Drink Me: Flavors for Less

Yesterday I posted a recipe for cucumber vodka today I was thinking about all sorts of other flavor ideas. When I got home from work today I searched my kitchen for different flavors that I could infuse into vodka. I found a slightly overly ripe tomato and a bag of orange infused cranberries. So with out further ado I give you tomato vodka and cranberry-orange vodka.

Tomato Vodka

Crush one, very ripe medium sized, tomato in the bottom of a one pint mason jar. Fill the jar with vodka, seal it and refrigerate it for at least a week. When it has finished steeping strain the mixture.

Cran-Orange Vodka

Pour 1/4 of a cup of cranberries into a one pint mason jar and top off the jar with vodka. Seal the jar and refrigerate for at least a week. Strain and enjoy.

Cheap Cheats

It’s time for some more inexpensive kitchen quick tips!

If you use vanilla beans and don’t know what to do with the left over pods (or the old ones hiding in the cabinet) you have a few options. If you’ve used the pods for flavor (creme brûlée is a good example) you have to rinse them first then the fun can begin. Simple vanilla sugar is the easiest, just place the pods in your sugar bowl and voila. It’s also super simple to make vanilla extract.

Vanilla Extract

Chop up leftover vanilla beans and put then in a small jar (4 to 6 Oz is perfect). Fill the jar with a good quality vodka and seal it. Let the beans steep for a week in a cool dark place. Any time you have extra vanilla throw it in the jar and top off the vodka.

If you increase the amount of vodka to about a pint and throw in your vanilla you can let it steep to get some great vanilla vodka.

Drink Me: Homemade Cucumber Vodka

I’m a fan of flavored vodka. I just don’t like paying an arm and a leg for something so easy to make. Recently I made cucumber vodka. All in all it took about ten minutes and cost about seven dollars to make a pint.

Pour one pint of good quality vodka into a clean non-reactive container.
Make sure the lid fits well.
Grate 1/2 of an English cucumber into the container.
Seal and leave the mix in your refrigerator for at least a week.
Strain the vodka and enjoy.

Once its steeped I’m partial to a Pickled Martini.

Mix two ounces cucumber vodka and 1/2 an ounce of dry vermouth in a shaker over ice. Add a splash of pickle brine and shake. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a cucumber slice.

It’s not that I’m lazy…

It’s really not that I’m lazy… I just don’t have a lot of spare time to write about my cooking. Obviously we all need tricks to speed up our day. Especially in the kitchen. I present you with two easy tricks to make things go a little smoother.

1) It’s summer and it’s hot. Use the hot box that is your car as a quick place to sun dry herbs. Place paper towels, parchment, or just plain legal paper in the back window then put your herbs on top to dry.

2) In a pinch for barbecue sauce? Mix honey and a dark beer let them reduce until thick. Add ketchup and stir. A little salt and pepper to taste and you are done.

Guiness Barbecue Spare Ribs are easy with this quick sauce.