So, I went to an auction. It seems to be auction season in our part of the world, where people organize fabulous dinner events, with choice items to bid on, in the name of raising money. I wonder to myself if people are spending as much this year as they did last. The economy is a bit on edge: I went to the auction with a budget.

I spent my entire budget on one item. Well, 8 cases of one item.

I bought dry soda; it is a sexy soda based out of Seattle. It transcends corn syrup, sideswipes sweetness and ushers in unusual, savvy, urbanite flavors (lavender, kumquat, lemongrass and rhubarb). You might consider wearing shades while sipping from these clairvoyant bottles.

Their website is as hip as their sodas. I noticed they had a few cocktails on their site, many of which boasted a long list of ingredients. Never fear, my impatience is near. I just borrowed genius from a lemon drop and created a kumquat version:

Kumquat Drop
triple sec
vodka
fresh squeezed orange juice
Kumquat Dry Soda

Per drink: 1/5 fresh squeezed orange juice, 3/5 vodka, 1/5 triple sec, 1/5 kumquat soda. Shake with ice, strain into martini glass; pierce a few kumquats on an olive pick for garnish. Note: feel free to substitute fresh squeezed lemon juice for the orange, or a combination of the two… and skip the sugar rim. It isn’t necessary.

Orange you glad its a kumquat?

Kumquats are awesome; have you ever tried one? It is nature’s lemon drop candy; the candy that is so, so sweet yet makes you pucker straight to the back of your jaw. You can eat kumquats whole, though we usually slice them in half and remove the larger pits. I slice the halves and put them in my boys’ lunch. On my old site (didn’t have time to run two sites, though there is a chance I may resurrect it), Brown Bag Blues, I wrote a post on kumquats that you might find useful (click here).

I realize it is the end of January and the Holiday Season has come a gone and perhaps with the roundness of our bellies, best be forgotten.

However, a dear friend of mine gave me a well-appointed holiday present over our ritual cup of coffee: a book of 50 recipes for hot drinks. Which was quite fun, since when I am craving a steaming drink I usually just make hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps or coffee with Irish cream.

But that is all about to change.

And the funny thing is, I read through the whole book, and instead of making one of the drink recipes listed, I began playing with my own ideas for hot drinks. Go figure.

I find that sometimes while reading a recipe, I am taking in all the flavors and imagining the outcome, but also making mental adjustments. Sometimes, it means I am cutting out unnecessary steps, or short-cutting a method (is impatience a virtue when it comes to cooking? maybe sometimes?). Other times I have a miniature light bulb flash (indiscreetly) over my head and another seasoning or flavor add-on or substitution tempts my curiosity.

Needless to say, I will probably make a few of those book recipes one day… but was quite happy with my own, easy-to-make drink:

Orange Cinnamon Coffee
Serves 1.

Strong, full-bodied coffee (I use/love French Press)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 oz Bailey’s Irish Cream
1/2 oz Grand Marnier

Place cinnamon and liquors in bottom of mug. Fill to top with coffee. Top with whipped cream and orange zest, if desired.

What drink am I?

My 5th grader recently had a class writing project where he had to describe his favorite candy bar in 10 sentences. It could not contain the name of the candy bar, but enough hints and clues that people could guess the name of the bar.

I thought I would do the same; though, lucky you there is a visual aid. I would have posted a sip of it if I could; but alas no tasting for this game. Here are 10 hints:

1. It has been a favorite of mine for 2-3 years—perhaps I have mentioned it?
2. A cousin to the lemon drop.
3. Sugar-rimmed.
4. Fresh squeezed citrus, of the yellow variety.
5. It is a classic; not an invention by yours truly (though, I don’t order it too often in restaurants, because they often mess it up according to my developed-over-years standard).
6. Not all bartenders are familiar with it; a few make it really well.
7. Brandy, not vodka.
8. Served up, sans rocks.
9. Yes: triple sec or cointreau.
10. Shaken, not stirred.

Give up? Got it? Answer follows recipe:

For 2: into cocktail shaker filled 2/3 with ice, place juice from a large lemon, then pour 2/3 brandy and 1/3 triple sec. In other words, two-to-one. BUT if there is some room left in the shaker, top it with the triple sec. I know, but exacting amounts for cocktails aren’t my thing: you should know that by now. Chill martini glass beforehand, if possible. Use the lemon wedge to juice the edge of the rim, then dip in sugar. Answer: A Sidecar.

I usually pour into martini glasses, but recently added the vodka shooter set to my glassware collection. No, these drinks aren’t of the shooting variety; however, a glass bowl, filled with 6 of these fancy, etched glass mini-sidecars, on ice, has proven to be a great hit at parties. Man, you would think I threw parties all the time—I really don’t.

But official party or not, tonight is New Year’s Eve and I will be toasting and hailing its welcome, even if it is just a party for one. Or two. Maybe four. And I can lift a glass to you, wherever you are, at your respective parties: Salute!

Things to do today: buy Christmas gifts for kids’ coaches & teachers, buy packaging tape and boxes, call eye doctor, clean out email in box, make eggnog. Top priority: make eggnog.

When I read Brandon Eats‘ message to make your eggnog now or it is too late, I knew I had to put it on top of my ‘to-do list.’ It takes a minimum of three weeks for the eggnog flavors to marry and marinate in your fridge… or up to a year. So in theory, I could have started my Christmas Nog in July.

If my mom is reading this, she is smiling, because I DO have a tendency to begin planning for Christmas in July. But not this year. This year I really did leave the Christmas planning/buying/frenzy for December (other frenzies were a priority in their respective months; July was consumed with selling our house).

But back to December: I have always wanted to make eggnog from scratch. So when I was alerted to this recipe (from CHOW), I knew I needed to grab my just-emptied glass jug (the apple cider was delish), and start cracking… eggs that is.

And then wait.

I think I am a sucker for drinks that take time to mellow and perfect; my limoncella recipe takes 80 days. And it is divine. Last year I actually DID start making that in July, and even had a bottle or two left in December for Christmas gifts (a hazard of beginning Christmas limoncella in July is that come September when it is ripe and ready one feels the need to taste it, share it, re-taste it and otherwise fail to save it until Christmas). You can only wait so long. And that was too long.

But if you make this eggnog now, it will be perfect for New Year’s Eve. OR if you are not a waiter, crack it open a bit early, perhaps on the eve of Christmas (just save some for later, to taste when it is in its prime). If you do, know that I am too. A few big cubes of ice, a short glass and cheers: to Christmas and to You!

EGGNOG worth waiting for
12 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 quart whole milk (4 cups)
1 liter (about 4 cups) bourbon
1/2 cup Meyer’s dark rum
1/2 - 1 cup good Cognac or brandy
pinch kosher salt

To serve (optional—depends on your ability to wait even longer):
one whole nutmeg
10 egg whites
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Separate yolks and whites; discard whites or use for something else. Mix yolks and sugar until creamy; add remaining ingredients. Bottle right away and refrigerate. Stir or shake occasionally. Serve on rocks with freshly ground nutmeg. Optional: whip 10 egg whites and 1 1/2 cups cream to soft peaks and fold into eggnog. Serve garnished with fresh nutmeg.

Mummy Juice is one of my favorite new drinks. I am making it for Halloween—though it will definitely outlast this holiday. Perfect for Thanksgiving in fact. The color, the spiciness of the ginger, the citrus notes lent by fresh oranges. This one is a keeper.

When I have dinner parties, I am always excited to offer a special drink before dinner. In fact, some of my friends have come to expect it. If they show up and I am not pouring a new rosemary infused lemon drop or marrying a bunch of rum with fancy new tropical juices or rolling up my sleeves to make the world’s best Christmas Kazi, then they are sorely disappointed. And I hate to disappoint my dinner guests.

So I play bartender once in awhile, most notably around holidays (here I am in the pumpkin patch, gaining my inspiration). Admittedly the ‘ew, gross’ look does cross my face during this drink-creating process. But it is in the adjustments and imagination and ‘what about this’? attitude that will bring together the fun drinks that cross my table. Once the winces have subsided from awful tasting libations, I am often left with an inventive cocktail worthy of the next dinner guest.

This drink has a Halloween name: Mummy’s Juice. To serve it, I plan on wrapping GAUZE around a glass before filling it to the brim. (After Halloween, we will just have to rename it Mommy’s Juice—it does have a nice kick, after all):

Mummy’s Juice
1 small glugg ginger simple syrup (recipe follows)
1 medium glugg fresh orange juice (squeezed or otherwise)
1 small glugg triple sec
1 large glugg light rum
1 medium glugg soda

(I tried to measure, really. But try the gluggs and see what you come up with; perhaps you will measure and send me the recipe?). I use CRUZAN light rum. Pour all ingredients into one glass. Fill second glass with ice, pour contents of first glass into ice-filled second glass. Voila!

Ginger Simple Syrup
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 1/2 inch of ginger, peeled and sliced thin

Place water and sugar over medium heat, stir a few times. In about 5 minutes the sugar should be melted. You never want a boil, but hints of a simmer are fine. As soon as the sugar is melted, plop in all the ginger. Let simmer (or just under a simmer, you don’t want to overcook the sugar, it shouldn’t be amber in color). Off heat and let ginger steep for another 10-15 minutes. Strain out ginger and use syrup!

ALSO for those of you familiar with COTM or Centerpiece of the Month, Sandi at Whistlestop Cafe is hosting this month (click here to find her). You still have until OCT 31 to email your centerpiece photos in her direction. For my centerpiece this month, I inserted small rubber bats into a glass, globe-like tea candle holder that I bought from Crate & Barrel. It is appropriately spooky, don’t you think?