The Lush Chef

The temperature keeps see-sawing here in Los Angeles, so it's not Hot Toddy weather yet.  If you're looking for a simple and cooling cocktail that embodies the flavors of fall, then try this Bourbon, Pear & Ginger Cocktail.  Yes, it's from Garden and Gun Magazine (best magazine title ever, BTW) and it's southern boy Hugh Acheson's favorite tailgating cocktail.  I have a different recipe for ginger simple syrup from Cocktailia that I like to use, which includes some black pepper to give it another spicy layer.  Hugh also recommends making this drink with peaches, so it's perfect to adapt for the summer.

Bourbon, Pear & Ginger Cocktail
Ingredients for the ginger simple syrup:

• 2 oz ginger, thinly sliced
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 tsps whole black peppercorns

Ingredients for the cocktail:

• 3 oz bourbon (I used Bulleit)
• 1 Tbs ginger syrup
• 2 oz club soda
• 2 pear slices

To make the ginger simple syrup:
- Combine the ginger, sugar, water and peppercorns in a small sauce pan over medium heat.
- Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Continue simmering for 30-40 minutes.
- Let cool completely and then strain through a fine sieve.
- Transfer to a bottle and refrigerate.

To make the cocktail:
- In a glass with ice, add the bourbon and ginger syrup and stir.
- Top with club soda and stir.
- Add the pear slices.

Libations used: 1 Tbs dark rum
Libations left over: None, but you could make yourself this Apple Hot Toddy with rum while those cookies bake...
This past weekend, I went apple and pumpkin picking with a few friends in the Oak Glen region.
It's about 90 minutes away from Santa Monica and it gives me a little taste of fall and memories of home — the leaves barely change color, but they change nonetheless!  I always pick about half a bushel or more so I have plenty of apples to eat and cook with during the season.

We spent a sunny afternoon plucking Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Rome and sneaking some Granny Smiths from the trees at Los Rios Rancho.


Afterwards, we scarfed down chili dogs at Oak Tree Village and listened to a lone cowboy singing some country tunes on stage.  The smell of apple pie seemed to waft everywhere.  It was so tempting to buy one (I mean look at that crust!), but considering we picked so many apples, we decided it would be best to actually bake one ourselves.


Our last stop was Snow-line Orchard for apple cider and fresh, sugared donuts.  Besides immediately whipping up a batch of applesauce when I got home, I also really wanted to bake some cookies.  Namely, these Apple Gouda Oatmeal Cookies from The Kitchn.  I'd been promising my new co-workers for months that I'd bring in a Lush Chef treat, and I finally felt the baking bug.  They're slightly sweet and slightly savory and perfect for any meal.  In fact, they make an excellent breakfast — oatmeal, fruit and some cheese?  I mean, you can't go wrong!  I used one of the Rome apples I picked and happened to find an apple-smoked Gouda at the store.  They'll keep fresh for about five days if you keep them in an airtight container, although you and your friends will probably polish them off before that!


Apple Gouda Oatmeal Cookies - makes 20-24 
Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbs dark rum (time to bust out my trusty Myers's "Pirate" Rum!)
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp powdered ginger
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 medium-sized apple (1 1/2 to 2 cups of shredded apple)
• 4 oz Gouda cheese, finely chopped

- Preheat the oven to 375.
- Whisk the olive oil and egg together in a glass bowl until thoroughly combined.
- Whisk in the rum.
- In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, ginger, baking powder, salt and oats.
- Stir in the raisins.
- Peel and core the apple, and using the coarse side of the grater, grate it into the flour mixture.
- Stir in the Gouda.
- Add the olive oil and egg mixture into the large bowl and stir until everything is moistened (the dough will be loose and clumpy, so don't fret!).
- Drop in large spoonfuls on an ungreased baking sheet.
- Bake for 17 minutes, or until the cookies are golden.
- Make sure you let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

It still doesn't quite feel like fall here in Los Angeles, but I'm turning green with envy at all the pretty pictures of red and yellow leaves, pumpkin patches and cider mills from my friends and family back home.  I'll be going apple picking this weekend with some friends to try and capture the spirit of my favorite season.  To get in the modd (although some of you already have been), here's a round-up of some of my favorite fall cocktails that I've posted on this blog. 


Old Fashioneds are my favorite drink, and in my opinion, the most perfect cocktail ever.  But sometimes you need to mix it up a little.  The Fig Old Fashioned highlights one of my favorite fruits that's in season during the late summer and early part of fall.  The inclusion of maple syrup and balsamic vinegar gives it that extra fall finish. 



Speaking of Old Fashioneds, another twist on this classic libation is the American Trilogy.  It contains Applejack, one of my favorite liquors to use during the fall, along with rye whiskey.  Instead of muddling in the standard white sugar cube, it calls for raw or brown sugar, and then orange bitters instead of Angostura.  It packs a punch and has flavor notes that remind you of crisp Autumn evenings. 


Whenever I go apple picking, I always end up picking way too many apples, and inevitably making a ton of applesauce.  I found a good use for some of that applesauce last year when I added it to a hot toddy and poured in Applejack instead of regular bourbon or whiskey.  This Apple Hot Toddy is perfect for soothing a cold or just enjoying on a chilly evening.  The best part is spooning out the boozy applesauce at the end!


In addition to my apple overload, I always have a jug of apple cider in the fridge, so of course I'm going to find a way to booze it up.  When I think of Manhattan, I think of the cocktail and apples (well, not always), so why not combine the two?  This Spiced Apple Cider Manhattan has the spiced gin-like liqueur Bols Genever and star anise to give it a whiff of fall.


Beer cocktails are now becoming pretty regular.  This time last year, it was still unusual to see them on a cocktail menu out here, and most people had never tried one.  This Sidewalker Cocktail was one of the first I ever had, and is perfect for a warm Autumn afternoon or spicing up the drinks selection at a football game viewing party.  The maple syrup, apple cider vinegar and Applejack scream of fall, and the flavors blend perfectly with a cold and crisp Hefeweizen.

And, if you want to be one of the cool kids and have a cocktail with the latest "it" liqueur, Green Chartreuse, then make yourself the classic Bijou Cocktail.  It was concocted back in the 1890's (insert Portlandia joke here), was forgotten and has now come back with a vengeance.  I've posted two different versions of this drink, which contains Green Chartreuse, sweet vermouth, gin and orange bitters.

Libations used: 1/3 cup white wine
Libations left over: Pretty much the whole bottle, so serve with dinner...
The Lush Chef was dealing with some neck pain this past weekend, and sadly didn't make it out to the market. I happened to have a bunch of mushrooms and fennel in the fridge and needed to find a recipe that wouldn't involve a ton of strenuous chopping and stirring.  A pasta seemed like the ideal solution, and Tasting Table's recipe for Pasta Scraps with Burrata, Sausage, Mushroom & Fennel was already utilizing some ingredients I had at home.  I just had to run out and pick up some burrata and sausages (I used Trader Joe's Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage) to complete the dish.  I had some orecchiette that had been sitting in the pantry for a while, as opposed to pasta scraps, so use whatever you have!  You can use any dry white wine for the recipe.  I opted for Toasted Head Chardonnay - a $6 bottle at Trader Joe's that I'm a fan of.  I also nearly doubled the amount of mushrooms and fennel used in this recipe.  As I was cooking them up, it just didn't seem like enough for the amount of pasta that was being cooked.  To top it off, I used my favorite finishing salt - Hepp's Murray River Salt - a beautiful and flavorful, yellowish flaky salt.  And because I loooove burrata, I'd probably double that too if I was serving to guests.  1 just isn't enough...
 
Pasta with Burrata, Sausage, Mushrooms & Fennel - serves 4
Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 lb mild or hot Italian sausage, casings removed and sausage crumbled or cut up
• 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced and fronds reserved
• 2 1/2 cups cremini mushroom caps, sliced
• 1/3 cup dry white wine (I used Toasted Head Chardonnay)
• 3 Tbs tomato paste
• 1 lb pasta (I used orecchiette)
• 1-2 balls of burrata
• Flaky sea salt

- In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil.
- Add the sausage and cook until browned and cooked through (about 5-7 minutes).
- Meanwhile, get a big pot of salted water boiling for your pasta.
- Remove the sausage from the pan and drain off the fat, leaving at least 1 Tbs in the pan. I didn't have much fat left over at all, so I just added more olive oil to the pan.
- Add the shallot, garlic, fennel and mushrooms to the pan and cook until they're translucent and tender (7-10 minutes).
- Add the wine and tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the sausage back into the pan and season with salt and pepper, if needed (I didn't need any).
- Hopefully, you've started cooking your pasta by now.  It should be al dente, and don't forget to save about a cup of pasta water.
- When the pasta is done cooking, add it to the pot with the sausage and veggie mixture.
- Ladle in some pasta water until the pasta is creamy. 
- Spoon the pasta into bowls or on plates, and top with burrata, fennel fronds and some sea salt.

In last week's Libation Education on Green Chartreuse, I promised all of you lushes another recipe with this "it" liqueur.  The Bijou Cocktail is a rather old recipe, created by legendary barman Harry Johnson and dating back to the 1890's. It's reminiscent of a Negroni, with equal parts gin, sweet vermouth and Green Charteuse, as opposed to Campari.  The name means jewel in French because the color of  liqueurs represents diamonds (gin), rubies (sweet vermouth) and emeralds (Green Chartreuse).  I've had the Bijou served at a couple of cocktail joints around town, and I've noticed they've played around with the measurements to appeal to a more modern palate.  It includes more gin and less of the other liqueurs so it's not so syrupy.  I actually like it both ways, depending on my mood, so I've included both recipes below.

Bijou Cocktail
Ingredients:
Traditional

• 1 oz gin
• 1 oz Green Chartreuse
• 1 oz sweet vermouth
• Dash of orange bitters
• Lemon peel, for garnish

Modern

• 2 oz gin
• 1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
• 1/2 oz sweet vermouth
• Dash of orange bitters
• Lemon peel, for garnish

- Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir and strain into a chilled coupe glass.
- Garnish with the lemon peel.

Libations used: 1 cup red wine 
Libations left over: Pretty much the whole bottle, so serve with dinner...
I'm trying to take advantage of fig season for as along as possible, so when I scooped a basket up, I went searching through my recipe archives for something simple for dinner.  I had a friend spending the night, but wasn't going to have much time to be slaving over the stove.  Plus, I wanted to use more of that time to be chatting and catching up with her!  This recipe for Chicken with Figs, Honey & Wine from Food52 involves very little prep and cook time, with just a few delicious ingredients.  You really can't go wrong with figs, honey and red wine, right?  I served this dish with just a very simple salad because of the richness of the sauce.

Chicken with Figs, Honey & Wine - serves 2
Ingredients:

• 4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 4 pinches salt
• 4 pinches fresh ground black pepper
• 2 chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
• 10 black mission figs, sliced in half
• 1 cup red wine (I used a Shiraz Cabernet)
• 2 tsps honey

- Heat 1 Tbs of the olive oil in a non-stick sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Sauté the chicken in the pan for 4-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through with a nice golden coloring.
- Set the chicken on a plate to rest and sauté the next chicken breast.
- In the same pan, heat the remaining 2 Tbs of olive oil over medium heat.
- Place the figs in the pan, cut side down.
- Sauté for 3-4 minutes, turning the figs occasionally, until they're slightly golden.
- Add the red wine, the honey and a couple pinches of salt and pepper.
- Quickly cook for 2-3 minutes until the red wine reduces into a loose syrup.
- Spoon the figs and red wine reduction over the chicken and serve immediately.

It's been quite some time since I've done a Libation Education, but don't worry lushes, because I have a few coming down the pipeline.  My home bar has been steadily growing over the past year and a half, and these things take time.

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago in my posting for the Italian's Last Word cocktail about my obsession with Green Chartreuse.  You might remember it as that weird liqueur you'd occasionally see on a cocktail menu, or that bottle gathering dust on the back of the bar.  Well, this monastic libation is finally shedding its cloak and having a total revival. 

Why is it that monks make such good alcohol?  Beer, wine, Frangelico and who knows what else.  Back in 1605, the order of the Carthusian monks in Vauvert, near Paris, received a gift of an ancient manuscript for an elixir from a Marshal of King Henri IV's artillery.  The recipe was nicknamed the "Elixir of Long Life" and was created by an alchemist who blended about 130 herbs and flowers to create a healing tonic.  The manuscript was eventually sent to La Grande Chartreuse, the head monastery located in the mountains of the same name near Grenoble, to be studied.  Thanks to Frère Jerome Maubec, he finally translated the manuscript in 1737 and wrote up the formula.  From there, the monks started making the "Elixir Vegetal de la Grande-Chartreuse" and selling small bottles of it in nearby towns.  In 1764, the monks started to realize that people were enjoying the elixir as a beverage as opposed to just a medicine, and made a slightly lower-proof version at 110 (still pretty high!).  Sound familiar?  The history of the liqueur is actually really fascinating - religion and politics nearly squashed it's existence, but it persevered.

Green Chartreuse stakes a claim that it's the only naturally green liqueur, and it gets that color from all the chlorophyll from those 130 plants.  The herbs and flowers are all macerated with a neutral spirit and then distilled and aged for about five years in oak casks.  It has a sweet and slightly vegetal flavor, with hints of citrus, thyme, rosemary, clove and cinnamon.  There's also Yellow Chartreuse, a sweeter and more mild cousin at 80 proof, that was developed in 1838.  It also gets its natural yellow color from all the plants and flowers macerated in there.  The flavor still has hints of citrus, but also some honey and lavendar.  You can drink either of these liqueurs straight, on the rocks or mixed in with cocktails (I prefer the latter).  Check out this site next Thursday when I'll be posting another cocktail recipe with this holy and healthy tonic.