Pomegranate Champagne Fizz

cocktaThis recipe is from a bar in New York city call Wallse. This sofisticate drinks  made with pomegranate juice is a colorful drink for your party, do not forget to add it in your drinks menu.

Recipe for a single dink.


POMEGRANATE CHAMPAGNE FIZZ
1 oz. Bombay Sapphire gin
1 oz. pomegranate juice
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/4 oz. elderflower syrup  or other berry syrup
1/4 cup champagne

In shaker combine gin, pomegranate juice, syrup and ice. Shake; strain into champagne flute. Top with champagne.

Apple Mojito Recipe

If you have never try a Mojito, this one can give you the perfect opportunity to fall in love for this drink.

6 lime wedges
6 fresh mint leaves
1/4 oz. simple syrup
1-1/2 oz. Bacardi Apple rum
       Splash  of club soda
wedge of apple for garnish

In Shaker combine lime, mint and syrup. Using the back of long spoon, muddle lime and mint against edges, add rum and ice. Shake; pour into tall glass. Top with club soda. Garnish with apple slice.

Rocktail for Three

This recipe is from Base Bar, in Chicago. These three drinks are very colorful, and have funny names, Rock You, Rock Me and Rock on. I suggest you to share the drinks with two more friends and .... Serve in shot glasses.

ROCK YOU
1 oz. Effen Vodka
1- 1/2 tsp orange juice
1-1/2 tsp grenadine
1- 1/2 tsp 7-up

ROCK ME
1 oz. Effen Vodka
1 oz. Melon liqueur
1-1/2 tsp pineapple schnapps
1/2 tsp sour mix

ROCK ON
1 oz.  Effen Vodka
1/2 oz.  Peach schnapps, recipe here
1-1/2 tsp grenadine
1-1/2 tsp champagne

Rub the rims of three shot glasses with lemon juice. Dip one glass in red sugar, one in green sugar and one in pick - how to color sugar here.

For Rock You: In shaker combine vodka, orange juice and grenadine with ice. Shake; strain into read-rimmed glass, top with 7-Up.

For Rock Me: In shaker combine ingredients with ice. Shake: strain into green-rimmed glass.

For Rock On:  In shaker combine vodka, schnapps, grenadine and ice. Shake; strain into pink-rimmed glass. Top with champagne.

Colorful Martinis for your Party

Searching on my old magazines for my next cocktail party with my friend I found the perfect recipes for some martinis, very easy to make, colorful and very tasty.

I would like to meet with my friend around some martinis, cheese, creams, fruits and bread. Simple, but a nice opportunity to talk and relax at home.

All these recipes are for a single glass. Use a cocktail mixer and serve them in the Martini glasses.

ELECTRIC BLUE MARTINI
1 oz. Alize Bleu
1 oz. Stoli Citrus
1/2 oz. sour mix
1 Maraschino cherry

In shaker  combine all ingredients with ice. Shake and strain into glass. Garnish with cherry.

KEY LIME MARTINI
2 oz. Stoli Vanilla
1 oz. Malibu Coconut rum
3/4 lime, freshly squeezed
Splash of pineapple juice

In shaker combine ingredients. Shake and pour over ice. Garnish with lime slice. Pour in a martini glass.

WATERMELON MARTINI
1/2 cup diced, seedless watermelon, plus a wedge for garnish
Splash of simple syrup, recipe here. (You can find it in the store)
1/2 oz. Watermelon liqueur
2 oz. Bacardi Limon rum

Place watermelon chunk in shaker. Using the back of spoon, mash watermelon against glass. Add syrup, liquour, rum and ice. shake well; strain into a large martini glass. Garnish with watermelon wedge.


JAMES MARTINI
1-1/2 oz. Raspberry vodka.
1/2  oz. triple sec
1 tsp fresh lime juice
Splash of elderflower syrup
Store-bought blue cake frosting (get vanilla frosting and add a bit of blue food color)


Decorate chilled martini glass with swirls of blue frosting (inside).
In shake combine vodka, triple sec, lime juice, elderflower syrup and ice. Shake, strain into
small martini glasses.

Note: the elderflower syrup can be found in IKEA stores.

This recipes are from In Style Magazine December 2005.

Have you ever Heard about Breadfruit Punch

I found another way to use the bread fruit, this is very original. This recipe was taken from  the  first issued of the Trinidadian magazine Dougle in Season (http://www.douglatt.com/).  I could not resist to get this recipe, it is very interesting to see what you can do with this fruit. Last time I found a recipe in our local newspaper featuring a chocolate candy made with breadfruit, very original. This fruit is very versatile, a few people know who to use it in the kitchen, so I will get as much information about this fruit an its use in the kitchen as I can. I hope you enjoy.

I will try to get a bread fruit for next week to try this recipe, it look like the rice chicha (Venezuelan drink) in principle. I will let you know my experience.

Serve 6

Ingredients:

1 ripe breadfruit

1/2 cup evaporated milk

18 - oz can condensate milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

sugar to taste

2 tbsp rum (optional)

Method:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
2. Cut bread fruit into quarters and remove the heart and seeds. Remove the skin.
3. Boil quarters in water until they are soft. -Do not discard water
4. In a electrical blender, combine bread fruit and evaporated milk. Blend. Slowly add condensed milk, and blend until smooth.
5. Add vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg to the mixture and stir with a wooden spoon. Add sugar to suit your taste.
6. If the punch is too thick , add some of the water used to boil the breadfruit to achieve desired consistency.
7. Chill for at least 2 hours. serve with ice

Dougla is a new cooking magazine from Trindiad and Tobago, I am really happy for the initiative of Sonja Sinaswee, for  her work  as well as everybody working together with her to carry out this project. I wish them the best in this jurney. I got a lot of information about Trinidadian food, that I will eventually featuring time to time.

Ponche Crema - Ponche de Creme - The Christmas Drink

The Ponche Crema is a creamy liquor, made with egg, but you can also make it egg less using a pack of flan creme caramel. One of the best qualities of this drink is that it keep its flavour, color and consistency at room temperature. The Ponche crema is a sweet, smooth and nutritious. It can drink it alone or with cocktails.
This drink is excellent to drink it after meals like lunch or dinner. In some cold areas in Venezuela the Ponche Crema is drinking hot to keep their body warm.

The Ponche Crema is part of the Venezuelan Christmas menu, it the traditional drink for Christmas, together with the scotch and wine.

I have attached a very old picture with the most well known Ponche Crema brand name in Venezuela, since I have memory I have seen this bottle in my house and in the super market. Ponche Crema is our very own Christmas drink, with alcohol or without (for children), sweet, smooth, just right.

The very first Ponche Crema was create by Eliodoro Gonzalez  from Caracas Venezuela in 1900. The patent was given in 1904. It has been a long way from 1900 to the present, and this drink is the most traditional drink in my country and the Complejo Licorero Ponche Crema still today strong than ever and we are very proud of them.

The creator of this drink, Mr. Eliodoro Gonzalez, advice to do not refrigerate the drink, you can keep it in your cabinet, the drinks will not be altered in flavor, color or consistence. So add ice only to the portion that you will drink. Keep the bottle lay dawn and shake it before pouring.

For those who cannot have access to this delicoius drinks, there is a home made version that I would like to shar with you all. I hope you enjoy it.

PONCHE CREMA RECIPE

1 pack of flan creme caramel

1 lt milk.

2  egg yolk
1 can condensate milk.
1 cup brandy o rum

Method:

1. Mix together the milk, egg yolk and the pack of flan creme caramel.  Cook at small fire and stir.
2. Let it get cool and pass it through a strainer  to remove any lump.
3. Pour in the blender, add the condensate mil and the liquor.
4. The Ponche Crema is ready. Pour it in a bottle and put it in the refrigerator.

Note: TehPonche Crema can last an entire year at room temperature. Serve in a glass with ice.



 PONCHE CREMA  (EGG-LESS)

1 lt. milk.
2 small packs of flan crame caramel
1 can condesate milk
Ron o brandy to taste

Method:

1. In a deep pan mix the milk and the 2 packs of flan crame caramel. Stir constantly to the boil.
2. Pour the flan crame caramel mix in a bowl and put it in the refrigerator, until get firm and completly cold.
3. Put the cold flan crame caramel in the blender, add the condensate milk  and rum. Blend it.
4. Pour the Ponche Crema in clean bottles and place it in the refrigerator.

Chicha - Venezuelan Rice Drink - Easy Recipe

I long for a Chicha, this delicious drink made with rice,  milk and sugar, serve with crushed ice and topping  with ground cinnamon and condensate milk, very refreshing and filling. I really miss this drink.

Back in Venezuela you can find "El Chichero" that is the way how we call the person who sell chicha. I remember when I was in the high school, this man coming to the school in  his bike, a modified bike, with a big cooler, full of a thick paste made with rice, he used to pour ice and milk and shake it. I remember the line at the school gate of people waiting for their "chicha"... please put more condensate milk and cinnamon, we used to beg him. I almost see myself smiling after I got my chicha, so refreshing and sweet.

Now, well things have changed. Something that I admire about Venezuelan, is that they have taken their traditional food and drinks and they have upgrade the presentation and the way who is eating and serving. You still find at this time people who sell chicha in the bike with the big cooler, but in the cities you will find a more upgrade version of the "el chichero" like the franchise Juan El Chichero, and in the grocery you will find different brands promoting this very popular drink.


Chicha by Juan El Chichero



Lacteos Los Andes




 

 Being away from home, there is only a way to get my delicious Chicha, I have to make it! nothing complicated, take some time but I will make sure to make enough for the week.

The only way to know who this drink taste without going to Venezuela is making the drink at home, I recommend this drink for children too, it is very nutritious.

Note: read your recipe at least twice before making the chicha to make sure you understand all the steps.

Venezuelan Chicha (Easy recipe)
Ingredients:
2 cup white rice
7 cup water
1- 1/4 tsp. salt
1 can condensate milk (397 gr)
1-1/2 cup sugar
2 - 3 tsp. vanilla essence

1. Soak the rice in water for at least 4 hours. You may skip this step if you cook the rice for longer time in a big pot adding more water than what was specified, for example 9 cups of water.
2. Put the rice in a big pot with the 7 cups of water and the salt. Cook it until the rice is very soft. Do not let the water dry too much, add water if needed during cooking.
3. Let the rice get cool (warm).
4. Using your blender, blend the rice with water at medium speed, the condensate milk (keep some for topping), the vanilla essence, and the sugar.
5. Do it in batched. I suggest to mix all the ingredients with some rice in the first batch. Pour it in a big bowl.
6. Continue blending the rice adding water if necessary, make sure that the rice is very well blended (no lumpy) add the blended rice to to bowl. When you finish blending all the rice, stir all together in the bowl.
7. Pour the chicha in a jar big enough to content the drink, put in the refrigerator.
8. When ready to drink it, add ice in the glasses, pour the chicha and add ground cinnamon and condensate milk

It is very easy to make, delicious and your children will love it and the adult too. It is a very refreshing drink and you can drink it at any time.

Let's Drinks: The Classic Cocktails

I am not a big drinker and I do not like beers, it's the flavour, and the fact that I can get a belly for drinking beers just turn me off. I  may drink one beer when I hang out with my co-worker but for me the real scene,  for after work lime used are the cocktails and mocktails. I can drinks two, three or four of those and really enjoy them.  I ussuelly try different types of cocktails every time I go out.

Here I have brought three recipes from my husdban collection, he is always collecting drinks recipes for his fuctions, here three of my favorites. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

All recipes are for a single dink.



Classic Mojito
Prep time: 5 minutes

Cut a lime into quarters. Using muddler, crush 3 limes wedges, 15 ml sugar syrup and 6 spring fresh mint  in cocktail shaker. Add 45 ml light rum and 1/2 cup ice cubes; shake vigorously. Strain into 320 ml highball glass; top with 150 ml soda water and garnish with remaining lime wedge.

Sugar Syrop: Stir  1 cup (220 gr) caster sugar with 1 cup (250 ml) water in small saucepan, over low heat, until sugar disilves; bring it to boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, without stirring, 5 minutes. Removefrom heat; cool to room temperature.

Classic Vodka Martini
Prep time: 5 minutes

Place one or two small rinsed seeded green olives and a dash dry vermouth into chilled 120 ml martini glass, swirl glass to coat in vermouth. Combine 45 ml vodka and 1 cup ice  cubes in cocktail shaker; shake  vigorously, strain into glass.

Classic Cosmopolitan
Prep time: 5 minutes

Combine 1 cup ice cubes, 45 ml vocka, 30 ml cointreau . 20 ml cramberry juice and 10 ml lime juice in cocktail shaker; shake vigorously. Strain into chilled 230 ml martini glass. Garnish with 2 cm of orange rind.