Al Dente

Braiden-Rex Johnson: Cool Cocktails

It was a red-letter day in June when the editors of Food & Wine magazine’s Cocktails 2009 named ART Restaurant and Lounge in the Four Seasons Hotel Seattle as one of the top 100 bars and lounges across America. Food & Wine’s annual cocktail compendium presents more than 150 of the best cocktail and party recipes from cutting-edge bartenders coast to coast.

I was particularly pleased when ART was chosen since it’s right across the street from our downtown Seattle condo, so it’s easy to slip across the plaza for a sip and a nosh without getting in the car.

ART took home the bacon for one of its signature cocktails--Sorriso. The creative cocktail--which translates as “smile” in Italian--includes pear vodka, gin, cream sherry, cherry brandy, and Angostura bitters, all garnished with a twist of lemon.

Recently, I’ve been taken with another of ART’s signature cocktails--The Big Dill. It’s the kind of drink that’s fashionable of late, with savory ingredients (fresh cucumber) muddled with herbs (fresh dill) and mixed with freshly squeezed lime juice and agave syrup (a healthy sugar substitute, although simple syrup works just as well). The citrus and sweet syrup create a sort of sweet-and-sour effect, while good-quality vodka adds the final cool, crisp, alcoholic punch.

Since I’m really more of a wine aficionado than cocktail expert, I turn to books by two of Seattle’s cocktail kingpins and buddies of mine, whenever I have a question.

Just this spring, Seattle celebrity chef Kathy Casey whipped up a delightful new tome (her ninth) entitled, Sips & Apps: Classic and Contemporary Recipes for Cocktails and Appetizers.

With a hip, yet retro feel, the book is stylishly produced in Casey’s signature colors--robin’s egg blue, celadon, chocolate brown and silver--and includes more than 100 appetizer and cocktail recipes, a bar-basics section, recipes for cocktail cornerstones such as infused syrups and fresh fruit purées, along with insider tips.

A.J. Rathbun, kitchen editor at Amazon.com, is one of the most prolific writers I’ve ever met. His award-winning Good Spirits: Recipes, Revelations, Refreshments, and Romance, Shaken and Served with a Twist is an entertaining and engaging collection of 450 classic and contemporary cocktail recipes with quirky names (Headshrinker, Flaming Dr. Pepper, Obituary Cocktail), lively headnotes, and gorgeous photos by the aptly named Melissa Punch.

For those who want to try their hand at making a cool cocktail at home, here’s a recipe for The Big Dill courtesy of ART Restaurant and Lounge.

The Big Dill
Serves 1

Ingredients:
3 sprigs fresh dill, leafy parts only (no stems)
4 (1/2-inch) slices fresh cucumber
1/2 ounce agave syrup or simple syrup (See Cook’s Hint, below)
Juice of half a fresh lime
1-1/2 ounces Square One Vodka or other good-quality vodka 

Directions:

1. In a cocktail shaker, with a muddler or wooden spoon, gently press the dill and 3 slices of the cucumber. Add the agave syrup and gently press to combine the ingredients. Add the lime juice and gently press to combine. 

2. Add the vodka and enough ice to fill the shaker and cover. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled martini glass until you reach the last half inch of liquid, which should be discarded as it may contain large flecks of dill.

3. To garnish, slice the remaining cucumber halfway into the center and position it on the rim of the martini glass.

Cook’s Hint: To make simple syrup, in a small saucepan, bring equal parts sugar and water to a boil; simmer until the sugar is dissolved, 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate in a glass jar for up to 1 month.

--Braiden Rex-Johnson

Photo of Braiden by Ingrid Pape-Sheldon

Kathy Casey Dishes on Perfect Produce, Plus a Recipe for Greek Salad

Recently my executive chef Cameo and I headed to Anaheim for the International Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) annual summit.  As a celebrity chef for Mastronardi & Sunset Produce, I attend every year with them to dish up fabulous tastings for nearly 16,000 attendees. PMA Fresh Summit is the world’s largest gathering of produce packagers, retailers, and growers. And it is BIG-time! We were greeted at baggage claim in a bright green--and I mean Kermit-the-frog green--Hummer wrapped with Sunset Kids veggies photos! Pretty easy to spot on the airport drive! 

This year, we skewered a few zillion Champagne tomatoes (small, super sweet cherry tomatoes) for Caprese Skewers with Balsamic Drizzle. We diced up buckets of sweet peppers, luscious tomatoes, and crisp mini cucumbers for a fresh and fun Greek salad (recipe below). All along with coring out an unmentionable amount of mini cucumbers for Goat Cheese, Pistachio, Apricot Curry Stuffed Cuke Bites!

Throughout the year I develop recipes for Sunset that they post online, highlighting their unique and flavorful products. You’re probably familiar with Sunset-brand products from the grocery store; they grow gourmet, mini cucumbers and loads of varieties of tomatoes and peppers. A family-owned company whose vision is to provide unique varietals of vegetables in an environmentally responsible and innovative way--an idea we can all get behind.

This year they launched the Kumato tomato. It is deceivingly sweet with a golden-brown hue and has a “crisp exterior with a full-flavored tomato flavor and a flavor finish of apple”! I believe I may have said that 16,000 times!

The show is a big networking experience for more than 50 countries of importers, buyers, growers, packagers, and innovators in the field.  But not to worry, we didn't see any square watermelons and very little GMOs on the floor.  The focus for many of the big suppliers was “greener packaging” and energy conservation.  This is not your weekend farmers market but it is refreshing to see the "big boys" learning to play responsibly. 

Friends of ours from La Mar Cevicheria in San Francisco shook Pisco sours, and chicha morada, purple chicha made with purple corn for the Peruvian Agricultural Board.  The drink was an electric purple with a sweet, refreshing cinnamon and pineapple flavor.
 
This years conference boasted its largest attendance and by the end of day two we were all to ready to curl up in the hotel, finish off a couple glasses of wine and catch up of our favorite reality TV (yes, it’s one of my favorite ways to relax!). Unfortunately the hotel didn’t have Bravo, so we settled for My Monkey Baby and Hoarders. We’re back at the studio now looking for a place to keep a few monkeys and thinking it’s time to start organizing the closets… After we get the feeling back in our feet!

Braiden Rex-Johnson Serves Up Oysters Gratineé

September is my favorite month of the year because it signals the onslaught of oyster season.

Pairing the proper wines with raw oysters on the half shell is a delicious challenge, one of particular interest in the Pacific Northwest, the nation’s leading oyster-producing region.

Young, lean white wines with crisp acidity that slices through the briny, metallic, cucumber-y, sea-breeze flavors of oysters, routinely win oyster-and-wine-pairing contests.

Varietals that “let the oyster be an oyster” while refreshing the palate are common favorites: Sauvignon Blanc (sometimes labeled as Fumé Blanc), Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blends, Chenin Blanc, Chablis, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Melon (which in France is known as Muscadet).

Best to steer away from big, buttery, and heavily oaked Chardonnays, though. Their bold flavors clash with, and silky mouth feel often overwhelm, the beloved bivalve. Also nix anything red, Rosé, sweet, hot (high in alcohol), full-bodied, or overly flavorful in comparison to the oysters.

And be sure to serve your oyster wine cold--as cold as your oysters--so the two are simpatico. Pre-chilling the bottle in a wine cellar or refrigerator, then keeping it an ice-filled ice bucket as you enjoy it with the oysters, works well for this.

Cooked oysters are equally fun to pair with wine. Just keep in mind the sauce, herbs, and spices served with the oyster, and you’ll be in good shape.

As an excellent example, here’s a recipe for a true classic--Oysters Gratinée--oysters baked in a creamy cheese sauce. It comes from my seventh book, Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining (Wiley, 2007) and is the inspiration of Philippe Boulot, long-time executive chef of the venerable Heathman Restaurant, adjacent to The Heathman Hotel in downtown Portland.

The busy chef once cooked a 10-course dinner at the venerable James Beard House in New York City in which every course incorporated oysters! In keeping with the tips above, he suggests pairing his oyster dish with a good-quality Semillon.

Oysters Gratinée
Varietal: Semillon
Serves 4 as an appetizer

20 fresh Pacific Northwest oysters, such as Westcott Bay European Flats, Kumamoto, Kushi, or Pacific
Rock salt
1 pound leeks, chopped (green parts only)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Swiss cheese
1 large egg yolk

1. With an oyster knife, shuck the oysters over a mixing bowl to catch all the juices. Reserve the bottom (cupped) shell from each oyster. Set the oysters aside. To prepare the reserved oyster shells for stuffing, rinse the shells in hot water, drain, and pat completely dry. Place a layer of coarse salt on a rimmed baking sheet and arrange the oyster shells cup side up without crowding. Set aside.

2. Add the oyster juice, leeks, and cream to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the Swiss cheese, stir well, and allow to cool. Once cool, whisk in the egg yolk.

3. Ten minutes before cooking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Divide half the leek mixture among the prepared oyster shells, cover with an oyster, and divide the remaining leek mixture over the tops of the oysters. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until the oysters are cooked through but still tender and the sauce is slightly browned.

4. To serve, place a fresh layer of rock salt on a decorative platter or 4 individual plates. Arrange the oysters over the rock salt and serve immediately.

Recipe reprinted from Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining: The People, Places, Food, and Drink of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia (Wiley) by Braiden Rex-Johnson.

--Braiden Rex-Johnson

Photo of Braiden by Ingrid Pape-Sheldon

Kathy Casey Throws a Summer Tropical Dinner Party, Part 2

In yesterday's post about my recent luau-themed dinner party, I featured four tropical recipes: a luscious Lilikoi Rum Punch, Tropical Chile Lime Shrimp bursting with flavor, a succulent Pineapple Avocado Salsa, and finally, a Tender Lettuce and Watercress Salad with Toasted Macadamia Nuts, Papaya, and Lychee Vinaigrette. I know you're hungering for the rest of the menu! Today, we round out the tropical evening with Coconut Scallion Rice, Grilled Baby Back Ribs with Mango Ginger Glaze, and, of course dessert, a sumptuous grilled banana sundae. All these recipes give you the opportunity to prep in advance--so you'll be able to kick back with your Lilikoi Rum Punch and enjoy a little island time.

All recipes copyright ©2009 by Kathy Casey Food Studios®

Coconut Scallion Rice
Makes about 8 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups basmati rice, rinsed and drained well
1 tablespoon oil
3/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 cups water
1 can (13 to 14 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk*
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Small pinch cayenne pepper
Garnish: thinly sliced green onions

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Put the very well-drained rice in a 2-quart baking dish, and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a nonstick or heavy saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the green onion lightly, about 1 minute. Add the water and coconut milk and bring to just barely a simmer; do not boil.

3. Stir the hot mixture into the rice; stir in the salt and cayenne. Seal tightly with foil and bake in preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until rice is tender and all liquid is absorbed. Remove from oven and fluff with a fork. Serve immediately or serve at room temperature.

4. If making the morning or day before serving, refrigerate and then reheat in a microwave in a microwavable bowl covered with plastic wrap.

5. Garnish with green onions.

* Available at Amazon.com and from well-stocked supermarkets and Asian grocers.

Kathy Casey Throws a Summer Tropical Dinner Party, Part 1

“Tropical” is such a fun theme for a summertime deck or patio party. Bright colors, flowers, tikis, lanterns, tall iced drinks are festive all on their own, but add a delicious warm-weather menu and you'll be hula-ing on the terrace in no time.

I called up our friends Joani and Pat, who enjoy cooking and eating but are not super gourmets, and then gave our neighbors Dave and Lynn a shout to come on over and be recipe testers and tasters. Dave is a super foodie and is always trying new recipes and having dinner parties. We had a great time sampling these dishes with such a perfect combination of folks for tasting and recipe reviewing.

As regular readers know, my whole entertaining philosophy is, “do as much as you can in advance,” and this is a wonderful example of a menu that lets you do just that. For libations, we started with a delightful drink, Lilikoi Rum Punch--a blend of passion fruit nectar, fresh lime juice, pineapple juice, and spiced rum served over ice. We stirred up a tasty non-alcoholic version as well, omitting the rum and mixing in a splash of soda water.

To nibble with our beverages, I made a tropical salsa bursting with color and flavor and served it with white corn tortilla chips for dipping. This salsa is sweet with a little spice but not as much as is in our other appetizer, Tropical Chile Lime Shrimp, where the chile stars. That one is served chilled and further “cooled” by a bit of fresh mint.

As we sipped and nibbled, I asked Dave to move to the grill to finish off the ribs, which I had marinated for a day, slow-roasted till tender, and then chilled. A glaze is made by reducing the flavorful mango marinade; then the precooked ribs are reheated on the grill while being basted with the glaze till golden and sticky!

We served the ribs up with Coconut Scallion Rice and a tender lettuce salad set off with toasted macadamia nuts, fresh papaya, and lychee vinaigrette. Yum!

Grilled Banana Sundaes are a super ending to the meal. With this dessert I’ve also got a solution to use up all those wooden chopsticks you have hanging around from to-go orders! Bananas are skewered, grilled and then served atop scoops of your favorite tropical-flavor ice creams. Guests can customize their sundaes with sauces, fruit, and garnishes. Who knew a simple grilled banana could be so scrumptious?!

After our feast was over, tasters and cooks were asked for comments and suggestions. All dishes passed the flavor-test with no revisions needed. Most commonly brought up in our discussion was how everything was prepped ahead of time and then just assembled. The cocktail was premixed; shrimp precooked; salsa ingredients premeasured, chopped and then mixed right before serving. Salad dressing and greens were prepared ahead and then just tossed to combine. Rice was made the day before and reheated; ribs just heated and glazed on the Q. Dessert couldn’t be easier or more delicious. Most elements were purchased, and grilled bananas made this course the pièce de résistance. All in all, everyone was excited to re-create the spread this summer at their houses. Thanks, taste-testers!

A phrase I learned on a tour bus in Hawaii when I was eight years old has stuck in my head: wiki wiki. It means quick quick. With all this meal readied in advance, that’s what it will be when you serve your guests. So put on your tackiest and brightest aloha-wear, grab some friends and neighbors, put on some Don Ho and have a party of your own this summer!

Today on Al Dente, you'll find the recipes for Lilikoi Rum Punch, Tropical Chile Lime Shrimp, Pineapple Avocado Salsa, and Tender Lettuce & Watercress Salad. Stop by tomorrow for the rest of this luau menu for eight people: Coconut Scallion Rice, Grilled Baby Back Ribs with Mango Ginger Glaze, Grilled Banana Sundaes. Mahalo!

Tom Douglas's Recipe for Hot Pepper Wings with Cilantro Sour Cream

This is one of our most popular appetizers at Palace Kitchen. You need to marinate these wings at least a day ahead, two days is even better, so plan accordingly.

Hot Pepper Wings with Cilantro Sour Cream
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups soy sauce
1 cup Dijon mustard
1 cup water
3/4 cup Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
18 whole chicken wings
Cilantro sour cream (see recipe below)

Directions:
1. Whisk the soy sauce, mustard, water, Tabasco, garlic, and herbs together in a large bowl.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the marinade to be used for basting and sauce.  Add the chicken wings to the remaining marinade, cover, and refrigerate overnight or longer.  Turn the wings occasionally to make sure they are well marinated.

2. Fire up your grill.  Remove the chicken wings from the marinade, then discard this marinade. Grill the wings on medium-low heat, turning often, until cooked through, about 15 minutes. You want the wings to cook slowly so they cook thoroughly before the glaze burns.  While grilling, heat the reserved marinade and use some of it to baste the wings a few times while cooking. Cut into one of the wings to make sure no pink remains near the bone.

3. To serve, spoon cilantro sour cream on 6 appetizer plates.  Pile 3 wings on each plate and drizzle with a teaspoon of the warm reserved marinade. Don’t use more than a drizzle though--it’s really strong.  Serve whatever is left of the reserved marinade on the side for hearty heat lovers.

Cilantro Sour Cream:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, heavy cream, and chopped cilantro.  Season to taste with salt and pepper (but note that the chicken wings are already pretty salty). Yields 1/2 cup.

Recipes from Tom Douglas’ Seattle Kitchen (Morrow, 2001)
Photo by Robin Layton

--Tom Douglas

Tom Douglas is currently working with Amazon.com on the exclusive line of kitchen and dining products, Tom Douglas by Pinzon, aimed at building confidence in the kitchen.

Braiden Rex-Johnson Shares a Recipe for Cherries in Red Wine

Good news for fresh cherry lovers! There’s been a bumper crop of the brilliant beauties in the Yakima Valley this year. With the harvest peaking early in August, there’s never been a better time to combine fresh cherries and red wine to make a simple cherry-rich dessert.

The recipe for Kay’s Cherries in Red Wine comes from none other than Kay Simon, co-owner with her husband Clay Mackey, of Chinook Wines, in Prosser, Washington, the heart of Washington cherry country. Not only is Kay a talented winemaker, but a gifted cook who uses the foods of the season to create inspired original recipes.

You’ll find her recipe for Cherry-Marinated Game Hens, along with a complete profile and photos, in my book, Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining: The People, Places, Food, and Drink of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia (Wiley, 2007).

Here, Kay marinates fresh summer cherries in a Merlot-Brandy syrup flavored with cinnamon and lemon. The cherries make a lovely topping for store-bought or homemade sponge cake or chocolate cake. Or simply enjoy them with a dollop of crème fraîche and a glass of Ruby Port, whose berry notes mirror the berry flavors in the marinated fruit.

I’m a big fan of Ruby Port, and reach for the following bottles time and again. Three Muses Ruby Port is produced by Mike Wallace, long-time winemaker and owner of Hinzerling Winery, which is located right down the road from Chinook Wines! It’s fun (and delicious!) to eat foods and drink wines produced within the same terroir.

Stepping out of the region just a bit, Wind River Cellars Port of Celilo is a luscious mouthful produced by Joel Goodwillie in the Washington-State side of the Columbia Gorge from prime Celilo Vineyard grapes.

Graham’s Six Grapes is another fave,  a multi-award-winning, reasonably priced option from Portugal that bills itself as “the everyday Port for the Vintage Port drinker.”  

Kay’s Cherries in Red Wine
Varietal: Dessert Wine (Ruby Port)
Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 cups Merlot or other dry red wine
1 cup granulated sugar
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
Zest of 1 medium lemon
Juice of 1/2 medium lemon
2 tablespoons Brandy
2 pounds fresh Bing or sweet cherries, rinsed, patted dry, and pitted
Homemade or store-bought sponge or chocolate cake
Crème fraîche
Fresh mint sprigs

Directions:
1. In a small, nonreactive saucepan combine the Merlot, sugar, cinnamon stick, lemon zest, lemon juice, and Brandy until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid reduces slightly and reaches a light syrup-y consistency, 20 minutes. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick and cool the syrup.

2. Place the cherries in a medium nonreactive bowl with a tight lid and pour the cooled syrup over them. Cover and marinate the cherries at least 1/2 hour and up to 2 hours at room temperature, turning several times. For longer storage, place the cherries in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

3. To serve, slice the cake and position the slices in dessert bowls or wine goblets. Divide the cherries and syrup over the slices, add a dollop of crème fraîche, and top with the mint sprigs.

--Braiden Rex-Johnson

Photo of Braiden by Ingrid Pape-Sheldon

Tom Douglas's Grilled Shiitake Relish

This makes a great relish for grilled salmon or other fish and would be just as delicious on a steak.

Grilled Shiitake Relish

Ingredients:
3/4 pound shiitake mushroom caps, wiped clean
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Fire up the grill. 

2. In a bowl, toss the mushroom caps with 2 tablespoons of the oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Grill mushrooms on both sides, over direct heat, until cooked through, about 5 minutes total cooking time. (Unless your mushroom caps are large, you may want to set a rack over your grill or use a grill basket so you don’t have any mushrooms falling through the grates.)

3. Remove the mushrooms from the grill and thinly slice.  Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a sauté pan on medium heat.  Add the shallot and garlic and sweat 2 to 3 minutes until soft and aromatic.  Set aside to cool.  In a bowl, combine the mushrooms, shallot-garlic mixture, herbs, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice.   Season the relish to taste with salt and pepper and set aside at room temperature.

4. Serve as a relish for grilled fish or meats.

Serves 4 as a relish or condiment

Recipe from Tom Douglas’ Seattle Kitchen (Morrow, 2001)

--Tom Douglas

Tom Douglas is currently working with Amazon.com on the exclusive line of kitchen and dining products, Tom Douglas by Pinzon, aimed at building confidence in the kitchen.

Julia and Julie: Yes, the Swap Is Intentional

July 15th I had the real pleasure of seeing a sneak preview of Julie & Julia. Tony Conway, owner of Legendary Events in Atlanta hosted an amazing Girls Night Out. Following cocktails and dinner, a group of about 400 women filed into the theater at Phipps Plaza. The movie doesn’t actually premiere until early August! The event itself was truly spectacular and a perfect example of why Tony Conway is regarded as one of the best in his business.

The movie was so charming that I left wanting to see it again. Based on true stories, Julie & Julia intertwines the lives of two women in a fascinating way. I am a huge Meryl Streep fan and she was amazing. She is such a chameleon and, of course, had Julia’s voice and mannerisms nailed.

But, it triggered something that’s been nagging me ever since.

First, the movie. In short, the plot is the story of a frustrated temporary secretary, Julie Powell, embarking on a year-long culinary quest to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. She chronicles her tribulations in a blog called “The Julie/Julia Project: Nobody here but us servantless American cooks.” The blog caught on and was eventually featured in a piece in the New York Times by food writer Amanda Hesser. Julie’s life was changed forever, her blog turned into a best-selling memoir, Nora Ephron wrote her screenplay, and now Amy Adams is playing her on the big screen.

The film, also covers the years Julia Child (Meryl Streep) and her husband Paul (Stanley Tucci) spent in Paris during the 1940s and 1950s. Their portion of the story was adapted from My Life in France, written by Julia Child with nephew Alex Prud’homme. Basically, this was the time when Julia became Julia, attended Le Cordon Bleu and met her collaborators Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle. They began to teach cooking to American women in the Child’s kitchen, calling their informal school L’Ecole des Trois Gourmandes. For the next decade, as the Childs moved around Europe and finally to their home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the three researched, developed, and tested French recipes for the American kitchen. The result of this long collaboration was Mastering the Art of French Cooking edited by the imitable Judith Jones.

I promise this will eventually address the source of my irritation. Stick with me.

The first time I met Julia Child was at a book signing when I was in culinary school at L’Academie de Cuisine in DC. I stood there like a zombie in front of her, incapable of speech. A friend eventually jolted me out of my stupor and pushed me along.

After DC, I became an editorial stagiaire for Anne Willan at Ecole de Cuisine LaVarenne. I was supposed to be there for three months, but was there on and off for almost three years. Julia actually encouraged Anne to open the school. My first year I was working with none other than Amanda Hesser (see above), who at the time was also working on her first book, The Cook and the Gardener. During that time Julia would come to visit, staying weeks at a time. The staff at LaVarenne was predominantly young food-knowledge hungry Americans. We had grown up seeing her on TV and she was one of the reasons we were there in France. We would vacillate wildly from “OH MY G*D, IT’S JULIA CHILD” to complete nonchalance. It was normal. She was always very pleasant. I don’t remember why, but once at the dinner table, in her famous warbling voice she declared Eisenhower nothing more than a “big powder-puff." Sure wish I could remember the context…. One winter at the Food Writer’s Symposium at the Greenbrier we shared a suite. I treated her like my grandmother, made sure she didn’t forget her cane and carried her books. (That was a hoot! I’ll write about that some other time.)

Promise. It’s coming.

After France I moved to New York to work for Martha. I ran into Julia at food events, and that was pretty much the extent of it.

OK, here we go.

I also read the Julie/Julia Project blog and for a time, I followed Julie Powell. I was very intrigued by her nerve actually, of cooking the book. Pretty stiff stuff for an untrained cook. Good for her, I thought. What an undertaking. But one day she made a comment implying a recipe being wrong for roast chicken. I honestly don’t remember what it was, but it struck me as being so disrespectful, completely without deference to Julia Child, that I stopped. What the hell did she know about food? Had she even heard of poulet au Bresse? Didn’t go back. No malice. Just didn’t want to follow anymore.

That brings me back to the present. Wednesday night I watched the Julie & Julia movie.

“Had a lovely time, Tony, thanks so much for a lovely party.”

The next night I saw a link on Twitter from an older article from the New York Times. I clicked through and read. It was in my opinion, decent writing, good writing, but it wasn’t about food. It made me think it maybe needed to be in a blog. It was not appropriate on that stage, on that level. It was the damn New York Times!

To be clear, it was NOT written by Amanda Hesser.

And, then it all made sense. My underlying malaise.

The Rosé Squirt--A Perfect Seasonal Sipper

Come summer, I love a refreshing Kir with White Wine--a glass of inexpensive, not terribly flavorful white wine with a shot of Chambord, Cassis, or Raspberry Liqueur--which sweetens the drink, infuses it with an unmistakable berry perfume, and turns it a pretty sunset pink.

I like my Kir au Vin Blanc (the drink’s proper French name) served with a twist of orange plus rocks on the side. This allows me not only to cool the drink as I desire, but to add an ice cube or three to taste, especially if the bartender has a heavy hand with the berry liqueur, as often occurs.

My friend A.J. Rathbun, an Amazon.com staffer and regular contributor to Al Dente, has just released an entire book dedicated to drinks such as my beloved Kir--drinks that highlight wines embellished with liqueurs, spirits, fruit juices, herbs, and spices.

Entitled Wine Cocktails: 50 Stylish Sippers That Show Off Your Reds, Whites, and Rosés (Harvard Common Press, 2009), his latest tome makes a welcome addition to his ever-growing list of titles, which include Party Snacks!, Party Drinks!, Luscious Liqueurs, Good Spirits, and Dark Spirits, the last forthcoming this fall. 

Over a couple of Kirs at a swanky downtown Seattle hotel last month, A.J. told me his latest book was inspired by his editor at the Harvard Common Press, who enjoyed wine cocktails during her travels to France and Italy. She wondered why such sophisticated, food-friendly drinks weren’t more popular in the U.S., and contracted A.J. for the project.

It being sunny summer in Seattle, I asked A.J. for his take on the perfect seasonal sipper. Slightly rakish and ever-evocative, he described a good summer wine cocktail as one that “cools you down, has a school’s-out sort of vibe, is light on its feet, and less alcoholic than cocktails enjoyed during the cold winter months.”

His Rosé Squirt fits the bill to a “t”--bubbly, dry, refreshing--a drink A.J. enjoys “while sitting with that perfect person as the sun goes down in July.” Favorite sites for sipping the drink include his backyard with wife Natalie (on their newly remodeled deck) or on the lawn at Casa Vitiano (the couple’s favorite retreat in the Upper Tiber region of Italy).

Rosé Squirt
Serves 2

Ingredients:
Ice cubes
2 ounces maraschino liqueur
6 ounces dry rosé
Chilled club soda
2 maraschino cherries, for garnish

Directions:
1. Fill two highball glasses three-quarters full with ice cubes. Add 1 ounce maraschino liqueur and 3 ounces rosé to each glass. Stir briefly.

2. Fill each glass almost to the top with the chilled club soda. Stir again, a bit more than briefly. Drop a cherry on top and serve.

Note: Don’t be fooled into thinking that maraschino liqueur is the same as the liquid that comes with maraschino cherries in the jar, or the same as cherry syrup. Instead, it’s made from the fruit and pits of Marasca cherries, with a dry, rich flavor that has hints of both cherries and almonds.

Exerpted from Wine Cocktails, by A.J. Rathbun. (c) 2009, used by permission from The Harvard Common Press.

--Braiden Rex-Johnson

Rosé Squirt photo (c), by Melissa Punch
Photo of Braiden by Ingrid Pape-Sheldon