Penne a La Vodka

Featured on Foodgawker.com and Tastespotting.com on 24th Jan 2013

Featured on The Berry on 26th Feb 2013

 

I’m still detoxing after the excesses of December, but this dish needed to get made! I just got assigned an additional role at work and to add to that, we have a new boss. Changes, changes, changes – how I hate them! (Especially, when I’m not the one making them!) Since I’d sworn off alcohol atleast for a month (part of the detox plan), I needed to find an alternative. (And No, I can’t make the ‘special’ brownies). So I gave myself and my frazzled nerves some loving, in the form of Penne a la Vodka. It doesn’t count as cheating because technically, the alcohol content is supposed to burn off when you deglaze the pan with it. (It’s another story that when you’re off alcohol, even a whiff of it can send you into a happy place). Anyway, this is a classic recipe and loved the world over. It’s sophisticated enough to serve at a dinner party and comforting enough to take it to the couch with you. When you have the best of both worlds you don’t really question it…..ever!

P.S. In case anyone (after reading the above para) thinks I’m an alcohol addicted crazy person who’s headed down the path to rehab in a couple of years…rest assured I’m not! Though I might need anger management sooner than later! (Watch your back…)

Aqua De Pepino - Cucumber Cooler

Featured in Tastespotting.com on 14th June 2012.

No, the cooler does not taste vegetal. If anything, it’s brilliantly refreshing. And this was the recipe that I said, you could make side by side with the Tzatziki. (It’s such a waste to be throwing away fresh cucumber juice!). Or if you’re in no mood to grate, strain, squeeze and extract the juice of one cucumber – just use prepackaged cucumber juice. (Though I strongly recommend the fresh version – the colour is unbelievable!). You can either use vodka or a gin with this recipe, substituting one for the other brings no great change in taste. If you are a teetotaler or are making this for a younger audience, by all means skip the alcohol. It’s just as exciting to serve on a balmy summers eve.

 Aqua De Pepino – Cucumber Cooler

Prep time: 10 mins
Serves: 2

What you need:

400 ml Cucumber Juice (from 2 Cucumbers)
5 tsp Sugar Syrup
120 ml Vodka
2 Lemons (Juice of)
Lemon and Cucumber slices to garnish
Ice Cubes to serve

What to do:

Wash, peel and cut the cucumber in half. Scoop out the seeds. Now grate the cucumber coarsely and spoon into a strainer. (Do this to remove the water from the cucumber. Collect the cucumber juice and reserve. After you are fairly certain that you have pressed out as much water from the cucumber as possible – press into strainer again. Surprised? Yes there will still be some more cucumber juice you can extract. Reserve.

In a cocktail shaker add the vodka, lemon juice, sugar syrup and cucumber juice. Mix well. (Don’t shake it too much to avoid the cucumber juice from frothing). Now strain into a whisky glass filled with ice cubes. Toss in some cucmber and lemon slices for a fun cocktail. Enjoy.

Here's what was featured in Tastespotting.com

Watermelon Vodka Cooler

It’s a Friday and what better way to kick start the weekend than with a nice drink. My alcohol choices have become milder and milder as age catches up (sob sob). No longer can I knock down multiple shooters and wake up with my head on my shoulders. So now I have to be satisfied with a drink that knocks my head off with flavor rather than the alcohol content. In college, we used to cut a chunk out of the watermelon and then pour vodka into it. Refrigerate the whole fruit for a couple of hours then cut up the watermelon into cubes and you have a boozy party fruit!! College always had a way of making even the good ones bad! Of course no one ever complained! So to go down memory lane (albeit in a milder more grown up way) I give you the watermelon cooler. Have a great (Hic!) weekend!

Watermelon Vodka Cooler

Prep time: 10 mins

Makes: 4 cocktails

What you need:

2 cups fresh watermelon juice

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar syrup (4Tbsp sugar dissolved in 1/4 cup water)

100ml Vodka

Ice cubes and watermelon chunks to serve

What to do:

Cut the watermelon into cubes. Puree enough to get 2 cups of sieved watermelon juice. (basically discard the seeds and pulp). Save the rest of the cubes by freezing it, to use as 'watermelon ice' in the drink.

Combine the watermelon juice, vodka, lemon juice and sugar syrup in a shaker and shake well. (obviously!) Pour into a glass filled with ice and 4-5 frozen Watermelon cubes. Garnish the drink with a watermelon slice/ sprig of mint. Hic hic Hurray!