The Lush Chef

For about a year, my friends kept telling me that I should start a blog, or find some creative outlet for my cooking & baking. One of my big, recent influences for this was my dad. Back in December, he started up a blog called "Sip & Savor" to document his fabulous photos and his culinary/oenophile adventures with my mom. Most of them take place in my home state of Michigan, and I must say, my parents have quickly become experts on wine country there. Yes, you read that right - Michigan has a wine country - and it's actually quite fabulous. They've taken me there a couple of times and it's like what Napa was in the 70's (or at least that's what I'm told) - free and/or cheap tastings.  The vintners have that midwestern charm, and you feel like you're being welcomed into their home.  They specialize in whites because of the climate - cool and sandy by the Great Lakes. Those familiar with New York's Finger Lakes region, will find it quite similar.

Normally, the Lush Chef does cocktail postings on a Friday, but for all you Children of the Sun heading out to the desert like I am, I figured it'd be helpful to pick up some ingredients for Coachella cocktailing beforehand.  Just because you're dressed like a desert hippie, doesn't mean you need to forgo having a classy drink.  I was inspired by Las Perlas, my favorite tequila and mezcal bar downtown, when I made this drink last summer.  The Lush Chef and "Malbec" have come to crave spicy cocktails, and neither of us like our margaritas sweet and syrupy, so this one really wanted to make us salsa and have seconds.  The tequila is infused with jalapeño, and you can easily adjust the heat to your palate.  Because I didn't have mezcal (and still don't...I need to remedy that), I used Salish salt from Spice Station to rim the glass.  It gives the drink that smoky flavor that mezcal has, and you can easily substitute regular salt for those who don't like that kind of finish on their drink.  This cocktail is perfect for lounging around a pool in the desert before heading off to the Empire Polo Grounds - because who really wants to wait in that beer garden line?

Children of the Sun Cocktail - serves 4

• 8 oz tequila
• 4 oz Cointreau
• 4 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 jalapeño 

- Slice half of the jalapeño longways and remove the seeds.  I remove the seeds because I don't like digging them out of my tequila, and the long slices can then be repurposed as a garnish.  Add the slices to the tequila and let sit for a minimum of 2 hours.  If you desire more heat, let it sit longer.  I like to do mine at 4 hours.
- Run a lime wedge around the rim of the glass and finish in the smoked salt.
- When tequila's done infusing, add Cointreau, lime juice and shake with ice.
- Strain over a glass with ice, and top with a jalapeño slice.

If you're looking to do this for a big group, here are the adjustments.  I recommend just making this in a pitcher and letting it chill for a while, so you're not having to deal with playing bartender.

Serves 15

• 3 3/4 cups jalapeño-infused tequila
• Scant 2 cups triple-sec - sorry kids, but I'm not busting out the expensive stuff in the desert
• Scant 2 cups lime juice
• 2 jalapenos
• Smoked salt to rim the glasses 

Libations used: 1 Tbs tequila
Libations left over: Margaritas, anyone?
Two words - 96 degrees.  For all the lushes heading out to the desert this coming weekend for Coachella, it won't be the 100's, but it's still going to be HOT.  In that kind of weather, there's nothing I want more than cool salads and libations - so of course, I'm mixing the two!  I've found in the past, that eating options on the polo grounds and at all those crazy pool parties are not the most healthful of offerings.  If you're staying in a house, you also want something quick, cheap and easy to prepare for large groups of hungry revelers.  The flavors of this salad fit the mood of the desert, but the colors really pop.

Coachella Corn Salad with Tequila Lime Dressing - serves 4

• 1 cup canned corn
• 1 cup edamame
• 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 avocados, cubed 
• 1 Tbs minced cilantro

Dressing:

• Juice of lime 
• 1 Tbs tequila
• 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tbs olive oil
• 2 pinches cumin
• 2 pinches cayenne

- Whisk together all those dressing ingredients, and toss it in a bowl with the veggies.
- Done.
- Now go party like an indie rockstar.

As much as I trust my palate, I want to make sure that the recipes on this blog are at least tested and approved by someone other than myself.  Enter the Lush Chef Taste Testers, an elite group of hungry people, that also happen to be my best friends.  Because I don't use real names on this blog, the Taste Testers will be heretofore known by their call signs - Malbec, Vanilla Smirnoff, Blue Moon, Bourbon, and sometimes...Tequila stops by...they know who they are...

Malbec, Blue Moon and Bourbon used to be roommates and created a lovely tradition for us LA orphans -  Sunday night "family dinners."  The three now all live separately, but they have maintained the tradition, and I've been so lucky to be included (it helps that I cook for them).  It always includes tons of red wine, and someone always manages to bring a bottle with a red coq on it - I didn't have one in the cabinet, so this canard will do.

So, if you enjoy the recipes on this blog, you can also thank the official Lush Chef Taste Testers.  Without them, I'd just be cooking for myself...and I definitely wouldn't fit in my favorite dress.

Libations used: 3/4 cup white wine
Libations left over: pretty much the whole bottle, so serve the wine to your guests with the sorbet!
Now that it's spring, I want to eat sorbet all day, but that's not the adult thing to do.  Le sigh...
Ever since I had the Pear Riesling sorbet from Sweet Rose Creamery (my favorite ice cream store in the city), I've been wanting to try making it myself.  While doing some research, I found a lot of recipes that called for heavy cream, which I wasn't too keen on.  Lush Chef props to Taste of Home for this version that calls for so few ingredients and no cream!  Trust me, you don't need it - the texture of the pears lend themselves to a creamy texture when blended.  I highly recommend using ripe or over-ripe pears, as opposed to the canned stuff.  If you're desperate though, I won't slap you on the wrist.  I also used fresh lemon juice - let's all take advantage of this lovely region we live in.  To dress this up for a dinner party, I served the sorbet with a little mint leaf and butter cookies from Bottega Louie.

Pear Riesling Sorbet - serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 5 ripe pears, peeled and sliced
• 3/4 cup Riesling - you can also use another sweet white wine like a Gewurztraminer or  pop open some Champagne
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice - about 1 small lemon

- Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and let it all sit for 8-10 minutes, uncovered, until pears are tender.  Take in that heavenly smell and pour yourself a glass of wine.
- Let the mixture cool slightly before putting in a blender or food processer and puree 1-2 minutes, until smooth.
- Transfer to a 9x13 loaf pan.  Cover and freeze for a minimum of 4 hours or until firm.  I did this the day before the Lush Chef dinner party.
- Just before serving, process again in blender/food processer for another 1-2 minutes to get that lovely smooth texture.
- Spoon into some cute, little dessert bowls and garnish with mint leaf and a butter cookie.

Libations used: 1 cup white wine

• 1 pork loin, bone in, Frenched and tied (I had 6 bones for 6 people)
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 4 tsp Dijon mustard, divided - the one I bought from Trader Joe's had white wine in it.  Lush Chef score!
• 4 tsp whole-grain mustard, divided 
• 1 tsp ground fennel seed - time to break out the mortar & pestle!
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbs all-purpose flour 
• 1 cup white wine - I used La Finca Chardonnay - it's inexpensive and tasty, so it's perfect for cooking

Now doesn't that just sound like spring?  I wish I had a garden to frolic in and drink this cocktail.  Or drink this cocktail while gardening.  For now, I'll just drink it.  It tastes like a genteel mojito, and it just might be the perfect cocktail to serve for an Easter brunch.  I found this recipe on The Kitchn and used just regular white rum because I didn't feel like buying a bottle of Banks 5 Island Rum.  This Lush Chef can only stock so many different liquors & liqueurs - let's be realistic.  It sounds intriguing though and I'd love to try it sometime.  To read up on who created the drink, why that rum was used and some British history (you should learn something new every day), check out the original posting.

You will need St. Germain (elderflower liqueur) for this recipe, and I highly recommend buying a huge bottle of this stuff.  My girlfriends and I go through it like water, and it's actual quite versatile (more on that later).    

Kew Garden Cocktail - serves 1

• 2 oz white rum
• 3/4 oz fresh lime juice
• 1/2 oz simple syrup
• 1/2 oz St. Germain 
• 8 mint leaves, plus 1 sprig for garnish
• 3 cucumber slices, plus 1 for garnish
• club soda

- Muddle the mint leaves, cucumbers and simple syrup in a martini shaker or mixing glass.
- Add the rum, lime juice and St. Germain, shake and strain over a glass filled with ice.
- Top with club soda and garnish with the mint leaf and cucumber.