Taste 3- Get a little Old Fashioned

My third way to show him how much I care involves a tasty libation- a cocktail.  And not just any cocktail, but a classic… an Old Fashioned.

I used the recipe from Eric Felten’s book “How’s Your Drink?” and was pleased with the result.  According to Felten, in 1940 the New Yorker called the Old Fashioned “a national institution,” and if you’re going to make one at home, be sure to use American whiskey- either bourbon or rye.  I used Bulleit Rye because I like the spicy flavor and it’s often a great price compared to other Rye Whiskies.

Felten’s recipe calls for:

• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 2 pieces of lemon peel
• 2 oz bourbon or rye whiskey
• orange slice or maraschino cherry (optional)

First, put the sugar, bitters, lemon peel, and a couple drops of water in a glass and muddle it to dissolve the sugar. Then add the whiskey, ice, and stir…. I learned from Evan Faber to stir it 50 times, so I had fun with that. I skipped the orange and cherries and garnished it with a lemon twist.

Enjoy responsibly.

Taste 2- Pan Fried Zucchini

On day one of my 14-part project to give him a taste of how much I care, I made some nice picnic sandwiches. For day two, I decided to make something fun that I don’t make very often.  For me, that’s pan-fried zucchini.

I sliced a couple small zucchini into 1/4 inch thick rounds, lay them on paper towels, and sprinkled them with a bit of sea salt to expel the excess water. You’ll see small drops of water forming on the salted surface, so pat that dry, flip them, and lightly salt the other side.

Heat a frying pan and prep your breading assembly line: a bowl or plate with a cup or so of flour (any kind of flour), a bowl with a beaten egg (I added a little heavy whipping cream to my egg because I had some in the fridge), and a bowl or plate with panko.  I like pan frying with panko because it adds a nice crunchy texture.  I also added a tablespoon or so of Red Rocks Hickory Smoke Seasoning from Savory Spice Shop to the flour and panko to add a great flavor to the seemingly simple zucchini.

Pat dry the zucchini slices and start the following process: lightly coat in flour, dip in egg, roll in panko, place on a plate.  Then pan fry them in a few tablespoons of olive oil on medium high for a few minutes on each side.

When they’re GBD (golden brown delicious) let them cool on a paper towel for a few minutes… not because they’re super greasy, but because that’s just what I do with everything I pan fry… I think.  Salt to taste, and enjoy.

14 Ways in 14 Days- A Taste of How Much I Care, Taste 1

On my first day of giving him a taste of how much I care, I brought us a picnic lunch to share in the park. It was, after all, another gorgeous winter day in Boulder.

I rode my bike to Whole Foods for some in-house roasted turkey breast, a loaf of Udi’s roasted garlic ciabatta, cream cheese, sharp cheddar, and an avocado.  Oh, wait… and a miniature Chocolove milk chocolate bar.  Dessert is important.

I had a plan to make a good, simple sandwich.

I mixed and mashed half an avocado with approximately one tablespoon of both dijon mustard and honey. I sliced the roasted garlic ciabatta into reasonable sandwich sized slices and topped one side with cream cheese and the other with the avocado spread.

It just takes a little turkey, cheddar, and fresh ground black pepper to make a delicious sandwich. Put it together, and don’t forget a bit of chocolate for dessert.

I picked up a mini Chocolove milk chocolate bar as an impulse buy at the Whole Foods checkout. Best impulse buy of the year so far.

Blue Cheese and Pear on Rye

I’m a big fan of Rye bread, and I picked up a loaf of locally baked Breadworks Rye from Alfalfa’s, so I’ve been enjoying this flavor-packed “spicy” bread for a few days now.  Why did I describe this bread as “spicy?” Well, every bar tender in town describes rye whisky (one of my favorite spirits) as “spicy,” so I’m using that flavor descriptor for this bread. Do people call rye bread spicy? I have no idea…

Anyway, I made a sandwich with rye, blue cheese (from Cured) and pear. Yum. I could go for another right now…

A Bolder Birthday Party

Happy Birthday to me! I enjoy throwing myself a birthday party each year, and my last one was so much fun I think I’ll start throwing more parties in general.  I bought a beautiful cheese spread from Cured that Molly, my friend and manager of Boulder’s fine cheese shop, put together for me. Patti Miller provided some of her wine jellies from her business Start Spreading the Booze, and I made flatbreads for the cheese feast. I put out my olive oil pickles, candied curried pecans, fudge brownies, grilled sausages made in house at Whole Foods, grilled veggie skewers, Nathan Miller Chocolates, chips, wine, beer, and a white wine cocktail (thanks to Allie from The Hooch Life for the idea). Lights, camera, music… action. We went until close to 5 am.

Photo credit: Giovanni Castillo