Need a Winter Drink? Try a Cider Margarita

Who knew that cider, tequila and Grand Marnier would work so nicely together?  I got the intial recipe from How Sweet It Is, added a big squeeze of lemon to the recipe  and simplified the garnishment to a cinnamon sugar rim.  The original version uses orange slices and cinnamon sticks.  Lovely if you have a moment before guests steal the cocktails away!

Here is how to make a single drink or a pitcher of this easy cocktail.  (Your guests will want you to make the pitcher.)

Cider Margarita for One
Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces golden tequila (1 jigger)
1/2 ounce Grand Marnier
6 ounces cider
juice of 1/2 lemon
Cinnamon Sugar (1 part cinnamon to 2 parts sugar)
3-4 ice cubes

Method

1. Place cinnamon sugar in a small shallow bowl, just wide enough to fit your glasses.  
2. Combine tequila and Grand Marnier in a cup slightly larger than your glass, dip rim of glass in alcohol in cup then in cinnamon sugar.  
3. Add a few cubes of ice to the glass, followed by remainder of ingredients.  
4. By this point the cinnamon sugar will have hardened a bit.  It will melt as the Margaritas passes over it into your mouth. 

Cider Margaritas for Four
Ingredients
6 ounces golden tequila
2 ounce Grand Marnier
24 ounces cider
juice of 2 lemons
Cinnamon Sugar (1 part cinnamon to 2 parts sugar)
Ice cubes

Method

1. Prepare rims of glasses as above.  
2. Mix alcohol with cider and lemon juice in a pitcher.  
3. Place ice in glasses and pour margartitas upon request. 

Purify Your Energy Drink

When you exercise, especially in the heat, you need to stay hydrated.  You also need to replenish electrolytes including sodium and potassium salts.  Here is an easy-to-make, pure version of an energy drink that is just right for weekend athletes.  It will taste salty to you before you start exercising and just right as you start to expend valuable resources during exercise. 

Pure N-or-G Drink
Makes 12 ounces, recipe easily doubles, triples.....
Ingredients

2 ounces real limeade or lemonade
10 ounces water
1/8 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Shake the three ingredients together so that the salt is well dissolved.  
2. Get out there and exercise, then replenish by drinking up during breaks.  

Here's another variation for all my Vermont kin:
juice of 1 lime
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
10 ounces water

Mix it all together and go out and play.  

Cilantro Cooler

The third in our August series of summer drinks is an herbal concoction that features cilantro muddled with thinly sliced cucumbers.  It makes a really refreshing and lively bright green sipper. 

Quaff it after a workout for a home spa experience or add a little heat from jalepeños and some tequila and enjoy it at the grownups table.

Cilantro Cooler
Ingredients for one
1/2 cup peeled, thinly sliced cucumber
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (stems fine)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
juice of 1 lime
1/2 ounce honey or simple syrup
6 ounces cold water
optional: diced hot pepper (like 1/2 jalepeño, seeded)
to garnish: springs of cilantro, cucumber slices

Method

1. Muddle (or pulse in a food processor) the cucumber, cilantro and, if using, hot pepper with sugar.  Let rest at least one hour, refrigerated.
2. Add lime juice and water.  
3. Add honey to taste. 
4. Strain and pour over ice in a tall glass and garnish with a sprig of cilantro and a slice of cucumber to serve. 

Ingredients for 4 Cilantro Coolers:
2 cups peeled, thinly sliced cucumber (about 1 English cucumbers or 6 Kirby cucumbers)
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (stems fine)
2 teaspoons sugar
juice of 4 limes
2 ounces honey or simple syrup
24 ounces cold water
optional: diced hot pepper (like 1 jalepeño, seeded)
to garnish: springs of cilantro, cucumber slices

Yes, you could add a little tequila.  Vodka is also a good additional ingredient. 

Grapefruit Ginger Soda

I spent some time in France when I was a teenager.  One of the most memorable afternoons was on Bastille Day at the family apartments of the Auer family in Old Nice.  Madame Auer was a grand dame and hostess from another era and I was nervous.   As the summer guest of her son, my father’s dear friend Georges, a visit to the family’s matriarch would be my first real test of speaking French.  I’d spent several weeks in France so far, tutored by Georges, his wife Anne and twin daughters while their youngest son was learning to speak English at my parents' home across the Atlantic. 

The apartment was formally furnished in delicately carved armchairs and settees topped with ecru silk cushions embroidered in floral patterns.  The formal sitting room was cooled on hot days by keeping the shutters closed during the day.  (A tip I had learned learned earlier in the summer from Anne Auer that I have used ever since when air conditioning is not installed.) 

The walls were painted French green, somewhere between the color of a green olive and the stems of lavender.  The color spread from the paneled walls to the potted plants edging the shuttered floor-to-ceiling louvered glass doors that led to the balcony.   By late afternoon a little light crept into the dark room.   I sat carefully and listed attentively in case someone spoke to me.  Madame Auer offered me a soda and indicated I should pick my flavor from the bottles of sirop on the tea cart next to her.  The flavors were exciting.  I was tempted by the hazelnut but in the end picked the raspberry.  (Framboise, s'il vous plait.)

She poured a few ounces of raspberry sirop into a tall glass of ice and topped it with seltzer.   It was the perfect refresher.  Later that night we watched the Bastille Day fireworks shoot out of and around the old chateau in Nice from the plant-edged balcony of chez Auer.  It was a sensory overload sort of day.  Mme Auer, though formal in her manner, was extremely kind and made me feel at home.  A host’s simple offer of refreshment has done this for visitors for centuries.  Language was no barrier between new friends over a freshly concocted soda.

Back then, soda was served only on special occasions like birthday parties and national holidays.  Today, soda is part of the everyday and has grown a bit ordinary.  With the advent of soda making machines and an acceptance of more varieties of flavor, it is possible to craft your own special sirop and make a guest feel extra welcome. 

Try your hand at a six pack of grapefruit-ginger flavored soda.  This pomplemousse and ginger ale combo is sparkly pure and fresher than anything you can get for your soda stream. 

Grapefruit Ginger Soda Sirop

Yield 1 ½ cups, enough for 6 sodas
Ingredients
2 red grapefruits- sections and zest
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
¾ cup honey or sweet rice syrup

Method

1. Mash together the fruit, zest and ginger.  
2. Stir in the honey or rice syrup.  
3. Cover and chill for 48 hours.  
4. Strain and serve with setlzer or tonice water.  Use a 2:5 ratio, that is 2 ounces of soda sirop for every 5 ounces of seltzer.

Credits to Monica Matheny of The Yummy Life for the inspiration and basic no-cook technique for this recipe. Check out more flavor ideas here.

Watermelon Daiquiri's

Watermelons are large.  Even for a family four, there will be some left over.  Cube the last slices or use a melon baller to extract the last sweet morsels and freeze them in a resealable bag.  Later you can use them as ice cubes in fruit juice or.....

Make a pitcher of pure Watermelon Daiquiri's!

Serves 4
3 cups frozen watermelon cubes (about 1 quart size bag)
32 ounces limade (make your own real limeade or buy one with only lime juide, sugar and water)
8 ounces dark rum

Method

1. Place the frozen watermelon in a blender.  
2. Add about 10 ounces limade, enough to just cover the watermelon.  
3. Blend on the ice cube setting until you have made a nice slush.  
4. Add remainder of limeade and rum.  

Serve in tall glasses. 
Variation-- turn this into a pure Watermelon Margarita by replacing the rum with an equal amount of tequila.  (In the photo, the drink on the right is the margarita version.)

How to Make Real Pink Lemonade for Mom

What’s in pink lemonade?  Could be anything but most recipes just add red food coloring.  What’s  in red food coloring? You can do better for Mom. 

We put an ounce or two of ruby red cranberry juice in our lemonade to make it blush.  Pomegranate or cherry juice will work too.  It’s a small amount so the flavor is not affected.

You can do this with any good store bought lemonade made with real- not artificial- sweeteners.  There are more brands available that have purer natural ingredients like actual sugar.  Or, because it’s Mother’s Day, you could make lemonade from scratch. It is very easy. 

First you make simple syrup, which is sugar dissolved in boiling water.  Make it about an hour ahead of time or replace some of the water in the lemonade recipe with ice to cool your drink down quickly.   Then you squeeze some lemons and mix in cold water with the simple syrup.  Spike with cranberry juice to make it pink.

Pure Lemonade
Makes about 32 ounces
½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
3-4 cups cold water
3-6 ounces simple syrup (more if your like your lemonade a little sweeter)

Squeeze lemons to make ½ cup juice.  Pour juice into a pitcher.  Add 3 cups of water and 3 ounces simple syrup.  Taste.   Add more water or syrup to suit your palate.  We like ours lemony and not too sweet.  We use 3/12 cups of water and 3 ounces of simple syrup for every 1/2 cup of lemon juice. 

Make it Pink!
Add 2-4 ounces cranberry or pomegranate juice

Simple Syrup
Makes about 6 ounces
½ cup sugar
½ cup water

Combine water and sugar in a heavy bottomed pan.  Mix to combine and bring to a boil.  Lower heat to simmer and stir to dissolve sugar.  Remove from heat as soon as liquid is no longer cloudy.  Allow to cool before using.  Caution the mixture is very hot.

Simple Syrup will keep.  Store it, covered, in the refrigerator.
You can add flavor to simple syrup while it is still hot.  Try one of these to get pure natural flavors: slices of ginger, a vanilla bean pod, sprigs of fresh mint or citrus rind (no pith).  Remove the flavoring ingredients before adding to lemonades, seltzer or mixed drinks. 

Post Script
Recently I’ve heard from a few friends and colleagues who tell me they are finally getting off artificial sweeteners  I am so proud of everyone who is making this effort and I know it is hard.  If you medically able to enjoy real sugar you will find that you are more satisfied and, over time, you will use less and less sugar. 

Fried Chicken Tenders and a Buttermilk Smoothie

Buttermilk Smoothie
This one is 1 cup buttermilk, ½ banana, ½ cup blueberries (fresh or frozen), ¼ teaspoon vanilla, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon.  Puree in the blender and enjoy.  This is a pure and simple way to get buttermilk, a fermented food into your digestive system today. 

Recipes using buttermilk, especially cake recipes, often use just a ½ or ¾ of a cup yet buttermilk is most often sold in quart containers.  Having a few easy recipes like a smoothie or Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders to use up this valuable food item will make buttermilk a more frequent staple in your refrigerator. 

Using chicken tenders is what makes this buttermilk fried chicken dinner easy to make.  The thin strips of chicken brown quickly. Placing the fried tenders in the oven to finish also keeps the fuss to a minimum.  Serve the chicken over a salad of sturdy lettuce like iceberg or romaine.  Drizzle with buttermilk dressing (recipe below).

If you have the time, prep the buttermilk marinade  .a few hours ahead and let the chicken strips soak and tenderize.   When you are ready to cook, you can start at the flour dredging stage.  If you have less time, let the pieces soak for about 15 minutes before flouring. 

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons hot sauce*
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Optional: dash or two of cayenne pepper
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders (or boneless chicken breasts cut into strips)
1 cup flour
¼ cup corn starch
¼ teaspoon each salt, pepper, paprika
½  cup canola or grape seed oil for frying

*These are spicy.  If you want a less hot version, omit the hot sauce and use ½ teaspoon each paprika and dried dill weed.

Method

1. In a re-sealable plastic bag,  mix together buttermilk, hot sauce, salt, black pepper and cayenne, if using.  Place chicken tenders in bag and refrigerated at least 15 minutes, preferably a few hours.  
2. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400˚F degrees.  
3. Mix together in a shallow bowl the flour, corn starch salt, pepper and paprika.  
4. Turn on the stove’s exhaust fan.  Pour the oil into a deep skillet and heat on medium-high until it reaches 375˚K.   
5. Dip 5-6 soaked chicken tenders in flour mixture and carefully lay in hot oil.  Do not crowd your pan (a pound and a half of tenders should take 3-4 batches).  
6. Turn chicken tenders after 2 minutes or when lightly browned.  Fry another 2 minutes and place on a baking sheet.  
7. Put baking sheet in the oven while you fry the next batch.   Bake chicken in oven about 6-8 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165˚F.  

Serve over a chopped salad.  Drizzle with buttermilk dressing.

Variation
Buttermilk-soaked chicken can be grilled or baked too.  Just wipe away some of the marinade and cook as your recipe directs

Pure Buttermilk Salad Dressing
This dressing uses fresh herbs for a bright taste.  If you are using dried herbs, measure 1/3 the amount (1 teaspoon dried for every 1 tablespoon fresh) and be sure to allow the mixture to rest at least ½ hour for the dried herbs to hydrate and flavor the dressing.

½ cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

More Buttermilk Ideas
The easiest ways to use up buttermilk is to swap it for milk in recipes:

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
Substitute all or half the milk in mashed potatoes with buttermilk. Or use half buttermilk and ½ low sodium canned chicken broth. 

Buttermilk Biscuits
Swap out all or part of the milk in any mix or recipe from scratch for biscuits.  This works for any fruit cobbler recipe too. 

Buttermilk Pancakes
Again, you can use buttermilk for all or part of the milk. 

Green Tea Sangria

People get thirsty at spring parties and not everyone wants to quench with something alcoholic.  Think of all those graduation celebrations, Mothers and Fathers Day brunches and outings when its nice to keep things light.

Here is a great alternative to festive sangria that can be spiked later with wine, Prosecco or brandy. 

Green Tea Sangria
(Pitcher serves 6-8)
Ingredients
5 cups water
5 herbal tea bags like pomegranate- decaf green tea,  chamomile-mango, white tea-tangerine
optional 1-2 Tablespoon honey
ice (1 tray is fine)
12 ounces cranberry juice
1 organic apple or pear, scrubbed and sliced
1 organic orange or lemon, scrubbed and sliced

Method

1. Boil water and pour into a large heat resistant container or pot with cover.  
2. Add herbal tea bags and stir in honey.  Cover and let steep for 5 minutes.  
3. Stir in ice to cool and add juice.  
4. About 2 hours before serving, add in sliced fruit. 

For an alcoholic version: Per serving, pour an ounce or two of sparkling wine, light red wine or a splash of brandy or bourbon to spike this non-alcoholic punch.  Guests can serve themselves and add wine to individual servings. 

New Year's Eve Drink: Grapefruit Ginger Gussy

Here is a base cocktail recipe that can be finished by each guest to their liking- spiked or non-alcoholic. Gussy up ruby red grapefruit juice with homemade ginger syrup and a squirt of lime juice then add a little bourbon or rum, or when its time to take a break from the party, a little seltzer or ginger ale.

Homemade ginger syrup is ridiculously easy and really makes this cocktail fresh for the new year.  The base recipe makes about 72 ounces (nine cups), enough to fill the glasses of twelve friends and family. Pour the mixture into a big pitcher or serve from an iced punch bowl. 

Grapefruit Ginger Gussy
Makes 72 ounces
Ingredients
64 ounces ruby red grapefruit juice
1 recipe ginger syrup*
Juice of 2 limes
Ice
Mix-ins (soda or alcohol)

Method

1. Combine  grapefruit juice with ginger syrup. Stir in lime juice.  
2. Chill until ready to serve.  
3. To serve,  add a handful of ice cubes and juice mixture to a tall pitcher.  Set out glasses with a choice of additions- rum, bourbon, vodka and seltzer, ginger ale.  Use a rough ratio of 5:1 juice to alcohol or 2:1 for juice and seltzer or ginger ale. 

*Homemade Ginger Syrup
Ingredients
1 cup cold water
1 cup sugar (1/2 cup sugar can be used for a lighter syrup)
1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced using a vegetable peeler

Method

1. Stir to combine water and sugar in heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Do not stir again.  
2. When liquid is perfectly clear, remove from heat.  
3. Meanwhile, use a vegetable peeler to peel the ginger and to cut off off paper thin slices of fresh ginger. Drop ginger slices in sugar syrup and allow ginger to infuse the syrup while it cools.  
4. When cool, store in a covered container in the refrigerator.  Use within 3-4 days.  

Ginger syrup can also be used to make fresh lemonade, sweeten tea or moisten pound cake. 
Happy New Year!

Sources acknowledged: There are many grapefruit juice-based drinks online, especially searching under daiquiris. Several have interesting add-ins like ginger.  This recipe allows each guest to finish the drink a little differently -with rum or not--so perhaps it no longer qualifies as a daiquiri The inspiration for this recipe is from 101cookbooks.com who were in turn inspired by Breakfast, Lunch, Tea: The Many Little Meals of Rose Bakery

Cooking with Beer: Ham

Take any last of winter chills out of March by cooking meats in beer.  It is a simple technique.  Ham, chicken and even lamb benefit from a slow braise in full bodied or light beers.  You can even use non-alcoholic beer and there are some better ones on the market these days. 

This is a one dish meal of ham and vegetables oven-simmered in a tightly sealed package of beer and chicken broth.  The slightly salty broth is the secret ingredient in the special gravy made from the pan drippings.  You can toss in some new potatoes with the other vegetables or bake sweet potatoes alongside.  We’re loving the sweet potato option of late. 

Ham Dinner with a Beer Gravy
Ingredients
2 pound (cooked) ham or smaller
1 large cabbage, cut in sixths
6 carrots, peeled and cut in large chunks
2 celery ribs, cut in half
optional: 6-8 new potatoes
1 cup beer
1 cup chicken broth
(If your ham is very small (1 pound or less), use about 1/2 the liquid.)

Gravy
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon flour
Broth from pan (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup cream or milk
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F.  
2. Place ham, cabbage, carrots and celery in a roasting pan with high sides.  Pour on beer and broth.  
3. Use a large sheet of aluminum foil to cover pan, making sure edges are sealed. Bake for 1 hour (some larger hams will need 1 1/2 hours). The ham is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 140˚F.  
4. If the vegetables are tender but the ham has not yet reached the ideal temperature, remove the vegetables and keep warm while the ham finishes. 

When the ham is ready, make the gravy.

1.  In a medium skillet, melt the butter.  Sprinkly flour over the melted butter and stir to combine, creating a roux.  Cook 1-2 minutes.  
2. Slowly pour a few tablespoons of broth into the roux and stir well to smooth out any lumps.  Add 1/2 cup more of broth, stirring mixture as liquid is added to create a thick gravy.  Stir in another 1/2 cup broth and taste.  
3. At this point you may want to add either the remaining broth, or if a bit salty, some plain water.   
4. Just before serving, stir in cream and parsley.  Serve over ham and cabbage.  

Peach Cava

 

While peaches are still in season, we made peach ice cream and used some of the extra peach puree in an aperitif.  A tablespoon in a flute looks pretty topped with Cava, Spain's sparkling wine.  To make this without the ice cream step, peel, pit and puree or mash a ripe peach. Add a squeeze of lemon and a teaspoon each of peach schnapps (or vodka) and superfine sugar. 

How to Peel a Peach
Peeling a peach is easy and fast.  Once you learn this technique, you can use it for tomatoes too.

1. Wash peach.
2. Determine amount of water the peach will displace by placing it in a small, high-sided pot and covering the peach with cold water.  Remove the peach and boil the water over high heat.
3. While water boils, score the bottom of the peach in a cross pattern.  Be sure to cut through the skin.
4. When the water boils, turn the heat to medium and submerge the peach using a slotted spoon.
5. Cook 30 seconds and removed peach with slotted spoon.
6. Submerge peach in a bowl of ice water for 30 seconds.
7. Remove the peach from the ice water and peel the loosened skin from the peach starting with the edges of the cross you cut at the bottom.  Skin will peel off easily.  

Bring Back the Twist

It is rare these days to order a drink with a twist of lemon or lime and get a real twist.  Usually, the drink arrives with a tiny wedge of peel, pith and juicy segment smushed to the side of the glass.  A real twist is all about the oils of the fruit’s skin and with the right tool (or even a vegetable peeler and a little technique) it is not hard to get this essence of citrus into a drink (or a food recipe). 

Watch closely for the tiny spray of lemon oil bursting from a twisted yellow peel into a very dry martini and breathe in through your nose to capture the lemony essence.  You’ll actually be able to see little pools of lemon oil on the surface of your drink.  And taste it on your lips.  That’s what a twist of lemon is meant to be. 

To easily procure a twist of lemon (or lime) use a zester.  Even if you are not a foodie who collects kitchen gadgets, this is an inexpensive tool that you will use every week, perhaps even several times a week, once you own one.  Not only will you get more bang for your lemon bucks since you will use more of the fruit, you’ll enjoy the impact of the pure citrus taste the peel brings.   For today try peeling a lemon using a vegetable peeler. Don’t dig too deep; back off when you see any of the white pith under your blade.  By the time you have cut the peel away from an entire lemon, you will be quite adept. 

Before I owned a zester, I used to finely slice the peeled peel and use it as zest in fruit salads.  A zester has two cutting surfaces and allows you to perform two useful functions: 1) pull a twist of citrus and 2) shred the peel for use in fruit salads, poultry marinades and rubs, salad dressings, baked goods and more (much like a microplaner).  Anywhere you would use a little citrus flavor is fitting for the flavorful oils that burrow in the peel.  This is pure flavor.

Always zest before cutting into the fruit.  It is easier to apply a bit of pressure on an uncut piece of citrus.  You’ll find many uses on your own.  Here are few ideas to get you started:

 
House Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Zest an entire lemon and mix with equal parts cracked black pepper. (Salt is optional.)  This is a terrific seasoning for chicken.

Lemon Vodka
Fill a pint jar or bottle with a screw top with plain vodka.  Add lemon peel (twists) and close.  Store in a cool dark spot for 3 weeks.  Enjoy lemon vodka in martinis. Bloody Marys or with tonic.

Lemon Marinated Olives
Ingredients
1 cup assorted olives- any combination, packed in brine.
Lemon peel from 1 lemon
2 teaspoon olive oil
1 spring fresh rosemary or thyme
optional: red pepper flakes)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325˚F.  
2. Drain olives.  
3. Combine all ingredients in a foil-lined baking pan. Cover with more foil and bake 15-20 minutes.  

Olives may be eaten when cooled to room temperature or chilled for use in a few hours.  Olives keep, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

Pure Foods Top 10

Its fun to look at the first year's history and discover patterns, uncover readers’ interests and wonder about how people become aware of a topic.  I was delighted with the range of blog topics that were popular in year one.  Here are the Top 10 (according to Google Stats):

Brownie Baked Alaska, 7/28/10
Summer Corn Salad, 7/21/10
All-American (Dinner menus from across the US), 8/22/10
Beyond Potato Salad, 9/01/10
A Less Scary Halloween, 10/26/09
No Apologies Chocolate Mousse, 9/17/10
Heat Wave Foods, 7/25/10
Foraging for Blueberries, 8/29/10
Pure Drinks Party, Pt 2 (Beers), 12/31/09
The Whole Enchilada, 10/12/10

That’s four under dessert/fruits, three in side dishes, two in the main dish category and one in beverages. 

Desserts and fruits on top might concern some but I believe that a healthy relationship with this category marks the pure eater.  Knowing how to navigate our land of sweets is crucial and seeing desserts and snacks as an opportunity to add pure, good foods like dairy, fruit and nuts to a daily diet is a good step away from apologetic eating.  It was fun to see the Halloween entry so well read.  (Yes, there are plans for another terrifying Halloween-related entry coming up.)

At number two, side dishes are one of the great adventure spots on a plate and provide a gateway to sample new and pure foods and flavors and make slow but steady changes to our meals.

The main dish of the year was the recent Whole Enchilada. In fact recent posts have been beating out older ones at a rate that hints at readership growth.  That’s good news to this author.

I wasn’t sure beverages had a place in this blog.  I drink water on most days but even I referred back to the beer entry a few times over the past year when I wanted to sample something new.  Recently we’ve been sampling the growing selection of non-alcoholic beers, a very nice (and not sweet) alternative to a soft drink that also goes well with many dinner choices.

Thank you for being a part of the first year.  Your feedback has made it meaningful.

All-American

The Little League World Series is in full swing.  The children of the world are staying with host families surrounding Williamsport, PA where the international event has been based for 64 years.   Like many foreign visitors who spend time at American tables, these children will sample the All-American hot dog and hamburger grill out.  It’s inexpensive and our answer to a fun meal that allows for a little creativity too.   In addition to beef burgers, we now regularly see buffalo, turkey and veggie burgers in backyards everywhere.   Hot dogs come in healthier varieties made with turkey, chicken and tofu and some exclude nitrates. Garden-ripe tomatoes and all kinds of domestic cheeses top burgers. Homemade chili, sauerkraut or even chopped salads are offered with franks.  Side dishes from the grill or prepared in advance put the household personality and heritage front and center.  Potato salads, slaws, relishes and fresh salads and grilled vegetables from the garden tell the story of the family’s tastes and traditions.

If you have international visitors and have done the hot dog/burger meal already, consider offering other “All American” meals that show off the diversity of our people and the range of our resources.  Here are a few regional menu ideas to introduce your foreign friends to dinner across America:

Northwestern Pacific
Grill thick salmon steaks and fresh asparagus and serve with sesame soba noodles. 
Celebrate the region’s fruit harvest that evokes the flavors of northwest wines with a pear and berry tart.
To Drink:  Iced Coffee

Southern Barbecue
This country loves ribs.  Serve them with collards, corn bread (or fresh biscuits) and cole slaw.  Southerners are great bakers so your choices are numerous for dessert.  I love pecan pie but in the summer a key lime pie will fit the bill too.
To drink: Iced Tea  (not too sweet please) or try a micro-brewed soda pop.
(See February 25, 2010 post for collards recipe.)

New England Shore Dinner
Simplify a clambake by steaming clams with lobster and linguica sausage.  Serve with Boston baked beans, corn on the cob and new potatoes.   Pay homage to the Toll House restaurant in Massachusetts with chocolate chip cookies for dessert or wow guests with a Maine blueberry crumble.
To Drink: Cranberry juice and seltzer

Southwestern Seduction
Make fajitas using a choice of grilled chicken, beef or veggies (zucchini or eggplant and Portobello mushrooms) dressed with roasted red and yellow bell peppers, caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms.  Pass the guacamole, salsa and hot sauce.  Serve rice and beans on the side.  Brownies with cinnamon ice cream or cinnamon-spiked whipped cream complete the meal.
To drink: Watermelon Agua Fresca  (see August 14, 2010 post for more information about Aguas Frescas.))


West Coast Fusion
Start with steamed and lightly salted edamame served in their pods. Follow up with fish tacos made with grilled or breaded fish plus a creamy slaw and a little hot sauce on a warm corn or flour tortilla. California avocados make a great garnish or form the base of a simple salad with baby lettuces and citrus vinaigrette.  A huge and varied fruit bowl for dessert will remind everyone that much of the fruit we eat, dried or fresh, is grown out here. 
To Drink: Lemonade with a sprig of fresh mint

Prairie Home
A pork tenderloin with a cherry glaze or a classic meat loaf served with green beans and mashed potatoes is a heartland meal that is hard to find done well at a restaurant because its pure home cooking.  Finish up with an apple or cherry pie.  This is big dairy country so make dessert a´ la mode with a premium ice cream.
To drink: Milk flavored with chocolate or strawberries. 

Don’t wait to have friends over from France to show off our culinary wonders.  Have a staycation dinner this week that transports you to a favorite region of the country.


Note: Irresistible pun apology for swing and based.

Tall, Cool Drinks

There is so much more you can imbibe on a hot afternoon besides sweet tea and diet soda.  These alternatives tempt your taste buds and really quench your body’s thirst for something cool and hydrating.

To start, there is nothing like pure water and if it is not already a staple for you at meals, jazz it up with a squeeze of lemon or lime or try seltzer (not high sodium club soda).  Spritz up your seltzer with a shot of pure juice like orange or grape for a light and low cal cooler that will replace nutrients as well as most energy drinks and with a lot fewer additives.

Caribbean and Central American cultures have worked out some fantastic recipes for cooling drinks.  Aguas Frescas (cold-fresh waters) use high-water content vegetables or fresh tropical fruits to create colorful concoctions that can compete at any cocktail party fare.  Varieties include watermelon, cantaloupe, mango, tamarind, pineapple, strawberry and even cucumber and tomato waters.  Start with a frothy melon refresher like cantaloupe:

Cantaloupe Agua Fresca
For each cup of cantaloupe, rind removed and cut in chunks
1-2 teaspoons lime juice
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup cold water

Puree cantaloupe, limejuice, honey and water in a blender.  Puree for 45-60 seconds to break down all the melon pieces. Refrigerate or serve immediately over ice.

Horchata, cooling and restorative refreshment traces its origins to the Moors in Valencia, Spain.  Horchata was originally made from tigernuts (potassium-rich tubers called chufa) plus water and sugar.  Its many versions from Latin America use combinations of nuts, rice, water, milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Cooked rice is considered a good hydrator.  You can buy pre-made mixes but it is so easy to whip up your own pure version in a blender for a wonderful morning drink that your kids will like as a summer alternative to hot oat and rice cereals.  Use leftover brown rice for a horchata with nutty, rice pudding notes and extra fiber. 

Brown Rice Horchata
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon honey
4 cups water or 1/2 water and 1/2 low fat milk

Puree all ingredients in blender.  Strain or serve over ice. 
(Optional: Add a scoop of unflavored or vanilla protein powder for a breakfast drink with enough protein to pull you through the morning.)

Finally, herbal teas mixed with fruit juices allow you to create your own house blends. Who knows?  A big beverage company may show up at your door one day to license recipe made with the best stuff on the planet and, conveniently, at your house.  Here’s our house blend to get you inspired:

Our Pure Mango Sunsation Tea Drink
4 tea bags fruit herbal tea (try Bigelow Chamomile Mango or a peach variety)
1 pint (2 cups) water
1 cup pure Apple Juice

Steep tea in 1 pint of boiled water.  When cool, combine with 1 cup apple juice.  Serve chilled or over ice. 

And if you haven’t made lemonade or limeade from scratch in ages, pick up one of the new citrus squeezers to create no fuss fast lemonade.  Use scant amounts of honey, agave syrup or simple syrup to sweeten your lemonade.  Your taste buds will quickly adjust to the tarter flavor and your body will thank you.  Too much sugar feels draining in the heat.

Pure Lemonade
Juice of 2 lemons
2 teaspoons simple syrup
1 pint cold water

Combine all ingredients and taste.  Add more water or sugar to suit your taste.

Adults Only
Alcohol is not your friend in the heat so keep it light and go slow.  Alternate drinks with a tall glass of water and remember to eat, especially hydrating appetizers like grapes from the cheese platter and just about any vegetable off the crudite plate.  If wine and sweet cocktails feel too heavy, try a Lemon Whiskey Cocktail at your next summer gathering.   Add 1 ounce of Scotch Whiskey and 1/2 ounce of Drambuie to 2 pints lemonade for a light alcoholic drink fro grown-ups.  Tastes like a whiskey sour but not as sugary.

Raclette Night

                              After a day on the ski slopes or bundled up by a cozy fire, try this sophisticated dinner that combines the practical elements of a grilled cheese sandwich with the convivial atmosphere of fondue.

My father did business in Switzerland when I was a teenager and he frequently brought back new culinary treats and techniques for us to try, chief among them, Raclette.  Raclette means to scrape in Swiss dialect and on wintry nights around Lake Geneva and along the eastern border of France, shepherds melted their buttery, fruity local cheese and scraped it over potatoes and pickled vegetables.  All three components keep well during the winter, as do cured meats, which also came to be part of the dish known for its cheesy main ingredient, Raclette. 

When my parents announced we were having a Raclette Night, we knew we were in for a fun evening.  Each of us would concoct our own meal suited to our individual tastes matching melted Raclette cheese with an array of delicacies.  The smallest waxy potatoes my mother could find were boiled with their delicate skins left on.  An expensive jar of French pickles, cornichons, with little onions stuffed alongside the gherkins was opened.  Cured meats, grilled mushrooms, a hearty baguette and some sliced pears filled out a platter and the melted cheese experiments began.

Fondue has been back in style in the U.S. for a few years now and perhaps those electric non-stick pots with matching multi-colored skewers were never really put away. Now that Raclette is far easier to find at your local grocery than it used to be, try a Raclette Night of your own.  It’s quite easy to put together and is not a bad way to use up a few leftovers (like ham) and pantry hangers-on (break open that jar of giant caper berries).

In restaurants on the continent, half and quarter wheels of Raclette are brought to the table and the cut side is melted under a hot burner or under an electric grill.  (To see some of the professional equipment follow the links at the bottom of this post.)  Each diner scrapes the melted, bubbly cheese onto potatoes while the next layer of cheese cooks.  Diners keep scraping until everyone has had their fill.  Some restaurants use a specialized grill with individual pans to melt and serve the cheese to guests.  These are available for home use but suffer from the one-use appliance curse. 

My mother came up with a method that was easy and used equipment most of us have in the kitchen.  She cut away the rhind and placed slabs of sliced Raclette on stainless steel steak platters and melted the cheese in a very hot oven, 450˚F for 2-3 minutes. The cheese is so buttery that it stays melted on the hot plate with time to toss cooked hot potatoes and cornichons on the side.  She was able to serve up to eight people at the same time.  Use a fajita or steak pan that can withstand high oven heat and has a matching holder or wooden plate to avoid scorching the dining room table.  Metal pie plates (event the disposable ones), roasting pans and cookie sheets also work.  Don’t worry about whether you pans are not “non-stick;” Raclette is high in fat and will slide off of most surfaces. 

Either a Swiss or French Raclette is perfect for Raclette Night and available at markets that house a specialty cheese department.  Several brands are made from raw milk and aged a minimum of 60 days to kill off any harmful pathogens.  Raw milk versions have an excellent taste however , if you can’t find Raclette, try Swiss Emmenthal and Gruyere cheese.

Raclette is a buttery cheese with a fruity flavor that is complimented by smoked and sweet-salty foods.  Along with the de rigueur boiled potatoes and cornichons pickles served with the melted Raclette, lay out cured meats like prosciutto, spec, bresaola plus pickled onions and to compliment the fruity notes, add some sliced pear to your platter.  There is room for some experimentation as well so check your cupboard for ideas.  Other pickled vegetables like okra, asparagus, green beans, caper berries, marinated artichoke hearts and olives are options.  Grilled mushrooms and even sweet grilled onions (like tiny cippolini cooked whole) and roasted peppers.  French bread doused with a bit of black pepper also compliments the cheese. 

Wine, Beer and Non-Alcoholic Matches
Experts and Raclette fans seem fairly evenly split over red or white wines with the meal so experiment and try one of each.   Beers and sparkling wines also fit the category and can be chosen based on what you are serving at your Raclette Night.  Lots of cured meats and smoked fish may point you towards beer or perhaps an Alsace or Riesling kabinette. 

A paired down pure Raclette Night with potatoes and cornichons calls for a local wine that plays off the cheese’s fruity nature or cherry kirsch, which is not sweet. Try a white that is moderately fruity with a mineral twist.  Whites made from the chasselas grape (called fendant in Switzerland) are a specialty of the regions that produce Raclette (the Savoie in France and the region around Lake Geneva on the Swiss side).   Look for a Vin de Savoie for a great pairing.
A classic red is often enjoyed with Raclette.  Cabernet Franc, Beaujolais or even Bordeaux that bend toward a merlot blend is a nice match if you are serving grilled meat and earthy vegetables like mushrooms. 

Beer
Belgian pale ale like Duvel and if you can find it, a cherry beer.  At our house a wheat beer is the beer of choice.

Non-Alcoholic
For the children of the household, apple cider served hot or cold will provide a complimentary note to the meal. If the elders are enjoying something sparkly, serve a  sparkling grape juice with a shot of pomegranate juice to bring out the fruity flavors of the cheese.

Dessert?
Continue dipping pears and other sliced fruit into melted gooiness. Try a chocolate and butterscotch dip then roll your fruit in chopped nuts.  Or serve a dessert of fresh cherries drizzled with a little Swiss chocolate.

For more on Raclette:
This Raclette Suisse website (http://www.raclette-suisse.ch/fr/meta/home.html) is based in Berne in Switzerland.  Even if you don’t speak French or German (Swiss German), the languages on the site, you’ll enjoy the videos of people at Raclette parties. Clips show how the cheese melts, even the ideal thickness of the cheese slices and many foods to serve alongside.  There is also a substantial recipe section with photos for other ways to use Raclette cheese, melted or not, in appetizers, main dishes and desserts.  A fun site.

To see the melting equipment restaurants along the Swiss/French border territories use, check out Raclette Corner at http://www.raclettecorner.com/melter.

Sick Days

Growing up, my favorite meal when I was sick and home from school was vegetarian vegetable soup and a cucumber and sour cream sandwich.   The soup was canned and easy for my mother to heat up.  Cucumbers and sour cream, a vestige of my family’s eastern European heritage, delivered in a surprisingly neat sandwich made with soft bread was pure comfort food.  It was cool and kind to a tender throat.  Sometimes, there was homemade chicken soup from my great aunts instead of canned soup.  Stocked with thin egg noodles in a full flavor broth, if you had to be sick, this was some consolation. 

Soup still remains the top choice for most when a cold hits and energy reserves are low.  Parents try to tempt their children with foods that will keep dehydration at bay and provide some nourishment along the way to recovery.  After a few days, some new ideas suited to improving appetites are in order.  These are good for adults or children. 

Some soothing and easy breakfasts can include smoothies, cottage cheese or yogurt, scrambled eggs and bananas slathered with peanut butter.  Pancakes and hot cereal can both be served with fresh or canned fruit.  Next time you make pancakes, put some extra in the freezer between sheets of wax paper in reserve for sick days. 

For lunch, try some mild fish, baked or broiled with a dab of butter or olive oil and lemon.  Cooked vegetables can be served hot or room temperature.  Try lightly steamed carrots with a dip made from yogurt mixed with a little honey. Tuna and chicken salad sandwiches are another way to pack in a little protein before heading back to bed. 

Dinners can include simple pasta meals made with light sauces.  Tortellini, steamed shrimp and peas doused with a little olive oil and lemon or angel hair pasta tossed with cream cheese thinned with milk and garnished with grated Parmesan cheese are easy and appealing.  Potato lovers will enjoy them mashed and covering a Shepard’s pie made with layers of cooked ground meat and diced vegetables.  A simple cheese omelet is both welcome and easy to put together for lunch or dinner and is appealing with a freshly tossed side salad. 

There is nothing wrong with providing sweets like frozen fruit pops and pudding as snacks but consider sick days as a good bridge to better eating and keep things in moderation.  Make snacks work double-duty by providing extra doses of fruit and calcium.  Bananas make great emergency fruit pops after a few hours in the freezer.  Chunks of orange, melon or pineapple on a skewer or served in a bowl with a toothpick make fruit an easy pick for languid eaters.  Canned fruit like pears, peaches and apricots packed in juice are soft and easy on the throat and tummy.  If you can only find fruit packed in syrup, rinse it off to reduce the extra sugar.  The fruit’s sweetness will come through loud and clear.  

Pudding, flan, tapioca, and my dad’s favorite when he is under the weather—junket—are pleasant sources of calcium to try as appetites revive.  Use caution with flavored yogurts that include lots of sugar.  Enjoy some plain with maple syrup or jam.  Try it as a fruit dip to start and you’ll soon build up to bowls of it.  Or go back to the soup concept and blend up a fruit soup.  In a blender, mix the patient’s favorite frozen fruits like cherries, strawberries and blueberries and add some orange juice and honey.   Garnish with or mix in some plain yogurt.  Sprinkle on some cinnamon and indulge. 

With a few extra ideas for sick days, everyone will be feeling better soon. 

Pure Drinks Party, Part 2

Beer, the other bubbly.

Beer has the longest history of all alcoholic beverages, brewed in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia and perhaps even in the early Neolithic era. I learned a lot about beer this week from Eat This Not That via Men’s Health.com website. Carbohydrates and calories are the twin sins of beer to our modern bellies yet beer has its place and is the perfect pairing for many favorites from chili to pizza to Szechuan noodle dishes.

During childhood, my Czech grandmother and her sisters drank beer after dinner from the cask kept in the cellar. The beer was delivered weekly much as the milkman once came to my house to provide liquid nutrition to the children of the household. Beer’s main nutrition-heavy ingredient, brewer's yeast, is rich in magnesium, selenium, potassium, phosphorus, biotin, and B vitamins.  Unfiltered beers such as the “liquid bread” my relatives consumed in late 19th century New York City are considered the best sources of nutrients from brewer’s yeast.  Current beers cannot be counted on to provide similar benefit to risk ratios.

If you love beer, you probably already know your favorite brand. If you are an occasional beer drinker, it’s nice to know a little before making a selection. While I have always assumed that pale ales and lagers are lighter than stouts, dark lagers and wheat beers, the ability of modern brewers to manipulate ingredients has lead to a wider range of choice and flavor at every calorie and carbohydrate level.  I learned that dark beers do tend toward the heavier side, but paler beers do not necessarily mean lighter.  Color also has little to do with alcoholic strength, calories or carbohydrates since color relies on the type of malt used and added caramel color.

I grouped the beers listed on Eat This Not That into four categories based on calorie and carbohydrate count—above 160 calories, 140-160 calories, 100-140 calories and under 100 calories. See where your favorites fall or pick a taste profile you like from your preferred calorie range. You’ll find there are minor but discernible differences in carbohydrate and alcohol levels. Each group has good choices that are nationally available.

160-200 calories, 14+ carbohydrates
In this category I was surprised to find that Guinness Extra Stout was lower in calories and carbohydrates that Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale.  Wheat beers are in this category but are not nestled together.  Leinenkugel’s Berry Weiss packs twice the carbs as Blue Moon Belgian Wheat (by Coors) and over 25% more calories.  Despite the range, this group is high in alcohol and carbs as well as calories so savor these with a satisfying bowl of stew and consider cooking with it. Savoring is code for “drink it slowly”—that way your body will signal you that you are full in time for you to push away from the table (or the bar).

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale
330 calories, 32 g carbohydrates, 9.6% alcohol

Leinenkugel's Berry Weiss
207 calories, 28 g carbohydrates, 4.7% alcohol

Samuel Adams Winter Lager
200 calories, 14 g carbohydrates, 5.8% alcohol

George Killian's Irish Red
162 calories,15 g carbohydrates,5% alcohol

Blue Moon Belgian White
164 calories, 13 g carbohydrates, 5.4% alcohol

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
175 calories, 14 g carbohydrates, 5.6% alcohol

Guinness Extra Stout
176 calories, 14 g carbohydrates, 6% alcohol

Michelob Honey Lager
178 calories, 19 g carbohydrates, 4.9% alcohol

Redhook ESB
179 calories, 14 g carbohydrates, 5.8% alcohol

Budweiser American Ale
182 calories, 18 g carbohydrates, 5.3% alcohol

140-160 calories, 10-12 carbohydrates
Many of the most familiar and best selling beers fall in this category.  Perhaps the biggest surprise here is the range of carbohydrates among beers fairly close in calories.  I always thought Corona Extra was on the lighter side but next time I might select a Beck’s with four fewer carbohydrates especially if I’m having a burger instead of guacamole.

Yuengling Lager
142 calories. 12 g carbohydrates, 4.6% alcohol

Beck's
143 calories, 10 g carbohydrates, 5% alcohol

Miller High Life
143 calories, 13 g carbohydrates, 4.7% alcohol

Pabst Blue Ribbon
144 calories, 13 g carbohydrates, 5% alcohol

Budweiser
145 calories, 11 g carbohydrates, 5% alcohol

Foster's
145 calories, 11 g carbohydrates, 5% alcohol

Corona Extra
148 calories, 14 g carbohydrates, 4.6% alcohol

Dos Equis
149 calories, 12 g carbohydrates, 4.9% alcohol

Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss
149 calories, 12 g carbohydrates, 4.9% alcohol

Coors
149 calories, 12 g carbohydrates, 4.9% alcohol

Heineken
150 calories, 12 g carbohydrates, 5% alcohol

Hoegaarden
153 calories, 13 g carbohydrates, 4.9% alcohol

Red Stripe Jamaican Lager
153 calories, 14 g carbohydrates, 5% alcohol

Magic Hat #9
153 calories, 14 g carbohydrates, 4.6% alcohol

Stella Artois
154 calories, 12 g carbohydrates,5.2% alcohol

Bass Ale
156 calories, 13 g carbohydrates, 5.1% alcohol

Pilsner Urquell
156 calories, 16 g carbohydrates, 4.4% alcohol

Samuel Adams Boston Lager
160 calories, 18 g carbohydrates, 4.8% alcohol

100-140 calories, 5-10 carbohydrates
Still a lot of flavor choices here and the beginnings of light beers for some brands.  Surprises like Guinness’ Draught fall here along with Canada’s Rolling Rock.  Note that the carbohydrate range of this section rolls from 5 to 10.

Coors Light
104 calories, 5 g carbohydrates, 4.2% alcohol

Bud Light
110 calories, 7 g carbohydrates, 4.2% alcohol

Sam Adams Light
119 calories, 10 g carbohydrates, 4% alcohol

Guinness Draught
126 calories, 10 g carbohydrates, 4% alcohol

Rolling Rock Premium
132 calories, 10 g carbohydrates, 4.5% alcohol

Under 100, below 4 carbohydrates
Hot day, coming in from the gym, or just plain over your over the top holidays? These lower calorie and alcohol beers may be the right choice alternated with a glass or two of water.  Not known for their intense flavor profiles, they’ve got some kick and the familiar flavors of malt and mash we associate with the old master brew.

MGD 64
64 calories, 2 g carbohydrates, 2.8% alcohol

Beck's Premier Light
64 calories, 4 g carbohydrates, 3.8% alcohol

Michelob Ultra
95 calories, 3 g carbohydrates, 4.2% alcohol

Amstel Light
95 calories, 6 g carbohydrates, 3.5% alcohol

Miller Lite
96 calories, 3 g carbohydrates, 4.2% alcohol

Yuengling Lager Light
99 calories, 9 g carbohydrates, 3.8% alcohol

Budweiser Select
99 calories, 3 g carbohydrates, 4.3% alcohol

“Near Beers” like O’Douhl’s have changed the way we think about beer and some European ones, like Buckler, are now available. The alcohol has been removed but much of the flavor remains.  Not considered the hardiest brews, they are great add-ins to stews, soups and dips that call for beer and they are perfect for those who like the taste of beer with a hot bowl of chowder at lunchtime.

Safe night to all.

Pure Drinks Party, Part 1

New Year’s is heralded in with everything from all-night parties to 5K runs these days.  If your night includes a party but you’d like to go for a run (or just walk upright) tomorrow, plan ahead on the drinks.  Pure selections including non-alcoholic ones will help you start the New Year feeling, well, new.

#1 Rule—eat something. Alcohol goes with food not an empty stomach.  Don’t pick tonight as the night to start any calorie pinching diet.  Pick real foods.  Eat a bit of protein, graze the vegetable platter and indulge in bean dips like hummus.  Bread and cheese can also be your friend tonight.

Hard Liquor
By now, most have heard that clearer alcohols like vodka, gin and silver or white rums are less likely to have adverse effects the morning after.  Clear alcohols have had their flavorful “congeners” removed,   (Congeners are impurities from grains and sugar produced during fermentation.)  One theory is that with fewer congeners, there are fewer toxins for the body to metabolize including sugars.   If you like mixed drinks, light colored alcohols are a good call.  However, many experts caution that alcohol is alcohol.  Quantity, proof (strength) and time all factor into its effect on you.  Whether you prefer to bid farewell to the old year with a vintage cognac or a martini, moderation is the best path.

Try something different this year to lighten up.  If you are a bit tired of wine spritzers, try a cordial or liquor mixed with seltzer.  A shot of pear or peach schnapps, crème de menthe with an orange slice or a coffee or chocolate cordial in a tall glass of ice and seltzer makes a premium soda that can be nursed.  Opt for seltzer over high sodium club soda.

Wine
Wine goes so well with foods and is for may the simplest choice at the bar.  Don't make it a complete no-brainer though.  Use your noggin to give yourself a great night.   Wine drinkers can react in two ways (sulfites and histamines) and some background on purity can help.

All wines contain sulfites but our labeling requirements tell us little about the quantity in any given bottle.  Old world wines—such as those from France, Italy and Spain use sulfites in the field on grapes to prevent spoilage.  Wine makers elsewhere also add sulfites at additional stages of wine making including harvest and fermentation.  If you’ve ever had a “red wine” headache, you may have imbibed a high sulfite wine, possibly from a new world winery. If red is your choice, try an old world or organic one tonight and you may note a significant difference tomorrow.   On the other hand, if you have imbibed too much wine, you may just have a plain old headache.  Remember that white wines also contain sulfites. 

The true sulfite reaction is related to an enzyme deficiency in some people and can display as an allergic reaction. In response, the body secretes adrenalin.  Prolonged infusion of even low adrenalin levels can cause headache, lack of sleep and that heart pounding feeling we associate with flight or fight moments. 

The other issue with wines is histamine.  Alcohol can interfere with the breaking down of histamines.  If your nose swells or your face reddens when you drink wine, you may be fighting (and losing) a histamine reaction.  Some recommend taking an antihistamine before consuming wine.  Check with your medical advisor if you have any concerns.  People who have this reaction can often find brands of wine that effect them less than others.

Champagnes and Sparkling Wines
Champagne headaches are considered one of the worst morning-after hangovers.  This category is high in sugar and the bubbles don’t help.  Best cure—avoid cheap champagnes that rely on lots of sugar for their “pop.” Go for extra brut or brut zero and brut natural if you can find it. Despite its name, dry and extra dry champagnes have 12-20 grams of sugar per liter versus bruts with only 6 grams or less.   I’ve found that among true champagnes, those with a more pronounced almond versus citrus flavor leave me less affected.  Many oenophiles believe real champagne causes little damage due to its purity but I’ve had nice evenings and splendid mornings with Spanish Cavas and American sparklers provided they are dry.  You can also find dry Prosecos from Italy. 

Experts also recommend staying clear of sweets if you are drinking champagne and other sweet sparklers.  This only compounds your potential for trouble.  Smoky foods, a great match, may also have an after-effect on some people.  Happily, there are plenty of foods to pair with champagne that don’t upset the apple cart from seafood to creamy soft cheeses to mushroom appetizers, quiches and fois gras.

Non-Alcoholic Choices
Make non-alcoholic drinks more inviting by jazzing them up and even naming them something appealing.  Many parties have a signature alcoholic drink.  As a host, provide a signature or themed non-alcoholic one too.  Pre-skewer some wedges of pineapple, orange slices and strawberries.   Fruit garnishes put everyone, drinkers or not, in a festive mood.

Plain water—the Alternator.  If you are the host, have pitchers and ice out and easy to get to so your guests do not have to ask.  Make water self-serve and you will have fewer tipsy friends.  If you are the guest, drink some water before you go arrive or as your first drink of the evening.  If you are very thirsty and drink alcohol first, you will quaff too much. 

Alternating a non-alcoholic beverage with an alcoholic one will slow you down, keep you mindful of your state and provide hydration throughout the night.  Hosts will also want to stock up on non-alcoholic beer and wine, soda, juices and sparkling water. Here are a few more non-alcoholic offerings that will help guests slow down and savor the night:

Barley Water is associated with Britain and was once served to tennis players at Wimbledon to whet their whistle.  It will remind you of lemonade with more complexity.  If you have a British export/food shop in your city, you might be able to find some bottled.  If not, it is easy to make and flavored with lemon, Barley Water will add authenticity to a 1920’s theme night.

Lemon Barley Water
1/2 cup pearl barley
water
lemon peel
juice of 1 lemon
2+ tablespoons honey
extra lemons

Rinse 1/2 cup pearl barley then steep it with the peel of a lemon in 8 cups hot water (brought to boiling then removed from heat) for 1 hour.   Strain and add 6 more cups of water, 2 tablespoons of honey and the juice of the lemon.  Refrigerate and serve over ice with a wedge of lemon.  I read a recipe for barley water that included dried figs in the steeping step and a pinch of salt to bring up the flavors.  I’ll be trying this with a handful of dried figs and apricots. 

Punch is fun to serve hot or cold.  Unspiked, it’s another easy way for guests to alternate their evening between alcoholic and non.  Here’s a base recipe for a fruit punch that you can get creative with, adding ginger ale, seltzer or even ice cream.  It tastes great plain too.  If you are serving it cold, add mint leaves.  If hot try mint leaves and cinnamon sticks. 

House Fruit Punch
1 quart applejuice
1 quart orange juice
1/2 quart cranberry juice
1/2 quart pineapple juice
8 oz grenadine or pomegranate juice (optional)

Combine ingredients in a large punch bowl (cold) or place the juices in a large pot, heat it over medium then transfer it to a slow cooker on low for the evening.  Don’t forget to supply a ladle.

Other nice non-alcoholic beverages at this time of year include eggnog and hot cider. One of my brothers recently reminded me how perfect leftover eggnog is for New Year’s Day French toast (with or without the rum).  All you add is the bread and some of the leftover fruit garnish you cut up last night.  As for leftover apple cider, what a lovely drink to welcome New Year’s morning. 

Read Pure Drinks Party, Part 2 covering beer tomorrow. 

Cranberry Green Tea Soda

I could tell you that this holiday drink is good for you because it contains green tea and that the cranberry juice brand I use was one of the first to recognize the marketplace wisdom of replacing fructose with real sugar (beet and cane).  The truth is I get really thirsty on Thanksgiving.  The kitchen is warm, full of activity and there is lots of visiting and running around to coordinate family arrivals at train and bus stations.  To stay hydrated it’s nice to have a festive and tasty alternative to water (my #1 go-to beverage) and later to the wine that will be flowing at the Thanksgiving table.   

Cranberry Green Tea Soda is also easy to make so it qualifies for a day of more complicated matters.  And don’t leave this master recipe behind after the holiday.  You can replace highly sweetened sodas with soft drinks like this one everyday.  Even diet soda drinkers may get over their chemical fix this way. 

Cranberry Green Tea Soda
2 cups green tea or other herbal tea made with 3 tea bags

2 cups cranberry juice

1 cup sparkling grape juice  (replace with 1 cup seltzer and squeeze of lime for a lower calorie count)

Ice

Brew tea and allow to cool.    I use two green tea bags and one ginger tea bag but you can stick with all green tea or try a fall-flavor like apple and cinnamon.  When tea is cool mix with cranberry juice and sparkling grape juice.  Serve over ice. 

72 calories per 8oz serving

During the 19^th century, pharmacists blended all types of flavorings with carbonated and mineral waters to create “health” drinks.  While no longer considered life-giving elixirs, homemade soft drinks can be purer drinks than store-bought and within your reach.  If you like flavored iced teas, try brewing your own and adding a splash of fruit nectar or juice.  Mango, peach and apricot nectars are stocked at most supermarkets and taste fresh and good in both iced tea concoctions and plain sparkling waters.

This year, try to change one thing you eat or drink daily and that you know is not so real to a pure food.