Posts filed under 'Drinks'
Your Ann Arbor Drinking Guide
By Kara Morris, written on Nov. 4, 2008
Hopefully you’ll only need this resource to celebrate tonight.
A little while ago I listed a few resources for finding food in Ann Arbor; here’s one to find drinks. Want to know where to find the cheapest keg on campus? GetDrinksCheap.com, a site created by three U of M students this summer, will tell you which brand and where to buy.
Here, you can search a listing of over 2000 local beers by brand, size, store and maximum price. The site also lists Ann Arbor bar specials and info for 15 local stores that sell alcohol.
Hearty Meals and Hot Drinks
By Kara Morris, written on Oct. 21, 2008
Trees are ablaze with fiery red and yellow leaves, providing a warm contrast to the season’s cool gusts of wind. Summer may have its juicy peaches and sun-ripened tomatoes, but there is no season I look forward to more than fall.
The chilly weather invites an abundance of warm seasonal dishes like baked squash, chunky applesauce and spiced pumpkin pie. A glass of mulled wine shared with friends on a cool night couldn’t be more seductive. Other hearty dishes include thick soups, chili, and roasted vegetables.
Homemade doughnuts are best paired with a warm mug of spiced cider. With or without rum, hot cider will keep you warm when you’re standing at the State game or studying in your 60-degree house.
Over the next few months I’ll lay out a few of my favorite recipes. The first one, below, was adapted from an Everyday Food Magazine recipe. The natural sweetness of the apples is intensified when baked; paired with ice cream and cinnamon-sugar syrup, the dish tends to be very sweet. Taking a hint from caramel apples and one of my mother’s favorite snacks—sliced apples with peanut butter—I’ve added in peanuts to cut the sweetness of the dish.
Baked Cinnamon Apples
4 tbsp unsalted butter
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
4 whole cinnamon sticks
4 small apples, halved, seeds and stems left intact
¼ cup of plain or slightly salted peanuts
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Stir in sugar, ground cinnamon, and cinnamon sticks. Place apples in skillet, cut sides down.
2. Transfer skillet to oven. Bake apples until tender, about 12 minutes. Place 2 apple halves in each serving dish, cut sides up, and drizzle with butter mixture from skillet.
3. If desired, grind peanuts; garnish with cinnamon sticks and peanuts. Serve immediately.
Simple Syrups
By Kara Morris, written on Sep. 24, 2008
A few weeks ago I had a really beautiful bunch of Thai basil and didn’t know what to do with it. Thai basil has a strong licorice taste so I didn’t want to use it in a traditional Italian tomato and mozzarella dish. I decided to make a simple syrup out of it.
Simple syrups can be used in drink mixes and in sorbets. The general rule when making simple syrups is to use one cup of sugar for every cup of water you use. The most basic simple syrup is just sugar and water, but you can infuse different flavors into your syrup. I tried Thai basil, lemon, and lime (separately) which were all very good.
I really like mixing my simple syrups with soda water, which is a fun, healthier alternative to soda. On weekends, you can also throw in some liquor (i.e. vodka) too.
One quick warning: this syrup can get sticky. If you spill it, be sure to clean it up immediately with lots of water.
Infused Simple Syrups
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 lemons or limes or a thick handful of Thai basil or mint
For lemon or lime syrup:
1. Wash 2 of your lemons or limes and zest both. Squeeze out juice and reserve.
2. Mix sugar and water and add in the lemon juice and zest (I also add in the rest of the peel). Bring to a boil over medium heat and allow to simmer for a minute before removing from heat.
3. Allow syrup to stand for about 30 minutes; strain and refrigerate for 2-4 hours before using it so that the flavors can develop.
4. Mix with soda water to taste; garnish with a slice of lemon or lime. If you want to mix with vodka, mix 1 part vodka with 3 or 4 parts soda water, then add syrup to taste.
For that basil or mint simple syrup:
1. Wash your basil or mint.
2. Mix sugar and water and add in your basil or mint. Bring to a boil over medium heat and allow to simmer for a minute before removing from heat.
3. Allow syrup to stand for about 30 minutes; strain and refrigerate for 2-4 hours before using it so that the flavors can really develop.
4. Mix with soda water to taste; garnish with sprig of basil or mint. If you want to mix with vodka, mix 1 part vodka with 3 or 4 parts soda water, then add syrup to taste.