Watermelon-Basil Lemonade

This is the most refreshing drink I've ever made. It came from an experiment in the garden with growing watermelons. The experiment wasn't super successful because my watermelons had an absolutely ungodly amount of seeds. I'm not talking about a few, super fun-to-spit seeds here. I'm talking about a 50-50 seed to watermelon ratio, rending those suckers really difficult to eat. Hmmm...watermelons don't really lend themselves to much other than refreshing cocktails, so there I was. I happened to have a bag of lemons on hand as well and my basil is really thriving this year so I decided to put them all together...with vodka. A delicious, refreshing cocktail was born. It was especially perfect with Fried Green Tomatoes as a little appetizer before dinner. I wanted to treat my husband to something really refreshing and nice for dinner because he'd spent all day in our front yard making it look extra beautiful. When you are really hot and tired from a long day of digging and planting, this is a great way to cool down and relax.

Watermelon-Basil Lemonade

Ingredients:
9 lemons
1 small watermelon
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
20 basil leaves
vodka
seltzer water
ice

1.  Mix sugar and water in a mug and microwave for 3 minutes.  Then set in the fridge to cool down.
2.  Juice the lemons.

3.  "Juice" the watermelon.  There are two ways.  If you have seeds, cut the watermelon in cubes, place the cubes in a bowl and smash it up (I used a potato masher). Then run through a strainer to catch the chunks and seeds. If it is seedless, you can just cut the melon into cubes and blend in a blender until smooth.

4. Combine lemon juice, watermelon juice, and sugar water in a pitcher.

5. Finely chop up the basil.

6. Add basil to the pitcher and refidgerate until cocktail hour.

7. When you are ready to make the drinks, pour one shot vodka and 1/2 cup watermelon-basil lemonade into a cocktail shaker with lots of ice (We got this really fun mason jar shaker from Mark's brother Greg.  We LOVE it because it is giant and can fits enough to make at least 4 cocktails!).

8. Shake up and pour into a waiting glass of ice. Top with 1/4 cup seltzer and a sprig of basil.

Here's a pic of our newly beautified front yard!

One Year Ago: Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps
Two Years Ago: Cucumber-Thyme Hendricks Martini
Three Years Ago: Chipotle Lime Chicken

Grapefruit and Basil Hendricks and Tonic

This drink is refreshing with a capital R.  Mark and I both love G and T's so much that they were the only cocktail that we served at our wedding.  We love the simplicity of the classic cocktail and how crisp and perfect it is for summer.  We served our Hendricks G and T's at the wedding with a simple cucumber slice, but here we dress it up ever so slightly more with a slice of grapefruit and a piece of basil.  The grapefruits acidity and slight bitterness bring out all of the aromatics in the gin and the peppery basil accompany those flavors perfectly.  We loved this simple cocktail and we will make it over and over again this summer.  Hope you enjoy too!

Grapefruit and Basil Hendricks and Tonic

Ingredients:
1 shot Hendricks gin
1/4 cup tonic
1 slice grapefruit
2 basil leaves
handful of ice

1.  Slice grapefruit into generous wedges.

2.  Add gin and tonic to a glass.

3.  Add grapefruit, basil leaf and ice.

Stir and enjoy (please note the unruly tomato plants behind me...we will be seeing many, MANY tomato recipes soon)!

Repeat as necessary...especially with your super cute, new hubby!

One Year Ago: Deviled Eggs with Fresh Dill
Two Years Ago: Ginger Grilled Salmon
Three Years Ago: Mussels in White Wine

"Bleeding" Martini

This Halloween looks like it will be a wet one. Wet, stormy, and possibly sans power. Boo indeed. This calls for a stiff drink. My disaster preparedness consists of making a nice martini and garnishing it with a "bleeding" pickled beet. I got the idea from Martha Stewart, but I used a vodka martini instead of gin, so I am calling it my own now! To all my East Coast friends out there, stay safe these next few days. Hunker down and drink martinis to pass the time!

"Bleeding" Martini
Ingredients:
2 shots vodka
1 tsp. vermouth
ice
pickled beet

1.  Fill your cocktail shaker with ice.

Here's a look at my pickled beets.  I made them using this recipe, but instead of radishes, I used beets.  You can also buy them already pickled from the store and they are quite good. 

2.  Skewer your pickled beet.

3.  Add the vodka and vermouth to the shaker.

4.  Give a few good shakes and pour the martini into a waiting glass.
5.  Add the skewered beet and watch as it "bleeds" through the cocktail.

It will add the same briny quality that an olive lends, but will be more subtle and slightly sweet.

Kick back, and enjoy your spooky Halloween drink!

One Year Ago: Herb and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Two Years Ago: Cheesesteak for the Phillies

Peach Mule

We are in the home stretch for my little sister's wedding and the blushing bride is all a-twitter with the many, many (...many...) plans and arrangements that need to be made. As her only sister, I am helping her out as best I can from the safety that the Philly-DC distance provides. Even so, sweet thing that she is, my sister gave me a really fun gift at her shower to show her thanks. I didn't tell her that my mom really did most of the work. I still enjoyed my gift guilt-free! She gave the all of the ingredients to make a fun new cocktail. It is called a Peach Mule and she had one while she was on a ski vacation. She loved it so much that she bought the freshly made peach vodka right on the spot and brought it back for moi. Yum!

Peach Mule
Ingredients:
1 shot Peach Vodka
1/3 shot ginger simple syrup
1/4 lime
mint leaves
Ginger Beer

To make ginger syrup, boil 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup sugar and 2 Tbs. fresh chopped ginger. Boil for 30 minutes until thickened. Cool and store in the fridge.

1. Add peach vodka and ginger syrup to a highball glass that is full of ice.  Squeeze in the lime and add mint leaves.  Stir everything together.

2.  Top the glass with ginger beer.

3.  Enjoy!  Repeat as needed.

One Year Ago: Black and Tan Brownies
Two Years Ago:  Caprese Platter

Sunshine Sangria

Happy Friday the 13th!  By this point, I'm sure you are all well aware of my fondness for white sangria.  It is my favorite summer drink for a party.  Mostly because it is very easy to make up for a group and everyone likes to drink it.  This one was particularly fun.  I called it "Sunshine" because I made it with all fruits that have a sunny glow.  Grapefruit was the real star (because it was the largest fruit I used, it was also the most pronounced).  It added a slight sourness that was unique.  The sweetness from the sugar and the other fruit balanced it out, but the grapefruit kept this sangria refreshing and not-too-sweet, which is perfect on a hot day.  I have triple sec in the house from a ill-fated margarita making experience, so I used it here.  It has a slight orange flavor, which pairs very well with the sangria.  If you don't have it, you can use vodka or limoncello instead.  Another pet peeve of mine is when people tell you to use a nice bottle of wine for sangria (or cooking).  Rubbish.  I use a cheap-o liter bottle ($10 or so) for both cooking and sangria.  Am I going to serve a $10 liter bottle of wine at a dinner party or bring it as a gift to someones house?  No.  Will I keep one in my fridge for cooking, sangria, and the occasional one-glass emergencies (for a really tough day)?  Yes.  I try to stick with Sauvignon Blanc when I am getting my cheap wine on.  This is because it has a nice crispness and is light and dry.  Hard to mess up.  Other cheap wines can be way too oaky or sweet, but SB is usually pretty safe.  Enjoy!

Sunshine Sangria
Ingredients:
1 liter bottle white wine (I like Sauvignon Blanc)
1 liter bottle seltzer
1/2 cup triple sec
1 cup sugar
1 grapefruit
1 orange
1 peach
1 lemon
1 handful mint

1.  Chop the fruit into bite-sized pieces.

2.  Add fruit, sugar, and triple sec to a large pitcher (or pot) and mash together with a long spoon.

3.  Add your bottle of wine.  At this point, you can put it right in my fridge until you are ready to serve.  The flavors will meld and get even more delicious.

4.  When you are ready to serve, add 1 liter of seltzer to the pitcher and serve!

One Year Ago: Chimichurri Chicken
Two Years Ago: Vegetable Stock

Ginger Gin Fizz

My coworker and friend, Bob, came over to watch some of the Euro games last weekend and he didn't come empty handed. He brought all (well...all but the gin) of the ingredients to make a really yummy and unique cocktail. He had it at a wedding and wanted to recreate it. They called it a Seamonkey at the wedding and I hated that name, so I changed it. Honestly, the name of the drink should give some indication of what I am ingesting thank-you-very-much. This cocktail is very easy to make and it is incredibally refreshing. Perfect for a very hot summer day. Also, if you have a rosemary plant or a friend with one, this is a great time to snip off some of those young sprigs. We used them as drink stirers basically and they impart a great depth of flavor. I loved this drink and I can't wait to make it again.  It is going to be HOT this weekend, so kick back with a few of these to beat the heat!

Ginger Gin Fizz
Ingredients:
3 parts gin
1 part Rose's Sweeteded Lime Juice
Ginger beer
Rosemary sprig

1.  Fill up a smallish glass with ice and the rosemary sprig.

2.  Add a shot of gin.
3. Add 1/3 shot Rose's Sweeteded Lime Juice.

4.  Fill the rest of the glass with ginger beer (NOT ginger ale).

5.  Stir and guzzle.  Repeat as needed.

One Year Ago: Kiwi Margaritas
Two Years Ago: Lamb Kebabs

Fresh Mint Tea

When we were in Amsterdam, Mark's mom and I became semi-addicted to the delicious fresh mint tea that they serve over there. It is as simple as it seems, but it is so incredibly refreshing and delicious that it really is worth making. It is especially good on a summer evening especially because there is so much mint available this time of year. I highly recommend that you give this a try.

Fresh Mint Tea
Ingredients:
handful of fresh mint
hot water

Wash your bundle of fresh mint.

Choose from one of your many ridiculous mugs.

Fill the mug with your mint.

Add hot water, let it steep for a minute or two and presto!  Mint tea!  I keep the mint leave in while I am drinking it so that it gets stronger as I go.

One Year Ago: Ginger Grilled Salmon
Two Years Ago: Summer Raspberry-Peach Sangria

Ginger-Lemon Saketini

I'm not a big martini gal. Too rich for my blood. I'll have my white wine with an ice cube, if you please. But for the New Year, I will make an exception. I want something special with a serious kick to jolt me happily on my way into the end of the Mayan calendar. I also really like sake. It cuts the harshness of the martini and the subtle hint of ginger and lemon round it out nicely. If you are looking for something fun, strong, and different for your New Years table, this should be it. Have a very happy New Year from Corcoran Street Kitchen!!
Ginger-Lemon Saketini
Ingredients:
2 parts gin
1 part sake
1 inch piece ginger
1 slice lemon

1. Prep the lemon and ginger by slicing the ginger into pieces and slicing a piece of lemon.
2. If you want to garnish with lemon zest (and why wouldn't you?) zest the lemon as well.
3. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add gin and sake.
4. Add the lemon and ginger pieces and shake, shake, shake.
5. Pour into a waiting glass and top with zest and a lemon slice for garnish.
Although I will most likely not make it to midnight (see below), I will do my best to make it to one or two of these cocktails before I fall asleep.