Wednesday, July 21, 2010

for my love and our life

Photo by Kelly Boitano Photography


so we'll live in our old van

travel all across this land

me and you




and we'll end up hand in hand

somewhere down on the sand

just me and you




just as free

free as we'll ever be

just as free

free as we'll ever be




drive until the city lights

dissolve into a country sky

just me and you




lay underneath the harvest moon

do all the things that lovers do

just me and you




just as free

free as we'll ever be




Zac Brown Band - Free


Wednesday, July 14, 2010

A Possible New Venture?

A tweet recently caught my eye from New York Times Dining & Wine. I clicked on the link, began to read the article, and immediately had the desire to leave work and go whip up a batch of pancakes. These were no ordinary pancakes, though. Oh no…these were Elderflower pancakes. Sound familiar? No? We are (well, were) in the same boat.


It turns out that elderflower pancakes (also known as Hollerküchle) are a traditional German favorite. And, regardless of the fact that Germany sautéed my beloved Argentina in the quarterfinal round of this World Cup, I am too excited to try out this recipe. Related to the more well-known honeysuckle, the lacey foliage of the elder plant is inserted face-down into the fresh pancake batter as soon as it hits the pan. The pancake is then either traditionally cooked only on one side (and allowing the top to simply “set”) or the stems are trimmed and the pancake is flipped. The wonderfully delightful food art happens when the rougher stems are pulled from the pancake leaving the blossoms themselves intact within the batter.


This seems like a possible weekend project, with two crucial pieces of information to note. First off, it’s mid-July and it seems elderflowers bloom in the Northeast in June. I will keep on the lookout regardless. Second, elderflowers should not be confused with poisonous Queen Anne’s Lace. Ok, got it. Queen Anne’s Lace is bad. Note to self.


Wish me luck!


Daniela

Friday, July 9, 2010

Classic Cuban Mojitos

If you’ve been in New York for the past week or so, you know about the crazy heat wave we’ve been having. And at street level in Manhattan, the temperatures seem to be multiplied threefold. The subway is a sticky mess, going out to lunch is almost unheard of, and there are mounds of wilted tourists everywhere. On any other normal summer weekend, I would typically spend time investigating refreshing dishes to serve or drinks to concoct. You can imagine my frenzy once the mercury decided to come to a screeching halt at 104°F.


In a desperate attempt to take advantage of the heat-exhausted mint from our garden, I decided it was time to resurrect my favorite classic summer cocktail: the Mojito. No frills here; just refreshing flavor. I use a wooden lemon reamer for the limes as I like the lime juice to be a little pulpy. The other end doubles as a muddler when you’re ready to crush the sugar into the mint.


Cuban Mojitos (By the Pitcher)


1 large bunch fresh mint (look for leaves that are bright green, free of scars, and firm — not wilted like those that are living through the Great Heat Wave)


1 cup organic granulated sugar (such as Florida Crystals)


10 limes, rolled and juiced, plus 1 for slicing


2 cups white rum, chilled, plus extra for adjustments


2 cups club soda, chilled, plus extra for adjustments


Ice cubes



Wash and pick through mint, setting aside three or four particularly handsome sprigs for later. Roughly remove and set aside the leaves from the remaining homely (although still spectacular) bunch; discard stems.


In a large, sturdy bowl (or mortar), add loose leaves, sugar, and lime juice. Using the back end of the reamer (or pestle), begin to muddle the mixture. The texture of the granulated sugar will allow the oils from the mint to seep out. Once the sugar is, for the most part, dissolved into the lime juice, add the rum and the club soda and mix well. Do a taste test here — the sweetness of the sugar or sharpness of the rum should not overwhelm the overall flavor of the drink. If so, adjust with club soda or extra lime juice until it meets your taste.


This batch can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours before serving. Add the ice cubes, sliced limes, and sprigs of handsome mint to the pitcher just before serving. If you prefer, you can filter out the original broken pieces of mint leaves before adding said final ingredients.


Cheers!

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