cookbook club

Sips and Apps

by Kristin Kraft-Tuten, a reader in Jacksonville, FL.

Sips & Apps, has absolutely gorgeous photos courtesy of Angie Norwood Brown. I decided that one non-alcoholic beverage, one traditional cocktail, and one appetizer would make for a representative sampling.
   I selected the Blackberry Lemonade as the “mocktail”. I made this as an alternate refresher for standard lemonade after some garden work in the hot August Florida sun, and it went down smoothly and was a nice change. The ingredients were easy to find, and the most time-consuming part of this recipe was making the blackberry syrup, which took no more than about 15 minutes. The syrup makes at least four times the quantity as needed for two lemonades (the recipe was for one, but my husband served as a guinea pig too). We both really enjoyed it and thought it might be an excellent beverage to serve to both teetotalers and children at an outdoor barbecue or after a day at the beach.
   Blue Thai Mojitos for a cocktail and Seared Thai Beef Lettuce Cups as an appetizer were suggested by the writer as an excellent pairing, and made a great light supper for two adults. As with the Blackberry Lemonade reviewed above, the most labor-intensive portion of the recipe was the syrup preparation and cooling. I found the shredded sweet coconut, limes, mint and cilantro more inexpensively at our local Asian supermarket than at the local chain grocery. It was an easy recipe to assemble, and my husband and I now have a new favorite summer cocktail! The coloring from the Blue Curacao is visually pleasing, and the flavoring is sweeter than traditional triple sec. It is an excellent offset for the tartness of the lemon rum and the cooling fresh mint. Very refreshing, and the presentation is sure to make guests “ooh and ah” at a summer party.
   The Seared Thai Beef Lettuce cups, served with the Blue Thai Mojitos, were the perfect combination of sweet and salty, sour and spicy. The romaine lettuce held the marinated beef filling and chopped peanut toppings perfectly, and added a delightful crispiness. I used beef tenderloin, not trim (the recipe notes added that boneless skinless chicken could be substituted). The marinade for the beef involved the most preparation time, so I completed these steps the night before cooking the beef. Mincing the ingredients, processing, and clean-up took approximately one hour. As with the Blue Thai Mojitos, I found all of the more “exotic” ingredients, including the kaffir lime leaves, chili paste, fish sauce, and lemongrass much more affordable at the Asian supermarket than I would have in the local chain grocery. I marinated the beef overnight after cutting into strips. Cooking time the following evening took only about twenty to twenty-five minutes. I pan-seared the beef rather than grill it on skewers. The finished recipe made about 8 larger lettuce cups, plenty for two people as a light meal or an appetizer for four. It was delicious. I will most definitely make this again, as it is sure to become a favorite, as were the other recipes tested. The only change I would make to the marinade would be to omit some of the kosher salt called for, as the saltiness of the fish sauce is sufficient without overwhelming the other flavors in the marinade.
   Overall, I really enjoyed this cookbook, and have been trying out more of the recipes, and have found them all a culinary delight, especially the Soy-Glazed Seared Tuna with Scallion Pancakes. The directions are easy to follow, the bylines for each recipe are informative as to the flavorings, and the photographs of the finished recipes are exquisite. As a former bartender, I found the bar guide for basic spirits, bar equipments and glassware perfect for the home bar and not daunting for the beginner. Especially helpful are the sections on citrus and herbs, basic bar flavorings including syrups, garnishes, measurements, and techniques of the trade. I would highly recommend Sips and Apps for anyone interested in entertaining, be it for a medium size gathering or a small intimate soiree.