cocktails | kimberly ah

Feb 06 2014

Scenes from Hasegawa Happy Hours-January Edition

Hasegawa Happy Hour has been in full swing around here. Every week (usually on Thursday nights), I’ve been trying a little snack recipe and mixing up a cocktail for Naoto and me (and usually friends, too). I am loving this new tradition because it’s pushed me out of my comfort zone and into making some fun things, like bread and biscuits.

For the first HHH, I whipped up classic margaritas and carefully opened some Whole Foods chips and salsa. We made Martha Stewart tacos, too. Simple and perfect for the two of us. The next week, Karen joined us for Last Words and homemade Avanti’s gondolas. This Hasegawa Happy Hour has set the standard for all others…
Naoto received homemade limoncello for his birthday, so I decided to use it for martinis for our next Happy Hour. Our neighbor friends joined us for drinks and my first attempt at making biscuits. I found Joy the Baker’s Tomato Cobbler with Blue Cheese Biscuits and decided to give it a try. There were some things about the recipe I loved (the caramelized onions and the blue cheese biscuits) and some things that I would change on my next attempt (blazing hot whole cherry tomatoes exploding in my mouth were not fun). And finally, last Thursday…I taught a workshop that evening and didn’t plan ahead for cocktails. And since Naoto and Brett did not carry the Hasegawa Happy Hour torch, we went out to a neighborhood bar for drinks and dinner…well worth it!

We already have fun plans tonight for HHH, and next week I’ll be in San Francisco, so February is shaping up to be another good cocktail month. Although, Naoto gave up drinking in February, so I’ll have to come up with a few fun mocktails for him!

My plan is to compile our pictures and maybe even some favorite recipes into a little mini-book at the end of the year. I love a good paper project, you know…

Cheers!

Tagged cocktails, food, forest park, homemaking

Feb 04 2014

2 Comments

cocktails, Wine

Cocktail Perfected: Lychee Valentine

When we decided to host Peggy and Ken for our first dinner party, I went to work thinking up a fun cocktail to serve. I wanted to make something with the lychee liqueur but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to serve the CAP Cocktail again. So I decided it might be fun to try lychee and cava. Peggy loved it, and so did I. Actually, there’s a plan to whip some up again on Friday night..anyone game?

I named the cocktail the Lychee Valentine because lychees are supposedly one of the world’s most romantic fruits. Apparently they were used by an emperor in ancient China to woo his concubine…if that doesn’t scream romance, what does?

The best part of the cocktail is that when you put the lychee fruit at the bottom of the glass, it collects the cava bubbles a bit and they sort of explode out of it. Super festive…

Lychee Valentine

1-2 Tablespoons Lychee Liqueur (Soho is our favorite.)

Cava (We love Albero Cava from Trader Joe’s for sparkling cocktails, but you can use any sparkling wine you like.)

canned lychee fruit (found at Asian grocery stores, like Mitsuwa in Chicago)

In a champagne flute, drop in one lychee fruit. Add 1-2 tablespoons lychee liqueur (depending on how sweet you like your cocktail). Fill the rest of the glass with cava.

Enjoy on a cold, snowy night with friends or a romantic evening with your Valentine.

Tagged cocktails, food

Jan 30 2014

Dinner Party 1 & a Sweet Hostess Gift

Last Saturday, we hosted the first dinner party of the year. I invited my book club friend Peggy and her husband over for Naoto’s tonkatsu. It was a fun night, filled with tasty cocktails (which I will be sharing next week), delicious food and of course good company. The dinner party made me wonder why we don’t entertain more often…I’m thinking I might need to increase my dinner party goal for the year–three seems so few now. This time we kept things simple, because last week got a little crazy for us. Hopefully over the course of the year, we can fancy the dinners and the tables up a bit…you know, stretch the goal.
Much to my surprise, Peggy brought me a hostess gift! Of course, hostess gifts are unnecessary but I was completely delighted with Peggy’s thoughtfulness. She found this vintage martini pitcher and vintage relish dish–be still my heart!The martini pitcher is heavy and has its own glass stirrer with a frosted ball on top. It has a lip that holds the ice in during pouring, too…things were so practical back in the day! Tonight, I’m going to whip up some martinis for Hasegawa Happy Hour and use it for the first time. The divided relish dish is so sweet. There are pictures of celery (the large section), olives and pickles (the two smaller sections) etched into the glass. I don’t have any pretty relish dishes, so I know this is going to get a lot of use. Whether it’s just Hasegawa Happy Hour for two or a larger gathering, pickles and olives and yes, even celery are going to be making more classy appearances around here.

Thank you, Peggy, for being such a thoughtful and fun guest. You must come back soon for an Aviation cocktail (and maybe some more lychee cocktails, too!)

Tagged cocktails, food, home, homemaking, vintage

Jan 27 2014

2 Comments

cocktails

Cocktail Perfected: The Correct Cocktail

I had never heard of the Correct Cocktail until Ana sent me a hand-typed recipe and a picture of one in my Christmas card. It has been so cold here so I figured it would be a perfect time to cozy up with a gingery cocktail. I have to say, as a fairly new convert to ginger (this cocktail was the turning point for me), the Correct Cocktail might be a new winter favorite.

The Correct Cocktail

1.5 oz gin

0.5 oz ginger liqueur (Ana recommended Stirrings…it’s delicious)

0.5 oz triple sec

0.5 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 dashes orange bitters

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist. Enjoy on a cold, snowy night while watching Metallica play the Grammys.

Tagged cocktails, snail mail

Jan 15 2014

2 Comments

adventures, cocktails, Japan 2013, Japan Does It Better

Japan Does It Better 6: Japanese Airlines

Let’s talk about flying to Japan.

The first time I flew to Japan, in 2008 for work, I flew American Airlines. It was fine. Economy class is uncomfortable on any flight, and it really wears on you after thirteen hours, but really, who can afford first class?

When Naoto and I flew to Japan in 2011, we flew Japan Airlines. Even though we still flew economy, it felt a little bit luxurious because the customer service was so good and because we each had our own little TVs for movie viewing. (I realize that personal screens are available on pretty much any flight theses days, but in 2011 it felt like a rare treat.)

On Japan Air, they serve a special drink, Sky Time. Sky Time is yuzu juice. Yuzu is a Japanese citrus fruit that looks kind of like a tiny grapefruit and it tastes citrus-y…maybe a cross between a lemon and a grapefruit with a little bit of orange? It’s hard to say exactly. But Sky Time is delicious. You can drink it as is or mix it with vodka. Yum. Yuzu juice can often be found at the Japanese grocery store, too, in case you want to try it without suffering through the cost and the backaches of a thirteen hour flight.

At the airport while checking in for our flight home, we were magically whisked out of line and over to a kiosk and upgraded to business class. Our seats were roomy, we were offered slippers and eye masks and treated like royalty. I credit Naoto’s good karma for the luck of the business class draw…(he has amazing parking karma, too!)

In September, we flew All Nippon Air. It was comparable to Japan Air in customer service. We didn’t have any swanky upgrade luck, but they did kindly move me to an aisle seat. And, on the flight home when the flight attendant learned that my screen didn’t work, she apologized no less than four dozen times, offered me every magazine on the plane and offered to move me to a seat with a working screen another dozen times. It felt really weird…especially since we never complained about it and then explained that I could just hijack Naoto’s screen because he would sleep anyway. Yet the apologies continued…awkwardly.

Oh, and speaking of apologies…we got a little bit off-schedule upon departure at O’Hare and though our pilot tried to make up the time in the air, we were still five minutes late upon our arrive in Japan. The pilot apologized profusely…for five minutes…it’s nice to know that some airlines value my time.

I was excited to learn that ANA also has their own signature drink, the Aromatic Kabosu. Kabosu is another citrus (it looks more like a lime but is kind of similar in taste to yuzu) and it is delicious with gin. My cocktail is pictured above with my mid-flight rice cracker snack…the mid-flight snacks are my favorites.

Kind flight attendants, respect of schedules and signature drinks…more reasons Japan Does It Better in flying!

For more JDIB, click here!

Tagged adventures, cocktails, I *heart* Japan, Japan

Dec 10 2013

3 Comments

celebrations, cocktails

Whiskey Chat

On Saturday night, Naoto and I cashed in our silent auction winnings from the Forest Park Community Garden fundraiser. We hosted a Whiskey Chat and invited friends over to hear Nick speak about the history of whiskey, the different whiskies, the process of making whiskey. While Nick was talking, we enjoyed sampling different whiskeys and eating tasty snacks. We had everyone bring a bottle of whiskey so we could have a little variety to sample and Nick (a whiskey aficionado) brought his entire collection with him so we could sample a wider variety…isn’t that incredible? (That’s his collection up there on my china cabinet…plus he brought a ton of tiny “airplane bottles” of mainstream whiskeys and weird flavored whiskeys like Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey–ick). Naoto was really excited to see that Nick had a Japanese whisky in his collection. They spent some time comparing his to our bottle…both bottles tasted pretty peaty to me!
Nick had a powerpoint and handouts so it felt very formal and informative but fun and casual at the same time. It was a small enough group that we were all able to sit around our dining room table. In addition to the obligatory pistachios and cheese array, we made “funeral buns“. I found the recipe on Pinterest and they sounded just decadent enough to go with whiskey…a hearty and buttery bite. We substituted turkey for ham and they were delicious! They will be the next party staple. Our friend Karen made pimento cheese spread–another future party staple. In our research of things to serve with whiskey, pimento cheese came up…and I’m so glad it did!In the kitchen, we had a little “bar” set up with ingredients for Old Fashioneds and Manhattans. I typed up the recipes on little cards so people could help themselves. I think most people ended up drinking the whiskeys straight, but a few of us enjoyed the classic cocktails.

Oh, what a night!

In case you’re interested, here’s a list of the whiskeys we all shared:

Cedar Ridge (my personal favorite bourbon, from Iowa)

Old Overholt (a $15 rye, recommended by Kathy, that has been my Manhattan staple lately)

Breckenridge (a Colorado bourbon)

Eagle Rare (a Kentucky bourbon)

Koval (a Chicago bourbon)

Tagged celebrations, cocktails, food

Nov 12 2013

A Cocktail for 11/12/13

Happy 11/12/13 (though, if you’re living outside the US, you probably don’t write it that way)!

In honor of this once in a century occasion, I will be mixing up one of Kathy’s Apple Old Fashioneds. Naoto and I tested these out last week (though we used a 1:1 ratio of apple whiskey and rye because we had an early morning the next day!) and I highly recommend this twist on my favorite cocktail. The Leopold Bros Apple Whiskey is a nice fall treat if your home bar is looking for something different. I think Kathy’s recipe balances out any extra sweetness in the apple whiskey, but if you like your drinks on the sweeter side, you could go straight apple whiskey and omit the rye.

Are you doing anything special to celebrate 11/12/13?

Tagged cocktails

Oct 23 2013

1 Comment

adventures, cocktails

North Shore Distillery Tour

A few weeks ago we went on a distillery tour of North Shore Distillery. North Shore is located in an industrial area all the way in Lake Bluff, Illinois, quite far from Forest Park, but totally worth it!

Last year, I tried North Shore’s Gin No. 11 for the first time in a simple cocktail at a local bar and I fell in love. I always try to research new-to-me gins and bourbons, so I went home and looked up North Shore and added it to my gin wish-list. When I found out North Shore hosts distillery tours and tastings, I couldn’t wait to go! Derek, the North Shore distiller, gave us a tour of the distillery. We got to meet Ethel, the handmade German still (seen at the top in all of her copper glory). Ethel really is the star of the show. She does most of the work at the distillery, and she even has her own Twitter account. She and Derek are quite the team it seems. Derek is a chemical engineer, so he brought a little bit of science to the discussion, but mostly talked about the craft and his passion for creating tasty gins, vodkas, absinthe and aquavit. Everything about North Shore is done by hand, from the creating of the spirits, to the bottling to the labeling–Derek even hand-signs each and every bottle. After the tour, we got down to business in the tasting room. We started with the vodkas, North Shore and Sol, a citrus vodka. I really loved the Sol. North Shore uses actual citrus and chamomile. And, unlike other flavored vodkas where the flavors are added at the end, the citrus peels and chamomile are incorporated in the vodka during the distilling process. The taste is really fresh.

Next we tasted the gins. No. 11 is big and bold and No. 6 is light and flowery…I used to think I liked No. 11 more, but once I tasted them side by side, I realized how much I enjoyed them both and that they each have a place in my cocktail repertoire.

Then we learned about Aquavit and tried it for the first time. Aquavit is originally Scandanavian and it’s a savory spirit. Caraway, cumin, coriander and other botanicals are distilled in the alcohol and then the Aquavit is aged in oak. It’s definitely something different. I kind of wish I had tried it in a cocktail (North Shore has some ideas here) so I could see how it works with other ingredients.

Lastly, we tried the Sirène Absinthe Verte. My only experience with absinthe is in a sazerac, so I kind of knew what to expect. North Shore’s absinthe was good–we drank it with a bit of icy cold water.

After the tasting, those of us who weren’t driving (thanks for taking one for the team, Brett!) enjoyed a cocktail. Because of liquor laws, North Shore Distillery cannot serve other companies’ alcohol. This limits some of the cocktails the distillery can serve. But don’t think this is a bad thing–it just means the cocktails are crafted with homemade liqueurs and fresh ingredients. All of our cocktails were amazing handcrafted creations.

If you live in Chicago I highly recommend a North Shore Distillery tour for a unique Saturday adventure. Thanks for having us, Ethel!

(And I definitely recommend taking along a designated driver!)

Tagged adventures, cocktails

Oct 18 2013

1 Comment

cocktails

Cocktail Perfected: The Martinez

Naoto is working a ton. We don’t get to see each other a lot during the week, but Thursday nights are sacred. Naoto comes home at a decent hour and we have a little week night date night. Last night our date consisted of dining on spaghetti squash (my recipe needs a lot of work), watching the Blackhawks lose and drinking a Martinez. (Yes, we are very wild around the Adami Hasegawa household.)

Upon returning from The Girl & The Goat, I immediately began researching the Foghorn cocktail I had enjoyed (gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino, bitters). I found the Martinez, a precursor to the martini. The original Martinez is heavier on the sweet vermouth than the gin (often a 2:1 ratio), but of course, I prefer the taste of gin, so I have been making the lighter version of the cocktail. I’m not sure either one is exactly the Foghorn, but it’s a good make-at-home substitute that I can always enjoy (since it involves staples from my bar and very little effort!)

The Martinez

2 oz gin (I used Letherbee)

1 oz sweet vermouth

1/8 oz (or 1 barspoon) maraschino liquor (Luxardo)

2 dashes orange bitters

Stir all ingredients with ice until thoroughly chilled and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange (or lemon in a pinch!) twist. Enjoy on the couch on a weeknight date.

For more “Cocktails Perfected” click here.

Have a good weekend! I’m super excited to attend an LWA Halloween Mail Art Party at Greer tomorrow! I can’t wait to share next week!

Tagged cocktails

Sep 24 2013

5 Comments

adventures, cocktails, Japan 2013, My Love Affair with Tokyo, what's for dinner

Scenes from the Izakaya

Naoto & I spent several evenings in Japan with family and friends drinking and dining in izakayas. An izakaya is a Japanese pub. The style is similar to tapas where you order several small dishes and share. I am not a huge food sharer (once I ate Ethiopian food with a guy with a head cold…it scarred me for life!) but I am a huge fan of the izakaya. I love the casual atmosphere. I love when you walk in and every. single. server greets you, no matter where they are in the restaurant. (I always feel like Norm walking into Cheers!) I love the hot towel (oshibori). I love that Naoto can order some “safe” dishes for me, and some wild and “crazy” dishes for himself and the family. (See whole fish below…Naoto had the honor of eating the head.)Most izakaya menus are entirely in Japanese. The first time we went to Japan, Naoto tried to read the entire menu to me. That got annoying, (I’m sure for both of us) so on this trip, I just told him to order what he wanted, and to make sure there were a few things that I would enjoy. I mean, there was really no point in him telling me about the six-headed squid on the menu when I would never eat it.

So while Naoto was devouring his fish head, I could eat sushi and sashimi, chicken skewers, goma-ae (pictured below, spinach with miso sesame sauce…I love this!), and other vegetable dishes.When we had dinner with Naoto’s family, we sat at a long table in the main room of the izakaya. The other times, with Hisae and then with Naoto’s friends, we sat in a smaller, private rooms. In Japan, the servers are not constantly checking on you like they are (for the most part) here in America. If you need something, you just ring a bell (as we did in one of the establishments) or yell out, “Sumimasen!” (excuse me) and the server comes to take your order or clear your plates or bring your bill. (It’s a beautiful concept…American restaurants, let’s talk about adopting this.)Because I’m not a huge beer drinker, and because I wanted to avoid a Tokyo hangover at all cost, I mostly drank cocktails. Usually they consisted of some kind of house-made liqueur (yuzu or lychee or peach or plum) and soda water, or some secret concoction. We also drank sake (of course!) and shochu (not my favorite). When we met up with Naoto’s college friends (Jessica and Keiichi, along with their son Ethan) we ended our meal with zosui, a rice soup made with chicken stock and other vegetables. Ours was cooked at the table, which was awesome because we were all cold and wet from the downpour we walked through to get to the izakaya. (None of us had umbrellas, which is unheard of in Japan.) The zosui had chicken, scallions, mushrooms, tofu and cabbage…Jessica literally stuffed the pot with the vegetables and they cooked down into the delicious broth. It was so comforting! Many thanks to our friends and family who made our izakaya visits so much fun!