A perfect cocktail menu for a 1920′s party

We ran a murder mystery night for about 15 friends a year or so ago. The theme was prohibition era Chicago so we needed to serve appropriately.

Running the bar was a bit of craic though cleaning the flat was a trial the following morning (example – cocktail sausages in my shoes and prawns between books on shelves).

But, it was a good menu. So for the good of the interweb here it is:

 

Cocktail List

3 rounds of cocktails with the following choices:

1. Gin Gimlet or Watermelon Martini
2. Bloody Mary or Moskow Mule
3. Whiskey Sour or Seabreeze

Round one:

Gimlet (Gin and lime)

• 2 Measures Hendricks Gin
• 2 Measures Lime Cordial
• 0.5 Measure Soda Water

Method:

1. Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice cubes.
2. Stir well.
3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

OR

Watermelon Martini (vodka and watermelon) (make a jug)

• 1 cup watermelon juice (press watermelon through a sieve or cheesecloth)
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) Vodka
• 1/4 cup simple syrup (sugar)
• juice of 1 lime
• 3 tablespoons salt (optional)
• 3 tablespoons sugar (optional)
• ice
• Watermelon slices, for garnish (optional)

Method:

1. Mix together the sugar and salt if using.
2. Wet the rim of a chilled martini glass with a piece of watermelon. Dip the rim into the
3. sugar and salt mixture. Repeat for other glass.
4. Place the watermelon juice, vodka, lime juice, and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker.
5. Top with ice. Shake well.
6. Pour contents through strainer into martini glasses.
7. Garnish with a wedge of watermelon if desired.

 

Round two:

Bloody Mary (vodka and juice)

Bloody Mary recipe as taught by the New York School of Bartending:

• 1 oz. to 1½ oz. (30-45 ml) vodka in a highball glass filled with ice.
• Fill glass with tomato juice
• 1 dash celery salt
• 1 dash ground black pepper
• 1 dash Tabasco sauce
• 2-4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 tsp. horseradish (pure, never creamed)
• Dash of lemon juice

Method:

1. Build over cubed ice.
2. Garnish with celery stalk.

 

OR

Moskow Mule (vodka and ginger beer)

Method:

1. Pour 1 1/2 ounces vodka and the juice of half a lime over ice cubes in a water glass
2. Fill with ginger beer.
3. Stir and garnish with a slice of lime.

 

 

Round three:
Whiskey Sour (whiskey and egg)

(If possible replace the whiskey with Peruvian pisco)

You will need:

• Shaker & Cocktail strainer
• Martini/Rocks glasses
• 50ml/1.5oz whisk(e)y of your choice
• 25ml/0.75oz lemon juice
• 12.5ml/0.4oz sugar syrup
• Dash of bitters
• 25ml egg white (optional)
• Lemon slice and cherry to garnish

 
Method:

1. In an ice-filled mixing glass add all liquid ingredients
2. Place the Boston tin on top of the mixing glass ensuring a good seal
3. Shake hard until frost forms on the outside of the Boston tin
4. Strain into either a chilled martini glass or ice-filled tumbler/rocks glass
5. Run a piece of lemon zest around the rim of the glass to release the fragrance
6. Garnish with a fresh lemon slice and a cherry
7. If using the egg white (which you should if you’re going near this drink)  make sure it is really really fresh. This gives the drink a frothy lightness which brings it to life

OR
Seabreeze (vodka – fruit)

• 2 Measures Russian Standard Vodka
• 4 Measures Cranberry Juice
• 2 Measures Grapefruit Juice

Method:

1. Build over cubed ice.

Shopping List

• Cocktail shaker and strainer
• Gin (Branded – Hendricks, Blue Sapphire)
• Rye whiskey (Kentucky Bourbon at a stretch)
• Angostura Bitters
• Tomato Juice x 2
• Cranbery juice x 2
• Orange juice x 2
• Grapefruit juice x 2
• Soda water x 2
• Sparkling water x 2
• A *lot* of limes
• 8 x Lemons
• 5 x Grapefruit
• Cherries
• Watermelon x 2
• Tabasco sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• Black pepper
• Celery
• Horseradish
• Eggs
• Cocktail sticks
• Ice

Mmmmm… spermy dinner

I’m unsure about this one.

You see all sorts… at Sourced with Billy

So my conference in sunny Nottingham begins here… a rainy afternoon in St.Pancras… A slight anxiety has struck. Looking at the programme I’ve realised that, not only is my presentation in the Lucan of the conference – a good ten minutes walk through forest from the main event, but also that I am scheduled in parallel with Google… Fuckin’ A.

With the tube strike looming overhead, it seemed best to leave plenty of time… And what better way to while away that time than with wine and surfed meat? Ala French-style.

A mate of mine introduced me to Sourced Market in St. Pancras a few weeks ago and it’s really a find. Restless, tired and fidgety – I headed up to the counter. The lady behind spotted my worry and motioned to a seat tapping my shoulder gently – “You sit down, my lovely, and I’ll sort you out”. I ordered a pate platter and a small bottle of whatever wine she recommended. “A large wine or small?”. Large, I think today. “Good boy”. Delicious pates, crisp breads, sharp gherkins and a mellow merlot. (See photo and note the conspicuous and affected placement of Wired).

And what a wonderful artery-clogging meal it was. Spent admiring the the tableau of humanity that is a major international train station. A group of French girls passed wheeling old-style bicycles, effortlessly and impossibly cool, replete with stylish macs and stripey jumpers. All they were missing were garlands of garlic and clove cigarettes (which I’m sure were lit immediately upon reaching the street). A lost-looking young girl heaving about a giant suitcase. A group of middle-aged Frenchmen running past, pausing briefly to enquire after my pate. A balding woman in a long wizard’s robe and hood. And an anxious man (at least, I *think* a man) dressed in an alarmingly short polka dot slip, a pair of oversized black hiking shoes and a Barbour waxed jacket (a good choice given the weather). His short hair at odds with his heavily made-up face and his hand worrying the handle of a La Senza bag overflowing with lingerie.

I love whiling away time in airports, stations and such. You see all sorts.

A richman’s breakfast

(There’s some repetition of this earlier post – I must also apologise for the lack of blog activity of late – things are busy. This blog post was written in late December last year).

I thought now was a good time to resurrect Billy and Me. Poor ole Billy has been neglected of late.
So here, in a food market stall in Quito I’ll bring him back. (I say ‘ bring him back’… I’ve been ravenous since I arrived, so I think the comeback is all his).

And this breakfast is certainly worthy of his unholy appetite. I’d planned a light fruitshake breakfast. I find it interesting that it’s in third world countries that something as simple as blended fruit can be found in abundance. In Ireland we now prize healthy fresh smoothies so much that they are considered a luxury. In slightly poorer countries they’re associated with poverty and US imports like Sunny D win out as the richman’s choice… Okay… *I* find that interesting. That an everyman’s drink in a poor country is frowned upon in wealthier nations and considered a luxurious treat in the richest.

In any case it wasn’t to be. Billy took one look at the foods on offer and seized control. I can’t actually remember the ordering itself clearly, I was like a man possessed, but soon I had this…

… Placed in front of me. A wodge of seabass, fried potatoes, rice, popcorn, lime, ceviche (a soup made from raw fish ‘cooked’ in lemon juice) and some veg to fill out the plate. Delicious. I didn’t eat again til nine that night.

I had the breakfast in the Mercado Central. It was the highlight of my few days in Quito. It’s a common tactic of mine – if I can’t figure out a city, can’t plug into it, I find the local food market. Early in the morning you often find yourself the sole tourist among the local workers filling up on starchy tasty food for a long day ahead. The city comes alive in such places and, if you find yourself in Quito, ill-at-ease and unable to access the town, head down here early one morning. Order a plate sized for Andre the Giant and slowly nibble away and just sit and smile and watch and think about how lucky you are. How privileged you are to be in such a place.

Good day in Quito

Actually, for all my doom and gloom, today’s gone really well so far. I think just getting a little bit off the gringo trail was the thing to do.
I breakfasted in the Mercado Central this morning. It’s a local food market. There guys know how to breakfast. A bowl of popcorn, some limes, a bowl of creamy chilli sauce, a plate of rice, two roast spuds, half a sea bass, and a bowl of fish soup. It’s almost 5 and I’m still not hungry. Mind who’s talking here

Protest marches, marching bands and my marching about looking for an open tourist office used up the rest of the morning. That and slowly burning to a crisp under the Latin American sun. From minus 2 in London to the scorcherness.

Needing to escape the noise for a while I sought refuge in the Botanical Gardens. Fairly low key but a very calming hour spent among the orchids and the cacti.

Now, huffing and panting after a thousand steps I sit watching an telenovellas, eating yoghurt and honey, drinking beer and admiring a truly spectacular view. It’s looking up.

Posted by Wordmobi

Cafe del Fraile

A satisfying chicken soup to start. Clear and light with good chunks of meat and vegatables. The chunkiness of it suits the rusticated surrounds. Think of the Powerscourt Centre as redecorated by

What’s odd/entertaining about the meal is the people watching and the narration being provided by the three Americans near me. Mainly the man, he’s accompanied by two women. One of whom keeps craning her neck to look at me. Probably because I’m Mr. Nosy.

‘Look at that young couple, I hope they’re married… Look at her – she’s very attractive… Now look! He’s kissing her! She really is very very attractive. But she’s pushing him away!’(to be fair, the kiss lacked subtlety – he blew his besuited cool by attempting to spelunk her throat). And so on. It’s great – I can people watch without ever looking up.

Ah, the segundo has arrived. And with it more ear-wigging. Grilled trout. Trucha a la Plancha. It’s pretty good. A tad greasy but that’s okay.

Now an English couple occupy my earwigging. They’ve taken a great length of time to discuss the price of the wine. Not in terms of it’s cost but in relation to other wines they’ve bought. ‘This glass of wine would be 12 of those glasses of wine’. Now the same with their accommodation. Now the size of their steaks. Now the relative thickness of their sauces. No conversation but to compare things with other things. Like some postmodern loop.

I can hear the kitchen from my corner table. You know the one – rarely used. Really just there to fill an awkward space or to put an awkward single man The staff are good – there’s a recognition that single guy should largely be left alone but for the odd wry smile.

Posted by Wordmobi

Best thing I have ever seen is Extreme Rice

This is how I eat from this moment forward

bacon lollies

Yes. Oh yes. Very much so.

http://www.lollyphile.com/collections/frontpage/products/maple-bacon

Pickles are go!

So I cracked open my pickles a few minutes ago and, all expectations of botulism aside, they aren’t too bad. They’re not great; they taste more like mass-produced store-bought pickled eggs than the ‘little old stall in a local farmers’ market’ flavour I was going for.

But I’m still breathing so not bad for a first attempt.

I tried two different recipes. One was my own invention and the other the already-mixed Sarson’s pickling vinegar (as a control test). Unfortunately the flavours of each aren’t a million miles apart. So I need to tweak the recipe and try again… I also need to get these ones eaten. Luckily today is Norway Day (fitting after their runaway success last night on the Eurovision) so I should be able to palm them off at our local Norweigan picnic. They’re mad for the pickles these Scandinavians.

Any advice for improving the recipe would be appreciated:
6 eggs (hard boiled)
1 cinnamon stick
1 chopped garlic cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
Malt vinegar about 350ml

Boil all the above and simmer for 15 minutes and store for one month (in this case they’ve had about 6 weeks).

Adopt the bacon position

What is playful bedtime positions were named after parts of a pig?

• Pork Belly
• The trotters
• Doing a hog roast
• The ham hock
• Pork Loin
• and…The suckling pig

Hee hee hee