Watermelon Sangria

Outside of my obsession with playing with spices, I love wine and playing with wine. I used actually be noted for my spontaneous cocktails. People loved them as much more than the food that I cooked. I have a theory on this, it is what I call the cheap wine theory, basically after a couple of glasses folks do not really complain about the edge or lack of smoothness of cheap wine. Nonetheless, I have significantly reduced dabbling with cocktails, not because I have reduced my drinking but it is sort of in line with my general hasstle free approach to cooking. Doing a creative syrup, cooling it, takes time. However, a couple of weeks back, I made this Watermelon Sangria, inspired by this recipe.

Now, what a difference the wine makes, while Doug's sangria looks like the pale red of the watermelon, my version looks much deeper and yes, you got it right I used red wine. Actually, I skipped the agave nectar, because I used a slightly sweet red wine.

This red is very happy served chilled and hence, just perfect for Sangria. I had to through in the black salt, it is a quintissential Indian combination to add black salt to fruit juices.

So I made about 4 glasses of sangria following the following measures,

Watermelon Sangria

Cook/Prep Time: 1 hour (mostly chilling)

1.5 cups of fresh watermelon juice (about 1/2 a medium sized water melon, cut and pureed in the blender and then strained.

1.5 cups of a sweet red wine

1/2 teaspoon black salt

1.5 cups of seltzer

Method of Preparation

1. Mix in the watermelon juice, red wine and black salt.

2. Chill for at least 45 minutes to an hour.

3. Place 2-3 ice cubes in serving glasses (you do not want too much or it will dilute the watermelon flavor).

4. Add in 3/4 glass of the wine-watermelon mixture.

5. Top off with some seltzer and enjoy.

A new year, A neighbourhood find - Abatino's

The past two weeks of the holiday break has been especially nice and relaxing for me. We tried a bunch of new eating places, I had lots of company and most importantly, I actually had a lot of quite time with the kids, this is rather rare in this fast paced world of ours. I am sorry that this phase shall end after tomorrow, so blog readers here is wishing you a lovely, peaceful and happy 2010.
I started the year with a created cocktail that we are labeling the 2010 mixture, equal parts of contreau, sherry and sparkling pomegranate juice, looked lovely and hit the spot.
On Christmas eve, I had a rare lunch date with my daughter sans dad and brother at a neighbourhood joint called Abatino's.

The place is one, I have passed by many a time while going grocery shopping, well today was our turn to try a meal there. We settled for pizza and a salad. The restaurant is a comforting place, done up in warm colors with some attempt to replicate an Italian village scene, overall a nice cozy feel.
We ordered pizza that was generously served and a field greens salad.

The service was nice and prompt, the salad while purporting to contain bacon, gorgonzola cheese and walnuts, was not very generous with the walnuts but otherwise fresh and well seasoned.

Deepta was allowed to have and entire wedge of butter so she was thrilled. She decided to discuss politics and enquired whether we would ever have a "girl" for president? She is really growing up...

LOL, did not think I would be discuss the presidency over lunch with her so soon. Back to the restaurant, I think it a great neighbourhood find, certainly fun for a casual hangout.

The details on the place,

Abatino's Pizza and Pasta

670 Broadway

North White Plains, NY

Smokey Summer Cooler

Is it summer already? Well, it sure felt that way this weekend with all the mercury soaring. We were outdoors a lot, on Saturday I had a party for the kids and now Anshul has this gardening project going.

The cat has already damaged 3 of the little tomato seedlings that earned him compliants from his two siblings - yes, the kids call him their brother. Well, he holds his own, he meaaod back and proceeded to go and drink water out of the crystal vase toppling the vase and flowers in the process. I tell you, there is never a dull moment, who needs reality TV.

Anyhow, I picked up some green mangoes from the Indian store. I love using them in all kinds of things. I was however very inspired by this recipe, of aam pora shorbot.

The rock salt in this imparts and accentuates the smokiness of the mango, if you are thinking margarita I am right there with you, I actually added pineapples to sweeten the drink and the marriage of flavors was a very smooth union.

Smokey Summer Cooler

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Makes 6 glasses

Ingredients

2 green mangoes

2 cups fresh pineapple chunks, about 1/2 a fresh pineapple

1 cup ice

1 cup water

1 tbsp black salt

2 tbsp raw turbinado sugar (more to taste)

Method of Preparation

1. Roast the mangoes on an open flame. This is done the same way you would do an eggplant for baigan bharta. This process takes a little time but the results are well worth it. The mango needs to be turned once.

2. Cool the mangoes and peel the skin carefully. Carefully scoop the pulp (this gets pretty soft at this point) into the blender.

3. Add the water and blend into a smooth slushy puree. Pour into glasses and enjoy!

New York Sunset

All right, so we probably live in strangely interesting times. There is half the world economically falling apart, places where people do not blink before mindlessly killing hundereds of people and yet the Bushes buying a new home can still make headlines.Actually, for some unbeknowst reason, someone at work informed me that he had seen some of the most entertaining clowns in Washington, DC. My husbands asks me, whether this was on Capitol Hill?Ok, so I am tired and my political colors are showing...Tonight I chanced on a cocktail, by sheer accident, this is now named the New York Sunset! Made from the two ingredients I had available, I now also have a new mocktail/smoothie breakfast.

New York Sunset

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 lbs frozen peaches

3/4 cup pommegranate juice

1 tbsp chopped mint leaves

1/2 tsp grated ginger

1/2 cup coconut rum

To garnish

Mint leaves

Pomegranate seeds

Method of Preparation

1. Blend the frozen peaches, pomegranate juice, mint and ginger till very smooth.

2. Add the rum and pour into glasses.

3. Decorate with mint leaves and pomegranate seeds

4. Relax and forget all your troubles.

Ginger Tea and Milk

Ginger - the wonderful rhizome.

Ginger is clearly beneficial for you in many ways, but I guess what I like best about it is that it works well with both sweet and savory foods. Anyhow with a nice nip in the air, today I made some great spice cookies and spice tea.

One of the common misconceptions about spicing tea is that people assume all the spice teas have to be boiled, we can also brew spices in the tea, yes, the flavors are more subtle. My preffered tea of choice is the wonderful Darjeeling Tea, which really does not work well if boiled. This queen of teas is meant to be brewed.
BTW, if you are looking for a great place to try good tea and other teatime treats in Westchester I highly recommend the Silver Tips Tea Room in Tarrytown, NY. They also sell a great selection of tea from around the world over the internet at very reasonable prices.

Ginger Anise Tea

Makes 4 cups

Ingredients

1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and sliced
2 star anise
4 tbsp darjeeling leaf tea
Milk and sugar to taste
4.5 cups of water

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the water to a boil. Immer the ginger and anise and let this infuse in the water for 10 minutes.
2. Reheat to boiling if needed.
3. Add the tea and let this brew for 4-5 minutes.
4. Strain and serve with the desired amount of milk and sugar.

The next drink is my concoction for my husband who does not like tea at night, this is really good to soothe a cold as well.

Rinku's milky brew for Anshul

Makes 2 cups

2 cups of milk
4 thinly sliced pieces of ginger
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 cloves
1" inch piece of cinnamon
1/3 piece of nutmeg
3 tsp honey

Method of preparation

1. Boil the milk for 5 min with the ginger, pepper, cloves and cinnamon.
2. Let this sit for 5 minutes.
3. Strain the milk and grate the nutmeg onto the milk and stir in the honey.
4. Pour into mugs and drink.

As a lighter substitute to eggnog, mix in 1 tsp butter and a 2 tbsp of brandy per cup and serve.

Ginger and Mango Lassi - Mango Yogurt Smoothie

Ginger and Mango Lassi (A ginger and mango Yogurt smoothie)
(Serves 4)

Ingredients

3 cups low fat yogurt
1 cup water
2 tbs ginger powder
1 large can of mango pulp (available in Indian grocery stores)
1tsp powdered cardomom
1tsp salt
Additional sugar (optional)


Method of preparation

Add all the ingredients in a blender and blend on low speed for 5 minutes
Serve in tall glasses with crushed ice.
Note: A lassi is a yogurt shake that may be sweet or salty. Additional sweet options may be with other fruits such as strawberries for an interesting color. Salty lassi can be seasoned with cumin or mint.