Pranks in Blankets

I’ve had several requests for this recipe. I posted it on FB but, rather than reposting over and over, I’m sending it out on my blog.

One of the hors d’oeuvre from our 2021 Mother’s Day Cookoff — remember these for break-the-fast or whenever you need a nice little nibble with cocktails.

Pranks in Blankets

• 6 slim carrots (about 1/2-inch diameter)

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon zatar

• kosher salt

• one sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed, but cold

• Lemon-Tahini Sauce, optional

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Peel the carrots and cut them into 1-1/2” long pieces. Place them in a bowl, pour the olive oil over them and toss to coat all the surfaces. Sprinkle with zatar and salt to taste. Place the carrot pieces on one of the cookie sheets. Bake for about 12 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from the oven and let cool. Roll the puff pastry slightly thinner, then cut into strips about 1-1/4-inches wide and 2-inches long. roll each coated carrot in the dough pieces, pressing the edges to seal completely. Place them, seam side down, on the remaining cookie sheet. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until the puff pastry feels cold. Lower the oven heat to 400 degrees. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Serve plain or with Lemon-Tahini Sauce.

Makes 24-30

Lemon-Tahini Sauce (from Hip Kosher)

• 1/2 cup sesame tahini

• 1/3 cup lemon juice

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• 2 medium garlic cloves, chopped

• salt to taste

• water

Place the tahini, lemon juice, parsley, garlic and salt in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. with the motor still running, add enough water to make a smooth, but thick sauce.

Make about 1/2 cup

The 826: A Cocktail to Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Certification of the 19th Amendment

Last week, on August 18th, lots of people celebrated the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.

However, as a legal matter, women could not actually vote until August 26th of that year.

The ratification had to be certified by the Secretary of State (Bainbridge Colby) before it became an Amendment to the Constitution, and he did so on August 26th.

Today, August 26, 2020 is the actual 100th anniversary. On this day, exactly 100 years ago, women were officially, legally allowed to vote throughout the United States.

I wanted to create a recipe for some food or other that would be a fitting tribute to the determination, steadfastness and grit of the women who worked hard, were abused, ridiculed, scorned, arrested, beaten and who otherwise struggled to make this Amendment happen.

But nothing seemed to be good enough.

So I switched gears and decided to concoct a cocktail, even though, ironically, 1920 was also the year that Prohibition went into effect.

This was not hard work folks!

Although it did take several tries.

A most enjoyable time had I testing to make sure all the ingredients were finely attuned.

Which they are.

This is quite a lovely libation if I say so myself!

So, here, in honor of Women’s Suffrage, to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the certification of 19th Amendment, is my special cocktail, “The 826,” to mark the day.

Make one of these and see for yourself what I mean. And next time you’re at a cocktail party, ask for The 826 and send the bartender over to this page for the recipe.

Most important: don’t take the 19th Amendment for granted. It took hard work, persistence and determination to get it. So make sure you VOTE.

The 826

• Ice cubes

• 6 tablespoons pineapple-orange juice (or use pineapple or orange juice)

• 1/4 cup dark rum

• 1/4 cup cranberry juice

• 1 tablespoon grenadine

• 1 teaspoon lime juice

• 1 teaspoon maraschino cherry juice

• Maraschino cherry

Place 6-8 ice cubes in a cocktail shaker. Add the pineapple juice, rum, cranberry juice, grenadine, lime juice and maraschino cherry juice. Shake several times, then either strain through a strainer into cocktail glasses or pour with ice cubes into old fashioned glasses. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Makes one big or two small drinks

Ruth Bader Ginger Cocktail

A few weeks ago my daughter Meredith told me to check a post on Buzzfeed, in which Amanda McCall blogged about how Ben & Jerry's could solve its "woman problem."

What? Woman problem? Isn't this the company known for its progressive views on social and political issues?

Yes, but.

The company has no ice cream flavor named after a woman. There are, and have been, many flavors named after men. Like Cherry Garcia and Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream and the new Tonight Dough, named for the one-year anniversary of Jimmy Fallon's gig on The Tonight Show.

For what it's worth -- are you listening Ben & Jerry's? -- we women want some recognition!

And we actually eat more ice cream than men.

Ms. McCall said she realizes that creating a new "woman" ice cream won't help the gender pay gap, nor will it help more women win elective office, but it can't hurt, can it?

One of the flavors she suggested is Ruth Bader Ginger. In fact, if you agree, you can sign a petition urging the company to get to it.

Food writer that I am, I thought about creating my own Ruth Bader Ginger ice cream. I've taken cues from the company before -- I invented a version of Ben & Jerry's Charoset ice cream because that flavor is only available in Israel and I wanted to try some for Passover. 

But if Ben & Jerry's does this, it would make headlines and history. If I do it? Not so much.

Besides, I had a particularly hectic weekend recently and so I decided to relax with a nice stiff drink and opted to invent a cocktail, rather than an ice cream, to honor Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. And it was amazingly good.

I believe it would be even more marvelous with a little dollop of Ruth Bader Ginger Ice Cream in it too.

But for now -- The Ruth Bader Ginger Cocktail.

In honor of one of the most brilliant, thoughtful and progressive Supreme Court Justices of all time.

The Ruth Bader Ginger Cocktail

• 4-6 ice cubes

• 3 ounces dark rum

• 1 ounce ginger liqueur or brandy

• 2 teaspoons orange juice

• 2-3 pinches ground cardamom

• 2 slices of orange

• 2 mint leaves, slightly crushed

Place 2-3 ice cubes in each of 2 glasses. Place the rum, brandy, orange juice and cardamom in a cocktail shaker or glass jar. Shake vigorously and pour equal amounts in the two glasses. Twist the orange slices slightly to extract a few drops more of orange juice into the liquid, then place the slice on the rim of the each glass. Place one slightly crushed mint leaf in each glass, stir and serve. 

Makes 2 (or one, depending on your mood)