Winter/Holiday Drinks Week

It's the time of year to be festive, to welcome your friends, coworkers and family, preferably with drink in hand. While it's sadly true that alcohol can't really warm your body (unless perhaps you're drinker a winter warmer), it can warm your spirits, which is often just as useful when it's cold outside.

All this week I'll be sharing recipes for drinks perfect the cold winter months and the holidays. There will be a warm winter drink (today's Spicy Aztec Hot Chocolate with Mezcal), muddled cocktails, a look at the new cocktail book, Death & Co and an assortment of other drinks that just fit this time of year, like the Vanilla Margarita. Expect lots of ginger, spice and whiskey, definitely lots of whiskey (including variations on the Manhattan, Family Therapy and Paper Plane). Please check back everyday, and I promise you'll find something new.

To get you in the mood for this week's new recipes, here are some great winter cocktails I've previously featured:

Spanish Coffee: I ran this drink in the summer, even though it's a warm drink, because it was part of my coverage of Portland bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler's book, The Bar Book.

Apple Brandy Cocktails: three drinks, including the Norwegian Wood with aquavit, the Widow's Kiss with bitter herbal liqueurs and the warm honey-mustard Scotchem.

The Rye in January: Rye whiskey, ginger-cinnamon flavor of Becherovka liqueur, Cynar, absinthe and grapefruit.

Honey-Nut Old Fashioned: peanut-infused rye whiskey, honey syrup, Angostura bitters.

A Walk in The Woods: A woodsy blend of smoked whiskey, walnut liqueur, homemade rosemary-juniper syrup and grapefruit juice.

A Rye Smile: A bitter-sweet concoction of rye whiskey, Cynar, homemade rosemary-brown sugar syrup and grapefruit.

The Lincoln: Honoring the 14th president (and the Steven Spielberg film) with smoked whiskey, maple and Peychaud's Bitters.

Dallas Drinks: The Julie: bourbon, ginger liqueur, sweet vermouth, bacon-peppercorn bitters.

Dallas Drinks: The Jock: bourbon, Benedictine liqueur, sweet vermouth, smoky Islay Scotch, Angostura bitters.

Related Stories

Spicy Aztec Hot Chocolate with Mezcal

Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails (book and recipes)

A Tale of Two Manhattans

Testing the Arctic Chill Muddler (with Peary Christmas and Winter Mojito cocktails)

Family Therapy cocktail

Paper Plane cocktail

Vanilla Margarita

Spicy Aztec Hot Chocolate with Mezcal

Looking for an interesting winter warmer, I came across this Spicy Aztec Hot Chocolate on Serious Eats. The drink warms you up on multiple fronts, being both hot and spicy with chile flavors.

The original recipe called for using a dried ancho chile pepper. Instead, I used Bittermens' Xocolatl Mole Bitters and Hellfire Habanero Shrub. Mole bitters seemed like a natural fit for a Mexican hot chocolate-inspired cocktail, since mole contains both chocolate and chiles. And the habanero adds a nice fiery kick. Using bitters also allows you to adjust the heat to your liking.

Spicy Aztec Hot Chocolate with Mezcal
Adapted from Spicy Aztec Hot Chocolate with Chili, Cinnamon, and Mezcal by J. Kenji López-Alt for Serious Eats

Makes 2 drinks

2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tbsp. sugar
Small pinch of salt
1 cup whole milk
1 cinnamon stick
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips
8 dashes Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters
6 dashes Bittermens Hellfire Habanero Shrub (or more as desired)
4 oz. mezcal
Whipped cream
Ancho chili powder

1. Combine cocoa powder, sugar, salt, milk, cinnamon stick, chocolate chips and bitters in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is hot. Stir in the mezcal and cook for another minute or two until the mixture is hot. (Alternatively, Combine the first eight ingredients--through the bitters--in a microwave safe container and heat at 50 percent power in 1 minute increments, stirring between heatings, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is hot. Then add the mezcal and heat for 1 more minute on 50 percent power). Remove the cinnamon stick.

2. Blend the mixture with an immersion blender until frothy (or transfer to a blender and blend until frothy).

3. Divide the mixture between two glasses. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of ancho chili powder.

Related Stories

Winter/Holiday Drinks Week

Spanish Coffee

Scotchem (Apple Brandy Cocktails)

Pumpkin Mousse

Here's the third and final squash recipe of the week, and it's a dessert--a really easy one at that.

I snagged this pumpkin mousse from Justin Chapple's recipe for Pumpkin Tiramisu, where it's combined with coffee-dipped ladyfingers and topped with whipped cream. While I cannot argue with the deliciousness of such a dessert, the mousse is pretty fabulous just by itself and easy to make.

The ingredients are whipped together in a stand mixer (or, if you don't have one, you could use a hand mixer). There are no eggs to deal with in this recipe, which makes it a whole lot easier, as well as assuaging food-safety concerns. I topped the mousse with gingersnap crumbles for some texture and flavor contrast.

Pumpkin Mousse
Adapted from Pumpkin Tiramisu recipe by Justin Chapple for Food & Wine

1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
One 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups mascarpone cheese (almost two 8 oz. containers)
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
Gingersnaps, whole and crumbled

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together sugars, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk until combine. Add the mascarpone and heavy cream. Using the whisk attachment, whisk on low speed until combined, then whisk on high speed until soft peaks form.

2. Serve mousse in wine glasses (pipe the mousse using a pastry bag if you want to be fancy). Garnish each glass with a whole gingersnap and a sprinkle of gingersnap crumbles.

Penne with Sausage, Goat Cheese, Sage and Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is wonderful roasted, such as in the fall farro bowl I shared earlier this week. However, roasting can take awhile, especially if you have a large electric oven to preheat first. For something faster, butternut squash is also quite tasty when pan-sauteed.

This pasta dish is full of many of my favorite fall flavors, especially the classic trio of butternut squash, sage and goat cheese. Along with the sausage, it makes a tasty, seasonal pasta dish, similar in flavor to my butternut squash, goat cheese and sausage lasagna, although far faster and easier to prepare.

Because the pasta is going to be cooked twice--first in the boiling water and then stirred into the sauce--be sure to not cook it past the al dente point where it is quite chewy. In fact, you might want to stop a notch shy of al dente if you like a firmer pasta (like I generally do).

Penne with Sausage, Goat Cheese, Sage and Butternut Squash

1 lb. penne rigate pasta
Salt
1/2 lb. mild Italian chicken sausage (uncooked)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, diced
1 lb. of butternut squash cut into 1/2-inch cubes (squash should have been previously peeled and seeded)
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
Pinch of ground nutmeg
4 oz. chèvre goat cheese, cut into small chunks
Grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1. Heat a large pot of salted water over high heat until boiling. Add pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente (cooked through but still chewy). Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Drain pasta and set aside.

2. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Remove sausage from casings and add to pan. Cook, breaking up with a spoon, until cooked through and lightly browned. Remove sausage from pan and transfer to a cutting board. Chop until finely minced.

3. Increase the heat under the sauté pan to medium-high. Add the olive oil, butter and onion. Cook until the onion softens, then add the butternut squash and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and squash are soft and lightly browned in places, about 12-15 minutes. Stir in the sage and nutmeg, then add the cooked pasta and sausage. Cook, about 1-2 minutes until fragrant and the sausage in reheated. Remove from the heat. Add the reserved pasta cooking water and chunks of goat cheese and stir to combine (the residual heat will melt the cheese). Serve in shallow bowls with topped grated parmesan.

The Feed: December 3, 2014

The Washington Post Food section dazzles us today with their annual cookie issue. Pictured here: my Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip Cookies.

The Feed is my weekly round up of interesting food-related stories from newspapers, magazines, blogs and websites. 

Washington Post: "The 2014 Holiday Cookie Round-Up from The Washington Post Food Section," by Becky Krystal.
If you don't subscribe to the Washington Post in hardcopy, consider picking up today's issue just so you can enjoy all these cookies in their glorious larger-than-life full-color splendor. This year's selections--more than two-dozen--come from pasty chefs and experts and include Lemon Sables, Congolais (a French macaroon), Honeyed Sriracha Cookies and Salted Chocolate-Rye and Pecan Cookies.

Washington Post: "Crossover Cookies, a Savory Alternative to Sweet, Bite-Size Holiday Treats," by Nancy Baggett.
This is a subset of the above cookie story focusing on savory crossover cookies, the unsweetened alternative to the holiday sugar rush. I'm intrigued by several of the selections, including the Sun-Dried Tomato and Pepperoni Rugelach, Peppercorn-Chive Cheddar Wafers and Spicy Smoked Tea-Pecan Crisps.

Washington Post: "A Dallas Restaurant Rebellion: Chefs Band Together to Thwart Newspaper Critic," by Tim Carman.
Major newspaper restaurant critics wield a lot of power over the dining scene they cover. A good rating means filled seats; a bad rating can spell disaster. Even in these days of bloggers, Yelpers and Instagrammers, the knowledgeable voice of a seasoned critic still matters. So what happened when Dallas restaurants had enough of Dallas Morning News critic Leslie Brenner's biting reviews? They bit back. Carman details the fascinating story of how some Dallas restaurants have banded together in protest against Brenner.

Washington Post: "Champagne Flutes’ Tune Now Out of Favor," by Dave McIntyre.
Remember when champagne coupes fell out of favor to be replaced by flutes because coupes aerated sparkling wine too quickly? Well, now the flute is under attack for inhibiting aroma, with a tulip shape being talked about as the new better glass. McIntyre examine whether the new shape is worth it.

New York Times: "Restaurant Review: Danny Meyer’s Marta in NoMad," by Pete Wells.
Meyer, the New York restauranteur behind big names like Gramercy Tavern, Union Square Cafe and Shake Shack, has opened Marta, serving Roman style pizza, the ultra-thin style that I routinely enjoy at Posto Thin Crust Pizza. The pizzas aren't cheap: most hit in the upper teens, while one with truffles tops out at $60 (remember, these are individually sized). But they sound amazing, especially the crust, which Wells describes as pure crunch with no soupy middle.

New York Times: "City Kitchen: Braise Your Way Through Winter," by David Tanis.
'Tis the season for tough cuts of meat made tender by long, slow cooking in braises and stews. Doesn't that sound good right now?

New York Times: "Cranberry Growers Search for Ways to Share Their Bounty," by Kim Severson.
A coworker was telling me recently about how there is a glut of cranberries on the market these days. Severson writes about the surplus, which is leading growers to search for new ways to market their product beyond Thanksgiving and "craisins."

A Thought for Food: "Cranberry Sauce Ice Cream," by Brian Samuels.
Speaking of things you can do with extra cranberries, Samuels offers this recipe for ice cream. Yum.

Mother Would Know: "How to Make Turkey Soup," by Laura Kumin.
Still got leftover turkey? Perhaps you (like me) tossed the carcass in the freezer to use later? Kumin offers a delicious play-by-play for simple, classic turkey soup.

Bunkycooks: "Southern Heat Has Been Submitted and We’re Off to New Adventures!" by Gwen Pratesi.
A big hand for Pratesi, who announced on her blog, Bunkycooks, that she's completed work on a new cookbook co-written with Louisville, KY chef Anthony Lamas. The book is due to be published in the fall of 2015.

NPR: "Girl Scouts Bring Cookie Sales Online With Sites, App," by Melissa Block.
Don't want to stop and shop from the girls outside the grocery store? Next year you can get your Girl Scout cookies online.

Wall Street Journal: "New Ideas for Thanksgiving Desserts With Fall Flavors from Chef Christina Tosi," by Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan.
The lauded Momofuku Milk Bar chef Christina Tosi shares ideas for getting creative with fall-flavored desserts, like an apple pie-inspired apple cake made with brown butter and apple-cinnamon compote.

Wall Street Journal: "Isaac McHale’s Recipe for Parsnip and Barley Risotto," by Kitty Greenwald.
I never turn down a good risotto, and this sounds like an intriguing flavor combination.

Restaurant: Second State (Washington, D.C.)

Update: As of June 2015, Second State is closed.

When I first moved to Washington, D.C. in 1999, Dupont Circle was one of the city's hottest neighborhoods. There were few weekend nights I didn't blow my hard-earned intern salary in its many restaurants and bars.

Fast-forward 15 years and the buzz of Dupont Circle's dining scene is like chirping crickets. In an era where hot restaurants open weekly, the focus is on Shaw, H Street, Bloomingdale, the Waterfront, etc. The only notable opening in Dupont Circle in years was Little Serow (and it wouldn't surprise me if some try to call that "Logan Circle West," the way people used to talk about Logan Circle as "Dupont Circle East").

So I was intrigued to see that Thrillist named Dupont Circle establishment Second State one of its 11 best new restaurants in D.C. for 2014, a list that includes hits like The Partisan, DBGB and Sona Creamery (update: Sona Creamery is also closed).

Second State's name is a reference to Pennsylvania, the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution (after Delaware). The commonwealth provides inspiration for the restaurant's menu, although it is not a slave to it. There are more Virginia than Pennsylvania farms represented in the menu's list of ingredient sources, for example, but quite a few Pennsylvania-sourced beers and spirits on its bar menu.

The restaurant is certainly handsome. I love the whitewashed exposed rafters and brick. Second State quickly made a name for itself just before its fall opening as word spread it would be charging extra for "artisanal ice" in its cocktails--the sort of super clear ice that's supposed to make cocktails taste better (I'm not buying it, frankly).

It's a shame the buzz wasn't for its food, which I had high-hopes for, given that its menu consists of the kind of soulful comfort food I love. However, we found it to be disappointingly hit-and-miss.

Shortly after being seated, our server brought us a bucket of spiced popcorn, a great idea for a gratis table snack. We worked our way through two helpings and would have dug into a third if we hadn't willed ourselves to leave room for our ample orders. 

For starters, we ordered a bread basket and a grilled romaine Caesar salad. The bread was really good. I loved both the chewy white bread and the grain bread flecked with dried cranberries and nuts. How was the Caesar salad? Unfortunately, I cannot say, as the kitchen never sent it out. A shame, since I love the idea of a grilled Caesar. Our server apologized and said the kitchen was still working out some kinks. Apparently so.

I was excited to see that Second State has a ribeye steak on its menu. Ribeye is my favorite cut; so many restaurants are serving hanger steak these days, which I don't like as much. Chris likes ribeye too, so we both ordered it. My ribeye was spot on: juicy, flavorful and perfectly medium-rare as I'd ordered it. Chris's steak, however, was not as good, as his poorly chosen cut had too much fat, providing him very little actual meat.

Our sides were good though. We opted for the fire-roasted creamed corn and fried Brussels sprouts with shallots, bacon, maple and mustard. Brussels sprouts are everywhere these days, but they aren't always cooked to my liking. Second State's were tender-chewy and browned around the edges the way I like. And the creamed corn, while simple, was creamy and satisfying.

Dessert was also a winner: a dense stout brownie served with Nutella ice cream and garnished with a sprinkle of hazelnuts and chocolate sauce. It's the perfect size for sharing.

About that artisanal ice...we didn't get any. Not that I expected to (we didn't order the right drinks), but we did sample the cocktail menu. Chris ordered a whiskey sour made with a Pennsylvania rye whiskey, amaretto, apple cider reduction, lemon, egg white and Peychaud's bitters--an excessive list of ingredients for the usually simple whiskey sour. I think they tipped the scale too far into sour, as the drink could have been better balanced with a little more sweetness. I was more impressed with the Liberty Punch, made with gin, lemon, ginger, sweet tea, agave and lavender bitters. This drink was nicely balanced. My only gripe was that, as a crushed ice drink, I wished it would've been served with a straw. Second State has the appearance of a restaurant that would like to be known for its cocktails. Based on our experience, they need more attention to detail.

Launching a new restaurant is not easy. Having read Mindy Wizenberg's great memoir, Delancey, about her and her husband opening their pizza restaurant, I know that so much sweat and tears goes into it. But when those doors start admitting guests, you gotta get it right. While we enjoyed a lot of what we experienced at Second State, there was too much that felt like a first draft.

Second State, 1831 M Street NW (between 18th and 19th), Washington, D.C. (Dupont Circle). (202) 466-3010. Reservations: Open Table.

Fall Farro Bowl with Sausage, Yogurt and Apple Gastrique

Did you have as indulgent a Thanksgiving as we did? If so, you might want a break from rich, calorie-dense holiday foods before we get into the December stretch of holiday parties and gatherings. This farro bowl should fit that bill perfectly.

I loaded this recipe with my favorite roasted fall vegetables: Brussels sprouts and butternut squash. Combined with farro, a hearty wheat grain, onions and celery and andoullie sausage, it makes a satisfying, hearty meal. But I felt it needed something more to pull it all together.

Inspiration came from a discussion with a coworker who had recently spent a long weekend in Richmond. While there, she had eaten at The Daily Kitchen and raved about the restaurant's fried Brussels sprouts. I looked it up and found they were serving their sprouts with an apple gastrique.

For the uninitiated, a gastrique is a sweet and sour reduction sauce made with sugar and vinegar, as well as sometimes wine and other ingredients, like fruit. Traditionally, the sugar is first caramelized. As much as I love caramel, I didn't feel the need for that flavor here, so I went with a reduced sugar sauce. Of the gastrique recipes I looked at for ideas, some caramelized the sugar and others didn't.

What you end up with here is more like a sweet and sour applesauce, which was perfect for this dish. I used an immersion blender to puree the sauce until it was very smooth.

Making an apple gastrique

Fall Farro Bowl with Sausage, Yogurt and Apple Gastrique

1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 tbsp. olive oil, divided

Kosher salt, to taste

1 lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed
1 cup farro perlato (pearled), rinsed
2 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 granny smith apple
2 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp. apple brandy
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 yellow onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
12 oz. turkey andoullie sausage (already cooked), cut into 1/4-inch slices
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
Zest from 1 lemon
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

1. Preheat oven to 475 F. Toss butternut squash with 1 tbsp. olive oil and a pinch of salt and spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes, stir squash and roast an additional 15 to 20 minutes until cooked through and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

2. Lower the oven temperature to 400 F. Preheat oven to 400 F. Put cut sprouts in a large bowl, drizzle with 1 tbsp. olive oil and season with a pinch of salt, then spread on a baking sheet, flipping any sprouts over so the cut-side is down. Roast for 35 minutes until golden brown in places. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

3. Combine the farro and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes until the farro is tender but still chewy. Drain off any excess water and sed aside.

4. Make the gastrique:  melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the apples, stir to coat with butter and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the sugar, vinegar, apple brandy, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender.

5. Heat remaining 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and sauté until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the sliced sausage, roasted butternut squash, roasted Brussel sprouts, cooked farro and apple gastrique and toss to combine and reheat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Stir together the yogurt and lemon zest.

7. Serve the grain mixture in a shallow bowl topped with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds.