Summer Sips

Gary's garden has done me well in the cocktail category.

Here are two summer drinks that you can enjoy at your next party, pool day or dinner. My summer orchard on the rocks and strawberry mojito are easy to make, and the fruitiness will keep that smile on your face all day.

summer orchard on the rocks

Makes 1 cocktail

5-6 small basil leaves

1 tsp. sugar

1/4 peach, peeled and sliced

Juice of 1/2 lime

1/2 ounce simple syrup*

1 ounce rum

Crushed ice

1. Place basil and sugar in a cocktail shaker. Using a muddler, crush basil leaves and mash into sugar.

2. Add peach and crush.

3. Add lime juice, simple syrup, rum and ice. Place the top onto the shaker and shake it until sides feel chilly.

4. Strain into a glass with crushed ice and garnish with a basil leave. Voila!

*To make simple syrup, boil 1 part water and dissolve 1 part sugar. I used 1/2 cup of each and saved the rest. Make sure to chill in the freezer if you're making this at the last minute!

adapted from zestuous

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strawberry mojito

Makes 1 cocktail

1.5 ounces simple syrup

3 fresh strawberries, hulled

4-5 mint sprigs

Soda water

Juice of 1/2 lime

2 ounces light rum

1. In a chilled glass, muddle simple syrup, strawberries and mint leaves together. Crush the strawberries and mint well!

2. Squeeze juice from the lime into the glass, add the rum and stir well. 

3. Fill glass with ice and top off with soda water. Garnish with mint sprigs or strawberry slices.

adapted from white on rice couple

Gary's Garden

"Grow where you're planted."

Since age seven, my home away from home has been nestled in good 'ole Utica, Mississippi. For thirteen summers, I grew up at Henry S. Jacobs Camp, where I learned the core of my friendships, passions and Southern Judaism. This past Friday, my family and Alex drove four hours to the camp gates for a weekend of outdoor fun at a "southern pace," as the camp slogan reads.

Assistant Director Gary Brandt, who lives on camp property 365 days of the year, took his creative and outdoorsy skills to practice with his very own garden. He now grows herbs, fruits and vegetables where he, too, was planted: at Jacobs Camp. Every summer night during free time, campers join Gary to harvest vegetables, weed plants, and tend to the garden (and play with chickens!). What a remarkable lesson to teach kids at camp.

Before we headed back to Memphis, Gary took me garden pickin'. The greenness of his backyard was unreal. His garden is full of flavors, from swiss chard and eggplant to six types of mint and watermelon! We quickly filled tupperware with heaps of ingredients for future recipes.

Over the next few weeks, I will be posting dishes and drinks with basil, mint, eggplant, chard and other greens. I am still crafting recipes, so if you have any suggestions, comment below.

Thank you, Gary, for sharing your garden with me!

La Cucina de Garga (Florence)

Mama’s Italian cooking has never been so freakin’ fantastic.

During our Florence weekend last month, Hannah made our reservation to La Cucina de Garga just in time to witness the sunset at Boboli Gardens and Piazzale Michelangelo minutes beforehand. When we walked into a bar to buy a bottle of wine, the bartender even gave us three free wine glasses to take along with us. Talk about a unique but appropriate souvenir. And, not to mention, the perfect prop for a photo!

The eclectic restaurant’s turquoise and floral storefront stuck out in the cobblestone alley. We walked in ready to experience a classically divine Italian meal. We received that and so much more: excellent service, free foccacia and dessert, and so many laughable moments between the three of us.

As expected, we began with two key ingredients: bread and wine. Our endearing waiter brought us salted focaccia and followed up with a focaccia bruschetta with olive oil and marinara on the house.

Our appetizer, calamari con avocado y pomodorini, was a bright mix of sautéed calamari, avocado, cherry tomatoes and lemon dressing. I'd pick this over fried calamari any day.

Pictured above was the winner: linguine with clams. Not a single noodle sat on my plate after ten minutes. The light olive oil and garlic added so much zest to a classic. In fact, when I asked for parmesan, the waiter lightly scolded me for wanting to add cheese to a perfectly refined dish. He said the cheese would ruin my appreciation for the existing flavors! Interesting, huh.

Gotta love Italy.

Saint Emilion Old-fashioned Macarons

Down in good 'ole Bordeaux rests the beautiful region of Saint Emilion, a medieval treasure with villages, vineyards and the original macaron. I'm not referring to the Ladureé macaron mecca; these old-fashioned "biscuits" originated in the village of Saint Emilion centuries ago! 

Here's a sweet bit of history I scavenged:

"The recipe, believed to include the mix of sweet and bitter almonds, was a secret closely guarded by this small religious community and passed down through generations of the order until, in 1930, it passed into the hands of Madame Grandet. With the help of her family she opened the Blanchet Bakery at 9 rue Guadet. Three generations later and this small maison artisanale is a thriving business, where the recipe remains unchanged and the preparation and baking is still done by hand. Even the almonds are selected, roasted and powdered on site. Whilst other bakeries exist in St Emilion none have the right to bear the name St Emilion Macaroon (macaron in French)."     -Kerry Swash

We tried a bite of Madame Grandet's during our wine tour, and I was immediately determined to try these at home.

We were informed that old-fashioned macarons only require almonds, egg whites and sugar. This is true. However, after Googling the Saint Emilion recipe throughout my afternoon, I finally came across a European baker whose conversions threw me for a loop. Little did I realize how mathematical a baker must be. I acquired more research on conversions (I bookmarked this page for future reference) and, luckily, the ratio worked perfectly in my adapted recipe.

See those brown almond shell speckles in the macarons below? Yes, that's right. I made my own almond powder. It was a simple step that made all the difference in the consistency and taste.

My parents and I agreed, upon trying our macarons, that the Saint Emilion flavor was indeed present. Plus, they're only 105 calories per macaron biscuit! Bon Appetít.

saint emilion old-fashioned macarons

Makes 12 macaron biscuits

Per serving: 105 cal. | 5 g fat | 14 g carb | 3 g protein

6 oz. packaged sliced almonds
3/4 cup sugar, divided into two parts
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1. With a food processor, pureé almonds to a "powder" consistency (see photo above). Measure 1 1/4 cups of almond powder and place in medium mixing bowl.

2. Mix half of sugar with powdered almonds, add one egg white and stir well. Mix in second half of sugar before adding second egg white and almond extract.

3. Once ingredients are completely incorporated, leave to sit for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300 degrees.

4. Lightly grease or place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Use a tablespoon to scoop dough and drop 2 inches apart on baking sheet.

5. Bake for 20 minutes, opening oven door from time to time to help develop a crisp shell for the soft interiors.

6. Cool macarons completely on a wire rack before serving.

adapted from kerry swash at suite101.com

Rainbow Trout with Sugar Snaps and White Asparagus

Although I ate enough fine fare in Paris last month for an army, there's something about a home cooked summer meal that I still managed to crave. On the night I arrived back in Memphis, my mother handed me piles of magazine recipe cut-outs she had been collecting over the course of the month. Here's what we chose for the first July homemade dinner of many.

We managed to find some gorgeous black wild rice in the back of our pantry, which I simmered for an hour in organic chicken stock. It was a hearty bed for the trout and vegetables; not to mention, the colors contrasted nicely.

I will let you know that the cumin seasoning was not favored by my family members (my ultimate critics). Next time, under our roof, we are going to leave out the cumin and simply load on salt and pepper before broiling the trout. Do as you wish!

rainbow trout with sugar snaps & white asparagus

Makes 4 servings

4 whole rainbow trout
Cooking spray
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 lime, halved
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved diagonally
1/2 cup shallots, sliced vertically
Small bundle white asparagus, peeled and cut into 3 inch pieces on the diagonal
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

1. Preheat broiler to high.

2. Arrange trout fillets on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Squeeze lime juice over trout, then sprinkle with cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Broil 5 minutes until fish flakes easily with a fork.

3. While fish cooks, heat a medium skillet over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil and shallots. After two minutes, add asparagus, snap peas and pine nuts. Cook 3 minutes or until peas are bright green and nuts are lightly toasted, stirring frequently. Stir in dill and remaining salt. Serve over trout.

adapted from cooking light magazine

Bread and Roses (Paris)

In the heart of the Madeleine/Concorde districts, Paris meets Beverly Hills. Designer boutiques and frilly cafés welcome the classiest array of Parisians and tourists. Needless to say, I felt a bit out of place arriving in my white jeans and tank, but Bread and Roses' reputation and gorgeous menu convinced us to enter. We wanted to splurge on a delicious salad and chic lunch experience. And we got just that.

Although the mediterranean vegetable tart is a typical entreé, we split it three-ways as an appetizer. The rich goat cheese, buttery pastry crust and lightly roasted veggies combined effortlessly. The fresh fig slice on top was a sweet extra touch.

The restaurant is also known for its fine salads. I had trouble choosing between the ten options because, honestly, every single one sounded delicious. Madison and Hannah both ordered the grande salade of shrimp, avocado, grapefruit, haricot verdes and grilled chicken. The vinaigrette was super light, highlighting each ingredient well. I enjoyed the buratta des pouilles salad, which was served deconstructed to showcase each element. The red, green and yellow field tomatoes were beautiful, the olive tapenade was addicting, and the bundled buratta in olive oil was gooey yet mild. My only complaint was the dryness of the cornbread, but I just used the table bread instead.

We loved our lunch so much...we had to come back for breakfast!

They're known from their brioche (tea bread), and now I see why. It's like a buttery, flaky version of challah. I couldn't get enough of it. The portion was so large, Hannah, her mom and I couldn't even finish it!

The fresh pressed orange juice was delightful. Bread & Roses stresses that they do not make this juice before it is ordered! I believe it. It tasted just like my orange-grapefruit pressed juice at Colette earlier in the week. I wish Paris adopted the concept of free refills...

Ah, the scone. This Bread & Roses specialty is served with strawberry jam, butter and real whipped cream. The pastry is dense but sweet with huge raisins. I was demanded to try a scone before leaving Paris, and I'm so glad it was my final meal before heading to the airport!