This is a really refreshing drink that will surprise your guests.  The first time you make it will take you 90 seconds, after that it will take 60 seconds!  You can use regular granulated sugar, but it may not all dissolve.  If you don’t have superfine sugar, put granulated sugar in a food processor or blender and pulse a few times.  You definitely want to use fresh, thin skinned and blemish free limes.

• 2 oz. Cachaça
• 1 lime
• 1 Tbl. Superfine sugar

1.  Prepare the lime: cut off each end, set it on one of it’s cut ends and cut it in half.  Cutting a small V on each half, remove the center white pith.  Slice each half part way through to make an accordion and drop them into your shaker.
2. Add the sugar to the shaker and muddle with the lime
3. Add the Cachaça and ice and shake, shake, shake.
4. Pour unstrained into chilled double old fashioned.

From the middle of the last century, the martini became basically gin or vodka on the rocks.  The vermouth that originally was prominent, became a splash or even a wash.  This is how to make that cocktail.

• 1 1/2 oz. Dry London gin such as Bombay Sapphire or Vodka
• Fresh Dry Vermouth
• An olive for garnish

1. Chill a martini glass with ice and water
2. Fill a mixing glass with ice and add a splash of dry vermouth and swirl the glass.
3. emtpty the vermouth but retain the ice.
4. Add the Gin or Vodka and stir to chill.
5. Strain into the chilled glass and drop in the olive.

While I was playing with Lillet, I thought I’d try it in a Manhattan.  Well, here it is:

• 2 ozs. Good aged bourbon such as Basil Hayden
• 1 oz. Lillet Rouge
• 1 dash Regans Orange Bitters
• 1 Dash Fees Brothers’ Aromatic Bitters

1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir with

Very simple.  Very tasty.  Baked, not fried.

Ingredients:

• 8 ozs. Flaked Crab meat, picked over for shell
• 8 ozs. cream cheese
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire
• 1/2 tsp Soy sauce
• 1 Tbl. Minced red onion
• 2 Minced green onions white and green parts
• 24 Wonton wrappers

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Combine all ingredients, except wonton wrappers, in a food processor and process until smooth
3. On a work surface, moisten the edges of a wrapper with a little water.  Place 1 – 2 tsp of crab filling in the center of the wrapper.  Bring up the corners to form a crown and press the edges together.  Place the filled wrapper on a parchment paper covered sheet pan or cookie sheet.
4. When all of the wontons are filled, spray liberally with cooking spray.
5. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

I saw these made on a cooking show a couple of years ago.  It was one of those where the directions were incomplete and vague.  This is my version.  We use several different types of olives so it becomes a Forest Gump, box of chocolates thing.

Makes about 2 dozen

Time:  20 minutes active, 1 hour 45 minutes total

• 1 Cup flour
  

  Olive Poppers

• 1/3 Cup cheddar cheese – shredded
• 2 Tbls. cold butter
• ½ Tsp. cayenne
• ½ Tsp. salt
• ¼ Cup plus more water
• Assorted olives
• 4 Tbls. white sesame seeds
• 4 Tbls. black sesame seeds

1. To the bowl of a food processor or mixer fitted with a dough blade/hook, add the flour, cayenne, salt, butter and cheddar cheese.  Pulse a few times, scrapping down the sides until the butter is in little grains.
2. Add ¼ cup water and pulse to combine.  Add additional water, 1 Tbls. at a time, pulsing after each, until a dough just forms.
3. Turn the dough onto plastic wrap, form into a log and refrigerate for 30 minutes – 1 hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 450^o
5. While the dough chills, drain the olives.
6. Combine the sesame seeds in a small dish
7. Cut the dough into coins and flatten with your fingers.  Wrap dough around individual olives.  Roll the poppers in the sesame seeds and arrange them on a parchment paper covered sheet pan.
8. Bake for 20 minutes.
9. Cool slightly and serve.

A classic, pre-prohibition cocktail, created to honor the brand new heroes of aviation.  It was invented by Hugo Ensslin, head bartender at the Hotel Wallick in New York sometime in the early 1900’s.  He included it in his 1916 book Recipes for Mixed Drinks.  I have changed this recipe to conform to his original.  I also found that, depending on the sweetness of the lemon juice, 2 – 3 drops of lemon bitters works well.

• 2 oz. Plymouth Gin
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• ½ oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
• ½ oz. Crème de Violette**
• 2-3 drops of lemon bitters – optional

1. Chill cocktail glass with ice and water
2. Add all ingredients to shaker
3. Shake well with ice 10 – 15 sec.
4. Strain into chilled glass

** Not Creme Yvette, which is purple but tastes different

I decided to play with my Dry Martini.  Using the St George Botanivore Gin, I substituted Lillet Blanc for the vermouth.  The result is a very pleasant drink.  Goes well with our Olive Poppers.

Olive Poppers

• 2 oz. St. George Botanivore Gin
• 1 oz. Lillet Blanc
• 1-2 drops Doc Elliott’s Actually Bitter Orange Bitters
• Lemon Zest

Dry Martini with Lillet

1. Chill a martini glass with ice and water
2. Add all ingredients, except the Lemon Zest, to a mixing glass and stir with ice
3. Strain into chilled glass and garnish with the lemon zest

Cheers!

I generally use a blended malt scotch for this cocktail.  The smoked chai tea really plays along with the background Drambuie.  This requires a Smoke Gun.

Smokin’ Nail

• 2 ozs. Scotch
• 1/2 ozs. Drambuie
• 1 lemon zest
• 1 dash Jerry Thomas Bitters – sub Angostura
• 1 tsp. Chai tea

1. Smoke tea in gun with the tube placed in a lidded decanter.  When decanter is full of smoke, remove smoke tube and seal.
2. Chill a single old fashioned glass with ice and water.
3. In a mixing glass, muddle lemon zest with the Drambuie and bitters
4. Add Scotch and ice.  Stir to chill.  Strain into smoke filled bottle and reseal.  Give the drink a few good shakes in the smokey bottle.
5. Pour drink over fresh ice in the chilled old fashioned glass.
6. You can use the smokey bottle for 2 or 3 drinks.