Manhattans are an extremely easy and delicious drink, and happen to be my favorite class of cocktail. The typical Manhattan is some ratio of whiskey – bourbon or rye – with a similar measure of vermouth. I say similar because, while I prefer a 1:1 ratio of whiskey to vermouth, if you like a sweeter drink feel free to favor the vermouth. Or, as many do, if you want a stronger kick go for a stronger pour of spirits or a higher proofed whiskey. As a spiritus drink, meaning one that is not adulterated with additional juices or waters, any adjustments in the ingredients quality or proportion will produce discernible results. The best Manhattan is the one you like, so start with a basic recipe, make the tweaks you need, and find your Manhattan. The “Old Standard” Manhattan, as reported by David Wondrich in Imbibe!, is one part whiskey, one part vermouth, two dashes of gum syrup, and a couple dashes of Peruvian Bitters. Thanks David, you had me up until the gum syrup. We hope to write more later on the somewhat obscure ingredients, but I am here to tell you that you can make a fantastic classic Manhattan without them.

Classic Manhattan

Classic Manhattan

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces good whiskey – bourbon or rye
• 1 1/2 ounces sweet (rouge) vermouth
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 Maraschino cherry (a real one – not those hot pink blobs) or a twist of orange

Preparation

1. Fill a shaker with ice and stir ingredients until the cocktail is well-chilled, about 40 seconds. 
2. Strain in to a pretty glass, garnish as you like, and serve.

So, once you get the Classic Manhattan the way you like it is fun to play with the vermouth. Vermouth is a fortified wine, most commonly Italian (Martini & Rossi) or French (Noilly Prat), red or dry. The base wine may be made from a variety of wines or blends that are then sweetened and flavored with botanicals and spices. Vermouths typically come in under 20% alcohol by volume and they are all different. Playing around with a variety of vermouths is a fun way tinker with the Manhattan, but it can also be fun to try other fortified wines. There are a lot of new and exciting fortified wines coming on the market now and many are very affordable. It is my recommendation to go to your favorite local liquor store, check out their liquor selection, see if there is any new under 20% ABV fortified wine that sounds fun, then take it home then play with a whole new type of Manhattan. The following recipe uses Cocchi Americano, a fortified wine flavored with cinchona, the same bittering agent in tonic water (that is, the same medicinal bark delivered through tonic water).

Tofu Dandelion Stuffed Shells
Photo by Gabe Hasser

Tofu takes the place of cheese in this stuffed shell recipe. The addition of dandelion greens and walnuts it is not only a healthy choice, it is very tasty!

 Ingredients

• 1 package large pasta shells, boiled and cooled
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 bunch of dandelion greens, chopped
• 1 pound firm tofu, crumbled
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• Zest from 1/2 a lemon
• 1 preparation of tomato sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grated Parmesan cheese or Vegan Parmesan substitute (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Over medium heat saute the onion until it is tender. Add garlic and continue cooking until fragrant, about one minute. 
2. Add dandelion greens, tofu, and walnuts. Continue cooking, stirring continuously, over medium heat until the greens begin to wilt, about two minutes.  Stir in the lemon zest, season with salt and pepper to taste, then remove from heat.
3. Stuff the shells and arrange in a large baking dish. When the dish is at capacity top with sauce and a little grated Parmesan cheese or cheese substitute.
4. Bake at 350 degrees until sauce simmers, about 15 minutes.

Gluten-free variation: Substitute gluten-free shell or manicotti pasta, or roll the filling in blanched Brussels sprouts greens or collard leaves.

I love liquor stores. I love browsing for new products, recognizing subtle differences in organization, noting prices, and – of course – responsibly imbibing the products. One thing that makes shopping for and purchasing liquor even more pleasurable for me is that I am also an economist. Economics is not so much something that a person studies as who they are. Everywhere I go I subconsciously collect a set of data points that my brain computes using a highly specific algorithm to then tell me if and under what circumstances I will return to that establishment. I am not special – everyone takes a complicated set of factors in to consideration to determine preferences – but an economist knows that this is happening which makes us want to understand.

This post is part of the Austin Food Blogger Alliance’s 2013 City Guide.  Each year AFBA members contribute articles about Austin food and drink to the City Guide as a resource for locals and visitors to Austin.

Sugar sculptures at 2013 That Takes the Cake

This weekend  I volunteered to participate in the annual That Takes the Cake sugar and art show as a judge for the tasting competition. The competition was divided into five categories: angel food cakes, moon pies, candy, cookies, and “mini-bottle cakes.” If you don’t know, and I initially did not, mini-bottle cakes are cakes made with or flavored with alcohol. Obviously, I was most excited to try the 18 entrants in this category.

And try I did! The range of styles, flavors, and creativity of these cakes was impressive, which made judging all of these cakes extremely fun and filling work. My three favorite cakes were: 3) a nicely decorated chocolate Guinness cake with Bailey’s icing, 2)  a delicious limoncello coffee cake, and (drum roll!) 1) a beautiful White Chocolate Godiva Liqueur layer cake with Chambord icing. The winners from each category were evaluated by all of the judges and the bottle cake winner was bested by a fantastic chocolate raspberry mousse confection.