31 July 2012
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Cocktails, Dinner, Entertaining, Events

Music, Music, Music


When I have company over for a gathering, I have a short list of “must-haves” (beyond the obvious good food and drink): a clean bathroom, fresh flowers, and an appropriate playlist. The first two items are self-explanatory, but the last one can be pretty nuanced, I think. For instance, I have two very talented friends that play in a band (River Rising). They come to my place every month or so for dinner and I always make a playlist for them that includes the bluesy bands that have influenced them and other music that I think they will enjoy. For a Dia de los Muertos dinner I held a few years back, I asked everyone beforehand to send me a few songs that pleasantly remind them of friends and family that have passed. There were a few tears shed, but for the most part, that gathering was a happy celebration of our loved ones.

Lately, I’ve been compiling a pretty universal playlist in Spotify called, “Dinner Party.” For me, this means one thing: jazz (mostly vocals). Something about the voices of Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, and Peggy Lee make me feel celebratory and slightly nostalgic, and that’s exactly the kind of mood I like for dinner or cocktails. I always add a few modern surprises (a thoughtful cover, a new orchestration of an old favorite), but for the most part, I stick to standards. I encourage you to check out this public playlist if you are a Spotify user (my username is fignatius), and I welcome suggestions for additions. This meant to be a living mix that will change over time, but certain tunes will always make the cut.

So, I ask: what’s your dinner party playlist?

27 July 2012
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Basics, Celebrations, Cocktails, Entertaining, Thai

Infuse Your Booze


Lemongrass, ginger, coriander

You may disagree, but I’m just gonna say that the flavored spirits coming to the market are moving from the acceptable to the dubious. I mean, when I start seeing gummyfish-flavored vodka, I think it is time to say, “whoa, there.” That said, there are a number of offerings that I really enjoy and I admit to buying them regularly (Absolut’s Wild Tea is definitely one of them). These products also inspire me to make my own infused spirits. Over the last couple of years, I’ve made some very successful potables (sour cherry vodka, jalapeno tequila, fig vodka for the Fig Cocktail) and some not-so-successful versions (peach-infused bourbon – not enough sweet, too boozy).

The best part about making infused spirits is that it is easy—and it doesn’t take very long to taste the results. In fact, when I make the jalapeno tequila, I only infuse the booze for about 15 minutes, which is just enough to give it a low-level, underlying kick. Similarly, cucumber vodka only takes about a day to develop a nice, fresh cucumber flavor.

My friends and I have a monthly brunch club and this month’s theme is Southeast Asian. Since we all bright something to the brunch, and since brunch usually means cocktails, I decided to come up with a new infused spirit to celebrate our gathering. Given that it’s summer, I thought some of the fresher and brighter flavors that come from that region would be appropriate; may I present lemongrass, ginger, coriander vodka:

Infused Vodka

My hope is that, after a few days, this will be delicious enough to drink just over ice mixed with club soda, but I am also cooking up a cocktail in my head; stay tuned for another post with the results of this experiment. In the meantime, celebrate the weekend! Get yourself a nice big jar, a big bottle of booze, and head out to the market for some inspiration! Bear in mind that the longer you infuse, the stronger the flavor will be, and that any spirit containing perishable food (fruit, citrus peel, etc) should be kept in the refrigerator when not in use.

PS – here’s a little tip from me about working with lemongrass; the sound’s not great, but you get the point.

24 July 2012
7 Comments
Basics, Lunch, Weekdays

Bring It. (your lunch, that is)


Greek Chicken Salad

During most of my commutes, I plug into my phone and listen to streaming music via Spotify, but on the rare occasions when I want to tap into my surroundings (or if I simply forget my headphones), I often end up eavesdropping on conversations. Sure, I know I am not really supposed to do this, but when people talk loudly and without much regard for the other commuters around them, I don’t feel bad about listening to what they have to say. Usually, it isn’t much, but sometimes, like during a recent morning commute, a dialogue will spark some kind of reaction from me.

In this particular case, the conversation was between two young professional men, probably in their late 20s. I started listening to them at first because their communication was so riddled with the word “like” that I had trouble deciding if they were actually saying anything to one another. Soon, though, they got onto the topic of lunch. Namely, they started discussing how pathetic it is when their colleagues make their own lunches and bring them to work. They described a  co-worker’s homemade sandwich as, “the saddest lunch in the world.” In their opinion, it is far better to go to a local café or fast food restaurant and buy something every day, in spite of the high cost of doing so. In fact, one of them averred that he, in fact, had earned the right to buy lunch every day and should never be bothered to do otherwise.

Needless to say, this conversation made me sad. I will admit that I’ve been remiss in bringing homemade lunches to work over the past few months; I could give you any number of excuses for this, but none of them are valid. Simply put, I think it’s time for us to reclaim the homemade lunch. This will not only save us money over time, but will inevitably end up being a much healthier alternative to the high-fat, high-sodium options in and around your office building (and mine).

Some ideas I’ve been knocking around:
–      Legume-based salads (lentils, beans, etc.)
–      Innovative sandwiches using high-fiber breads
–      Vegetable-heavy snacks and entrees
–      Anything that can be made in a big batch for several lunches
–      Dishes that take advantage of the growing season

This post is more to get the creative thoughts flowing than to provide any real instruction (at least for now). Post your ideas in the comments section and we’ll show everybody that a homemade lunch is not only cost-effective, but beautiful and nutritious!

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