aperol

A Few of My Favorite Things…

by whit on August 4, 2010

I wanted to take a moment to honor the fine specimens of my refrigerator, cupboard and bar; my favorite items with which I could not live without. Seriously. I would perish.  So, I decided to stage a photo shoot in my kitchen…because that’s what people do on a Wednesday afternoon.

Item 1: My Ice-O-Mat, found at a thrift store in Echo Park. It takes regular old ice and crushes the crap out of it. Therefore creating my favorite kind of ice experience. The crushed kind. I don’t have a fancy schmancy in-door ice maker like some….so, this will have to do. And in my humble opinion, it’s way cooler anyway.

Item 2 (and 3): My old standby- Aperol.  Good buddy old pal. When would not be a good time for an Aperol spritz? Never. Case closed. And a new love- Dolin white vermouth. It’s “sweet,” not dry and is heavenly in a gin martini but also great on it’s own as an aperitif over ice with an orange twist.

Items 4 (and 5 & 6): Bitters! An essential for any bar to add complexity and well…a bitter note to a cocktail. I happen to be in love with the Aztec chocolate (used in my coco devereaux) and the rhubarb (used in my old smashioned.)

Items 7 & 8: If you aren’t new to the blog you’ve definitely seen the bottle on the left. Many times. It may be getting old at this point, but I don’t care. Bulleit bourbon is awesome (as evidenced by the almost empty bottle.) The little guy on the right should be illegal it’s so sinfully good. These Luxardo cherries are the perfect addition to a Manhattan. I’ve even infused them into the bourbon before to excellent results.

Item 9: Light agave nectar (aka the nectar of the gods.) I adore this stuff and use it ALL the time. Not only for cooking, but to sweeten cocktails. It is super light and not cloying. It gives a fuller, more rounded feel than granulated sugar but a more delicate touch than honey or molasses. And it is wonderful when wanting to make an infused simple syrup. (Item 9a: Mister Cow the creamer- from all the way out in Charleston, SC. Thanks Mom!)

Item 10: I just might be cuckoo for coco. Vita Coco coconut water is always in my fridge and it’s surprisingly good in fruit based cocktails and punch.  Highly. Recommended.

I simply remember my favorite things….And then I don’t feeeeeel so bad.

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Sunday Sip: Spritz-ing in Venezia

by whit on December 20, 2009



While in Italy, my favorite time of day is around 5 or 6 pm. Not only because I am that much closer to some sort of utterly fantastic dinner feast, but because these are the hours of aperitivo. Much like an American happy hour, it is a time to gather with friends, have a snack and a drink and open the stomach and palate for the dinner experience. Other than the region of Emilia-Romagna (with it’s lambrusco and culatello), Venice is my favorite place for aperitivo. I was there in chilly November and the piazzas were still full of people sitting around drinking ice cold glasses of spritz, munching on potato chips and discussing the day’s events. You can get a spritz anywhere in Italy, but it is most popular in the North.

photo by M. Quintanilla

photo by M. Quintanilla

What is a spritz, you ask? Classically, it is Campari (an Italian bitter liqueur), white wine and a splash of sparkling water over ice with an olive garnish. But, there are variations on this theme. As my friend Marisa and I stood at an incredibly crowded bar waiting to order, we watched as the bartender expertly created what seemed like dozens of spritz per minute for us thirsty patrons. Sometimes he would use white wine and sometimes he would use…..prosecco! Also an option, it seemed, was Aperol instead of Campari.  That was it, I had chosen my version of spritz. Aperol and prosecco on ice with a slice of orange. Delicious and refreshing.

Spritz. It’s what’s for aperitivo.

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