Campaign Cocktails for Debate Drinking

Ladies and gentlemen, Election Season 2012 is underway, and the first Presidential Debate is airing on Wednesday, October 3. Whether you’re a committed party member or just a committed partier, the Presidential Debates can provide loads of information—and, often unintentionally, loads of laughter.

Whether you’re genuinely interested in what the candidates have to say or if you’re just in it to play a few drinking games (remember “Palin Bingo?”), here are three cocktails that everybody can agree on: For the Lefty, the ALObama Slammer; for the Righty, the Mitt-tini; and for the Swing Voter, the Singapore Mudsling.


The ALObama Slammer

The traditional Alabama Slammer is made with Amaretto, Southern Comfort, and Orange Juice. In this version, we substitute Peach Lambic beer for the peach-flavored Southern Comfort, because we know our President likes his beer. This recipe serves two, because when it comes to good beer, it’s always nice to share your wealth.

2 shots amaretto
Orange juice
1 750 mL bottle Lindeman’s Peach Lambic

Divide the amaretto between two pint glasses. Add a splash of orange juice to each, and fill each glass with the Peach Lambic beer.



The Mitt-tini

Sometimes a candidate has to abandon ideals to appeal to his/her base, so this martini features a few things that your typical Mormon would frown upon, but on top is a float of Goldschlager, which contains flakes of gold. This recipe serves one—if someone else wants a sip, just say, “You didn’t build that!”

1 oz. vodka
½ t. cocoa powder
2 oz. Kahlua
1 oz. goldschlager

Combine the vodka, cocoa powder, and Kahlua in a shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Pouring slowly and carefully over the back of a spoon, “float” the goldschlager atop the mixed drink so that you can see the gold flakes.


The Singapore Mudsling

This drink is for the person who can’t take the back-and-forth blame game or the mudslinging. Sometimes, all the lying and the finger-pointing and the half-truths will drive you to drink! This cross between a Singapore Sling and a Mudslide will do the trick. It serves two, and I must warn you that it’s deceptive strength may sneak up on you, so make sure you don’t drink too many and sleep through Election Day!

1 oz. dry gin
2 oz. pineapple juice
2 oz. coconut coffee creamer (SoDelicious is my favorite brand)
2 oz. Kahlua
1 oz. brandy from brandy-soaked cherries
4 brandy-soaked cherries
1 t. cocoa powder
Squeeze lime juice
Handful ice cubes
Lime wedges, to garnish
Sprinkle cocoa powder, to garnish

Blend all ingredients except the lime wedges in a blender—the drink will foam a bit, so pour immediately. Serve in margarita glasses, garnished with a lime wedge and a sprinkle of cocoa powder atop the foam.

Around the World in Eighty Bites - Thailand

The next leg of my “Around the World in Eighty Bites” journey stops in Thailand.  Thai food is known for being spicy, but many Westerners don’t seem to be as apprehensive about trying Thai food as they do about trying Indian or Japanese dishes.  Thai food is definitely exotic, but in an approachable manner. 

My first foray into international cooking was over 10 years ago when I experimented with a Thai squid salad recipe I found in Jeff Smith’s “The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors.”  Never before had I used unfamiliar ingredients such as Thai curry paste (an ingredient made from chiles, garlic, ginger, and spices), lemongrass, or fish sauce, but I fell in love with Thai flavors and wanted to try as many Thai recipes as I could get my hands on.  Once I headed off to Northeastern University and lived in my first off-campus apartment, my mom bought me a Thai cookbook.  I still use that cookbook today, despite the fact that entire sections are peeling away from the binding and some of the pages are glued together by splashes of coconut milk or soy sauce.  The book features write-ups about each ingredient common in Thai cooking, many of which are available in the States, either in cities with large Asian populations or via mail order.  My curiosity was aroused by some of these hard-to-find foreign ingredients.  Thankfully, I live in a city with a sizable Chinatown, and I’ve been able to locate imported items like tamarind, shrimp paste, and fresh lychees. 

My Thai cookbook also gives a detailed history of Thai cooking and culinary traditions.  I loved learning about the philosophy of the Five Flavors – hot, salty, sweet, sour, and bitter – and how these five flavors are incorporated into each dish.  I like that kind of playful balance that creates a party in one’s mouth!  It was also interesting to learn that traditionally, Thai women were sent to live in temples for years at a time.  In these temples, they learned the art of food preparation, including not only cooking, but garnishing.  The women learned to carve fruits and vegetables into elaborate edible figurines for presentation at formal meals.  These temples still exist in modern Thailand, but they are open to the public for tours, and cooking lessons are now available to men as well! 

Although I’ve tried many Thai recipes, I still have not made Pad Thai, Thailand’s most famous dish. I will someday.  My all-time favorite Thai recipe (so far) is a quick coconut-based curry with chopped pineapple.  Traditionally made with pork, this recipe can also be made using chicken or seafood, as I have done in the recipe below.  If you like it a little spicier, add some crushed red chile flakes or fresh minced chiles.  This recipe is light, yet rich, and like most Thai food, it pairs well with an ice-cold lager or ale. 

Seafood Curry with Pineapple

1 T. coconut or vegetable oil

1 shallot, minced

2 cups fresh pineapple, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 can coconut milk

2 T. Thai green curry paste (Thai Kitchen is a good brand)

2 T. soy sauce

1 T. fish sauce

1 T. lime juice

1 T. grated fresh ginger

½ t. freshly ground black pepper

1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained

1 can baby corn, drained and sliced into bite-sized pieces

½ pound squid, sliced (see note)

½ pound firm whitefish, such as cod, sliced into bite-sized pieces

½ cup green onions, sliced into thin rings

½ cup shredded basil

½ cup chopped cilantro

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat, and add the coconut or vegetable oil.  When oil is heated, add the shallot and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until it has started to soften.  Do not let the shallot burn.  Next, add the pineapple to the pan and cook for 1-2 more minutes, stirring frequently. 

Add the coconut milk, green curry paste, soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, ginger, black pepper, water chestnuts, and baby corn to the pan.  Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the curry paste is fully dissolved and the liquid has reached a low boil. 

Now, turn the heat up to high.  Once liquid is boiling, add the squid, fish, green onions, basil, and cilantro.  Cook for 1-3 minutes, or until the fish has firmed up and the squid begins to curl up.  Serve immediately over cooked jasmine rice. 

Note:  In traditional Thai cooking, squid is not cut into rings as is common in Mediterranean cooking.  Rather, it is cut into squares, and the inside of the squid’s tube is scored with a knife so that the pieces curl up into bite-sized cylinders when cooked.  To prepare squid in this fashion, cut each tube in half lengthwise, then cut each piece in half crosswise.  Using a sharp knife, make shallow slits in criss-cross pattern across the inside of the squid’s tube, being careful not to cut all the way through.  It is now ready to be cooked using a quick, high heat method, such as boiling or stir-frying. 

Busy Weekend! Pina Claddagh, Recipe Basics

Whew!  I am exhausted, but not too exhausted to post.  I made some delicious food this weekend - Black Pasta with Roasted Garlic and Orange Sauce, Roasted Garlic Focaccia, Roasted Red Pepper Bruschetta, Ranch Pizza, and a wonderful cocktail called a "Pina Claddagh" (as you may have noticed, I love putting a Celtic spin on recipes that originated far from Ireland and the U.K.!).  Below are the recipes for the Pina Claddagh and for the building blocks of my recipes - Roasted Garlic, Roasted Red Peppers, and Black Pasta.  I will post the full dinner recipes tomorrow.  Yes, this is a cop-out because I'm too tired to write, but think about it this way - before you take the cool class with the cool professor, you've gotta sit through the required intro class before you get your hands dirty with the fun stuff!

Before I get to the recipes, I would like to share my experience with the ranch pizza, which came dangerously close to being an epic fail and frustrated me to the point where I almost burst into tears - after all, my roommate's sister, her husband, and their children were over for dinner, and I would have been humiliated if I'd served a pizza that was simultaneously undercooked and burnt while saying, "By the way, I'm writing a food/recipe blog!"  Had I not been able to salvage the pizza, I would have felt like my credibility had just been flushed down the crapper, but I managed to rescue the pizza and it turned out OK.  I felt like one of the Top Chef contestants who just barely escapes being voted off the show!  Anyway, now that I've done a test run on the Ranch Pizza I can tweak the recipe so it turns out the way I intended, and once that happens I'll share the recipe.  P.S.- it contains bacon! 

As promised, here is the cocktail recipe and the three basic building blocks of the recipes that worked: 

Pina Claddagh
I must warn you - the Pina Claddagh is what I call a "Danger Drink," meaning that you may not be completely able to taste the alcohol in your drink.  Helpful hint - it's there!

1 17.6oz can Goya Toasted Coconut Water*
1 cup fresh cubed pineapple
3oz. Irish whiskey
splash maraschino cherry juice
several ice cubes
maraschino cherries, to garnish

In a blender, puree the coconut water and pineapple.  Pour the puree through a fine sieve, then pour the strained liquid into a cocktail shaker with the whiskey, cherry juice and ice cubes; shake for 20 seconds.  Pour into two stemless martini glasses and add a maraschino cherry to each.  Enjoy responsibly. 

Variation - To make into a frozen drink, divide the can of coconut water.  Make half into ice cubes; reserve the other half.  Puree the coconut ice cubes, remaining coconut water, and remaining ingredients except cherries in blender.  Pour into two glasses and garnish with cherries. 

*  You can use plain coconut water, but the toasted has a sweeter flavor.  Find in the Hispanic/Latino section of most major supermarkets. 

Roasted Garlic:
1 head garlic
1-2t. olive oil
1t. white wine

Preheat the oven to 350.  Peel away the garlic's papery skin so all that remains is the skin sticking to the individual cloves.  Once this is done, trim off the top of the head so that the tips of the cloves are exposed (as seen in the picture).  Place on a sheet of aluminum foil. 

Next, pour the olive oil and white wine on the exposed cloves.  Bring up the ends of the tinfoil to make a little package - it should be shaped like a Hershey's Kiss.  Place this in the oven and bake for about an hour.  Once it is cool to touch, you can easily remove the individual cloves from their skin and use them for recipes.  Any cloves that you do not use for recipes can be stored in a jar covered in olive oil.  If you choose to store them, add a pinch of salt and make sure that the cloves are completely immersed in the oil and none are exposed - exposure to air could cause them to spoil and become unsafe for consumption. 





Roasted Red Peppers
red peppers, cored and sliced lengthwise at natural rib

Preheat the broiler on high.  Arrange the peppers on a baking sheet covered in foil (this makes clean-up much easier).  Pop these under the broiler for 5-10 minutes, or until the peppers' skins have turned black and charred. 

Remove the baking sheet from the oven.  Using tongs, a fork, or some other kind of tool so you don't burn yourself, place the roasted peppers in a bowl.  Cover the bowl and let the peppers cool. 

Once peppers have cooled, you can remove their skins.  Gently peel off the charred skin and discard skin.  The peppers are now ready to use for recipes, and, like the roasted garlic, any unused peppers can be stored in a jar covered in olive oil.







Black Pasta
2c. flour
2 eggs
2t. squid ink
1t. salt
1T. olive oil

In all honesty, the hardest part of this recipe is tracking down a retailer who sells squid ink!  Once you do that, the rest is a piece of cake.  Simply follow the same steps I listed in my tagliatelle recipe, adding the squid ink at the same time as the eggs, olive oil, and salt.  The squid ink will make the pasta dough a little stickier, so be sure to dust with extra flour.  Here are some photos from the process: