It's colder than a witch's tit up here. Brass monkeys, as they say in England. (As in, you could freeze the balls off a...) The car thermometer read minus-one when I was heading to yoga this morning. My husband stayed home from the office so he could toast himself in front of the fire. Thoughts immediately turned to hot toddies. Traditionally, these warming drinks were downed before exposure to severe weather—or after, to recuperate from it—and they were also believed to have a curative effect on flu and colds. A simple combination of spirits, hot liquid, a sweetener, some citrus and a bit of judicious spicing, they even seem to put a dent in the winter blues. Consider bundling up and going for a brisk walk on the icy tundra just so you can fix yourself one. Or stand outside the front door for five minutes to work up a chill. Either way, it will go down like a charm.
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Remember "Singles," Cameron Crowe's 1992 film about young love and indie music in Seattle? No? I'm not surprised. It really wasn't that good. But I'll never forget how Bridget Fonda's character, who was hopelessly in love with Matt Dillon's indifferent rocker, waited in vain for him to say "Bless you" every time she sneezed. In my family we always said "Salud" whenever someone sneezed. To not say it was unthinkable. Like a jinx. What with spring allergies kicking in and everyone getting those changing-season colds, there's lots of sneezing going on nowadays. If you've got a scratchy throat, runny nose or just a general malaise, try this therapeutic treat. It's a sorbet—from Jeni's, of course—packed with vitamin C, soothing honey and a fiery combination of ginger, bourbon and cayenne. It feels restorative and it will definitely clear a few things right up.
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The plan was to invite a bunch of friends to our new property by the reservoir in Forestburgh on peak leaf weekend to gather around a big bonfire, eat chili, sip mulled wine and make s'mores. Wrong. Each morning during the week leading up to our party, G would tell me the weather forecast, and each day it would go up several degrees. By the time the actual day dawned, we were preparing for a scorcher, and the leaves had only just begun to display their showy colors. But what a glorious day it was! Perfectly clear and without a trace of humidity. I had been threatening to change the menu if the mercury rose above 70º, but in the end—despite it hitting 77º—we stuck with the chili and just swapped out the mulled wine for rosé and cocktails on the rocks. Later this week I'll post the recipe for the thick, brick-red Texas-style chili, made with plenty of beef and no beans; and also for the caramel apples that were dessert, a great easy treat for this time of year. But for now, some photos to inspire you to get together with friends wherever/whenever/however (preferably outdoors while you still can), and a recipe for the perfect bourbon cocktail.
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I got into bourbon about 10 years ago, when a friend introduced me to Booker's. I had been a Scotch drinker up until then, and am still partial to a nice Glenlivet or occasionally something peatier. But I do have a bit of a sweet tooth, and love the vanilla flavors in a good bourbon. Made from corn mash and aged in charred oak barrels, bourbon has a smooth, smoky roundness, like liquid amber. I drink it on the rocks, with a couple of brandied sour cherries, or in my favorite cocktail that I make with the addition of just two simple ingredients. It's an ideal balance between sweet and tart, with a lingering warmth from the booze. I suppose it bears some faint resemblance to an old-fashioned, but don't quote me. I'll be shaking one up this evening, and sipping it as I gaze, tranfixed, into the fire.
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This bacon-infused bourbon cocktail was inspired by the Old Fashioned at PDT, a cocktail mecca in New York City’s East Village. I think the star-anise-infused cider syrup gives mine a nice complexity, and the fresh lemon juice sparks the dark, smoky flavors. I entered this drink as a contender on Food52, when the theme was "Your Best Pork and Apple Cider Recipe" and , although it didn't win, it was one of the week's editors' picks. (Probably because it really stood out against all the ((admittedly delicious-looking)) recipes for cider-braised pork shoulder.)
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