| Events |
Dolce Vita
benefitting Austin Museum of Art
Oct. 11
Laguna Gloria, Austin
Green Corn Project Fall Festival
Oct. 28
Boggy Creek Farm |
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Treats at Tour de Vin
Thanks to Mary Stanley of The Turtle Restaurant in Brownwood (which has its own gelateria), we served up the delightful Sgroppino at the Tour de Vin event in August. Is it a beverage? Is it a dessert? Maybe a mid-course palate cleanser? You choose, but it's delicious at any time.
Sgroppino
1 pint lemon sorbet (sherbert)
8 oz. Paula's Texas Lemon
8 oz. Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine)
Blend ingredients in a blender until frothy. Serve in champagne flutes (or plastic cones as shown here).
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Drinks for Fall Some drinks for a Texas fall, warm yet refreshing.
The Sidecar
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We've always loved Paula's Texas Orange in the Sidecar, a classic cocktail that can't help but make you feel sophisticated.
1½ oz. cognac
1 oz. Paula's Texas Orange
½ oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Shake hard with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. A classic presentation is to coat the rim of the glass with sugar.
Sidecar variations
Experiment with your favorite amber spirits, substituting out the cognac to find the variation that suits you best. I prefer everyday brandy to cognac. When we use bourbon, we call it a Sidesaddle in homage to the Kentucky Derby. Try rye or whiskey, too.
The Martinez
The Martinez is a precursor to the Martini. Our guru cocktail book says the recipe originated as early as the 1860s as a variation of the Manhattan.
This cocktail has two ingredients that vary highly in flavor depending on the aromatics used to create them: gin and red vermouth. It's important that the two products you choose work together, not fight each other. We suggest a London Dry style of gin; we like the clean profile of Hayman's Old Tom. Our red vermouths of choice are Noilly Prat and Dolin. 2 oz. gin 1½ oz. red vermouth ¼ oz. PTO 2 dashes angostura bitters, orange bitters if you like Stir ingredients with ice in a stirring glass until well chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass. |
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Texas Distillers band together
The number of distillers in Texas is growing at a fast clip, and a critical mass have agreed to band together to form the Texas Distilled Spirits Association (TDSA). Paula was instrumental in pulling the trade association of 16 members together and serves as Secretary of the inaugural Board of Directors. The group's primary aim is to promote market growth for Texas spirits through education and marketing. Good timing has played a part, though, in that the session of the Texas Legislature starting in January may consider changes to the TABC code to allow some types of sales not possible today,for example, selling a limited amount of product direct to consumers at the distillery. While the TDSA is too young to take a formal stance, it has served as an organizing force in directing distillers' desires to the decision makers. For more information, visit the TDSA website. |
Paula wins Meals on Wheels recipe contest
Ok, I'm not even going to pretend this has anything to do with cocktails, but I'm so excited about it, I have to share it. Meals on Wheels and More of Austin put out a call for a new recipe to add to their collection, and I thought of an old family favorite that has been a perennial hit with my friends for decades (since college!). It's delicious, cost-effective, and easy, so I thought it might work for them. Boy, was I surprised to receive an email informing me I was one of three finalists. I attended a taste-off with celebrity judges at the MOWAM kitchen, where their head chef explained how he modified the preparation to work for their methods that make 3,500 meals a day! It still tasted great, and the judges picked it for the win. It will appear as "Paula's Flemish Chicken" next year in the MOWAM deliveries. I can't wait to hand them out myself. In the meantime, I'll share the recipe with you so you can deliver some goodness to your family and friends. Of course, I recommend a Paula's cocktail as an aperitif! Flemish Chicken
(Serves 6)
3 stalks celery 3 carrots ½ onion 2 Tbsp. butter 3 bay leaves 8 chicken thighs, skin removed, salt & peppered 8 oz. sour cream
Slice celery and carrots; chop onion. Saute in butter until softened (but not browned), about 5 minutes. Spread flat in cooking pan. Lay bay leaves, then chicken, on top of vegetables, cover, and turn heat to medium low. Cook for 20 minutes, turn chicken over, cook another 10-20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Turn off heat. Remove chicken to bowl, discard bay leaves. Add sour cream to pan and stir into vegetables; heat through and pour over chicken.
Serve with soft white bread to sop up sauce. Green beans make a nice side dish.
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