crispin apple cider

i'm a beer wimp. in general, i don't like hoppy beer, i don't like dark beer, i don't like bitter beer. i don't like that drinking a beer makes me feel really, really full. occasionally i will enjoy a light mexican beer or a wheat beer but i'm not exaggerating when i say it will usually take me at least an hour to finish off a pint or even a normal sized bottle. sometimes i get lucky and a bar will have a sour belgian beer that 1. doesn't taste beer-y and 2. comes in a tiny little glass (win win!) but my go to wimpy beer alternative is cider and by this time i consider myself pretty well versed in the cider options out there. my first cider love was woodchuck but i've since moved on to strongbow which is nice, dry and refreshing. magners takes second place for an available everywhere option but i find it gets too sweet after the first one. sam smith organic cider is really yummy but hard to find and ace, well, if i see you at a bar i have told myself to suck it up and just order a real beer because you just taste weird.

all that said i love trying out new ciders. after a super tough week at work i got home on friday and kris surprised me with a bottle of crispin cider. i've never seen this stuff before but the bottle looked fancy, it's big, it's organic and it's made with maple syrup. i was intrigued and excited and i've gotta say it's absolutely delicious, sweeter than strongbow but not at all syrupy sweet. i have it in a big frosty mug sitting next to me right now and i suspect i will still be drinking it when i'm done making our sushi dinner later tonight. i think it will be a lovely pairing as i'm still working on the whole enjoying sake thing. i don't expect to be lucky enough to find crispin in a bar but i will definitely buy a few more bottles from the store for a weekend afternoon treat.

-d

blueberry ginger mojitos

not too long ago erin and i were chatting and she mentioned a mojito that she made with vodka and blueberries and basil (i think) it sounded really yummy and refreshing and hopefully she will share the recipe (hint hint). but it got me thinking about a blueberry mojito recipe that kris and i saw featured on a food network show...oh geez...probably years ago at this point. they are made with vodka instead of rum and include muddled blueberries as well as the traditional mint and lime and get a little extra kick from a ginger infused simple syrup. right up my alley! you can certainly make these individually in separate glasses but the silly thing is that i never made them because i wanted to make a nice big refreshing pitcher of them. and i didn't have a nice pitcher (or any pitcher...i wasn't that picky!). but this past weekend, thanks to being engaged and having gifts occasionally show up at the apartment, we were finally armed with nice, brand new pitcher (thanks mo and tom!!!) and mojitos were made! and what timing with blueberries being in season.

these did not disappoint. they are really yummy and refreshing on a hot day (and it actually felt like summer here!). the only thing is that we found the recipe as written a bit sweet for our taste. i would suggest adding the simple syrup in smaller increments, to taste.

blueberry, ginger mojitos
(the quantities below will make about two large mojitos so multiply if you're doing a pitcher)
ingredients:
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 lime, cut into wedges
20 to 24 fresh mint leaves
4 ounces ginger simple syrup (recipe below, add gradually to taste)
4 ounces vodka
5 ounces club soda
ice cubes
blueberries, for garnish
mint leaves, for garnish

put the blueberries, lime wedges and fresh mint leaves in the pitcher and muddle until the blueberries are broken and the mint and lime release their juices and flavor. add the simple syrup, vodka and top off with club soda. give it a little stir and pour into glasses with ice cubes. garnish with blueberries and mint if you want to be fancy.

ginger simple syrup
ingredients:
1/4 cup grated fresh ginger
1 cup sugar
1 cup cold water

peel and grate the ginger and add it, together with the sugar and cold water, to a saucepan. bring it to the boil and stir until the sugar dissolves. cover and let steep for 15 minutes. strain and cool in the refrigerator when done.

-d

vegan jello shots

a couple of weeks ago millennium had a southern comfort (cuisine...not the gross alcohol) theme dinner. all of the food was amazing. but the highlight? i had my very first jello shot...followed by my second jello shot. i've been vegetarian since long before i was drinking so jello shots were something i always missed out on. i never really minded but then i had one. so much fun! kris and i had vegan jello shots on the brain and wanted to make our own. a sloshball game in golden gate park provided the perfect opportunity.

we had every intention of buying agar agar and going at it from scratch. but while i was looking for agar agar at the store i happened upon boxes of vegan jello mix (i didn't even know it existed!) so i took the easy way out. thus, rather than a recipe, i give you a product review of natural desserts vegan jello. in alcoholic shot form. and ok, i'll give you our "recipe" too.

vegan jello shots
(using a 3 oz. box of mix)
8 ounces boiling water
3 ounces cold water
5 ounces vodka

bring 8 ounces of water to a boil. stir in jello mix until it dissolves. remove from heat and stir in cold water and vodka. pour into dixie cups. refrigerate until set (about 30 minutes at most). by the time we poured the last cup the mixture had already begun to gel.

if you're looking for a simple jello replacement this is your stuff. i think it was even a little firmer than normal jello. it also set super fast so it doesn't require too much planning ahead. what else is there to say? these were a hit, people didn't even realize they were vegan. vegan jello shots may be my new cocktail of choice!

-d