Rhubarb isn’t just for pies and crisps. It makes a delightful addition to cocktails. If you’re not a rhubarb lover, it’s likely a textural issue. In this recipe, you make a simple syrup with the rhubarb. As the name implies, it’s really easy! Chopped rhubarb, water, sugar and lemon zest are simmered in a pot for about 10 minutes. Once the rhubarb has finished infusing, strain out the solids and keep the gorgeous pink syrup in a jar in the fridge for at least a month.
In addition to cocktails, the syrup would be delicious brushed onto cake layers for a strawberry cake, drizzled onto ice cream for a sundae or even just mixed into soda water for a refreshing drink.
While I don’t enjoy drinking cocktails, I adore styling and shooting them. This one was inspired by a recipe I found online for Fizzy Pink Rhubarb Lemonade. Thanks to Redpath Sugar for the spark.
When I was envisioning this shoot, I pictured two cocktails in the foreground with a gin bottle, out of focus in the background. The only gin we had in the house was in a black opaque bottle. That was not in keeping with the light and airy spring vibe I was trying to create. I found this gorgeous bottle at the LCBO.
My husband inquired as to why I bought more gin, when we already had a full bottle. He just smiled and nodded at my aesthetic explanation. Smiling and nodding is the secret to our 36 year marriage. Plus, he gets to drink the cocktail at the end of the shoot, so no complaints from him.
I used a vegetable peeler to make ribbons of rhubarb as a garnish. If you put them in a container of cold water overnight, they curl up into a pretty garnish. Or, you could just decorate the glass with a slice or wedge of lemon.
We are coming up on the one year anniversary of our first Pandemic lockdown. Not sure if that’s something we really want to be celebrating, but I feel it should be recognized and noted. Here’s what I said about Covid at that time. Not much has changed. Still staying home, still baking and perhaps drinking a bit more than I did a year ago.
When my husband and I first met, we used to snuggle up on the couch together and watch TV. We loved L.A. Law, Moonlighting and Dallas. The theme song to Dallas was my Friday night lullaby. I don’t think I ever stayed awake for an entire episode. My husband always had to give me a recap in the morning.
Over the years, we got busy with life and kids and we stopped watching TV together. We had very different taste in what we liked watching. I adored any and every medical show and he loved the science-fiction fantasy genre.
During the first week of lockdown last March, we decided to start eating dinner in front of the TV every night and watch a series together. He had rules though, never more than one episode an evening. He is not a binger like me. We had our dark and violent phase, watching Ozark, Fauda, The Hunters, Goliath and Your Honour. I guess we needed to believe that the Pandemic wasn’t so bad, compared to what these people were living through. Then we needed to tone down the gore, so we watched The Crown, After Life, Broadchurch, The Queen’s Gambit, Atypical, Billions, and The Undoing. I even tricked him into watching Bridgeton, and after two episodes, he was hooked!
My husband is nothing, if not, consistent. He is a deep thinker, and after every episode he would recount all the plot holes he uncovered. He would say, “that would never really happen” or “that’s just not realistic”. I asked him if he did the same thing when watching Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings, and he responded, “well those are different.”
We have recently started watching Mad Men. After each episode, my husband comments on the amount of smoking and drinking that goes on. How did they get any work done???? I am in awe of the period costumes and glamorous cocktails and horrified at the chauvinism and sexism. We’re only on Season 2, but I suspect the women of Mad Men are about to change.
This beautiful cocktail was originally created in the late 1800’s at a Philadelphia hotel bar, called the Clover Club. It was quite the swinging hot spot in its day. The original was made with raspberries, but since it’s almost spring, I went with strawberries. It’s a gin based drink, with citrus juice (typically lemon, but I went with lime), fruit based simple syrup and egg white for emulsification and froth. I made my own strawberry simple syrup by simmering sugar water and strawberries for about 5 minutes. Then I mashed the berries and let them sit for 30 minutes before straining.
If you’re concerned about the raw egg whites, you can just leave it out or substitute aquafaba (the liquid in canned chickpeas). It will froth up quite nicely.
One of my favourite things to create is cocktails. It’s a bit of a joke in our family, since I don’t really like drinking them. My drink of choice is wine, preferably a very chilled Australian Sauvignon Blanc. I’m going through an Australian phase now. Perhaps it has something to do with my binge watching Masterchef Australia. Australians are so much nicer than Canadians and Americans. They always hug each other after each challenge. Sorry, I digress. Back to cocktails.
Mixing up different flavour combinations and then taking pictures of them is my idea of fun. I especially like to create cocktails with my brother-in-law Brandon. He is always game to try something new. This genius cocktail idea came from my friend Erin, at Dish Catering. She was telling me about a new cherry flavoured gin, made by Dillon’s. She mixed it with Fever Tree Lemon Tonic water and said it was outstanding. If you can’t find Cherry Gin or Lemon Tonic, I think you could use regular gin and tonic and add a bit of lemonade, cherry juice and some fresh cherries. Not quite the same, but, in a pinch, it would still be quite good.
Fresh cherries get muddled in the bottom of the glass. A shot of cherry gin, some lemon tonic water and lots of ice. Really refreshing. If you’re a G&T fan, this could become your new favourite drink. We’ll be serving it at our big family reunion next weekend. Nothing brings families closer together than lots of gin, or in the case of our family, Prosecco!
I have spent the past week immersed in studying light. The uber-talented food photographer Bea Lubas, threw down an Instagram challenge this month to shoot only using backlight. Bea’s philosophy is that “If you want to improve your photography, don’t take pictures of food. Become a student of light and take pictures of it instead.”
Backlight is when the light hits the subject from behind. Most food photography is side lit (light comes from the side of the subject), as it is universally flattering. Backlighting is difficult to do well. If you’re keen to learn more about it, Bea wrote an excellent blog post on the subject. It really helped me to nail the technique.
Here is a photo I shot, using my iPhone, showing the setup I used to get my photo. I undertook 4 backlighting photo sessions this week, practicing, trying different windows at different times of day. I shot carrot cake (recipe coming soon), but didn’t love the results. I shot blueberries, with somewhat better results. My final shoot was this G&T. The sweet spot, for me, was a North facing window at around 2:00 pm. It was a grey rainy day and the soft light coming in through the window created that magical glow. I used a white foam core board at the front of the image, to throw some light back onto the front of my scene, as that area was quite dark. Check out the #belightinspired gallery on Instagram to see the amazing images others have created.
I just got back from a long weekend trip to London, with my husband, and I am filled with so much inspiration. My god-daughter, who lived in London for a few years, sent me a list of some of her favourite restaurants. Our agenda included as many meals as we could fit in, as well as lots of walking to burn off all those calories. We ate at The Palomar, Yotam Ottolenghi’s Nopi,Dishoom, Bocca di Lupo, and Opso.
On Sunday, my husband went to a soccer match and I attended a workshop titled, “The Art of Food Stories”, put on by two of my favourite food photographers, Rachel Korinek and Bea Lubas. I will write another post about that experience next week, so stay tuned.
One of the most unique and delicious things I tasted was Sumac-Ade at The Palomar. Serving the food of modern day Jerusalem, the menu is strongly influenced by Southern Spain, North Africa and the Levant. (new term for me!!)
Sumac is a spice typically used in Middle East cooking. If you’ve ever had za’atar, then you know sumac. Mixing it into a cocktail is not a very common use of this spice but when you consider the flavour profile of this spice, it makes sense. It has a bright citrus flavour, and is used wherever you want a hit of fresh acidity.
The waiter described it as sparkling lemonade flavoured with sumac. I had to try it. One sip and I was hooked. The tart acidity of the sumac really enhanced the lemonade. I sent the waiter off on a reconnaissance mission to find out how it was made. He came back after consulting with the resident mixologist and explained that she infuses sumac in vodka for 3 days. Then she strains it and adds a small spoonful of it to a large glass filled with ice and fresh lemonade. The drink gets topped off with a big splash of soda water. Although their version was essentially non-alcoholic (just a spoonful of sumac vodka), I decided to create an alcoholic version. While you could use store bought lemonade, it really is better with fresh. You’ll need lots of lemons!It takes a bit of advance planning, but once you make the sumac infusion and lemonade, it’s quick to put together. Fill a large glass with ice. Add lemonade, plain vodka, and a spoonful of the sumac infused vodka. Top with soda water, stir and watch that gorgeous pink colour appear.
On Sunday, in Ottawa, we are expecting 10 centimetres of snow. I figured it was a perfect time to post a lovely spring cocktail.
The black in the title of this drink refers to Ribena, a blackcurrantconcentrate. Ribena was developed in the UK in 1938. It was originally marketed as a healthy drink for kids, owing to its distribution to children as a vitamin C supplement during World War II by the British government. I think it was served to us at snack-time when I was in kindergarten.This is a totally adult version, with gin, lime juice, tonic and lots of ice. I discovered this recipe in the Spring 2013 issue of Food&Drink magazine. Don’t forget to garnish with a few blackberries. We’re going to be fancy! If you want to go the mocktail route, a splash of Ribena is delicious with San Pellegrino and a lime wedge.
Gin and tonic is not really my drink of choice. I’m not much of a hard liquor drinker. Perhaps it has something to do with an unfortunate evening with vodka when I was in junior high school. But that’s a story for another time. My husband, on the other hand, loves gin and tonic.
At our family reunion weekend this past summer, I hired a wonderful caterer to help out with all the cooking. We were a big group and I didn’t want to be stuck in the kitchen all weekend, missing out on all the fun. Erin, the owner of the catering company, suggested we set up a gin and tonic bar for the first night when everyone arrived. I quickly informed her that I didn’t drink gin and tonic. She told me that, clearly, I have not tried the right gin and tonic and she was on a mission to convert me. I agreed, with the caveat that we have some wine and Prosecco ready, just in case. I was fully expecting to take a polite sip, smile and say, “Thanks, that’s lovely.” and quietly pour the drink down the drain when she wasn’t looking. I’m terrible at confrontation.
She mixed up a cocktail using The Botanist Gin, Fever-Tree Tonic Water, and a squeeze of fresh lime. I took a sip and discovered that “Say. I like Gin and Tonic. I do!!” Everyone adored this delicious drink. The gin is created using 22 hand foraged natural botanicals. Gin is traditionally made with juniper which I find has a strong pine presence. The Botanical gin does use juniper but it is judiciously balanced with other botanicals including mint, elderflower, sage, orange peel and thyme to name a few.
Fever-Tree tonic water is the perfect accompaniment to The Botanist Gin, as it is crafted using floral botanicals. The combination of this tonic and that gin are culinary alchemy. I should mention that this is not a sponsored post, but it sure could be. I have come over to the dark side!!In early October we were out for dinner in Toronto and the waiter handed us a gin and tonic menu. One of the cocktails featured The Botanist gin and Fever-Tree tonic. It arrived at the table with a little tray containing dried hibiscus flowers, cucumber and a slice of grapefruit. The hibiscus flowers turned the drink a pretty pink colour and added a lemony-tart and berry-rich flavour. The grapefruit upped the pucker factor and made this an extremely easy to sip, refreshing drink. Last week, as my husband was sipping his gin and tonic and I was enjoying a glass of wine (I’m not totally converted yet!) he asked me how many calories we were each consuming. I did the math and discovered that 1.5 ounces of gin with 6 ounces of tonic water contains about 180 calories. A 5-ounce glass of white wine, I boasted, is only 120 calories. He then asked me when was the last time I poured a 5 ounce glass of wine? Ouch!
With party and holiday season just around the corner, I thought I’d share with you a twist on the classic gin and tonic. Recently on the last night of our holiday in Newfoundland at Fogo Island Inn we were treated to a Cocktail Tasting Session. Assistant Food and Beverage Co-ordinator Bryan put us under his spell as he crafted four special cocktails using classic spirits with the addition of roots, herbs, fruits and berries that grow on Fogo Island.
For our first cocktail, Bryan taught us how to make “Some Shockin Good”, a vodka based cocktail featuring foamed egg white, tart cherry juice, marinated cherries and liquorice syrup. Bryan disappeared into the walk-in freezer and returned with a huge hunk of ice broken off a 10,000 year old iceberg, a giant mallet and some safety goggles. I got to work out my aggressions and smashed some chunks off the iceberg to pour the finished cocktail over. According to Bryan, as an iceberg forms over thousands of years, air becomes trapped between the thin layers of snow. Eventually, that air must find it’s way out, so when you pour a drink over iceberg ice, it snaps,crackles and pops. That’s the sound of gas being released, after being trapped inside for 10,000 years. We happily sipped to the Rice Krispies soundtrack.
The second drink was a cocktail crafted from Screech. My recollection of what else went into that drink is a bit fuzzy. I do recall that for the third cocktail, some kind of smoking gun apparatus was brought to the bar and Bryan smoked some spruce buds (I think?) to add to a whisky based cocktail.
For our fourth cocktail, my husband requested a gin and tonic based drink. Bryan got to work and created a delicious concoction, which we promptly dubbed “The Captain”, my husband’s nickname.
He earned this moniker many years ago, before we became parents. We would visit friends and family with children and inevitably, driving home after the visits, he would comment that when he had kids they would be better behaved than our nieces and nephews. He joked that his kids would salute him and answer “sir, yes sir, daddy sir” when he told them to clean up their toys or go to bed. I know you will be shocked to hear that it didn’t quite go that way with our own.
For this drink, gin and tonic are joined in the glass with lime juice, simple syrup, St. Germaine Elderflower Liqueur and a splash of Chambord liqueur. Should you decide to splurge on a bottle of Elderflower Liqueur, here are a few more great cocktail ideas.Poured over ice, “The Captain” is sure to mellow even the toughest parent at your gathering.
It is always such a startling revelation for me to discover that foods I previously thought I hated, I now actually really like. And, it seems to be happening with more frequency as I age. Perhaps it’s a side effect of Botox use? (Only kidding!)
It began about 15 years ago, with coffee. I thought I didn’t like coffee, but my friend Brigitte introduced me to a big bowl filled with hot steamed milk and foam, with just a tiny bit of coffee and 2 spoonfuls of sugar. What a gateway that was. Within no time at all I was drinking a huge bowl of espresso, with just a touch of steamed milk and a mere 1/4 teaspoon of sugar. A few years ago I joined the dark side and began eating, and loving, cilantro. Then I discovered the joy of Brussels sprouts. I love them raw, sliced thinly on the mandoline, with silvered almonds, Pecorino Romano cheese, lemon juice and olive oil. Then there was the discovery of my love for walnuts and hazelnuts. Walnuts used to send shivers up and down my spine, but now, I love them. I think I was philosophically opposed to hazelnuts because Giada uses them or Nutella in every recipe she makes. Then I had them sprinkled over a salad of green beans, thinly sliced raw mushrooms, parmesan, lemon juice and olive oil. Whoa, talk about taste sensations.
All this to say, that I have just discovered another new edible love. It happened while on holiday with my 5 siblings, 1 niece and mother. We took my mom to Bermuda to celebrate her 75th birthday. I discussed the issues leading up to this journey in my last post. If you read it, or if you have parents and/or siblings, then you will completely understand what I am about to divulge to you. Somehow, as adults, when we get together with our parents and/or siblings, we revert back to childhood patterns and behaviours. I am sure a psychologist would have a field day with the analysis of this phenomenon, but suffice it to say, old jealousies and petty annoyances rear their ugly heads. Let’s just say, that alcohol helped to soften some of these sharp edges.
On our second night in Bermuda, we met in the bar for cocktails before dinner. I love to be with my sisters for many reasons. The fact that three of them love Prosecco, like I do, makes cocktail time much more celebratory. It always feels more festive to order a whole bottle of Prosecco rather than just a glass, like I usually do. The fourth sister ordered a “Gombey Smash.”My mom ordered a glass of water. My brother ordered a gin and tonic. I think he needed to display some testosterone with all these women! My almost 11-year-old niece ordered a ginger ale.
When the drinks came, the sister with the Gombey Smash started licking her lips and making mmmmm noises. Of course I had to taste. She was right! It was fantastic. Fruity, slightly tangy and loaded with my favourite flavour, coconut. I looked at the cocktail menu to see what was in this concoction. Pineapple juice, orange juice, apricot brandy and Malibu rum. RUM?? I don’t like rum. Apparently I do like Malibu rum. A lot!
I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to be with my mom and all my siblings on such a happy occasion. We had never taken a holiday together and it was very special. Now, we just have to hope that the surgery we perform on my 11-year-old niece, to remove her memories of all conversations she may have overheard while on the holiday, goes well! After all, what happens in Bermuda, stays in Bermuda.
Mix up a big batch of this drink at your next family gathering and soon you will all be doing the Gombey Smash!
I think I have a special fondness for these recipes because the last time I had them was at my friend Sandy’s cottage. Sandy and her husband are the ultimate hosts. After almost 3 weeks of rainy July weather, upon our arrival, they arranged for the sun to come out and there it stayed for the entire 3 days of our visit. Each day, at precisely 5:15 p.m., drinks and hors d’oeuvres were served on the dock. There we were, lounging by the lake in our comfy Muskoka chairs and Sandy appeared with a bowl of this tapenade and flatbread crackers. I think my love of this tapenade may also have something to do with the fact that she served it with these ice cold pomegranate martinis.
Any left over tapenade keeps well in the fridge for weeks. It is also wonderful in sandwiches and tossed with hot pasta.
Sandy’s Green Olive Tapenade
2 cups green olives with pimentos, drained of brine
1/3 cup Italian parsley leaves
1 large clove garlic
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Place green olives and parsley in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Turn machine on and drop garlic clove through the top while blade is spinning. Pulse mixture about 10 times until olives are coarsely chopped.
2. Add olive oil, lemon juice and black pepper and pulse 2-3 more times. You want a chunky mixture. Do not process until smooth.
3. Transfer mixture to small serving bowl and serve with crackers or slices of toasted baguette.
Frozen Pomegranate Martinis
This recipe is adapted from a July 2000 recipe in Gourmet Magazine. In the original recipe they used frozen chunks of watermelon instead of the pomegranate ice cubes.
You can actually feel virtuous drinking this cocktail. The antioxidants in pomegranate juice have been shown to be beneficial to heart health by breaking down fatty deposits on the artery walls. This drink requires some advance planning as you need to make POM ice cubes from the juice. Once frozen, they will keep in a zip-loc bag in your freezer for several months. It’s always good to have a bag of POM cubes on hand. You never know who will show up. Serves 4
2 small bottles POM wonderful pomegranate juice (each bottle is 473 ml)
zest from 1 lime
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup lime juice
½ cup Vodka (regular, raspberry, lemon, mandarine) use whatever you have
1. Pour 2 bottles of pomegranate juice into ice cube trays and freeze for several hours, until solid. If not using right away, frozen juice cubes can be kept in a zip-loc bag.
2. Zest Lime and add to sugar. Juice limes.
3. In a blender, combine half the juice ice cubes, lime zest, sugar, and vodka. Blend until almost smooth and add remaining juice cubes, a few at a time, blending until totally smooth.
3. Pour into martini or wine glasses and serve with a straw. Beware of a brain freeze if you slurp too fast.
