bourbon-peach fizz

I don’t know what’s happening where you live, but in Seattle fall is in the wind. As we round the corner into September, summer has pretty much decided to call it quits. 

Amazingly, I don’t mind at all. We’ve had the summer-of-all-summers here in the Pacific Northwest. I’m talking a glorious, sun-filled, resplendent season fit for picnics and sunbathing and plunging into the surf. 

Also, the hardcore-nerd piece of my brain is permanently programmed to love back-to-school season. A chill in the air will forever trigger dreams of pristine notebooks and the smell of freshly-sharpened pencils and hours spent hiding away in the library. 

There’s one thing I’m sad to be saying goodbye to though: the unbelievable peaches we’ve had all summer. I’ve never in my whole life tasted peaches as good as these. They are the platonic ideal of a peach: downy-skinned, juicy, heavy in the hand and with the lingering smell of peach blossoms still about them. Perfection.

These, I will miss.

So in these last days of the season, as the afternoon shadows get longer and we transition to sweaters and boots and bags heavy with books, I’m going to hold onto a little piece of summer with this peachy bourbon fizz. 

The classic combination of bourbon and peaches is jazzed up with a subtle cardamom syrup and brightened with fresh mint and a little lemon. The soda keeps it light. It’s my perfect summer-into-fall cocktail.

Mix one up this weekend and let me know what you think in the comments!

Happy almost-Friday!

Olaiya

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Bourbon-Peach Fizz

• ¼ ripe peach, thinly sliced, plus additional to garnish
• 4 teaspoons cardamom simple syrup (recipe below)
• ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon bourbon
• 1 dash bitters
• ½ cup chilled soda water, or to taste
• 1 sprig fresh mint

*Note: This drink is pretty light. If you're in the mood for a boozier cocktail, add a splash more bourbon. 

In a heavy pint glass, muddle the peach slices. Add the simple syrup, lemon juice, bourbon, bitters and ¼ cup of the soda water. Stir for 10-15 seconds then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a rocks glass filled with ice. Top with the remaining ¼ cup soda water (or more, if desired). Garnish with a peach slices or two and the mint sprig.

Makes 1 drink.

Cardamom Simple Syrup (double-strength)

• 3 green cardamom pods

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup water

Place the cardamom in a mortar and pestle and pound just to break the pods open and crush the seeds a little. Transfer the seeds to a small saucepan. Add the sugar and water and bring to the boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. When the sugar is dissolved and the syrup is clear, turn off the heat. Cool to room temperature then strain.

Since this simple syrup is double-strength, it will keep for up to 6 months covered and stored in the fridge.

Makes 1 cup.

introducing: the love list

Hey y’all!

I thought I’d try a little something new here at Milly’s Kitchen and share some of my favorite happenings from around the internet with you. So here is my inaugural Love List, chock full of things that I think are swell:

- It’s Friday, so obviously we’re going to start with a cocktail recipe. I recently discovered O&O Eats (which is a gorgeous food blog and which you should absolutely check out). If you’re in the mood for some spirit-lifting libations this weekend, shake up a Long Hope and get the party started. I’m already a sucker for drinks with cucumber and gin, but throw honeydew and mint in the mix and I’m smitten.

- Big news for my fellow food-science nerds: Kenji López-Alt (a culinary god and founder of the Serious Eats Food Lab), is publishing a book! Kenji is an indispensable resource on all things food-science and a slayer of revered kitchen myths. I mean, this guy will bake 50 gazillion chocolate chip cookies to test the effects of each and every ingredient. He’s my hero. You should get to know him if you don’t already.

- I highly recommend checking out this dreamy Instagram feed from visual-storyteller, Sejkko. It’s filled with stunning images that recall fairytales, daydreams and nomadic wanderings. One of the most inspiring feeds I’ve seen and part of what makes Instagram wonderful.

- If you’re heading to Paris (or dreaming of heading to Paris), add this NYT article on the rue des Martyrs to your reading list. This street has it all: chocolate, jam, pastries, charcuterie, ice cream, wine. And if you do make it to this Montmartre culinary paradise, reserve a table at Le Pantruche, one of my favorite bistros, and order the Grand Marnier soufflé with salted caramel for dessert.

- If you’re following me on Pinterest, you know I’m obsessed with tiny houses. (Beau and I are currently hatching plans to build a little house of our own.) This one takes the cake. I love, love, love everything about it. It's even super eco-friendly. Sigh.

- And to get your weekend started on the right note, here’s the new Downtown video from Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. I know this is going to be all over the internets in about two seconds, but it’s too fly not to share with you here. (Seattle represent!)

XO and Happy Friday!

Olaiya

P.S. If you’re feeling the love (or not), please head on down to the comments and let me know what you think of Love List Fridays. :)

honey-watermelon cocktails with a vanilla salt rim

We’ve been having a full-on, sweltering, no-joke sort of summer here in Seattle. I’ve lost track of the number of days the temperature has peaked above 90°. Whether or not to buy an air conditioner is a hot topic of conversation. And you can actually swim in the (normally frigid) ocean this year.

I’m not complaining (well, maybe a little bit) because for once, it actually feels like summer in Seattle. There’s no ambiguity this year; summer is happening. It is undeniably time to get your beach-game on, grab your flip-flops and gather your people together for an impromptu picnic or barbecue.

And it’s definitely time for watermelon.

Sweet, ripe, juicy watermelon is summer by the slice.

There have been Seattle summers where carving fat wedges of watermelon under grey skies and pouring rain would have felt...wrong. But this year, I’m buying watermelon after watermelon, in celebration of all this sun.

So this week I wanted to share a recipe for a watermelon cocktail that’s just right for a summer gathering with friends or family. It’s dead easy to make. Just whiz some watermelon in the blender, juice a few limes, stir together a honey simple syrup and you’ll be pouring up this bright summer cocktail in no time.

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Honey-Watermelon Cocktails with a Vanilla Salt Rim

• ½ cup honey (I used wildflower honey)
• 2 tablespoons coarse salt
• 1 vanilla bean
• 4 cups strained watermelon juice (the approximate yield of 1 mini seedless watermelon)
• ½ cup freshly-squeezed lime juice
• 10 oz. (1 ¼ cup) gin
• 2 limes, cut into wedges, for garnish

*Notes: I used Maldon sea salt (because it's my fave) and Hendrick's Gin (because its floral notes work really well with the watermelon, honey and vanilla). But feel free to experiment and see what you like.

First, make a honey simple syrup by combining the honey and ¼ cup boiling water in a heatproof bowl or measuring cup. Stir until the honey is completely dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Make the the vanilla salt while the simple syrup is cooling: cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise with a sharp paring knife. Use the knife to scrape out the vanilla seeds and rub them into the salt until they are evenly distributed.

Make the cocktail base by combining the watermelon juice, lime juice, 6 tablespoons of the simple syrup and the gin in a mixing bowl or pitcher. Whisk to combine. (The cocktail base can be stored for up to 3 days, covered, in the fridge.)

To assemble cocktail: Pour some of the honey simple syrup into a small plate with a lip. Transfer the salt to a similar plate. Dip the rim of a lowball or stemmed cocktail glass into the simple syrup then place the glass in the vanilla salt and turn to coat the rim evenly. Fill the glass with ice, fill with cocktail base and garnish with a lime wedge.

Makes about 8 cocktails.