Butter Pecan with Brandy Ice Cream. Photo: Ice Cream Happy Hour.

Want to get a buzz on for the holidays? You could stick to plain old cocktails. Or you could jazz them up a bit by adding ice cream.  Better yet, why not churn some ice cream that’s flavored by vodka, rum or some other liquor? Click here to read my HuffPo post with recipes you can use for the holidays or all year round.

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Cascabel to open soon on the Upper West Side. Photo: Laura B. Weiss

Update: Manager Luce now says Cascabel will open Thursday or Friday, June 30 or July 1.

Cascabel, the popular Upper East Side Mexican spot, is slated to open its new Upper West Side spot soon, possibly in the next few days, according to a manager at the restaurant who identified herself as Luce.

The new outpost, at 2799 Broadway (corner of Broadway and 108th Street) with its trendy menu of tacos, carnitas and other Mexican favoties, is sure to be a hit with Columbia students looking for a moderately priced bite to eat. The place also has a full menu of cocktails.

Will the Upper West Side joint be as noisy as the one across the park? We’ll have to wait and see.

And will Cascabel give Mama Mexico, just down the street at 2672 Broadway, a run for its money?

Let me know what you think of the new place.

Cascabel (Upper West Side)
2799 Broadway (Broadway at 108th Street)
NY NY 10025
212 665 1500

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Gin and Tonic. Photo by by massdistraction via flicr.

Nothing says summer more than gin and tonic, so this June 10 gin-and-a dose-of-history event at The Old Stone House in Brooklyn, is well-timed. You can hop on the 2/3 train which stops near the Old Stone House, then have yourself some summer drinks and learn a little gin history, too.

They’ll serve old time gin drinks as well as modern ones. Apparently, gin has a strong connection to NY drinking history.  The early Dutch settlers, it is said, were fond of gin. To give  the event that old time feeling, historian Sarah Lohman, author of the food blog www.fourpoundsflour.com, will present a flight of traditional gin cocktails.

Here are the details:

What: Gin in June! Classic Cocktails & the History of Gin – a fundraiser to support the Old Stone House of Brooklyn.

When: Friday, June 10, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm

What’s to drink: Sarah Lohman, author of the food blog www.fourpoundsflour.com, will present a flight of traditional gin cocktails. Sample four gins, including two historic gins and two contemporary gins, from traditional Dutch Genever to locally distilled Breuckelen Gin. Lohman will discuss the history of each liquor and mix it into a cocktail from the past.

Where: 336 Third Street, between 4th and 5th Avenues in Park Slope, Brooklyn. During the playground renovation, enter the park mid-block on Third Street and access the House through the door facing 4th Avenue.

How much: Tickets: $45 in advance, $50 at the door. Purchase at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/177776.

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Oscar Statue.

The Oscars are coming! Chances are you’ll be hosting a party Feb. 27 or going to one. A pot luck may be part of the plan. So, whether you’re rooting for Black Swan or The Social Network, you’ll surely want a drink and snack close at hand.

Chef Renee suggests the following:

Oscar Party Drink and Snack: Blushing Campari and Kale Chips

A bittersweet cocktail (or mocktail), this crimson-hued bubbly is a perfect companion for the tart and salty kale chips.

BLUSHING CAMPARI

4 servings

4 tablespoons Campari
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 tablespoons orange liqueur, Grand Gala or Grand Marnier (not Cointreau)
1 pint sparkling wine, or citrus flavored club soda
Chilled glasses
Combine the Campari, lime juice and orange liqueur in a pitcher. Leave for 10 minutes to develop the flavors.
When ready to serve, rub a piece of lime peel on the rim of each chilled glass, add sparkling wine, and serve (a champagne flute or tulip shaped wine glass works well) immediately.

KALE CHIPS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

One head of kale, leaves removed, washed, dried, center stem removed and cut or torn into large (2×2 inch) shards.  Discard the lower portion of the kale if you can’t get large pieces.

Prepare the pan: using a cookie pan or wide baking pan with sides, spray the pan bottom with olive oil.  Spray the kale shards with olive oil and toss them well, so they are completely coated with oil.  Sprinkle sea salt on kale and toss again.

Spread kale in one layer on baking pan or cookie sheet.  It is important not to crowd the pieces together.  You may have to do this step twice.

Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes (check after 5 minutes).  When the edges are just turning brown, but the kale pieces are still green, remove the pan and let the chips rest until they cool down and harden.

Variation: you can toss the raw kale shards with a curry, masala or chili powder mix.

Related posts:

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3. Recipe: Watermelon Cocktail and Feta Popcorn for July 4th

Photo by ambernambrose via flickr.

New Years in my book can turn into one of those nights of forced gaiety when you’re suppose to celebrate, or else! The ultimate example of this mindset, of course, is the scrum of howling revelers that converges on Times Square for the ritual midnight dropping of the ball.

But if you’re spending New Years Eve with friends, as I am, the evening can be a great way to end the year on an up note—a chance to mingle with those near and dear to you.

First, up, you need the right drink—like a tantalizing cocktail, for instance.

Drinks sites abound with bartending tips, recipes, and food pairings.

So, bottoms up, and Happy New Year!

• The Bar offers a food pairing guide and lots of drink recipes.

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Happy New Year!

Sparkling Ginger Daisy. Photo, Spice and Ice.

Sparkling Ginger Daisy Cocktail
from Spice & Ice – 60 tongue-tingling cocktails, by Kara Newman (Chronicle Books, 2009)

A daisy is a classic juice-based cocktail sweetened with grenadine or a red liqueur, and often topped with sparkling wine. Here, the bright spice of ginger plays against a backdrop of bubbles for a festive holiday sparkler. And if you feel like gilding the lily, try one or both of the optional special touches below.

1 ounce Plymouth Gin
1 ounce Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
Lemon juice
1 teaspoon grenadine
Brut champagne

Combine gin, ginger liqueur, lemon juice and grenadine in an ice-filled mixing glass. Stir until well chilled, and strain into a Champagne flute. Top with champagne.
Optional touch #1:  If desired, rim the flute with sparkle sugar before pouring in the drink.
Optional touch #2:  Garnish with a cherry at the bottom of the flute.

Sparkling Ginger Daisy (Mocktail Version)
Adapted from Spice & Ice – 60 tongue-tingling cocktails, by Kara Newman (Chronicle Books, 2009)

Sparkle sugar, to rim the glass
2 coin-sized rounds of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
2 oz pomegranate juice
2 oz white grape juice
3 oz spicy ginger beer (I like Fentiman’s)
Lemon slice
Moisten the rim of the glass with lemon and rim a champagne flute with sparkle sugar. Set aside.
In the bottom of a mixing glass, muddle the fresh ginger. Add pomegranate, white grape juice, and ice. Shake vigorously and strain into champagne flute. Top with ginger ale.

Caramelized Spiced Walnuts

Make a lot of these crunchy sweet and spicy walnuts– you won’t be able to stop eating them.  You can make them in advance. They can be stored at room temperature for at least a week.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups walnuts halves
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 2 inch piece of cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon dried red peppers (hot)

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350F.
Put 2 quarts of water on to boil.
1) In a grinder or processor (easiest in a coffee or small grinder): grind the cardamom, coriander seeds, cinnamon stick and hot peppers until finely ground.  Then mix with salt and sugar. Put aside.

2) When water is boiling, add walnuts and let water return to a boil. Boil the walnuts for one minute and drain through a strainer.
While the walnuts are still hot, toss them with the spice mixture.  It will cling to the nuts– that’s the idea.

3) Lay the nuts onto a cookie sheet lined with a paper bag, wax paper or parchment.  Bake in oven for about 10 minutes, until they turn almost dark brown and smell wonderful.  Cool in the pan, and store in an airtight container.

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2. Recipe: Spiced Holiday Walnuts
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Photo: jspatchwork via flickr.at Astor Center.

Here are the details:

What: For early rising cocktail mavens, join Allen Katz, master mixologist and former Chair of the Slow Food USA Board, on his preparatory shopping tour at Greenmarket. Sample fresh, local vegetables, fruits, and herbs and imagine, with Allen, the mixology magic that he’ll work later during the evening at the Greenmarket Inspired Mixology event at Astor Place.

Space is extremely limited.

Where: Union Square Greenmarket – Meet at the George Washington equestrian statue at the south end of Union Square.

When: Wed., Aug. 12, 8:30 am – 10:00 am (rain or shine)

Tickets: Available ONLY On-line at:

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/73283

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Evolution of the Speakeasy, Barney Gallant’s “Speako de Luxe,” 1933. From the collections of the Museum of the City of New York.

Cocktails are very of the moment. Everyone, it seems, is rediscovering Prohibition-era drinks. At the Museum of the City of New York, which is launching Speakeasy at 1220 Fifth, they’re offering up a free drink with your paid admission.

Did you know that from 1926-1932, the city’s speakeasy count topped 32,000 establishments?

Then, there are new concoctions being shaken (or stirred) all the time.  Take the Plaza Hotel’s Pomona. I haven’t tasted it yet, but with honey, wine and other ingredients culled from producers within 100 miles of New York City, this drink sports all the trappings of sustainability.

Here’s how to get your  free drink at the City Museum:

What: The Speakeasy at 1220 Fifth

When: Wednesdays, July 15 – Aug.  26, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

What: Listen to the music and drink the spirits of the era on the Museum’s  Fifth Avenue Terrace.  Admission includes one free drink and access to the Museum’s first-floor galleries. No reservations, tickets sold at the door

What’s It Cost? Museum Members: $10, Non-Members: $12

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A watermelon cocktail is a refreshing summer drink. Photo: jspatchwork via flickr.

Watermelon Wave Cocktail
6 servings

INGREDIENTS

8 cups seedless red watermelon cubes

6 cups seedless yellow watermelon cubes, frozen. (Freeze the yellow watermelon cubes in an ice cube tray, at least a couple of hours. They will be used as ice cubes in the drink.)

1 cup Cointreau
½ light rum
1 ½ cups freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup club soda
¼ cup Grenadine
2 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice

Garnish: 2 mint leaves per drink
Pinch flaky sea salt per glass

METHOD

1. Place red watermelon cubes in blender.  Blend until mixture is liquefied. Strain through a fine mesh strainer.
2. Not including the yellow watermelon cubes, mix next six ingredients until well blended, then add red watermelon juice.
3. Pour drinks into 6 old fashioned glasses filled with yellow watermelon ice cubes. Squeeze the mint leaves gently between your fingers and drop into the drink (don’t over press—mint will become bitter).  Sprinkle drink with sea salt (5-6 grains/flakes for each drink).

Feta-shized Popcorn

INGREDIENTS
1 bag microwave popcorn, popped—unsalted plain is best. Keep warm in a covered mixing bowl.  Or 1 bag popped plain popcorn, unsalted, which you will reheat later.

¼ pound hard feta cheese—the dry and salty kind, grated
1 teaspoon smoked paprika-sweet or hot
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons good olive oil

METHOD

Warm the olive oil in a small pan (not smoking hot): add paprika and cayenne.  Stir the oil until it is red (about 1minute).  Pour onto popcorn and toss—quite a few times—until well distributed.

Add feta and toss again.

Place bowl (no plastic, please) in microwave and heat for 20-30 seconds (depending on the wattage of your microwave oven).  When cheese is melted, toss all together and serve. Taste for saltiness.  Have napkins handy.

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What Dad doesn’t love beer and chocolate?  You can pair the two in a special Father’s Day class. Or if your Dad is a cocktail maven, sign him up for a class on how to mix classics like the Grasshopper and the Pink Lady.

Take a look at these Father’s Day ideas:

Is that Chocolate in My Beer?

What: An afternoon of chocolate and beer. You’ll learn about the many varieties of cocoa beans and chocolate, how the Aztec and Maya discovered chocolate, and how to make your own chocolate bars from the bean. Learn all of this with Nat Bletter, who has studied and made chocolate for over 5 years.

In the class everyone will participate in making chocolate bars from scratch after a short talk on the history of chocolate with some tastings, and you’ll go home with recipes and a bar of chocolate.

Where: Jimmy’s No. 43 – 43 East 7th street (downstairs), Manhattan

When: Sunday, June 21, 2:00pm – 5:00pm

Who: Jimmy Carbone, owner of Jimmy’s 43, fine beer aficionado and originator of the Good Beer Seal of Approval will pair Nat’s homemade chocolate with a selection of artisanal beers.

How Much: Admission: Slow Food Members – $30
Non members – $35
Tickets: Available on-line only at BrownPaperTickets.com
Proceeds will go towards Slow Food NYC’s Harvest Time in Schools Program.

The Evolution of Cocktails Post Prohibition through Today

What: Prohibition was a boon to cocktail culture as we know it.  But many of the era’s delicious concoctions have since fallen out of fashion. Rediscover iconic cocktails such as The Grasshopper, The Pink Lady, and others. In this hands-on workshop you’ll find out how to craft these historic libations while learning the fun, factual and mythical back-stories on the ghosts of cocktails past, and how their recipes have evolved over time.

Who: Mixologist Charles Hardwick of Blue Owl Cocktail Room

Where: Location: The Study, The Astor Center, 399 Lafayette St. at East 4th St.  212 674 7501

When: Sat, Jun 27th, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM

How Much: $65.00.  Click here for tickets.

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