Rum-ish Goodness: Captain's Blood and Jade

First posted in 2010.

It's pretty obvious that I haven't been cooking much lately. And what I've been cookin' ain't been new stuff.

However, we have been trying new cocktails.

What a hobby. Simply pour a few ingredients together in a different way and you can sample a brand new taste sensation with relatively little effort.

So here are our latest discoveries.

Captain's Blood
Sounds tailor-made for Halloween, even if it isn't orange. Though it is  almost black. Almost.

1-1/2 ounces dark rum
1/4 ounce lime juice
1/4 ounce simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker, add lots of ice, shake up well, and pour into chilled cocktail glasses. Garnish with a spiral of lemon peel.

Jade
You wouldn't think that adding such small quantities of the other ingredients would change the rum so much. But they do. And it's also a lovely greenish color.

1-1/2 ounces light rum
1/2 teaspooon creme de menthe, green
1/2 teaspoon Triple Sec
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon simple syrup

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker, add lots of ice, shake up well, and pour into chilled cocktail glasses. Garnish with a slice of lime.

Zombie

First posted in 2011. 

Can you have Halloween cocktails and not include the Zombie? I'm pretty sure that's against the rules. Somewhere.

These are, in a word, delicious. In another word, tangy. In a third word (or two), potential lethal.

As a side note: I'd never tasted passion fruit syrup before. It is like a curious combination of pineapple, orange, and mango on the tongue. Quite good.

We now return to the Zombie ... it never does to take one's eyes off of a zombie for too long, after all.

Do not overindulge. Or you will become that thing we all dread. A zombie.

But one Zombie won't hurt. At least we all came out alive. And since we were testing these while watching last weekend's Cowboys game, we needed something to dull the pain.

Zombie
1 tsp. Brown Sugar
1 oz. Lemon Juice
1 oz. Lime Juice
1 oz. Pineapple Juice
1 oz. Passion Fruit Syrup
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 oz. Gold Rum
1 oz. 151-proof Rum
1 oz. White Rum

Dissolve brown sugar in juices. Combine all ingredients, shake with ice, and pour into chilled Collins glass. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Satan's Whiskers

First posted back in 2011. I'd forgotten about this one but will be trying it again soon!

It's interesting to me that Hannah and Rose both seem to choose cocktails to try based on the name. We have discovered some delicious cocktails that way, to be sure, but it is it so different from my method of scanning the ingredients to see if my mind's palate thinks it would be a good drink.

With Halloween coming up, Rose is at it again. Hence, Satan's Whiskers, which filled me with dread because of the double vermouth whammy ... which my mind's palate was nudging me in the ribs about (too much vermouth is not something I adore). Also orange juice. Which none of us are very fond of.

Based on my fears, we made sure we had ingredients for Zombies on hand also. There was no need as it turned out.

Satan's Whiskers was a lovely orange cocktail with no one ingredient overwhelming the others. A rich, deep flavor is the only way I can think of to describe it. Delicious. You'll just have to try it for yourself and see what you think. (More about the Zombies later.)

Satan's Whiskers
3/4 oz. Gin
3/4 oz. Dry Vermouth
3/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz. Orange Juice
1/2 oz. Grand Marnier (our house orange liqueur is Cointreau so we used that)
1 dash Orange Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass.

Tomato-Basil Soup

This has become a classic soup during my lifetime. I recall when La Madeleine restaurants in Dallas served it to rave comments, sold it bottled at grocery stores, and yet ... I never tried it.

I love regular Tomato Soup and though I believed the accolades I just didn't think I needed to eat Tomato Soup that often. It turns out I was wrong.

Rose came across it when living in L.A. and immediately found a recipe which she made regularly. She's been back in Dallas for years now, living at home, and it has become a staple for our meatless Friday meals. We love it, especially paired with a Grilled Jalapeño Jack Cheese Sandwich.

As my husband observed, "I always just thought I didn't like Tomato Soup before. Turns out I was eating the wrong soup!"

It helps that it is super easy.

Note: this freezes well and we often make a double recipe so that there's always some on hand.

Tomato-Basil Soup

Step 1:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 red onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a dutch oven or large pot. Once hot, add onions and season generously with salt. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until soft and starting to turn golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute, stirring to avoid burning the garlic.

Step 2:
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
4 cups good-quality chicken stock
Salt and pepper

Stir in the tomatoes and chicken stock. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower heat to maintain a simmer for at least 15 minutes. Feel free to leave it longer if you forget about it.

Purée mixture using an immersion blender or carefully transfer soup to a blender and blend until smooth. If using a blender, return mixture to the pot.

Step 3:
1 cup heavy cream
1 bunch basil, torn into small bite-size pieces
Parmesan cheese, grated for garnish

Stir in the cream and basil and let simmer for at least 15 minutes or until preferred consistency. Serve immediately, topped with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, black pepper, and basil.

Salsa Dip

I can't remember where I got this. It may have been from the newspaper. Regardless it is so simple and evryone always loves it. I first posted it in 2005 and have been making it ever since for football games, book clubs, and more. Everyone loves it.

8 ounces cream cheese
Salsa, as much as you want
8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack (or another good melting cheese that will stay soft - NOT mozzarella)

Spread cream cheese over bottom of a ceramic or glass baking or pie dish. Spread salsa over, then top with shredded cheese.

Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes, till heated through and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips.