Last Crumb

My sister Rose has just informed me that my honeymoon is over, and it’s time to get back to the grindstone. It’s true, I’ve been slacking on my blogging duties lately, but I’ve had other things on my mind. Planning a wedding for 125 guests is no easy feat, but in the end it turned out to be the best party I’ve ever thrown. It wouldn’t have been possible though, without all of my dear sister’s help and support. Thank you Rose!

Even before this whole wedding thing got out of control, I’ve been wanting to post about a new drink I’ve concocted. It’s very simple in concept, but amazingly delicious and refreshing in flavor. When I first tasted this drink I couldn’t believe the subtle flavors of banana and vanilla that seemingly came out of nowhere. Let me give you a little background about how this drink came to be.

In the past, one of my favorite things about going out to Thai food was always the sweet and spicy Thai iced tea. I just couldn’t get enough of the stuff, but when I moved down to Long Beach and started seeing fresh young coconuts offered on the menu, the iced tea moved into second place. Now I go out to Thai food just because I’m craving these coconuts. When you order one, the waiter cuts a square in the top of the chilled nut, and presents it to you with a straw, and a spoon to gouge out the insides once you finish drinking the refreshing juice. According to Wikipedia, the water contained in the young coconut has been successfully used as liquid in intravenous therapy in emergency situations due to its sterility, pH, mineral, and sugar content. In other words, it’s the perfect antidote to a hangover in it’s ability to rehydrate the human body. This fact led me to the next logical question: why not mix it with alcohol for a hangover-proof drink?

The other day, while a few friends were over and several drinks had already been passed around, I started to feel a little creative. I’d recently purchased a box of six fresh, young coconuts from my local Asian market with the idea of saving money on eating out. I’d chilled two of them in the refrigerator for future use, and suddenly I felt that their time had come. I took out my beautiful Wusthof chefs knife (the heaviest knife I could find) and began to chop at the tops of the nuts with much bravado. I quickly realized that I’d not yet mastered Zen and the Art of Coconut Opening. Please see my once fine piece of cutlery on the right with damaged blade. After a little research and practice I can now say I’m a master. My advice is this: go out and get yourself a cheap cleaver at the Asian market(I paid $5). Put the coconut on a firm, sturdy surface. Take the cleaver in your good hand, wind up, and make four decisive chops on the top of the nut in the shape of a square. With a little practice, and some luck, you too will be able to impress your friends with the art of Coconut Kung Fu.

At last, here is the recipe you’ve been waiting for:

–The Coconut Cocktail

*One well chilled fresh young coconut with the top removed in a neat square. (If you don’t have access to young coconuts at your local Asian market or health food store you can order them by mail from Amazon or RawGuru (organic Hawaiian), but you will pay dearly)
*1 1/2 Ounces Whaler’s Original Dark Rum. (Available at Trader Joe’s or here)
*1 dash Angostura Bitters
*1 straw

1. Remove or drink enough water from the coconut to accommodate the rum.

2. Pour in the rum and add the bitters.

3. Serve with a straw and add tropical garnishes if you’re feeling festive.

4. Enjoy, and don’t forget to eat out the young coconut flesh with a spoon when you’re finished drinking.

Posted by: Will on August 13th, 2007 © Filed under: Cocktails & Spirits | No Comments »

Well, my brother is now married and off for a week-long backpacking honeymoon. I have to admit, I felt a little lonely last night. We’ve been in constant contact for a month straight, and now that it’s all over, I miss everyone. I am attempting to rest up before Andy and I head out to visit his family in Florida on Thursday. At that point the second round of wedding madness will begin, with an engagement party for us and a barrage of questions about date and location sure to follow.Meanwhile, I am still gathering together the wealth of memories, impressions and ideas from the weekend. I think the last three days passed almost as quickly for me as they did for the bride and groom, but along the way I reconnected with some very old and dear friends. The ceremony itself was wonderful and personal, with friends and family offering readings and music. The reception featured a fantastic live swing band and Will and Mary were out on the dance floor the whole night.The lavender shortbread was a big hit at the tea party shower. It went great with all of the teas and felt very festive and romantic. I first came across and tested a less traditional recipe that left me with delicate, pale, fine grained cookies that threatened to disintegrate at the first touch. Andy preferred them, but I wanted something a little heartier, so I ended up just folding a heaping teaspoon of lavender into a classic shortbread recipe – with excellent results.

– Lavender Shortbread

*1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
*1/4 cup rice flour or corn starch
*2/3 cup sugar
*16 tbs (0r 2 sticks) unsalted butter
*1/4 tsp salt
*1 tsp lavender flowers
*1 tbs turbinado sugar

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Line a 9 inch spring-form pan with parchment and set aside.

2. Process the sugar for about 30 seconds in a food processor then add the flours and salt and mix until combined. Cut the butter into 1/2 inch cubes and stir into the flour, then mix for several minutes until the dough is pale yellow and has formed damp crumbs. Stir in lavender flowers.

3. Press the mixture into the pan and sprinkle with turbinado sugar, then place shortbread in the oven. Immediately reduce the temperature to 300 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes.

4. Remove shortbread from oven and score, dividing into 16 pieces. Use a skewer or the tines of a fork to make a decorative pattern on the cookies. Return shortbread to the oven and continue baking for another 40 minutes. Cut the finished cookies into wedges. Wrap well and store for up to a week.

Posted by: Will on August 6th, 2007 © Filed under: Sweets | No Comments »

This recipe for Orange-Anise Biscotti was adapted from The New Best Recipe. Biscotti are amazingly easy to the make, remarkably healthy, and can last a month or more when made without butter (as in this recipe). They are twice baked – once in loaves, then as cookies – giving them their crispy texture and long life. Unlike most cookies, they actually improve after a few days.

– Orange-Anise Biscotti
*2 cups all purpose flour
*1 tsp baking powder
*1/4 tsp salt
*1 cup sugar
*2 large eggs
*1/4 tsp vanilla
*1/2 tsp orange extract
*1 tbs anise seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Whisk together the eggs and the sugar until well blended, then add the vanilla, orange extract and anise seeds.

2. Blend dry ingredients together in a small bowl and then fold into the liquids. Mix until just combined. The dough will feel very sticky, but resist the temptation to add more flour.

3. Divide the dough into to equal balls and shape them into logs on a parchment covered baking sheet. They should be about 2 inches wide and 13 inches long.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, until the edges are browned and the top begins to crack. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, slice the loaves diagonally into slices about 3/8 of an inch thick. Distribute the cookies on the baking sheet cut side down.

5. Lower the oven temperature to 325 and bake for another 15 minutes until the cookies are crispy throughout. They will continue to harden as they cool.

Posted by: Will on August 1st, 2007 © Filed under: Sweets | 3 Comments »

Will and his amazing fiancée, Mary, are getting married this weekend, so please forgive us for the dearth of posts this week. That said, my mom and I are hosting a shower for Mary and, determined not to suffer any less stress than they are, I decided to make most of the tea treats by hand. Here is the menu I’ll be working to produce over the next two days, with recipes and photos to follow:

Tea For Twenty
Orange Anise Biscotti
Lavender Shortbread
Cucumber and Garlic Butter Tea Sandwiches
Humus and Watercress Tea Sandwiches
Deviled Eggs
Crumpets (purchased – though if anyone has a good recipe, I’d love to try making them sometime)
Fresh Cultured Butter
Strawberry-Balsamic Jam
Fresh Fruit Skewers with Cheese and Honeycomb
Chocolate Truffles

Black Tea (my home blend of Darjeeling and Earl Grey)
Marrakesh Mint Tea with fresh Spearmint from Samovar Tea Lounge
Organic Orange Ginger Tea from Samovar Tea Lounge

Posted by: Will on July 31st, 2007 © Filed under: Menus | 1 Comment »

This is perhaps the easiest recipe I could post, but it is so simple and miraculous and delicious that you will no doubt make it again and again. Just dump plenty of heavy cream into a mixer or food processor and beat until the butter and the “butter milk” begin to separate. Or you could do what we did as kids – shake the cream in a well sealed mason jar until it is transformed.I was inspired to make this after finding a story about homemade butter in the New York Times a few weeks ago. It instantly transported me to early childhood and as I started up the food processor, I was already in the living room of our our family friends, the kids taking turns shaking the butter jar while the grown-ups sang old folk and blues tunes to the banjo and the tambourine. Yes, this really did happen, and by that time the 70s may already have passed. At any rate, I can see no reason to ever purchase butter again.

Make plenty. You can fold the extra in parchment paper or plastic wrap and store it in sealed bags in the freezer. You’ll use it.

– Fresh Butter

*4-8 cups heavy whipping cream
* salt

1. Whip or shake the cream until the butter and the “butter milk” separate.

2. Strain everything through a cheesecloth, reserving the liquid, and kneed the butter until the excess moisture is removed and the butter is dense and creamy. If desired, add a little good salt to taste.

Posted by: Will on July 25th, 2007 © Filed under: Condiments | No Comments »