Spirits and Hi-Jinx

Well, readers, much to my disappointment, I did not receive an email from Tyler Florence offering to take me to Spain after last week's post. Nevertheless, I did not sit around crying in my paella about it. I have been quite the party goer, in fact. Three in one weekend!

Certainly, it's hard to complain about such a thing. So much fun... and so much bread, cheese, wine and liquor! So much in fact, that even this hard-core gastronomer is a little drowsy at the keyboard tonight.

The first was a birthday party in lovely Chappaqua where I had the freshest mozzarella I've ever tasted and caught up with old friends. The second, was a fundraising event for Share our Strength hosted by photographer Myriam Babin. Please check out her blog New York Kitchen through which she documents "behind-the-scenes" aspects of New York City restaurants. Very interesting!

Witch's Fingers

The third was a spooky meeting of the NY Cocktail Club hosted by Trader Vicky. Spirits old and new were conjured and exorcized. Inspirations for the haunting libations (below) included Poe, Trader Vicky's recent trip to France, and her new assistant the chihueagle (that's chuh-wee-gle) Jinx.

I think I'm still under the spell of those terribly delicious specters...



The Tell-Tale cocktail with it's brandied heart pulsating within a delicious concoction of dark rum, Canton, cranberry, Navan, lemon and chocolate bitters... oh what a sinful, delight!

Ghoul's Gold

And the classically wonderful feeling of resurrecting the dead that comes from a well-made Corpse Reviver... the Cocchi Americano and a dash of absinthe made this a spine-chilling and tasty sipper!

And, of course some creatures of the night horde their own secret concoctions... Trader Vicky managed to steel away the Ghoul's Gold for all of us to enjoy. Pear liqueur and a slice of apple with warming Calvados made this concoction a pretty and delicious seasonal treat.

The Jinx was a little trickier (of course), but an added splash of Grand Marnier made all the difference!

To keep the spirits (of all kinds) from going to our heads, Trader Vicky served seasonal snacks (all homemade)... cheddar witch fingers, pumpkin cheese balls, savory puffs and tarts, devilish cupcakes, and colcannon (a traditional Irish potato dish with hidden treats... Tyler makes this too, but I bet Vicky's is better).

Here are some of the recipes. You have plenty of time before Halloween to stir one up in your cauldron. And you know what they say... if you drink like the spirits on All Hallow's Eve, you'll blend right in with all the ghouls and ghosts running about! (Or something like that.)

Tell-Tale Heart*

Tell-Tale Heart

1.5 oz Dark Rum
1 oz Canton
.75 oz Cranberry Juice
.25 oz Navan (vanilla liqueur)
.5 oz Lemon Juice
3 dashes Chocolate Bitters

Shake & garnish with a brandied cherry

Corpse Reviver #2
1 oz Gin

1 oz Cointreau
1 oz Cocchi Americano
1 oz Lemon Juice
1 dash Absinthe
Shake and garnish with orange peel

Ghoul's Gold*
2 oz Calvados
.5 oz Benedictine
1/2 oz Pear Liqueur
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
Shake and garnish with a fresh apple slice

Jinx

Jinx*
1 oz Gin
1 oz Calvados
1 oz Passion Fruit Juice
.5 oz Grand Marnier
Shake, shake, shake!

*Created by the lovely and talented mixologist Trader Vicky.