yuzu shiso cocktail

This cocktail from En Japanese Brasserie incorporates shiso leaf, yuzu and grapefruit juice, and shochu. The ingredients are exotic and can be hard to track down, but they are all well worth the hunt.

love potion

This rosé cocktail combines the savory and potent aphrodisiac qualities of coriander with the fruity flavor of peach schnapps and orange zest, creating an intoxicating Valentine's Day aperitif. Coriander, the spicy seed of the cilantro plant, was traditionally used as to create love potions during the Middle Ages, when it would be combined with wine, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves to make the legendary "Hipocras," a drink served at weddings to promote fertility. It is also mentioned as a magical sterility cure in one of the tales of One Thousand and One Arabian Nights.

The inspiration for this recipe comes from Ana Sortun's wonderful book, Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean, in which she recommends combining rosé, sugar, coriander, orange zest, and eau de vie. Since eau de vie can be hard to find, especially in small quantities, I've substituted peach schnapps here.

Ingredients
1 glass rosé wine
1 T sugar or agave
1/4 T peach schnapps
1/2 t coriander
1/2 t orange zest

Method
Combine all ingredients, pour into a wine glass, and imbibe! (This recipe serves one, so double the recipe if you plan to entertain a date this Valentine's Day...)

mint and avocado smoothie

While experimenting with green smoothie recipes, I read that as long as you maintain a proportion of 60 percent fruit to 40 percent vegetables, the fruity flavors will conceal those of the vegetables. Since I often forget to incorporate a healthy dose of greens in my daily diet, I've started adding a handful of greens to all my smoothies. I've found that the 60-to-40 proportion holds true for the most part, especially if you are using more neutral greens like spinach (more potent greens like alfalfa and broccoli sprouts have proved a little trickier).

This recipe combines the detoxifying properties of spinach, avocado, and apple in a beautiful, electrifyingly green smoothie. My approach was to mask the bitterness of the spinach behind the acidity of lemon juice, the richness of avocado, and the freshness of mint, turning it into a smooth, restorative, and healthful shake.

Ingredients

1 cup spinach

1 apple, cored and chopped

1/2 cup of frozen mango

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 an avocado

a handful of mint leaves

1 tsp flax (optional)
1/4 cup water

Method

Combine all ingredients in a blender. If necessary, turn off the blender occasionally and use a spoon to push down the ingredients into the bottom of the blender. If you are having trouble getting a smooth consistency, feel free to add a splash of water or your favorite juice.

(serves 2)

raspberry white hot chocolate

So here's a spin on homemade hot chocolate for those hibernal days when you don't want to leave the house and you just want to curl up next to the fire with a soporific mug of cocoa. I'm more of a dark chocolate person most of the time, but this white chocolate concoction was so comforting tasting that I think I may have been converted. The raspberries fill you with a nostalgia for summer while the white chocolate undertones carry you away into a dreamy winter wonderland.

Ingredients

1 cup white chocolate, chopped

4 cups whole milk

1 Tbsp vanilla

4 Tbsp raspberry syrup (recipe below)

Directions

Over medium heat, warm the milk and the chocolate, stirring so as not to burn the chocolate.

When the milk is on the verge of simmering, remove from heat and add the vanilla.

Pour the hot chocolate evenly into 4 mugs and drizzle each with a tablespoon of raspberry syrup.

(makes 4 cups)

raspberry syrup

Ingredients

1/2 cup raspberries (frozen or fresh)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

Directions

Simmer ingredients over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring and pressing the berries against the pan. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth into a glass, pressing the liquid through the cheesecloth with the back side of a spoon. The thick raspberry mixture that will be leftover from this process can be served the next morning as fresh jam.

krupnik / polish honey vodka

As far as I can tell there's really no reason not to infuse vodka. Raspberries, lemons, cherries - any of these fruits make a magical vodka infusion, but I think among all the varieties of flavored vodka, krupnik, or honey vodka, is my favorite.

Krupnik is served hot as a traditional Christmas cordial in Poland, but it also makes a refreshing summer drink served cold or over ice. It's an excellent way to turn a mediocre bottle of vodka into a smooth, celebratory drink. I usually buy an inexpensive bottle like Svedka. There's no need to splurge here - the vodka will taste great once it mingles with the honey and spices.



I think Princess Mirabella wants to be a Svedka model because she kept striking poses around the bottle.


Ingredients

2 cups honey

2 cups water

6 cinnamon sticks

10 cloves

1/4 t ground nutmeg

peel of 1 orange

1 t vanilla

5 cups of vodka

cheesecloth (optional)

Directions

Simmer all ingredients except vodka in a covered pot for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes. Return to heat, bring to a boil, and add vodka. Remove from heat immediately after vodka has been added.

Cool the mixture. Once it is room temperature, you may strain it through the cheesecloth. (This step is only necessary if you want the vodka to be clear and uniform. It's perfectly fine to serve the vodka with the spices and orange peel still in it.)

To serve hot:

Reheat the strained liquid, ladle into mugs.

To serve cold or over ice:

Once the vodka has cooled, store it in the freezer. I keep mine in a big mason jar. The vodka tastes best if it's been stored in the freezer for a couple of weeks so that the flavors have time to really blend.

Na zdrovie! Wszystkiego najlepszego w nowym roky!