Things go wrong

Hmmmm. Yes, this was supposed to be a lovely blueberry coffee cake. What happened? The recipe called for a "9-inch round baking pan" and since it was a cake, I used a (duh) cake pan. Well, perhaps I should have used a pie dish instead as the batter was clearly too much for the vessel. The cake turned out moist and tasty, though less than picture perfect. I'm going to write cooking light and see if they can be a little more specific on the type of pan to use and then maybe I'll give it another shot. Nobody (or baker) is perfect, I guess.

You can find the recipe here:
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1734304

As requested - another summery drink!

Lisa asked for a drink with Rhubarb. Drink+Rhubarb? But of course!

This recipe is from Gourmet a few years ago, but couldn't be found on Epicurious. It's delicious as is, but can also be adult-enhanced with vodka.

Rhubarb Ginger Cooler
Makes 12 drinks

3 1/2 lb fresh rhubarb stalks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (10 cups)
2 1/2 cups cold water
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped peeled fresh ginger
About 2 cups sparkling water

Bring rhubarb, cold water, sugar and ginger to a simmer in a 4 to 5 quart pot over moderate heat, uncovered, stirring once or twice, then simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and let steep uncovered. 1 hour.

Pour mixture through a large fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, gently stirring but not pressing on solids. Discard solids. You should have about 6 cups syrup. Chill syrup completely, about 45 minutes.

Serve syrup in glasses over ice with a splash of sparkling water.

Syrup can be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered. Syrup keeps, frozen, 3 months.

Summertime Drinks

Last year while on a rare trip to the Hamptons I was introduced to the delicious and refreshing cocktail, Pimm's Cup. Citrusy and a bit spicy, it quickly became my favorite summer drink.

Pimm's Cup
one part Pimm's No.1
three parts lemonade, sprite, or ginger ale
mints leaves
slices of cucumber and lemon

Pimm's No. 1 is somewhat of a mystery liquor. It is based on gin, but like coca-cola, its recipe is a closely guarded secret. Secret of deliciousness!

A little ago while at our local liquor store, 67 wine, a Swiss miss looking young lady was giving out free samples of St-Germaine. http://www.stgermain.fr/ How could I resist? St-Germaine is made from Alp Elderflower blossoms and is absolutely tasty with hints of citrus and honey. Though we tasted it months before it was even near 70 degrees (let alone 95) I knew it was going to be my new favorite summer drink.

St-Germaine and Champagne (or Prosecco, or Cava)
1/3 part St. Germaine
2/3 part Sparkling Wine
Slice or twist of lemon

I was eagerly anticipating the cocktails to be served at a bridal shower I attended Saturday because the hostess is married to the mixologist at pdt and I knew they'd be top notch and creative. http://nymag.com/listings/bar/pdt/

And boy was I right to be excited. What was on the drink menu? Pimm's Cup AND St-Germaine Cocktails! How could I choose? Luckily I think there's room enough in my summer for two favorite drinks.

Dino-mite?

Yes. Dinosaur BBQ was good. Darn good! First off, if you care for super-strong and super-girly drinks, you must try their Donkey Punch. It is pink, contains rum and a "variety of fruit juices", no umbrella, but a veritable fruit salad of garnish. If not, their beer on tap selection is vast and excellent. Situated under the westside highway, near my favorite Fairway (because the refrigerated section is a huge room that you need to put on specially-provided Fairway puffy coats to enter!), Dino BBQ is a little like an enormous grungy garage, hence a perfect place to eat barbeque. The joint was jumping last night and we ordered as much as we thought we could handle. Because we were with a large group, we erred on the side of less-spicy sauces, though all Dino's signature sauces are provided on the table, so I was able to soup my meat up to proper near-atomic levels.

Hits: Deviled Eggs, Fried Green Tomatoes with Remoulade, Jumbo BBQ wings w/ Wango Tango Sauce, BBQ Ribs, Syracuse Style Salt Potatoes (probably the best and most unique bbq side I've ever had), Devil's Duel Habanero Pepper Sauce

Misses: Potato Salad, Cornbread, BBQ Beans, our waiter taking forever to bring water and then not bringing enough

I'd like to go back and try a few more entrees, especially the brisket and pork shoulder. Overall, tasty food and a very festive vibe.

Spicy and cool

As promised, my recipe using the pickled jalapeno wedding favor. This is adapted from a recipe I used to help my mom make for parties. It's simple, easy and can be made a day in advance and refrigerated.









Jalapeno Cream Cheese Appetizer Rollups

Two large flour tortillas
1 oz. bar 1/3 less fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese
6 oz. pickled jalapeno peppers (use less if you're sensitive to the spice!)
1 large roasted red bell pepper (fresh or from a jar)
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt, pepper

Finely chop red pepper while cream cheese softens. In a medium bowl, combine both types of pepper, lemon juice and cream cheese with salt and pepper to taste. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over both tortillas. Roll up. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, cut into slices.

Stay-cation

I had a tough day on Sunday. Some parade made me 45 minutes late to my appointments on the east side, and said appointments were unexpectedly difficult. So when I arrived back home 10 million hours after I left, I knew I needed a major pick-me-up. I had to go to Bin 71.

http://www.bin71.com/

Bin 71 is the glorious and cozy wine bar on Columbus between 71st and 72nd Sts. They have a friendly, low-key staff who recommend and pour (generously) excellent wines and serve an array of delicious food that goes beyond meat and cheese plates (though they're good too).

When I'm there, I feel instantly relaxed and slightly indulgent. Its the closest feeling to being on vacation while still in the city.

Of course, I'm not the only one who feels this way, so it's often packed. Luckily they've added 5 two-tops outside for the summer which adds to their capacity by one third. Still, if you can, show up well before prime time....like lunch time.

Favorites: Sancerre, Gruner Ventliner, Zinfandel, Octopus, Pork Panini, Ham and Manchego Panini

Ah, to be a summer associate

I couldn't be a lawyer...mostly because I didn't go to law school. But I think I'd make an excellent law firm summer associate. I would love to be wined and dined, socialize, and enjoy all New York city has to offer from to trapeze school to baseball games while being extremely well-compensated. Who wouldn't?

Eater is featuring some summer associate restaurant reporting which should include NYCs top restaurants and their lunch offerings. Especially interesting thus far are "topics discussed" and the bitter posts from attorneys clearly past the summer associate honeymoon.

http://eater.com/archives/2008/05/associate.php

I get to attend a summer associate event with my husband's firm this Thursday. Stay tuned for my thoughts on Dinosaur BBQ in Harlem.