August is here, and in southern New Hampshire, the ripe, crimson cones of sumac trees are dotting the edges of roadways and fields everywhere you look. The Staghorn sumac, or Rhus typhina, is very easy to identify thanks to those spiky red cones coated in fuzzy fibers, reminiscent of velvety deer antlers. Sometimes confused with Poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix), the staghorn, smooth, and winged sumacs that grow throughout the US are actually all edible - and quite delicious! Fortunately, there is no confusing the edible from the non-edible sumacs, as Poison sumac produces white berries, and edible varieties produce red ones.
Amy Traynor
It’s rosé season! I’m a fan of frosé, but there are so many more rosé cocktails to enjoy this summer! Here is a collection of the rosé cocktails I’m mixing up these days, including my very favorite, and incredibly easy, Rosé Paloma.
This post is sponsored by the National Peanut Board. It’s been a while since I shared a dessert cocktail recipe, and lately I’m all about that magical combination of sweet + salty. And the first thing that pops into my head when I think sweet and salty heaven is chocolate and peanut butter! When I …
If it’s possible that there’s one thing I’ve become a bit known for in my little corner of the internet, it’s making a pretty cocktail garnish. As a photographer and a highly visual person, I have always been immediately drawn to a drink (or a plate, for that matter) that is beautifully presented. It’s in our nature to be drawn to beauty, to seek it, and even to be influenced by it. Yes, in many ways, beauty truly is power.
Even though there are lots of combinations of flavors that a lot of folks would agree go great together, science still isn’t really clear on why these combos appeal to us. Theories have tried to prove that foods that share some of the same chemical compounds will naturally taste good together. But studies have shown that that is not always the case, and in fact, in certain world cuisines, foods which don’t share any of the same compounds work best together. You can read more about the studies here.
Today I want to talk a little about creating cocktail recipes. This is obviously a major passion of mine and something that I love to study both the art and science of. One of the things about creating, making, and drinking cocktails that fascinates me endlessly are all of the different flavors we can experiment with. This is the first in a series of posts dedicated to the elements of crafting your own cocktails.