Entries tagged with “Alcohol” from Sketchy's Kitchen
Normally, people buy soda siphons to carbonate water. They make seltzer, that's about it. When we were at WD~50, Jen had a drink that was made with carbonated vodka. Sure, you can cut vodka with seltzer, but it dilutes the vodka, and dilutes the c02 distribution in the drink. After scouring the web for ways to carbonate alcohol, I found a solution. I figured my wife might not like a 50 pound c02 tank under the sink, so I had to find a smaller alternative. I knew soda siphons carbonated water through a c02 charger, but could it do alcohol? Would that muck up the dispersion system? Are other people doing this? If so, where are their posts?This was actually pretty hard to find. I guess people don't play with mixology. I found one guy who was carbonating apple juice for his kids. If the siphons can do apple juice, they should be able to do alcohol. A quick test with water shows you one thing: you don't want to serve the alcohol under pressure if you want it to stay fizzy. Water gets everywhere if you fill the cup at the wrong angle. To remedy this problem, I removed the stem and charged the canister. Well, the stem is a two part device. Remove the straw part and put the plug back in place, then close and charge the canister. The top part of the stem forms a seal around the top of the canister. Without it, all the air escapes! You can use up to two cartridges for a full bottle.
Shake the canister for a few seconds, then place in the refrigerator. After two hours, retrieve the alcohol bottle and a funnel. Dispense the c02 in the canister by depressing the trigger, remove the top and plastic seals, then [b]slowly[/b] pour the alcohol back into the bottle. If you pour it too quickly, it will fizz all over the counter. With a quick rinse, the siphon is ready to make carbonated water again.
Last night I decided to take the Soda Siphon to another level. With help from an El Bulli recipe for a mojito, I transformed my siphon in to a kitchen beast with endless possibilities. I need to check the ratios, but take your mojito mix (I used mint from the back yard, limes, sugar, and rum), disperse 1 ½ sheets of gelatin in water, then strain and pour everything into the soda siphon. Once charged, it comes out frothy! It was a tasting experience. The foam is so punchy with the lime, but as it disperses into the liquid in the bottom of the cup, the flavor mellows.Jen commented on how strong the flavors were in the foam, but how they were very balanced by the end of the drink. I guess this has to do with the air molecules in the liquid. The gelatin is unnoticeable; the drink feels the same on your tongue, well, except for the foam part. This technique can apply to just about any drink.
The only problem with the siphon is that we seem to run out of water when Jen goes to get a glass for dinner. Aidan loves sparkling water in his juice
With Thanksgiving a little under two months away, I need to
start prepping. I have menu's to formulate and vodka to steep! I'm a big fan of Limoncello. I've make a batch or two a year. It's quite easy to make, cheaper then buying
it off the shelf, and good for gifts. There
are many recipes out there. Many call
for two bottles of alcohol. I think that thins out the lemon flavor too much.
It has 4 ingredients. This is the recipe I use. Go to Target and get a large glass jar with a rubber-gasket sealed top.
1 Liter vodka - I look for the 100 proof
15 lemons
3 1/2 cups of water
2 ½ cups of sugar
It's quite simple to do - wash and zest your lemons. I really hate the little ring zesters, they tend to dig in too deep, and waste so much of the rind. A regular vegetable peeler will do a fine job removing the top layer of the lemon. Don't dig down too deep - you don't want any of the white pith, the pith will turn the flavor to the bitter side.If you see some, scrape it off with a paring knife.
Take all the lemon zest and place it in a jar. Add the vodka and seal the jar.Keep this at room temperature in a cool and shady place.Shake the jar lightly every day.When you are at your halfway point (3 to 4 weeks) make a 'simple syrup' with the remaining ingredients.When it has cooled to room temperature, add the syrup to the mixture and return it to it's resting place.
A few days before you want to serve the limoncello, strain the mixture through cheesecloth once or twice. The lemon peels will be close to white in color. Transfer the limoncello to a serving container (old vodka bottles work well).You need something that will freeze without breaking.Freeze the mixture for a few days, it will not solidify, but thicken and pale in color.Serve it right from the freezer in cordial glasses.
If you want to give away the limoncello as gifts, look for small glass bottles that can be corked or have sealed lids. Pier One has some, and so does Bed Bath and Beyond. Just remember to wash them first.
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Last year I made my dad some honey-lavender biscotti. I've been trying to come up with other cooking uses for all the lavender in my back yard. Lavender goes very well with lemons, I think I will drop a few sprigs into the seeping lemons. It will also give me an excuse to harvest and dry the flowers. When the limoncello is halfway done, you can sample the flavor. It will blend more with age, but the halfway point is a good place to adjust flavors. If it needs more lemon, toss in some fresh zest, more sugar, add more syrup, etc.
I've tried using orange zest, the flavor is there, but it is too mellow. One of the great things about the lemons is the punch. The flavors are very strong. I suspect limes, or possibly grapefruit would infuse well, but the oranges just didn't do it for me.
It has 4 ingredients. This is the recipe I use. Go to Target and get a large glass jar with a rubber-gasket sealed top.
1 Liter vodka - I look for the 100 proof
15 lemons
3 1/2 cups of water
2 ½ cups of sugar
It's quite simple to do - wash and zest your lemons. I really hate the little ring zesters, they tend to dig in too deep, and waste so much of the rind. A regular vegetable peeler will do a fine job removing the top layer of the lemon. Don't dig down too deep - you don't want any of the white pith, the pith will turn the flavor to the bitter side.If you see some, scrape it off with a paring knife.
Take all the lemon zest and place it in a jar. Add the vodka and seal the jar.Keep this at room temperature in a cool and shady place.Shake the jar lightly every day.When you are at your halfway point (3 to 4 weeks) make a 'simple syrup' with the remaining ingredients.When it has cooled to room temperature, add the syrup to the mixture and return it to it's resting place.
A few days before you want to serve the limoncello, strain the mixture through cheesecloth once or twice. The lemon peels will be close to white in color. Transfer the limoncello to a serving container (old vodka bottles work well).You need something that will freeze without breaking.Freeze the mixture for a few days, it will not solidify, but thicken and pale in color.Serve it right from the freezer in cordial glasses.
If you want to give away the limoncello as gifts, look for small glass bottles that can be corked or have sealed lids. Pier One has some, and so does Bed Bath and Beyond. Just remember to wash them first.
--------------
Last year I made my dad some honey-lavender biscotti. I've been trying to come up with other cooking uses for all the lavender in my back yard. Lavender goes very well with lemons, I think I will drop a few sprigs into the seeping lemons. It will also give me an excuse to harvest and dry the flowers. When the limoncello is halfway done, you can sample the flavor. It will blend more with age, but the halfway point is a good place to adjust flavors. If it needs more lemon, toss in some fresh zest, more sugar, add more syrup, etc.
I've tried using orange zest, the flavor is there, but it is too mellow. One of the great things about the lemons is the punch. The flavors are very strong. I suspect limes, or possibly grapefruit would infuse well, but the oranges just didn't do it for me.
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