Gnamakoudji – Mandinka for Summer Ginger Punch

Here’s a refreshing summer drink I made with all the ginger left over from my project. It’s called Gnamakoudji and pronounced “ni-ya-ma-koo-ji”. Gnamakoudji is a popular thirst quencher in west Africa, where the tropical climate is hot year round. Gnamakou means ginger in Mandinka and dji means water. So together, ginger water. It’s essentially a mint and lemon flavored ginger iced tea with a bold kick. Continue reading Gnamakoudji – Mandinka for Summer Ginger Punch

Homemade Limoncello with A Twist – Day 1

A couple of weeks ago, Jamie wrote a post about homemade Limoncello. It was an enlightening read for me because although I knew Limoncello mostly homemade in Italy, it never occurred to me to try making my own. Especially when I can make three bottles at home for the price of a store-bought one, but also have full control over the quality, strength and sweetness of the final product. Continue reading Homemade Limoncello with A Twist – Day 1

Thrifty Gourmet Wine Steal – Chateau Charron 2007

Poor old France. First it was the Judgement of Paris, when American wine first topped the best the French had to offer in a blind tasting; then brash and colorful wines from South Africa, Chile and Australia began arriving in wine stores, hogging shelf space that France had once held unopposed; and now – mon dieu! – the old enemy, England, is producing award-winning sparkling wine just as the Champagne region comes under threat from climate change. There are mutterings that the writing is on the wall for the anachronistic French wine industry. Continue reading Thrifty Gourmet Wine Steal – Chateau Charron 2007

Summer in a bottle, Italian-style

A few years back I was part of a team putting together a recipe book for an Italian chef. One evening after we had downed tools, a group of us sat in the gentle evening sunshine and cracked open a bottle of decent Limoncello, a southern Italian lemon liqueur. Sipping it in the soft, warm breeze, we all agreed on two things: one, few drinks are more perfectly in harmony with the hazily carefree mood of an al-fresco summer evening; and two, that most commercial brands of Limoncello are, in terms of appearance, aroma and probably flavor, pretty similar to kitchen floor cleaner. Continue reading Summer in a bottle, Italian-style

Don’t Pour That Bad Wine Away…

We’ve all had the experience. Slamming the apartment door on the world after a miserable week at work, grabbing that special bottle of wine you’ve been saving from the rack, yanking the cork from the bottle with a satisfying pop, pouring it out and… The unmistakable aroma of rotten eggs. It’s corked. Ruined. Pour it down the sink, head angrily to the liquor store and hand over a few hard-earned dollars for another bottle. Continue reading Don’t Pour That Bad Wine Away…

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