Holiday & Summer Drinks

 VIN D’ORANGE - MAKES 8-10 SERVINGS

As featured in Hors d’Oeuvres - Simple, stylish, Seasonal by Gillian Duffy

4 medium oranges (unwaxed)
1 bottle Provencal rose wine
½ cup cognac
½ cup sugar

Scrub the oranges then strip off the orange zest with a vegetable peeler avoiding the white pith, and add to the wine. Re-cork the bottle and set aside in a cool place for 15 days. Strain the wine, stir in the cognac and sugar, and serve.

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SPARKLING HOLIDAY PUNCH (makes 1 serving) or 4 servings
As featured in Hors d’Oeuvres - Simple, stylish, Seasonal by Gillian Duffy

3 ounces (6 tablespoons) fresh orange juice (12 oz)
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) pineapple juice (12 oz)
½ ounce (1 tablespoon) fresh lemon juice  (2 oz)
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) raspberry or strawberry  syrup (2 oz) (or to taste)
Dash Angostura bitters
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) sparkling brut (alcoholic or nonalcoholic) (12 oz)

Garnish -Sliced orange and lemon
Mix together the first five ingredients in a goblet or pitcher if making larger amounts and top with the sparkling brut. Garnish with wheels of orange and  lemon.

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Gillian with the Limoncello

LIMONCELLO

5 unwaxed lemons
1 liter bottle vodka or grain alcohol
3 cups white sugar
4 cups water

Scrub the lemons under hot water set aside to dry. Pare the zest from all the lemons with a  peeler, taking care not to include any white pith. Put the zest in a large clean jar and pour over the vodka. Cover with a tightly fitting lid and leave for a week, shaking the jar each day.
After one week, make the simple syrup by combining the  sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Do not stir. Boil for 15 minutes. Allow syrup to cool to room temperature.
 Add the sugar syrup little by little  to the vodka and peels until you achieve the desired sweetness, and leave for a further week, shaking the jar regularly. Strain into decorative bottles, adding a few strips of lemon zest to each bottle. Keep in the freezer.

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Sue with helpers June Lynn & Betty

CRANBERRY PINEAPPLE PUNCH (Serves 10 cups)

3 cups (24 oz) pineapple juice, chilled
3 cups (24 oz) cranberry juice, chilled
4 cups Ginger Ale
½ cup fresh or frozen cranberries
½ lime, thinly sliced
Ice
In a large jug or punch bowl, stir together the pineapple juice, cranberry juice and ginger ale.
Add the cranberries, sliced lime and ice. Stir gently to combine and serve over ice.

Note: Add some vodka or rum if you need a little kick to the drink.

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Gillian stirring the Rum Punch

RUM PUNCH (Serves 1) My husband’s favorite version of a traditional West Indian Rum Punch as featured in Hors d’Oeuvres - Simple, stylish, Seasonal by Gillian Duffy

Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons instant dissolving sugar or simple syrup
3 ounces (6 tablespoons)rum
4 ounces  (½ cup) water
Ice cubes
Goslings Black Seal Rum (optional)
Garnish: whole nutmeg for grating

In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice and sugar or simple syrup, stirring. Add the rum and water, shake well and pour into a tumbler filler with ice. A floater of Goslings Black Seal Rum can be added if desires.
Grate a little fresh nutmeg over the top of the punch.

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Gillian and Betty preparing the Guacamole

GUACAMOLE (Makes 8-10 servings) Recipe based on Josephina Howard’s famous version from Rosa Mexicano and featured in Hors d’Oeuvres - Simple, stylish, Seasonal by Gillian Duffy

4 teaspoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno or Serrano chili pepper
⅔ cup white onion in ¼ inch dice
3 to 4 tablespoons minced coriander
¾ to 1 teaspoon salt
2 medium avocados, preferably Haas
4 tablespoons diced tomato, seeds and interior ribs removed
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (optional)

Corn chips for serving
In a mortar combine 2 teaspoons chili pepper, ¼ cup onion, 2 teaspoons coriander, and ½ teaspoon salt. Mash with pestle until the mixture forms a wet paste.
To cut the avocado, hold it in one hand and cut a full circle around the seed with a knife, then twist the halves in opposite directions to separate them. With the blade of a heavy knife, strike the top of the seed, give the knife a slight twist, lift the blade, and the seed will come with it.
With the tip of a small knife, cut the avocado flesh into ½ inch dice, do not cut through the skin. Lift the flesh from the skin with a spoon to avoid mashing, and add to a bowl. Gently stir in the paste from the mortar.
Add the remaining onion, coriander, the tomato, and 1 teaspoon peppers at a time, tasting with each addition, and stir carefully. Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt, coriander and peppers.
Serve immediately with corn chips. Add lime juice if the guacamole is not served immediately.

Gillian Duffy
Culinary Editor
New York Magazine