K9 Wins the Day - And the Mayden!

7/22 - That dueling dog has asked for mojitos –lookout now – this party is heating up!
Didchya know that mojito comes from the African word, mojo? Hahaha!

Mojito Magic

Ingredients:
3 fresh mint sprigs
2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 ½ oz light rum
club soda or seltzer water
lemon slices

Preparation: In a tall, thinglass, crush part of the mint with a fork to coat the inside. Add the sugar and lime juice and stir thoroughly. Top with ice. Add rum and mix. Top off with chilled club soda or seltzer. Garnish with a lemon slice and mint. Serve.

I'm whipping up a batch of black beans, fried plantains and spicy BBQ ribs to go along with the drinks! And the stereo is blasting- dancing on the balcony anyone?



7/21 - the original post.
I did have pics for this post, but blogspot is being a you-know-what!

I canceled my Friday night plans because I was so behind in paper-grading (oh, the trials and tribulations of teachers), and I had every intention of finishing the task, but I am as distractable (cool word eh?) as my students, and so started in on the screen-sucking (even cooler word, doncha think?) - only to discover - hurrah - that our valiant hot dog has conquered all comers and won the Mayden's hand.

Yes - K9’s rip-rapping sonnets were not to be denied - he has indeed won the Mayden and in honor of the big dog, I offer mint juleps and shots of Jack all around. Enjoy! (And thank goodness - now I can partay instead of stickin' with those student papers - they are better left for the light of an early morn, when my brain is refreshed and my attitude is of a kinder nature!)

If you would like the Jack, I suggest shots, or a bit of Jack on the rocks (but no water!). I do not permit Jack mixed with soda in my roost –so if that’s what you’re after – be gone! (Why on earth you would want to squander the Jack that way is beyond my comprehension!)

Some of you may know that the mint julep, which traces its roots back to the Arabic julab (rose water), is the official drink of the Kentucky Derby. For an entertaining account of the mint julep, I direct you to The Drinking Man’s Archives– quite an enjoyable read.

Following are three recipes for the julep – the first two are rather simple (well - they seemed to be about an hour ago, before I had one or was that two?), and the last is a somewhat tricky production.

One of the simpler recipes calls for crushing the mint – a rather debatable practice. According to sources which I no longer have the capacity to cite (after all, I did have to test the recipes you know - I couldn't just trust my neighbor's word for it), a true Southerner should “never insult a decent woman, never bring a horse in the house, and never crush the mint in a julep.” Indeed, doing so will mark you quite clearly as either an ignoramus or a Yank (can you say, "Mason Dixon line?").

And oh, least I forget, a round of cheers for the competitors - Cosmo and Percival -who both crafted lovely work, but in the final end, could not compare to the fundamentally fidelis dog.

But now on to the recipes!

A Simple, Southern Style Julep (leaves are muddled – not crushed!)

Ingredients:
4 fresh mint sprigs
2 1/2 oz bourbon whiskey
1 tsp powdered sugar
2 tsp water

Preparation: Muddle mint leaves, powdered sugar, and water in a collins glass. Fill the glass with shaved or crushed ice and add bourbon. Top with more ice and garnish with a mint sprig. Serve with a straw.

Clearly A Yankee Julep (crushed mint)

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons water
6 to 8 mint leaves
1/2 cup finely crushed ice
2 ounces Bourbon

Preparation: Chill a silver tumbler or julep mug. Add to chilled mug the sugar, water, and mint leaves. Using a spoon, crush mint gently.

Add a scant 1/2 cup of finely crushed ice; pour Bourbon over the ice. Do not stir, but let stand a few minutes until the mug is frosty.

A Rather Complicated Yet Perfect Mint Julep According to Bill Samuels (never heard of the man, but apparently, he’s into juleps).

Ingredients:
4 cups bourbon
2 bunches fresh spearmint
1 cup distilled water
1 cup granulated sugar
Powdered sugar

Preparation: To prepare the mint extract, remove about 40 small mint leaves. Wash and place in a small bowl. Cover with 3 ounces bourbon. Allow the leaves to soak for 15 minutes. Then gather the leaves in paper toweling. Thoroughly wring the mint over the bowl of whisky. Dip the bundle again and repeat the process several times.

To prepare simple syrup, mix 1 cup of granualted sugar and 1 cup of distilled water in a small saucepan. Heat to dissolve sugar. Stir constantly so the sugar does not burn. Set aside to cool.

To prepare mint julep mixture, pour 3 1/2 cups of bourbon into a large glass bowl or glass pitcher. Add 1 cup of the simple syrup to the bourbon. Now begin adding the mint extract 1 tablespoon at a time to the julep mixture.

Each batch of mint extract is different, so you must taste and smell after each tablespoon is added. You are looking for a soft mint aroma and taste—generally about 3 tablespoons.

When you think it's right, pour the whole mixture back into the empty liter bottle and refrigerate it for at least 24 hours to "marry" the flavors.

To serve the julep, fill each glass (preferably a silver mint julep cup) 1/2 full with shaved ice. Insert a spring of mint and then pack in more ice to about 1-inch over the top of the cup. Then, insert a straw that has been cut to 1-inch above the top of the cup so the nose is forced close to the mint when sipping the julep.

When frost forms on the cup, pour the refrigerated julep mixture over the ice and add a sprinkle of powdered sugar to the top of the ice. Serve immediately. Makes 10 servings.

(Hells bells - it's time to partay at Bill's place!)