garnish » The Red Shaker

A different kind of cherry

garnish, martini, Spirits No Responses »

Dec 272011

I was recently at a friend’s house and she offered me a beverage. Knowing her gifts in the kitchen, I easily accepted to see what she had come up with cocktail wise. As she was pulling out various bottles, she handed me a little bowl of cherries and told me to try them. I’m game, so I popped one in my mouth, hoping it was not one of the typical sad little maraschino cherries… I really should trust my friends – it wasn’t.

I could not quite identify the liquor they were soaked in. There was a bite along with the sweet cherry – but nothing too insanely rough to the mouth. She pulled out a jar and showed me the label. I had had my first moonshine cherry.

She had finished mixing up the drink and plopped a couple into the beverage and I took a sip. Lovely. This was her own concoction of a pomegranate martini that was really lovely.Pom liqueur, lime juice, vodka, orange juice and moonshine cherries. Being that we are both silly, as a nod to moonshine’s southern roots, she adorned the glass with a giant plastic insect.

We sat at her table and as we enjoyed our drinks, she told me about a friend of hers that she had given a jar of the cherries. Turns out, her friend hid them from her husband because she liked them so much she wanted them to herself. One night, my friend was visiting their home and the woman kept sneaking moonshine cherries. Needless to say, she got a wee bit buzzed and went to the cupboard where she told her husband that he had to try these cherries. He asked “What cherries?” and the cat was out of the bag. He then asked my friend if she would let him know if more cherries were given. When he asked his wife why she had hidden them, she said “I just love them so much.”

If you can find these babies, I say try them out.

Happy Thanksgiving~

Champagne/Prosecco, garnish, martini, Spirits 2 Responses »

Nov 232011

Shakers One and Two would like to wish you all a wonderful Turkey Day. And whether you are stuck for ideas on how to use up your leftovers friday or maybe are having just a bit too much family togetherness on the day itself, the Shakers are here for you:

Cranberry Relish Martini:

The perfect way to use some of your leftover fresh cranberry relish. No, not that weirdly shaped stuff that gloops out of the can in one ridged gelatinous blob. I’m talking about what my Great Grandmother used to chop by hand (we’re all thankful for food processors!), with fresh cranberries, navel oranges and a bit of sugar. My mom made this every year. And for those of you who want a shortcut, I’ve heard that Trader Joe’s now makes a good version, though I’ve yet to give it a try myself.

Back to the ‘tini-

Just muddle 2 large spoonfuls of the relish in the bottom of a metal shaker with about a shot of Grand Marnier (ok, go ahead and use Triple Sec if you don’t like your guests very much). Add 3 shots of vodka, a shot of freshly squeezed OJ and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Shake well with ice and strain into a martini glass, serve over ice with a bit of club soda, hell- pour it into the gravy boat and add a straw. Sometimes the holidays can make you really, really thirsty. <wink wink>

I garnished with a whole cranberry and a bit of orange zest and shook in a few drops of cranberry bitters (you could also use orange bitters if you prefer). It’s like drinking Thanksgiving!

One more tip: for a more festive bevvie, put a spoonful of the relish in the bottom of a flute and top with your favorite champagne or prosecco.

Gobble Gobble!

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler~

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Aug 032011

Last weekend I was lucky enough to attend a private event at a great bar/restaurant on Hollywood Blvd- The Five 0 Four. Located near the Walk of Fame, this is a charming and boisterous Cajun/Creole themed place where it’s always Mardi Gras. The gorgeous outdoor patio seating transports you away from the bustle of Hollywood and into a happy vacation mood. And because it’s in Hollywood, the people watching is unparalleled.

I sampled several cocktails through the course of the event. First I started off with a Pimm’s Cup. Now Pimm’s is a fairly recent discovery for me. I had it for the first time at Le Cafe Deux Magots in Paris in a pimm’s and champagne. Delicious! So I was anxious to try the cocktail that’s a ubiquitous English refresher. And I loved it. It is the perfect light cocktail on a warm summer evening. I’ll be making this at home without a doubt.

Next I was feeling adventurous so I ordered a Sazerac. As the server warned me, it is something of a whiskey martini and quite strong. I must admit that this one was lost on me. It wasn’t the drink (it was well made), it’s just that I’ve never acquired a taste for the brown boozes. If you enjoy your whiskey, this is a drink for you.

I missed trying their Hurricanes, though those that did certainly appeared to be enjoying them. Towards the end of the evening I was in the mood for something a bit different and asked the bartender what he recommended. I received one of my favorite answers, “want me to make something up for you?”. Yes and yes. Say hello to Petey, the charming bartender who can put together one hell of a drink:

I knew I was in good hands when I saw him spank the mint. He made up a lovely St.Germain cocktail on the spot! I wish I remembered what he put in it, as I’d order it again and again. Oh well, I’ll just have to make another visit and see if he can repeat the deliciousness. I so appreciate finding a bartender who will happily go off menu and have fun with it. A great drink to end the night with.

Thank you Five O Four for a memorable evening. I know where to go when I need a little taste of the Mardi Gras spirit in my week. Until next time, Shaker One out.

Bubbly Tales Pt. 11: The Good Ship Fizzy Cup

Champagne/Prosecco, garnish No Responses »

Jul 132011

When Shaker One was just a wee girl, eating out at a fancy restaurant was a rare treat. To my 6 year old self, nothing was more elegant than ordering my own “cocktail”- The Shirley Temple. A grown up looking drink in my favorite little girl color garnished with a cherry. Sometimes the bartender would even put a little drink umbrella in it for me. I fancied myself quite the sophisticate!

Flash forward 20 years or so (What? Move along.) to a hot summer evening and a thirsty Shaker. A school night, so martinis are out and I wanted something more than just a glass of bubbly……..Shaker One gets creative.

The Tipsy Temple

Pomme juice, lime juice, simple syrup, a splash of lemon over ice topped with prosecco and very ripe berries. Looks like Miss Temple stayed out after curfew on this one. Innocent pink color, heady scent of lush berries as you sip, slightly sweet but mostly very refreshing. Stand up and cheer, this one’s a winner!

Now gentlemen, I don’t want to hear “but it’s pink!”. Of course it is. Many delicious things are red. And red, when diluted with things like vodka or prosecco turns pink. Be secure enough to imbibe all things blushing.

Cherries optional.

Strawberry Jalapeno Martini

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Jul 082011

Shaker One back with more spicy sips. Those of you who enjoyed the Spicy Pineapple martini, fasten your seat belts. This drink is going to wake up your taste buds. Still searching for ways to use up my enormous bag of fresh jalapenos and finding myself firmly in the midst of strawberry season, what’s a Shaker to do?

Why, make a Strawberry Jalapeno Martini of course!

Now, you may think this sounds like an odd combination. And it sort of does. But trust me on this one. It became an instant favorite of mine.

Fat juicy strawberries, chunks of fresh jalapenos (seeds in)and a bit of simple syrup muddled up. Add ice, vodka, lime juice and shake that liquid maraca~

I garnished with pretty things, but the key here is to toss a few of the jalapeno seeds into the martini glass. This is an outstanding drink. Really subtle and fresh. You can add more jalapeno if you want to up the heat, but I like it balanced so you don’t lose the fantastic flavor of the fresh berries.

I’d give this South of the Border Seductress 5 olives.

Shaker Two-what do you think?

La Pina Picante

garnish, martini 1 Response »

Jul 012011

The June gloom in Southern California has finally abated and warmer weather is upon us. Lately Shaker One has been on a spicy/Mexican food kick. I bought an enormous bag of jalapenos and made seriously fantastic pico de gallo which I’ve been putting on just about everything. But my proseccos or even my lambruscos just didn’t seem like the right beverage to accompany all these tasty taco treats. Not in the mood for a margarita, not tempted by the Pacifico in the fridge……..I spied a pineapple and had a flash of inspiration.

The Spicy Pineapple Martini

Chunks of jalapeno peppers, fresh cut pineapple, the juice of one lime and simple syrup muddled up. Added vodka, a bit more lime juice, ice and shake that baby like a maraca~

Garnished with a sliver of jalapeno pepper (seeds removed this time), this is a really fantastic cocktail. Totally refreshing. All the tart sweetness comes from the natural juice of the pineapple and you get just a hint of heat on the finish from the jalapeno without being overpowered. The lime juice provides the perfect bridge between the two flavors. I love this.

4 1/2 olives.

Can’t wait for Shaker Two to give this a try and tell us what she thinks. Hasta luego!

Happy Hour- Flips and Rickeys

field trip, garnish, martini No Responses »

Jun 172011

Shaker One here. I was recently invited to join a friend for a little tuesday happy hour fun at a place I had not tried yet-The Westside Tavern (downstairs). He promised delicious cocktails including a Watermelon Flip, which intrigued us both. Sadly, when we got there the bar did not have the watermelon drink available. But we consoled ourselves with two other tasty beverages.

Nothing like walking up to the bar to meet your friend and they already have your drink waiting for you. A Grapefruit Rickey . This is a really nice not overly tart version of the classic rickey. St. Germain is added to soften the tang of the grapefruit juice. A fantastic summer sipper.

Next up was our replacement for the watermelon flip:

The Strawberry Tarragon Flip

Wow. I think I’m glad they were out of watermelon. Fresh strawberries and tarragon muddled with lime juice, vodka, simple syrup and pasteurized egg whites-shaken, strained into a martini glass and garnished with a spanked tarragon leaf. What? You don’t spank your herbs to release their essential oils? Naughty, naughty tarragon.

This cocktail knocked my socks off. Subtle and airy. You could taste the freshness of the ingredients and no one overpowered the others. I could have put away several of these. Easily. I look forward to crafting this at home. Though I’ve used thyme, rosemary, basil, cilantro, and of course mint in cocktails, I’d never thought to add tarragon. I can’t wait to try tarragon with other fruit/booze combinations.

Sadly it was a school night, so our happy hour sipping stopped there. But I will be back to sample the rest of their cocktail menu another time. A great spot to grab well crafted drinks before/after a movie and super convenient location smack dab in the middle of the West Side. Now I’m off to buy some tarragon.

Tinis Al Fresco!

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Jul 232010

The (belated) arrival of true summer weather is met with varying degrees of enthusiasm from the two Shakers. One thing we can agree on is that dinner tastes better outdoors. Last night Shaker Two put together a lovely spread to officially open the Patio Bar for the season.

We dined on grilled rib eye steaks in a coffee rub (Shaker One was in heaven over this rub), herbed potatoes, grilled corn on the cob and a fabulous salad with candied pecans, goat cheese, mango and a poppy seed dressing…..yum.

We finished up our relaxing meal with a sabayon meyer lemon tart with fresh strawberries from Shaker One.

hope you all enjoy your weekend……oh, what?? You want to know if we had drinks? Why yes, as a matter of fact we did! how did you guess?

Shaker One as been gorging on fresh strawberries this season, so when I came across a couple of martini recipes involving strawberries and balsamic vinegar how could I resist??

First up was the Balsamic Vinegar Martini:

Simple and very pretty, but basically a vodka martini up with a lovely garnish. As written 2 1/2 olives.

The Shakers decided to muddle this up with some extra balsamic and it was tasty! 3 1/2 olives muddled.

Next is the Balsamic Martini by Jacopo Falleni:

4 1/2 olives. This is a must try.

I must admit this sounded like a rather odd combination to me, but I was curious enough to mix it up. Shaker Two and I each took a sip and our eyes grew big and round. Mr. Falleni- you are a genius. This is beyond delicious. The vanilla and lime (I used vanilla vodka instead of the vanilla rum he recommends) marry perfectly with the strawberries and balsamic and the balsamic glaze adds the perfect touch. This is a fabulous martini, really creative and well worth the bit of effort in assembling/muddling. Oh, we skipped making the cute sword garnish from the rind of a spaghetti squash like he did.

The Shakers are off to discover more recipes that embrace the flavors of the season……check back soon for more summer mixing and muddling~

Zesty fun

Gadgets, garnish, tips No Responses »

Jun 302010

If you read the post talking about our friend Simon’s birthday party, you might have caught the part about Shaker One coming up with the brilliant idea for making “tape worms” from citrus zest. A citrus zester is a handy tool to have around.

A rather odd looking gadget, it does a wonderful job of removing just the colored portion of the citrus rind and excluding the pith, which can add bitterness to the recipe, rather then the flavorful part of the rind. You can also create decorative patterns on the fruit skin and then use the slices or wedges as garnish.

Zest is used not only in giving a light essence of lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit to a martini (or other cocktail) but it is also used in many desserts, sauces, cookies and salads.

This Oxo Good Grips Lemon Zester is a good one to add to your collection of gadgets. Shaker One picked her’s up at Surfas, but the Oxo one is great, too. Citrus “confetti streamers” in different colors would be a great garnish for dessert, fruit salads, even fish dishes. It takes a bit of practice to get the really long threads, and of course the larger the fruit the longer the strands you can achieve. A fun garnish can really make a drink or dish feel special. Now get to zesting!