TALL Blonde&#39;s Bottoms Up : Recipes &amp; Fun

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I was rearranging my vast collection of cookbooks this morning. I love my cookbooks. I have a collection that goes back to the early 20th century "Encyclopedia Of Practical Gastronomy" which includes a section on how to cook with animal blood. I cherish my first edition copy of "Peanuts Cook Book" by Charles Schulz, 1969 because the Peanuts gang brings me great childhood memories. I read cookbooks like a non-fiction story cover to cover, page by page with each page creating a colorful picture in my mind and in some cases I can smell the warm aroma of a well prepared meal.

When I was done stacking my fragile collection I turned around to find a 2-inch by 3-inch scrap of stained paper on the floor with a handwritten recipe in clear black ink. It fell out of my mother's very worn French cookbook of almost 1,000 pages that was her go-to for all the family dinners I grew up with from stewed pheasant to Duck a l'Orange and Crepes Suzette. I recognized this handwriting, I knew who wrote it over 50 year ago. This was a recipe between two girlfriends; my mother Louisa and her bestie Angie. They worked together in a Palo Alto, California restaurant long ago. Louisa was the chef and Angie a waitress.

TALLBlonde named this the Jiggle because this drink does not have a name.

Jameson calls it the "Jameson Ginger & Lime"

So how does one sound out JGL? Simple, Jiggle.

Fill a highball glass with ice.

3 parts ginger ale

1 part Jameson

Squeeze of lime slice

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Shamrock Sour

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in style with a delightful twist! While Irish Coffee is a classic choice, why not elevate your festivities with a refreshing Shamrock Sour? This cool beverage provides a fantastic alternative to the traditional hot drink. All credit for this fantastic recipe goes to the talented Courtney Whitmore. Cheers to a Shamrock Sour that will surely make your St. Patty's celebration extra special!

2 Tbl. lime juice

1/2 Tbl. lemon juice

1/4 cup simple syrup

2 oz. Irish whiskey

1 drop green food coloring

lime wedges for garnish

Combine ingredients and pour over ice filled double old fashioned glass.

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Bulleit Old Fashioned

I have not posted a cocktail recipe for a while now and began to wonder what is the most popular cocktail for 2020? By leaps and bounds not only is this cocktail popular in 2020 but in the world for the past 6 years running. Shame on me for not including such a popular recipe sooner. For this recipe I am copying from the masters, why try to reinvent the wheel on this one? BULLEIT Bourbon Whiskey Old Fashioned, and here it is:

1.25 oz. Bulleit Bourbon

2 spoons simple syrup

3 dashes Angostura Bitters

1 orange peel

Pour Bulleit Bourbon, simple syrup and Angostura Bitters into a rocks glass.

Add ice, stir until level of the ice and liquid equalize.

Zest an orange peel over the glass and add the peel to the drink as a garnish.

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Cocktail Cakes recipes <click here>

Cocktail Cakes

In a sunlit kitchen, a gin and tonic-infused cake beckons with a golden glaze that sparkles like liquid sunshine. Cutting into it reveals a moist crumb, alive with the aromatic dance of juniper, citrus, and botanicals. The cake is a perfect harmony of sweet and tart, with candied citrus peel adding delightful crunch. A sheer glaze of gin and tonic reduction crowns this masterpiece, turning each bite into a celebration of innovation and flavor fusion.

But the adventure doesn't end there – this versatile creation can also transform into an espresso martini cake, where the rich, robust notes of coffee meet the sophistication of a classic cocktail. Whether indulging in the effervescent joy of a G&T or the bold allure of an espresso martini, this cake is a symphony of indulgence capturing the essence of two beloved libations in every decadent crumb.

Click on the TALL Blonde Cookbook link below for two Cocktail Cake recipes.

Gin and Tonic Cake
Espresso Martini Cake

Orange U Happy

One evening, the creative mind behind TALL Blonde had a delightful idea to blend various clear spirits with freshly squeezed citrus. This innovative concoction has since become a beloved choice among friends and family. The mere mention of a gathering at the TALL Blonde household brings excitement, especially when the festivities kick off with a frosty martini glass filled with the refreshing and equally chilled mix – aptly named "Orange U Happy."

Equal parts:

Tanqueray Gin

Absolut Mandarin Vodka

Triple Sec

One peel of orange the length of the circumference of one fruit

Pour liquor into a shaker (that too is kept in the freezer)

Press the oils from the orange peel into the shaker by slightly folding the cut side of the peel into the shaker, you will feel a slight spray telling you that you did it correctly.

Fill shaker with ice, put the top on and shake hard for a good 30 seconds.

Strain into a freezer-chilled martini glass and serve.

TALL Blonde makes this in advance which allows the orange peel to infuse the alcohol giving it a mild orange color before adding ice and shaking.

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Vanilla Lime With Freckles

It looks like a cocktail,
It smells like a cocktail.
This is a refreshing, tangy Mocktail

1 fresh Lime juice
1/2 tea. vanilla bean sugar
6 oz. tonic water

Squeeze juice from 1 lime into an old fashioned tumbler, add vanilla sugar and stir until sugar is melted. Fill tumbler with ice cubes, top off with tonic water, stir and sip away.
Dark specs are pulverized vanilla bean.

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Champagne Violette

Embark on a tantalizing journey into the realm of mixology, where the ordinary gives way to the extraordinary. Seek out a libation that not only tantalizes your taste buds but also ventures into the exotic, creating an experience that dances on the edge of sensation. Imagine a cocktail that beckons with an alluring aroma, teasing your senses and playfully tickling your nose with each delightful sip. Venture beyond the predictable and explore the uncharted territories of flavor, where every ingredient becomes a passport to a world of unique and unforgettable moments. Discover the pleasure of sipping on a concoction that is not just a drink but an expedition into the extraordinary, leaving you yearning for more with each intoxicating encounter.

Champagne or Prosecco Sparkling Wine

1 oz. Good quality Vodka

1 oz. Creme de Violette

Chilled Champagne flutes

In a well chilled champagne flute pour in a shot of Vodka, a shot of Creme de Violette and top off the flute with crisp bubbly champagne.

Cheers!

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picture courtesy of Drink Of The Week

Vin Chaud a la Canel

Vin Chaud a la Canel is what you drink when in Paris, translation: warm wine with cinnamon. In America we call this libation Mulled Wine. What a perfect cold weather warm up and you make it ahead to serve whenever the mood strikes.

1-64 oz. apple cider

1 orange, peel zesty skin with a vegetable peeler

3 cinnamon sticks

12 whole cloves

2Tbl. sugar

Rich red wine (Cabernet, Petit Syrah, Zinfandel)

Pour apple cider into a sauce pan that does not have a non-stick lining. Add all spices and orange zest. Heat on medium until liquid just begins to boil and remove from heat. When liquid is completely cooled pour all contents including spices and zest back into apple cider container and seal. Allow to steep for at least 24 hours, 48 hours is better.

When ready to drink heat 1 part wine to 2 parts spiced apple cider and take that chill off.

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Hot Bourbon-Apple Toddy

I call this my cold medicine-

10 oz apple cider
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
8 whole cloves
1 1/2 Tablespoon honey
4 oz bourbon (or honey whiskey)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

In a sauce pot, combine apple cider, cinnamon, star anise, and cloves. Bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and cover with a lid. Allow spices to steep for 10-15 minutes.
Strain spices. Stir in honey to dissolve.

Add whiskey and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Add more honey according to taste, if desired. Serve with sliced apples, sliced lemons, cinnamon sticks, and star anise.

Recipe courtesy of "The Little Epicurean".Enjoy Responsibly with Friends, No Sales.

MOCK-tails

Here are a few Mock-tail recipes assembled by The New York Times, enjoy anytime!

ARTICLE: https://cooking.nytimes.com/68861692/1251713-summer-drinks-for-non-drinkers

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Aloha Pineapple Martini

2 parts Dole pineapple juice
2 parts Skyy pineapple infused vodka
1 part dark rum
1 part Pinnacle whipped vodka
sugar/cinnamon rim the glass

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After The Party

Gatorade or Pedialyte for the awful feeling after too much.
Keep this in your pantry at home, desk at the office, trunk of your car.
Otherwise you can make your own quick electrolyte remedy:

How do you make electrolyte solution?

Six (6) level teaspoons of Sugar.
Half (1/2) level teaspoon of Salt.
One Liter of clean drinking or boiled water and then cooled

5 cupfulls (each cup about 200 ml.)

There was once a study on which foods would help to accelerate the "healing process" shall we say and those ingredients were the same as the components that make up a BLT Sandwich. So keep the bacon, lettuce and tomatoes at the ready in your fridge just in case.

IMPORTANT: Never, never, EVER mix alcohol and Acetaminophen products, such as Tylenol with alcohol. This leads to liver damage.

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Bloody Classic

3 stalks celery + 6 celery stalks for garnish

1 large fresh shallot clove
1 tsp. grated horseradish
1 Tbl. capers with brine
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 fresh lemon, pitted and juiced
1 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 Tbl. celery salt & red pepper flakes, each
3 1/2 cups plain canned tomato juice
9 oz. Hangar One vodka

MAKE YOUR BASE
ADD SOME SPICE
FLESH IT OUT
STRAIN IT
SERVE IT

Recipe Courtesy of Jeffrey Tascarella of NoMad Hotel in New York City.
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Blend celery stalks, shallot, horseradish, capers with brine, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice.
Stir in black pepper, celery salt and red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust.
Add about 3 1/2 cups of plain tomato juice and refrigerate mix overnight.
Run the chilled mixture through a strainer, and pour evenly into six highball glasses.
Add about 1.5 oz. Hangar One vodka into each glass, garnish with a trimmed celery stick.

Revolutionary Cobbler

The Sherry Cobbler, a spirited libation that supposedly ignited the taste buds of patriots during the fervor of the American Revolution, stands as a delectable testament to the nation's cocktail heritage. The first time alcohol meets fruit, meets ice, meets a straw.

3 oz. amontillado sherry
1 tsp. superfine sugar (or granulated)
½ wheel of orange
½ wheel of lemon

Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: julep cup
Garnish: fresh berries, ¼ wheel each orange and lemon

Combine the sherry, sugar and 2 quarter wheels each of the orange and lemon in a shaker with ice and shake briskly for 30 seconds. Strain into a julep cup filled with crushed ice, garnish and serve with a straw.

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Hosting A PARTY?

COCKTAIL RECIPES <click link>

Get ready for the holiday season with your party planning. Prepare early and you will be successful. Here is your beverage guide, courtesy of Beverages and More:

WINE
Red, white and sparkling wines are great for any occasion. Not sure which your guests prefer? An even mix of reds and whites will assure you won't run dry. Refrigerate white wine at least two hours before serving. Keep red wine cool at 60 degrees. Chill Champagne and sparkling wines in an ice bucket.
Wine 750 ml=5 servings
Sparkling Wine 750 ml = 8 servings
Case/12 750 ml bottles = 60 servings

SPIRITS
Create a full bar by stocking the spirits that bartenders serve most: vodka, tequila, rum, gin and whiskey. Consider serving a signature cocktail such as Martini, Margarita, Cosmopolitan or Bloody Mary, you can mix it in large quantities before your guests arrive.
Gin 750 ml = 16 servings
Rum 750 ml = 16 servings
Whiskey 750 ml = 16 servings
Vodka 1.75 L = 39 servings
Tequila 1.75 L = 39 servings

BEER
Stocking a variety of styles from light to dark will guarantee happy hop-heads. Consider adding seasonal brews into the mix. Beer loves food: A crisp Lager with sushi or fish; a robust ale with burgers or pizza. Having a large crowd? Consider a keg available in 5 gallons, 7.5 gallons,13.2 gallons and 15.5 gallons. Serving sizes from 53 up to 164, each serving based on 12 oz.
6 pack = 6 servings
12 pack = 12 servings

DRINK CALCULATOR
1.) Estimate that most guests will consume two drinks in the first hour and then one drink for each following hour:
2 Hours @ 20 Guests X 3 drinks/person = 60 total drinks

2.) To anticipate your servings needs, consider the occasion and what your guests prefer. Use the WINE/SPIRITS/BEER sections above to make the best selection for your party
20 guests: 50% wine (10), 30% spirits (6), 40% beer (4)
Note: For a wine and beer only partly, expect 60% will drink wine, and 40% will drink beer.

3.) Plan your purchase, assuming 20 guests:
Guests X Drinks:
Wine: 30 servings, 5 servings per bottle = 6 / 750 ml bottles
Spirits: 18 servings, 16 servings per bottle = 2 / 750 ml bottles
Beer: 12 servings, 6 per six pack = 2 six packs

PARTY CHECKLIST

WINE
Champagne/Sparkling Wine
White Wine
Red Wine
Dessert Wine

SPIRITS
Vodka
Gin
Tequila
Whiskey
Rum
Brandy/Liquors

MIXERS
Tonic Water
Club Sodas
Ginger Ale
Juices

BEER
Lager
Ale
6/12 pack
Keg

ALCOHOL FREE
Water
Soda, reg./diet
Coffee

SNACKS
Caviar
Cheese
Crackers
Cold Cut Meats
Chips
Salsas/Dips
Nuts
Fruit
Candy/Cookies

GARNISHES
Olives
Cocktail Onions
Cherries
Sugar/Salt Rimmers
Lemon
Lime
Orange

OTHER
Cups
Glassware
Tableware/Plates
Plates
Napkins
Corkscrew
Bottle Opener
Champagne Stopper
Jigger Measure
Shaker
Ice Bucket
Tap/Tubs
Ice, Ice, Ice

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Barney Grows Up

Barney the dinosaur as a cocktail? Why not! This purple cocktail is visually stunning and tastes pretty good, too. The recipe makes two 2-ounce shots.

2 ounces DeKyuper Pucker grape schnapps
1 ounce vanilla vodka1 ounce amaretto liqueur, such as Disaronno
Shake to chill.
Strain into two 2-ounce shot glasses.

Ice

In a cocktail shaker, combine all ingredients.

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Fighting A Cold

Diplomatico Añejo Rum is a smooth, award-winning spirit, slightly spicy, with notes of nutty caramel and molasses. The two liqueurs in this recipe — Yellow Chartreuse, an herbal, honey-sweetened liqueur, and Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao, a French “triple sec” created with orange peels and cognac — are perfect complements to the mix.

When combined with sweet, slightly sour cranberry juice, you get a rich, comforting cocktail that’s sure to sustain you through the winter months.

1 1/2 oz. Diplomatico Añejo Rum

1/2 oz. Yellow Chartreuse

1/2 oz. Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao

2 oz. Cranberry juice

Rosemary sprig, cranberries and powdered sugar for garnish

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a glass with crushed ice. Garnish and dust with powdered sugar using a sifter.

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TALL Blonde Favorite

Long Island Tea

Long Island Iced Tea

1 1/2 tablespoons vodka (3/4 oz)

1 1/2 tablespoons tequila (3/4 oz)

1 1/2 tablespoons gin (3/4 oz)

1 1/2 tablespoons light rum (3/4 oz)

1 1/2 tablespoons orangeflavored liqueur (3/4 oz)

1 tablespoon simple syrup (1/2 oz)

1 tablespoon lemon juice (1/2 oz)

2 tablespoons cola carbonated beverage (1 oz)

1 lime or lemon slice

In highball or tall glass over ice, mix vodka, tequila, gin, rum, liqueur, simple syrup and lemon juice. Stir in cola. Garnish with lime slice. A Presidential favorite of our 30th US President Herbert Hoover.

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