bFeedMe » Drinks

Thick Hot Chocolate

Lorraine — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:45:48 +0000

One of my favorite childhood memories is drinking creamy hot chocolate with some buttered toast on the side on rainy days. Now that the weather’s turning cool, cup of thick, dark cocoa is what I want on most nights- and would have, if it wasn’t so calorie-filled and decadent.

Because, believe me, this recipe is extremely decadent. If you like milky, watery hot cocoa, stop now and look elsewhere. This is seriously thick, heavy stuff.

Thick Hot Chocolate

1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup (generous) superfine (or caster) granulated sugar
1 100-gm bar (3-1/2 ounces) dark bittersweet chocolate, finely sliced or given a couple of whirls in the food processor
1/4 cup (1 ounce or 28 gm) cocoa powder, loosely packed, preferably Valrhona, Callebaut or Ghirardelli

In a medium saucepan, stir together the milk, cream, and sugar- bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the chopped chocolate and cocoa powder, and bring to a boil again, all the time whisking with a good whisk. You want the chocolate and cocoa to dissolve, and the mixture to thicken.

Serve immediately, and optionally with a side of whipped cream.

Striking Gold

Lorraine — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:00:11 +0000

: Oolong Chinese Tea and Cups from Royalty Free Images

I mean Yellow Gold Oolong Tea, which my husband and I have been enjoying every day. It’s excellent piping hot, of course- but we’ve also been making pitchers of it and storing it in the fridge, the perfect refreshment to accompany us while we work.

Oolong (also known as Wu Long) Tea’s nutritional properties lie somewhere in between Green tea and Black tea. It’s said to be “anti-aging” because it lowers high blood pressure, prevents heart disease, and is awesome for digestion- something I can certainly attest to. Best of all, though, is its taste.

Nothing tastes like Oolong Tea. The Yellow Gold we’ve been enjoying is unbelievably fragrant, a little caramelly, with a touch of citrus tang. Because it’s similar to Green tea, it’s great on its own- and because it’s similar to Black tea, it’s also wonderful with cream and sugar. Mmm.

Thick Strawberry Milkshake

Lorraine — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:50:19 +0000

To this day, my most favorite drink to have with a good hamburger is a milkshake. I like Vanilla, Chocolate will do in a pinch, but most of the time, it’s got to be Strawberry. Because the burger joints in my areas either don’t have milkshakes on their menu, or make them too sweet and too runny, I usually order a burger without a drink, and make one of these at home with my trusty Osterizer blender:

Thick Strawberry Milkshakes Makes one tall glass.

Ingredients
2 scoops Strawberry Ice Cream (Your favorite brand will do… I’m particular to Haagen-Dazs. Mmm.)
1 cup Whole Milk
1/4 cup Frozen Strawberries (or fresh, if you’ve got them!), hulled
2 teaspoons Sugar

Put strawberries in your blender. Pulse until mushy. Add the Ice Cream, Milk and Sugar, and give it a good whirr.

Serve with a wide straw, and your favorite hamburger.

A toast to Michael

Lorraine — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:19:57 +0000

Truly a sad day for millions of Michael Jackson fans around the world- but as with any death, I think this time is best spent celebrating the life of the recently deceased. That his death headlined on nearly all news sources, that people stopped working and condoled with each other, just goes to show how many lives he’s touched. Through watching his sometimes crazy life, yes- but most importantly, through his music.

Because, right now anyway for me, it’s all about his music.

And so we toast Michael Jackson today, with this appropriately named cocktail, the Moonwalk. It’s a little fruity, a little floral, elegantly bubbly, and very fabulous. Much like the King of Pop himself.

Moonwalk Cocktail Recipe

1 part grapefruit juice
1 part Grand Marnier
1 part rose water
Chilled champagne

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake well, and strain into a wine glass. Top off with champagne.

The Perfect Martini

Lorraine — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 08:11:11 +0000

I hardly ever have a drink these days. The occasional glass of wine to accompany a meal, sure- and maybe one or two glasses of Bailey’s on the rocks at get-togethers with girlfriends… but nothing like when I used to go out to clubs and bars. In those days, one of my favorite ever things to order was a Martini. With an olive, maybe two. Can you tell that I love olives? Delicious.

Because we like to entertain regularly, we keep our home bar pretty well-stocked- and the other night I felt myself hankering for a perfectly made Martini. And here’s what I did:

Perfect Olive Martini Recipe

1 oz dry gin
1 oz sweet vermouth
1 oz olive juice or brine (straight out of the jar of olives… yep)
ice cubes
1 or 2 olives

Fill your cocktail shaker halfway with ice cubes. Pour gin, sweet vermouth and olive juice into it, cover, and shake well. Strain into a martini glass, and add olive(s). It’s shaken, not stirred (cue James Bond music).

Making two of these and handing one to my husband as he walked in the door made me feel very worldly and grown-up somehow.