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Cupid may have his arrows, but when it comes to Valentine’s Day, nothing beats an exotic love potion to set hearts ablaze. This Valentine’s Day add something special to the flowers and the chocolate -- offer up a signature drink for the guy or gal who’s got your heart.
For over a century, the Negroni has been a unique and refreshing cocktail with a bold worldwide reputation that has flourished in both classic and modern times.
Created in the early 1800s, Campari was elevated to international success through a truly romantic love story. Davide Campari fell wildly in love with one of Italy’s most celebrated opera singers of the 19th century, Lina Cavalieri. After Lina modeled for one of Campari’s renowned advertisements, Davide became so enamored with the young beauty that he decided to follow her on a global opera tour, setting up export markets around the world. Davide’s passion poised Campari to become a world popular and best-selling spirit, a position it still holds today.
Photo by Taylor Simpson on Unsplash
The Negroni was first created in the early 1900s by Count Camillo Negroni, a Florentine aristocrat. Camillo had asked the bartender to add some bite to his preferred cocktail, the Americano, a mixture of Campari and sweet Vermouth. With the addition of gin, a delicious classic was created and the Negroni became the eponymous Count’s new favorite.
Today, many others have experimented as the Count did, tinkering with the recipe to please their own palates and those of fellow Campari aficionados. Below is a sampling of Negronis from around the world. From the Bourbon & Branch bar in San Francisco to The Cuckoo Club of London, bartenders have continued to recognize the versatility of this spirit, updating this cocktail with their own signature twist.
Follow the evolution of the Negroni around the globe as Davide Campari once devotedly followed “the greatest beauty in the world.” Mix up one of these recommended recipes on your own, or try it for yourself if you’re in the right neighborhood.
Perhaps you’ll even be inspired to create your own personalized variation of the Negroni. If you’re already planning for Valentine’s Day, consider mixing in the passion of this distinctive spirit.
SAN FRANCISCO
Bourbon & Branch
Recipe from Todd Smith
Classic Negroni
- 1 oz Campari
- 1 oz Martin Miller’s Gin
- 1 oz Cinzano Rosso Vermouth
- Pour ingredients over ice into a shaker.
- Shake and strain in a chilled martini glass.
- Garnish with an orange twist.
NEW YORK
Pegu Club
Recipe from Chad Solomon
Cornwall Negroni (a tribute to Gary Regan)
- 2 oz Gin
- 1/2 oz Campari
- 1/2 oz Punt e Mes
- 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
- 2 dashes of Regan’s Orange #6
- Hand crack ice and stir.
- Strain into a chilled coup.
- Flame an orange twist on top for garnish.
MILAN
The Living
Recipe from Diego Boronat
Negroni Sbagliato
- 1 oz Campari
- 1 oz Cinzano Rosso Vermouth
- 1 oz Spumante Brut
- Pour Campari over ice in a rocks glass.
- Add other ingredients and stir.
- Garnish with an orange slice.
LONDON
The Cuckoo Club
Recipe from Andreas Jansson
Negroni Twist
- 1 oz Campari
- 1 oz Martin Miller’s Gin
- 1 oz Cinzano Rosso Vermouth
- 0.6 oz Rhubarb Syrup
- Pour ingredients over ice into a shaker.
- Shake and strain in a chilled martini glass.
- Garnish with twist or orange and lemon.
TOYKO
OPA Bar
Recipe from Yuka Yamamoto
Domani
- 2/3 oz Campari
- 2/3 oz Martin Miller’s Gin
- 2/3 oz Disaronno
- Blood Orange Juice
- Pour Campari over ice in a highball glass.
- Add other ingredients and stir.
- Garnish with a lime wheel.
Pineapple floating in a crystal clear pool water.
While we're not quite there yet, and in fact, we have some ways to go, I found that looking forward to some of my favorite things come from summer helps. Summer Shandy lemonade beer, corn salad made with fresh sweet corn, and garden variety fruits and vegetables. I was doing some research and development the other day on Mexican food. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to make but it was hot out and I wanted to have something cool and refreshing to drink but I also wanted to have something spicy. You know where I’m going with this right? You guessed it, margaritas and salsa.
Fresh garden produce
Photo by Iñigo De la Maza on UnsplashI ended up making carne asada tacos. While the steak was marinating, I prepared watermelon margaritas and a pineapple pico de gallo salsa. It’s important to pick the best produce so you are working with fresh and delicious ingredients that are at their peak of ripeness.
How To Pick the Best Watermelon
Fresh from the garden Watermelon and vegetables
Photo by Christina Schwab on UnsplashYou never know what your watermelon is going to look like or taste like until you get it home and cut it open. A sure-fire way to always get the sweetest, juiciest watermelon is to choose it based on color.
There are two different types of watermelon: Seedless and one with seeds. For this recipe, I went with seedless because I didn’t want to pick through all the seeds and create more work. No matter what type you go with, the best way to choose your watermelon is by color.
Look for a watermelon that has a yellowish color on one side. This yellow marking looks like it would be bad but trust me it’s not. The yellow markings indicate that the watermelon sat on the vine and in the field ripening, getting juicy and sweet with each passing day. If a watermelon is all green, that means it was picked at the right harvest time but it could have been picked prematurely before it had a chance to ripen.
How To Pick the Best Tomatoes
Vine ripened tomatoes
Photo by engin akyurt on UnsplashThe best way to choose your tomato is by its color. See a pattern here? This time though you want a tomato that is firm with a slight bounce back when pressed. The color should be a deep color. Notice I didn’t say red? That’s because some tomatoes such as Heirloom tomatoes are different colors.
The tomatoes should feel heavy with a darker color and a firmness that gives just a bit when touched. Don’t grab the pale ones, don’t grab the soft squishy ones. Vine-ripened tomatoes are similar to the watermelon we discussed earlier. They are riper because they sat on the vine in the field longer than the others.
The vine-ripened tomatoes are the ones I go for because they don’t have a long shelf life, they have a better flavor, and they look better. Just make sure they are not too soft which can often be the case.
How To Pick the Best Pineapple
person standing on gray pavement carrying pineapple fruitPhoto by Pineapple Supply Co. on UnsplashWhen you are picking a fresh pineapple, you want to give it a squeeze. If it is firm but a little soft when squeezing it, then it is ripe.
If the pineapple is hard, then it is not ripe and you will need to wait a while for it to get ripe. If the pineapple is too soft, then it is overripe and could have brown discoloration on the inside. If the pineapple is giving off a strong sweet pineapple scent or is looking really yellow, then it is overripe. You should choose the pineapple that bounces back from a good squeeze.
How To Pick the Best Jalapeño
Fresh jalapeño peppers
Photo by Phillip Larking on UnsplashJalapeños are sold green but did you know that those are just not ripe? Ripe jalapeños are red which means they were left on the vine to ripen more. Green jalapeños are fine to eat and use. Essentially we eat unripened jalapeños when we eat any type of salsa.
Make sure the peppers are a nice green color and are firm to the touch. If they are soft or have a black coloring, that is an indicator they are overripe and close to spoiling. Just remember to remove the seeds and the pith to control the spiciness. I like to do half and half so I can make sure there is a good amount of spice.
Well, there you have it. How to pick the best produce. Next time you are in the store, give it a try. You won’t be disappointed. Now, check out the recipes.
Note: Tajin is a Mexican salt with all sorts of seasonings in it. We sprinkle it on fruits and vegetables and sometimes put it in beer. Enjoy!
Watermelon Margarita Recipe
Watermelon margarita
Photo by Edward Howell on Unsplash
Ingredients
- 4 cups Seedless Watermelon, cubed
- 2 Limes, juiced
- Tequila (your choice)
- Tajin seasoning salt
Instructions
- Place watermelon in a blender and blend until smooth or all of the chunks have been liquified. You may need to do this in batches.
- Place cheesecloth over a strainer and place strainer over a bowl. Slowly pour the liquid into the strainer. Toss out the pulp.
- Place the watermelon juice, 2 ounces of tequila, and the juice of half a lime to the shaker.
- Shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
- Place the Tajin on a plate. Rub lime on the rim of your glass. Place your glass rim-side down on the Tajin to coat the rim.
- Place 2-3 ice cubes in the glass and fill with the liquid from the shaker.
- Serve.
Tips
- To make a full batch in a pitcher substitute the 2 ounces of tequila with about ½ cup tequila, depending on your taste level.
- If you don’t have a cheesecloth, you can use a double strainer.
- The watermelon should be sweet enough; if not you can add simple syrup to the shaker or pitcher.
- Use your choice of tequila but I recommend a medium to top-shelf silver or blanco tequila.
Pineapple Pico de Gallo Recipe
vegetable salad on white ceramic platePhoto by Quin Engle on UnsplashIngredients
- 4 ripe Tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1 cup Fresh Pineapple, diced
- ½ cup English Cucumber, diced
- ½ cup White Onion, diced
- 2 Jalapeños, seeded and diced
- ¼ cup Cilantro Leaves, chopped
- 1 Lime, juiced
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together tomatoes, pineapple, cucumber, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro.
- Add lime juice and salt. Stir and taste. Adjust salt if necessary.
Tips:
- De-seeding the tomatoes is necessary to avoid excess liquid.
- It is important to use English Cucumber since they are burpless, have more crispness, and are seedless (for the most part). You can omit cucumber.
- De-seeding the jalapeño and removing the pith will lower the heat from the peppers. Adjust the heat according to your taste.
It’s that time of year again when I long for outdoor space so I can drag out my charcoal grill and cook up some meat. It’s BBQ season!
Barbecue is one of my favorite foods and one of my favorite techniques for cooking. The best part of grilling is that you get to work with smoke and fire plus you can experiment with so many techniques and flavors.
Barbecue is known worldwide and has been around for thousands of years. In the United States, it has taken on a life of its own. Each region has its own version of BBQ. When barbecuing, it is typical to use some type of wood like apple, cherry, hickory, or mesquite — just to name a few. My favorite to use is apple or cherry because it’s not as harsh as hickory or mesquite.
AWESOME SAUCES
To prep the meat, some use dry rubs, wet rubs, brines, or just use salt and pepper. Any type of barbecue has the low and slow technique in common. And don’t forget the sauce. Choose from a vinegar-based sauce, tomato-based sauce, ketchup-based sauce (just about the same as tomato-based but different). There is even a mustard-based sauce and a mayonnaise-based sauce.
These sauces go on any type of meat such as goat, beef, pork, and chicken. And I’m not even including sausages! Every region will have its favorite sauces that go with a particular cut of meat. Some say vinegar sauces only go with pork, and mayonnaise sauces go best with chicken and pork chops.
Believe it or not, Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce has dominated the BBQ sauce industry for years. It’s a Kansas City-style sauce and is our go-to. If you are looking for something to go over that grilled chicken (or fried chicken for that matter) try an Alabama White Sauce. Try the Carolina Gold Sauce on some pork ribs or pork chops. If you are going the pulled pork route, you definitely want to give the North Carolina Vinegar BBQ sauce a shot. It cuts through the richness of the pork. All these sauces are so easy to make and literally take minutes. The ingredients are probably already in your pantry.
I could go on and on about BBQ sauce and the meat. You need to try them all and keep them in your arsenal. They are delicious and you can’t go wrong with whatever you decide to put on your BBQ.
One of my favorite things to grill is Carne Asada using flank steak or a skirt steak. You marinate it for a few hours, throw it on the grill and cook it to a perfect medium rare with a nice little char on the outside of it. I’ve put together an easy recipe for you to try.
The flank steak is going to be accompanied by an Argentinian-style Chimichurri sauce made with herbs, spices, oil, and vinegar. Flank steak is a tougher piece of meat so it’s important to tenderize it with a marinade. This will help soften the meat when cooked. Chimichurri is great because you can use it as a marinade, as a basting ingredient, and also as a condiment. This recipe focuses on Chimichurri as a condiment.
Technically, this is a grilled dish, not barbecued. The difference is BBQ is usually low and slow using smoke or indirect heat. Grilling is using direct heat, or an open flame to cook the food and controlling the intensity of the heat.
This grilled flank steak with chimichurri sauce is packed full of flavor and spice and it never disappoints. Pair it with a great bold red wine or a nice full-bodied beer and you can’t go wrong. Now grab that grill and get it ready!
TRY THIS AT HOME
Rosemary Garlic Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Serves 4
Marinade
½ cup canola oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 limes, zest and juice
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
Flank Steak
1 ½ pounds flank steak, trimmed
Chimichurri Sauce
¾ cup parsley, stems included
⅓ cup red wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon crushed chili flakes
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Marinade instructions
- Mix together all ingredients in a bowl.
- Coat steak with marinade, cover, and place in leak-proof container for 1 -2 hours in the refrigerator.
Cooking instructions
- Remove steak from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking and let sit at room temperature.
- Prep your grill while steak is coming to room temperature.
- Cook to medium-rare. Cooking time will vary depending on thickness of steak.
- Tent with aluminum foil and rest 10 minutes.
- Slice against the grain. Serve.
Chimichurri instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender or food process except for the olive oil.
- Blend ingredients and slowly drizzle in oil until emulsified.
- Place sauce in a serving bowl.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Drizzle sauce over sliced meat and serve.
Other Tips and Tricks
- If you can’t find flank steak, you can substitute London Broil or skirt steak.
- You can cook this on the stovetop using a cast-iron skillet or you can use the broil option of your oven.
- Optional: eating it with corn tortillas
- For vegan or plant-based options, use the same marinating process keeping in mind that you will need to baste as the vegetable cooks because it will not absorb the marinade.
- Use large portobello mushrooms in place of the steak. (My favorite option)
- Use cauliflower steaks in place of the steak.
You may also like
- This dish would go great with my Watermelon Margarita and Pineapple Pico de Gallo
I plan to give you some amazing recipes, but at the same time figure it might be best to start with the basics. By basics, I mean what tools to use, what tricks are out there, what you really need to be a good, or better, cook.
It’s always important to use the right tool for the job. So, what are you cutting on? The first discussion is going to be about cutting boards. I know, it doesn’t seem that would be a likely place to start but trust me, this is going to be just as important as what knives you use (next article).
Cutting boards come in several different materials: stone, glass, wood, and plastic.
Stone Cutting Boards
Stone cutting boards are beautiful, heavy, and expensive. I only use these for charcuterie boards or large serving platters. You can find stone boards in a variety of forms: marble, granite, and slate.
Why, you ask? Because stone boards are hard surfaces. It will take one time of chopping vegetables before you will need to sharpen your knife because the stone dulled your blade.
Sure, they’re easy to clean and sanitize, but they are hard on knife blades, requiring more frequent sharpening.
Glass Cutting Boards
Glass cutting boards are much more cost-effective than stone but are also hard on your knives. They are tempered, lightweight, durable, and you can place them in dishwashers (usually).
You will still have the same issues with dull knives and the ease of cleaning and sanitizing.
Wood Cutting Boards
Wood cutting boards are made from bamboo, walnut, cherry, maple, or a combination of walnut, cherry, and maple. You have to work a bit harder at keeping them clean, but they definitely provide less wear and tear on your knives. Wooden boards are prone to knife cuts and dents but are forgiving.
Unlike marble or glass cutting boards, you cannot place wood cutting boards in the dishwasher. It should go without saying that you cannot put them in the oven to dry, either. Trust me; it’s been done, with no positive results.
The easiest way to clean the cutting board is to use soap and water. To rid the board of smells and stains, use a lemon cut in half with some kosher salt and rub it on the surface of the wood, then rinse. After washing, towel-dry the excess water and set the board standing up or on an angle to dry thoroughly.
Every once in a while, it is necessary to oil the board, so it isn’t stripped of its natural oils and prolongs its life. Make sure you use food-grade mineral oil or creams.
It’s more work, but it will save you money on knife replacement in the long run.
Plastic Cutting Boards
You can find plastic cutting boards in just about every restaurant kitchen around the world. Why? Because they are easy to use, clean, and store. All they have to do is run them through the industrial sprayer and dishwasher, where they get cleaned and sanitized in one shot.
Cutting boards made of plastic are prone to knife cuts just like wood but last quite a bit longer. They come in several different types of plastic, too. You can purchase the thin, foldable “boards,” or you can go with an inch-to-inch thick plastic. You would think that all plastic is created equal, but it isn’t. There are harder plastic boards, and there are softer plastic ones. It’s all about your preference, but I tend to lean toward the softer plastic ones.
The best part, you can rinse them off and toss them in the dishwasher and run them with the rest of your dishes.
My Recommendation
As a professional chef, I use and recommend wooden and plastic cutting boards. I have both at home, and they get equal use...well, almost. I tend to favor the wood cutting board — just my personal preference.
I don’t ever use stone or glass (for cutting); I strictly use wood and plastic. I usually catch my husband using just the granite counter, and I always ask if he is using a cutting board. Also, don’t use your countertop as a cutting board. This is why I don’t allow him to use my good chef knives, which we’ll cover next time.
I don’t recommend using the thin folding plastic boards. While they seem convenient, over time, they warp and never lay flat. They are also flimsy and can get holes in them or stab marks. Trust me, that happens too.
You can find cutting boards in all shapes and sizes. Pick the one that fits your needs.
Professional tip: To keep your cutting board from sliding around while using it, wet some paper towels or a tea towel, wring out the excess water, place it on the counter and put your cutting board on top of it. This will keep your cutting board in place and stop the extra sliding around, which leads to injury.