Summer Cocktail Program

OK, people, listen up. Next weekend is Memorial Day Weekend, aka, The Official Start of Summer. Here in the Northeast we’re praying for some warm sunshine to herald in the long awaited season and cast off the memories of that dismal, never-ending winter.

Added this year to my repertoire of summer food and beverage is Jack Rudy Tonic.  Tonic, you say? All this lead up for tonic? Yes, my friends, tonic. What I’ve discovered through a friend-in-the-know from the Southland is a handcrafted tonic that is going to ramp up your G&T or V&T to dizzying new heights.

Based in the South where they know a thing or two about cocktails, Jack Rudy Tonic combines quinine with a delicate mix of botanicals. Pair this with your favorite vodka or gin, a slice of tart lemon or lime, and you will have, IMHO, probably the finest summer drink you’ve tasted in a long, long time.

If the thought of a lazy afternoon on your back porch with an icy cold beverage in your hand, sounds like a little slice of heaven, then procure yourself a bottle of this tonic, and set about to making it happen. Summer is short, my friends, better get started.

Simply Lovely

The time of year is here when all I want to do is get outside! The weather is starting to turn nice - beautiful blue sky, temps in the high 70s. And to top it off, a three-day holiday weekend - what could be better?!

Well, for starters, take all of the above, add one icy cocktail of your choosing, one handful of some delicious cocktail almonds, and you've got yourself the makings of one glorious day (or evening) out on the deck, porch, yard, etc.

My current favorite drink of choice is Vodka-Cranberry Lemonade (so refreshing!), and it could not be easier. I've just recently discovered "Simply Lemonade," this from the people who bring us "Simply Orange," and probably other "simply" drinks. The lemonade is not too sweet and mixes very nicely with Skyy vodka and a splash of cranberry. I'm sure some hip bartender somewhere has conjured up a cool name for this concoction, but my "simple" name will do.

Ah, now for the all-important cocktail nuts. I found this recipe on Epicurious (actually, on the very handy Epicurious app for iPhone/iPod Touch). Only five ingredients and made on top of the stove. You can whip these up in 5 minutes. They are just the ticket for a little spicy-salty snack to accompany your libation. Have a fabulous holiday weekend!

Chile-Roasted Almonds

3 TB peanut or canola oil

1-1/2 t dried crushed red pepper

1 t freshly ground black pepper

1 pound whole natural almonds with skin (about 3 cups)

coarse Kosher salt

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add crushed red pepper and black pepper and stir to distribute evenly in skillet. Add almonds and stir to coat with oil-pepper mixture. Cook until almonds begin to darken slightly and mixture is fragrant, stirring frequently about 8 minutes. Transfer mixture to rimmed baking sheet; sprinkle generously with coarse salt. Cool completely. DO AHEAD: nuts can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temp.

Welcome, Spring?

The calendar tells me it's the first day of spring, but take a look at the photo above -- that was taken at 6:45am today on my back deck -- snow! A spring snowfall is not that unusual, but we did have temps near 60 just a few days ago.

Ah, but why quibble? We have officially left winter behind and moved onto spring. To celebrate, as I write this tonight I am having my favorite warm weather drink: V&T, otherwise known as vodka and tonic, with a handful of wonderful Spanish Marcona almonds. I didn't plan ahead too well because I forgot to buy lemons at the market just an hour ago, but I will make do with a wedge of frozen lime from last summer for my drink (tip: take lemons or limes, cut into appropriately-sized drink wedges, pile into a zip lock and freeze; not only do they flavor your drink, they act as little fruity ice cubes). The sun is setting out my window and I already feel a slight lift off my shoulders from the burdens of the work week.

To make this a little more interactive, I've got a couple of questions for you:

1. What are you doing to celebrate spring?

2. What is your favorite spring recipe?

Post your comments below by clicking on the little envelope.

I'm not sure I have a favorite spring recipe, but to welcome the advent of warmer weather, on Sunday (when it is supposed to be near 60 again) we are going to grill up a few links of fabulous chicken sausage from the Goffle Road Poultry Farm in Wyckoff, NJ. The chicken sausage here is like no other - the taste and the texture is way above par. Along with maybe a nice helping of sauteed spinach, terrific potato salad, and crusty bread, and we've got the makings of a great "Welcome, Spring" dinner.

Of course, when I think spring, I think Easter. And when I think Easter, I think back to my childhood Easters with my Italian family. Which inevitably leads me to ricotta. We would always have a ricotta pie or cheesecake at our Easter celebrations. And while I could supply you with a traditional ricotta cheesecake recipe, I thought you might like to try something a little different. The recipe below is straight out of Nigella Lawson's book, Feast. I will be making these for our Easter meal this year. What I like about these is that you can serve them as part of a brunch or dessert after a big meal. They are not too heavy so you can pop two or three and not feel guilty (who needs that?).

Enjoy the weekend!

Baci di Ricotta (Ricotta Kisses)

Makes 30

INGREDIENTS

1 cup ricotta

2 eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder pinch salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar to serve

DIRECTIONS

Put the ricotta and eggs into a bowl and beat until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat the mixture to make a smooth batter.

Fill a wide, shallow pan with about ¾in of oil. Heat the pan of oil until a tiny blob of batter sizzles when dropped into the hot fat.

Drop rounded teaspoons of the ricotta batter into the pan, about five or six at a time; don’t be tempted to make them bigger, boring though this is — they will puff up on cooking. You need to turn them over quite quickly, so it’s best to do a few at a time. You don’t want to get too frantic around all that hot fat. As they turn a golden brown, flip them over and leave them for a minute or so on the other side.

As you lift them out of the pan, place the cooked baci di ricotta on some paper towel, just to remove the excess oil. Then pile the balls of heat-bronzed ricotta on to a plate in a rough-and-tumble pyramid shape, and push the confectioners’ sugar through a small sieve evenly but thickly over them. Eat straightaway. As if…