Weekend Trail- Bread Baking and Sartori!!!

Social experiments truly pave way to new beginnings. And since I relocated, I have been constantly testing myself in kitchen with projects that are equal parts exciting and enterprising. In my quest to quench my ever increasing appetite of testing and tasting, I conducted a small exercise this weekend which took a deliciously divine turn and led me to try my hands on bulk baking. It started as a small discussion on 2 popular forums, where we were talking about home-made, preservative free breads made with whole grains like whole-wheat and finger millet. Everyone seemed quite excited about the idea, and urged me to deliver it to their houses. And I did so. Sunday evening, I went over to each house to deliver a freshly baked bread and I was greeted with smiles and encouragements. I already received a few e-mails urging me to continue as the quality, texture and feel of the bread suited the buyer’s expectations. I too enjoyed myself in this whole exercise. The smell of fresh bread permeated through my house and both my boys were beside themselves tasting hot soft breads out of the oven. The only part I need to figure out is the delivery, as every weekend, as much as I wish, I really can’t travel around the city delivering breads. So thanks everyone for such an amazing response. I truly loved every bit of this weekend and the nice drive that it ended with. I would be most obliged to get your feedbacks so that I can come out stronger than this! Thanks a ton!! 

And my companion for this baking time was this new find- a bottled cocktail made with vodka and absinthe, named 'Sartori Absinthe Classic'. As a review to the drink, well, it was quite sweet yet had a kick to it. I felt it was a good breezer substitute, but for me it lacked the oomph of the green fairy. 

Absinthe- The Tale of a Green Fairy!!

Recently I got exposed to many theories regarding the green fairy. And that led me to write this, about arguably the most delusional drinking spirit; the Absinthe. First, please do not treat absinthe as a shot of tequila. Because of the simple reason, that it isn’t tequila. It is not a drink for a round of “bottoms-up” in a party!! Moreover it should never be consumed like that. Take your time to make it right. It’s an expensive bottle with a delicate flavour which has to be savoured, rather than gulping it down the throat with a timer on! In this post, I have tried to portray the green magic in a way that is appealing to our Indian taste. And what more, it will never leave you with a hangover to deal with later!

Absinthe is one of the most alcoholic distilled spirit found in the world, with a total alcoholic volume of 65 to 75%. It has a strong flavour of fennel (saunf), something that we Indians don’t consider a cocktail flavour. Our tastes compel us to associate fennel with mouth fresheners. After a hearty Indian meal, that paan walla’s paan (betel leaf laden with a sweet cocktail of fennel seeds, betel nuts and sweetened dry fruits) is what we look out for. So for me, my first thought while having absinthe was, Paan!! And so I introduced my friends to an after meal liqueur, which is just about right for our matured, yet a hearty Indian Taste!!!

So if you are having a cocktail party, indulge your guests to a small helping of absinthe to end the party. Making the perfect glass of the green fairy is laborious, never-the-less very satisfying. One helping is good enough for 6 shot glasses. Perfect end to a perfectly beautiful meal, the Indian way!!

Ingredients:

30 ml absinthe

Cold water

1 sugar cube

Absinthe strainer, comes with the bottle

6 chilled shot glasses

1 tall water tumbler

Ice (optional)

Method:

The first step is to make the apparatus required. Assemble the absinthe strainer and the sugar cube on a tall water tumbler as shown here.

Now pour in 30 ml of absinthe, passing it through the sugar cube.

Slowly drip in cold water (drop-by-drop), and let it dissolve the sugar cube into the absinthe below.

Once the sugar dissolves in, adjust water to suit your taste. Remember, it is at least 60% alcohol, so filling up the glass with a bit more water will be a good idea.

Divide it equally between half a dozen shot glasses and enjoy!!

 For any further clarifications, feel free to write in. Cheers!!