Sunday, November 11, 2012

Infusions and Chili

I quick-infused some vodka with mint and basil for the best (and easiest) mojito-like beverages I've ever made. Putting chopped herbs in alcohol for as little as minutes imbues a strong flavor. From there, strain the vodka, and mix with lemon juice, simple syrup, club soda, voila!


Basil in vodka



Mint in vodka


Infusing is a piece of cake with oils, too. I put some basil and rosemary in a bit of olive oil (I strained it within a few days), and it made a killer dressing. I'm definitely going to make some chili oil next.



Basil and rosemary olive oil

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I've been making a lot of soups based on whatever I have in the fridge. This was my favorite rendition: garlic and leeks, sauteed at a lower temp for longer, made the base, and the finished product contained not only fresh serranos but also dried chipotles. Collards and bulghur rounded out the dish to make it a complete meal (as well as fire-roasted tomatoes, carrots, corn, beans, etc).



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Hers and hers coffee cups. Mine's the big one.