For us Chinese, the lunar new year is just around the corner! I guess it’s time to review the past year and make some new resolutions to embrace 2011.
Resolutions? Mine are typical: Eat healthy, exercise more, relax, live well, have fun! Shall I say, at least 50% of the above can be achieved.
2010 review? Proud to say it was a great year for me! I was smart enough to make some right decisions, said ‘no, thank you’ when needed to, had lots of great eats, spent valuable times with real friends, started a bilingual blog and embarked on my ‘Vancouver Cooks Asian’ cookbook project.
Oh, I also had my first mixology lesson, at Yew Restaurant & Bar inside Four Seasons Hotel! Maybe it’s no big deal to many of you, but for someone like me who nods off after sipping only 1 oz. of cocktail; that was my milestone!
The afternoon was spent in two parts: Learn how to make ‘Molecular Mango Ravioli’ in the shape of a sphere from Pastry Chef Wayne Kozinko and had a blast. Thanks to Kozinko, who was smart and nice enough to come up with an easy-to-manage recipe so no one made a fool of oneself but had fun and laughter all the way.
The mixology lesson, on the other hand, didn’t go quite as easy. The mixing part, done mostly by bartender Justin Taylor, was a piece of cake.
It’s the shaking part that required too much ‘fitness’ and even some ‘kungfu’ moves, resulting mostly in panting and sore arms. But watching Justin showcasing the process of making a delicious drink from scratch as he explained how each element, each flavour and each step bind in together, was priceless. I would never be able to go behind the bar and start shaking and mixing, but I now appreciate the arts and science behind each carefully measured and mastered cocktail!
For those who would like to play bartender while celebrating Lunar New Year, here is the recipe of this drink I totally indulged in that afternoon.
Maple Brule
Ingredients:
2 oz Rye Whisky
1oz lemon juice
1oz apple uice
1/2 oz maple syrup
3/4 oz pasteurized eggwhites
Garnish:
cinnamon sugar
Method:
Mix all ingredients together in cocktail shaker
Add ice and shake vigorously until foamy
Pour slowly into a coupe glass
There will be a thick layer of foam on top
Dust eggswhites with cinnamon sugar
With a small blow torch, brule the cinnamon sugar until a crisp sugar crust forms.
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