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Maria writes: "This traditional Brazilian drink prepared with cachaca is all the rage in Europe and the US now. I guess you could say it used to be Brazil's best-kept secret, now it's the connoisseur's cocktail of choice from New York City to Miami, commanding hefty prices. (The first time I had one outside Brazil was in 1995: I walked into a small bar in Domodossola, a small city in northern Italy near the Swiss border, and had a great caipirinha prepared for me by an Italian barman who loves Brazilian music!) Enjoy!" Caipirinha Wash the lime and roll it
on the board to loosen the juices. Cut the lime into pieces and place them in a glass. Sprinkle
with the sugar and crush the pieces (pulp side up) with a pestle. (We have a long, wooden one
from Brazil, made specifically for this purpose.) Just enough to release the juice, otherwise
it'll get bitter. Add the cachaca and stir to mix. Add the ice and stir again. It is delicious
and potent! You can also make a pitcher
of caipirinha. Figure out how many people and multiply amounts. If you can't find cachaca where
you live, use a good vodka. The drink will then be called caipiroshka. No vodka? Use white rum
and you will have a caipiríssima. Caipirinhas made with sake are all the rage in Rio now! Try
one. The city of Paraty gave its
name to the drink: parati is a synonym for cachaca. Other words for it include: pinga, caninha,
branquinha, malvada. There are tours of distillers in the state of Minas Gerais, much in the
same way as you'd tour vineyards in Sonoma Valley or in France, with the added bonus of their
famous regional cuisine. Cachaca has also inspired many famous Brazilian songs, "Moda da Pinga"
and the famous carnaval song "Cachaca" are my favorites. You can use cachaca to flambe bananas
and other food; add it to hot chocolate and even to coffee; marinate pork loin and pork chops,
etc. Copyright Sheila Thomson. All rights reserved. Vino's House Negroni A good friend of mine described
the Negroni as "the perfectly balanced cocktail when made correctly." I've got to agree. The
richness of the gin, the bitter-sweetness of the Campari, the balancing acidity of the vermouth.
Measure it out if you have to, free pour if you're confident enough, just make it. This is a
great old-school drink that originated in the 1930's, and is making a comeback today. Big ups
for this very refreshing adult beverage.
1 part Gin Fill your cocktail
shaker halfway with ice, dump in the booze, shake then strain into a chilled martini
glass and garnish with a twist of lemon. A note on the gin: I love
Tanqueray, but with this drink I actually prefer the less assertive flavor of a
Gordon's Dry Gin or a similar mid-range gin. And also if you look in a vintage bar
guide, it will invariably say 1 part sweet vermouth with no
dry vermouth. But I was shown this half-and-half method by the bartender at Bix
in San Francisco (a great "must stop" bar for you martini fans!) and this rounds out
the flavors perfectly. Cheers! - BB Hot on the
heels of our Tuscan White Beans with Tomatoes and Garlic (see below), we are
inspired to share another spring dish that you must add to your repertoire.
My sister served up this wonder for dinner the other night with a simple green
salad and loaf of fresh bread, and we were all in nirvana. And, I must say,
the '97 Edmeades Zin I brought along was a brilliant choice. Sorry to say, it's
all gone, but you can make the Lamb Shanks with Lentils anytime. We'd highly
recommend one of our Zins
to slosh it down with. To serve
4 to 6 1 lb. dried
lentils (2 cups), rinsed Heat oven
to 400 degrees. Combine first eight ingredients in a deep roasting pan or dutch
oven and stir; bring to a boil on top of the stove, then nestle lamb shanks
among lentils. Cover pan (or use aluminum foil) and place in oven. Lower heat
to 350 degrees and let cook, undisturbed, for about an hour. Uncover and
stir lentils gently. Season with salt and pepper. Re-cover and cook at least
an hour more until lentils are very tender and the meat begins to pull away
from the bone. (Don't worry about overcooking the lentils - just make sure the
lamb is done.) If you're cooking this all day, turn the oven down low and let
it stay warm, checking occasionally. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve. Appropriate
to any time of year when there's a chill in the air and your body cries out
for hearty fare, we've got classic Italian comfort food that will
pair perfectly with one of our stunning Chianti
Classicos. Make up a pot of this amazing dish
(with or without grilled sausages and an arugula salad with chevre and toasted
hazelnuts), serve it with ciabatta and one of our Italian reds and you'll have
everyone eating out of your hand. Hint:
have a bottle of one of our fine Italian
olive oils (call the store) on the table to drizzle over your beans.
Perfetto! Fagioli
all'Uccelletto To serve
4 to 6 4 c. canned
cannellini or small white beans or 1 1/2 c. dry white kidney, marrow, Great
Northern, or Navy beans If you are
using dry beans, combine them with the stock and water in a large dutch oven
and bring them to a boil over high heat. Boil briskly for 2 minutes, remove
the pan from the heat and let the beans soak for 1 hour. In the meantime, pour
yourself a glass of rosso (how else will you know if it's any good for your
guests/family?) and prepare the other ingredients. Fry the bacon until well
done but not crisp and pour off half the grease. Add the olive oil, onions and
garlic to the bacon and saute till tender. Add the sage and saute for 30 seconds.
Add to the beans along with the rest of the ingredients. There should be just
enough liquid to barely cover the beans. If there isn't, add more. Bring to
a boil, then simmer for at least 90 minutes or up to several hours. This is
even better if you can make it the day ahead so the flavors combine and the
beans soften. Serve in large bowls with olive oil on the table to drizzle and
pepper to grind on top. Enjoy! Find
us in Portland, Oregon, at 1226 SE Lexington St., Portland, OR 97202. Phone
503.235.8545 (toll free dial 1.888.922.8545)
or simply e-mail vinobuys@qwest.net.
Hours:
Tuesday through Saturday, 10:30am to 6pm (Friday 'til 7:30). |
The Caipirinha