I Need a Drink

Remember the recent post about my little dinner party?  What I forgot to tell you about was the Vodka Lemonade we inhaled sipped while devouring savoring those radishes and that popcorn. 

It's been a day.  One I would rather not repeat, and it didn't even involve electrical things gone awry.  It was made even more difficult by the fact that I stayed up last night until the wee hours watching the miraculous rescue of those Chilean miners.  If that doesn't make you believe anything is possible, well then, probably nothing will.  Anyway.....

I stumbled in the door this evening, marveled at the fact that my dogs had been captives in the kitchen all day without a single accident (another miracle) and remembered that container of Vodka Lemonade in my freezer. 

Suffice it to say, my day got better.

VODKA LEMONADE

1 cup (packed) fresh mint leaves, torn
1 cup granulated (preferably superfine) sugar
8 large lemons, zested and juiced
1 1/2 cups vodka

Combine mint, sugar, lemon zest and juice in a large bowl and stir to combine.  Add vodka and refrigerate at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight.

Strain mixture.  Pour into martini glasses and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint, if desired. 

Serves one six

Any leftovers can be placed in the freezer for one of "those days."  Of course, there won't be any leftovers, so who are we really kidding here?

Apple and Bacon Risotto

   

   
Fall comes slowly, subtly at first, the humidity breaks during the day, nights are a little cooler.  The sun is a little lower in the sky, and the tips of the leaves start turning.  This isn't really fall, time of crisp air and warm sweaters.  It's more autumn, that first hint of fall.  This is the time of apples.  Not here, but up in the valleys, the Shenandoah Valley, beyond the Blue Ridge.  There they are harvesting apples in all their variety.  Is Fuji really different than Gala?  How much different is a Braeburn?  Tart apples may be best for pies, but what about in other dishes, like pork?
    
I don't know the answers to many of these questions, but this time of year I do like to cook recipes that include apples.  Pork with apples comes to mind as a natural pairing.  I keep a bottle of Cavaldos, an apple brandy from Normandy, for just such occasions.  This dish picks up the apple and pork theme, plus provides the warm comfort feeling of risotto.  The recipe originally appeared in our local Washington Post, and this being Virginia, it featured 'country' ham.  I'm not a big ham fan, but I do love bacon.  If you are worried about overpowering the dish with a smoked bacon flavor, but still want that browned, caramelized pork taste, substitute pancetta instead.  Either way allows you to saute the rice briefly in pork fat.  How much better can it get?  Additionally, instead of wine as the initial stock for the risotto, apple cider is used.  Top it off at the end as well for an additional apple taste and feel fall at your doorstep.  Serves 4.
     
Ingredients: 
4 slices of bacon, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 cup arborio rice
1 cup apple cider
4 cups chicken stock
1 apple with 3/4 diced, and 1/4 sliced into thin wedges
1/4 cup Asiago cheese, grated
    
Directions:
In a medium pan over high heat, bring the stock to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer.  In another medium pan over medium heat, add the bacon and cook until it starts to turn brown.  Add the onions and cook until softened.  If there is more than a couple of tbsp of fat in the pan, pour off the extra fat.  Stir in the risotto rice and coat with the bacon fat.  Allow to cook a few minutes and then stir in 1/2 cup of cider.  Bring to a boil and then simmer down until almost gone.  Ladle in 1/2 cup to 1 cup of stock, ensuring that it's at a simmer but not boiling too strongly.  Stir the risotto and slowly cook down the stock.  When almost all of the stock is cooked off, ladle in more of the stock and continue simmering.  Repeat this process for about 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked al dente.  Meanwhile, in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, add the butter and when melted, add the apple slices and brown slightly.  Remove the slices and add the diced apple.  Cook a few minutes to soften slightly, but not so long that the apple pieces become too soft.  When the rice is almost cooked, taste the rice and if more apple taste is desired, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of apple cider.  Stir in the cheese and diced apple.  Plate each portion and top with an apple slice.  Serve.
   

Minute of decay.

After almost a week without blogging (oh my, work is almost finishing with me! Yesterday it was national holiday and I HAD TO WORK!!!) I'm here to whowing you the pictures of my lats saturday. It was Esther's birthday and we celebrated with one of our famous theme parties. This time: decadence.

(Decandence here, please)

But after whowing you the pictures I would like to thank you for your lovely comments on my last entry; you all know how important is Sweden for me... so thank you very much for supporting me and my dream!! You're the best!!

Anyway, the night started at my home with my beloved Cristina and some pictures...

And after taking pictures... what should we do? Dancing, of course! We met Esther, Laia, Anaïs, Dani, Debora, Kim & a few more at Demonix, the place where we always go when we do theme parties!

It was a great borthday party, so funny as always!!

By the way, this week my beloved friend rose is here at home with me. yesterday, after work, we went to see a japanese band, Vamps, who were playing here at Barcelona... and she's here until sunday, yaw!!

I'm so sorry about the lack of posts of the past week... I'll try to write a little bit more this one; you're wonderful for being there!!