FOOD SURPRISES ARE THE BEST SURPRISES
Hi there! We hope everyone had a great weekend filled with Easter and Passover treats. I know we did. Today’s letter is focusing on SURPRISES… some sweet and some spirited… enjoy!
A SWEET SURPRISE ON MY DOORSTEP…
AU: Do you have one of those friends to whom you don’t talk to often, but when you do, it’s like no time has passed?? We all do, right?
EK: Oh yes! In fact, my friend Lisa who is responsible for my spirited surprise is one of those friends!
AU: My friend Caroline is one of those people, too! She and her husband Wyatt are both brilliant filmmakers. Caroline is a documentary producer (perhaps you caught her Oscar-winning film OJ: Made in America?) and Wyatt is an incredibly talented editor with the keenest ear for music (my personal favorite credits of his so far are Nine and Sondheim’s Into the Woods for Disney). But I digress…
Since they’re in THE BIZ, we are often blessed by their presence in Los Angeles, where they come spoil our little Frenchies, Jolene & Susan, and we can offer them a quick respite from their busy production schedules.
One day FedEx dropped off a box covered with Dry Ice stickers. I thought it was odd, because I didn’t order anything that needed to be shipped frozen (for once). I opened the box, removed the lid of the insulated cooler to reveal this…
To say that I squealed with delight was an understatement. Not only did my pal Caroline send me Jeni’s Ice Cream in the mail, but she sent me Jeni’s Ice Cream SPECIALLY MADE FOR DOLLY PARTON!!
As I mentioned above, our first-born dog’s name is Jolene. Yes. After the song. So I was over-the-moon to receive such a thoughtful surprise out of the light of a clear blue morning! Thank you Caroline for your generosity and friendship!
THE LINEUP:
Dolly’s signature flavor—Strawberry Pretzel Pie—is reminiscent of a triple-decker strawberry icebox pie! It’s filled with “layers of salty pretzel streusel, subtly sweet and effortlessly tangy cream cheese ice cream, and lipstick red strawberry sauce.” I love that they worked “lipstick” into the description for Dolly’s flavor. Also, when you buy this flavor, some of the money goes to Dolly’s Imagination Library, a book gifting program that gives free books to children under five. This is every bit as good as you want it to be. Luckily there were TWO pints of this flavor in the box. My only suggestion would be crushing up additional pretzels as a topping. Dolly never minded anything that was top-heavy. :)
Next was the Skillet Cinnamon Roll ice cream. This ice cream needs to talk to left, because it ain’t right!!! IT’S SOOOO DELICIOUS. With “gooey, cinnamon-scented brown sugar caramel. Cream cheese ice cream that mimics the addicting sweet and salty frosting. Pastry flakes as soft and satisfying as the center bite of your favorite cinnamon roll.” The marketing materials are not lying. What I love is that the caramel is as dark and as salty as the fancy Nancy Silverton caramel sauce I made for Josh’s birthday (upper left in the pic). Slam Dunk. No notes. Bought another pint. PSA: If you loved Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal as a child, this is for you.
Last, but certainly not least was the Sweet Cream Biscuit & Peach Jam flavor. This one had a buttermilk ice cream base, so it was a little tangy (in a good way), and you can really taste the toasty biscuit pieces in it. But lord have mercy I LOVE a peach ice cream (like my friend Lexy!), and this did not skimp on the peach flavor. “Inspired by the perfect sweet cream biscuits and jam served throughout the South and just as memorable. Fresh cultured buttermilk adds brightness to the cream. Then we fold in crumbly bits of salty sweet cream biscuits and fresh jam made with the most perfect peaches.”
Who wouldn’t want to receive a care package like this?? I am stealing Caroline’s gift idea, and will be sending pints to my peeps for a sweet surprise!
A SURPRISINGLY SIMPLE AND BALANCED COCKTAIL…
EK: Now that we are celebrating and getting together on the semi-regular, I’ve been experimenting with some new cocktails. And, I have to share my new favorite with you.
Like me, I know that you and Josh both love an Old-Fashioned. But what would you say if I told you that I found a newer, more complex and balanced Old Fashioned?
AU: I’d say that it’s a NEW Old-Fashioned?? (SORRY Y’ALL)
EK: I wasn’t looking for a new cocktail, I was quite happy with my standard Old-Fashioned…
AU: I love them, but sometimes they can be a bit too sweet for me.
EK: My sentiments exactly! So, I’ll tell you how I learned about this new-to-me drink.
This fall, I went to France with my good friend, Lisa, and while we were in Paris, I introduced her to my good friend, Fernet Branca. She ended up loving Fernet.
AU: Elizabeth, tell the people at home, who may not be familiar, what Fernet Branca is…
EK: For those who have never had Fernet Branca, it is classified as an Italian amaro. It’s a deliciously bitter-sweet spirit made with a combination of natural ingredients like rhubarb, warm spices, plants and herbs thought to have medicinal properties. I have 100% “bought into” the medicinal theory and often sip on it to melt off the stress of the day, and sometimes settle my stomach. Incidentally, this is why it is also referred to as a digestif—Campari is another popular liqueur that is part of this family.
Now, I am a long-time, “FB” drinker, but I always sipped it neat. It never occurred to me to drink it any other way. For me, it’s a great ‘first drink’ of the evening when you are looking for an instant mood relaxer.
Now, getting back to Lisa…when she got back to the states, she asked her local bartender for a cocktail made with Fernet. The bartender made Lisa a Toronto and it quickly became her drink. Excited about a cocktail with both whiskey and Fernet Branca, she called me to tell me about it. It sounded promising, but since we don’t live in the same city, I didn’t remember to try it until recently when she came to visit. And then, I decided to surprise her and make them at home.
AU: I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a Toronto before… do tell…
EK: The Toronto cocktail is considered a variation on the Old-Fashioned and was originally made with either Cognac or rye whisky and Fernet Branca. The addition of Fernet balances the sweetness and adds a complexity to the drink. Today, the cocktail is commonly made with rye and I recommend trying a 100% Canadian rye in this drink that was named after the city of Toronto.
I looked at recipes online and it is a straight-forward drink of Canadian rye whisky or American rye, Fernet, simple syrup, an orange twist and a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters. The original cocktail recipe called for 50% whiskey and 50% Fernet Branca, but all the modern recipes I found only used a small amount of Fernet—about 1 part Fernet to 8 parts whisky.
Since I love Fernet, I make my Toronto variation with twice as much Fernet and maple syrup instead of simple syrup. I wanted to add sweetness with another flavor that would contribute more dimension to the drink—not just temper the bitterness of Fernet. Maple syrup reminds me of Canada and marries very well with whisky and/or rye, it also compliments the herbaceous Fernet.
And, after I made one, I did a little more digging into the history of the drink, and found that I am not the only person who has opted for the maple syrup. It seems that the cocktail purists look a bit askance at using maple syrup, but I guarantee you, it’s harmonious and part of the Canadian terroir, so why not? If you don’t like maple syrup, feel free to use simple syrup.
Finally, I use a clementine twist instead of an orange twist because they pack more citrus-y goodness and aroma, and I love the deep orange color.
And, the ice…using a Big Ice Cube or a Big Ice Ball makes all the difference in the world. If you like big cubes, I like this freezer tray, my round freezer tray (seen above) is from Japan and is no longer available on Amazon, but this looks like a great option for both square and round.
I made the cocktail with American rye up until a few weeks ago when I got a bottle of Alberta Premium Canadian whisky. One sip of the all-rye spirit, and I knew that I needed to make a “Canadian” Toronto.
Alberta Premium is made by Alberta Distillers and it is one of the first Canadian spirits made of 100% local rye and glacier-fed Rocky Mountain spring water. The whisky is sweet with vanilla and autumn spice, smooth and very mellow; and shined bright in my Toronto. The suggested retail is $24.99 for a standard 750ml bottle and IMO, a very good value as it drinks like a much more expensive rye spirit.
If you like your Old-Fashioned on the sweeter side, you may not agree with me that the Toronto is better, but if you like a mixture of bitter and sweet then I’ll be willing to bet that you will also fall in love with the Toronto.
Toronto
This variation on an Old-Fashioned is made more complex and less sweet by the addition of the Italian amaro, Fernet Branca.
Makes 1 drink
2 ounces Alberta Premium Canadian whisky or other rye
½ ounce Fernet Branca
½ ounce real maple syrup or simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Clementine or orange twist
1. Place the Alberta Premium or other rye, Fernet, maple syrup and biters into a mixing glass and stir until well-chilled.
2. Strain and pour into an Old-Fashioned glass over a large ball/cube of ice or in a coupe glass straight up. Garnish with a clementine twist.
That’s it for this week! As always, if you make our recipes, tag us on the ‘gram (@kitchensitch & @elizabethkarmel), and use the hashtag #whats4dinner. Happy cooking!!