Raspberry Vermouth Cobbler

We have a lot going on right now, and many of these things are tough to wrap our heads around. One is the Cape house. I haven't mentioned it here, but in October, we bought the house next to Eric's family's property. It was a joint purchase with his brother and his wife, and their mom. Yes, it's exciting, but there is much that needs to be done and it's hard to accomplish anything from such a distance. With that said, we're in the beginning stages of some work... making lists, getting quotes, and lots of time browsing through websites figuring out how to best proceed with these projects. I have been given the task of getting things in order with the kitchen, which makes sense since I spend as much time cooking down there as I do in the lake or reading in the hammock. 

When we left the house at the beginning of November, we had done as much as we could. Rooms were cleaned and we even got a bit of painting done (ok, it was a giant amount of painting... 21 kitchen cabinets and a large living room, to be exact). I think we were all a bit burnt out by the end of that. I had little desire to think about any of it, but seeing that we're already in February, I think the time has come to stop procrastinating.  Before we know it, April will be here and we'll be on our way to open the house(s).  

Last week, I needed my spirits lifted and there are few things that do that better than a vibrant boozy beverage garnished with a ridiculous amount of fresh mint. A cobbler came to mind and I worked a little spin in there by muddling raspberries, which provided some nice color and sweetness (most cobbler recipes call for some sugar, but I didn't think that was necessary here). 

RASPBERRY VERMOUTH COBBLER

SERVINGS
1 drink

INGREDIENTS
1/4 ounce lime juice
1/4 ounce fresh orange juice
3 raspberries, plus more for garnish
3 ounces sweet vermouth
Soda water
Ice
Fresh mint

DIRECTIONS
1. In the base of a cocktail shaker, muddle together raspberries, lime juice, orange juice and vermouth. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain mixture into a highball glass filled with ice cubes.

2. Top drink with soda water and garnish with fresh mint. Serve with a straw. 

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Bufala Negra

Humanity is a privilege, we can't give in
When they build walls, we'll build bridges
This is resistance, we're resilient
When they spread hate, we shine brilliant.

-Wednesday Morning, Macklemore

Deep down inside, I thought we wouldn't get here. I thought, hoped, that maybe it was just a bad dream. But it's not. It's our reality. And now we have to figure out how to deal with all of it. Protesting makes a statement, but I think that only does so much. I hope to do more this year, get involved with our community, to provide in some way to those in need. It requires putting ourselves out there, which, I'll admit, is something I struggle with.  But each day, it feels as if our world gets smaller and smaller and I know that each of us will be impacted by what occurs over these next four years.

I was touched by the farewell speech given by President Obama a few weeks ago.  If you didn't get a chance to watch it, I highly recommend taking some time to hear his words. This passage struck me the most.

"Our Constitution is a remarkable, beautiful gift. But it's really just a piece of parchment. It has no power on its own. We, the people, give it power. We, the people, give it meaning. With our participation, and with the choices that we make, and the alliances that we forge. Whether or not we stand up for our freedoms. Whether or not we respect and enforce the rule of law. That's up to us. America is no fragile thing. But the gains of our long journey to freedom are not assured."

I'm not sure if that's leaving things on a hopeful note or not, but I figured I should at least write a little bit about why I made this cocktail. I realized that it'd been quite a while since I'd featured a drink here, so I spent a bit of time looking for inspiration online. For me, it's whiskey season (not that there's ever an end to that season), so I knew it had to include some form of that spirit. And I wanted to use vinegar. Now, I've done shrubs before (like this, this, and this) with balsamic or cider vinegar. But I thought using straight up vinegar would be unique. After a little research, I came across this Bufala Negra on The New York Times. I must admit, I was slightly skeptical of the addition of basil leaves. I shouldn't have been, because this turned out to be one spectacular and complex cocktail. It's perfectly balanced, with the balsamic to cut through any sweetness (plus, the ginger beer adds a slight kick which I loved).  I hope you all enjoy. 

Bufala Negra

SOURCE
The New York Times, adapted from a recipe by Jerry Slater of H. Harper Station in Atlanta

SERVINGS
1 Drink

INGREDIENTS
1/2 teaspoon turbinado sugar
1 teaspoon good aged balsamic vinegar
5 fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 ounces bourbon
2 ounces ginger beer

DIRECTIONS
Add sugar, vinegar and 4 basil leaves in a cocktail shaker. Muddle for 10 seconds. Add bourbon and shake to dissolve sugar.

Strain over ice into old-fashioned glass, top with ginger beer and garnish with basil. 

The Harvest Spritzer (Featuring Truly Spiked & Sparkling)

This post is sponsored by Truly Spiked & Sparkling. Thank you for supporting the brands that make A Thought For Food possible.

The other weekend, Eric and I were invited to a tailgating party/BBQ at our friend Dan's apartment. Massive piles of grilled sausage and hot dogs were served (it was a little lost on me, the non-meat eater of the bunch). Despite being the odd man out, I had a blast hanging with a bunch of food-loving folk on a beautiful autumn afternoon (plus, there were lots of fun photo ops). My contribution was a corn salad and a cooler of Truly. So, I have this cooler that's about halfway filled with bottles. Shortly after things get started, a few more people arrive with... yup... more Truly! Of course, no one complained. You can never have too much boozy sparkling water on hand, especially when you're washing down giant hot dogs (in fact, most of it went). Just thought it was funny. Apparently it's the IT drink. Who knew?!?!

Of their three flavors, I'm a bit partial to the Colima Lime Truly Spiked & Sparkling. So many beverages try to replicate "lime flavor," but this tastes just like lime. It's subtle, but definitely noticeable. Each can or bottle is only 100 calories, which is nice and low for an alcoholic beverage, and is 5% ABV. While they're super refreshing on their own, I am sharing a little creation here that I came up with to ease into fall. As to not detract from its delicate lime flavor, I simply muddled some ginger, and added tequila (because a little extra booze never hurts) and a few dashes of cranberry bitters. Topped with Truly, it's a great sipper, one that can be served at an upcoming holiday or tailgating party. 

The Harvest Spritzer (featuring Truly Spiked & Sparkling)

Yield
1 drink

Ingredients
1.5 oz tequila
2-3 peeled ginger slices
1/2 oz lime juice
1/2 oz simple syrup (see recipe below)
3-4 dashes Cranberry bitters
1 bottle or can of Truly Spiked & Sparkling Colima Lime

Directions
In a mixing glass, add tequila, lime juice, simple syrup and ginger slices. Using a muddler, mash ginger to infuse the tequila and lime juice. Strain into a highball glass. Add 3-4 dashes of cranberry bitters. Fill glass with ice. Top with Truly Spiked & Sparkling Colima Lime . 

Simple Syrup

Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Directions
In a saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil. Whisk until sugar has dissolved. Simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool before using. Store in a lidded jar in the fridge for up to a month.