Month: May 2013

AlcoHOLidays | Memorial Day | Kilbeggan Waterwheel

Sips

KB_Waterwheel

***This post has been sponsored by Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey; a sample was received in consideration for Tuesday’s review as well as today’s recipe share. Other than that, no further compensation has been received and the opinions expressed below are entirely that of the author. No further affiliation with Kilbeggan Distillery is being claimed. And now with that out of the way…***

Memorial Day. Unofficial start to summer. Reason for barbecues and pool parties across the nation. Last 3-day-weekend until Labor Day. Excuse for car lots to piggy-back yet another tent sale with the waving of the red, white, and blue.

‘Oh, yeah, and military stuff, too.’

At least that’s what it appears to mean to most.

Starting after the Civil War, Decoration Day has a fuzzy beginning with several cities claiming first rights–though decorating soldiers’ graves goes back farther than our War Between the States–on both the North and South sides of history. The dates observed were varied, as well, with May 30th being the common date in the North and, gradually, the rest of the country. It wasn’t until that 1967 act that normalized a bunch of holidays into their nearest Mondays, creating those beloved 3-day weekends, that Memorial Day shifted from May 30th to the last Monday in May (though it took a few years to be put into practice).

Granted, if you’ve never lost a friend or family member while they served in the Armed Forces, chances are this holiday might have less personal significance to you, but as a nation it’s a time when we attempt to honor those who died in service and a sense of nationalism overall. For some, this means visiting a relative’s grave and placing a flag or flowers thereupon. Others volunteer to beautify all service-member graves, relatives or not, as a show of thanks for their sacrifice. While others might be more inclined to reminisce with those nearest, some solemnly, others more in the style of an Irish wake.

Or at least that’s how I’m going to segue into today’s cocktail, contributed by Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey.

Kilbeggan Waterwheel
Recipe By Darren McGettigan, resident mixologist at Bar Beoga of the Menlo Park Hotel

1 1/4 ounces Kilbeggan® Irish Whiskey
2 1/2 ounces Pressed Apple Juice
1 1/4 ounces Pressed Pineapple Juice
6 Fresh Blueberries
1 Dash of Cherry Bitters
1 Bar Spoon of White Sugar
additional blueberries for garnish

In a Boston shaker, add blueberries and sugar, muddle hard. Fill the shaker with ice, and add all other ingredients. Shake well, and double strain into a tall glass filled with ice. Garnish with blueberries on a cocktail pick.

I can easily see this multiplied in a frosty pitcher to serve to your barbecue guests both on Memorial Day as well as the rest of your summer events. I’d skip the straining, obviously, and leave the bits of blueberries to float around for color, or freeze some blueberries to use as “ice cubes” to keep the drinks cool without further diluting it.

However you choose to observe this national holiday, please remember to do so responsibly and to use a designated driver or call a cab rather than risk some other sort of memorial being required. If you catch my drift.

Cheers!

39 Metals | Ch-Ch-Chain of Cool

64 Arts

Having done our duty to the other metals in our life, now let’s go back to the sparkly bits that make our days brighter.

Mixing metals

The rule I learned long ago was simple not to mix gold and silver jewelry; pretty much no ifs, ands, or buts. These days, though, especially with the current popularity of metallics in fashion, gold and silver and other metals are getting cozy together. The trick, as I see it, to successfully mix metals is to wear at least one piece that includes both metals you might be wearing separately. This takes a hodge-podge of shiny designs and makes it into a definite fashion statement.

Another thing to keep in mind is the finish of the metals. If you look at some of the pieces in my Polyvore collage, above, you see that the statement pieces are either all shiny or all “antiqued” or duller and so they look like a planned set. So if you’ve got a heavily antiqued silver bracelet and a high-shine gold necklace, those two pieces might not fit together as well as ones that match to overall look of each.

Even though I got rid of most of my yellow-gold jewelry a few years ago when I decided for once and for all that I liked the look (and cost!) of silver better, I do have some gold-tone costume pieces that occasionally work with an outfit. If it’s just a single necklace I won’t worry too much about mixing my metals, but it wouldn’t hurt to have some mixed-metal pieces in my collection to round things out.

Of course, not all metal is merely silver or gold in composition or color…

As I was brainstorming post ideas, I couldn’t help but assign myself a task that fulfills one of my long-time craft to-dos: a chain maille bracelet. I’d hoped to be able to find some of the awesome multi-colored aluminum jump rings that I’ve seen made into very nice pieces at craft shows, but our local store was light on the options. Instead I opted for copper rings in copper and black and picked up a book while I was there on Basic & Advanced Chain Maille (affiliate links–my book is a combo of the two that I linked to) and had some fun making this bracelet.

jwalker_12-in-2_chain_maille_bracelet

The instructions for the Japanese 12-in-2 weave comes from the Advanced section, but I really didn’t find it all that hard, to be honest, so don’t be discouraged by that. You can find a lot of weave patterns online, though, and this one is no exception: (12-in-2 instructions via JewleryMakingDaily.com) All I used to put them together was a pair of needlenose pliers and this nifty ring-looking thing called a Jump Ring Opener (affiliate link).

jwalker_chainmaillebraceletgroup

I have a bad habit of ruining my nails whenever I do wire work and I’m happy to report that this little $2 gadget saved my manicure. I slipped it on my right index finger and it made opening and closing the jump rings so much simpler with the needlenose pliers in my left hand. Jump rings are finicky, you see–you can’t just pull them apart, you have to twist them open and then twist them back closed to keep their round shape and their strength. You can do it with two pairs of pliers, but the opener makes it oddles easier. I also found out that if I pressed slighting in as I twisted the rings closed, it narrowed the gap at the break, lessening the likelihood of the rings snagging on clothes or letting their brothers loose.

It’s one of those things you just have to play with to see what I mean.

The bracelet took 6 of the 12-in-2 “flowers” and less than 2 hours to put together, less than 100 larger rings and just over 150 of the smaller (I had to open the second bag but didn’t make much of a dent in it; and I lost some rings when I dropped them and they rolled under furniture–work over something soft and grabby). It’s not very heavy (copper is fairly light, after all, though the aluminum would be like a feather) and makes a pleasant jingly sound when I spin it around my wrist. Which I’ve been doing a lot while I write this post–I’m enjoying my new bracelet.

I certainly won’t be making a chain maille bikini anytime soon (or ever!) but it’s nice to finally try out a skill I’ve been putting off for a while.

Have you learned anything new lately?

Tuesday Reviews-Day: Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey

Sips

kilbegganPageBottleImage

***This is a sponsored post. Product was provided for the purpose of review, no other compensation was received. All opinions expressed are my own. Now that we’ve got that out of the way…***

Do you change your spirits when you put away your seasonal wardrobe? Frankly, the thought never occurred to me, but I can see how some would be inclined.

Just the way summer is prime time for light and airy clothes, light and airy alcohols seem to follow course. Whisk(e)y and it’s darker brethren are often put away as the temperature raises, but not everyone agrees with that process.

On Friday I’ll have a cooling cocktail featuring Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey, but before we get to that, let’s talk about the whiskey itself.

The Kilbeggan Distillery is the oldest licensed distillery in Ireland. Their distilling tradition goes back over 250 years and the pot still they use is 180 years old. You’d expect after all that time they must have hit upon something that worked, right?

Opening the bottle, it smells like whiskey–no big surprise there. Rich and lightly smoky, there was nothing unpleasant about the nose. The color is amber, not too dark, not too weak. And the taste? Like most whiskeys it’s sharp at first and burns a bit going down. That burn is what some people enjoy and not necessarily my favorite part, but giving the whiskey a few more sips allowed me to enjoy the warmth that whiskey so easily spreads and the rich flavor the whiskey has. And afterward your left with a decidedly sweet flavor, which is perhaps the most surprising facet to me.

Unlike Scotch, Kilbeggan isn’t overly oaky or peaty, and I can easily see how this would work in a fruit-based cocktail for the summer. Still, I’d be more inclined to pull it out on a rainy summer day, but at least there’s no real reason to put it away until fall.

Cheers!

39 Metals | Shimmer & Sheen

64 Arts

Our last project began to bridge the gap between stones and gems (precious or otherwise) and into the next art:

39 Mixing and Polishing Metals

Coming so close on the heels of stones and gems, we might automatically think of jewelry but this could also be applied to the other metals in our life: cookware, flatware, servingware–certainly on the polishing side of things, right?

Today let’s look at some basic tips for cleaning and polishing various metals we might find around our homes, offices, and persons.

Copper, unless sealed, will tarnish easily and loose that warm tone that looks so at home in a kitchen. While there are chemical cleaners out there that will do the trick, why not go the more natural route and get a little bit of an arm workout in at the same time? Two birds, one stone! The cut side of a lemon sprinkled with Kosher salt or baking soda used as a scrubbie will take of light tarnish and give your copper pots and bowls a great shine. If something stronger is needed, mix together 1 Tbsp salt and 1 cup of white vinegar and rub this on with a soft, lint-free cloth (a flour-sack towel, for instance). You may go through a couple of towels if the tarnish is thick.

Whether you’ve got brass doorknobs or buttons to contend with, either is likely to tarnish easily the more it is handled. I remember back in marching band, before the festival performances and competitions the tuba players would be rubbing down their instruments in Brasso and I don’t think I’ll ever forget the smell of it. Ick! Soap and water will clean solid brass pieces just fine, but brass plating might take a little more effort. Vinegar and salt (1 Tbsp each per cup of hot water), those do-it-all wonders, will also work on brass plating. Regular wiping with a jewelers cloth can also keep tarnish at bay.

Stainless steel is something I’m sure we all have in our kitchens in some form or fashion, but how many times has that super-sturdy material ended up discolored or marred, despite what we’ve heard? Even those stainless steel is a bit of a workhorse material, it can still be damaged by mishandling. If you put it through the dishwasher or leave it on the drainboard to air dry, water-spots might hang around, and the minerals in our water can actually mar the surface and open it up to corrosion. If the item needs a deeper cleaning than just warm water can handle, make sure the detergent you’re using is mild.

Finally, silver (plated or otherwise) is the dream and bane of hostessing far and near. I love bringing out my pieces of silver for a big party but I hate having to polish them. Of course, if I would store them properly they wouldn’t tarnish as much, so I suppose it’s my own fault, yes? I promise that when I get my grandmother’s silver I will dutifully keep it wrapped in the cloth bags that keep the air away from it’s pretty finish, but the silver serving ware I currently have I’ll just have to keep cleaning. While I will use Wright’s Silver Cream (affiliate link) if I’m in a hurry–I find it easy to use and fairly fume-free–last time I tried the old foil and baking soda trick and it actually worked quite well. I still had to buff it a lot more than that linked video shows, but my set was really tarnished.

I know we’re a little past the usual spring cleaning time and silver might seem a little out of place at your Memorial Day Barbecue, but I think it’s worth taking the time to shine things up and actually use the “good” dishes and all. Every day is special in it’s own way, why not reinforce that the next time you set the table? Whipping eggs but hate to use that pretty copper bowl you got as a gift? It will do you more good in use than collecting dust, to my mind.

Until next time!

Review: Cooking for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet by Erica Kerwien

Nibbles

9781612431741.02

I received a copy of Cooking for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for purpose of review. All opinions expressed below are my own.

Once upon a time (though I should hasten to add, this is no fairytale) a mother was faced with a sick child and very few answers. Eventually the doctors diagnosed Emily Kerwien’s son with Crohn’s Disease, but it was far from a simple answer. Searching around for anything to help her son live a better life, the Specific Carbohydrate Diet was suggested and Kerien threw herself into learning about an eating plan to eliminates many combative carbohydrates from the diets of those with an Inflammatory Bowel Disease, chronicling her progress on ComfyBelly.com.

I was given the opportunity to take a look at Kerwien’s book, Cooking for the Specific Carbohyrdate Diet, to satisfy my curiosity about another diet out there with the aim to make life easier for those with imperfect digestive systems, having recently switch to a Low-FODMAP diet for similar reasons.

While the subtitle mentions that the recipes are sugar-free, it should be noted that this talks to refined cane sugars only. Honey is used whenever additional sweetness is required, and the substitution guide in the back of the book lists dates as a SCD-friendly alternative. There truly are not any grains, gluten-bearing or not, in this book, instead using a variety of nuts, nut flours, and certain beans. Starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes are also forbidden on the SCD diet. In many ways, SCD is the polar opposite of Low-FODMAP, but might make a good option for those who the Low-FODMAP diet does not appear to help.

With the deck a little stacked against my current dietary choices, I gamely read through the recipes, hoping to find some common ground. Some recipes were safe for us to try as-written, and others required substitutions to keep them Low-FODMAP while still getting the overall feel of the recipe.

Our slightly-modified Dirty Rice was rich and tasty and a great one-dish meal.

Our slightly-modified Dirty Rice was rich and tasty and a great one-dish meal.

Todd decided to try her Dirty Rice (p.124). Of course, she called for cauli-rice (cauliflower spun through a food processor then steamed til tender) and we used regular rice, but otherwise the dish studded with bacon, pork, celery, and peppers made for a very tasty supper.

Studded with ham, red bell peppers, green onions and cheese, this quiche was one of the best I've made in a while.

Studded with ham, red bell peppers, green onions and cheese, this quiche was one of the best I’ve made in a while.

I was intrigued by her Simple Quiche (p.101) and her use of yogurt in place of the usual milk or heavy cream most recipes call for. I skipped the crust and was shocked when, instead of overflowing the pie dish as it seemed like it would, it puffed up almost like a souffle. Aside from needing a little additional salt (pretty common with any health-focused cookbook) it was an excellent recipe and one we’ll likely return to in the future.

Our only disappointment, this focaccia isn't something we'll be making again.

Our only disappointment, this focaccia isn’t something we’ll be making again.

To go with a vegetable soup one night, I tried out her Pizza Crust/Focaccia (p.98) recipe as a side dish. She calls for blanched almond flour which is not something we’re keen on, here, so I used my trusted flour blend (which is not SCD-approved, but safer for us). Because of the substitution I made, I don’t want to be too hard on this recipe, but the lack of leavening and the lack of xanthum gum, etc. to improve the texture makes me wonder if this recipe would yield the result we would have expected from a pizza crust. It made an interesting cracker-bread with a wonderful flavor, but it’s not something we’ll be making again, especially since I’ve made better-textured gf-pizza crust a couple of months ago.

Like a rich pot roast, but even better.

Like a rich pot roast, but even better.

The Braised Short Ribs & Carrots (p.130), on the other hand, was a rich and wonderful meal with the addition of some brown basmati rice. After a day in the slow-cooker the short ribs really were fall off the bone tender and made for a very rich broth to spoon over the brown basmati rice I made to go with it.

A bit messy to eat, but worth the extra napkins!

A bit messy to eat, but worth the extra napkins!

Finally, for a light-but-filling weekend supper I made her Fish Tacos (p.136) and Zucchini Sticks (p.40). The tacos also pulled forward some of her other recipes: Avocado Crema (p.77), Creamy Coleslaw (p.55) and her SCD-safe Tortillas (p.97). Since we have no problem with corn tortillas, I did skip that step, but the other recipes all worked well together. The crema, especially, was a delight as it was a wonderful way to stretch an avocado and not so strongly flavored that Todd (not a huge fan of avocados, in general) had no problem with it in the mix. The Zucchini Sticks are a nice alternative to French fries or other starchy sides, the Parmesan cheeses (both grated and shredded) responsible for most of the flavor and much of the texture.

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet seems to be one that takes an extended time to “work”–where a Low-FODMAP diet will usually show in a matter of weeks whether the patient will respond to it, the nature of IBD takes much longer to resolve and someone might need to stay on the SCD for two years or more in order to receive the full benefits of the lifestyle change. Not a quick fix, but if it’s something your doctor has recommended, this book may well help you navigate the what’s for dinner challenge a little easier.