Adult Beverage Time

A couple of weeks ago, a friend invited me to a play at the Ahmanson Theatre downtown.  We were there 45 minutes to an hour before showtime.  It was a lovely, early Summer evening, people were milling about the venue complex, having a drink or grabbing a quick bite to eat before the show.  We did the same.  She came back from the Mexican spot carrying a tumbler that was close to spilling over.  I knew it was for me.  I guessed sangria and asked before taking a sip.  Winey, fruity, and chilled.  It was a little too sweet, but that didn't keep me from drinking the whole thing.  Just enough to take the edge off the tension of driving cross-city to get from the Westside to downtown and not being too late.

For the past two weeks, I've been thinking about that sangria.  Thinking about how much I like sangria and why have I never made it myself.  I guess I think of it as a party drink, something that you make knowing there will be at least a couple people to share it.  The first time I had sangria was just such a scenario.  A Summer get-together, with a lot of food, a lot of drink, a lot of hospitality, and a pool involved.  That just doesn't happen here.  There are no pool parties, no cook-outs, no picnics.  I can make an old fashioned for myself and it's okay.  It seems kind of silly to make a whole pitcher.  But I decided to throw those thoughts out the window and make myself some damned sangria.  It was a holiday after all.  A day with nowhere to be and if I wanted to drink the whole thing myself, I could!

Can I tell you that one of the reasons I've been hesitant to make it is because I was afraid I'd screw it up?  Crazy, right?  I thought if I was missing some crucial element it would be disastrous and that ideal in my head would be gone forever.  Silly, silly me.  So in the name of quick research, I went to Pinterest.  Trusty Pinterest.  And found the best sangria pin EVER (even among the many sangria pins I've pinned to my board!).  The pin is not so much a recipe as a GUIDE, so I know where to improvise, see what's important, and what can be cut back or eliminated all together.  It's just what I needed.

I love how it doesn't have to cost a lot, unless you're making pitchers and pitchers full.  I fully encourage taking advantage of less expensive wines.  The 3/$10.00 Tisdale wines at Sprouts was just right, and use the seasonal fruit that you'll be able to find for good prices.  You probably have Cointreau, brandy, or rum in your liquor cabinet already.  I did not drink the whole pitcher in one day.  In fact, there is half a pitcher still chilling in the fridge.  The weekend isn't quite over yet.  Come this evening, I'll be pouring a glass.

Summer Sangria
Makes 1 pitcher

1 bottle (750ml) red wine (I used the Tisdale Sweet Red)
3 oz triple sec (or Cointreau)
1 cup club soda
1 6-oz package raspberries 
1medium nectarines, cut in chunks
2 medium plums, sliced
1 medium orange, sliced 
Juice of one large orange
1 oz agave nectar
Orange slices, for garnish

In a medium to large pitcher, pour in the wine.  Add the raspberries, nectarine, and plums.  Stir.  Add the triple sec and orange juice, stirring to mix.  Add the club soda, agave nectar, and orange slices.  Mix thoroughly, tasting, and adding more agave if you see fit.  

Chill for at least 4 hours or longer.  Garnish each glass with a orange wedge before serving.  

A Small Bite Before the New Year

This is it...the last day of 2012.  The morning started off on an odd note...there was a weird power surge on my block.  Everything powered down and right back up and you could hear...something.  Don't ask me what caused it, because I have no idea.  I went outside this morning, saw my next door neighbour and asked him if he had the problem too...just to make sure it wasn't only me.  It seems only fitting...an odd occurrence for an odd year.

But it's time to move on and count down the few hours that remain until 2013 arrives here.  New Year's for me is still based on East Coast time, so I'll have my glass of cava at 9pm, watch the ball drop in Times Square, and most likely be in bed before it's midnight in Los Angeles.  Go ahead, say it...I really know how to party.

It's going to be a quiet night.  I'm still debating on what to make for dinner.  There's an excellent chance that dinner will be lots of nibbles.  A carryover from my last life...where my partner and I usually stayed in on New Year's Eve and had a table full of small bites, antipasto, and hors d'oeuvres the we grazed on over the span of the evening.

I have eggplant dip in the fridge, fresh ricotta I made the other day, and wine biscuits on the counter.  With as many times as I've made them, I'm surprised I haven't really mentioned them more on here.  One of my BFF's asked me to make wine biscuits for the birthday party she threw herself yesterday.  I had them ready last Thursday, but since I can't have them sitting around without being continually tempted, I made more yesterday afternoon before the party.  I replaced the ones I ate over the past couple of days, added a few more, and kept a little for myself.  They really are amazing little cracker-like biscuits and a perfect project if you have the remains of a bottle of wine sitting around.  For some of you, that may not happen, but when I open a bottle of red, I usually spare the half cup required for this recipe.  I've been meaning to try them with white wine, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

This recipe comes thanks to the wonderful King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion (I also think they have the recipe posted on their website).  I've done a little adapting, making them more savoury than sweet.  I use a lot of black pepper in them, loving the bite it gives them.  They pair fabulously with ricotta, drizzled with a little olive oil, scatter them onto a cheese plate, or do what I do...eat them by the handful on their own.

Happy New Year, everyone...I wish you all an amazing, successful, and prosperous year!

Wine Biscuits
Adapted from the King Arthur Baker's Companion

2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4-6 teaspoons sugar (I use 4, if you want them sweeter, use more)
2 teaspoons black pepper (I use about 3 tsp)
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons red wine
1/4 cup olive oil (or vegetable oil)

Whisk the olive oil and wine together.  In a mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients, then mix in the wine and oil.  I mix it by hand, but you can use a mixer.  Bring your dough together, then chill for at least an hour.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Split the dough into three pieces.  Roll out each piece and cut out biscuits with a 1 1/2 inch biscuit cutter.  You can also use a larger size if you want.  Place biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for 25 minutes, about 30-35 minutes if you make them larger.