Had the pleasure of eating some California Strawberries and some fun recipes prepared by Top Chef contestant CJ (the really tall one). I didn’t try this yet, but doesn’t this sangria recipe sound so yummy and refreshing??
Ingredients
To read how to prepare, Read the rest of this entry ?
I love sangria as it is (my favorite is at Tapeo 29!), and I don’t particularly think it needs a makeover. But it’s interesting to see a bunch of NYC drink-spots putting a spin on the classic drink. From the dry-sherry sangria at Suba to the deep-red-beet version at Tailor to the green mango and apricot at Rayuela, mixologists (did I really just use that word?) all over town are going sangria-wild.
Check out the entire, BEAUTIFUL slideshow here.
Monday night meant a roof-top Cinco de Mayo party at the apartment which featured Erica’s signature and delicious Strawberry-Grapefruit White Sangria. Here’s how you make it:
Ingredients:
4 bottles of Sauvignon Blanc
1 cup White Rum (although I did it with raspberry vodka once and it was delish)
2 Pink Grapefruit Juiced (about 1 cup)
1 Pink Grapefruit
1 Pint of Strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
Instructions:
- thinly slice strawberries, mix with sugar and let sit covered at least 15 minutes or refrigerate overnight (it will turn into a kinda strawberry simple syrup)
- juice two grapefruits, mix with rum and let sit covered at least 15 minutes or refrigerate overnight
- cut the other grapefruit in circles (optional)
- mix wine, strawberry and sugar mixture, and rum and grapefruit mixture together, float grapefruit circles on the top)
- enjoy
I don’t have a photo of the actual finished product, so use your imagination with the one above.
I read a post on YumSugar today about 360 Vodka, and I remembered that I tried some a few weeks back. Now, I’m not a vodka drinker—I try to stay far, far away from the stuff. And they had it mixed with some sort of neon green midori concoction that looked less-than-appetizing. But I sipped, and… it tasted like vodka. No better, no worse than Stoli. But here’s the green twist: the company uses an energy-efficient process to distill the vodka, the labels are 100% recycled and processed in a chlorine-free manner, the bottle is 85% recycled, and the facility that filters it has gone through measures to reduce its eco footprint. They also gave me a coaster that I could plant and grow flowers with when I tried the drink. I don’t know—I guess I support it because it’s better for the earth, but I’m still not down for drinking it.
A very good friend introduced me to the joy that is Dominos this summer. It’s such a great beach game. But it might be even more fun with these yummy looking brownie-Dominos. Would make a fun party game with a milk-inspired cocktail.
When I lived in London with Jo the MasterBaker, she introduced me to the very delicious Shamrock Shake from McDonalds. But this one looks even better (via YumSugar)! Celebrate St. Patty’s day with a shake instead of a beer!
I thought this was appropriate for this morning - the first since the dreaded spring-ahead Daylight Savings Time. Very funny coffee ads that made me chuckle this very-tired morning.
I went to a lovely little sake joint called Satsko this weekend on E. 7th St between B and C (they seem to also have a restaurant on Eldridge St.). Small and cozy with great atmosphere, not too loud, and bright enough to actually see your friends’ faces. Yay! Plus, the sake was really delicious. I did my first sake bomb ever, which was hysterically fun. And then we sipped some yummy, cold sake - which was another first for me. The bartender was extremely helpful in helping out a bunch of sake novices. And I was very excited to try some since I had just given my brother a bottle of cold sake for Christmas from Sakaya, a shop on E. 9th St. that sells only sake and has weekly tastings. Apparently the best sake is served cold because that means it’s made from the most refined rice grains (or something like that). I like the refined kind, but I don’t know if I’ll be doing another sake bomb in the near future.
Photo via.
I know we’re getting close to the holidays because I just drank my first Gingerbread Latte from Starbucks. (I know, Starbucks is the devil… yada yada.) But this drink, to me, tastes like Xmas in a cup—warm, comforting, and just a hint of my favorite Xmas flavors. I even get it with whipped cream on top—how scandalous, I know. If you really hate Starbucks, here’s a recipe to make your own.
Sidenote: I also spilled this all down the front of my cute dress. Score.
I saw this thing called the Drink-O-Meter on Imbible, and decided to play along. According to my results, I’ve consumed 2254.98 drinks (but this has to be way off b/c it somehow calculated that at 24 I have 7-years of legal drinking… it must be European site) and spent a whopping $9019.92. Yikes. Scary… but I believe it in this city. However, I was sort of disappointed because they rated me “Chelsea Clinton” status, which I completely don’t understand?? What does she have to do with drinking? More fun facts: the amount of drinks I’ve consumed could fill 6.59 bath tubs, and could purchase .05 Ferraris. So strange. What did you score?
Photo via.
Love this! Only a theory as of now, but someone make this happen ASAP! Sangria would taste so delicious.
I am immersed in the holidays at work—since the magazine publishes so far ahead of time, we’re already done with Christmas! But I must remind myself that it is only October, and focus, FOCUS, on Halloween. I have no idea what I’m going to be. I usually borrow something from the closet at work and make a silly outfit—I’ve been hoarding a coconut bra and hula skirt for a year straight now. But whatever I throw together, I’d love to have these Halloween drinking glasses and shot glasses that I saw at Black*Eiffel to celebrate. And they’re super easy to make! Matthew Mead has templates you can download at his site, and then you just have to cut out the shapes from black masking tape. He also provided a very orange cocktail to treat your guests.
1 ½ oz Vodka
1 ½ oz Triple Sec
1 oz Carrot Juice
1 oz Citrus Energy Drink
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and stir. Strain over ice into prepared balloon glasses. Garnish with an orange wheel, and serve. Yum, yum.
I don’t drink espresso. The only coffee I drink is from Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, or the disgusting free instant coffee maker in my office kitchen (I’m poor, what do you want from me?). But if I did, I would snatch up this gorgeous espresso set from Quel Objet. (link thanks to Dachsies and Design!) I love how the spoon’s handle looks like grass growing out of the coffee.
I do NOT love these. Yuck! And, I’m not alone.
Over at YumSugar, I saw this post about Lassi, a traditional Indian beverage made by blending yogurt with water, salt and spices until frothy. It made me think of something I drank in Turkey called Ayran. It’s a milky, yogurty drink that they eat with most meals—but don’t think milkshake, it’s much too runny and not sweet enough to be a real milkshake. It’s supposed to be a very refreshing drink for warm, summer nights, but I don’t know who thinks creamy, milky goo is refreshing when it’s hot out. But, it did come in handy and help soothe my burning mouth when I overate on spicy food. Anyway, I think I’m up for trying this Lassi, especially because I just found a recipe on the Food Network for Mango Lassi (love, love, love mango—it’s nature’s candy), and it’s about time I finally take my blender out of the box. You can also get it professionally made at a restaurant called Lassi in the West Village—it was one the NY Mag’s 2006 Cheap Eats.
Here’s the recipe:
9 fluid ounces (255 milliliters) plain yogurt
4 1/2 fluid ounces (130 milliliters) milk
4 1/2 fluid ounces (130 milliliters) canned mango pulp or 7 ounces (200 grams) from 3 fresh mango, stoned and sliced
4 teaspoons sugar, to taste, or feel free to try salt and cardamom seeds
Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend for 2 minutes, then pour into individual glasses, and serve. Feel free to try salt and cardamom seeds. The lassi can be kept refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
Photo via
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