 No matter what ingredients I have in stock I can always find a great cocktail recipe in Robert Simonson’s 3 Ingredient Cocktails. I think I’ve said this before, but I’m bad at being prepared. So when my husband started demanding I make cocktails during a dinner party a couple of weeks ago this little book came to the rescue, again. The Revolver, a dark liquor cocktail with a hint of coffee was the perfect after dinner drink. I was very excited to be able to use the bottle of Mr. Black, a cold brew coffee liqueur from Australia, that has been sitting on my bar for a while. I also realized that we need to stock a cocktail bourbon, because the Booker’s that I like to use is rocket fuel and will fuck you up. Revolver (Jon Santer, 2004) 2 oz. Bullet bourbon 1/2 oz. coffee liqueur 2 dashes orange bitters orange twist for garnish Combine the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, stir until chilled (no longer than 30 seconds or you’ll dilute your drink). Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a flamed orange twist. How to do a flamed orange twist? I’ve never succeeded but, here it is. Using a silver dollar sized piece of orange rind, warm the skin with a match. Hold the match over the drink and squeeze the warmed peel in the direction of the match. The oils should briefly catch on fire.  Feel free to pass on mixing alcohol and open flames, I do. If you enjoyed this recipe I highly recommend picking up a copy of 3 Ingredient Cocktails.
Cheers!
0 Comments
 I love getting book recommendations from my friends and family so I thought it was about time that I returned the favor. These are the five books I read in January. Corpse: Nature, Forensics, and the Struggle to Pinpoint Time of Death By Jessica Snyder Sachs If you don't love forensic anthropology then this book definitely isn't for you. The author does a deep dive into the science behind time of death from Entomology to Rigor Mortis and everything in between. I found some topics more interesting than others, and this is probably as technical as I would want to go into the actual science of death investigation. A Spark of Light By Jodi Picoult I really enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it. The story for the most part takes place in a woman's clinic, and I felt the author did a spectacular job representing the importance and divisive nature of such places. The story was well paced and concentrates on its characters, who are both interesting and relatable, despite some serious subject matter. The Au Pair By Emma Rous This is a mystery thriller set in the UK, and that’s usually enough to get me interested. I would say that calling it a thriller is a bit of an exaggeration but it’s decently paced and does manage to hold on to the reveal until the end. I would recommend this for a quick beach or airplane read. The Wander Society By Keri Smith By the same author of ‘Wreck this Journal’, this book is more of a piece of piece of interactive art than anything else. Written in journal form this book explores The Wander Society, a group dedicated to exploring, wandering and Walt Whitman. The Wander society is real and if you look hard enough you’ll find them (and they have an email address). Vicious (Villians, #1) By V.E. Schwab This was a book recommended to me by my husband who tends to read historical fiction or fantasy. So I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this was a comic bookesque story by a female author. If you like dark complicated characters and the X-men then this is a book for you. I loved that the story kept me guessing right until the very end, and I have plans to continue reading the series.  I'd love to know if you end up reading any of these books, and what you thought of them. I'm always looking for new recommendations for future reads so feel free to leave some suggestions in the comments.
Cheers!  I love this cleanser. I didn't think that a face cleanser could be special, but this cleanser really is. As directed I massage it on for ten seconds and wash it off, and something about it feels both luxurious and lazy. The beautiful packaging and amazing smell don't hurt either. This product really takes washing my face from daily chore to spa treatment.  I have never used an oil cleanser before, and I had a few concerns about the Tatcha Camellia Cleansing Oil. But... It didn't break me out or cause any weird allergic reactions. I’ve been using it everyday, sometimes twice, which is a miracle because I have very dry skin and it doesn't dry me out at all. This cleanser is a bit of a splurge, but even the tiny travel size has lasted me well over a month. I'm hooked, and I fully recommend this product for any one with normal to dry skin whose looking to add a bit of luxury in their daily routine.
 It’s cocktail time! We had some sun this week in between the almost freezing temperatures and persistent rain and so it’s tequila time. I’m probably jumping the gun a bit here, but I feel like February is the point where you need to remind yourself that winter will end…eventually. This recipe was inspired by a super grapefruity IPA that I have not been able to find ever again, mostly because I can’t remember what its called. It’s sort of a Paloma but with out any actual fruit juice, who needs it? I did replace the grapefruit juice with beer though, you’re welcome.  Paloma Beer-garita Meet-Cute 1.5 oz. Tequila 0.5 oz. Mezcal 1 oz. Agave syrup 6 oz. Sculpine IPA (or any grapefruity IPA will do) 1/2 Lime Place Tequila, Mezcal, agave syrup and lime juice in a shaker with ice, shake until chilled. Add beer to shaker and strain into large low ball glass or beer glass. Garnish with sour grapefruit slice, no point in adding any real fruit now. Now repeat after me, “summer is coming, summer is coming”. Cheers!
 It’s the weekend! And that means cocktails! Who am I kidding, every day in our house means cocktails, but recipes with more than two ingredients are reserved for the weekend because mama ain’t got time. We've been having a chilly and cold(ish) winter here in Northern California and as far as I'm concerned that calls for bourbon. Since I’ve never met a classic cocktail that I didn't like a new twist on I thought this Vanilla Old Fashioned recipe from the Boozy Bungalow looked fantastic. Unfortunately, I am a hot mess and so is my bar, and I’m almost always too lazy to make a simple syrup. But that’s okay, like I always say an empty pantry and laziness are the heart of invention or something like that...  Lazy Vanilla Old Fashioned 1/4oz. Agave syrup (you could use maple syrup, or the traditional sugar cube) 2oz. Bookers Bourbon 1/2 oz. Orange Vodka 4 dashes Orange bitters 1/4 oz. Vanilla extract combine ingredients in mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain over ice. Garnish with a twist of orange. Enjoy! And I'm sure we'll all be sipping Rosé in the sunshine in no time.
|