MXMO ~ DRINK NERDY

I found this picture on Equestria Daily, then I screen grabbed and edited. 

The Back Story

When I saw the tweet go out about this month's MXMO, Drink Nerdy, I knew I had to participate.

In the last year, my four year old has exposed me to more geek culture than I actually care to admit. However, I will divulge that I went from having never seen a Star Wars film in its entirety, to having a deep knowledge of characters, weapons, story lines and I even came to have opinions about which I liked best. I have Pokemon Go, I know how to use it, Pikachu rides around on my shoulder and I can have an intelligible conversation about playing. I'm just a bit too old to have any personal attachment to the cards or games, so we're just getting started on the back story. OK, if I'm getting real with myself, it's not just because of my son, I read and loved all of the Harry Potter series and I read all of Game of Thrones. I even wrote a recipe subtly dedicated to it...but you'd have to be a real nerd to get it. So, it isn't really just my son, I have some pretty geeky tendencies of my own. And, clearly you do to. If you follow (or write) a blog that gathers up cocktail writing from other nerds, you're swimming in some deeply geeky water.

Nerd Geek Fan Culture

What I do understand now that I hadn't before, is that there are fully flushed out layers upon layers in these worlds. And even though all of the geek-doms differ, they all have that in common, and it's what draws us in. It really hit home when I saw one of my favourite comedians, Patton Oswalt, talking about his daughter loving the ultra geek laden world of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. Now the layers of this Meta tale really start to pile up.

I may have failed to mention that I also really love comedy. I listen to comedy radio, watch the same stand up specials over and over, have one of those inexplicable Loius CK crushes, obsess over Comedians in Cars getting coffee...Alright, I see how it looks but I swear that's all.

Patton Oswalt, generally considered to be the  King, (maybe a little more like Jon snow, not really a king but generally regarded as our, I mean THEIR leader) of the nerd-geek-fans, was talking about how he was too busy with his own geek worlds to get himself involved in his daughter's obsession with MLP FIM. He did so, while deftly revealing that he was actually a Brony. Yep, that's what they're called, Bronies, grown dudes (nerds) who love the world of the friendship ponies which operates on the same premise as all of the other geek-doms. It's a full world where every detail has been considered and coordinated. There are favourite characters, back stories, call-backs, continuing plot lines and villains, lots of super cool villains. My son and I are into it, really into it, nerd-geek-fan-Brony into it.
Well, not to long ago a new character appeared in the show. His name is Quibble Pants and he's a fanboy...voiced by Patton Oswalt!

As my four year old would say, "my mind has binned blowed"!    

The Nerd Drink

The episode is set at a comic-con type convention and Quibble Pants is there to debate the merits of his most beloved franchise, Daring D0, while having the ultimate fan experience. The king of nerd-geek-fans, plays a nerd-geek-fan on an episode about nerd-geek fans, I can't breathe.
During the episode, Quibble Pants and one of the mane characters from the show, stop for some refreshment, a nice cold Tiki drink. If ever I had a calling to create a recipe, this is it. I decided to add some more layers to this meta story by creating a real recipe for what's in the cup.

It's well known that ponies drink apple cider, one of the ponies is even named Applejack and actually produces her own. Great start, it's apple season here. But, it's clear that they are enjoying a Tiki drink. I doubt there are a ton of apple orchards in the south pacific. It is usually safest when trying to fuse two disparate styles, to start with an established recipe and work from there. Trying to make two totally new elements and mash them together is much more difficult. So, I began with a Dark & Stormy, because yum. And, then I added some apple elements in the form of fresh apple and apple brandy.
Also, because these geek things are so much about the subtle yet authentic details, I hand painted a mug. The result is a fun, easy drink that works in or out of season, with or without the mug. It's more ingredients than I usually like to have in a home recipe but given the nature of the challenge I thought it was worth it. It would be fine to use a single rum, I combined these two because one is Canadian and has a good bite and the other is quite rich. Apples and Angostura bitters can be found anywhere as can ginger beer. I'll offer a caveat on this one, skip the temptation to add pie spices, the bitters are enough to tie all of the elements together without over powering it.

The Griffon's Goblet

1 oz El Dorado 5yr
1/2 oz Screech
1/2 oz Laird's Apple Brandy
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1/4 oz simple syrup
2 tbsps grated apple ( a sweet/sour variety or substitute apple sauce)
3 drops angostura bitters

2 oz ginger beer

Add all ingredients, excepting ginger beer, to a shaker. Fill 3/4 with cracked ice. Shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds. Double strain into a Tiki glass filled with crushed ice. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with apple wedge. 






Thank you so much to The Shrubbery for this awesome theme.

And of course a huge thanks to the wrangler!

MXMO

NATURAL REMEDY

It's cold and flu season, I've dropped the over the counter chemicals and switched to this home made remedy.

A flu swept through our house last week. It's a frequent occurrence with a toddler around. I don't like any remedy that prevents the sickness from running it's natural course, or any that just mask the symptoms, but I do still want help feeling better. This hot drink can me made with or without alcohol so it can be used for the whole family. It's a combination of tea, ginger, fresh lemon and honey that I find very soothing.

Ginger helps to alleviate nausea and also the spiciness helps the sinuses to get moving. Lemon has antibacterial properties and honey is soothing. The hot tea is warming and while it should be black tea, decaffeinated will work at bedtime. This is also where you can insert a little personal taste, if you like Chai go for it, the spices in Chai tea like cinnamon, will act against your cold as well. Maybe you've lost your mind and prefer Earl Grey, I have no remedy for for that, but you are welcome to use whatever tea you like. Just be sure to double the bags, you'll want it to be strong.

Spirits have a long history as medicinal remedies and if you take a look at a bottle of cough syrup, many still contain alcohol. Plenty of bartenders like to use Jagermeister as a remedy for a long shift as well as a cold, and no one would disagree that it takes like medicine. A little goes a long way but a medicinal remedy was it's intended purpose. The herbs used to produce the flavour are meant to have health properties including some that will work as a cough suppressant, like licorice. Bitters were also meant to act as as digestive and health tonic, so this drink is packed with healthful properties to get you through cold and flu season.

Once I switched there was no going back for me, in particular at night. The popular over the counter hot lemon drinks contain a sleepy time drug that is just not for me. I always wanted to feel the relief and enjoyment that so many others seem to get from these little packets but for me they are a nightmare. I get trapped in a fit full state of twitching limbs (jimmy leg) that I can't wake up from. Not what I consider help to feel better. This recipe on the other hand provides the warmth and comfort of a hot drink, makes you just a little drowsy and contains natural remedies, winner.

The first recipe is the no alcohol version and the second will be a miniature cocktail that can be added to the tea for adults at bedtime.

Ultimate Cold and Flu Fighter
2 C water
2 black tea bags (caffeine optional)
1/2 fresh lemon
2 inches fresh ginger
1 tbsp honey (amber)


Nighttime Relief
(adults) to the above recipe add...
1 oz whisky
1/2 oz triple sec
1/4 oz Jagermeister
2-3 drops angostura bitters



Method
In a large sauce pan add water, lemon and ginger, bring to boil over high heat. Remove from heat add tea bags, steep for 3-5 mins. Strain into large mug add honey and for Nighttime relief for adults add mini cocktail. 




Do you use over the counter or home remedies? Have a special family formula? Let us know in the comments.

MXMO ~~ COCONUT SHIVER

Lavender
Goat Cheese
Coconut

There they are, my food hates. I feel really exposed right now.
It's taboo to admit to not liking certain flavours in the food world. In fact, on the first day of class, the food writing teacher told us we weren't allowed to have any dislikes if we were going to write about food. There was silence in the room. It hadn't occurred to any of us that writing about food would require us to eat the foods we detest. I have a strong aversion to coconut. It would be so much better if my hate had more group conformity, but I seem to be one of very few people who don't like it.

My worst food hate secret?
I used to hate beer...I can hardly imagine it but I was in my late twenties before I developed a taste for beer.

What worked?
Repeated exposure. The more you taste a food you dislike, the less you hate it and sometimes you'll even grow to love it, as I did with the refreshing and bitter deliciousness of a great beer.
I have tried to use the same approach with other foods and flavours that I dislike, in order to eradicate the quivering, stomach churning revulsion. This also works if you had an evening of over indulgence and the scent memory related to gin or tequila or whatever you had too much of, now brings back a flood of horrifying memories. It's just your brain trying to protect you. Taste a small amount again a few times and you should eventually be relieved (there was a solid decade where I couldn't drink orange juice). You can read more about the studies behind this and other fun facts about food aversions here.
Of course, aversions are not the same as allergies, please be a considerate restaurant patron, for the establishment as well as the sake of diners with very real allergies. Aversion = Ew, gross. Allergy = Hospital, dying. It's a very important distinction.

I tried several different coconut products, but in the end I went with the Coconut Dream. It's hardly my ideal choice, the ingredient list isn't stellar but it's the only one that worked in the drink. I'm happy to have a reason to do something other than farm fresh, but this was another tough draw (MxMo pineapple was difficult too). The whole coconut just didn't have any flavour, the cream had the least added ingredients but was difficult to work with and the can and box were about the same, so I went with box for convenience and texture. I appreciate a good challenge and this falls in line with my other work for packaged foods companies. I have to help them showcase their products, my personal tastes are not relevant.

I'm so Canadian, I didn't even notice it was facing French. Little known fact about English speaking Canadians, we all have certain products for which we use the french name because of the dual labeling.

All that said, this coconut themed MxMo was a tough challenge for me.
I did what people have been doing forever to choke down a food they dislike, I covered it with flavours I do like. In this case a strong flavour match exists between coconut and ginger, a flavour I love. Both of those ingredients have an affinity for lime, which I love. And, lime and ginger match with gin, which I also love. So, how bad could this coconut experiment be?

I've had my torch out again.

Coconut Shiver
1 1/2 oz gin
1 1/2 oz Coconut Dream (unsweetened)
1 oz ginger syrup*
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
2-3 drops Angostura bitters
candied ginger and lime zest for garnish

Method
In a shaker add all ingredients, fill 3/4 with ice. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Double strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with fresh lime zest and candied ginger.















*Ginger Syrup
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c water
3 inches fresh ginger, sliced
pinch black pepper, fresh cracked
pinch salt

Method
In a heavy bottom sauce pan over medium heat bring sugar and water to the boil, add ginger, salt and pepper. Reduce heat simmer gently for 15 mins. Remove from heat, cool and fine strain. Store in fridge for up to one week.

I have repeatedly exposed myself to coconut and I'm over the shivers but I still don't love it. I can handle it in curries and I won't die if it's in a dessert, although I still don't understand it on a spiritual/emotional level. This drink scored surprisingly high with me, I'd maybe even order one...but probably not.


What are your food hates? Any alcohol you haven't been able to drink? Hated a food and now you love it? Tell me about it in the comments.

As always, a big thank you to MxMo. I appreciate the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone. Rated R Cocktails came up with this one. I love Tiki and I love their site.
Here's the round up post. Check out what everyone did. I'm so glad to see other people who also don't love coconut & how they approached. It really turned out great.