new beginnings

New year, new design–I’m excited to finally share my new blog with you! This relaunch, my labor of love, took longer than expected. Many months have been spent feverishly working to get it just right. Of course, I had some much needed help with the technical aspects and a new logo design (thank you, Zach and Michael). Check out some of the fresh features: printable recipes; handy “pin it” buttons for Pinterest; categories on the Recipes page to encourage cooking inspiration. I hope you agree our efforts were worth the wait. In the meanwhile, so much has changed for me and I’m looking ahead to 2014–bring it! Wishing you all a Happy New Year: I hope your days are filled with joy, love and deliciousness. And now, to celebrate! Cocktail, anyone?

Juniper Pearl Martini

On my birthday, I enjoyed a version of this martini (ok–maybe two) at a wonderful restaurant called Harlow in NYC. It was spicy, slightly sweet and oh…so…smooth. Truth be told, this drink should really be called a gibson, as it’s garnished with an onion instead of an olive. But that doesn’t sound as sexy to me, so damn convention. Pickled purple pearl onions and a splash of their pickling juice (made with piney juniper berries, the citrus bite of coriander seed, fennel seed, cardamom and other aromatics) are the unique elements that make this drink special. This intriguing libation goes down very nicely.

Like Bond, I prefer my martinis shaken, not stirred. The chill of the ice is dispersed throughout, heightening the flavor and nuance of the liquor. There are many gins on the market, artisanal and otherwise, but I most prefer Bombay Sapphire. By design, its fragrant botanicals are beautifully enhanced by the pickling liquid of the pearl onions, making them a perfect pairing. A dry vermouth adds herbaceousness and rounds out the mix. This is my new standard.

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add the gin, vermouth and a splash of pickling juice and shake gently.

Strain into a large martini glass. Garnish with pickled purple pearl onions. Cheers everyone! So happy to be back!!

Pickled Purple Pearl Onions

Pickling is a revelation–it’s as easy as boiling water with tremendous results. Vary the spices you use to get different results: for a spicy pickle, use lots of red pepper flakes; for one more sour, add plenty of salt. To pickle the onions for this cocktail, I tried to mimic the botanicals in the beautifully fragrant Bombay Sapphire gin. Juniper, coriander, fennel seed, cardamom, clove, cinnamon each add their distinct flavor to this pickle–kind of a spicy, sweet, almost woodsy hue. A finish of dry vermouth starts the fermenting process. After you’ve enjoyed these onions in a few drinks, they would also make a wonderful condiment to serve with paté, cured meats and cheeses.

I was lucky to find already peeled onions at my local Whole Foods, making this task a step easier. If you can’t find purple pearl onions, white ones will work as well. Begin the pickle: bring a small saucepan of water to the boil, add onions, and gently boil for 2 minutes. Drain and  rinse with cool water to stop cooking. Pat dry and place onions in a clean glass mason jar.

In the same saucepan, bring the vinegar, sugar and spices to a simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add vermouth and turn off heat.

Pour pickling liquid over the onions in the jar and let cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Pickled onions may be kept up to two months.

Juniper Pearl Martini
Makes 1 Drink:

fresh ice
2 1/2 ounces best quality gin, preferably Bombay Sapphire
1/2 ounce dry vermouth, preferably Noilly Prat
splash pickling juice
2 pickled pearl onions

Pickled Purple Pearl Onions
Makes 2 cups:

8 ounces peeled purple (or white) pearl onions
2 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon juniper berries
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
4 cardamom pods
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1 2″ strip of lemon peel
1/4 cup dry vermouth

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