FOOD52 Finalist

My Gingered Lemon Punch recipe is a finalist in the FOOD52 contest for Your Best Holiday Punch.  I'll post it here in the next couple of days, but in the meantime see it here and PLEASE vote!!


http://www.food52.com/contests/263_your_best_punch 

Double Red Eye

The Red Eye - tomato juice, vodka and beer.  I've jazzed this one up to make it extra spicy, so if you can't handle the heat, cut back on the hot sauce.

For the cubes:
1  12 ounce can V8 Juice
1 tsp dried dill weed
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbl Cholula hot sauce

Mix all ingredients and pour the mixture into an ice cube tray and freeze.


For 2 glasses:
1 double shot vodka
6 ounces beer
6 ounces V8 juice
7 of the cubes
1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbl Cholula ( or less)
Fresh lime juice ( optional)

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until slushy.  Pour into 2 glasses.  If you like lime stir in about a tsp per glass.  If you like, pour your drink right over a few cubes.

Floats & Shakes

The ginger syrup I made last week for Ginger Egg Cream can be use to make a "Vernors" tasting float or shake, especially if you live in parts of the country where Vernors Ginger  Ale isn't available.

For the shake place 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream, 1/4 cup of the ginger syrup and about 12 ounces of seltzer or club soda into a blender and blend it up.
Four the float place two or three scoops of vanilla ice cream into a tall glass, mix 1/4 cup of syrup with 12 ounces of seltzer or soda and pour over.
Grab the straws and spoons and enjoy!

Syrup recipe can be found here:
http://inpatskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/06/ginger-egg-cream.html

Sweet Tea Slush

Iced tea is a favorite summer quencher around here but I often find that the ice dilutes it too quickly.  By making "ice tea" cubes I can enjoy my glass and keep it cold at the same time..I added ginger and mint instead of the traditional lemon for a different twist. (watch out for "brain freeze"!)

Serves 2
1/4 cup thinly sliced, peeled fresh ginger
10 mint leaves, torn
6 cups water
3 black tea bags
1/2 cup Agave nectar


In a sauce pan bring the water, ginger and mint to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat, add the Agave nectar and tea bags, cover and let steep for about 30 minutes.
Remove the tea bags, strain the tea and cool completely.
Fill an ice cube tray with some of the and freeze overnight (or until frozen).Refrigerate remaining tea.
When ready to serve, place half of the ice cubes in a blender along with 12 ounces of the chilled tea. Blend until slushy. Pour into a tall glass and grab a straw.  repeat for the second glass.
 

Ginger Egg Cream

Here's a refreshing twist on a New York favorite - the egg cream, which is typically milk, seltzer and sugar with a little chocolate added now and again.  The ginger syrup has a Vernors Ginger Ale familiarity to it.

Ginger syrup:
1/2 cup thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients except the vanilla in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes until reduced to one cup liquid.
Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla and cool and strain.

For the ginger egg cream:
1 Tbl chocolate syrup
4 Tbl ginger syrup
1/3 cup half and half
Sparkling seltzer water

In a 12 to 16 ounce tumbler, mix the chocolate syrup, ginger syrup and half and half together.
Pour in enough seltzer to come within an inch of the top of the glass.  Stir and enjoy!