Dining with the Doctor: Charles Dickens' Own Christmas Punch for a Doctor Who Regeneration Party

Tick tock goes the clock 

And all the years they fly

Tick tock and all too soon

You and I must die

Tick tock goes the clock 

We laughed at fate and mourned her

Tick tock goes the clock 

Even for the Doctor

(from "Night Terrors") 

All Whovians know the true meaning of Christmas: the annual Doctor Who special. And this is particularly true this year. Not only is 2013 the 50th anniversary of the iconic BBC show, but in this year's special, "The Time of the Doctor," the 11th Doctor, played by Matt Smith, will regenerate into a new one, Peter Capaldi's 12th Doctor.  Now that's a Christmas birth I can get excited about.

It's Cocktail Time: Tasty Trix is featured on the Food Network UK's Locally Sourced Blog!

Pinch me, because this drink  ....

... is featured on this here little ole site:

How cool is that?

There is very little that can cheer me up after returning from a trip to New Orleans. I wake up in a gray fog of "meh," missing the warmth, the food, the people, the architecture, the music, and, of course, the cocktails of that most beautiful, strange, and fiercely individual city in the whole United States - maybe the world.

But having a recipe featured on the Food Network UK site? Well, now, that's gonna cheer me up a bit! And that's just what happened this morning. 

The Cobbler Cocktail: Vodka with Grapes Macerated in Monastery Herbal Liqueur & Pandan Simple Syrup for the International Incident Cobbler Party

You may be wondering what the heck I'm doing posting a cocktail for the September International Incident Party - hosted as always by our lovely foundress, Penny aka Jeroxie - when the theme is cobbler. Have I lost my mind? Is this an alcoholic's coded cry for help? Is there nothing I won't do to get out of making dessert?

Well, yes, no, and yes, but that's beside the point. You see, I did a little cobbler research and discovered that while it can certainly be a fruity dessert wth a crumbly topping ("pie for the unmotivated,"  stated one definition) there is an older and more arcane definition: An iced drink made with wine, sherry, sugar, and lemon. Bingo!

So I decided to combine the fruit element with the wine element and incorporate macerated grapes into my cocktail, which I have dubbed "The Cobbler." Drink enough of it and its name changes to "The Bobbler."

Muffaletta Tartlets with Olive Salad, Cajun Chips, & Hibiscus Lavender Lemonade for the May 5 Star Picnic Makeover

I am not a fan of the sort of picnic where people have to sit on the  ground getting leg cramps and wishing there was a place to wash their sticky hands, all the while having to swat away nasty stinging bugs and crawling things.  No, thanks! I prefer my nature to be cultivated. I like civilation and cities and sinks and flushing toilets. But that's not to say that I don't love picnic food. Quite the contrary!

So when I found out that the challenge for the May 5-Star Makeover cooking group - led as ever by the lovely and talented  Natasha of 5 Star Foodie and the prolific Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! - was to come up with a a gourmet version of picnic food, I immediately knew the direction I would take, if not the specific dishes I would make. I would create a lovely picnic that one would want to eat at a comfy table, in a garden, mere steps away from hot and cold running water.  And that's exactly how Poppa Trix and I enjoyed this little feast. (You can have a picnic in your own backyard, right?)

Glühwein mit Schuss: Mulled Wine with a Shot of Apple Brandy (and a Big Thank You)

 

 Near this spot are deposited the remains of one who possessed Beauty without Vanity, Strength without Insolence, Courage without Ferocity, and all the Virtues of Man, without his Vices. This Praise, which would be unmeaning Flattery if inscribed over human ashes, is but a just tribute to the Memory of Boatswain, a Dog.  - George Gordon, Lord Byron

Since Pete died on November 28, I haven't felt much like blogging. Or cooking ... or cleaning ... or working .. or getting out of bed much. You understand. In my life I have lost both friends and family, and so I know too well that losing someone - in this case your best friend - changes you and leaves a hole in your heart that nothing ever fills. You just have to figure out how to be the new you, and still be a good you. 

A Bon Voyage Cocktail: So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodnight!

I realize that this cocktail evokes visions of remote island getaways, surf and sand, and lazy afternoons spent basking in the sun. But the truth is, I'm not much of a beach holiday kind of girl. (Not that I would turn down a free trip!)  I've made this lovely electric blue drink to toast a different sort of trip:  Poppa Trix and I are off to Vienna for two pastry-filled weeks, with a side trip to Budapest. We plan to look at tons of art, visit more palaces than you can shake a stick at, and of course - eat!

Daytime Drinking: Soju & a Movie

 

 Above: A very strong drink

Below: Daytime Drinking movie poster

Back in December, a rep from Eleven Arts contacted me to see if I wanted to review the South Korean independent film Daytime Drinking, to coincide with its New Orleans premier. I was a bit bemused, as film reviewing is something I've done in my other life as a journalist, but not as a blogger.  I've only ever blogged about food and drink. But, given that the film was clearly about something near and dear to my heart - booze - I thought it would be fun. 

Day 12: Caudell, Medieval Egg Nog

A man cannot make him laugh - but that's no marvel; he drinks no wine.

Shakespeare, Henry IV, part 2

It's finally here - the last day of the 12 Days of Medieval Feasting.  And what better way to end than with a fond farewell toast over a warm cup of medieval eggnog? 

To be honest, I can't remember where I saw this drink referred to as the medieval version of eggnog (though I am certain I did); it's actually frothy white wine or ale thickened with egg yolks, sugar, and saffron.  The first time I made it, I didn't get the comparison at all. For one thing, I hardly used any sugar  because I don't generally prefer sweet alcoholic beverages.  But the result, to me, tasted of strong hot wine and eggs, kind of like spiked egg beaters - not exactly the stuff that pleasant holiday memories are made of, if you ask me.

Day 4: Clarrey, Spiced White Wine with Honey

He drynketh yppocras, claree, and vernage

Of spices hoote, to encressen his corage

Chaucer, The Merchant's Tale, from the Canterbury Tales
 

For me, part of the appeal of making clarrey, a medieval spiced white wine with honey, was the thought that I would get to drink something similar to what Chaucer may have quaffed while writing his Canturbury Tales.  After all, he does mention clarrey - or "claree" - in both the Knight's Tale and the Merchant's Tale. If that's not bringing history and literature to life, I don't know what is.

The fact that it's alcoholic didn't hurt, either. I mean, all this medieval cooking really works up a thirst - a wench has got to drink, after all. (That said, I think this could easily be adapted if you don't drink or if you'd like to make it for kids, which I'll discuss in a bit.)

A Spicy Bloody Mary ... Because I'm Sure It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere

It's Friday afternoon,  and I keep daydreaming about cocktails. Not such a strange occurrence, I assure you!  But perhaps it's the rain and the sudden chill in the air that has me already looking forward to my Sunday brunch drink.  I love  the warm kitchen, the smell of onions and frying potatoes and eggs and toast ... but most of all, I love kicking back with a good brunch cocktail.

In the spring and summer, I gravitate towards light, fizzy cooling drinks. Think pomegranate juice and Prosecco, mimosas,  or a Bellini.  But come fall I want the hearty heat of a spicy Bloody Mary.  The thick vegetable juice, the celery stick, the tangy pepperoncini - it's practically a meal in a glass!