I finally got my hands onto some good stuff a few weeks ago. It was tall and red and green and full of subtle musty tartness that pleases me to no end. I searched high and low for this good stuff, patiently waiting for the good local version to hit the fruit stands. I live for this time of year.

The moment I found it, I chopped a pound of it into one inch pieces and stuffed them into my largest resealable glass jar. On top, I poured piles of organic sugar. With a little shake, the mixture was ready for the final ingredient.

I gently poured one liter of good vodka into the jar, and gave it all another shake, a bit more vigorous this time. The jar is now promptly stowed away in the back of my pantry. Every few days, I shake shake shake the jar, and dream of the moment when the stewing and shaking and sitting and waiting will pay off.

This cordial-making ritual has become an annual affair. I wish I could sell this stuff to you because it’s just so good. It sits for a month or two, as is, and then after a good strain, sits even longer. I’ve been known to keep it tucked away for up to four more months. Patience does pay off because there’s no other cordial that makes me smile like Rhubarb Liquor!

This stuff is definitely an acquired taste. It isn’t pure candy. It’s totally tart and sweet and mellow and divine. Pictures soon, people! Lest you think I don’t indulge in one of my favorite stalks immediately, take a peek below. Rhubarb preserves graces my morning yogurt, with berries, on a regular basis. It’s my daily reminder of some good stuff stewing in the back of my pantry, waiting to please my guests right around late summer or early fall, depending on how patient I can truly be.

This weekend, we made a grand lunch for dear friends. This lunch involved some scrumptious recipes like slow-roasted pulled pork sandwiches and a spicy vinegar-based barbecue sauce (thanks to my hubby), sweet potato gratin (thanks to a great recipe at food52.com) and a luscious caramel pudding (thanks to Deb at Smitten Kitchen). It was quite a meal that my friends never got to experience, as they had to cancel at the last moment (poor sick momma and baby)… but we decided to keep cooking and toasted our friends repeatedly, such that they’d be there in spirit. Many, many toasts were had in their honor…

In lieu of wine or beer, I opted to toast with a bottle of local cider. I had been saving it for a special occasion and, gosh, what better occasion to celebrate than when the hubby slow-cooks a nine pound pork shoulder, right? Hell, I’d have been pleased with grilled cheeses, but if he took the time to rise at 6 AM to cook this tough piece of local meat until caramelized, tender and sweet, I was going to serve something special!

Don’t think this perky cider is akin to a traditional Irish Magners or the like. I love sweet syrupy ciders; they definitely have a place in my repertoire. But sometimes they taste like liquid sugar, piping a buzzy high through me instantaneously. Farnum Hill Farmhouse Cider is quite different.

This cider is dry, sharp and interesting, tasting more like a crisp, albeit fruity, sparkling wine than a traditional New England cider. I sipped, slowly, and didn’t even consider gulping this good stuff down. Despite drinking the entire bottle, I held my ground. I have a feeling that had more to do with the low alcohol content (6.5%) than my personal fortitude. But I suppose I should give myself the benefit of the doubt, eh?

You may find this lovely cider at fine retail outlets across New England. If, however, you’d like to do a little tasting of their ciders and some local cheeses, we could host a little event up in Lebanon, New Hampshire or at my house just north of Boston later this year. If you’re interested, please leave a “yesiree!” in the comments or email me at maggie AT eatboutique.com. I’d be happy to make the arrangements!

This is a bit of a traditional holiday punch with an actual punch. I like to taste the actual liquor in my punch, don’t you? And the bright color is just divine, making it a worthy and special holiday or perhaps superbowl party option.

The base recipe was shared by a dear friend, and I modified it to suit my boozy tastes. (The above photo is an ode to that wonderful dear friend…)

Holiday Punch

Ingredients

• 2 cups pomegranate juice
• 1 cup cranberry juice
• 1 cup orange juice or tangerine juice
• 1/2 cup of dark rum
• 1 bottle of blanc de blancs sparkling wine
• 2 pomegranates, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

Pour all the liquids into a big punch bowl. Float the fruit slices throughout. Serve generous portions with a slice of the pomegranate. It makes great cocktail conversation, especially for those unfamiliar with the fruit.

I realize homemade Baileys may be too rich or silly for some of you, but my friends live for a small nip at the holiday season. As guests left my home last year, I sent them packing with hugs and little glass bottles filled with well-chilled homemade Baileys, tied with brown ribbon. (This year, they’re getting my holiday gift box!) When they finally do get out of the cold and into their warm homes, an ice cold glass of this good stuff always warms them up quickly. (I was thinking of holding out on sharing this photo/recipe ’til closer to Christmas, but I’ve gotten too many emails requesting the recipe and it’s going to be cold this weekend; you should make it soon!)

Homemade Baileys

Ingredients

• 4 fresh eggs
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. chocolate syrup
• 2 tsp. instant coffee granules
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup good whiskey
• 1 cup whipping cream

Blend all ingredients in a blender or in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment (as I did, my blender is on the fritz). Store in the back of your refrigerator, where it’s the coldest. Shake before serving, and serve over a cube of ice. This recipe makes a quart that keeps for 4-6 weeks.

Ingredient notes: I always use farm fresh eggs when I’m making something that isn’t cooked in some way. I used homemade vanilla extract and a delicious organic chocolate syrup from Trader Joe’s. I keep instant coffee in my freezer when I need an instant kick to chocolate goodies, or this recipe; my chosen brand is organic and decaf. Choosing whiskey is a very personal decision, but I use the good stuff. This batch of Baileys had Basil Haden’s Bourbon Whiskey in it, but I heartily recommend using a good Irish Whiskey like Bushmills. Mmm.

One of my favorite treats to shower upon friends and family (besides my holiday giftbox, of course) is a teeny bottle of my homemade cordials. I’m no cordial expert and, in fact, I’m not quite sure that I’m using the term correctly for these concoctions I scheme up. But I do feel quite cordial after a few sips, so I went with it…

The three bottles above are true delights. On the left, the golden syrup is a kumquat-infused vodka that’s bright and tart and refreshing. The pink liquid in the C. Donatiello bottle is my rhubarb-infused vodka, an experiment from last Spring that is now, finally, perfect, subtle and lovely. The honey-colored bottle at the top of the photo is my organic limoncello. (Sure, everyone makes limoncello nowadays, but mine is ORGANIC and thick and yummy.)

But you’ve seen my limoncello recipe. Let’s get to the other cordial recipes.

I’d love to say my cordial recipe is complex. In reality, it’s as easy as pie. It just takes patience, my friend. I started very simply. I had picked up some fresh kumquats and rhubarb from my local farm last spring. Yes, last spring folks. I made these cordials seasons ago but you could serve them within a month of stewing and marinating it its juices. I just waited longer. That’s patience, eh?

Take two very clean, wide-mouth, 1 liter bottles and fill them with freshly washed, sliced organic fruit. I chose kumquats in one bottle (sliced in half) and rhubarb in the other (sliced each stalk in half length-wise, and then into 2-inch chunks). Fill each bottle with about 1/2 cup organic sugar. Then, pour enough organic vodka to cover the fruit, leaving about 1 inch of room at the top of the bottle. Screw the lids on and shake the bottles vigorously, then store the bottles in a cool dark place, like the back of your pantry, so you don’t get tempted by it’s gorgeousness every day.

Don’t put it so far back though. You’ll want to shake that bottle every few days until you reach your desired fruitiness, or at least 1 month. The length of time is really up to you. The longer you let the fruit sit in the vodka, the smoother and more pronounced your fruity flavor. I pour the luscious fruity cordial of my labor into small glass bottles, wrapped with a bow. Friends are forever grateful.

As an aside, you can scheme up your own concoctions from anything. I just put some organic pineapple to sit in a bottle of tequila. I can’t wait until January to try that one… Happy cordial making!

As far as I’m concerned, one of the keys to eating less is drinking less. I’ve been eating less, a lot less, which means I’ve been drinking less.

Alas, as far as I’m concerned, one of the keys to enjoying Summer is drinking – not boozy, unnecessary drinking, but the kind of drinking that involves a hot setting sun, the long arch of a tree branch for shade, a lounge chair, and a small glass of something crisp, chilled and modestly boozy.

Since New England has essentially robbed us of that early Summer feeling, I haven’t felt much pressure to indulge. But a friend brought this mocktail to a party last night and, wow, who needs booze when you can enjoy these perfect effervescent cucumber slices? It’s simple really. But the citrus-infused club soda gives the cucumber slices a sparkly bite. It’s like your cocktail and hors d’oeuvre join forces to put a smile on your face.

The friend who made this pitcher full of goodness is pregnant. So while everyone else at the party tossed several shots full of gin into their mocktail, we enjoyed the bubbly mixture with just a few ice cubes. Two of these drinks, a few spoonfuls of guacamole, a flaming-hot grill, and it felt like Summer to me.

Cucumber and Lime Spritzer

• 2 12-ounce cans club soda
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 3 to 4 limes)
• 1 Kirby cucumber, thinly sliced

Today was one of those days where I totally deserved this entire bottle of Limoncello. I was in the garden most of the day, a big chunk of time spent in that very bed in the above photo. It was over-run, weedy and totally misshapen from clunky Spring growth. On hands and knees, I dug up big hostas, trained climbing hydrangeas, and laid dark mulch around soon-to-be pink sedums. It was a lot of work for a holiday weekend.

Making my organic Limoncello is not so hard! It takes a while but each step is easy, almost effortless. I started the above batch about six weeks ago, and it’s now ready just in time for a little thimble full each evening post-dinner. (Who am I kidding? A thimble full would do me no good! I need at least a solid, thick ounce to end my evening, especially those evenings where I need to breath a sigh of relief after a day of digging in the earth.)

Organic Limoncello

Ingredients

• 1 bottle (750 ml) of organic vodka, or any type (if organic doesn’t do it for you)
• 8 organic lemons, washed
• 3 cups organic cane sugar
• 3 cups water

Special Equipment

• 2 – 750 ml clean bottles with caps
• Funnel

In a large, clean bottle (with a wide opening and a cover), pour the entire bottle of vodka. Very carefully, peel the yellow thin layer of zest off of each lemon, making sure to avoid taking up any of the white pith. (I use a simple potato peeler for this.) Place the zest strips in the same bottle that holds the vodka. Cover and hide it away in your cupboard for at least four solid weeks. The longer you stow it away, the better the resulting liquor. Every couple of days, I shake the bottle up a bit.

When the four weeks are up, strain the vodka-zest mixture. Discard the zest, and evenly distribute the vodka into two 750 ml bottles (using the funnel). Over medium heat, gently boil the sugar with the water to make a simple syrup. This should take about 10 minutes. Once the sugar has dissolved, take the mixture off the stove and let it cool a short while.

Using the funnel, distribute the simple syrup evenly into the bottles with the vodka. The bottles won’t necessarily be filled to the top, but that’s okay. You want to be able to shake the concoction. Gently shake both bottles and put the bottles back in your cupboard for two weeks. (You really don’t have to do this extra step. The syrupy liquid is perfect right now. But I let it sit a little bit longer to get even more gorgeous and sweet.)

Place the bottles in the freezer and pour a solid ounce every now and again when you need to relax or finish up a tasty meal. This Limoncello will not be bright yellow, like the sort you see on the liquor store shelves. My version looks like thick olive oil (the organic sugar makes it darker) and tastes a little like heaven. To make a great cocktail, just cut a short pour with a few ounces of seltzer, ice and a slice of lemon.

Friends always love when I pull the bottle out of the freezer. I love how instantly relaxed I feel after a couple sips – especially after too many hours in a messy garden – a garden that’s now gorgeous and ready for Summer – kinda like my Limoncello!

Note: This isn’t a boozy type of Limoncello. It’s fairly mellow and doesn’t give you that alcohol feeling in the back of your throat, likely because I opted to use Vodka instead of grain alcohol. A friend (or two) may like it with more bite, but my husband thinks this is the way Limoncello should be – mellow, easy, simple. I’ll test it out with some Italian friends this Summer.

The other night, we had a virtual cocktail party. It was the perfect sort of party, one attended by only two couples. On a whim, we called a couple of our best friends in the entire world and, wow, they weren’t busy working or traveling or catering or being Ohioans.

Dan and Cass were in the midst of drinks and snacks like us and we all thought, let’s drink and snack together. On went the computers and out came the cocktail shakers! I had been wanting to make a fancy Limoncello-based cocktail for sometime now and found an interesting recipe by Giada de Laurentiis on the Food Network site. It was too cute not to try.

A few liquors later, we had an amazing cocktail that will likely grace our New Year’s Day table. It is bursting with old fashion flavor, like a traditional Side Car should, but shimmering with contemporary martini style in the form of organic sugar mixed with lime zest that coated the vintage wine glass rim and the tips of my fingers!

I swear that I could eat this delightful mixture as is, but can’t complain that it came attached to a shaken cocktail brimming with cognac, limoncello, sweet & sour mix, triple sec and lime juice. It’s a traditional side care turned on its head with limoncello (replacing the lemon juice).

Giada showcased this cocktail many moons ago and I only recently decided to try it out while baking a Donna Hay pasta dish. I love to mix my celebrity chef recipes, don’t you? After all, it’s not about individual recipes but more about how all those recipes come together to create the perfect menu, no?

If you love sweet and tart cocktails, you’ll love this Side Car Martini. Try it now and please indulge me as I play around with my camera settings!

Side Car Martini

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 lime, zested
• 1 lime wedge
• 10 ounces cognac
• 4 ounces Triple Sec liqueur (again, I used an affordable variety)
• 4 ounces sweet and sour mix
• 4 ounces Limoncello
• 2 ounces lime juice
• Ice

Chill four martini glasses, or cut the recipe in half to may two drinks. In a small shallow dish combine the sugar and the lime zest. Run the lime wedge around the rim of each glass. Dip in the sugar and zest mixture. In a cocktail shaker mix the cognac, Triple Sec, sweet and sour mix, Limoncello, and lime juice over ice. Shake to chill. Pour the Side Car Martinis into the glasses, sans ice, and serve immediately.

I was at a wedding not that long ago when the groom came up to me and said, “I thought of you while I was at the wine store – and I bought an extra case.” Now I’ve never been known to drink an entire case of wine in one night (that I can recall), but I guess that tells you something about me.

I love wine and I love a good cocktail and I love iced cold beer too. Along the same lines, more recently I was going to my friend Laura’s house to grill out (she has one of those rare things in Brooklyn called a roof deck), and I was excited enough about the grill and the deck. But that day, she sent me a text simply saying, “I’m making bourbon peach punch.” Clearly, Laura knows the way to my heart.

The night was one of the hottest so far this summer, humid and sticky, but sitting far above the pavement, there was the slightest breeze, and we looked out over the rooftops and church steeples, and it felt like we were someplace else entirely, like France maybe (only a France set in front of a gorgeous Manhattan skyline).

There was good conversation and great food, grilled Polish sausages from a local market, a salad of cucumber, pea shoots and cilantro, and gazpacho. There was also bourbon peach punch. Really, that drink was the perfect accompaniment to the muggy evening, like something two spirited old ladies might sip sitting in rocking chairs on a sultry night in Georgia.

I left before getting Laura’s recipe for the drink, but the next day, when I went to the farmer’s market, the first thing that caught my eye were peaches, bursting with juice, so soft they bruised at the slightest rough touch. Lucky for me, I knew exactly what to do with them.

Bourbon Peach Punch

Ingredients:

• Juice from 1 ripe peach
• 3 tablespoons simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, heated to blend, then chilled)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1½ oz. bourbon or whiskey
• Good ginger ale like Boylan or ginger beer

Using your hands, squeeze the juice from one peach into a bowl. Add the lemon juice, simple syrup and fresh ginger. Put ice into a cocktail shaker, add the whiskey, then add the juice mixture. Shake and pour into a glass. Top lightly with ginger ale. Garnish with peach slices.

Posted by Jessica Merrill