Following up Amy Yu’s post on “Cranberry White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies” on food that are favored during exam times, I have inclination to always look for drinks (usually coffee or tea) during stressed midterm periods. Even as I am writing this post in between studying for my midterms and worrying about weekly assignments for classes, I am sipping on Wawa coffee. I look for drinks (during the exam periods, I am always addicted to them) more than sweets (although I love cookies and cupcakes) I guess because drinks just last longer. While I try to concentrate on something and therefore stressed at the same time, I would repeat the same action without really being aware of it. If I had some sweet treat next to me while studying for a test, then I would constantly grab a piece of that and bring it to my mouth, chew, swallow and repeat the same action without being aware that I am getting full and getting fat. Whereas for drinks, although I would repeat the same action of sipping (since the drinks are usually hot, I cannot drink too much at a time), it would just last longer. Okay. Enough being said about how I got addicted to drinks while studying for midterms, after drinking coffee and tea from Starbucks, Mark’s Café and Wawa (all for convenience of proximity– they are mediocre drinks, personally), I wanted to drink something of new and of distinct flavor that would satisfy my tiredness of dullness I was having from same coffee and tea every day. Daydreaming about new and peculiar flavors, the memory of having this Thai drink at Thai Singha House on 39th and Chestnut passed suddenly my mind.
My first exploration of Thai food was during my first year at Penn when my friend took me to Thai Singha House for lunch on one Saturday. I remember I had shrimp Pad Thai which was also excellent (to my personal opinion it’s the best Pad Thai on campus), and my friend asked me if I wanted to try Thai Ice Tea as she was ordering hers. She explained to me that it’s one of the drinks that people have extreme opinions on, those who like it really like it and those who don’t do not want to try it again. So I’ve decided to try this as it sounded very interesting. When I took a first deep sip, the flavor that I could not describe with any other food or ingredient swished through my mouth. It was too unique that I could not decide whether I liked it or not just by one sip. In courtesy of my friend, I took another sip and another and I was actually getting into it. It was sort of an awakening and also a funny moment as my other friend who tried Thai Ice Tea with me for the first time did like it so much yet neither of us really knew how to describe its flavor.
Having the memory pass through my mind, I made a quick visit back to Singha Thai House from Van Pelt. The restaurant was very vibrant with lots of people since it was about dinner time. I’ve ordered my Sweet Thai Ice Tea and Shrimp Pad Thai again but this time for take out since I was in a midst of cramming for my midterm. While I was waiting, I got to see a waiter making Thai Ice Tea by pouring already extracted Thai tea from its leaves and mixing with half & half cream (unfortunately, I was talking on the phone with a friend so I could not get to take a picture of this process). This time, I could more enjoy the taste of tea as I was getting more used to it. And it actually tasted sweeter than my first try. But it was definitely worth walking to 39th and Chestnut from Van Pelt for its distinctive taste that I was craving for. Actually, since it has already been a week since I made the exploration, I am craving Sweet Thai tea again as I am writing this post and finishing my Wawa coffee.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Midterm Drink: Sweet Thai Iced Tea
Monday, March 19, 2012
Sumptuous Spring
As the sun shines on Philadelphia, hot drinks no longer quench thirst as they once did in the winter. Instead they’ve been replaced by cold, refreshing drinks. One of my favorite spring treats, the smoothie, can easily be made in a variety of ways. My favorite version takes away the yogurt, creating a delicately light treat. This recipe is very approximate and very much up to you. So, feel free to substitute the fruit and to add more or less ice/juice as you please!
Serving size: 1 smoothie
Ingredients:
1 cup of orange juice
¼ cup ice
4 strawberries cut in slices
½ banana cut in slices
Pinch of sugar
Directions:
Fill the blender first with ice.
Add strawberries, bananas, and orange juice.
Blend together until desired consistency (smooth without a lot of chunks). Add more ice or juice as needed.
Be sure to taste the smoothie as you go along to see how much sugar you need (really depends on your taste!).
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Fine Belgian Beer
This is a continuation of our Belgian food series.
Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. - Benjamin Franklin
Any beer connoisseur knows Belgium brews some of the finest beers in the world. Beers of every variety are brewed in Belgium, from cherry-flavored to those with upwards of 11% alcohol by volume (ABV)—nearly the same ABV as a glass of wine! Visiting breweries is a popular tourist attraction in Belgium, and a fun way to spend the afternoon.
Fun fact = Belgians consume, according to one estimate, 93 liters of beer per person a year, compared to the US at 81.6 liters per person
During the 19th century, there were over 3,000 registered breweries in the country. But after two World Wars and a depression in the first half of the 20th century, the number of breweries dropped to 755. Later, with the growth of industrialization, many breweries merged and were taken over my larger concerns, dropping the number of remaining breweries today to around 100.
Fun fact = In Belgium and other parts of Europe, the words "café" and "bar" are used interchangeably to denote what we would call a bar in the US.
Belgian beers can be classified by their style, differences in taste and color created by variants of the brewing process, and type, details like the brewing location and alcohol content.
Styles:
• Blonde, Amber, and Brown ales are beers differentiated based on their color. A beer's color is dependent on the color of the malts (the germinated and dried grains like barely used to make beer) used in brewing, and is unrelated to the alcohol content. My favorite of these ales were the Blondes; I recommend trying Leffe Blonde, La Chouffe Achouffe, and Delirium Tremens.
Fun fact = Délirium Café in Brussels holds the Guinness World Record for the bar with most beers available at 2,004.
• Pilsner is another popular style of beer and is characterized by its light color and hop flavor. Stella Artois, Jupiler, Maes pils, and Cristal are all Belgian Pilsners. Stella Artois originates from Leuven, the town I studied abroad in, and is still brewed there today. In student bars you could get a glass for 80 Euro cents, about $1.05 US dollars—much cheaper than the $5 and upwards you’ll pay for a Stella in the US!
Fun Fact = Belgians, as I observed, drink beer around the clock. On sunny days, the Oude Markt (an historic central square filled with bars/cafes and restaurants) would be full of people drinking at tables by 11 a.m..
• Lambic beers are produced using spontaneous fermentation by exposing the beer to wild yeast in the air in large, open vats. This unusual process results in a characteristic cidery flavor with a sour aftertaste. Some of the more interesting Lambics I tried in Belgium were fruit flavored, like cherry-flavored Kriek and raspberry-favored Framboos.
Fun fact = Almost every brand of beer has its own unique glass, ranging from elaborate hour-glass shapes that require a stand (see photo), to branded chalices and goblets. Broken glassware, as you can imagine, is a huge expense for the bars, who have to stock the different glasses for all of their beers.
• The last style, but certainly not the least, of beer I’ll describe are White beers, which are made with a blend of herbs (mainly of coriander, orange, bitter orange, and hops), wheat, and barely. They get their name from the pale, cloudy color they have when cold. My favorite of this variety was Hoegaarden.
Types:
• Some will be familiar with the term “Trappist beer,” but fewer know the history behind it. Trappist is a Roman Catholic religious order of cloistered monks, and it was Trappist monks who first brewed beer in Belgium during the Middle Ages. There are strict criteria to label a beer as Trappist, and today only six Belgian monasteries selling Trappist beer remain: Achel, Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle, and Westvleteren. I tried the famous Westmalle Tripel, a strong pale ale; it was the most alcoholic beer I had while in Belgium at 9.5% ABV.
Fun fact = “Cheers!” in Dutch is “Proost!”
• Certified Abbey beers are beers brewed by other non-Trappist monasteries, or by commercial breweries in connection with an existing or abandoned monastery. (Remember, neither the terms Trappist nor Abbey signify a style of beer, but rather they tell where the beers come from.)
Fun fact = In 2008, Anheuser-Busch, an American brewery known for its brands like Budweiser and Natural Light, was acquired by Brazilian-Belgian brewing company InBev (which brews Stella Artois and Hoegaarden, among other beers) for a total value of $52 billion
•The terms Tripel and Dubbel indicate the percentage alcohol content of the beer. A Dubbel has double the alcohol content of your average beer at 6 – 7.5% ABV, and a Tripel, you guessed it, has triple the alcohol content at 7% - 10% ABV. My favorite Tripel was the Tripel Karmeliet (8.4% ABV).
Luckily, Philadelphia is full of bars offering a variety of fine Belgian beers. City Tap House in West Philly serves an impressive 11 Belgian beers, including Tripel Karmeliet!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
'Tis the Season for Hot Chocolate!
The beginning of winter means different things to different people—hope for snow, the impending winter break and an end to the misery that is finals, heartwarming Christmas songs—but for me, it signifies that it is once more socially smiled-upon to drink hot chocolate. Hot chocolate, a drink generally delegated to children, once possessed both nutritional and status-related value in Europe and South America. Before cocoa powder and chocolate candy bars were invented, chocolate was only consumed in a thick, liquid form. Following the extraction of the cocoa oil, chocolate’s value as a solid food grew, in part supplanting its use as a beverage. While hot chocolate continues to be drunk today, its consumption in the U.S. at least is mostly restricted to colder months and younger people. That should not deter anyone of any age from enjoying this special drink, however, and to add a little spin on the familiar ingredients you could try one of the following add-ins! Hot chocolate is a wonderful treat that you can adjust to your own taste. Here are a few additional ingredients—some more creative than others—that fellow Penn students recommend:
The Classics
Whipped cream
Marshmallow
The Spices
Cinnamon
Chile pepper
The Caffeinated
Coffee (mocha)
The Candies
Peppermint
Caramel
Butterscotch
The Fruits and Nuts
Coconut Milk
Hazelnut (Nutella)
Orange (rinds or melted chocolate)
The Adventurous
Peanut Butter
Black licorice
And if chocolate isn’t your thing but you are still looking for a warm, seasonal beverage, you could try hot vanilla! Boil milk on the stove (or microwave), add a few drops of vanilla extract, and cinnamon and sugar to taste!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Pre-Prohibition Cocktail Class with Jason Wilson
On Friday, November 18, Jason Wilson, the spirits columnist from the Washington Post, lead a class on Pre-Prohibition Cocktails at the Wine School of Philadelphia. Originally supposed to discuss and sample wine cocktails, the name of the class was changed by the Wine School a week before it was given to attract more people.
Arriving on Friday evening, every seat was full and people were eagerly anticipating both the drinks and Jason Wilson's impressive knowledge of liquors, cocktails, and their histories. Over the course of the night we had seven flights of drinks and were allowed to sample some of the ingredients in the cocktails. As we drank, Jason asked us what we thought about each cocktail, including any tastes or pairings (food or weather). We started off the evening with Light Guard Punch, which was a hot-weather punch. As we drank the punch, Jason gave us a background of the punch: since drink history is generally nebulous and passed down orally, it is hard to be certain about the origins of drinks; for instance punch was the first mixed drink and dates back to the 16th century. It was possibly first made by British sailors.
He noted that punch (and any good cocktail) should have the following five elements: strong, sweet, sour, bitter, and weak.
We then tried a drink containing sherry, sweet vermouth and bitters called the Duke of Marlborough, a version of which can be found in most early-20th century guides. Variations of the ingredients in the drink can lead to different names. Both sherry and vermouth are fortified wines, although Jason added that the latter was much disdained in the United States, leading to the creation of the dry martini. To Jason, bitters (which are 90 proof and can be bought in grocery stores) are used like salt and pepper - it brings the flavors of the drink together, and you use only a dash or two.
In the picture to the left, the Light Guard Punch is on the left and the Duke of Marlborough is on the right. These two are light cocktails, consumed early in the meal. Delving for a short time into the history of vermouth in the United States, Jason speculated that as vermouth became popular around the Civil War, which was about when martinis originated, ordering a martini was ordering the Martini-Rossi sweet vermouth with gin, as there was a limited variety of alcohol in bars at the time.
We then had two variations of the Manhattan, which generally contains whiskey (rye, bourbon, or Canadian), vermouth, sherry, and bitters. The Manhattan bianco consisted of bourbon, a lemon peel twist garnish, and Bianca vermouth, which Jason said was the most popular spirit in Italy, where it is drunk on the rocks with lemon. We then had the Red Hook, a more complex drink, of which the ingredients were rye whiskey with Punt e Mes and Maraschino liqueur and a Maraschino cherry for garnish.
The other drinks we had were Thieves' Punch, (which consisted of cachaca, a distilled sugar cane liquor that is the most popular alcohol in Brazil, port, lime juice, syrup, and bitters and tasted a bit like tequila due to the lime but did not induce a gag reflex as tequila often does for me), Nouveau Sangaree (which was red wine, applejack, sloe gin, maple syrup, and bitters), and the Dunaway (made from sherry, Cynar, maraschino liqueur and bitters).
Though I omitted ice when listing ingredients, it was used in the making of every cocktail except for the Nouveau Sangaree. Towards the end of the class, Jason fielded some questions about a variety of topics. When asked how old bars operated (contrasting them a bit with the new speakeasy style bars), he said like today, they did use measure out the quantities (and proportions) of alcohols using jiggers. A bourbon fan then asked a question that I thought was fairly relevant to college students: should he use his high quality bourbon for drinking on the rocks (on ice in a tumbler) and use cheap low quality bourbon for mixed drinks? Jason thought about this one for a little and then remarked that if the man liked his bourbon, he recommended not using total garbage in mixed drinks, as you want the real thing. He added that you also don't want a low proof whiskey when mixing cocktails, because with a high alcohol whiskey the flavors can compete, then commenting that an act of Congress regulates the content of bourbon (and then someone said "at least they got something right!"). We also learned that the charred oak bottle that bourbon must spend time in determines the color of the whiskey, as distilled whiskey comes out white. I came away from the class with a fantastic buzz, some fun recipes, a broadened alcoholic pallet, and a greater appreciation for early 20th century cocktails.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Bloggers' Bites: Buy Bai?
Last week, the Penn Appetit blog staff had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner together. We feasted on a homemade roast chicken (masquerading as chicken), an elegant homemade gluten-free chocolate cake, black and white cookies, and homemade pumpkin chocolate chip cookie cakes. We also purchased our sides, macaroni and cheese and broccoli with peppers and onions, from Picnic, located a little past David Rittenhouse Labs. It was a great way to enjoy each other's company and indulge in some delicious seasonal fare. Plus, we learned how to carve a chicken (thank heavens for Youtube videos)!
We also had the pleasure of sampling Bai. An "antioxidant infusion" beverage, we were able to sample 4 different flavors: Costa Rica Clementine, Jamaica Blueberry, Panama Peach, and Sumatra Dragonfruit. Here's what we had to say about the drinks:
Nicole Woon: Every day, it seems like we're assaulted by ads for the latest electrolyte drink or newest vitamin water. As a result, I'm never keen on trying it each time something new is launched. Yet here I found myself sipping Bai. Marketed as a "100% Natural, antioxidant-infused beverage, powered by the coffee fruit," I wasn't sure what to expect. The taste resembles water with fruity undertones. I was surprised by both the large dosage of "coffee fruit" (caffeine?) and the serving size of only 5 calories. While this isn't my usual drink of choice, I'd be fine drinking it every once in a while.
Abigail Koffler: I sampled the Costa Rica Clementine flavor and enjoyed the more delicate citrus taste. The flavor selection was good, as clementine is an uncommon drink flavor. However, I am skeptical of the antioxidant benefits that Bai provides and wary of the sweeteners used in their low calorie flavors. I would probably not pay money for Bai but I'd be happy to enjoy some at friend's house or event.
Laura Sluyter: I don't see myself ever buying Bai. To be fair, I'm probably not their target audience as for taste and health reasons I'm rather skeptical of anything sweetened with unrecognizable ingredients. The taste wasn't as pure or natural as I would like, but I do appreciate Bai's efforts to make a healthier drink. Given a choice between Bai or soda, I would definitely choose Bai.
Elliott Brooks: I'm not a huge fan of low-calorie energy drinks, and Bai was no different. The Costa Rica Clementine that I sampled tasted vaguely orange-like, but was overpowered with the cloying chemical taste of artificial sweeteners. I hoped the non-sugar free flavor, Jamaica Blueberry, would be different. However, it was just as chemical tasting, not reminiscent of a blueberry at all. I ended up trying to pass off my free bottles to my friends, but they quickly warned each other off saying, "It's a trick! Don't accept any of the drinks from her, they're nasty!"
Brittney Joyce: I enjoyed the Bai more than I expected to. I don't usually like flavored-water type drinks but the Bai was surprisingly tasty without being too watery or too much like juice. My favorite was probably the dragonfruit. Although I have never eaten a real dragonfruit, the dragonfruit-flavored Bai was pleasantly thirst quenching and subtly sweet.
Maggie Buff: I liked the Bai drinks as a low-calorie, low-sugar, cold, caffeine-containing alternative to coffee and tea. As someone who has been wary of experimenting with anything as “unnatural” as Red Bull for an energy boost, I liked the idea of using “coffee’s superfruit” as an energy source, plus the flavors were all very interesting-sounding (Costa Rica Clementine and Panama Peach, for example). As far as taste goes, the Jamaican Blueberry flavor was definitely my favorite of the three I tried. I found it more natural tasting, which I suspected might be due to its higher fruit concentration (it contained 10% fruit juice, while the other two flavors contained just 4%). Overall, while I like tea and coffee too much to consider switching to another energy supplement, I will keep Bai in mind if I ever want a cold caffeinated drink.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
A "Wine"derful Time with Robert Mondavi Winery (TASTE Philadelphia Pt. II)
The 6th Annual Robert Mondavi Discover Wine Tour made its final stop in Philadelphia for the 2nd Annual TASTE Philadelphia Festival. The wine tour aims to bring “the Napa Valley wine country experience to wine lovers across the United States” through various educational seminars and interactive stations. At TASTE, Mondavi set up a Napa-inspired tasting pavilion with details down to the very last trellis. I was fortunate enough to attend a cooking demonstration with Ted Allen, host of Food Network’s “Chopped,” and participate in an intimate wine tasting session.
My evening began with the delicious cooking demo, complete with excellent samples. Ted has been a Robert Mondavi Private Selection Food and Wine Ambassador for five years running; his enthusiasm for the role was evident as soon as he took the mic. After explaining his passion for Mondavi Winery, he engaged the fifty-person audience in a toast and soon took center stage in the makeshift kitchen. He happily answered questions from the audience and offered helpful tidbits of advice throughout the demo, from identifying the best steak to serve “blue” (a.k.a. very, very rare) (after much thought, he suggested a filet) to encouraging chefs at home to “taste as they go” to produce the best dishes.
For this festival’s demonstration, he prepared corn salad and grilled skirt steak with chimichurri sauce. The corn salad included its namesake ingredient, beefsteak tomatoes, garlic, basil, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. The salad was crisp and refreshing; the plump corn kernels had a sweet juiciness, while the other components meshed to satisfy my taste buds. It reminded me of summer; it would be the perfect side to bring to a backyard barbecue.
Ted next prepared the chimichurri sauce—which I always think of as an Argentinean pesto—for the steak. After humorously warning us about the “obscene amount of seasonings” he was about to use, he blended parsley, chervil, cilantro, red wine vinegar, red wine, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. This produced a thick, herby paste with a vibrant green hue. Moving on to the steak, he suggested seasoning the steak “aggressively with salt and pepper” to bring out the flavor. He insisted that it should not be cooked long: at most, it should be medium-rare. It took under five minutes for the steak to cook perfectly, after which it was left to sit for a few moments so the juices could absorb into the meat. The skirt steak was extremely flavorful, but the true star was the chimichurri sauce. Each ingredient shone through, enveloping my tongue in garlicky goodness. It inspired me to make the recipe at home myself!
In addition to the cooking demo, the audience was able to sample two wines from Robert Mondavi’s Private Selection. We tried the Meritage (sounds like “heritage”), which was a “classic Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc that offers lavish black fruit flavors, a plush texture, and supple tannins.” This dark wine was contrasted by a white Chardonnay with “enticing fruit flavors and floral aromas.” The “partial barrel fermentation and sur lie aging” during the winemaking process incorporated “just a hint of oak through the silky texture and lingering finish.” Everyone acted as true wine connoisseurs as they gently swirled their glasses, took a deep sniff to soak up the aroma, and sipped away to their heart's content.
An exclusive blogger tasting followed the largely attended cooking demo. I was guided through four different wines, learning about the production process and the best way to navigate each tasting. At a small wooden table set up for the tasting, the three of us were introduced to two red and two white wines, my favorite of which was the Chardonnay, which I could imagine pairing with a pecan and herb encrusted grilled salmon, an excellent food and wine experience indeed. It has been well established that Robert Mondavi was an innovator in Napa Valley’s early wine industry, introducing to California the cold fermentation process and the use of stainless steel tanks and French oak barrels, a mix of new technology and beloved tradition. A lesser known fact is that he did not launch his winemaking business until the age of 53, proving that it is never too late to follow your passion. His passion: sharing his love of food, wine, and art with family and friends. Interestingly, the representative from Robert Mondavi Winery seemed to follow a parallel path: he switched careers and has found great joy in becoming a wine expert. It seems that we could all learn a lesson from their stories about following our dreams. It was a unique opportunity to engage in such an intimate wine tasting experience and to get a sense of Robert Mondavi’s philosophy, “drink what you like, and like what you drink.”
I greatly enjoyed my time at the TASTE Festival, especially my Mondavi experiences. Thank you to Robert Mondavi Winery for giving me the opportunity to partake in such great sessions!
Don’t forget about Penn Appetit’s Mondavi prize pack giveaway! Contest ends on Thursday, October 27, at 7 pm; contest rules can be found here.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Study Breaks: Coffee Shop Edition
While many residents of the northeast are savoring the crisp fall air and idyllic trips to the apple orchard, Penn students are visiting the library in droves. Midterm season is upon us and with that comes important decisions: where to study and where to snack. While libraries are the obvious choice, I like to mix it up every now and then with a visit to a coffee shop. Studying in a coffee shop offers an entirely different intellectual experience. Instead of feeling trapped in a library, you are an intellectual expanding your mind in a cozy setting. You seem at once hardworking, sophisticated and classy. In short, coffee shop studying is a win-win situation.
A good study snack is satisfying but quick, a real escape that won’t take hours to consume. My first recommendation is Metropolitan Bakery at 40th and Walnut, more specifically, their chocolate chip dried cherry cookie with sea salt (pictured). Metropolitan Bakery has the added perks of staying open until 7 pm and a 10% Unieats discount. I also recommend the pound cake. It’s deceptively simple but refreshingly delicious.
Another worthwhile spot is Café Clave, located at 43rd and Locust. While this University City destination is a bit of a trek for some students (ahem Hill/King’s Court), the added walk ensures that you will work for a solid few hours, so as not to have wasted your journey. Café Clave is a place to settle in and get stuff done. My GA introduced my suite to Café Clave, and it’s a real treasure. The best part is the little known quiet back room, which features desks, chairs and outlets aplenty. It’s a perfect place to study while the front room is good for chatting or working. Outdoor tables are nice during warmer months. The coffee is good and they are famous for their empanadas, which run out quickly. I recommend their parfaits and grilled cheeses (although definitely not together) with an iced coffee.
Lastly, and not to be overlooked are on-campus coffee shops, notably Williams Café. As a humanities student, I visit Williams Hall at least four times a week. Its central location makes Williams Café the perfect spot to grab a snack and coffee during the day, filling those awkward half hour breaks between classes. Grab some coffee (it’s La Colombe, not Starbucks) and one of their notoriously flaky croissants and grab a seat, either in the Café or Silfen Study Center. Newspapers are readily available, and a few minutes of relaxation or reading does wonders for a stressful day. Even better, there are opportunities for free stuff with punch cards that give a free small or medium drink every 10 drinks. For the social media savvy, you can follow @WilliamsCafe on Twitter to find out about free drink giveaways (the first one is this week).
School is stressful. Routines are easy to establish but hard to break. Deviate from your routine just once; study at a coffee shop; try a new flavor of tea; spend 10 minutes eating a croissant and just thinking. A little study break makes all the difference.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Celebrating Harry Potter
Are you sick of monotonous muggle food? For all of you Harry Potter fans wanting to bring the wizarding world to life in honor of the newest movie, here are three delicious recipes straight from Hogsmaid:
Butterbeer
Yields 6-8 glasses
Ingredients
1 cup butterscotch schnapps
7 cups cream soda (almost one 2 liter bottle)
Directions
Carefully mix just before serving, adding the schnapps to the soda then stirring gently to mix well, or the fizz will dissipate too soon.
You can also find butterscotch flavoring near the vanilla flavoring in the baking section of the grocery store, but it is more difficult to find, and actually the flavoring is 35% alcohol where the schnapps is only 15% alcohol by volume, so if you're making large quantities of butterbeer, just buy the schnapps.
Cauldron Cakes
Yields about 3 dozen cupcakes from a standard cake mix
Ingredients
Your favorite devils food cake recipe, made into cupcakes and black string licorice
Directions
Bake your cupcakes according to the instructions, without using paper cup liners. Slice off the top of the crown of each cupcake so that when it is turned upside down, it sits flat. This gives you more of a cauldron shape than a cupcake shape. Cut the black string licorice into small pieces and poke them into the cupcakes as cauldron handles.
Pumpkin Pasties
Yields about 3 dozen miniature pasties
Ingredients
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1 1 lb. can pumpkin
(or 2 cups fresh, roasted in the oven then pressed
through a strainer to save your Pumpkin Juice to drink!)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 2/3 cups evaporated milk (1 can)
1/2 tsp. allspice
9 oz pie crust pastry (enough for two single standard pie crusts)
Directions
Bake the pie filling only (no crust) in a large casserole dish in hot oven (425 degrees) for 15 minutes. Keep oven door closed and reduce temp to moderate (350 degrees F) and continue baking for 45 minutes or until table knife inserted in center of dish comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.
Make or purchase pie crust pastry. Roll thin and cut into circles approx 4" in diameter. Put a spoonful of the cool pumpkin mixture towards one side of the center of the circle. Fold over the crust into a half-circle and firmly crimp the edges closed. Slice three small slits in the top for venting, place on a greased cookie sheet, and bake only until crust is a light golden-brown. Great served at room temperature, then you don't have to worry about your guests possibly burning their mouths from the steaming hot pumpkin inside!
Thanks to these recipes, you don’t have to apparate to Hogwarts to eat these treats, you can make them right at home!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Food Obsessions: Sweet Leaf Tea
The other day I was walking through the culinary wasteland of Cleveland, Ohio, looking for lunch that was a cut above Arby’s, and I stumbled upon the Souper Market, a cute, independent place on the city’s West side that sells a wide variety of delicious, homemade soups.
Now, the rich and meaty Jambalaya I had was great, as was the hunk of crusty bread from the Stone Oven that was served alongside it. But the real revelation in this meal was my beverage: Sweet Leaf Tea.
I tried the Citrus Green Tea variety, which is easily the best tea—hot or iced—that I’ve ever come across. Richer and more real than in any iced tea I’ve ever had, its taste was tinged with orange and lime, and elevated by the flavor of pure cane sugar. The syrupy aftertaste that can be found in other sweetened iced teas was entirely absent. All this, and it comes in bottles and cans with a cute, cartoon grandma on the front.
So floored was I by this drink, that I popped back into the Souper Market and got two more cans for the road (my soup was spicy, so this was an extra help).
A few days later I was back on campus, and found myself more disappointed than ever with water, soda, and Gatorade. I was thinking constantly about the Sweet Leaf Citrus Green Tea. So I popped online, found their website, and ordered a case through the link to amazon. Soon my 512 ounces arrived, and since then my drinking habits have been forever changed. Until I find my next obsession, that is.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Best of ... Bubble Tea
Choice can be difficult. With this in mind, we bring you the "Best of" series, a weekly evaluation of the culinary establishments that stand above the rest.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Mocktails
Still flung out from Fling? Try these non-alcoholic mocktails at your next party or get together.
Lychee Martini
Ingredients:
2 parts apple juice
2 parts pear juice
1 part pineapple juice
the juice of one large can of canned lychees
Directions:
Mix ingredients in large pitcher, then refrigerate until cool. Serve chilled in a martini glass, and garnish with a canned lychee on a stick.
Passionfruit Margarita
Ingredients:
1 part passionfruit juice, sweetened (sold at Trader Joe's, but mixed with other juices)
1 part orange juice
juice of 1/2 lime
Directions:
Mix ingredients and blend with ice, then serve in margarita glasses.
Love on the Rocks
Ingredients:
1 part cranberry juice
1 part ginger ale
splash of grenadine
Directions:
Mix ingredients and serve in a martini glass. Garnish with a rock candy swizzle.
The Dragonfly
Ingredients:
1 part pineapple juice
1 part guava juice (sold at Fresh Grocer)
splash of grenadine
Directions:
Mix ingredients and serve in a tumbler glass, garnished with dried, sweetened hibiscus flower (sold at Trader Joe's).
