Do you remember my pickle pear liqueur, which turned out to really be called sickle pear liqueur?  Making fruit liquor is pretty easy. In Japan, when green plums (unripened plum) are available in June, many people make their own umeshu (plum wine). I know Mitsuwa market in New Jersey has the whole kit (plum, liquor, rock sugar and a jar) for a very very limited time in June, and I asked my colleague to check and see if they have it. He forgot, and now it’s already July, the season is over. Damn.

So I was walking through the Greenmarket the other day, and found green plums. They are definitely different from what is used in Japan, but I liked the color, and decided to tackle another batch of fruit liqueur. This time, this will be a New York State green plum liqueur.

As you can see, they are green, and although they look unripe, they are actually ripe. I researched around to see if I can make plum liquor with ripened plums, and there was some mention of, “you can also use ripen plums, which will be sweeter than regular plum wine”. Sounds good enough for me.

So I washed them, try to pick the belly button (which results in bitter aftertaste, apparently), and dumped them into a big jar.

No local Japanese grocery store had rock sugar (koori-sato), so I rented a Zipcar and went to Mitsuwa. I don’t know if the FDA has changed some regulation, but even Mitsuwa didn’t have rock sugar. I was pissed, but then saw brown rock sugar. I remembered that “brown sugar plum wine” is getting very good reviews in Japan.

I had no idea about the validity of using brown rock sugar, but I was like, what the hell, I need sweetness of sugar, brown or white, it’s the same difference.

So I had two pounds of plum, 300gram (1 package) of brown rock sugar, and magnum bottle (1.75 liters) of cheap vodka in a jar.  It looks a bit poopy.

Two days later, the liquid is very dark.

I will be able to drink this in the fall, and will let you know how good or bad it turns out.

Fig season is upon us! They are like fleshy pink dewdrop kisses that look like… don’t make me say it. Don’t!

…

Fine, they look like VAGINA, ok? OK?? Happy now? God, you guys are such perverts!

No seriously, they do, right? They are such sexual creatures! Turns out, they really are quite the promiscuous fruit. Look what Wiki says:

The syconium often has a bulbous shape with a small opening (the ostiole) at the outward end that allows access to pollinators. The flowers are pollinated by very small wasps that crawl through the opening in search of a suitable place to lay eggs. Without this pollinator service fig trees cannot reproduce by seed. In turn, the flowers provide a safe haven and nourishment for the next generation of wasps. This accounts for the frequent presence of wasp larvae in the fruit, and has led to a coevolutionary relationship.

Wasps and figs. Getting it on, reproducing, providing one another with “nourishment”. Mmmhmmm, I get it.

So, homosapiens: It’s time to go get your fig on, before they exit the markets in a blink of an eye and we are left limp, waiting for them to reproduce as they hump wasps all year long.

What whores!

I am still MO-ing. Just like many of my other endeavors, I have the tendency to keep tackling something until I am satisfied. I think I am nearing the end of this MO-Journey. There are endless ways to create MO-Desserts, and as I said last week, you can substitute regular flour with rice flour for many cakes, cookies, etc. I’ve made a couple of cakes, but they are not that distinctive or much of the MO-element, so it’s not as fun.

By the way, I have to adjust the recipe for CreMO Brulee.  Instead of 1/4 cup of rice flour, you should actually use 1/3 cup so that it thickens nicely. Also if you want to make sure the batter to solidify, you should add a packet of gelatin. I realized 1/4 cup of flour won’t make it thick enough, and ends up being too runny.

Spring has finally sprung, and just like every year, spring seems to be gone already based on this past weekend’s weather. I saw a bundle of rhubarb at green market, and thought about using this as part of this week’s MO-ing, using CreMO Brulee as the base.

First I made rhubarb jam type of concoction. I had about 2 pounds of rhubarb, and added about a cup of sugar. Cook until it looks like jam.

Instead of milk this week, I used coconut milk. Just like the regular method, use 1/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup rice flour, and 600ml coconut milk. I added a packet of gelatin this time.

I poured jam on top of the Coconut Milk CreMO. I forgot to take a pic of final product. Oops.

The result? Everyone loved it, but I didn’t. The rhubarb was a bit too sour for me, and I don’t like coconut flavored desserts in general. It tasted like something you might find in Southeast Asia. The sweet and sour combination was brilliant though, so I guess it works.

Then I found nicely ripen mango at a street vendor, and tried to make mango pudding, combined with the regular vanilla CreMO Brulee base.

I cut up five mangoes.

Blend them with a bit of milk. Since these mangoes were super sweet, no need to add sugar.

Then I heated up one cup of milk, with a packet of gelatin. Mix together.

First pour the vanilla CreMO-base, wait until it sets, then pour mango on top.

The result?  Horrible. The CreMO part didn’t settle too well, and mango part ended up being too solid. The mixture of vanilla flavored CreMO and mango didn’t go well at all.

I think this is a sign that I should move on to a new obsession.

I bought these quince blossoms in Brooklyn. Often an early bloom, quince blossoms are a promising sign of spring amidst all the snow in New York City.

In Japan, the start of the satsuma mikan (tangerine) season is truly the mark of winter. It’s a specific breed of oranges that are sweet like honey and the skin just peels right off.

My folks have a satsuma tree in the backyard. Lucky me! Here’s my bounty for the week– there I am in my red clogs!

When picking the oranges off the tree, I imagine grandmothers, fathers and children huddling inside the kotastu (a heated, blanketed table), drinking tea, and gobbling these up on a snowy day in Japan.

A very warm, joyous holiday season to you and yours. I love you guys!

Nate took me to the Barrio Logan section of San Diego, which I adored. Colorful houses and storefronts dotted the streets, signs were in Spanish, and grocery shops boasted three avocados for a $1. BARGAINTIME.

It’s that sort of neighborhood– still predominantly catering to the Mexican community (it’s dubbed El Barrio for chrissake) and won’t break the bank in all things culinary. In this economy, or in any economy, it’s so necessary.

When we first drove past Patty’s Fruitland while looking for parking, I knew I had to go in. The front is painted watermelon pink, and it’s called Patty’s Fruitland! How awesome is that?

Nate had other plans for me for lunch (which I’ll get into in my next post), but my wish was granted when we walked by afterwards.

Patty’s Real Fruit Cornucopia.

Patty’s menu has all sorts of stuff: salads, juices, smoothies, tortas, even hotdogs. I need to try the “Especial Torta Loca” next time.

I had a huge lunch (you’ll see), so I just wanted a simple agua fresca. I didn’t see those waterfall fountain machines anywhere in the shop, so I asked the guy behind the counter if he had any agua frescas. He stared at me blankly, as if it say, “Stop asking me stupid questions, we’re a juice bar, of course I do.”

He didn’t say that though and was really sweet and asked me what fruit I wanted. Watermelon? Pineapple? Mango? Papaya it is.

I heard ice. The blender went offs. He scooped in some papayas. Et voila! I have never had FRESH, made-to-order agua fresca before. It was awesome!!!

I pulled out a wad of cash, expecting to shell out at least $5. It is fresh papaya, afterall. He rang me up. ONE DOLLAR AND 75 CENTS. WAAA!!! I was totally floored and had to ask him twice how much it was. No really dude, how much. Cheapest juice drink ever! I’m NEVER going to Jamba Juice EVER AGAIN. Nor am I buying any too-sticky-sweet juice in a bottle. Flying to San Diego and going to Patty’s would be much cheaper.

Plus, I can enjoy the sweet street art.

PATTY’S FRUITLAND
1789 National Ave
San Diego, CA
T: 619.231.1252

Perhaps you were thinking that the cocktails presented here in Happy Hour are too fussy. And perchance you wondered if there are drinks you could make that could astonish your tastebuds without inducing exhaustion from the process. You do, after all, have lots to do until the end of the year–plan the Thanks-stealing menu, prepare the food, tidy up the home for the guests, do your gift shopping, etc, etc, etc.

Well sometimes those same thoughts cross my mind as well. To that end, I thought this week would be a great opportunity to share some drink recipes that pair wonderfully with your dearth of free time–drinks I created that are simple combos of a soda and a spirit. A couple of them are so simple that you could let your guests make their own while you do your thing in the kitchen, and a couple involve just a little more prep time (but still not much) if you find yourself up for it.

And you need not worry about measuring with too much precision either, as all the recipes call for the amount of spirits you find most suitable–for me about an ounce of liquor does it, as I like to keep them light and refreshing. Best of all you won’t need any shakers or other paraphernalia other than something to stir with. Just remember to use quality sodas (no artificial flavors, colors, or corn syrup).

Grape & Grain (above left)
Rye whiskey (Old Overholt is a great inexpensive choice)
Grape soda (used Fizzy Lizzy)

Fill highball glass with ice and pour in the whiskey. Top with the soda and give a light stir.

It’s really amazing how the rye and grape soda combine in this drink to produce the distinct flavor of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on rye bread. You really have to try it for yourself.

The Double Apple (above right)
Laird’s Applejack
Apple soda (Fizzy Lizzy or Martinelli’s sparkling cider works well)
Fee Brothers Rhubarb Bitters

Fill highball glass with ice and pour in the applejack. Add a dash of the bitters, top with soda, and lightly stir.

Caribbean Cherry (above right)
Anejo rum (El Dorado 15 Yr is magnificent here)
Cherry soda (used Sparkling Italian Cherry soda from Whole Foods’ 365 brand)
Splash of lime juice

You know the drill by now. Rum to taste and soda to top. Don’t forget the splash of fresh lime.

Although you can use a light rum, a quality aged rum like El Dorado 15 takes the drink into another stratosphere. Equally important is the soda you use–as with all the recipes here–as the flavor of real cherry juice is essential.

Improved Greyhound (above left)
Vodka
Grapefruit soda (Fizzy Lizzy makes a great unsweetened soda)
Rosemary-honey syrup (recipe below)
Fee Brothers Grapefruit Bitters

Same routine as above with the addition of 1/2 ounce of rosemary-honey syrup and a dash of the bitters.

This is the fanciest that it gets, which is not really fancy at all. The rosemary-honey syrup recipe below takes about 15 minutes to make, as you’ll see below. And you can batch everything except the soda ahead of time for easy service for guests.

Rosemary-honey syrup
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup honey
3-4 tablespoons dried rosemary

Put rosemary and water in small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Strain out the rosemary and mix the honey with the water until completely diluted. Pour into a bottle and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

These drinks are all essentially highballs, which are basically drinks comprised of a spirit and a mixer (traditionally soda water). They are simple recipes with big rewards. They allow you to create intriguing flavor combinations in a short of amount of time, and will have your guests regarding you as a mixological wiz in the process.

Nowadays there are so many new, interesting flavors of artisinal sodas on the market that you can easily come up with a combination of your own. Besides, it’s high time your soda received a serious upgrade, and trust me your guests and your tastebuds will both be thankful for it. Cheers!

*Got a cocktail question? Hit me on twitter @paystyle, email me at payman(at)lifesacocktail(dot)com, or simply drop me a comment below!

**Paystyle was born in Tehran and grew up in Los Angeles (aka Tehrangeles) before moving to Brooklyn with his wife and co-pilot Vanessa Bahmani who provides the stunning photography of Pay’s cocktail concoctions. Return every Wednesday for his weekly Happy Hour column.

When I saw Merriberry’s beautiful apricot tree budding with gorgeous blush-hued fruit, I knew just what I wanted to do: JAM IT! This would be my first time attempting such an arduous-sounding project, and arduous it would indeed end up being. All in all however, it was well worth all the spills, burns and bottling disasters!

I’m gonna write my apricot jam adventure in various posts- I went through so many different recipes, all which were so long and intimidating-sounding that it took me a couple days to toughen up and start the jamming session. Let’s not do that here.

So let’s get started! This is all well worth the hard work, I promise. Just make sure that you set aside an entire afternoon OR do what I did and plan on about four hours over two days.

As I said, I went through multiple apricot jam recipes, and although I took a few tips from here or there, I mostly went with this one by a guy named Jens. It’s a recipe that has been in his family for generations, and it seemed easy enough, even without any pictures to go with the instructions. Also, I just liked the his webpage- it’s welcoming.

So I went over to Christi’s and came back with a huge bag of apricots. Jens says to use under-ripe apricots, although another recipe said to use super ripe ones. I used both- some were still yellow, others were bruised and browning. That’s the great thing about jamming, you can use the fruit that is too expired to eat fresh (as long as it’s not molding).

I washed about 2-3 pounds of the apricots. Jens’ recipe calls for fresh lemon juice and sugar. That’s it! No pectin in this recipe! Make sure you also have your glass jars too- I’ll go over sterilizing them in the next post.

With Jens’ recipe, for ever one cup of apricots (depitted- but keep the pits for later!)…

…gets 3/4 cup sugar…

…and 1.5 teaspoon of lemon juice…

All my apricots amounted to about ten or so cups of apricots. I nearly used the entire bag of sugar!!! Some recipes called for less sugar, although Jens says to not skimp on this. Looking back, this may depend on the ripeness of your fruit, or how sweet you would like the jam to be for your personal liking.

Mix this around until the sugar, apricots and lemon are all evenly distributed. Make sure you use a big enough pot too- as you can see above, I vainly tried to fit all the fruit into my Le Crueset. Fail!!

Some recipes I saw said to take this out and put in a bowl- but considering that it’s gotta go back in here to stew it all, that sounds tedious. Jens says to put this aside for at least two hours. I had to run to work and saw in another recipe that it can stay overnight in the fridge, so I did that.

Next up, I’ll sterilize the bottles!

After making my umeshu and bottling it up for indulgence in October, I became restless. I wanted to make more while I waited for three months. But this time I wanted to try another fruit. After discussing it over with a veteran Japanese fruit liqueur-maker (my ex-coworker), she suggested I try biwashu (“biwa” is a fruit and “shu” is the word for liquor in Japanese). You might remember biwa from Kayoko’s post last month.

One of the pros of making biwashu is that it only takes one month to mature. Therefore, by the time I am looking out my window watching the neighborhood kids burning their fireworks for obon festivities in August, I’ll be sipping on some ice-cold biwashu on the rocks.

The ingredients are simple:

6 large biwa
750ml liquor (white liquor, vodka or rum)
50 grams of rock sugar

When choosing your biwa, make sure they don’t have many imperfections where dirt can hide. The Japanese are anal about their fruit and package them like jewels. This pack of 6 biwa cost me 500 yen ($5).

As mentioned above, you can get creative with your liquor. I used white liquor, but you can substitute with vodka or rum. I actually wanted to try rum, but my local supermarket did not have any.

Although rock sugar is preferred, you can used regular granulated sugar as well.

Directions:

Wash the container that you will put the liquor in. Clean the biwa by soaking them in water for 5 minutes. Dry them with a paper towel.

Add the biwa and rock sugar into the container.

Add liquor.

Seal the container and wait for one month. Fruit liqueurs taste better the longer you let them sit, so ideally this should be stored for six months. I know I won’t be that patient though.