Read a Book, Sip a Cocktail No. 24

Photo from Goodreads.com

I saw no other way to end my Read a Book, Sip a Cocktail series than with a book on Marilyn Monroe.  I've read a few of them, and this one has been one of my favorites thus far. Not only did Taraborrelli do a great job in recounting Marilyn's life, but he did so in a way that was well-written, documented and not sensationalized. There was still room for the reader to make up his or her mind about her life and to get a better understanding as to why or how events unfolded as they did for Marilyn Monroe. I've always been a fan, but I know that she does not always get the best rap when it comes to her reputation or her stardom. But through this book you are able to see the person behind the big screen. Marilyn had very humble beginnings and a troubled past with her sick mother and no father to speak of. But she also had gumption, heart, and drive. Not to mention talent of course. The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe doesn't reveal any particular big secret, but it does allow the reader a glimpse into the beautiful tragedy that was Marilyn Monroe and I for one did not come away feeling sorry for her or lamenting what happened, but rather I gained a better understanding of her life and a wish that I could have been around when she was alive.

For the cocktail pairing I had to of course use champagne, but I wanted to glam it up and make it pretty for MM.  I had seen a champagne cocktail that used a blooming hibiscus flower for garnish and I thought it looked so beautiful, my eye was instantly drawn to it, and that pretty much sums up what Marilyn does to most people, even 51 years from her passing, she still draws the eye in and fascinates us (she passed 51 years ago today on August 5th 1962).  I'm calling this one The NJ for Norma Jeane.

The NJ
6 oz. Champagne (any one you prefer, although Marilyn did like her Dom Pérignon)
A hibiscus flower in rose water syrup
1/3 cup of Granita made from Hibiscus tea and simple syrup

How to: First make the granita.  To begin, seep some dried hibiscus blooms in boiling water to make the hibiscus tea (about 1 1/2 cups). Strain the tea and let it completely cool.  Mix the tea with about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of simple syrup. Pour into a small metal cake or pie pan and freeze until the top layer begins to harden. This takes about two hours. Using a fork, scrape the mixture to break the frozen parts into tiny pieces. Freeze for another 30 minutes and then scrape again. Repeat this process until the granita resembles fluffy shaved ice. This takes about 4 hours in total. To assemble the cocktail, lay about 1/3 of a cup of the granita in your favorite champagne glass.  Place a hibiscus flower on top of the granita. Then slowly pour your champagne into the glass.  You can use the flower itself or the back of a small spoon to let the champagne slowly roll into the glass so that it floats on top.

This is the granita the first time out of the freezer

After a few times back and forth between scraping and freezing, the granita becomes 'fluffier'

Start assembling the cocktail with a bed of granita first

Then add the hibiscus flower

These flowers are edible, sustainably harvested in Australia and packed in the essence of Bulgarian roses

Pour the champagne slowly so that it rolls over the flower and into your cocktail glass

The finished champagne cocktail - this one's for you NJ!

As an adage, I just want to say that I have truly enjoyed putting these cocktail and book pairings together.  I don't always sit with a cocktail in hand when I read, well actually, hardly ever. But I know that when I make these drinks they will evoke the books that I paired them with, and hopefully this isn't the end of my cocktail adventures. I will definitely be sprinkling them in here and there as I go forth whenever I can. Cheers everyone!

Read a Book, Sip a Cocktail No. 23

Photo from Goodreads.com

I will admit that I watched the movie version of Laura Esquivel's Como Agua Para Chocolate, which was released in 1992 and starred Lumi Cavazos and Marco Leonardi, before I read the book. I actually then went on to read the book in English and I enjoyed it very much because I felt that the film did a great job in capturing the saga of Tita and her ridiculously demanding mother Mamá Elena, her petty sister Rosaura and her weak, coward of a lover Pedro (although in the end I was rooting for him).  I think what I enjoyed the most about the story was the element of cooking and how Tita's emotions were poured into her culinary creations - so much so that those who consumed them were in turn consumed by her state of mind, heart and soul.  Like the title implies, when something is hot enough to make chocolate with, it's basically too hot to handle, and angered to the point of boiling over. So for this drink I wanted to blend both the chocolate aspect of the saying, but also give it a kick with some ginger and bring it home with a sultry-colored fruit (pomegranate would be great with this too, especially from the point of being a forbidden fruit and all that).  In the end this drink delivers a refreshing and sweet flavor blended nicely with the slight heat of the ginger. I think that if a drink had emotions, this would be one with many.

Too Hot to Handle Cocktail

Too Hot to Handle
1 oz. Skyy infusions ginger vodka
1 oz. Crème de cacao liqueur
3 oz. Naked blueberry juice*

How to: Prep your martini glass by sticking it in the freezer for about 5 minutes. In a cocktail shaker mix ice, vodka, crème de cacao liqueur, and juice. Shake for at least 20 seconds. Serve in your ice cold martini glass and keep cool under the collar.

Getting my ingredients ready

After pouring everything into my martini shaker

Pouring away

I love the color the blueberry juice gives to the drink

Enjoy!

Read a Book, Sip a Cocktail No. 22

Photo from Goodreads.com

I first read The House on Mango Street in high school and it stuck to me ever since. The story revolves around 12 year old Esperanza who is coming of age in a new house on Mango street (in the city of Chicago). Told in short vignettes, the book reads a lot like poetry. For being a very short book, I think the author makes a big impact and tells a good story that brings up many issues including gender, identity, language, culture and growing pains. This cocktail doesn't have much to do with those issues, but it certainly was inspired by the famed Mango Street - and it is a two for one deal! I made a Mango in the Morning and a Mango in the Evening with an orange, mango, peach mimosa/bellini and a mango margarita.  I've made both of these drinks before, but not in one day. The mimosa or bellini is great for a weekend brunch and using a peach champagne is perfect for blending with the pulpy, sweet flavors of mango and bright, refreshing orange. Margaritas come in a wide array of flavors (and even colors), so punching up the traditional blended margarita with your favorite fruit is really great, especially during this hot summer. Normally I actually like to drink my margaritas on the rocks, but fruit flavors are really great blended smooth. And now I must confess something. Mango street actually does not exist in Chicago! The street that Cisneros wrote about is actually Campbell street, but she chose instead to use Mango because it rhymed with Campbell and it would not remind readers of the famous soup. 

Mango in the Morning
2 1/2 oz. Champagne or Sparkling Wine*
2 1/2 oz. Mango Orange Juice or Orange Peach Mango Juice**

How to: Chill both your champagne and juice ahead of time. *I recommend using a peach champagne, like the one Andre has. **I used an orange, peach mango juice with no sugar added, but I also recommend the Simply Orange juice with Mango or the Dole orange, peach and mango juice.

Mango in the Evening
1 oz. Tequila, reposado
1 oz. Triple sec
1 oz. Grand Marnier
3 oz. Mango Orange Juice or Orange Peach Mango Juice*
Frozen chunks of mango fruit
Ice

How to: Prep your margarita glass rim with a bit of fresh lime and a rim of rock salt.  In a blender add your ice, frozen mango, tequila, triple sec, Grand Marnier, and chosen juice. Blend it up! Serve immediately and enjoy. *See notations above.

I used Orange, Peach and Mango juice

I love the bright color

The mimosa/bellini - bellosa?

I didn't quite wait until the evening to start the margarita, but that is neither here nor there!

Blended goodness

Cheers! and Cheers!

Read a Book, Sip a Cocktail No. 21

Photo from Goodreads.com

When I read The Great Gatsby in high school I was not thrilled at the assignment because after all it was an assigned book - one that I had to read, but after finishing it I was secretly in love with it. As a high school kid I could never admit I liked it, much less thought it was genius.  But next to To Kill a Mockingbird, it was probably my favorite "required" reading assignment prior to college and prior to reading for pleasure.  Then add to that the fascination with F. Scott and his wife Zelda and their beautiful, tormented, cut-short-lives, and well, I would have to say that the novel is always at the top of any of my best or most beloved reads.  In summary The Great Gatsby is about unfulfilled dreams. Jay Gatsby having reinvented himself in hopes of winning back his girl, Daisy Buchanan, dreams that he will regain her love, but also turn his "new money" into "old money". Daisy is stuck in an unhappy union with Tom who is unfaithful to her but not willing to let her go.  Even the narrator, Nick Carraway, who becomes enamored with the mysterious Jay Gatsby, is confounded at how little care is given after Gatsby's demise when not long before he had so many admirers as the enigmatic host of the most lavish and shining parties.  I was inspired by the two opposing locations Fitzgerald juxtaposes in the novel: East Egg and West Egg, and so I made a boozed-up egg nog completely from scratch.  Since the latest film adaptation starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan is coming out tomorrow, I thought this was also a fitting book and cocktail pairing. The movie looks so glitzy and full of reverie that I think this cocktail would be perfect as a companion to those day dreams and ritzy nights.  The taste is just sweet enough with a very smooth kick from the bourbon and the rum. The best part is the creaminess of the rich whipped milk and egg, which lend the drink an airy and indulgent feel. I can't wait to watch the latest film version of this great American novel. Now don't go on a toot and get zozzled daddy-o!

East West Egg Nog
1 large egg
2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
2 oz heavy cream
1 oz bourbon
1 oz aged rum
2 1/2 oz whole milk
ground nutmeg

How to: Separate the white and the yolk from the egg and beat the egg white until soft peaks appear. Slowly add the sugar. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream and the egg yolk until thick. Add the bourbon and the rum to the cream and yolk mixture and then combine the two mixtures.  Add the milk and beat until soft peaks appear again.  Serve chilled with a sprinkle of nutmeg.  Double the ingredients to make a batch for two.  You can substitute the whole milk for 1 or 2% milk to make it lighter, or half and half to make it richer.

In the middle of beating the egg white

The nutmeg adds another dimension of flavor

"In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars." (Quote from The Great Gatsby)

Read a Book, Sip a Cocktail No. 20

Photo from Goodreads.com

I was inspired to do a little wine tasting this time around by the book Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik.  The story centers on five women who serendipitously form a book club in their Freesia Court neighborhood in the 1960's. Through forty years of friendship, their lives are unraveled, enjoyed, devastated, and enriched by secrets, marital woes, booze, and inevitable changes and revelations.  I really enjoyed learning about each character's lives and getting the story from each of them because they all had individual voices and perspectives.  The five characters include Faith, a mother of twins who feels a bit lonely, Merit, the pretty doctor's wife, Audrey, resident sex pot (I thought Joan Holloway all the way while I read it), Kari the reliable widow, and Slip who is tiny in size but not in character or strength.The story had both heart warming moments, as well as heartbreak, laughter and of course great books, food and drinks.

I am not the usual wine lover in that I guess I cheat at wine. That is to say that I prefer the sweet, desert wines, so when it comes down to it, I'm not a true wine enthusiast even though I actually have lots of enthusiasm for wine, but my palate is not complex I guess. All I know is that if it is sweet, I like it, no matter the cost, the age, the vintage, nose, varietal, or the obscurity or exclusivity. I don't pick up on nuances like vanilla oak, pepper, rhubarb, or whispers of clove either.  I pretty much stick to a good Riesling, Moscato, Gewurztraminer, and the occasional Zinfandel. And I love sipping a port with some chocolate after dinner too. So this is where the bon bons come in.  I chose three wines and I paired them with a variety of chocolates. I started with Cupcake Vineyards Red Velvet, which is a mix of Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah.  It smelled like any other red wine to me, but it was actually not too dry and just smooth enough for me with a hint of sweetness (although with the name I really did expect some sort of a nod to red velvet cake).  I paired it with white chocolate and it was quite nice to sip a bit at a time with the creamy white chocolate.  Second up was the Chocolate Shop Red Wine which is red wine infused with dark chocolate, and I could definitely smell the chocolate before I took a taste. I paired this one with milk chocolate and it was a nice balance to the headiness of the wine.  And finally I ended with a Quarles Harris Ruby Porto, which is an inexpensive port that has a bit of a kick (for something better I would recommend a Fonseca Porto).  I paired it with a dark chocolate and almonds, but I think a chocolate desert might be best with this one.  Out of all three my favorite was definitely the Chocolate Shop Red Wine. It was smooth, not too strong, with a lovely hint of dark chocolate. I could have even sipped it without the chocolate truth be told, which is rare for me as I usually stick to the white wines.  Overall I think if I'm going to have some dessert after dinner or during a book club meeting, I think having it with some wine is definitely a win-win situation.

Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons Flight
1 bottle of Cupcake Vineyards Red Velvet
1 bottle of Chocolate Shop Red Wine
1 bottle of Quarles Harris Ruby Porto
A variety of chocolate

How to: For this pairing I would recommend making a night of it, inviting some angry or not-so-angry friends over to enjoy the flight with you and just have everyone bring a pairing of a wine and either a chocolate or maybe a cheese or a dessert. And make sure you have a DD as well or plenty of sleeping bags!

Read a Book, Sip a Cocktail No. 19

Photo from Goodreads.com

I have fallen under the spell of Adriana Trigiani's books, and not just because we share a first name.  Well maybe a little bit because of that. I think so far I have read four of her books and each one has its own charm and enchantment. In The Shoemaker's Wife the charm is double-fold because I fell in love with both Enza, who is the said wife, and Ciro, who is the said shoemaker and husband. Both stories are interwoven from the time of both Enza and Ciro's youth and I think that there is enough editing and storytelling that we truly connect with where these characters are from, without ever getting bored. For this round of read a book, sip a cocktail I took inspiration from having both a feeling of Italy and America in the libation, which is something that we get from the novel. Enza and Ciro are connected to each other in many ways, but very important is this thread that inexorably ties them to their "mountain top". These are roots that both of them feel to their cores, but yet when they come to America they also begin to lay down roots in a new land, without ever forgetting of course where they come from. It is a cliché that I know has been over-told time and time again, one that I as a first-generation Mexican American can relate to as well, even without having been born in another country, but knowing that feeling of being from two places at once. It is a tug that encompasses that feeling of home - of knowing in one moment that your soul is where it should be, where it emerged from, and where it will eventually return to, only that you feel it in more than one place.  The cocktail itself is a blend of bourbon, Disaronno, almond milk, cinnamon and shaved dark chocolate.  The result is a definite cerise and almond-like sweetness mixed with the potency of the bourbon and the comforting richness of the almond milk and chocolate. I think this would make a great before or after dinner drink and I'm calling it "Up on the Mountain Top" in honor of that place that both Enza and Ciro loved, left, and always returned to even if it was simply in their hearts.

“Ciro took Enza's face in his hands. "I have loved you all of my life. I was a boy who knew nothing, but when I met you, somehow I understood everything."”(from The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani)

Up on the Mountain Top
1 oz. Bourbon
1 oz. Disaronno*
3 oz. Almond Milk
Cinnamon
Shaved dark chocolate for garnish

How to: Prep your glass by adding a few ice cubes to it and setting it aside.  In a cocktail shaker mix more ice, bourbon, Disaronno, almond milk, and a pinch of cinnamon.  Shake for at least 20-25 seconds. Serve over ice and dust some more cinnamon and the shaved dark chocolate on top. I used a wine glass to serve, but feel free to use a rocks glass or a tumbler. Also, the cinnamon got away from me when I first sprinkled it, so I had to take some off before I drank the cocktail. *Disaronno is a brand of amaretto, which is normally made of almonds or apricot pits. However there are no almonds or nuts in Disaronno, it is made of apricot kernel oil, alcohol, sugar and a blend of herbs and fruits. Feel free to substitute any amaretto liqueur for this recipe.

Shaving the dark chocolate which also had some almonds in it.

Before the excess cinnamon dusting.

After I removed the excess cinnamon and enjoyed a few sips.

Read a Book, Sip a Cocktail No. 18

Photo from Goodreads.com

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is an absolute delightful story full of magic, charm, dreams, love and enchantment.  The Cirque des Rêves is a place that serves as a battlefield between Celia and Marco, two individuals who have grown up getting trained by the best of the best when it comes to a magic that goes beyond comprehension, beyond illusion, and even beyond this world.  For us "normal" folks, it is an actual "circus" if you can call it that.  The basis is that the Le Cirque des Rêves is only open at night, the tents are all black and white, and instead of one big tent, there are numerous tents each dedicated to a particular theme, performer, or even ride or interactive attraction.  So each is an experience in and of itself.  While I read the book there were many references to smells and food.  Some of them included chocolate mice, caramel apples, and of course popcorn.  So I decided to incorporate chocolate, popcorn, and some french flair with the Chambord and the champagne in this cocktail that I'm calling la rêverie, or The Daydream.  It turned out very, very sweet, so I would say this would be best enjoyed as an apéritif or digestif. You could also use regular champagne and even regular vodka as the crème de cacao also gives it the chocolate taste, and mix it up with different varieties of popcorn too.  Enjoy!

“This is not magic. This is the way the world is, only very few people take the time to stop and note it" (from The Night Circus, page 380)

la rêverie
1 oz. Chocolate vodka
1/2 oz. Chambord
1/2 oz. White crème de cacao
3 oz. Almond Champagne, chilled
Popcorn for garnish

How to: In a cocktail shaker mix ice, vodka, chambord, and crème de cacao. Shake for at least 20 seconds. Serve into a cocktail glass or champagne flute then top off with the chilled champagne. Scatter the popcorn on top for garnish.

Almond Champagne from the Wilson Creek Winery in Temecula.

A little salty popcorn to balance out the sweetness.

Read a Book, Sip a Cocktail No. 17

Photo from Goodreads.com

Something Blue is a continuation of Emily Giffin's Something Borrowed in which we are introduced to best friends Rachel and Darcy.  Rachel is intelligent, maybe kind of mousy, and not obviously pretty. She's also a huge pushover when it comes to Darcy. Darcy is tall and leggy, very obviously beautiful, and usually the life of the party. The two form an unlikely friendship, but it is a real friendship nonetheless. Both know each other in ways that might baffle others, but to them, it makes sense.  When Rachel meets Dex in law school, they definitely connect, but nothing physical or romantic takes place, even though Rachel is definitely into him. But she is too shy or demure, and probably thinks that he is out of her league. Before she knows it Darcy and Dex are a couple and then they are engaged.  You can sort of figure out where the story is headed based on the title, and there is lots and lots of drama over Rachel's "borrowing" of Dex from Darcy.  Needless to say by the end of Something Borrowed, Darcy and Rachel are no longer besties and in Something Blue we pick up after the bitter end of their friendship. 

So now Darcy is pregnant (not by Dex) and in London. She flies there to be with childhood friend Ethan, but Darcy and Ethan were never close. Ethan was much closer to Rachel, and Darcy resents this as well at first. You see, Darcy always thought of herself as more deserving of all the good things in life, so of course, when Rachel ends up with her fiancé and Darcy ends up pregnant and abandoned, it's a long way down from where Darcy once stood.  But now she is determined to re-create her charmed life even if it is in Ethan's tiny flat with a quickly growing belly.  I won't reveal what happens to these characters, and hopefully they make this book into a movie like they did with Something Borrowed, but I will say that the cocktail pairing was basically inspired by the whole wedding idea, including the titles of the books, which harken to the traditional "Something old, something new...." rhyme. 

This cocktail is traditionally called a "Wedding Cake Cocktail" (not to be confused with a chocolate cake shot, which is completely different but mighty tasty nonetheless).  There is a version that includes rum or gin, amaretto, pineapple juice, and cream (and I've seen it also with orange juice added as well).  I did the version with amaretto, white crème de cacao, pineapple juice and milk.  The drink is blended with ice and then topped with bits of chocolate or almond pieces (I used walnuts).  It's basically a daquiri, and very refreshing, sweet, but not too sweet, and I think it's probably the kind of drink that sneaks up on you, perhaps just as sneaky as good 'ole Darcy.

Something Old, Something New Wedding Cake
2 oz. Amaretto
1 oz. White crème de cacao
3 oz. Pineapple juice
3 oz. Milk
Ice
Chocolate bits, almond or walnut pieces for garnish

How to: Blend all of the ingredients in a blender with ice. Serve in a hurricane glass and top with your garnish of choice.

Blending everything together. I used 6 to 8 ice cubes.

The walnuts gave the drink a nice crunch.

Cheers to Rachel and Dex!

Read a Book, Sip a Cocktail No. 16

Photo from Goodreads.com

I could have sworn I was embroiled in a Mexican telenovela as I read The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly.  You have your poor, pheasant girl.  She's feisty, she's beautiful, she's down to earth, and everybody loves her.  Then you have a handsome young chap who is in love with her and wants to give her the world.  But tragedy strikes.  The heroine falls on hard times and her beau is tricked into a relationship with her evil enemy (insert spoiled rich girl here).  But all is not lost for our beautiful heroine.  Somehow, someway she perseveres and with revenge in her heart, she rises above it all.  But the passionate love that exists between her and her beau will not be extinguished.  Will they meet again?  Or will the rich, evil people get in their way?  OK, so this was not exactly how the story went, but it was pretty darn similar.  Of course the writing is much, much better and a bit less sappy than most soap operas, so that was much appreciated as the book is extremely long (675 pages!).  I also loved the suspense that was thrown in as this takes place around the time of the Jack the Ripper murders in the Whitechapel district of London.  The aspects of tea are nicely woven into the story and I could just picture the charming grocers, tea rooms, and old streets of turn-of-the-century New York and London.  Which brings me to the cocktail I made for The Tea Rose.  It is a Cup of Tea-tini made with vodka, hibiscus tea infused simple syrup, and rose petal infused water.  Not too strong with just a hint of the rose water, I really enjoyed the sweet hibiscus flavor.  It's definitely not like any cup of tea I've had, but for a martini, it's quite lovely, so I would hope that Fiona could appreciate it, as she did with tea, tea roses and her Joe.

A Cup of Tea-tini
1 1/2 oz. vodka
2 oz. Hibiscus tea infused simple syrup*
2 oz. Rose infused water*
A fresh, clean rose petal for garnish

How to: Prep your martini glass by sticking it in the freezer for about 5 minutes. In a cocktail shaker mix ice, vodka, hibiscus simple syrup, and rose water. Shake for at least 20 seconds. Serve in your ice cold martini glass and garnish with one or two rose petals. *To make your own simple syrup, take 1/2 a cup of sugar to 1 cup of water and cook over medium heat (watching it and stirring every so often). When the sugar has dissolved, take the syrup off the heat and let it cool. To infuse it, soak dried hibiscus tea or leaves in the syrup overnight and drain them out before you use it.  You can do this with simple syrup you make or you can buy the simple syrup on its own and just infuse it yourself. To make your own rose water, see these great recipes: How to make rose water: 4 recipes

Here are the rose petals before I placed them on the stove to prepare the rose water

The hibiscus gave the drink it's beautiful pink hue, and of course the wonderful taste