A couple of years ago, I had great luck making a cherry buttermilk sherbet. The only ice cream maker I had at the time was a large and clunky (but beautiful) turquoise vintage hand-crank one. I didn’t pull it out of our storeroom and instead just froze it and whisked it a bit and as luck would have it, it was a tasty success. But now I’ve got an electric ice cream maker and it’s so easy to try out crazy flavour combinations on a whim. So far I’ve had great luck with Mexican chocolate ice cream, coconut cherry chocolate frozen yogurt and bourbon buttermilk ice cream. So when the BC Blueberry Council came a-knocking at my door with containers of fresh, local BC blueberries I figured I’d try my hand at another wacky but elegant flavour combination. Thanks BC Blueberries!

The previous evening we had cracked open a bottle of riesling and we had a bit left in the bottle so I figured I’d add it to the mix. The rosemary came about because the rosemary growing on our balcony was looking full and lush so I plucked off a stem and got to work. I whipped up a quick sugar syrup and added in the rosemary to infuse for a couple of hours. This recipe doesn’t use up all the rosemary syrup, so go ahead and use it in a cocktail – I think this would be perfect in a Pimm’s Cup or blackberry smash (here’s a recipe for something similar).

The fresh blueberries get blended along with the rosemary syrup and the white wine. I chose to strain out the blueberry skins for a smoother texture, but that’s up to you, but I like the strained version much better. The mixture then heads to the fridge for a bit of a chill before churning. I liked this best right out of the machine – it’s soft and smooth and it gets a little sloppy in the best way. But you might want to give it an hour or two in the freezer to firm up a bit. So how did it tastes? Pretty wonderful and quite elegant. The rosemary is subtle but definitely there – if you want a stronger flavour, let the sugar syrup infuse longer. The riesling is quite nice with the blueberries and I’m sure a chardonnay would be lovely too. Just use a nice wine, one you’d use for drinking.

If you don’t have an ice cream maker, don’t fret! This makes perfectly elegant popsicles for the grown-up set (just skip the cool-down stage). And you can make sorbet by freezing the mixture in a metal tray and giving it a whisk every now and then until it gets to the texture you like best.

elsewhere: Check out this summery Sweet Pepper & Cauliflower salad recipe over at Poppytalk. The recipe is adapted from David Tanis so you know it’s delicious.

blueberry sorbet with riesling & rosemary
1/2 c water
1/2 c sugar
1 medium stem of rosemary
3 c fresh blueberries
1/3 c riesling
pinch black pepper

In a small saucepan, heat water and sugar until sugar melts. Add rosemary and let the mixture cool. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, though 4 might be just right. Remove rosemary.

Add the blueberries, riesling and black pepper to a blender and give it a whirl. Pour in 1/3 cup of the rosemary sugar syrup and blend again until well mixed. Strain mixture into a bowl using a fine mesh strainer and let the mixture cool, covered, in the fridge for about an hour, where it will become strangely gelatinous. If you are making popsicles, skip the cooling part and just pour into your popsicle maker & freeze overnight.

Pour blueberry mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions. Eat immediately if you like a soft sorbet or freeze for 2 hours before eating.

Possibly related posts:

• cranberry rosemary apple sauce
• 3 of my favorite words: bourbon ice cream

Sour cherry season has just ended here in BC and those plump, sweet, dark cherries from the Okanagan are almost gone from our local markets. But there is a way to preserve all that cherry goodness. Freezing is a no-brainer and requires just a bit of time and patience. A cherry pitter is also a nice accessory and I’ve thankfully inherited one from my husband’s grandmother. It looks odd-ball but it does the trick, and so apparently, does a paper clip. Wish I had known about cherry pitters when I made this buttermilk cherry sherbet a couple years ago!

Macerating cherries is a perfect way to preserve this fleeting taste of summer. One way is to add cherries to a jam jar, top with booze (vodka, brandy and whiskey are all fine choices – but a cherry liqueur like Luxardo is another fantastic option) and let it sit for a week or more. Your Manhattans will thank you.

Freezing and pickling via alcohol are all excellent options, but when I spotted this cherry conserve by Jennifer Perillo, I was intrigued. The recipe starts off by mixing cherries and sugar along with orange zest and almond extract and letting it sit overnight. The next day it cooks up enough to call it a conserve. I’m sure it’s delicious – in fact, I know it is as it’s pretty much how I’ve made cherry compotes in the past. But I liked the idea of macerating the cherries in the sugar & flavourings without adding heat. I wanted cherries that screamed freshness.

And they did. They screamed freshness and flavour so loud that the jar was half empty before I realized that they were nearly gone. The lime zest and almond extract intensified the cherry flavour and eating each ruby red orb was like a ka-pow! right to my quivering taste buds. They were incredible! The remaining jar spilled over my morning pancakes and it made a very bright start to the day. I can only imagine how fantastic they’d be poured over ice cream or placed on a skewer and popped into a whiskey sour. I will be making these again (in fact, I have a batch sitting on the counter right this moment) and I will give this cherry slush a try too.

The macerated cherry recipe you’ll find below, but first I wanted to give a recipe for something a bit more unusual. After pitting pound after pound of cherries, I figured there had to be a better way than tossing them in the garbage. Thanks to a tip on Twitter, I used many of the remaining pits as a drainage base for a potted plant! Clever, no? But maybe not as clever as this cherry pit vodka. It couldn’t be easier. Pits + vodka = the heaven scent flavour of almonds. True, there is a teeny-tiny smidge of cyanide found in the pits, however, the amount is so small that I think we’re all safe for a sip or three. If you are still intrigued about what else you can do with your leftover cherry pits, this cherry pit ice cream sounds delicious.

cherry pit vodka
There’s no real recipe for this beverage. Add cherry pits into a tightly lidded jar. Top with vodka. Let wait at least a week. Strain and use in your favorite cocktail. Cheers!

macerated sour cherries
(adapted from In Jennie’s Kitchen)
2 c sour cherries (regular cherries would be fine too)
1/3 c organic sugar
1/2 t almond extract
zest of 1 lime

If you are using sour cherries, keep the cherries whole. If you are using Bing or a larger cherry, cut the cherries in half. Add all ingredients to a glass jar and give everything a good stir. Screw on lid and let sit over night on the counter. The next day give the jar a shake and pluck out a cherry. Let your eyes roll back. Repeat. The jar should last a couple weeks in the fridge, but I doubt you’ll have any left that long.

Possibly related posts:

• cherry buttermilk sherbet
• jam it on the one: sour cherry vinaigrette

I’m a big believer in necessity being the mother of invention. Earlier this week after a rousing game of tennis at our local park, I came home thirsty and water could only quench so much. What I really wanted was a margarita but I didn’t have any triple sec. For those not in the know, triple sec is a clear sweet orange liqueur commonly used in margaritas. So when I pulled out a bottle of Aperol, a bright orange bitter sweet liqueur, I knew I was onto something.

The resulting drink wasn’t the green-hued margarita that I’m used to. The Aperol had stained this drink a lovely hue of pinkish orange and it looked cheerfully celebratory! Hurrah for summer! A toast to a sweaty and silly game of running around with racquets and lime green balls! And because this is the start of a long weekend in Canada, I’m especially cheering to a glorious long weekend ahead!

I do like my drinks tart so I used only 1 ounce of agave syrup. If you like your drinks a bit sweeter, add in two ounces.

pink margarita on the rocks
4 oz good tequila
1 1/2 oz aperol
3 oz fresh lime juice
1-2 oz agave syrup (depending how tart you like your drinks)
4 large ice cubes + additional crushed ice for your glass
coarse salt for glasses rims

Combine all the ingredients except the salt and additional ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake it like you mean it – a good minute is fine.

Use the hulls of the limes to wet 2 glasses and then dip the edge of the glass in a plate of coarse salt.

Fill glasses with crushed ice and pour drink evenly into 2 glasses. Feel good instantly.

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• pretty in pink: fennel, grapefruit, & blood orange salad
• toast me: the working girl’s lowball

I’ve been back from New York for over a week now and I’m daydreaming about my visit constantly. Well, that and working because when you go away for 3 weeks you’ve got a lot of work to attend to. And emails to respond to. Don’t even get me started on peeking at my blog feed because I’ve ignored Google Reader for way too long. Getting back to real life is hard especially when summer has decided to grace the Pacific Northwest with her glorious presence. There’s been super fun bike rides, picnics at the beach and catching up with friends over cold beers at favorite places.

But let’s talk a little about New York, shall we? First off I want to thank you for all the suggestions and tips in the comments of this post. We stayed in downtown Brooklyn which is really nothing to write home about, but it was a great area because it was within walking distance of so many great neighbourhoods (Fort Greene, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Boreum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO) and we were within walking distance to 3 different subway stops (DeKalb, Hoyt Schermerhorn, Jay St.) so we quite enjoyed our location. But instead of giving you a complete rundown of our visit, I’ll just mention a few of my favorite things.

What I loved about New York City

1. The zoetrope animation leaving DeKalb station on the Q train heading into Manhattan. Look out the right side windows and enjoy the show! There’s a great video of it here.

2. Red Hook. I loved pretty much everything about this neighbourhood and we went back to visit it a second time. It feels like a get-away from the city with a ton of character and personality. We walked from Downtown Brooklyn, through Cobble Hill, into Carrol Gardens and crossed the expressway and past the Red Hook housing project and just started exploring. Walk along the waterfront and Stop off at Baked for a delicious chocolate pecan bourbon square & iced coffee. Get a key limeade & key lime tart at Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pies (& kicking myself that I didn’t get a swingle). Beers in the garden at the Brooklyn Ice House & a much needed $4 beet & blue cheese salad.

3. Dia Beacon. Take the train outside the city along the Hudson to experience this amazing gallery. Seriously the best art gallery I’ve ever been too. The conceptual art was playful and inspiring and the space is gorgeous. Also, this lovely lady works there!

4. The Brooklyn Bridge. Walk across it, though perhaps not on a busy Saturday afternoon.

5. Long Island City, Queens. Check out Moma PS1 – part of the MOMA’s collection housed in an old high school and then go for a cookie and the best iced coffee at Sweet Leaf coffee shop and listen to Jimi Hendrix on vinyl. Then walk down to the gorgeous waterfront park that tricks you into thinking you are back in Vancouver but you can’t be because the view of Manhattan is amazing. Walk up to Astoria if you feel like it. Don’t regret that you didn’t make it to Jackson Heights like I did.

6. Pizza. Eat lots of it cuz it’s all good. The brussels sprouts pizza & the broccoli rabe pizza at Motorino in Williamsburg was great (thanks Crystal!), so was the uber-thin crust pizza at Nice in Bed-Stuy. Didn’t try any of the famous pizza must-do’s but I happily survived.

Other food highlights include dumplings and the sesame pancake at Vanessa’s Dumpling House for the cheapest meal ever! The almond twice baked brioche at Mile End. The weirdly amazing hot sauce at Chicken Festival. The burger and birch beer at Bark. Our entire meal at Pequena in Fort Greene – coconut margaritas, guacamole, green pork enchiladas – (& thanks to the amazing Kelly over at Eat Make Read for the recs and the meet up). A chocolate egg cream (or an ice cream treat) at Farmacy. A Nathan’s hot dog, of course, at Coney Island.

7. Jaywalking. Man, Vancouver is way too weird about jaywalking (which is something I noticed when I moved here from out east). Bring on the jaywalking!

8. Gardens. Many restaurants & bars throughout Brooklyn had gardens and I loved these outdoor spaces! Good spots were at the Milk & Roses in Greenpoint, the already mentioned Ice House, Spuyten Duyvil, and Washington Commons.

9. Dive bars. Oooh, I love a good dive bar, and we enjoyed a few beers in more than a few dives and not so divey bars. Best bar (not a dive) goes to the Brooklyn Inn – great beer on tap and a fantastic atmosphere. And The Commodore which not only has a fantastic happy hour but serves the BEST fried chicken I’ve ever eaten. Two words: honey butter. One order can easily feed 2 hungry people.

10. The Highline which starts in Chelsea. A great use of old elevated train tracks – gardens, art, walking paths and lots of seating. Go and grab a hummus sandwich from Amy’s Bread in the Chelsea Market and have a picnic.

11. Eat at a Polish restaurant in Greenpoint (and if you go to Karczma get the pickle soup!). I loved Greenpoint – an old Polish neighbourhood with lots of interesting places to stop and nosh. And stop by the Rite-Aid which used to be an old disco and you can check it out as the large disco ball is still on the ceiling!

12. The Brooklyn Flea/Smorasburg. Good food stands. At the Fort Greene Flea, I happily split my huge doughnut from Dough with the husband while I also snacked on Mexican corn on the cob and a rhubarb shaved ice. In Willamsburg, I loved the sopes my husband ordered and we split another doughnut from Dough (the cafe au lait crumble is amazing!!) and I had a super sour rhubarb limemade from a stand that also sells hibiscus and rose limeade as well as flavour syrups.

And the rhubarb limemade syrup is the first thing I wanted to take away from my trip. I overheard a girl complaining a few market stalls over that it was way too sour, but I disagree completely, it was refreshing and tart and perfect for a hot sunny day. My version isn’t as tart, but next time I’ll easily solve that by cutting the sugar in half or more. While it’s refreshing mixed with plain old tap water, adding some club soda instead makes it truly special. So go fizz or flat, either way, it’s the perfect start to summer.

rhubarb limeade fizz/flat
4 stalks rhubarb, roughly diced
5 limes, zested and juiced
1 c sugar
cold water or cold club soda + ice

In a medium sized saucepan, add the rhubarb, lime juice and zest and sugar along with a 1/2 cup of water and let simmer until the rhubarb becomes soft and pulpy. Strain the solids using a fine mesh strainer and try to remove as much liquid as possible. Save the pulpy mass for baking and pour the syrup into a jar with a tight lid. Refrigerate – should last a week or two.

To serve, pour about 2 tablespoons of the syrup into the bottom of a tall glass. Add ice and tap water or club soda. Stir and enjoy.

Possibly related posts:

• summer refresher: raspberry limeade
• brooklyn chocolate egg cream & seeking NYC tips

When my husband and I were planning on where to take our big vacation for the year, New York City seemed like a no-brainer. Neither one of us had ever been there before and we figured if we were going to go, we’d try to spend at least a couple weeks there. Of course we’ll ride the Cyclone on Coney Island while trying to avoid whiplash. We’ll walk the High Line and bike around Central Park. And we’ll eat. Oh yes! Thanks to all your tips and suggestions I’ve packed my iphone full of Yelp bookmarks on where to eat bbq in Brooklyn, snack on dumplings in Chinatown and scarf down a slice pretty much everywhere. Hello, dream holiday come true!

As I mentioned here, we watched a PBS documentary to get the back-story on how the city came to be and how it grew and grew. But really, my knowledge of NYC comes from movies, so to get myself in a New York state of mind I’d figure I’d share a little slice of NYC one of my favorite films.

Who’s That Knocking at my Door? is Martin Scorsese’s first feature film and I love it. It’s gritty and fun and innocent with a kickin’ soundtrack. This scene is brilliant and if during my trip I don’t get into a knife fight I’ll be sorely disappointed – actually, I think I’ll be fine if the only knife I spot is alongside my dinner plate. Well, at least I’ll get to ride the Staten Island Ferry.

Now NYC and Who’s that Knocking at my Door have very little to do with this cocktail, the Aviation. But like the movie, it’s a cocktail that I really enjoy. It’s a little sweet and a bit sour and if you drink too many can make you feel like you’ve been punched in the gut and kicked in the head. This is an old-fashioned cocktail and traditionally requires Crème de Violette but it’s not available in this neck of the woods. Marachino liqueur is available at Brewery Creek in Vancouver (and sadly not available at BC liquor stores) and don’t let anyone talk you into using the pink juice from a jar of maraschino cherries – a totally different beast.

elsewhere: When you read this post I’ll be NYC, but every Wednesday head over to Poppytalk to see what recipe I’ve got in store. As for ReadyMade, I also wrote a bunch of posts, so check out the blog so you don’t miss one while I’m away!

the aviation cocktail
2 oz gin
1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 t maraschino liqueur, preferably Luxardo
1/4 oz Crème de Violette (if you can find it)

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail tumbler along with a few cubes of ice. Shake to chill well and then strain into a glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Possibly related posts:

• pink margarita on the rocks
• preserving cherries: macerated sour cherries + cherry pit vodka

I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of an egg cream. I mean, it’s a total misnomer since there is no egg or cream involved, but when I was little just the thought of a drink with eggs was not refreshing sounding at all. I threw up a little in my mouth whenever my brother would order an Orange Julius at the mall and an egg cream just sounded way worse to my 10 year old ears. Fast forward to last summer when I found myself with a bottle of chocolate syrup and cans of club soda. Hello, chocolate egg cream!

Really, it couldn’t be simpler – and it shouldn’t affect your gag reflex one bit. One, you need chocolate syrup. Traditionalists would say you NEED to use Fox’s U-BET chocolate syrup, but I found Smuckers to be just dandy. A homemade chocolate syrup would be great too! Two, you need milk. Milk should be cold, ice cold because warm milk is just gross and the opposite of refreshing. I’m sure if you wanted this to be dairy free you could try this with soy, rice or almond milk. If you do try it vegan, let me know how it goes! And the third requirement, seltzer water – but club soda will work in a pinch. If you were old-fashioned, you’d use one of those Mad Men era pressurized seltzer canisters, but a can of club soda still makes a fine, fine drink. Just give everything a big stir at the end and watch out so that it doesn’t over flow because this stuff can bubble up quickly! Now, if you want more of an adult beverage, throwing in an ounce of bourbon wouldn’t be out of line (see the kitchn for a chocolate milk bourbon version).

Now, the real reason I’m talking about Brooklyn egg creams is to ply you with a treat so you could help me with NYC tips! I’ll be in Brooklyn for 3 weeks this month and I need all the recommendations I can get. I can tell you that I’m well versed in NYC history after watching the 16 hour long New York documentary by Rick Burns but I need to know about all the other stuff. Like where’s the best happy hour? The best brunch? The best coffee? The best brew pub? The best IPA? The best burger? The best slice? The best healthy food? And because I like to travel on the cheap, these recommendations shouldn’t be fancy or hella-expensive – we are cheap, afterall. We’re planning on doing a lot of picnic-ing since that’s one way to cut down costs, so any well-stocked and well-priced grocery stores or food emporiums that I should know about, please let me know. And because NYC isn’t just about the food (no, really) I do plan on doing some sight-seeing too. We want to explore some of the outer boroughs. The Tenement Museum will be visited. As will the MOMA. And I’d love your recs for any cool music venues, photography/art galleries and spaces, cool walks and that kind of thing. Anything that is a touristy-must do?? Is the top of the Empire State Building worth it? We’ve never been before and it’s kind of like a dream to spend 3 weeks exploring and getting inspired. So please send me your comments and emails! I’d love to hear your must-do New York City tips!

elsewhere: Over at Poppytalk check out my Root and Ginger post for the perfect summer tipple.

brooklyn chocolate egg cream for 2
chocolate syrup
cold cold milk (not a typo, make sure that milk is cold!)
1 can of club soda or a bottle of seltzer water (open only when ready to pour)

1. Pour about 1 inch of chocolate syrup in the bottom of two pint glasses. If the pint glasses are chilled, that’s even better!

2. Pour about 2 inches of milk over top.

3. Top up with club soda, half a can for each glass – pour slowly because this stuff will really start to foam up! Stir with a long spoon and drink up!

Possibly related posts:

• rhubarb-limeade fizz & a nyc rundown
• coolio: coconut chocolate chunk ice cream + mexican chocolate ice cream

I’m always on the lookout for the perfect drink. And it seems a couple of my favorite food bloggers also did a bit of thirst seeking recently too. Lotte + Doof whipped up a beautiful looking ginger beer – perfect for a dark & stormy out on the porch. Shutterbean created some beautiful looking blackberry ginger sours ripe with gin.

Seeing as I still had a few leftover containers of frozen strawberries in my freezer, I decided to use up the whole shebang and whip up a strawberry concoction of my own. Taking cues from both Tim and Tracy, I made sure that I threw in some ginger alongside the sour. But despite a nice 3 inch nub of gingerroot, the flavour was a bit subtle for me. I was looking for a stronger ginger pop, so next time I’ll double (or even triple) the amount of ginger. As a virgin drink, it was the perfect summer sipper. But toss back a shot of rum and it helps to make the summertime last a little bit longer.

Now about San Francisco…we’ll be taking a two week trip to northern California and would love to gather some perfect must-do tips. We’ll be spending 5 days in San Francisco and I’m looking for great affordable (read: budget) restaurants, favorite burrito haunts, awesome vintage shops, cool book stores, rad neighbourhoods, and great walks. Suggestions for Oakland and Berkeley are welcome as well. Also, there will be a few days spent outside of Guerneville so recommendations for things to do and wineries to check out will be greatly appreciated. We also plan to do a hike or two in Yosemite, so if you’ve got a nice easy to moderate hike that has fabulous views, I want to know!

strawberry lemonade cooler
3 c strawberries (frozen are fine)
1 c sugar
3 inch piece ginger, sliced (or double the ginger for more pop)
4 lemons, juiced

water or club soda
rum (optional)

In a medium sized pot, bring to a boil the strawberries, sugar, ginger and enough water to cover everything. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve and throw out the pulpy mass. Pour the strained syrup into a large jar and mix with lemon juice. Refrigerate until cool.

Mix syrup with water or club soda and serve with plenty of ice. I’ve found a 50-50 ratio works well, though add more or less depending to your own taste.

Possibly related posts:

• strawberry lemonade slushie
• strawberry muffins topped with cinnamon sugar

And stay tuned, later today I’ll be posting some great holiday baking & gift ideas along with a special treat!

Possibly related posts:

• hot toddy: hot buttered rum
• pull up a lusty vegan mug: peppermint hot chocolate

Summer has come to Vancouver with a vengance and all I’ve been wanting is a bit of cooling off. A slushie would hit the spot, so I looked into my freezer to see what kind of makings I had. A can of frozen lemonade leftover from a party? Check? Frozen strawberries? Ice? Check and check. The result? Holy brain freeze territory! It was sweet, it was icy and it was the easiest and tastiest way to beat the heat of summer. Want a more grown-up drink? Add in 6 oz of white rum and you’ve got yourself a pretty simple & tasty daqueri.

strawberry lemonade slushie
1/2 a container of frozen lemonade concentrate
juice of 1 lemon or lime
1 1/2 c frozen strawberries
ice water
ice cubes

Spoon out half the lemonade into a tall pitcher. Add in the strawberries and lemon juice. Top with water. Use an immersion blender to blend it all into slush, adding more water if necessary. Add in a few ice cubes and crush those up too (and rum, if that’s the way you roll). Pour into 4 glasses. Let the brain freeze begin!

Possibly related posts:

• strawberry cooler + some san francisco (& area) help
• wait, there’s a flower in my drink: lavender-mint lemonade

I can’t say they work since my head feels like a balloon this morning, but I’m giving them the ol’ college try. I know I promised banana bread, but that will have to wait until I return. Instead of yummy banana bread you’ll get 2 cold remedies. These aren’t guaranteed at all, but they’re worth a shot. And they don’t taste bad at all. In fact drink #2 is actually super delicious. Really. If you’ve got some secret family cold-fighter cure, let me know in the comments! Cuz baby, it’s time to HEAL.

Oh, one more thing. I have a new post up on the Food Network Canada site. Check it out!

cold remedy #1
2 c hot water
1 inch knob ginger, sliced
4 dashes cayenne pepper
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
1-3 T honey

Boil water in a small pot along with the ginger, garlic and cayenne pepper. Pour into mug and stir in honey and lemon juice. Sip don’t gulp. Seriously. Makes 2 mugs worth.

cold remedy #2
2 c hot water
2 T apple cider vinegar
2 T lemon juice
1 T honey

Boil water and add in the remaining ingredients. Pour into mug and sip. Makes 2 mugs worth.

Possibly related posts:

• the common cold
• a nice hot cup of tea: chai