Mixology Monday V: Lemon

Lemon is the main ingredient for this month's Mixology Monday hosted by Jiggle The Handle. At first I thought of making a Lemon Drop cocktail but that was too obvious. So I searched for something else, a drink that had some mystery. The name of this drink caught my attention. I even found a song that goes with it.


A Night In Old Mandalay
A very refreshing drink that would go perfectly with barbeque.

1 oz Tanduay rum
2 oz Añejo Tanduay rum
2 oz Orange juice
1 oz Lemon juice
6 oz Ginger ale
2 twists of Lemon peel

In a shaker half-filled with ice cubes, combine the light rum, añejo rum, orange juice, and lemon juice. Shake well. Strain into a highball glass almost filled with ice cubes. Top with the ginger ale. Garnish with the lemon twist.

Nelly The Elephant

To Bombay
A travelling circus came
They brought an intelligent elephant
and Nellie was her name

One dark night
she slipt her iron chain, and of she ran
to Hindustan and was never seen again

oooooooooooooooooo...
Nellie the elephant pack her trunk and
said goodbye to the circus
of she rode with a trumety trump
trump trump trump

Nellie the elephant packed her trunk
and trumbled of to the jungle
of she road with a thrumety trump
trump trump trump

Night by night she danced to the circus band
When Nellie was leading the big parade she looked
so proud and grand

No more tricks for Nellie to perform
They taught her how to take a bow and she took
to crowd by storm

oooooooooooooooooo...
Nellie the elephant pack her trunk and
said goodbye to the circus
of she rode with a trumety trump
trump trump trump

Nellie the elephant packed her trunk
and trumbled of to the jungle
of she rode with a thrumety trump
trump trump trump

The head of the heard was calling far far away
they met one night in silver light
on the road to Mandalay

oooooooooooooooooo...
Nellie the elephant pack her trunk and
said goodbye to the circus
of she road with a trumety trump
trump trump trump

Nellie the elephant packed her trunk
and trumbled of to the jungle
of she road with a thrumety trump
trump trump trump

Roundup 1 - lemon mixology

Roundup 2 - lemon mixology

Lasang Pinoy #11: Summertime Coolers & Memories of Summer

Cool drinks are what I love in the summer, especially coconut juice and drinks with coconut milk. A last hoorah for the end of summer...



Batida
I first had this drink when I was living in Boracay (yes, I was actually living on this beautiful island beach resort) about 10 years back. Gosh! Has it been that long? I lived in a cottage fronting the white sand beach for two sun-kissed years. I would have this drink in the late afternoons just before the sun begins to set. This is actually a Brazilian drink but uses ingredients easily and commonly used in the Philippines. If I didn't know better I'd think this was a Pinoy creation. I have an ex-boyfriend to thank for this one, he substituted Tanduay rum for cachaca in the original recipe . I think he's still lounging in Boracay...

1 13.5-0z can coconut cream
filtered water
approximately 2 shots Tanduay rum
6 tablespoons muscovado sugar
ice cubes

Shake coconut cream, rum, 1 can of water and sugar in a bottle until sugar dissolves.

Fill shaker with ice cubes and cream mixture.

Pour into glasses and add ice cubes.


This is my entry for Lasang Pinoy #11 which is being hosted by JMom at In My Kitchen.

Mixology Monday IV: Apéritif

I know this is a food blog but I couldn't resist joining Mixology Monday, hosted by Jimmy Patrick of Jimmy's Cocktail Hour. Besides, whoever heard of eating without drinking?

The theme for this event is aperitif.

First impressions last longest. The downbeat of the conductor's baton, the first step in a tango, the opening words in a flirtation these initial moves can make or break.

William Grimes of the New York Times couldn’t have said it better when describing the role of the aperitif when entertaining. Although I wouldn't go so far as to say it would make or break your dinner party. It's a pleasant way to start the evening. Your choice of having before dinner drinks sets the tone and mood whether its a casual get-together or a more formal soiree. Serving an aperitif when guests arrive is an invitation to an enjoyably long evening.

To start the evening in a festive mood, my aperitif of choice is Cava, a Spanish sparkling wine that can be served with an assortment of tapas. Cava is made in the tradional way, the same method of making sparkling wine as Champagne. My favorite is the semiseco Oro Rondel Cava. It goes with almost anything you serve - vegetable sticks, strong and mild cheeses, spicy shrimp, parma ham or Chinese dumplings. Cava is also light enough for you to enjoy more than one glass, but don't get carried away there's still dinner to consume.

Recipe: Muscovado Lemongrass Iced Tea

This recipe is an improvement of my first recipe for lemongrass iced tea.

1 cup chopped lemongrass, cleaned, discarding tough outer leaves; use white and light green parts only (discard tough green part or you may use it to stuff a roast chicken)
1/2 cup muscovado sugar
8 cups water

Place all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool. Strain into a pitcher and discard solids. Cover pitcher and refrigerate. Serve with or without ice.

Recipe: Iced Lemongrass Tea

1/2 cup chopped lemongrass stalks (use bottom 6-8 inches)
1/2 cup sugar
8 cups water

Bring lemongrass pieces, sugar, and 2 cups water to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat and let steep, partially covered, 20 minutes.
Put remaining 6 cups water in a pitcher. Blend lemongrass mixture in a blender until lemongrass is finely chopped (use caution when blending hot liquids), then pour through a fine-mesh sieve into water in pitcher, discarding solids. Serve over ice.

Cooks' note:
Lemongrass tea can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

This modified recipe is from Epicurious.