Drinkies!

Mark Bittman takes on the cocktail in his Minimalist way in the Times today.

Also tasty article about frozen blended cocktails and some intriguing recipes.

I enjoyed a drink I made the other night, based on my spotty recollection of a recipe I saw in Real Simple. What I did: cut up about a third of a lime, squeezed the juice into a pint glass, and dropped the lime pieces in. Cut up a big strawberry and tossed it in. Filled the glass with ice. Poured in a healthy amount of berry-flavored vodka, and topped with club soda. I later re-read the recipe and discovered that it calls for a mixture of berries (blackberries and raspberries would be nice) and wants you to add sugar. It was very refreshing and more adult than you might think (given the fruity vodka) without the sugar, but when I make this on Sunday for a lunch we're having, I think I may add just a touch of simple syrup. Plus I think sprigs of mint will be a nice addition.

Midsummer supplies

Just got back from the store with:

6 bottles rose (3 different types)
1 large bottle Grey Goose
1 bottle raspberry vodka (I want to try a recipe I read in a magazine, which mixes it in a pitcher with club soda, lime juice, and mixed fresh berries)
1 large bottle sake

Picnic with friends tomorrow, where the rose should come in handy. Will also pack the large wicker hamper (wedding present, heavy as hell) with various dips, cheeses, olives, and breads from the local grocery with the good prepared foods.

Dining for Dads

We had a nutty weekend of numerous celebrations (a fantastic surprise party for Meg, glad we can let the cat out of the bag about that one, finally; a sweet first birthday for my nephew; brunch with the dads for Father's Day) but before we all collapsed from all the partying (and driving) the little gateaux and I took Mr. Gateau out for a special dinner. We went to Besito in Roslyn NY, which not only offers excellent high-end Mexican cuisine, but does it in a sophisticated environment that isn't so easy to find in our area of Long Island. I was a little apprehensive about bringing the kids to someplace so nice, and that is impossible to get into on the weekends, but we went early enough to make it tolerable and were accomodated beautifully. Lots of other people clearly had the same thought, and many tables had kids getting a kick out of the tableside guacamole preparation and other fun touches.

We started with the guacamole, made medium spicy in case Baby Gateau wanted some (he did, though we need not have worried--this kid has started eating Andy Capp Hot Fries, god help us all). With that I had a La Casa Margarita which was fantastic--frozen with premium tequila, fresh lime juice, and fresh pomegranate and tangerine juices as well. It was so good that Mr. Gateau, who rarely drinks hard liquor any more, had one as well. We were pleased to learn they offer a nice children's menu, so the kids shared a platter of plain chicken enchiladas with a light tomato-based sauce. Mr. Gateau had the fish of the day, Mahi-Mahi, prepared Veracruzana style, and I found myself going for the vegetarian option on the menu, fantastically tasty Chiles Rellenos stuffed with wild mushrooms, spinach, goat cheese, pine nuts, and raisins, in a tangy sauce. We shared a plate of crispy yuca fries, served with a spicy creamy dip and lime. These were truly fantastic. We skipped dessert, but each table is served a to-go bag of piping hot churros, as well as given tiny Mexican worry dolls to take home. In all, a great evening.

Of course, it will be even greater when we go back sans children and sit at the bar, where I expect we'll have more guacamole, more yuca fries, maybe a few fish tacos or ceviche platters, and of course more La Casa Margaritas.

Summer shows up early again

Just as it did 8 years ago, when Mr. Gateau and I got married, summer has showed up a bit earlier than expected with several steamer trunks and indicated its intention to stick around. This weekend ushered in a 90 degree-plus heatwave, complete with humidity and evening thunder and lightning. It's sticky and dehydrating, but it's also deliciously relaxing to slow down to a crawl, throw some stuff on the grill, and marvel at how the garden is already getting overgrown and lush.

We kicked off the season with an invitation to join our friends for a little cookout. They did hamburgers, hot dogs, sweet Italian sausage, and shrimp skewers rubbed with spicy Cajun seasoning (perfect). I made my Greek-ish pasta salad, which is really the only kind of pasta salad I can stand. It's tricolor rotini (I used whole wheat here, this is a good recipe for that) tossed with pitted kalamata olives, feta, thinly-sliced red onions, sundried tomatoes, halved cherry tomatoes, and a big handful of chopped mixed garden herbs, plus olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar. Other additions that would be good depending on who you're serving it to would be capers, anchovies, or roasted red peppers.

This evening we're expecting other friends for grilling, and I'll be serving roasted red pepper and feta dip with pita chips, lemon-marinated green olives, and marinated mushrooms to start, then grilled flank steak (in my mother's trademark marinade of ketchup, mustard, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic, pepper, salt, and a little soy sauce), leftover pasta salad, corn with lime-chili sauce or butter and salt, and a salad of stuff from the farmer's market -- roasted beets, baguette slices with herbed goat cheese, lettuce, and arugula, with raspberry vinaigrette. Then we'll have some fruit and ice cream for dessert. My friends are bringing a summer cocktail, can't wait.

The eating update

Just a quick update of some good and/or tasty things I have consumed recently:

• medium rare burger with blue cheese and bacon, plus sweet potato fries, for lunch today
• marinated and grilled leg of lamb with greek yogurt-garlic-mint sauce
• lemon layer cake with buttercream icing
• lime tartlets with frangipane filling and lime-flavored glaze
• amaretto sours back in season
• ginger martini
• a large amount of Niman Ranch bacon
• mandelbrot

Bacon in Jamaica, Part 3

By Day 3 we had really settled into the swing of things, and had our sleeping, swimming, sunning, eating and drinking routine down pat. I went for a morning walk with Pam up the hill before it got too hot, and that was lovely, plus, you know, justification for the eating to come. We got back for breakfast, which included more of the delicious sliced fruit, fried plantains, assorted breads, pancakes (very good ones, with nice crispy edges) with maple syrup, BACON, and scrambled eggs. Coffee, of course, and lots of it.

We then hit the beach, and were delighted to find that we were the only ones on it. After all the sunning and novel-reading we could stand, we headed back to the house for lunch. On the terrace we enjoyed a delicious tuna salad with sweet and hot peppers, which had a terrific bite, served with green salad with balsamic dressing and breads and rolls. With that we had more of the strong iced tea with lime and for dessert the leftover birthday cake from our first night, which was still fantastic.

After more sunbathing and napping we headed up to the Great House for afternoon tea. Not a spectacular spread, but we had little sandwiches and cookies and a cup of tea, and then checked out the wares in the gallery featuring local arts and crafts. After that, well, it was time for a drink, so we made it to the Beach Bar just before closing and got another pina colada under our belts (or Red Stripe, or strawberry daquiri, whatever your pleasure). It was a beautiful setting, and we walked out on a pier to the gazebo and looked back at the beach and the house, with a view up to Montego Bay.

Once we were back at the house it was, you guessed it, time for more eating. We fixed ourselves cocktails (I had local overproof rum with diet Pepsi -- in a small glass bottle, and why does soda always taste better from a small glass bottle? -- and lime) and Rhon served us some hors d'oeuvres of leftover jerk pork and vegetable wraps cut into rounds. So glad that pork did not go to waste! We watched a really spectacular sunset from the terrace. Eventually we moved onto dinner, which was spicy vegetable soup, salad with Caesar dressing, and a Thai-influenced spicy shrimp dish over fettuccine. The shrimp were really nicely cooked. Wine, of course. For dessert we had coconut creme brulee, which wasn't the chef's most accomplished dish -- it was a bit runny -- but tasty. We rolled ourselves to the living room, where Meg and I were the last ones standing. It reminded me of when we were kids and would stay up at sleepovers chatting half the night.

* * *

The next morning felt a little bittersweet, because our ride to the airport was scheduled for about 2pm, and time was running out. To fortify ourselves, we had a hearty breakfast following coffee on the terrace. This time we started with a platter of sauteed callaloo and tomatoes, plus fried plantains, and a platter of sliced fruit. As we were eating that and the plate of BACON, Rhon came around to take orders for eggs. I asked for a poached egg, and ended up creating a sort of Caribbean eggs Florentine by layering toast with the tomato and callaloo and topping with the egg, which was a fabulous combination.

We organized our packing and then headed to the beach for one last time. I floated around in the water and tried to memorize the exact feeling of being there surrounded by the warmth and the water and the sound of the waves. But all things have to come to an end, and so it was time to head back to the villa for lunch. It's hard for me to admit that this was my favorite of all our meals, but loyal Cookiestuffs readers won't really be surprised. Rhon laid out a nice big salad with Greek dressing and then brought out a big platter of crispy, spicy fried chicken fingers and more of those fantastic fries we'd had previously. I cut the chicken into bites and incorporated it into the salad, and it was so tasty and filling. With that we had more iced tea with lime, and it is possible that a few last Red Stripes were consumed.

And that was it. We got our ride to the airport, hoping for a quick check-in (it was the off-season, after all) only to find the departures hall crammed with travelers and some fans lackadaisically stirring the humid air. To entertain ourselves, we tried to figure out the significance of a sign in the line-up area stating PLANE HELPFUL with an arrow pointing nowhere. In the concourse I got myself a final ginger beer and Meg bought some Blue Mountain coffee. The flight itself was uneventful, save for an attack of hysterics when the nice flight attendant came by with dinner, repeatedly asking "Will you have chicken for dinner? We're out of fish." And if you don't see why this is funny, you can't come with us next time.

Bacon in Jamaica, Day 2

The spot where I found Nirvana

A smattering of drinks

Massages in progress

Lunch is served on the terrace

Day 2 began in about as perfect a manner as I can imagine. We got up at our leisure (none of us is constitutionally capable of sleeping late, due to children and dogs getting us up routinely early) and wandered, or should I say staggered out to the terrace. One of the glass-topped tables was set for breakfast, complete with carafes of coffee at the ready. We filled our cups and sat in one of the conversation areas on the terrace just taking in the beauty of it all.

When breakfast was ready, the little bell rang and called us to the table. On a sideboard were assorted cereals and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Rhon came out and served us delicious, chewy French toast with maple syrup, and a stunning platter of fruits, including drop-dead succulent juicy mango. As if this weren't enough, a second course arrived, consisting of an omelette with sweet peppers and a platter of bacon and Canadian bacon. This made two consecutive meals featuring pork products, a very good start to the vacation.

We spent the morning on the beach, sunning and chatting, reading books and swimming in the crystal clear, warm water. Anne and I spent some quality time out on one of the giant trampoline-floats, talking and jumping around.

And then it was time to eat again!

Lunch on the terrace was chicken club sandwiches, very well seasoned, with a big bowl of perfectly crispy French fries, and a pitcher of very strong iced tea served with lime. This prepared us for our next taxing activity: massages out on the terrace of the villa's west wing, overlooking the turquoise water. We went in twos, and those of us not being massaged at that moment enjoyed another platter of fresh fruit.

Following my massage I spent one of the most blissed-out hours of my life. I threw on a sundress and plunked myself on a chaise under a tree at the back of the villa, steps away from the water. With Great Big Sea singing drinking songs and sea chanteys (Newfoundland Celtic folk-rock is a strangely nice fit in the Caribbean, and less obvious than the incessant Bob Marley, not that there's anything wrong with that) on my iPod, and a Red Stripe in my hand, the waves gently lapping on the shore, the afternoon sun on my legs and the warm breeze flowing over me, my mind was perfectly at peace, my body felt like jelly, and I could have stayed like that forever.

But forever is a long time, and we had drinking to do! So we put ourselves together (we clean up nice!) and headed in the golf cart up to the Great House for cocktails. Hors d'oeuvres were advertised, but this turned out to be a few pieces of sausage bites. Not to worry, we enjoyed our drinks (I had a dark rum with ginger beer and lime) and the sunset, and then headed back to the villa for dinner.

We began with pea (bean) soup, then a salad with balsamic vinaigrette. The main course, served buffet style, was a chicken breast stuffed with tropical vegetables and fruits -- probably callalloo, plantains, papaya, and mango, with a nicely spiced citrus sauce, and served with mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables. Of course we had wine, and of course we brought the rest of the bottle out to the living room, where we chit chatted and gossiped until bedtime.

Just another day in Jamaica.