Measure By Measure

I'm a bit of a fiend for measuring cups, like when I make pancakes or cookies -- I like to make'em the same size, more or less, for consistency of cooking, so I pour'em with measuring cups. Usually, an ice cream scoop's worth of cookie dough, which I then halve, rolling them into balls. That gives me a consistent outcome. For pancakes (etc.), usually one-third of a cup is ideal for a nice-sized pancake.

Blanching

I've taken to getting fresh baby leaf spinach and blanching it a minute in the microwave, then adding feta cheese and black pepper to it, and blanching it another minute. Then I like toasting a plain bagel and putting the spinach-n-feta mixture on it. Really tasty!

Mumbo Jumbo Bumbo

I've lately taken to making Bumbo. Something about the season, I dunno, it just suits me. I have crafted my own recipe (below), after kind of playing with the ingredients. Bumbo recipes don't tend to use ice, but I like'em with ice, personally. Your call on that. Play with the proportions until you get a tan-hued beverage where the citrus blends with the rum with hints of the spices in the taste. I tend to eyeball these ingredients, myself. You'll know when you've gotten it right. Hell I just made myself one while working on this entry. Bottoms up, me hearties!

Mumbo Jumbo Bumbo

Pint Glass

2 ounces spiced rum
5 dashes bitters
3 ounces of icewater
1 dash ground cinnamon
1 dash ground nutmeg
2 tsp. of sugar
orange juice
random garnish*

Start with the rum and the bitters. Add the water, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar. Stir until nicely mixed. Then add some crushed ice and the orange juice to fill the glass, giving it a quick stir.

*Garnish with a cinnamon stick, a red maraschino cherry, a twist of orange peel, or an orange wedge, if you like.

Mmmmmilkshake

"Is that whiskey in your milkshake, or are you just happy to see me?" Bahaha!

I definitely have to futz around with this...

Who Put the Whiskey in My Milkshake?

I would say the malt powder is mandatory, not optional...

Bourbon Street Milkshake

Published: September 7, 2010
Adapted from Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn

Time: 5 minutes

1 cup vanilla ice cream made with egg yolks
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 1/2 ounces bourbon
2 tablespoons hazelnut spread
1 teaspoon malt powder (optional).

Measure ice cream and keep in freezer until ready to mix. Combine other ingredients in a blender or milkshake canister. Blend at medium speed until smooth and the hazelnut spread is all incorporated. Add ice cream and blend until creamy. Pour into a chilled sundae glass.

Yield: 1 milkshake.

Primo Vino

Best white wines come from Spain?

Potato Gnocchi

I cooked potato gnocchi with a tomato-mascarpone sauce, and it was good. I used red cooking wine, tomatoes, romano cheese, and fresh basil in the sauce, plus some Cholula Hot Sauce and black pepper to give it a little kick.

I'd wanted to catch it in sunlight, but the sun had set before I'd plated it, so I was stuck with flash photography, which doesn't do it full justice. I served it with petite Brussels sprouts (themselves lightly buttered and peppered). Tasted very good, although I love gnocchi, anyway.

Pepsi Throwback

I saw that Pepsi was doing it's "Pepsi Throwback" thing, trotting out (for a limited time! Oooh!) it's made-with-sugar formula. Had to get some, even as I was piqued by the campaign, since, of course, it's what should be in the soda to begin with, versus the high-fructose corn syrup they use because, thanks to the corn subsidy/lobby, it's cheaper. I'm not a big soda drinker (yeah, I call it "soda," never "pop"), but the stuff IS definitely good, and makes me mournful that soda companies went the corn syrup way. Sugar is better, and, I think, is ultimately better for you than high fructose corn syrup. So, it was nice to have that, although it heightened just how sucky the usual stuff is. I know folks who get the Mexican versions of Coke or Pepsi, because they still use sugar instead of corn syrup (although these days they seem to be hedging their bets on the labels -- I've heard people say that they say "sugar or corn syrup" on the labels, now, so even Mexico's waffling on it). Anyway, good stuff, the Pepsi Throwback. Get it while you can, and savor the flavor.