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Lu Loves:
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Shaker
Stirring, shaking, cooling? You need a shaker
to combine all of the flavors.
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Hawthorn Strainer
Use a tightly coiled strainer to remove the ice
and fruit pulp after shaking or stirring your drink.
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Muddler
Mudding brings out an herb, nut or seed’s
essential oils.
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Channel Knife
This is a great knife for making curly twists of
citrus peel.
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Jigger
Takes the guesswork out of the pour. It’s as
important as a measuring cup in the kitchen!
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Cocktail Stirrer
Use a long, thin bar spoon to stir your
Sazerac , Martini or Manhattan.
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Citrus Juicer
Fresh is best. Local and fresh is the very best.
Lu Brow using one of her favorite cocktail tools the
Hawthron Strainer.
CARVING
Let a cooked turkey rest for at least 20
minutes to help retain all of the juices.
Holiday Turkey Tip
comfort zone. If you like a classic cocktail,
say a Gin & Tonic, I may nudge you to gin
with muddled cucumber or, if you’re up for
it, our Wild Magnolia, which has gin, St.
Germain, lemon and bitters.
Now, if you’re crafting your own cocktails,
my first nudge is toward fresh. Trust me,
fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, and fresh
herbs make all of the difference. I make
all of my own juices: lemon, lime, orange,
pomegranate, tomato, strawberry and
blueberry when they’re in season. Celery
juice is great with gin (so is cucumber).
Cherry juice is great with bourbon.
My secondnudge is toward local ingredients.
It’s really easy to add a local spin to holiday
classics just by using local rums, or local
vodka or beer. But think fresh ingredients,
too. Take screwdrivers; all you have to do is
replace orange juice with sweeter Satsuma.
You can add fresh - shucked oysters and
oyster liquor to your Bloody Mary, and a
pinch of cayenne to hot chocolate.
This time of year, my final nudge is toward
holiday flavors. Add cranberry juice to
your usual punch or peppermint to that
hot chocolate. I make a sweet potato syrup
that I mix with bourbon, orange curacao
and lemon. The combination reminds me
so much of Thanksgiving, I named it
The
Casserole Cocktail.
The aroma takes me
back home but the syrup is bottled, not
served in a 9x13 casserole dish!
What’s important to me at all times but
especially during the holidays is being
surrounded by family, friends, food and
drinks. Making new memories and sharing
the old ones is really what makes a holiday
special. It’s also incredibly important to me
to buy local. And to buy local from a family
in our community makes me happy. Support
your local farmers, fisherman and Rouses!
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
1 (1-pound) block sharp Cheddar cheese,
shredded
1½ cups butter, softened
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon paprika
1 to 2 teaspoons ground red pepper
4 cups all-purpose flour
HOW TO PREP
Blend cheese, butter and spices at medium speed with a heavy-duty stand mixer or
hand mixer. Gradually add flour, beating until just combined. Use a cookie press with a
star-shaped disk to shape mixture into long ribbons on parchment-lined baking sheets.
Cut ribbons into 2-inch pieces. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until lightly
browned. Cool on wire racks.
Mississippi Cheese Straws
Cheese straws are the perfect cocktail hour food. I’ve tried all different shapes, sizes and
flavors — thick and cracker-like, long and straw-like, cheddar, blue cheese, asiago cheese
three cheese, if it’s been baked, I’ve eaten it. My favorite version is still the short, fat,
traditional cheese straw you find all over Mississippi.
—Lu
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RECIPES
Lu’s Sparkling Satsuma Cocktail
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
2 sections of a satsuma
½ ounce fresh lemon juice
½ ounce simple syrup
1½ ounces Plymouth gin
¾ ounce Pama pomegranate liqueur
½ ounce dry vermouth
champagne or sparkling wine
HOW TO PREP
In a mixing glass, muddle one satsuma slice
with lemon juice and simple syrup. Add gin,
pomegranate liqueur and dry vermouth. Shake
with ice and double strain into a champagne
flute. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with
second satsuma section.
