Kiwi-marinated Grilled Pork Tenderloin with a Kiwi and Fig Sauce
And this little figgy piggy screamed “kiwi, kiwi, kiwi” all the way home!
This semi-exotic fruit lends a clean, tart flavor to savory dishes.
Category: Cocktail
Anytime’s the perfect time for sangria
I’ve been wondering why sangria isn’t a more popular summertime drink in our wine-drenched state. Sangria’s a great party satisfier, refreshing, fruity and it’s easy to make a large batch.
The Heathman Restaurant & Bar celebrates spirited partnership
When we moved to Oregon about 10 years ago, one of the allures of Salem was that we were still within distance of hearing the siren calls of Portland. So we imagined ourselves spending occasional weekends in the Rose City whenever we tired of our provincial roost. One of those places we hung out at […]
Cozy up to warm drinks made with Oregon spirits
The cold weather snap may be gone, but the mood of the season and the lingering nip in the air has me craving warm winter cocktails. I’m not talking Aunt Sue’s eggnog, which I avoided like someone sneezing, or Irish whiskey either. With so many creative Oregon distilleries making flavored vodkas and gins such as Hood River Distillery’s Yazi Ginger Vodka, House Spirits’ Slabtown Whiskey and Ransom’s Old Tom Gin, it’s time to give the whiskey and gin toddy a distinctly Birkenstock makeover.
Coffee and Spirits — A Portlandia Concoction
There’s nothing more distinctive about Oregon than the coffee-crazed culture here. And what could be more signature Portland than a marriage of coffee and spirits? Just leave it to the creative folks behind Portland’s Distillery Row, a handful of innovative small distilleries who are making handcrafted, locally distilled spirits in the inconspicuous neighborhood of small warehouses and light industrial buildings in Southeast Portland known as the lower east-side industrial district. With more than twenty unique liquors, the six independent distilleries make everything from vodkas, gins, rums and whiskeys, to the more specialized spirits such as absinthe, aquavit and flavored liqueurs. And now they’re brewing up distinctive batches of coffee-flavored spirits.
Tomato Martini - A Late Summer ‘Tini with the Nectar of the Love Apple — Pomme d’amour
Tomatoes are sometimes called pommes d’amour in France. Some say because it is related to a Biblical plant called the mandrake or love plant which was rumored to be an aphrodisiac. (Hmmmm, there was considerable begetting documented in Genesis.) Some early tomatoes were called pomodoro for their golden yellow color. The Aztecs called it xitomatl, meaning “plump thing with a navel.”
Siam Sapphire — A Lemongrass Martini — Shaken, Not Stirred, Please
A few weeks ago, during a warm spell and a flash of inspiration, as well as a flashback to my childhood in Bangkok, I was inspired to make lemongrass soda. This weekend, with my 46th birthday party looming, I made some more of the lemongrass simple syrup to serve, but instead of just splashing it into soda over ice, I decided to shake things up a little and experiment with adding the lemongrass syrup to gin, shaking it in a cocktail shaker and serving it in a martini glass garnished with a kaffir lime leaf. YUMMY!
Why had I not thought of this before?
Homemade Ginger Ale and a Dandy Red Wine Cooler
The ginger ale soft drink as we know it is a descendant of many generations of ginger drinks probably originating in Eastern Europe. Some were alcoholic and some were not, and I’ll bet virtually all delivered a kick and personality you won’t find in the high-fructose corn syrup versions available at most supermarkets. This homemade one will not disappoint. Three kickers in the form of ginger, lemongrass and chiles tamed with sugar and water make for an exotic, energizing, cooling and healthful refreshment.
A Fruity Splash of Flavor — Melontinis
Fruits like watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew remind me of summer. Making aguas frescas from these fruit is a delightful way to enjoy them. Add it to vodka in a cocktail shaker full of ice and voila — you’ve got a great martini!
The Libation Perpetration - How the Green Light Cocktail Took Baltimore
These sorts of capers happen in cities like Baltimore. Charm City, home of The Ravens, The Orioles, John Waters, and the late Edgar Allan Poe. It’s where the “beehive” and “Natty Boh” beer linger on in perpetuity. It is a quirky city full of quirky people. My kind of people.
Of the friends we made while living there, Steve and Mary were the most prone to frequent quirkiness. Steve St. Angelo, AKA Shop Boy, and wife, Mary Mashburn AKA Belle Pica, live in Bolton Hill, a grand neighborhood of town homes dating from as early as 1830.
A Little Fusion Makes for Fun Libations and a Twist on Scallops
I thank my lucky stars that my childhood was spent roaming the globe with my family. I think living in different countries and visiting different countries gives you a broader global perspective, and broadens your mind as well as your palate. As a curious child, I’ve never been afraid of trying different foods during my […]
