sherry cobler/rebujito

In a large 8-12 oz glass, immerse an orange wedges in 1 part cream sherry (1/2 cup).

Fill the glass 3/4 the way full of ice and then add 2 parts lemon soda (1 cup).

Stir.

Top off the drink with mixed berries black, raspberry, strawberry and a second orange wedge on the rim.

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Donna Noble

A few months ago I was headed out to the bar to meet up with a friend. Another friend had wished me a good night and suggested I try a drink, "Crown Royal and Ginger". I tried it. Not a bad drink, but I didn't fall in love with it. A week or so later I remembered I had some unopened vermouth and was looking to use the newly bought ginger-ale. So I thought, what the hell!

On the rocks with a twist or straight-up, Vermouth is probably my preferred drink of choice and has been since my University French Professor first introduced me to it. She was a great woman. Anyway, I made it sans wedge o' lime the first time and said, "Damn, this is the shyt! This will be even better when I put a lime in it. Vermouth is always better with lime or lemon.

A few weeks go by and I thought to myself, I should really give this drink a name. So I thought about its creation and ingredients and history, and couldn't come up with anything classy. I was a little bummed because I wanted to name it. I haven't found the drink in any listings yet for a name, and I am not going to spend more time looking, but it seems to fall under the "highball" drink category.

But I did come up with a name. I'm calling it a "Donna Noble", named after the character in Doctor Who played by Cathering Tate. "Donna Noble" can translate into "Noble Lady". The drink is fun, bubbly, exciting, "ginger", chill, smooth and delicious; all qualities that Donna Noble has. So I thought, well, for my drink, this is perfect.


Ingredients

• 1 eight oz can of ginger ale
• 1 wedge of lime or lemon
• 1-2 shots vermouth
• ice

Directions

1. In a 10-12 ounce highball glass or tumbler put in some ice (however much you want).
2. I like to squeeze some of the lime juice on the ice so it mixes well with the drink.
3. Pour on your Vermouth (truthfully I pour until the count of five is over).
4. Fill glass with ginger ale and stir gently.
   

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Bourbon Balls/Boules de bourbon

Jody and I made these last time I was down to visit. They were holiday favorites of hers from her youth, ::insert me gushing over the flavor::

Jody writes:

My mother made these when I was a kid, I remember the smell distinctly. This is my grandmother's recipe. The reason I'm posting this now is that these MUST be made several weeks in advance of eating them in order for the flavors to truly develop. Make sure you store them in something air tight.

Bourbon Balls/Boules de bourbon

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoon cocoa
• 3 tablespoon Karo corn syrup
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/2 cup dates, chopped
• 1 lb. vanilla wafers, crushed well
• 1/2 cup bourbon whiskey
• powdered sugar

Directions

• Combine sugar, cocoa and wafers in a food processor.
• Pulse until mixture is mostly free of large chunks.
• Rough chop and add to the mix the dates and then the pecans.
• Pulse until mixture is of the roughly same consistency.
• Slowly add the Karo syrup and whiskey
• Form into small (3/4") balls, then roll in powdered sugar.

Notes:

• I used some left over sugar and cinnamon mix to coat the balls.
• I think it is a good idea to chill the mix before rolling them into individual servings.
• It might make a good log.

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My Fruit Salad | La salade des fruits à moé

My Fruit Salad | La salade des fruits à moé

I threw this fruit salad together in need of using up some fruit quickly before it spoiled. It has gotten some small-town acclaim. Here's how I make it.

• 1 lg. Golden Delicious apple
• 1 lg.peach
• 1 lg. lemon
• 1 8oz can of chunk pineapple in its own juice
• 2-2 1/2 cups of red seedless grapes
• Vermouth
  

Syrup

In a 1 cup measuring cup...

• Seed and juice the entire lemon
• Combine with the pineapple juice from the canned pineapple ¹
  

This will give you about 1/2- 2/3 cup of juice.

• Fill to 3/4 cup with honey
• Top off to 1 cup with Vermouth ²

Stir until honey is well dissolved. Set aside.


Salad

• Put the drained pineapple chunks in a mixing bowl (with lid preferably).
• Core and pit the apple and the peach and dice into bite-size chunks, add to pineapple.
• Pick and wash thoroughly 2-2 1/2 cups of red seedless grapes. Add to the mixing bowl.

After you have chunked the fruit, pour the juice mixture over the fruit. Stir, cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. Serve cold. Even better the next day. Serves 4-5.

Notes:

1. Add honey to sweeten.
2. The honey, lemon juice and alcohol will keep the salad fresh for days more than your typical fruit salad.
3. If peaches are out of season, you might substitute with Honeydew, Mango or Papaya.
   

¹ I have not used fresh pineapple with this before. I can only imagine it would be even more fantastic. If you do use fresh pineapple, be sure to pick up some pineapple juice.

² The syrup comes out to be approx. 1/4 cup each of honey, lemon juice, pineapple juice and vermouth.
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