My sister gave me such a wonderful gift for Chanukah this year — she knows how much I love having flowers in my apartment, so she put some cash together in an envelope and dubbed it my flower fund. This past weekend I bought my first batch of flowers from the fund: some tulips from the local bodega. Note to self: tulips are currently cheaper at Whole Foods than at my bodega!! Gotta stretch that flower fund out for as long as I can!
v. 2.0
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A Year Full of Blooms
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On the Up & Up
So I was down for the count this week with the plague — was out of the office for three days. I don't remember the last time I was out sick that long. I'm on the road to recovery now, although not 100% yet, but looking forward to my weekend, which includes: visits to Ward III and Weather Up Tribeca, a trip to the schvitz, my maiden voyage to Sripraphai, slow cooker pork & bean chili, mac & cheese, punch, the Super Bowl and, of course, the Puppy Bowl (how can you resist this lineup?). It will also include the gym, which I haven't seen in over a week (thanks, plague!). And, for your reading pleasure, my latest on Serious Eats New York: Meet & Eat: Caroline Dorn & Loryn Lopes, Butter Queen of Brooklyn.
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Bleh
Well, I guess it has been a while since I've had a full-on cold, so can't complain too much, I suppose. That said, I'm such a baby when I get sick. Had to leave the house this morning to get chicken soup and more Puffs with lotion. Nose is still bright red. I've been drinking tea, eating soup & napping all day while trying to squeeze in some work in between. The annual reports won't wait for me to recover, I'm afraid. Also missing my maiden voyage to the Rum House — I was supposed to go there tonight. Instead, more nose blowing, soup, and pro bono reports. Woe is me. Many thanks to Twitter & FB folks wishing me well and hoping that @daisy17 & @PhiStu get well soon too!
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I’ll Take (a) Manhattan
Wondering who has the best Manhattan in Manhattan? Someone did all the work for you: The Manhattan Cocktail Challenge. You can thank us later.
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State of the Union
Last night's State of the Union address made me very proud that my sister is a teacher (and that my brother was formerly a teacher), but really also made me crave Russ & Daughters.
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Booze You Can Use
First of all, head to the Counting Room to check out their new cocktail menu (starts tomorrow), including this beauty. It's called Look Both Ways, and it's Tanqueray gin, lime, Chartreuse, and a float of Cote de Rhone. Sounds odd, but tastes amazing.Second of all, a big mazel to Abigail Gullo and Karen Fu for their success at the 42 Below vodka Cocktail World Cup ‘Carnival of the Cocktail.’ Their recipes are below.
Mahuika's Hand, by Abigail Gullo
1 oz 42 Below Vodka
3/4 oz Lime juice
3/4 oz spiced simple syrup
bar spoon Pimento Dram
Shake and pour over crushed ice. Garnish with a spent lime shell filled with a sugar cube soaked in high proof vodka..light on FIRE!Manuka Sage Southside, by Karen Fu
1.5 oz. 42 Below Manuka Honey Vodka
.5 oz. Canton Ginger Liqueur
.5 oz Fresh Yuzu Juice
.25 oz. Nardini Acqua di Cedro
3 Sage Leaves
Muddle 2 of the sage leaves then add the rest of the ingredients. Shake with ice and fine strain into a chilled coupe. Top with 1 oz. Kiuchi Brewery Sparkling Yuzu Wine. Garnish with a spanked sage leaf. -
Bring on the Bitters!
My latest piece on the Tasting Table (this time, National): Bitter Competition, about BarKeep Bitters. Many thanks to Marshall Altier, who created the Baked Apple Bitters, for hooking this up. Here's an additional recipe, just for Sweet Blog o' Mine readers:Otoñal Old Fashioned
Adapted from a recipe by Joaquin Simo, Death & Co. New York1.5 ozs Herradura Reposado
.5 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
1 teaspoon cinnamon bark syrup* (simple made w/cinnamon bark)
1 dash Angostura bitters
2 dashes Baked Apple bitters
Stir
Strain over fresh ice in an old fashioned glass. Express the oil of 1 orange peel and discard it. Garnish with 1 cinnamon stick.(and P.S. – I've got them all at home in case anyone wants to taste them!)
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Life Without Love
Once again, Hugh from Gaping Void knocks it out of the park.
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Weekend Wrapup (Three-Day Edition)
Friday night at Mayahuel; domestic goddess duty on Saturday, including a trip to the Greenmarket, Greenmarket brunch, making pinto bean soup and tomato sauce, Lani Kai and Fatty Johnson's on Saturday night; lazy Sunday with a big nap and an early evening visit to the Rhum Rhum Room followed by a trip to Terroir; Monday I had brunch at El Cobre, did some laundry, and topped off the weekend with a cozy Sunday dinner featuring lasagna. All in all a wonderful weekend, but given the weather today, I could have used another day to laze about in my pj's.