Herbes de Provence Recipe

Herbes de Provence can be hard to find and when you do it can be a bit on the pricey side. The best part is you probably already have most if not all of the ingredients to whip up your own homemade herbes de provence.  If you don't know what this spice is, it is a blend of spices used in the South of France and in french cooking, and French inspired cooking in New Orleans.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons dried savory
• 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 2 tablespoons dried marjoram
• 2 tablespoons dried fennel seed

Directions

In a small mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients together. Store in an air-tight container.

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

Sazerac Cocktail

It all began for the Sazerac cocktail in the early 1800's when Antoine Amedee Peychaud mixed Cognac with his Peychaud bitters. In 1859 the drink was the signature drink of the Sazerac Coffee House in New Orleans, where it received its name. The exact reason for the substitution of rye whiskey for the Cognac is unclear, but the whiskey base is used today. The cocktail also originally used absinthe, which although making a comeback, is difficult to find and can be substituted with Herbsaint, Pernod or Absente.
Ingredients:

3 oz rye whiskey
3/4 oz simple syrup
Peychaud bitters to taste
absinthe or absinthe substitute
lemon twist for garnish
Preparation:

Chill an old-fashioned glass by filling it with ice and letting it sit while preparing the rest of the drink.
In a separate mixing glass, muddle the simple syrup and Peychaud bitters together.
Add the rye whiskey and ice to the bitters mixture and stir.
Discard the ice in the chilled glass and rinse it with absinthe (or substitute) by pouring a small amount into the glass, swirling it around and discarding the liquid.
Fill the rinsed glass with crushed ice.
Strain the whiskey mixture from the mixing glass into the old fashioned glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist. Traditionalists will say that the lemon twist should be squeezed over the drink to release its essences but that the twist should not be dropped into the glass itself.

Pimm's Cup from Napoleon House in New Orleans

I enjoyed this drink in New Orleans at Napoleon House in New Orleans http://www.napoleonhouse.com/ Out of all the drinks we tried this one was my Mother's favorite and when we returned home she order the Pimm's No 1 right away so she could enjoy it at home anytime.

Pimm's Cup Recipe 1:

The Pimm's Cup is really just one of the preferred ways to drink a particular distilled spirit, and so the drink took on the brand name. That liqueur is Pimm's No. 1 Cup, a gin based spirit with the flavor of fruit and spice and adding a mixer as subtle as lemonade enhances its character and turns it into a refreshing drink. Ginger ale or lemon-lime soda are occasionally used to replace the lemonade and at other times club soda is added to the original recipe. This drink is known to be popular in Southern England.
Ingredients:

2 oz Pimm's No. 1
3 oz lemonade
lemon twist for garnish
cucumber slice or peel for garnish
Preparation:

Pour the Pimm's into a collins glass with ice cubes.
Add the lemonade and (if desired) a splash of club soda or lemon-lime soda.
Garnish with the lemon twist and cucumber.
Pimm's Rangoon: Substitute ginger ale for the soda.

Pimm's Royal: Substitute Champagne for the soda.



Pimm's Cup Recipe 2:

Pimm’s No. 1 is a gin-based potation made in England from dry gin, liqueur, fruit juices, and spices. Served with lemon soda or ginger ale, it becomes a Pimm’s Cup. Pimm’s No. 1 was created in the mid-18th century by English oyster bar owner James Pimm. The recipe is still a secret; supposedly, only six people know exactly how it is made. It has a dark, golden brown color, a medium body, and a taste of quinine, citrus fruits, and spice. Its low alcohol content of only 25 percent has made Pimm’s a drink to have when you are having more than one. As was customary at the time, Pimm served the cocktail in tankards—hence the name Pimm’s Cup. The rage for this relative of the Sling became so great that Pimm mass-produced and bottled it along with Pimm’s 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6: whiskey, brandy, rum, rye, and vodka, respectively. Detractors have likened the earthy mixture to liquid dirt mellowed by iodine, but the Pimm’s Cup is still the traditional drink of Wimbledon, with visitors to the matches consuming some 40,000 pints a year. The addition of a cucumber slice gives the drink some truck as a health food. Some.

INGREDIENTS
2 ounces Pimm’s No. 1
7UP, lemon-lime soda, or ginger ale
Slice of lemon
Slice of cucumber
INSTRUCTIONS
Pour the Pimm’s and 7UP into a chilled highball glass or metal cup over ice. Squeeze a slice of lemon well as you drop it in the glass; then stir gently and garnish with a cucumber slice.