theredshaker

Watermelon Martini

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Jun 102011

Hot weather makes Shaker One crave juicy summer fruits…..strawberries, melons, all so refreshing and juicy. One bite of the deep pink flesh of a ripe watermelon brings me back to being a kid in the summer…..sitting on the curb eating it right out of the rind, feeling the juice drip down our arms. And for some of us, trying to duck out of the way of our brother’s seed spitting skills.

I’d brought home a baby watermelon with the very best of intentions. Fruit salad you shall be my dear!

Until it was 6pm and 85 degrees. Somebody needed a watermelon martini. A few minutes later, with the help of my trusty immersion blender~et voila!

Fresh Watermelon St. Germain Martini

3 shots vodka (I used Titos)

3 shots strained fresh watermelon juice

3/4 shot St. Germain

dash of lemon juice

Shake over ice, pour into glass and garnish with a bit of the lovely flesh. I promise this one won’t drip down your arm.

Bubbly Tales: Pt. 6~Baptized by Bubbles

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Jun 082011

Bonjour and welcome to the latest episode of Bubbly Tales. Shaker One recently enjoyed a fabulous trip to Paris. While there, I may have sipped a Kir Royale or twelve. (no, not all in the same day)

But the drink that knocked my chaussettes off in a city that isn’t exactly known for it’s cocktails was this:

Ordered on a whim from a menu at, of all places, The Left Bank Marriot hotel bar…….The Paris Chic.

Wow. Spectacular in both visual appeal and taste. Had I discovered this beauty earlier in my trip we would have enjoyed a brief but passionate affair of the glass. As it was, it was the perfect cocktail on my last night to bid au revoir to The City of Lights. And the fact that the waitress spilled the first round on me made me feel like I’d been baptized by Paris.

It’s impossible not to feel good while holding this in your hand:

I can’t wait to gather the ingredients to make this at home. And bring a bit of Paris to an evening whenever I wish.

Je t’aime Paris, J’adore Le Paris Chic!

Lemon Meringue Pie-tini~!

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Jun 032011

Ah lemon, is there anything this beautiful sunny citrus can’t do? Precious little, according to the Shakers. Shaker One adores all things citrus. And no better citrus on earth than the beloved Meyer Lemon. Sadly this seasonal beauty eludes us for part of the year. Each late winter/early spring Shaker One juices, zests, preserves and curds pounds of the gorgeous golden orbs.

What is curd? Well, take a handfull of lemons, some eggs, some butter, some sugar and a bit of alchemy and you have a lovely custardy velvety substance known as “curd”. Usually something one spends serious time at the stove stirring and stirring, thanks to a post at Apartment Therapy- the Kitchen, you can now make this easily in your microwave! Now often this deliciousness is poured into tarts or pies. But what does a Shaker do with her curd? Why, she makes martinis!

Feeling creative one night and rooting through her fridge, Shaker One spied a small bottle of meyer lemon curd and thought: this should really be a martini! And behold- the Lemon Meringue Pie-tini was born.

Equal parts vodka and curd shaken over ice (either plain or vanilla if you prefer a sweeter end result). Creamy and tart/sweet. Shakers One and Two give this lovely creature 4 3/4 olives-both the sweet vanilla version and the regular slightly more tart girl. If you use a regular lemon curd we would recommend you opt for the vanilla vodka…it needs that extra kick of sweetness that the Meyer version already has. And if you wanted to get fancy, you could even add an egg white to get the ‘meringue’ layer on top. But don’t stop at lemons~try key limes, regular limes, blood oranges……whatever citrus you have on hand. Not as sweet as many dessert martinis, it makes the perfect end to a summer dinner.

Delicious!

Bubbly Tales: Pt. 5-So Nice~

Champagne/Prosecco 2 Responses »

Jun 012011

For this week’s episode of Bubbly Tales, I’m going to ask you to take a trip in the Wayback Machine with me all the way to 1983….Ah, fluffy hair, men’s suits still suffering from the 70’s hangover, and Riunite. Yes, I said Riunite.

In the aftermath of Shaker Two’s move, I found myself the new owner of a few lonely bottles. One of which was Riunite Lambrusco. Now I knew nothing about this except half remembered jingles from decades past. They still make this stuff? People drink it? Huh.

My first thought was-its red wine, why is it in the fridge? I was pretty sure I’d never open it. Then over the holiday weekend I was craving something different…..not a martini, not even a glass of the old standby prosecco. I opened the fridge and spied that retro bottle. Figuring the worst that would happen is that I’d be pouring it down the drain I pulled it out and unscrewed the cap. Yep, screwcap. Heh.

You know, it was surprisingly pleasant! A very subtle fizz, more of a hiss than a foam and not too heavy. Full disclosure: I poured it over ice in a glass and squeezed a lemon wedge in for good measure. Next time I’d do an orange slice. It drinks a bit like a naked sangria-no fruit juice, no extra booze additions. I can see this being a decent picnic wine or tailgate beverage. And its cheap. Like $6 a bottle. Who would have thought?

Now I’m not going to tell you that this is a fine wine. But it does make me curious to try other lambruscos. And though it barely falls into the ‘bubbly’ category, it is good to go outside your comfort zone now and then.

Would I buy it again? Maybe. Will I look for other Lambruscos? Definitely. Would I get my hair feathered? Not gonna happen.

(Now if I could only get that damn song out of my head…..)

Genius: One part Inspiration, The Rest-Vodka

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May 272011

Shaker One here. The other day as I ran through the market to grab dinner ingredients a small basket of the blackest shiniest berries drew me to them with their siren call. Not knowing what I’d do with them was irrelevant. I had to have them.

Into the fridge they went and I didn’t give them another thought. Until later that evening I had a Eureka moment. A martini recipe literally popped into my head:

The Blackberry Lime Martini

Blackberry Lime Martini

Muddled fresh blackberries, simple syrup, equal parts fresh lime juice and Rose’s lime, a dash of lemon, the Super Secret Ingredient and of course-vodka. This poured out into the glass with a lovely shade of inky purple/pink.

Wow. One taste and I was hooked. I sent up the Shaker Signal to Shaker Two to run up and grab a taste. The verdict? At least a 4 1/2 olives. Yum~ Slightly sweet, slightly tart, a perfect balance. This one is good.

I’d pat myself on the back, but I’m too busy mixing up another round. Put this one on your summer drink to do list. You won’t regret it.

Bubbly Tales Pt. 4: Celebrate In Style

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May 252011

Next up is an absolute favorite bubbly for both Shakers. Another fantastic discovery by Shaker Two, this one is a bit of a splurge (in the $50 and over category). Worth it for a special dinner or celebration. Really an elegant wine, it creates a fine shower of tiny bubbles in your glass. Shakers One and Two really love this one.

Marc Hebrart Cuvee Reserve

You’ve seen us rave about this in a previous post. Shaker one feels this one is even more enjoyable than Moet White Star. Worth the splurge.

Go ahead, you deserve it!

Size (Or Rather Shaker) Does Matter

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May 202011

If you haven’t noticed, Shaker One has been on a bit of a flip kick of late. Something about Spring makes the foamy lightness enticing to me. I’m finding myself taking all sorts of “regular” cocktails and flipping them. Since I’ve already had my failed experiment with Mr. Frothee, I’ve decided to stick with egg whites. I am finding a big difference in the head that results from a regular shaker vs. a Boston style shaker.

Tonight’s victim? A classic Vodka Gimlet. <Forgive me Raymond Chandler>

Wanting just a light cocktail to end the weekend, I threw the usual suspects into my regular shaker, added ice, one egg white, and gave the whole thing a shaking like I was trying to force a confession out of it. Vigorous though my efforts were, when I poured it out into the glass, it was only moderately foamy. Huh. Now, I usually use a Boston style shaker for all things flip. Tonight I just happened to grab the shaker in front in the bar. I suspect that the extra room in a Boston shaker allows more movement of the ice and liquids, resulting in increased foam volume. I shall need to do some further research to back up this theory.

The cocktail itself was quite enjoyable, despite it’s pittance of foam. At the last minute (and after the photo) I shook just a dash of bitters onto it……very nice! It added a good balance to the tart sweetness of the Rose’s Lime. Tough to beat a classic gimlet.

Next up in the exploration of all drinks flip~ Meringue: Breaks Down or Holds Up?

Bubbly Tales: Pt. 3~Sweet Effervescence

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May 182011

Shaker Two deserves all the credit for this lovely find.

Schlumberger White Secco

A sweet (pleasantly so, not at all cloying) fizzy pour of sparkles in your flute. The perfect end to a summer dinner, perhaps with some fresh fruit. This is not a mixing bubbly and I would definitely not cook with it….except perhaps to make a champagne sorbet.

Under $20 a bottle. Shaker One grabbed the sole bottle on hand when she spied it at the Candy Store (Beverage Warehouse).

A sweet kiss to end the evening.

You Put The Lime In The Watermelon?

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May 132011

Watermelon season is in full swing and Shaker One has discovered baby seedless watermelons. Like a personal pan pizza of melon…..sweet and ultra juicy, these babies beg to be made into a cocktail.

Rooting around in the fridge and freezer one 90 degree evening I discovered some Trader Joe’s lime ice pops abandoned in the door. <lighbulb moment>

Watermelon Lime Martini:

2 shots mostly melted lime pop

2 shots vodka of choice (I used Titos)

2 shots strained fresh watermelon juice

splash of fresh lime juice

Shake with ice, strain and slurp up faster than you can believe. Wow and yum!

If you don’t have any sad abandoned lime ice pops in your freezer, simply substitute Rose’s lime juice (and up the fresh lime juice to equal the Rose’s to counteract the sweetness).

Bubbly Tales-Pt.2: The Leading Man

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May 112011

Welcome bubbly aficionados to another episode of Bubbly Tales. Today I’d like to introduce you to one of Shaker One’s favorite players:

Purchased at Trader Joe’s, this go-to sparkler retails for under $8. Yes, you read that correctly. It is perfect with mimosas or other mixed cocktails and really very pleasant on its own. I often enjoy a glass or three simply with a strawberry dropped into the bottom of the glass.

And as I am not a white wine drinker, other than the bubbly types, I also use this to deglaze a pan or make a sauce….anywhere you’d use a dry white wine. At this price point I don’t even feel bad if I open a bottle, enjoy a few glasses over two or three days and end up pouring the rest out. Not what I’d select for a celebration or fancy dinner, but a solid choice for your everyday workhorse bubbly. Affordable, drinkable, mixable, cookable…….this bubbly is one to keep on hand.

Give it a try. Unless you don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby. Then I’m so, so sorry for you.

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