RPI: Maple Syrup - Christmas Caucasian

Hey man, there's a beverage here*!

This month's Rock Paper Ingredient challenge was certainly that. A challenge. Thanks to Haydn. He's a good man; and thorough*. I mean, what the ef do you do with maple syrup??

Pancakes*? Check. Bacon? Check. Sugar substitute in baking? Check. It's been done, lovelies.

Then it hit me. Vodka*.

 

So I infused that shit and within a week I had sweet maple vodka. I was worried though - would it work? Would it be a complete disaster? Would the vodka/maple experiment end up fucking me in the ass*? Then I thought, fuck it. Let's go bowling*.

Turns out, the process couldn't be simpler. Just make sure to use real maple syrup, not corn syrup. There should be one ingredient, and one ingredient only on the label: maple syrup.

This is what happens when you meet a Russian* in Canada my friends. Even Jesus* would be impressed.

*Two points to the person who can name which movie this drink was inspired by.

Christmas Caucasian

(printable recipe) - serves 1.

Ingredients:

1.5 Oz. Maple Infused Vodka.

1 Oz.  Kaluha.

1 C Egg Nog.

5-6 Ice Cubes.

2 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon + Pinch of Cinnamon.

2 Tbsp Sugar.

1 Home Baked Apple Chip for garnish.

What to  Do:

To infuse the vodka, dump a mickey of vodka and 1/2 C real maple syrup into a sterile mason jar. Shake. Place in the back of the fridge and ignore it for 2 weeks. Pull from the fridge after those 2 weeks and it should be completely emulsified. Voila!

Mix the sugar and cinnamon together on a shallow plate. 

Wet the rim of a glass and gently place in the cinnamon/sugar mixture to rim the glass. Set aside.

Dump the rest of the ingredients as well as the pinch of cinnamon in a jar and shake baby shake. Pour into prepared glass. Serve with an apple chip.

Bottoms up!

Did you catch the movie references? 

RPI: Bourbon with a side of bourbon...

While we may be very popular = no real time to make RPIs, it doesn't necessarily mean Haydn and I are being invited to "attend all of Victoria's most highly acclaimed art shows, movie premieres, and backyard barbecues".

Unlike Haydn, I have no quarrels with the art world so if we were attending acclaimed art shows, I'd actually be a pretty happy girl - hello, free alcohol. And movie premiers in Victoria? Yeah. Right. We live in hippie-ville Canada and I darn tootin' love it! Backyard BBQs though? Heck yeah - I've been on that train. Choo Choo! My point? Yes, we are busy. But not doing anything you'd find remotely interesting. Except the barbeques - those are pretty rad.

Also unlike Haydn, I got into the serving industry because I genuinely love it. Well, loved it. I get paid to socialize, meet new people, be around quality (or not) food and drink, and basically run my own business. And you know what? I'm damn good at it.

Fast forward 10 years later though: I hate people. No I don't.  But I do dislike working nights, I don't enjoy having to be "on" 30 or more hours a week, and I am awfully sick of seeing the worst of people - rudeness, crudeness, and general crankisorus-rexs. I'm over the serving industry - unless I can wiggle my way into management, I have no interest sucking up to enjoyable and non-enjoyable customers alike.

I have come into contact though with some pretty rad people, dishes and drinks. And while Haydn focuses on the history of the cocktail a little more than I do, I adore the art of the cocktail.

The love and care and creativity that goes into actually mixing and preparing drinks - be it wine, beer, spirits or a culmination of any of the above. It's still very new to me but the chemistry of making a good drink is very similar to that cooking - it's all about balancing flavours and making it pretty. Because as they say in food, you eat with your eyes first. Drinking is no different.

My current fixation? The Old fashioned. As I said @ Gastronomical Sovereignty yesterday, there's something just so rugged and burly about this drink...and me when I'm drinking it. Garnish it with some bourbon soaked cherries, and you've got a happy, happy girl... though that could be the bourbon talking.

The Old Fashioned
(printable recipe)

Ingredients:
Serves One

2 Oz Good Quality Bourbon (i.e. Maker's Mark).
Three Swigs of Angostura Bitters.
Three Swigs of Orange Bitters.
1 Oz Organic Cane Sugar Simple Syrup.
1 Huge or 2 Large Ice Cubes.
1 Small Strip of Lemon Zest, pith free.
1 Slightly Larger Strip of Orange Zest, pith free.
3 Bourbon Soaked Cherries.

What to Do:

To make simple syrup: Place 2 C water and 2 C organic cane sugar in a heavy bottom pot. Heat over a medium-low burner, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves completely. Once dissolved, remove from the heat and if you like, add a Tsp of pure vanilla extract. Pour into a large glass mason jar and refrigerate until ready to use. It will keep quite a while.

In a rocks glass, combine the bourbon, bitters and simple syrup. Add the ice and stir for a good 45 seconds to a minute - this allows some of the ice to break down in the drink making it much more palatable. 

Squeeze and twist the strip of lemon, drop it in the drink. Do the same with the orange strip but rub it cut side down along the rim of the glass before tossing it in. 

Skewer the cherries on a metal or wooden toothpick and drop in the drink. 

Let sit for a minute or two. Sip.

Enjoy.

 This post is linked up with Whole Foods Wednesday; Cast Party Wednesday;  Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways; Tastetastic Thursday; Full Plate Thursday; Showcase Your Talent Thursday; Foodie Friday; Fight Back Friday; Fresh Bites Friday.

Where did all the rum go? Oh yeah. In my face.

Happy post-a-recipe-from-another-blog post lovelies!

So this week I got to thinking... When it comes to food, where does inspiration come from? 

Is it ever possible to be inspired to create something anew?

Or has everything been done (and eaten) before us?

And if that is the case... Is there ever such thing as an original recipe? 

And in such, when - as food bloggers and cooks and food lovers alike - do we begin to plagiarize and/or steal others ideas?

Are we ever really unique? Or are we just thieving gluttons?

In light of this I decided to take a different spin on post-a-recipe-from-another-blog this week. Rather than just take someone else's ideas head on, I blurred it a bit.

Kristina @  Spa Bettie is a fabulous blogger and a terrific lady. She's always coming up with dishes that inspire me as well make my mouth water. She's got a talent for writing interesting posts while taking just gorgeous photographs.... Not to mention the fact that she makes me giddy with giggles.  And if there's one way to my heart it's with humour. And food. Of course. The dame's got both. 

Inspired by her Homemade Bailey's Irish Cream, Bottles in Ice, and Smores Shots in Chocolate Glasses, I decided to take on the world of booze myself. 

I discussed and debated with friends to create a truly collaborative - if not original - beverage. It was sweet yet sour, refreshing yet familiar. And ulimately tasty! And boozy! What else can one ask for to whet one's whistle? 

It was after much experimentation I had to ask, "where did all the rum go?"....and then inevitably answered myself, "oh right. In my face."....oops.

I present you with .... just in time for the warmer weather .... Summer Strawberry Mojitos. 

*Try to find strawberries and mint locally available to you. I received mint in my CSA this past week and still had frozen strawberries from them on hand. If not available, be patient. Summer will arrive and with it the strawberries. And where there's strawberries, oh. OH! There will be mojitos.

Summer Strawberry Mojitos

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

serves one drink

2-3 Oz White Rum.

10-15 Mint Leaves, depending on size.

2 Frozen Strawberries, thawed (Or sub 2 Fresh if seasonally available to you) + 1 Fresh.

1/2 Oz Organic Cane Sugar Simple Syrup (or sub agave nectar; local honey).

1/2 Can Soda Water (or if you want to get really crazy, ginger beer).

1 Lime for Juice with 1 Thin Round Cut Out.

Ice Cubes.

What to Do:

Place the mint, lime juice, simple syrup, strawberries, and rum in a martini shaker (or mason jar).

Taking a wooden pestle (or a wooden spoon) massage/muddle the mint into the bottom of the container up to 15 turns to release the oils from the mint.

Toss in some ice, cover and shake well to combine. Give it a good 15 seconds or so of hard vertical shaking action.

Pour into a chilled serving glass and top up with soda water or ginger beer.

Garnish with a straw, lime round and the last strawberry.

Drink baby drink.

 

What do you think about creating original dishes? Or being creative in general? Has it all been done before? When are we stepping on other people's toes? 

 

This post is linked up with Whole Foods Wednesday; Cast Party Wednesday; Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways; Full Plate Thursdays; Tastetastic Thursday; Showcase Your Talent; Simple Lives Thursday; The Hearth & Soul Blog Hop; Tasty Tuesdays; Slightly Indulgent Tuesday; Tuesday Talent Show;