cheese, red onion and tomato version. With a pickle to add some sharpness.

So much oozy goodness!

I haven’t made these next lot but I think potted cheese would be delicious used in the following ways:

Replace sour cream in a baked potato. Or add it to chips and gravy for a take on a poutine.
Saute some bacon or steam some broccoli (or do both), cook up some pasta, top with potted cheese and stir through the bacon or broccoli
Fill celery sticks, add a topping of chopped walnuts
Replace crackers on a snack plate with slices of apple or pear
Heat up a dollop, add some more cream if necesary and use as a mornay or gratin sauce over anything you want to mornay or gratin
Spread it on bread, make up a savory custard and you have a super strata to go!

[yumprint-recipe id=’67’]So, it’s Sunday and whilst not balcony sitting weather at all, I’ve got the fire going and Hollow City, the second book of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children good to go, so excuse me, I have a potted cheese snack plate to prepare! Dammit! Speaking of YA literature just made me realise I should have saved this for when The Cursed Child, the new Harry Potter comes out. I could have filled it with Harry Potter of cheese gags! Stay tuned for the re-post!

Have a fab week!

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16
May
2016

The Devil Made Me Do It

categories: Cocktail

Welcome to my Blogiversary! Enter if you dare! Because the theme of this party is The Devil! I’ve even dressed up for the occasion.

We’re about to get things started. But first, allow me to introduce you to our eponymous cocktail du jour – The Devil!

When I was younger I longed to be the kind of person who had HollyGolightlyesqe parties where glamorous women smoked cigarettes from ridiculously long cigarette holders, people danced in crowded rooms and a drunk invariably wore a lampshade on his head.People at these parties seemed to get drunk incredibly quickly and I had been wondering what it was that, seemingly in a matter of minutes could turn you from this:

To This:

Now I think I know. It’s this:

Beware! The Devil is Potent! Delicious but it’s got a kick like a kangaroo! And totally perfect to kick off my devilishly themed 4th birthday celebrations!

Even better, it’s hellishly simple to make. Just three ingredients and you’re done! The original recipe calls for a splash of lemon juice and a lemon garnish. I had some kumquats left over from last week’s canapés so I used them instead.

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The Devil

Print Recipe

A simple, delicious but highly potent cocktail. Enjoy but beware…the devil’s voice is sweet to hear. Drink this one wisely!

Author: Taryn Fryer

Ingredients

Scale

1 part Tawny Port
3/4 part Dry Vermouth
Ice cubes
Dash of lemon or kumquat juice
Lemon twist or kumquat slice to garnish

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Instructions

Chill your cocktail glass in the freezer.
Add the ice cubes to a glass and stir in the port, the vermouth and the lemon (kumquat) juice.
Strain into the chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with a twist of lemon or a kumquat slice.
Enjoy!

Just remember to go easy – I think where The Devil is concerned, we need to heed the words of Dorothy Parker.

“I like to have a martini,
Two at the very most.
After three I’m under the table,
after four I’m under my host.”

On a non-birthday note, many thanks to both Donna and Yinzerella for letting me know the comments aren’t working. The WordPress support team of people a lot smarter than me are working to help me fix it! Until it’s fixed, please feel free to comment via Facebook or Twitter!

Have a great week! I”ll be preparing us some devillish appetizers!

26
Apr
2016

Cherry Beer Margarita – My Way

categories: Beer, Cocktail, Tequila

Dear readers…you have no idea of the indignities I sometimes have to suffer to bring you this.

But first, let me tell you how my recipe for Cherry Beer Margaritas recipe came about. A little while ago, I was pottering around on Pinterest and I found several recipes for Cherry Beer Margaritas. Happy Days, I thought and began a clicking frenzy. Only, not one of these recipes was what I expected. I thought that these would be Cherry Beer Margaritas….i.e. margaritas made from Belgian Cherry Beer. Instead, they were all beer margaritas with some sort of cherry flavouring.

I could not find a Cherry Beer Margarita the way I envisaged it for love or money. And so I decided to make one.

First problem. I thought I would just run down to my local bottle shop and pick up some cherry beer and make me some margaritas. Uh uh. Not so speedy there, Gonzales.

They had Ginger Beer, Mango Beer, Lychee Beer, Chilli Beer, about a billion flavours of Cider and Perry but no Cherry Beer. This was repeated everywhere. I actually shelved the idea for several months simply because I could not find Cherry Beer anywhere.

That changed on the weekend. But not without a cost.

I finally tracked down the one bottle shop in Melbourne that sells Belgian Cherry Beer.

I asked for two bottles but they were on a very high shelf so the shopkeeper needed to climb up a ladder to get them. Whilst he was climbing he started telling me that they were getting more, different cherry beers in a few weeks. He rattled off some names.

“I used to drink a Cherry Beer…but it wasn’t either of those”

“Was it Belle Vue?”

“Yes! That’s the one”.

He said “That was a while ago”.

I had totally lost interest by then and was looking round the shop to see what else I could buy. “Yeah, I guess”

“Wow….was a REALLY long time ago” The dude was giving me a look that quite clearly said “Would you like a pension card and a zimmer frame to go with your two beers, Granny?”

“I beg your pardon what?” I asked him, giving him my best death stare and resisting the urge to kick that ladder right out from under him.

“Erm…nothing. Would you like anything else with that?”

How about one of these?

The Cherry Beer Margaritas were everything I wanted them to be. A gorgeous deep red, a great cherry and citrus taste, a good kick of salt and a pleasant hit of booze. Perfect drinking for a sunny afternoon!

I used a mix of vintage merlot salt I bought at Gewurzhaus and sea salt for the glass. The merlot salt is such a gorgeous colour and looked really pretty on the glass but any salt would do.

It’s almost a shame these tasted so good because I won’t be going back to that shop in a hurry. Anyway, I doubt these ancient bones would make the trip!

Anyone up for a lychee beer margarita?

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Cherry Beer Margarita

Print Recipe

A delicious cherry beer margarita with a twist – it contains Belgian Cherry Beer!

Author: Taryn Fryer

Ingredients

Scale

30ml tequila
30ml lime juice
30ml triple sec
250ml Belgian Cherry Beer, I used Floris

To Garnish

Salt, I used a Vintage Merlot Salt but any salt will be fine
Lime circle
Maraschino Cherry

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Instructions

Fill your cocktail glass with ice and place in the freezer to chill.
Mix the tequila, lime, triple sec together in a large measuring cup.
Remove the glass from the fridge, tip out the ice.
Rub the rim of the glass with lime and roll in the salt.
Pour the tequila mix into the glass and top with the beer.
Garnish with the lime and cherry.
Enjoy!

Have a fabulous week!

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Category: Drinks

Politcal Partini: The Recipe

Why Potted Cheese?

What Can You Do With Potted Cheese?

The Devil

Ingredients

Instructions

Cherry Beer Margarita

Ingredients

To Garnish

Instructions