Michael Ruhlman's Blog, page 5

The Friday Cocktail Hour: The Manhattan

Photos and video by Katherine Guanche. “Only connect”–EM Forster

On Tuesday I drove from Providence to New York City, to our little studio apartment in the West Village. How I miss that neighborhood. I happened to be sitting out on the fire escape enjoying the beautiful spring evening when the clanking and the clapping began. I’d only read about how New Yorkers were trying to honor the care workers. But there it was for real, moving in its ability to connect an entire city.

So today’s cocktail shall be The Manhattan, in honor of that great city, and to enjoy the classic cocktail composed of 2 parts whiskey, one part sweet vermouth, and bitters.

I’ve purchased the digital version of the excellent 3-Ingredient Cocktails by the journalist Robert Simonson (Brooklyn-based according to his website), and he makes special note of the vermouth. The Manhattan was the first, or at least among the first, cocktails to put this aromatic, fortified wine together with a spirit to create a cocktail. Most seem to agree that the cocktail was created at the Manhattan Club in the late 19th century. Whether it was created there by or for Winston Churchill’s American mother is debatable, if desirable, origin story.

This is one of the most solid and durable cocktails I know. Simple ingredients combine to create a complex, satisfying, boozy elixer, using a ratio that can’t be beaten. I reserve the expensive hooch for sipping or for a more straightforward cocktail (such as an Old-Fashioned). But the Manhattan, I think, can and should be made with any drinkable bourbon. I prefer Noilly Prat or Dolin vermouth. And I had some cherry bitters on hand so that’s what I used.

This is a cocktail that I find to be as delicious on the rocks as it is straight up. We used orange for garnish and some sour cherries from Greece that I normally put on my yogurt but worked in a pinch replacement for the traditional maraschino cherry garnish.

Some enjoy a rye Manhattan as opposed to bourbon, but our taste tests favored the bourbon Manhattan. The excellent videographer, Katherine, enjoyed a Manhattan split the difference, 1 part bourbon, 1 part rye, 1 part vermouth, which was a pleasing variation. Perhaps we can name it and East Side West Side Manhattan.

Hoping you are healthy and quarantined (New Yorkers! Wear those masks!), but find yourself in pleasant company and are able to enjoy a fine cocktail with those you love, in person or virtually. We’ve become fans of the virtual cocktail hour. How we miss our friends!

Santé, everyone!

A video from our loft, discussing and making this classic cocktail.





Print


The Manhattan


The classic whiskey-based cocktail

Course Cocktail

Prep Time 2 minutes

Servings 1




Ingredients2 ounces bourbon (or rye or both)1 ounce sweet vermouthseveral dashes bitters (to taste)1 maraschino cherries or orange peel for garnish
InstructionsCombine the liquids. Chill as you wish and serve in a chilled glass or over ice. Garnish with cherries or orange peel.

“Rip’s Authentic Texas Chili”

Chili with fixins, radish, sour cream, scallion, cilantro, fried chilis, rice, cheese.

My father, Rip, loved to cook (and to feed people). And he loved chili. But not what you got in Cleveland.

In 1970s Cleveland, chili meant ground beef and kidney beans in some kind of tomato sauce, often referred to as chili con carne. Which underscores the point that in Cleveland in the 1970s we didn’t really know what the fuck we were doing (but who really did in the 1970s?). Remember, too, that in the south of our state, one restaurant was putting pie seasonings in chili and dumping the shit on spaghetti!)

Also a problem: in the late 1970s, there were not endless recipes online or even definitive sources for variations on dishes, so it was up to him.

My dad wanted the real deal. He didn’t like beans (nor do I, in chili) and was thrilled to discover (could it have been at his beloved Shaker Heights Library?) that the chili they made in Texas typically didn’t have any beans at all and it didn’t have tomato. So he created his version, which was, essentially, beef stew made with beef broth and chili powder. And it was inspiring in its simplicity.

It never would have occurred to him to make beef stock–unthinkable back then, what even was that? Nor were there dried chiles to make real chile powder. But nor were there the authenticity police telling him to go home because his chili wasn’t really authentic. (For a discussion of what “authenticity” really means, listen to Krishnendu Ray on my podcast “From Scratch,” first episode here in season one or wherever you get podcasts.)

Working off his original recipe, typed on a 3×5 card, I ad libbed a fabulous (IMO) chili, much in request in my parts. Which I will call “Rip’s Texas Chili Authentic by way of Cleveland.”

The key here, as with any heavily spiced stews, is not to be afraid of the spices. I use Ranch Gordo’s killer chile powder. But I urge you to make your own chile powder from dried chiles you can find at the store. I always include anchos, dried chipotles, guajillo, arbols and whatever else might be available. I also include plenty of cumin and coriander (best toasted and ground, but it depends on your circs).

I use half beef stock (or better veal stock if you make it) and a can of whole peeled tomatoes. Yes! Tomatoes!

Method couldn’t be more straightforward. I roast the diced beef to set the protein (feel free to flour and brown if you have the time and you love the smell of floured meat hitting hot fat). I cook a big diced onion in some oil with salt, then cook the spices in that oil, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for an hour or two. I thickened it here with beurre manié (four/butter), but you can use a slurry or better, some masa harina instead of flour. Or don’t thicken it at all.

I serve the chili with rice, cheese, sour cream, scallions, some red chiles fried black and crispy in oil and whatever you wish (fresh sliced chiles are great if they’re available). Great dish for groups, especially groups quarantining and binging on movies and card games.

Miss you, Dad. Boy, what you have made of these times? Well, sense, that’s what. As always. Yours ever.

Print


“Rip’s” “Authentic” Texas Chili


This is a straightforward, powerful chili–good chile powder and good stock make it great. (Chili=the dish; chile=the pepper)

Course Main CourseCuisine AmericanKeyword chile, chili, texas

Prep Time 40 minutes






Ingredients2.5 pounds diced beef chuck roastsalt as needed1 large onion, diced1 tbsp vegetable oil2 – 3 tbsp good chile powder1 tbsp ground cumin (preferably toasted and ground)1 tbsp ground coriander (preferably toasted and ground)1/2 tsp cayenne (or to taste)1 can whole peeled tomatoes (28-ounce)2 cups beef stock (or veal stock)1 cup cilantro optional but good
InstructionsPreheat your oven to 425˚F. Spread your diced beef on a sheet tray lined with parchment or foil. Give it a generous dose of salt. Roast it until it's browned. In the mentime, cook your onion in a large pot or dutch oven in the oil over medium high heat. Give it a good hit of salt. When it's tender (brown it if you want), ten minutes or so, add the chile powder, cumin, coriander and cayenne. Cook the spices in the fat. Pour in the beef and any juices in the sheet tray. Stir to combine. (If you're in the mood add a cup of red wine here to deglaze.) Add the juice from the tomatoes and stir to deglaze. Squeeze the tomatoes into pulp into the pot. Add the beef stock. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, and simmer for an hour or two. Taste it. Add salt or more seasonings as needed. If you want it thicker, knead together 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons of flour (or cornstarch and water), and stir this in till it's the consistency you want. (Sorry these weren't in the ingredient list but you have something on hand don't you? And if you don't this will be even more authentic.) Serve garnished with the cilantro. Put out bowls of rice, sliced scallions, chiles, cheese, or what you will (we had some radishes we through in there–we're in quarantine, use what you have, and above all, have fun)!

The Friday Cocktail Hour: The Hemingway Daiquiri

It’s about time I actually made a Hemingway Daiquiri, which adds grapefruit juice and maraschino liqueur to the standard daiquiri. Hemingway apparently didn’t like simple syrup (getting far too much sugar from all the booze he consumed), but I think the cocktail needs it.

The cocktail is excellent up, as above, or on the rocks as in the video below.

As I explain in the video, it was from reading about Hemingway that I discovered the sour cocktail, which is my favorite category of cocktails. Feel free to adjust the ratios to your liking. The one I use here is fairly standard. The simple syrup is up to you.

I really love the variation of the grapefruit juice and of course the cherry flavored liqueur, here Luxardo. (And I mention Cocktail Kingdom in the video, which is a great source for all cocktail accoutrements, such as the mixing glass, stirring spoon and large ice cube trays I use.)

Thanks Katherine Guanche who is one of five in our quarantine, for the videography and the editing! You’re the best!

Print


The Hemingway Daiquiri


The variation on a classic

Course CocktailCuisine AmericanKeyword daiquiri, grapefruite juice, Hemingway, lime juice, Luxardo, marischino liqueur

Prep Time 3 minutes

Servings 1




Ingredients2 ounces white rum3/4 ounce lime juice1/2 ounce grapefruit juice1/2 ounce Luxardo1/2 ounce simple syrup (optional)1 lime disc for garnish
InstructionsCombine all the ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir till thoroughly chilled. Strain into a chilled coup or over ice. Read Chapter 1 of A Moveable Feast while enjoying your Hemingway Daiquiri. (Don't forget to garnish it with the lime!)

The Bread Bandwagon (How To Make Sourdough Bread)

Sourdough Bread

OK, so it’s both as easy as you are lead to believe, and also not exactly.

Several Sundays ago, my wife announced she was going to make sourdough bread starter and read me The NYTimes recipe she was going to try. From the bread guru Peter Reinhart, it begins with pineapple juice, had thought for flavor but have since learned from Ryan in a comment below and a link to thefreshloaf.com lowers the pH to the point that undesirable bacteria can grow preventing yeast from growing.

It reminded me of my first time making starter using another bread guru’s method (Nancy Silverton suggests putting organic grapes into the mix to increase odds of growing enough yeast to leavan the bread). Another baker I knew swore by adding organic purple cabbage to make the starter, which also worked like a charm.

Then, collaborating with Matt McDonald, head baker at the Bouchon Bakery at the time, on the Bouchon Bakery cookbook, he told me how he made a starter: combine flour and water. Putting fruits and vegetables in your starter was ridiculous, he said. There is plenty of yeast in the air and in the flour already.

My wife had gotten me all excited about sourdough, so I started my own Matt McDonald-method starter by putting equal weights flour and water together (you can also do 1 part water and 2 parts flour by volume–but to bake bread, you should really have a scale). About a quarter cup of flour to start. (I had attempted starters before that never took–it’s not a given.)

Within a day I had bubbles, but my wife’s seemed dormant. She accused me of starting a competition, so I threw mine out. But it was too late. I’d already jinxed her starter and it failed to thrive. So we began again. And a couple days ago, after considerable feeding, we had a starter that was ready (just) to do the job. But it really took a good week till it was strong enough. You’ve got to have a sense about it.

I went back to my old ratio of 2 parts flour, 1 part starter, 1 part water (500 grams flour, 250 grams each water and starter or 1 pound flour and 1/2 pound starter and water) plus 1.5% to 2% salt (a tablespoon or so). And after considerable folding and rising, baked something the people wanted to eat. (Remember that the starter is equal parts flour and water if you weigh, which means you can know exactly how much flour and water you have in your dough.)

Not perfect by any stretch. A little under baked, irregular and slightly dense crumb. But not bad. So I made another day before yesterday, bulk fermented it overnight in the fridge. The next day I let it warm up for an our or so, shaped it into a tight boule, and let it rise for a good 3 or 4 hours.

I baked it as is now standard: in a preheated Dutch Oven, 500˚F, 20 minutes covered 30 minutes uncovered:

And I do have to say that, while you have to feed the starter every day and it takes some work, and some bread sense which only comes from practice, it feels really good to leaven a loaf of bread with 100% wild yeast you grew yourself. Notice the rich color of the crust–this only comes from sourdough. Don’t know why, but it’s gorgeous.

That said, if your sourdough isn’t strong enough, I’d go ahead and add 1/4 teaspoon SAF dried yeast just to be sure or until you’ve got a thriving starter. (Don’t add it to your starter or the commercial yeast will take over.) Your dough will still taste really good.

Happy bread baking all!

Print


How To Make Sourdough Bread


an opinionated guide to making your own bread with your own yeast

Course Side DishCuisine AmericanKeyword bread, Sourdough

Prep Time 2 daysCook Time 50 minutes

Servings 6 people




Ingredients1 pound flour (or 500 grams)1/2 pound sourdough starter (see below) (or 250 grams)8 ounces water (or 250 grams)1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt (or 15 grams, about a tablespoon)as needed olive oil
InstructionsCombine the flour, starter and water in a mixing bowl fitted with a dough hook or in a bowl if mixing by hand. Mix till just combined and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes (this is called autolyse, which helps the doughs structure but isn't strictly necessary). Add the salt and continue mixing of kneading until the bread is soft and smooth and pliable, 1o to 15 minutes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for up to 48 hours. Several hours before you intend to bake, remove the bread. Remove the plastic and cover the bowl with a towel. Let the bread warm up for an hour or so. Remove the dough from the bowl. (If you want to see how lively it is, cut it open–you should see a network of bubbles; if you don't, your bread won't rise; throw the dough at your neighbor's house as a primitive form of greeting.) Press the air out and kneed it a bit to move the yeast around to a fresh food supply. Shape the dough into a tight boule by rolling it back and forth and around between your hands. Put the dough in a parchment lined bowl, cover it with a towel and let it rise until you can just stick a finger into the dough and the indent is not quick to bounce back. This can take 2 to 5 hours depending on your dough (remember, it's alive, and everything alive moves at its own pace). Put a Dutch oven in your oven and preheat to 500˚F. When the ovens are hot, rub the top of your dough with some olive oil. With a sharp knife, cut a hashtag in your dough and say "hashtag sourdough!" Using good mits or hand towels put the Dutch oven on your stove top, and remove the cover. Using the parchment, lift the dough out of the bowl and rest it (along with the parchment paper) in the Dutch oven. Cover the Dutch oven (remember it's hot!) and return it to the stove. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 30 minutes or so (if you want to be sure it's done, an instant read thermometer should read about 205˚F). Remove it from the rack. Resist cutting into it for at least one hour! This is much harder than it sounds.







Print


Sourdough Bread Starter


How to make that tricky mixture of flour and water in which natural yeast thrive

Course Side DishCuisine AmericanKeyword Sourdough, sourdough bread, sourdough bread starter, starter, wild yeast, yeast

Prep Time 7 days






Ingredientsflour as needed (you'll want to have plenty, at least a 5# bag to be sure)water as needed
InstructionsCombine 100 grams flour with 100 grams water, and stir to create a paste (I use a quart deli container). Let it sit for 24 hours (you can give it a stir once if you wish). Add the same amounts of flour and water and stir till combined. Let sit for 24 hours. Give it a stir once or twice. Now you can cover it if you wish. You should be seeing bubbles by now. Pour 100 grams of starter into a fresh container and add 100 grams each of flour and water in the morning. That night add 150 grams flour and water and stir. Continue adding about equal measures of flour and water to an equal measure of starter. You'll start dumping your starter (or save it to use for pancakes or waffles–you'll have to calculate flour and water by weight if you use flour and waffle recipes, knowing it's 50% of each). You should have the hang of it by now. You'll need about 250 grams (about 8 ounces) per loaf. Figure out when you want to make your dough and feed your starter on last time about 12 hours before. You want that yeast nice and hungry come mixing time. If your schedule changes or you just can't deal—refrigerate it until you're ready. But I would recommend feeding it again and letting it sit at room temp for 12 hours or so. Sour dough should last indefinitely in your fridge. The longer it sits, though, the more refreshing it may need. (If it's moldy, of course, that would mean it's dead and should be discarded.

Friday Cocktail Hour: The Mezcal Margarita

A taste test of the margarita and the mezcal margarita proves the supremacy of the later.

Having come into adulthood in the 1980s, all I knew of cocktails such as the Daiquiri and the Margarita were that they were slushy chemical confections consumed in unpleasant places. It’s difficult to describe my wonder and delight, then, that this was not the state of the world generally. I believe I was reading about Hemingway, which I did obsessively in my twenties (unusual for aspiring writers, I know).

I came across a description, during his Cuba years, of his daiquiri, which reportedly included grapefruit juice and maraschino liqueur, the telling of course included a description of a standard daiquiri. Visiting my mom in West Palm Beach, I made a standard daiquiri that evening.

I sipped and experienced a delight that felt absolute: This is not the world you know.

I had stumbled into actual cocktails. (Theretofore I knew only these five: the martini, the gin and tonic, the Manhattan, the bloody Mary, and the mint julep.) Read this excellent article, published just yesterday in Grub Street, by Robert Simonson on my favorite category of cocktail which I had stumbled upon in the 1980s: The Sour. (I recommend having a look at his book 3-Ingredient Cocktails.) Spirit, acid, simple syrup.

No wonder, given my love of the sour, that this is the third Friday Cocktail Hour devoted to a Sour (the first, a Whiskey Sour, my favorite sour, includes an egg white). A Margarita comprises 2 parts tequila, 1 part lime juice, 1 part sweet orange liqueur (many, such as Mr. Simonson suggest less of the latter, 3/4 ounce pours of both sweet and sour—but it’s up to you!).

On arrival in Oaxaca a couple years ago, my wife, Ann, and I were immediately served a margarita, which at Casa Oaxaca was by default made with mezcal and it was the best we’d had. The smokiness of the agave spirit elevated the cocktail several notches above an ordinary tequila. (Not surprising for someone whose favorite whiskey is the super peaty Laphroiag.)

The entire trip was a tutorial in mezcal, the amazing spirit, made from any number of agave plants..

We took an AMAZING mezcal tour given by Andrea Hagan who created %Mezcouting, a tour service with her Mexican husband. We visited big and small distilleries and learned and tasted and ate. Tequila must be made with the blue agave plant, Andrea, explained, and must have a majority of agave but can include tons of cheap sugar as well (which accounts for all the crappy tequila out there). It was a fabulous tour and, when the world opens up again, I highly recommend her, as well as the elegant Casa Oaxaca. (I’ve written about my new-found love of food tours generally in this week’s NYTimes travel section called “A Food Snob’s Food Tour Conversion.”)

Get serious about the Margarita (where I’m sheltering in Providence, RI).

Does anyone know who invented the frozen margarita? Apparently this guy did, adapting a soft-serve ice cream machine for cocktails. I’m all for a novelty like this, but not at the expense of actual cocktails.

Please note the color of my simple syrup! It’s made from brown sugar because our grocery store was clean out of regular sugar (#quarantinecooking). A reminder to improvise–need sweet? make a honey syrup or even in a pinch a corn syrup syrup). But whatever you do, if you have a spirit on hand and remembered to pick up or order in plenty of lemons and limes, you’ve got a great cocktail ahead of you. (Below are two margarita recipes and a youtube of my making and tasting one.)

Stay isolated but stay connected! Santé!

Print


Mezcal Margarita


A version of the classic cocktail using the smokey agave spirit

Course CocktailCuisine AmericanKeyword Cointreau, lime juice, Margarita, Mexican, Mexico, Mezcal, Tequila

Prep Time 3 minutes

Servings 1 cocktail


Cost It depends!

Ingredients2 ounces mezcal1 ounce lime juice1 ounce simple syrup1 wedge orange or lime (optional but desirable!)1 pinch salt (optional)
InstructionsCombine the mezcal, lime juice and simple syrup in a glass. Add ice. Garnish with orange or lime and, if you wish, a pinch of salt.

NotesNote, this was made with a simple syrup using brown sugar. To make simple syrup combine equal volumes of sugar and water, and boil or microwave to dissolve the sugar. Store it for up to two weeks in the fridge.





Print


Classic Margarita


The classic proportion for a classic margarita.

Course CocktailCuisine AmericanKeyword cocktail, Cointreau, friday cocktail hour, Lime, lime juice, Mexican, simple syrup, Tequila

Prep Time 2 minutes

Servings 1 cocktail




Ingredients2 ounces tequila3/4 ounce lime juice3/4 ounce simple syrup1 wedge or disc lime
InstructionsCombine the liquids in a glass, add ice and the lime. Enjoy! You've made it through another week of caronavirus quarantine.

Making Stock In the Instant Pot

I’ve been on an Instant Pot tear ever since the Beloved threatened to hide it because I was ruining perfectly good food. One thing I knew it was good for absolutely was stock. I’d found a few pounds of beef bones at the store and 1-1/2 pig’s trotter, and having promised my lofthold beef stroganoff this week, wanted to have good. I’ve got a simple 1 hour beef stock in the new book (using ground beef and gelatin), but the best fast way for stock is the Instant Pot or a pressure cooker.

I learned this when I reviewed Modernist Cuisine for the NYTimes (see the attached recipe for chicken stock). It’s brilliant.

For this stock though, I roasted the bones (this adds flavor and eliminated the protein-blood scum that comes from raw beef bones), put it all in the instant pot (no measuring), added, onion, carrot, parsley, covered it with water, and pressure cooked for 2 hours. Important to let it cool for a natural release, other wise it boils furiously when pressure is manually released.

Strained, I had 8 cups of very rich beef stock.

Of course if you don’t have a pressure cooker or instant stock, you can combine all and put it in a 200˚F oven overnight, another great method.

They don’t call stock the le fond de cuisine for nothing. It makes everything better. It may even call for that old fashioned cocktail my mom used to have at lunch when she worked the garment district in NYC long ago: The Bull Shot.

Note, I’d have put celery in there if I’d had it. I like celery in beef stock (not in chicken or veal). Long ago when I was a cook at Sans Souci in Cleveland, my chef told me to leave the skin on the onion I was using for stock (unless it were dirty). It adds flavor color and nutrients to the stock. Now I always leave the onion skin on when making stock.

Happy cooking, one and all!

Print


Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Beef Stock
.wprm-recipe-rating .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg * { fill: #343434; }

Make beef stock quickly using a pressure cooker

Course StockCuisine American, French, UniversalKeyword Beef, Stock

Prep Time 10 minutesCook Time 3 hours

Servings 2 quarts


Cost $8
EquipmentPressure cooker or Instant Pot
Ingredients3 pounds meaty beef bones (Or however much you have)2 carrots (more or less)1 large onion, root removed, skin on1 bunch parsley or thyme optional1 bay leave optional2 tbsp tomato paste optional
InstructionsCombine all ingredients in an instant pot or pressure cooker. Cover with water. Pressure cook for 2 to 3 hours. Allow to cool, then remove lid and strain.

NotesUse whatever is on hand. I’d have put celery in there if I’d had it. I like celery with beef only. Long ago when I was a cook at Sans Souci in Cleveland, my chef told me to leave the skin on the onion I was using for stock (unless it were dirty). It adds flavor color and nutrients to the stock. Now I always leave the skin on.

The Friday Cocktail Hour: White Lady Jubilee

A modified White Lady: Gin, lemon, cointreau, egg white PLUS splash Luxardo dash cherry bitters

I’m actually really proud of this cocktail. It began when I saw an instagram post by a friend, Matt Kayahara, on instagram, of a white lady. (Matt was one of my recipe testers for my cooking manifestos, Ruhlman’s Twenty and Egg; his chawanmushi was a revelation.) He had added some bitters to it. I’d never made one before so I did that very night. I still found this basic cocktail, what, a kind of gin margarita, I guess, a bit too simple, though the bitters helped.

I’d bought some Luxardo, marschino liqueur, to make an aviation and I thought that might make an interesting addition to the cocktail. It did. And then some. Fortune had long ago placed some cherry bitters in my cabinet, so these were the bitters I used. It is a fabulous cocktail, and the bitters (whatever kind you have on hand) really make a difference. (Also, I didn’t find the cointreau to be sweet enough to balance the lemon so added a couple dashes of simple syrup.)

When making the video below, I forgot to add it! So when I put a few drops into the drink of my stepson, Sam Hood Adrain, he exclaimed, yes, exclaimed, “Oh! Big difference.”

Herewith, then, the White Lady Jubilee (named after the Escoffier classic, Cherries Jubilee, for the Luxardo and cherry bitters).

How to make White Lady Jubiliee for four people. Video by Katherine Guanche.

Stay distant but connected. Stay well. Santé!

Print


White Lady Jubiliee


A variation on The White Lady cocktail, adding bitters and Luxardo

Course CocktailCuisine AmericanKeyword bitters, cocktail, Cointreau, egg white, Gin, Luxardo, White Lady

Prep Time 5 minutes

Servings 1 cocktail




Ingredients2 ounces gin3/4 ounce cointreau (or other orange liqueur)3/4 ounce lemon juice1 teaspoon luxardo (or other maraschino liqueur)3 dashes cherry bitters (or whatever bitters you wish)2 dashes simple syrup (optional, to taste)1/2 egg white (1 is fine, but I use 1 full egg white for 2 cocktails.)1 maraschino cherry or lemon disc
InstructionsCombine all the ingredients except the garnish and mix vigorously until foamy. (If making in batches, buzz with a hand blender. If mixing by hand, put the egg white in first and whisk it till it's foamy.) Add ice to chill. Drink or strain over ice or into a chilled coup. Garnish with a cherry or lemon disc.

NotesObviously, if all you have is gin and lemon and orange liqueur, a white lady is an excellent cocktail. The addition of Luxardo is meaningful, though. The above quantity is for one cocktail but I’m making them for four people tonight. I use a Pyrex measuring glass and pour in a cup of gin, then add 3 ounces each of the lemon and cointreau, bitters and two dashes simply syrup (because the Cointreau isn’t quite sweet enough to balance the lemon). I then add the egg white and buzz with a hand blender. I fill it with ice to chill the cocktail and pour into four glasses over a big ice cube.

Indian Feast (and practice with the Instant Pot)

Clockwise: Green beans with shaa jeera, chana masala, mung bean dal, butter chicken.

Saturday night, the five of us sheltering together decided on an Indian feast for Sunday, with lots of cooking. I’d had some Rancho Gordo garbanzos soaking. I’d also been eager to make my mung bean dal.

We also wanted to put our Instant Pot to work, having given the famous Instant Pot butter chicken recipe a. go (it was OK but we felt it was lacking in flavor. And something green—beans, seasoned with the beguiling spice shaa jeera, sometimes called black cumin, which tastes like a smoked version of cumin.

All recipes below, served with rice and papadums.

We made the chana masala (adapted for Instant Pot from my book From Scratch) early in the day, cooking aromatics and spices using the saute function, then pressure cooking the chickpeas using high pressure. They were done in an astonishing 12 minutes (they reheat beautifully).

Ditto that method for the butter chicken. But, newbies to the Instant Pot, with both recipes we were left with too much liquid, both of which needed to be reduced by half. But the reduction was in fact a great benefit, concentrating the flavors of both sauces. The seasonings for the butter chicken were superb.

The dal (you can use any dal-style bean–but I love the mung and black-eyed peas for their earthiness) uses the excellent technique of “tempering,” which is cooking the spices in browned butter (or ghee), adding lemon to cool it down, and pouring this mixture into the beans at the end.

The following recipes have been amended for the Instant Pot but the chicken and chana masala can be simmered on stove top using double the amount of tomato.

Print


Instant Pot Butter Chicken


A really good version of this popular dish

Course Main CourseCuisine IndianKeyword butter, butter chicken, Chicken, indian cuisiine

Prep Time 30 minutesCook Time 20 minutes

Servings 6 people



EquipmentPressure cooker or Instant Pot helpful but not requiredor a Sauce pan (this can all be done in a sauce pan, just simmer till chicken is tender)
Ingredients1 tsp vegetable oil1 tbls chopped garlic1 tbls minced ginger2 tsp cumin2 tsp coriander2 tsp curry powder2 tsp paprika1/2 tsp Indian chilli powder (or cayenne) if you like it spicy, reduce if not, or add more!24 ounces boneless chicken, large dice skinless thighs are best, breasts if you prefer14 ounce can diced tomatoes or tomato puree or a 28-ounce can if cooking on stove top1 tsp kosher salt or to taste1/2 cup cream4 ounces butteras needed beurre manie or slurry optional, as needed to make it the consistency you wish1/4-1/2 cup cilantro
InstructionsHere's the gist: Sweat garlic and ginger, toast spices , add chicken and saute briefly, add tomatoes just to cover, pressure cook till done then stir in cream and butter. So: In an Instant pot with saute on high, add the oil ginger and garlic and cook until garlic is softened, a minute or so. Add the spices and saute until they become fragrant. Add the chicken and saute it until the outside is cooked. Then add the tomato and salt. Press cancel, then cover and pressure cook on high for ten minutes. (If cooking on the stove, bring to a simmer uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes or until your chicken is tender.) Allow to rest for 20 minutes after cooking, then press steam release. Using the saute function, bring the sauce to a simmer. Add the cream and butter after it's reduced. Taste and adjust seasoning as you wish. If you would like it thicker, simmer to cook off liquid and/or add a cornstarch slurry or beurre manie. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with jasmine or basmati rice.







Print


Instant Pot Chana Masala


One of the great Indian chick pea dishes

Course Main Course, Side DishCuisine IndianKeyword beans, chana masala, chickpeas, garbanzo, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutesCook Time 30 minutes





EquipmentInstant Pot or Pressure cooker (but a sauce pan will do!)
Ingredients1 tsp grated ginger (I've found ginger puree in a tube which I've liked)1 tbls garam masala1 tsp shaa jeera (optional)1/2 tsp ground coriander1/2 tsp ground cumin1/4 tsp Indian chilli powder (or cayenne)1/4 tsp ground cinnamon2 tbls butter14 ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes (use 28 ounces if cooking on stove top)2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight1 tsp kosher saltcilantro as needed for garnish
InstructionsCombine the ginger, garam masala, shaa jeera (if using), coriander, cumin, chilli powder or cayenne, and cinnamon in a ramekin. Press the saute button on your Instant Pot (again you can do this on the stove top in a sauce pan). When the butter is frothy and about to brown, add the ingredients from the ramekin and saute till fragrant, about a minute. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas and salt. Cancel the saute, cover the Instant Pot and set timer for 12 minutes. Allow the chickpeas to rest 20 or 30 minutes before releasing the steam. Taste and evaluate the chickpeas. Consider reducing by. simmering or thickening with a slurry. Add more salt if it needs it. A squeeze of lemon if you have it never hurt any dish that I know of.

NotesTo repeat, the recipe is for an instant pot or pressure cooker. The beans will take about 45 minutes to an hour conventionally. You can also use two 15-ounce cans of chickpeas. In this case I recommend stovetop method, simmering the 28. ounces of tomatoes and spiced for 30 minutes, adding the chickpeas and cooking another 15 minutes. This recipe is adapted from my book From Scratch.





Print


Lemon-Cumin Dal


This is my favorite and unconventional dal, using mung beans

Course Main Course, Side DishCuisine IndianKeyword blackeyed peas, Dal, Indian cuisine, Mung beans

Prep Time 15 minutesCook Time 1 hour

Servings 6 people




Ingredients1 cup mung beans, rinsed and picked over for unusable beans or inedibles1/3 cup black-eyed peas1 tsp ground cumin1/2 tsp shaa jeera (optional but I think it's important)1 tsp turmeric1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder (I like it spicy; reduce if you do not)1/2 tsp kosher salt2 cloves smashed with the flat side of a knife and chopped2 tsp grated ginger3 tbls butter2 tbls lemon juice1/4 cup picked cilantro
InstructionsIn a medium saucepan, combine the beans and peas. Add 3 1/2 cups/840 milliliters water. Bring to a simmer over high heat, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the water has reduced to the level of the beans and the beans are tender, 45 minutes. In a small dish, combine the cumin, kala jeera, turmeric, cayenne, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, garlic, and ginger. In a small frying pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and cook until the frothing subsides and the butter has browned slightly. Add the spice mixture and sauté for 20 seconds or so. Stir into the dal. Bring the dal to a simmer, remove from the heat, and stir in the 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Taste for seasoning, and add more lemon or salt as needed. Serve garnished with cilantro, if desired.

NotesThis thick bean dish is in the style of Indian preparations that often use red or yellow split peas or lentils. Here, I combine mung beans and black-eyed peas because I particularly like the earthiness of the peas. Adapted from a recipe by an Indian chemist turned restaurateur I once wrote about, it’s a staple in our house. The dal takes an hour to cook but only about five minutes of prep time. It is finished with a serious dose of acidity, in the form of lemon juice, but if you have access to tamarind pulp, use that in place of the lemon. I like the smokiness of the kala jeera, also called black cumin (available at Indian food markets), but the dal is delicious without it. In addition to demonstrating the impact of acidity, this recipe cooks the spices and aromatics in butter before they are added to the beans. Once you’ve seen how powerfully this technique works, it is open to many interpretations and different spice levels. A traditional dal would use ghee, or clarified browned butter, another option. The dal makes a hearty vegetarian meal with some basmati rice and fried bread, my favorite being pappadams.





Print


Shaa Jeera Green Beans (or cumin green beens)


An easy fragrant vegetable side dish, green beans with Indian spice

Course Side DishCuisine IndianKeyword Green Beans, indian cuisiine, Shaa jeera, vegetarian

Prep Time 20 minutesCook Time 3 minutes

Servings 6




Ingredients1-1/2 pounds green beans, boiled till al dente then shocked3 tbls butter2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped2 tsp minced or grated ginger1 tbls shaa jeera (you can do this with whole cumin seeds if you must but it's not the same)
InstructionsMake sure green beans are well drain. In a heavy skillet over high heat, melt the butter. When it begins to froth, add the garlic ginger and shaa jeera (or cumin seeds). Cook until tender, about 30 seconds. Add the beans and stir fry till they're coated with butter and seasonings and heated through, a minute or two.

Happy cooking, all!

Friday Cocktail Hour! The Maraschino Daiquiri

Rum, lime, simple syrup and marischino liqueur.

I did not splurge on the Crème de Violet for the Aviation, which is not, IMHO, strictly required for the bracing, gin-based concoction. I prepared our cocktails for a Zoom reading Sunday night by the estimable Bill Roorbach, isolating in Maine.

Bill read a new short story called “At 12,” referencing the Sally Mann book of photos whose subject is the evolving identities of adolescent girls. (And I’ll take the opportunity to recommend both Bill’s fine book of short stories, The Girl In the Lake, and Sally Mann’s superb memoir, Hold Still).

I highly recommend such gatherings. What a strange comfort it was to see so many faces, most of them unfamiliar, isolating just as we were, but here together. We did another last night with Bill’s fellow Mainer, Lily King and her new book, Writers & Lovers.

A new cocktail each evening has been one of the pleasures on quarantining (thus the Aviation). Finding a surplus of Bacardi in the pantry (leftover from a Christmas rum punch), I suggested for the following evening, a proper Daquiri (rum, lime juice, simple syrup).

Having enjoyed the Aviation so much during the reading, and in possession of Luxardo, I thought, “Hmm.” And sure enough the combination was eminently worthy of becoming a cocktail itself, which I will call the Maraschino Daquiri.

A cocktail variation is born. (Not to be confused with The Casino, which is an Aviation with Luxardo and orange bitters replacing the Crème de Violet.)

Cheers, to all on this our third week in quarantine, and our third Friday Cocktail Hour.

Print


Maraschino Daiquiri
.wprm-recipe-rating .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg * { fill: #343434; }

A variation on the Aviation and the Daiquiri

Course CocktailCuisine AmericanKeyword aviation, daiquiri, Gin, Lime, Luxardo, simple syrup

Prep Time 3 minutes

Servings 2




Ingredients4 ounces light rum2 ounces lime juice2 ounces simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water)1.5 ounces maraschino liqueur (Luxardo)
InstructionsCombine the ingredients and stir. Taste. Adjust for sweet-sour balance. Fill your measuring glass with ice and stir to chill. Pour into chilled coups, martini glasses or, if you prefer, into tumbler with ice.

Friday Cocktail Hour! The Maraschino Daquiri

Rum, lime, simple syrup and marischino liqueur.

I’d bought a bottle of Luxardo so I could mix for my Beloved an Aviation, one of her favorites. Luxardo the best known brand of maraschino liqueur, a very sweet, almost syrupy elixer made from the sour marasca cherry grown from Italy through the balkans and best known in Croatia. (Here are some other brands, written about at the at thekitchn.com.) I love cherries and perhaps reached back in my mind to a long ago cocktail hour featuring sour cherries.

I did not splurge on the Crème de Violet for the Aviation, which is not, IMHO, strictly required for the bracing, gin-based concoction. I prepared our cocktails for a Zoom reading Sunday night by the estimable Bill Roorbach, isolating in Maine. Bill read a new short story called “At 12,” referencing the Sally Mann book of photos whose subject is the evolving identities of adolescent girls. (And I’ll take the opportunity to recommend both Bill’s fine book of short stories, The Girl In the Lake, and Sally Mann’s superb memoir, Hold Still).

I highly recommend such gatherings. What a strange comfort it was to see so many faces, most of them unfamiliar, isolating just as we were, but here together. We did another last night with Bill’s fellow Mainer, Lily King and her new book, Writers & Lovers. Ann and I will be doing a reading/conversation on Sunday at 5 pm, talking about food and writing and cooking in the era of coronavirus. (You’re more than welcome to join us! I’ll put a link at the top of this post on Sunday. It’s part of the Speedwell Live series, a Portland art gallery.)

A new cocktail each evening has been one of the pleasures on quarantining (thus the Aviation). Finding a surplus of Bacardi in the pantry (leftover from a Christmas rum punch), I suggested for the following evening, a proper Daquiri (rum, lime juice, simple syrup).

Having enjoyed the Aviation so much during the reading, and in possession of Luxardo, I thought, “Hmm.” And sure enough the combination was eminently worthy of becoming a cocktail itself, which I will call the Maraschino Daquiri. A cocktail variation is born. (Not to be confused with The Casino, which is an Aviation with Luxardo and orange bitters replacing the Crème de Violet.)

Cheers, to all on this our third week in quarantine, and our third Friday Cocktail Hour.

Print


Maraschino Daiquiri
.wprm-recipe-rating .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg * { fill: #343434; }

A variation on the Aviation and the Daiquiri

Course CocktailCuisine AmericanKeyword aviation, daiquiri, Gin, Lime, Luxardo, simple syrup

Prep Time 3 minutes

Servings 2




Ingredients4 ounces light rum2 ounces lime juice2 ounces simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water)1.5 ounces maraschino liqueur (Luxardo)
InstructionsCombine the ingredients and stir. Taste. Adjust for sweet-sour balance. Fill your measuring glass with ice and stir to chill. Pour into chilled coups, martini glasses or, if you prefer, into tumbler with ice.