Food Wine Sleep

I remember the first time I heard of this drink, I was a young Chef working for a very stern head Chef. John was a very "My way or the highway" kind of guy and during service or anytime in the kitchen for that matter, all of us junior Chefs knew to agree with him no matter what the topic. I know, it's not very respectable to be a yes man but trust me in the case of John it was easier to sell out a little than to debate and possibly be threatened with your job. Long story short, one night after work we, "we" meaning the waitress's and the kitchen staff went out for a few drinks after work. The bar we were at was an absolute hole in the wall, but it...

Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles used to like to drink in a bar in Venice Italy, called Harry's Bar. However, this establishment is not known for it's past famous clientele but rather it's owner, Giuseppe Cipriani. In fact it is probably more accurate to say that his bar is really actually famous for his drink invention, The Bellini, rather than him or his clientele. After creating the famous drink using white peach puree, Italian sparkling Prosecco wine and raspberry or cherry juice, Giuseppe felt the colour resembled the colour of the toga worn by a saint in a painting by one of his favourite Venetian artists, Giovanni Bellini. Whatever the tru...

I remember the first time I was introduced to this drink. It was when I was working at a 5 star hotel in Canada, just outside of Vancouver. Every Sunday morning the hotel used to do a very large brunch buffet that was booked out weeks in advance by locals and tourists alike. The food was incredible, the buffet abundant and overflowing with fresh seafood and the waterfront setting stunning. The perfect environment to enjoy this drink in after a hard day in the kitchen.

I've used Chambord in desserts for many years, but it wasn't until recently that I discovered it as a drink. Since discovering it in a glass it often takes the place of dessert for me, as it is on the rich and sweet side of things. On the nose Chambord smells of plum and vanilla, on the tongue it tastes like a mouthful of raspberries washed down with a glass of good cognac. In this recipe the champagne adds another level (pardon the pun) yet takes nothing away from the Chambord either.

I have a confession to make. I admit, I am a chocoholic and love all things chocolate. I also like spicy food. I dislike sweet drinks and although I am not really a Martini drinker also (gin has always been more my beverage of choice), this recipe of a chocolate martini combines some of the best things in live for me. Depending on your personal taste you may want to start with a little less chilli and work your way to the spiciness you prefer.

This recipe that is a mixture of mulled white wine and a white sangria. During cold winter nights I find this a very nice drink and it seems to make me less sleepy than a mulled wine. The warm white wine will keep you warm and your nose free, the citrus fruits add freshness, vitamin C and balances the sweetness of the honey and sugar. The Cardamom adds a little surprise to this old and tested recipe.

Do you like drinks with cream, drinks with fruit, and drinks with layers? So do we, that's why we came up with this one. The other night a couple of friends and I were after something new. After a bit of collective input we came up with this one straight out of the hatch. However, trust me when I say that this was the only successful drink we made all night. I think we probably celebrated our success a little too much. Hope it becomes part of your celebrations as well.

Shortly before Christrmas a guest was asking for Egg nog to be served during her party. It came to me that, even though I had fond memories of egg nog being served at Christmas parties during my time spent in New York, I had never bothered to write down the recipe. So with the help of our bartenders and some of my kitchen staff we started to collect recipes and sample, test and taste them(and in the progress getting pretty tipsy). The recipe below is the result of this research and testing. This recipe is for a chilled egg nog, but egg nog is at times also served warm. Then the drink is done the same way and then gently warmed in a waterbath and brought so to temperature.

I'm not sure if it's because of its place in popular culture but for a lot of people the Martini is a drink reserved for a night on the town and special occasions. For me it is a drink that I like to make at home, (I know I sound like a lush) but there is something strangely rewarding and enjoyable about all that stirring, straining and garnishing. Plus I like any excuse that allows me to walk around my own house drinking from a Martini glass, domestic extravagance.

As an avid James Bond movie fan, I recently re-watched (for the 10th + time perhaps) one of the old classics. To make the story short, Bond, the notorious Martini drinker, in this movie orders and drinks a Mint Julep. Even though I heard of this cocktail before, I actually do not remember having had one. I decided to Google it and afterwards headed for the bar and started mixing and tasting and a little later (and a little tipsy) I figured I had a very good combination. Even though, not quite a traditional one, due to the use of Bourbon whiskey instead of traditional Early Times Kentucky whisky, which I did not have available to me.

This drink has it's origins in warmer climes, where the lime is not an expensive imported citrus and rum is a plenty. So you'll find that this drink lends itself well to hot summer days by the pool. When I drink Mojito's (pronounced mo-hee-to) I always feel good about it, well to be honest with you I feel pretty good about drinking any drink, but with this drink I almost feel like I'm doing my body a favour. I mean drinking soda water, fresh citrus, fresh citrus juice and fresh mint must be good for me right? Well apparently not, judging by the Mo-hangovers, but it is too tasty a drink to resist and the day after is still much less an ordeal than when drinking preservati...

Mulled wine is popular throughout Europe, on chilly nights, as soon as the winter breaks in November and especially during the Christmas season. Even though I have lived in a tropical country for the last 15 years, for me, it wouldn't be Christmas without a glass of "Gluehwein" while sitting around the Christmas tree. There are quite a number of variations of it, from the Swedes which add raisins and nuts to it, to French in the Bordeaux region that add nutmeg and bay leaf to it and use rather heavy Cabernet or Merlot wines. Originating from Germany although it is best to use a light dry red wine or as another variation a dry Riesling type of white wine. This...

Personally, papaya or pawpaw is one of my favorite fruits. I like it for breakfast with cottage cheese and few drops of lime or like here in this recipe as a mildly spiced salsa with prawns or other seafood for that matter. Papaya is a fruit which needs to be eaten at the peak of it's ripeness. If the fruit is just a little under-ripe they are quite tasteless and lack sweetness and flavor and if they are just a bit over-ripe the flesh is getting mushy and has a sort of "tired" aftertaste. This recipe of the salsa combines ginger, honey and lime, which I feel is a perfect accompaniment to ripe fully flavored papaya meat and goes well with any freshly grille...

Martini's are usually quite a strong drink and technically only Gin Martini's are really Martinis. These days the name is often used on many different cocktails simply served in a Martini/Cocktail glass. In any case who are we to be stubborn sticklers for tradition? This "Strawberry Martini" is similar to the Gin Martini in 2 ways; it is strong and served in a Martini Glass! The strawberries and sugar will however disguise that strength as sweetness, mmmmmmm!

Sugar syrup is to the bar what stocks are to the kitchen. Simple to make and an indispensable staple item to have on hand.

A popular drink in Mexico is Agua Fresca, literally translated it means "Fresh Water". It consists of any available fresh fruit juice mixed with cold water and a little sugar. It is a perfect drink for the hot Mexican climate and is the inspiration behind this recipe, although inspired by; I did stop short of naming it, "Vodka Fresca".

White Russian, Cold Mexican however you look at it, it's not exactly a difficult drink to make, but it is one of my favourites so I thought it deserved a spot on the Cocktail Menu. The sweetness of the Kahlua is an absolutely perfect match for the crisp kick of the Vodka, if you stop there it's a Black Russian; add milk and you have the beloved White Russian.