Salty Dog Blog

SALTED, NOT STIRRED: A Salty Twist on New and Traditional Cocktails

SALTED, NOT STIRRED

Monday, March 1, marks the beginning of “meteorological spring.” Seriously. Those weather people are talking about it. It doesn’t seem possible, with winds howling and snow accumulating. So, with skepticism and yet hope, we thought it would be fun to bring you a few winter warmer cocktails, while the storms still rage, yet adding one or two lighter drinks to remind us of all the good, toasty days that lie ahead with the promise of summer.  

Keep in mind, these are not your average cocktails. As you know, we love flavor and salt, so we’ve matched some favorite, classic sips along with an innovative salty twist or two.  

IT'S ABOUT THYME

A delightful herbal cocktail, lightly sweetened, utilizing salt in the drink instead of as a rimmer.  The key is to steep fennel thyme salt in the honey syrup for a bit to allow the flavors to develop. Smooth and sophisticated.  

1 TB water

1 TB honey

1/2 tsp. didi davis food Fennel Thyme Salt

1 TB fresh lemon juice

2 oz. Gin of choice  

Place water, honey, salt in a small bowl and heat in microwave to melt honey.  Stir to mix and set aside for 10 minutes to steep and cool. Mix in lemon juice. Fill a shaker with ice, add honey mix and Gin and shake. Strain in to a martini or wine glass and enjoy.  

'TWAS A DARK AND STORMY SEA

When you have darker plans for your evening (be honest, we know you’re reading Twilight for the fifth time), try our take on the Dark and Stormy. Classically made with Goslings Black Seal Rum, the addition of Cyprus White Sea Salt Flakes balances the lime-ginger-sweet axis of flavors perfectly.  

White Cyprus Sea Salt Flakes

Lime Wedge

2 oz. Goslings Black Seal Rum

4 oz. Ginger Beer  

Place a small amount of salt on a plate or saucer. Rim a tall glass with a touch of lime juice from wedge. Dip glass in Cyprus salt to rim all around. Add ice to glass and pour in Rum. Top with ginger beer and squeeze lime juice into glass. Toss in wedge. Give drink one light, swift stir and sip away!  

SMOKY BREW

This alluring drink captures you with its scent even before the first sip. Experience the blend of a unique, subtle smoke and soft, gentle crunch paired with the rich, smooth flavors of full bodied beers.   We liked it best with a craft brew. We sampled a range of beers from IPA to Stout, using local brews and commercial brands. In the end we loved our local Cape Ann Brewing Co. Fisherman’s Brew Greenhorn IPA, one of their Seasonal Special Offerings. We highly recommend you try it, if available in your area, or explore your local craft brew in different styles to find your favorite.

Guava Wood Smoked Sea Salt

1 bottle IPA, Porter, or Stout  

Place a small amount of salt on a plate or saucer. Place a layer of water in another saucer and lightly dip rim of a glass in water just to kiss surface. Dip glass in smoked salt to rim all around. Fill glass with beer by tipping glass and bottle of beer and gently pouring brew; being careful not to touch salt. Sip liberally and enjoy!  

NIGHT STAR

We wanted a red wine cocktail that blended with our beautiful pink flake salt. It evolved into a mildly sweetened night cap with Australian Shiraz, Australian Murray River Salt Flakes, and a touch of Chambord. Warm and cozy, this beverage is perfect for curling up with a good book next to a crackling fire. The spices will gradually unfold as they rest in your glass.  

Australian Murray River Pink Salt Flakes

1 star anise

3 tiny Cacao Nibs (optional)

1 tsp Chambord liqueur

6 oz. Shiraz wine  

Place a small amount of salt on a plate or saucer. Place a layer of water in another saucer and lightly dip rim of a glass in water just to kiss surface. Dip red wine glass in salt to rim all around. Place the star anise and cacao nibs in bottom of glass and pour Chambord over the spice. Add the wine, but do not stir. Enjoy!  

THE NY SEA

Call it nostalgia, the resurgence of Rye, or being mad about Mad Men; we are twisting up the classic Manhattan using our Black Cyprus Sea Salt Flake. The salt adds balance to the sweetness of the drink along with a pleasing crispness.  

Black Cyprus Salt Flakes

2 oz Rye whiskey, preferably not a blend

1 oz Sweet Italian Vermouth

2 drops Angostura or orange bitters, or more to taste

Strip of lemon or orange zest

Place a small amount of salt on a plate or saucer. Place a layer of water in another sauces and lightly dip rim of glass in water just to kiss surface. Dip glassware in salt to rim all around. Fill a shaker with ice, add Rye, Vermouth and bitters and shake vigorously. Strain into prepared glass, add strip of zest and enjoy!

Our Top 10 Cocktails!

Who doesn’t love cocktails in the summer? They’re light, refreshing and crisp.

The great thing about summer cocktails is the vast horizon of possibilities. Yet sometimes, those possibilities can be overwhelming. I don’t know how many times I’ve been out with friends and everyone has ordered a standard mojito or rum and coke. And to be sure - its sometimes because you are experiencing “bar panic.”  We’ve all been there. Your waiter or bartender asks you what you want to drink… everyone else at your table has already given their drink order with graceful confidence, and you remain there, speechless, menu in hand. Everyone is waiting on you, so you settle for the drink you’ve had the last 10 times you’ve been out.  Tasty, sure.  But boring.

The great thing about mixing cocktails at home is that you have the freedom to experiment, without the danger of spending $12 for a martini you might hate.

To help you play bartender, we’ve prepared our top 10 cocktails.  Each one is unique, and sure to impress. Some might be new to you; others are delightful twists on some classic favorites. Each drink incorporates a Salt Trader’s product in the cocktail or as a rimmer – which you will find makes all the difference in creating a fabulous cocktail.  Rimmers are not only beautiful on a glass, but add flavor and texture.

So enjoy, and let us know how you like them!

|| OUR TOP 10 COCKTAILS

1. The Bomb Biz with Mojito Sugar || GIN

-Seltzer water (plain or lime flavored)
-Premium gin (Bombay Sapphire, for example)
-didi davis food Mojito Sugar
-Lime wedges

Using a lime wedge, wet the lip of a glass and rim liberally with Mojito Sugar.  Add ice and gin (approximately 1/4 of the glass). Top glass off with seltzer water. Add a spoonful of Mojito Sugar and squeeze lime wedge on top. Stir and enjoy “summer in a glass!”

VARIATION: add a splash of limeade.

2. "Pop Goes the 4th" with Lemon Sugar and Comet's Tail Peppercorns

Pop some bubbly this 4th of July to celebrate our nation's independence!  This elegant and festive beverage is easy to prepare, and a delightful twist on plain champagne.

-Champagne
      -Salt Trader’s Comet’s Tail Peppercorns
      -didi davis food Lemon Sugar
      -Fresh raspberry (optional) 

      Rim a champagne glass with the Lemon Sugar. Pour the champagne and drop in 3 peppercorns and a  fresh raspberry. Perfect for celebrating any special occasion!

3. Rhubarb Punch with Orange  Ginger Sugar || RUM

-Rhubarb Punch
-Gingerale
-Dark Rum (we recommend         Goslings)
-didi davis food Orange Ginger Sugar
-Lime wedges

Using a lime wedge, wet the lip of a glass and rim liberally with Orange Ginger Sugar. Add ice and dark rum (approximately 1/4 of the glass). Fill the remainder of the glass with 1/2 rhubarb punch (click here to see recipe) and 1/2 ginger ale. Squeeze a lime wedge. You will encounter several layers of flavor – first the tangy lime, then the rich rum, and finally, the refreshing rhubarb. Enjoy!

VARIATION: the rhubarb punch can stand alone as a refreshing non-alcoholic cocktail. Simply follow the recipe for the punch, and serve!

4. Hendricks with Sagemary Salt || GIN

-Hendricks Gin
-didi davis food Sagemary Salt

This simple cocktail is delicious and easy to prepare. Add gin with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a glass and add a 1/4 teaspoon of Sagemary Salt. Mix well and enjoy.

5. The Holiday Sparkler with Sumac Pepper Salt || VODKA

Celebrate the 4th of July by serving this refreshing summer cocktail. The tangy flavor of the middle eastern sumac berry mixed with the light bubble from the soda is a perfect combination for enjoying a summer holiday.

-Fruit flavored vodka (we used raspberry)
      -Orange Juice
      -Club Soda or Seltzer
      -didi davis food Sumac Pepper Salt 

      Rim the lip of a glass with Sumac Pepper Salt and a few cubes of ice. Fill the glass with 1/4 vodka, 1/4 orange juice and 1/2 soda. Swirl and enjoy the  layers of flavor, finishing off with a freshing tang from the Sumac.

6. Lillet with Lemon Sugar

-White Lillet
-didi davis food Lemon Sugar
-Twist of Lemon or  Orange

Lillet is a marvelous French aperitif from the southwest region. In this drink, we have selected the white variety, but it is available in red as well.

Using the orange slice, wet the lip of a glass and rim with Lemon Sugar. Add ice, and pour the Lillet over the rocks. Squeeze the orange if you desire; swirl and enjoy.

7. Bloody Mary with Aleppo Chile Salt || VODKA

The Didi Davis Food Aleppo Chile Salt adds a subtle and fruity heat to this classic cocktail. The fleur de sel sea salt used in the rimmer adds a light crunch to complement the rich and smooth tomato juice.

-1 1/2 ounces vodka
-1/2 cup tomato juice
-2 teaspoons fresh lemon or lime juice
-Worcestershire sauce to taste
-Tabasco to taste
-Celery stick or lemon for garnish
-didi davis food Aleppo Chile Salt

Rim the lip of a glass with the Aleppo Chile Salt. Combine the vodka, the tomato juice, the lemon juice, the Worcestershire sauce, the Tabasco, 1 cup ice cubes, and salt and pepper to taste, shake the mixture well, and strain it into a tall glass filled with ice cubes. Garnish the Bloody Mary with the celery stick and enjoy!

(Recipe inspiration from drinksmix.net)

8. Rum and Coke with Vanilla Salt || RUM

Let this easy cocktail take you back to the late 1930s when one would order a Vanilla coke and fries. The vanilla salt provides the perfect balance to the coke and rum, which I have often found to be too sweet for my liking. You’ll be surprised at how good this is!

-Coke
-Goslings Dark Rum (this rum is a must)
-didi davis food Vanilla Salt

Wet the lip of a glass and rip with Vanilla Salt. Add ice to the glass and fill with 1/4 rum and 3/4 coke. Stir and enjoy!

9. Classic Margarita with Margarita Salt || TEQUILA

-2 ounces tequila (made from 100 percent agave, preferably reposado or blanco)
-1 ounce Cointreau
-1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
-Salt Trader’s Margarita Salt

Using a lime wedge to wet the lip, rim a margarita glass with Salt Trader’s Margarita Salt. This beautiful salt features Australian Murray River Salt Flakes (a lovely apricot color) combined with freshly ground chipotles! It’s the perfect Margarita rimmer because of its color, texture and taste. Combine tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice in cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain drink into glass and serve.

(Recipe inspiration from epicurious.com, May 2007)

10. Homemade Sangria with Spiced Gold Sugar

This recipe comes to us from Didi Davis’ next door neighbor, Mary Hanna, who found the original recipe from a Boston Globe article covering the Dali Restaurant in Somerville, MA. Mary has made several improvements to the recipe – resulting is this delicious, and if you’re not careful, deadly sangria! The fruit soaks up all the goodness of brandy, so eat with caution!

-1 pint strawberries, sliced
      -2 peaches, pitted and sliced
      -1 large orange, sliced
      -1/3 cup sugar
      -1/2 cup brandy
      -1/2 cup orange brandy (such as Grand Marnier)
      -1/2 cup orange juice
      -1 to 1 1/2 bottles dry red Spanish wine
      -didi davis food Spiced Gold Sugar

In a large bowl, combine the strawberries, peaches and orange. Add the sugar, brandy, orange brandy, and orange juice. Stir gently, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Just before serving, add the red wine. Taste the mixture and add more sugar if you like. If it is too sweet, add wine to dilute it.

Rim wine glasses with the Spiced Gold Sugar, and serve as is, only moderately cool, or if desired, over rocks. You will NOT be disappointed!

Serves 10.

Expand your cocktail horizons this summer with these 10 favorite beverages!

 

 

Rhubarb: So Much More than a Pie Plant

Rhubarb is an interesting vegetable. Many people don't know what to do with it, except make Strawberry-Rhubarb pie - which is certainly a most honorable use.  However, many may not realize that rhubarb can be used for a variety of dishes - savory as well as sweet.

These recipes will hopefully provide some new and creative uses to help you use rhubarb, and maybe even spark a  new appreciation for this plant's wonderfully tangy flavor and beautiful red color!

Caramel-Rhubarb Chutney
Serves 8 or more
by Chef Didi Davis - From Side Dishes: Creative and Simple

This chutney, a complex union of snappy rhubarb, oranges and raisins, follows the basic formula of cooking all the ingredients together for an hour, but it has the unusual twist of substituting caramel syrup for white sugar.

This chutney improves enormously with an overnight stay in the refrigerator. Serve with broiled swordfish steaks or salmon, shellfish, chicken, lamb, spicy dishes such as curry or Chinese food, and on crackers with Cheddar cheese.

1¼ cups sugar
¼ cup water
Few drops fresh lemon juice
½ cup apple cider vinegar
2 medium oranges, peeled
2 pounds rhubarb, washed, trimmed and cut into ½-inch slices
1 large onion, chopped
¼ cup (packed) golden raisins
½ teaspoon Fine Sicilian Sea Salt, or any other high quality sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
Pinch of cayenne pepper, or more as desired

Place 1 cup of the sugar in a small nonreactive saucepan with the water and lemon juice. Heat over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Do not stir or the syrup may crystallize. Boil until the syrup has turned an auburn color, 5 to 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the vinegar; be careful–the caramel will splatter. Cook over medium heat, whisking to dissolve the caramel, then transfer to a medium nonreactive pan and set aside.

Cut the oranges into ½-inch chunks and add them, with their juice, to the caramel. Add the rhubarb, onion, raisins, Sicilian Sea Salt, cinnamon (if desired), cayenne and remaining ¼ cup sugar. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer briskly for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until thickened, stirring often, so the mixture does not burn.

Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. The chutney will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Variations:
- Substitute dried strawberries or cherries for the golden raisins.
- Add 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger.
- Add 1 teaspoon or more mustard seeds.

 
Rhubarb and Strawberry Compote
Serves 4
by Chef Didi Davis, from A Fresh Look at Saucing Foods

In this unusual spring dish, red wine complements the poached rhubarb and fresh strawberries. The sauce is made by reducing the poaching liquid to a syrup, which intensifies the flavors of the spices. This sauce keeps for several days in the refrigerator.

½ cup heavy cream
1 cup Didi Davis Food Lemon or Orange Ginger Sugar (or any other natural sugar)
1 cup red wine
2 strips lemon zest, measuring 3 inches long by 1 inch wide
½ teaspoon allspice berries
¼ teaspoon Australian Mountain Peppercorns
1 pound rhubarb
1 pint strawberries

Beat the cream until soft peaks begin to form. Keep the whipped cream refrigerated until you are ready to serve.

Combine the sugar, wine, zest, allspice, and Australian Mountain Peppercorns in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 3 minutes.

While the syrup cooks, trim the rhubarb and cut it on the bias into pieces about ½ inch wide and 2 inches long. Poach the rhubarb in syrup in 2 batches for between 3 to 5 minutes each until it is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, but not falling apart. With a slotted spoon, remove the rhubarb to a plate. Return the lemon zest and spices to the pan if they were removed with the rhubarb. When all the rhubarb is cooked, raise the heat to high and reduce the syrup to ½ cup. Strain it and set it aside at room temperature.

Hull the strawberries and cut them in half lengthwise.

Just before serving, heat the syrup gently until it is just warm. Arrange the strawberries around the edges of 4 plates. Place a portion of rhubarb in the middle of the plate and drizzle the strawberries and rhubarb with the warm syrup. Beat the whipped cream briefly to homogenize it and spoon it over the fruit.

Variation:
- For a low-fat topping, serve the compote with a dollop of yogurt instead of cream.
- The Rhubarb and Strawberry Compote may be served over cakes, steamed puddings, French toast, pancakes or waffles. Leftover syrup may be mixed with sparkling water.

Rhubarb Punch
from family friends, the Piersons

This delightfully refreshing beverage reminds me of summer days when I was young. Rhubarb grew in plenty from our garden, and my mother would  make this punch on special occasions. With its perfect combination of tart and sweet, this punch is a lovely treat for any spring or summer day.

5 cups rhubarb, rinsed and chopped
5 cups water
1 cup honey
½ cup orange juice
1/3 cup lemon juice
Didi Davis Food Orange Ginger or Lemon Sugar
Ginger ale

Combine rhubarb, water, and 2/3 cups honey in a saucepan; cook until fruit is soft. Pour through a cheesecloth, collecting strained juice in a bowl.

Again in the saucepan, combine the strained juice with remaining 1/3 cup of honey. Boil together for 5 minutes. Let the mixture cool, and add ½ cup orange juice and 1/3 cup of lemon juice. Chill in the refrigerator.

When serving, rim each glass with Didi Davis Food Orange Ginger or Lemon Sugar. Then mix punch with ginger ale to taste. I prefer equal proportions of juice to ginger ale. Enjoy!

Ben's Special Rhubarb Sauce: Rhubarb is so delicious, we hate to waste any part of it! The leftover rhubarb can be mashed and mixed with sugar - a great substitute for traditional apple sauce. It's delightful served either warm or chilled.

 
Stewed Rhubarb with Tarragon
Serves 4 to 6
by Chef Didi Davis - From Side Dishes: Creative and Simple

Stewed rhubarb is such a favorite in our house that it marks the beginning of the season just as corn and the first fall apples signal theirs. This dish has a savory element; the addition of tarragon is a pleasing departure from more usual versions. Serve with ham, duck, pork, sausages, rich fish such as bluefish or salmon, or Chinese food.

1½ pounds rhubarb, rinsed and trimmed
½ cup Didi Davis Food Lemon Sugar or any other natural sugar
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoons dried
Grated Pink Himalayan Sea Salt Rocks or any other high quality sea salt
Lemon wedges (optional)

Cut the rhubarb into ½-inch slices and place in a medium nonreactive saucepan with the sugar, water, tarragon and a pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a boil, stirring, over medium-high heat. Uncover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 to 1- minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and tender.

Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Serve at room temperature or chill. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

Variations:
- Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon with the tarragon.
- Replace the tarragon with thyme or chives.