Category: Small swigs

The beginning of summer deserves a new drink. I was exposed to tejate in a food market in Oaxaca, where masa (processed -nixtamalized- corn) and water was being mixed manually. The process looked both impressive and intriguing (see also my Instagram post). And, the concept of masa in a cacao drink is equally fascinating. Lacking talent and patience, I resort to a high powered blender, substituting hyper-local flora with baru nuts (of South American origin) and a final spike (Cacao liqueur)!! This was my Memorial Day holiday’s final drink- a resounding hit. Enjoy!

SPECIAL TOOLS:

High powered blender.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 3 small drinks.

• 2 tbsps (toasted) baru nuts + 2 tbsp good quality cacao powder + 2 tbsp masa harina
• 2 cups coconut water + 1/2 cup ice
• 1 dash of salt + 1 tsp almond essence 1 tbsp of maple syrup
• cacao liqueur (optional)

METHOD

Run all ingredients, except liqueur, in blender till well mixed. Serve chilled, with a dash (or more) of cacao liqueur.

NOTES, HINTS, TIPS:

1. You could use any other nut like almonds or cashews.
2. I wanted to use lilac flowers, but I missed the blooming season by a week or so. Alas! May be next year. Orange blossoms or lavender or bergamot could be very good choices too (they are in my list to-experiment list)
3. Even coffee liqueur is a good choice.

I approached the traditional coffee in Istanbul with some trepidation –having heard quite aplenty about strong, unfiltered coffee– But I was mildly surprised with how good and addictive the coffee was (with a dash of sugar). Not at all uncommon to find little, medium or more sugar in the coffee of Istanbul denizens. The coffee is generally served with water (in a little 2 oz glass) and the quintessential confection, a Turkish delight.

The coffee sets with the tiny coffee cups and matching trays, in engraved copper, looked very enticing in Grand Bazaar. I instantly succumbed. I also bought a matching coffee pot (cezve) with intricate carvings in the body and the characteristic long handle. It looked so small to me that I mistook it for a single-cup pot and complained to the shopkeeper; he promptly pointed me to an even tinier (single-cup) pot.

There are even electric coffee makers that one of my Turkish hostesses used, claiming she even carried them with her when she traveled. But I had been seduced by the copper stove-top ones. The coffee is surprisingly easy to make. Here goes.

Coffee grounds: The Turkish coffee ground is very, very fine. Like flour. If you grind your own, use your finest setting. If you use a scale, then approx 7 gms per cup. By volume, 1/2 tbsp (or 1 1/2 tsp) grounds per cup. Each Turkish cup is about 2 oz (a demitasse).

Extraction: For 1 cup (approx 2 oz) of coffee, place 1/2 tbsp ground coffee in a dry cezve. Note, the 2 serving cezve is about 6 oz. Using the serving cup as a measure, pour 1 cup of water into the pot. Mix well. Then place on very low heat. Do NOT stir. In a few minutes, the mixture froths and begins to rise from the sides. Quickly pour about half the contents into the cup with the crema on top. Then put the pot back on the heat and let the remaining half froth up again for the final time. Then pour the second half into the cup. The crema on top is a sign of a good extraction (just like an Italian espresso, although the latter is filtered).

My way: I experimented with half milk and half water OR all milk, instead of all water. And, no sugar. It has been consistently turning out great. With rich crema. Enjoy the way or my way!!

While fourth of July is best celebrated in the time of Covid-19 in responsible and measured isolation, here is an incredible summer bubbly to cheer you up! Homemade kombucha is used here, but farmers market or store bought is equally uplifting. Baobab debuted only recently, but is already heading towards becoming the queen of the pantry!

SPECIAL TOOLS:

None.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 tsp Baobab powder
• 1 cup kombucha (chilled)
• 1 tsp honey (optional)

METHOD

Place the powder in a glass. Pour the kombucha over the powder, mix with wire whisk so the powder is blended (few seconds). Serve immediately.

NOTES, HINTS, TIPS:

1. If using honey, first mix it well with the powder, using the wire whisk, before adding the kombucha.
2. The Baobab powder adds a little citrus, but a lot of fizz!

This year on Labor day, a planned kayaking trip was shot by inclement weather. An idle mind is the devil’s playground, so goes a wise saying, and, here is a devilish drink that tastes even better than it looks! Even if the earthy beet juice is your thing, try this version that elevates it to a festive shot. Enjoy!

Special tools:

Cold press juicer, Sparkling water maker.

Ingredients

• 2 oz cold-pressed beet juice (red or golden)
• 2 oz homemade (chilled) sparkling water
• a dash of ginger-honey balsamic

Method

Place the juice and the balsamic in a serving glass. Pour the sparkling water over it and serve.

Notes, hints, tips:

1. A cold press (masticating) juicer is used here to extract the juice from a bunch of beets. You can always replace with store-bought juice.
2. If you don’t make your sparkling water at home, you could replace with store-bought one.
3. Let your creativity run wild in finding a replacement for ginger-honey balsamic 🙂

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) creeps into every crevice of life, fear looms about if AI will surpass human dominance. Society’s giants have weighed in cautioning researchers and inventors. And, Ted talks abound on both sides of the debate. Once when I was giving a public talk in Netherlands, I was heckled by a small group: an animated exchange ensued with the moderator (in a language foreign to me; hence the hecklers really failed to agitate me). I surmise that they were staunch luddites worried about AI elbowing humans out of the way. I only wish AI was that “intelligent”. Then AI could plough through all the data and demystify cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s. Then we, the mere mortals, could follow through with inventing deliverable cures.

You may be surprised to learn that AI has already made inroads into the kitchen with cookbooks authored by computer programs. Occasionally at the cafeteria, at my place of work, we are presented with dishes designed by a computer program (executed by our intrepid resident Chef). While the results are commendable, I hesitate to endorse the creativity of AI. What could impress me, you ask. Let me give you two food inventions of this century that came out of human intelligence: GABA rice and aquafaba. The former is a technique of cooking nutritious rice and the latter is a mind-blowing egg-white substitute (no, it’s not one of those protein isolates). If AI generated an idea even 10 notches below the brilliance of these, I will concede in a heart-beat.

Before I get back to the core of this posting, I would be remiss if I do not reiterate the significance and role AI in modern society. As mind-numbing tasks are being handed over to AI, like suggesting your next favorite movie, or automatically organizing your photos, or vacuuming your floor, it will be long long time before it can get stunningly creative.

Now to aquafaba, the amazing ingredient. My friends had raved about Pisco Sour, a frothy Peruvian cocktail, but I always hung back when I saw egg whites go into the cocktail shaker. When I learned that aquafaba (bean water) is an excellent substitute for egg whites, I followed a classic Pisco Sour recipe with the substitute. The result was brilliant! Enjoy. [Also check out the aquafaba version of Ayurvedic Shot]

Special tools:.

Vitamix Aer or a cocktail shaker.

Ingredients

• 1 oz Pisco + 1 oz aquafaba [see below] + 1 oz fresh lemon juice + ¾ ounce simple syrup + 2-3 ice cubes
• few drops of Grapefruit bitters

Method

Mix all the ingredients, except bitters, in a cocktail shaker or the Vitamix Aer. Pour the frothy drink into a glass and splash 2-3 drops of bitters (serves 1).

Notes, hints, tips:

1. You can make the aquafaba yourself as below or simply use the liquid from canned garbanzo. Make sure it is unsalted.
2. Pisco is a strong Peruvian brandy, made from white grapes. You could use 2 oz per serving for a stronger version.
3. Simple syrup: Dissolve equal amount, by volume, of sugar and water, in a microwavable cup. Nuke for 30 secs and stir. Cool.
4. Homemade Aquafaba: Soak 2 cups garbanzo beans overnight. Add water (about 1 cm only above the layer of beans). Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to low simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. [Check after 1 hour with a bite-test and decide if it needs more cooking.] Remove the cooked beans—these should be still holding their shape—with a slotted spoon. Do not mash the beans into the water. Thicken the water on heat for another 15 mins. This makes about 3 ½ oz of aquafaba (see picture below). You could cool it in the fridge. Do not be alarmed to see it gel (like aspic). See pictures below for possibly different consistencies that you may get at different runs (left & center).
   The cooked garbanzo can be used for other recipes- hummus, chole, falafal etc.