Sechuan Buttons, Part 4

BONUS: Here are two more original cocktail recipes that use sechuan buttons as an ingredient and received a hearty thumbs up from taste testers:

Electric Chartini
2 oz. Finlandia vodka
1 oz. Green Chartreuse
3/4 oz. triple sec
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. rosemary simple syrup (recipe below)
1 sechuan button, separated into strands (quantity to suit individual taste)

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish by sprinkling sechuan button strands atop drink. Serve and enjoy.

Ginger Shocktini
1 oz. Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
1 oz. Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka *
1/2 oz. fresh orange juice
1/4 oz. rosemary simple syrup (recipe below)
1 sechuan button, separated into strands (quantity to suit individual taste)

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish by sprinkling sechuan button strands atop drink. Serve and enjoy.

Rosemary Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
4 fresh rosemary sprigs, washed and pat dry

Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, and boil 1 minute or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add rosemary sprigs and let stand 30 minutes. Pour liquid through a strainer into a glass container, discarding rosemary sprigs. Cover and chill. Syrup may be stored in refrigerator up to a month -- add 1 Tablespoon unflavored vodka when bottling the syrup to help extend its shelf life. (I use Finlandia vodka.)

* Ingredient Spotlight
Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka sniffs of grass, meadow and a field of hay. It has a viscous mouthfeel and a grassy taste that's a bit odd on its own, but is a match made in heaven when combined with Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur.

Sechuan Buttons, Part 3

Of the original cocktail recipes that I created using sechuan buttons, this is my test group's and my favorite, and thus is submitted as my contest entry:
Love's First Kiss
2.5 oz. Sence Rose Nectar
1 oz. Crop Organic Cucumber vodka
1/8 oz. lavender simple syrup (recipe below)
1/16 oz. fresh lime juice
1 oz. Korbel Brut California Champagne
1 sechuan button, separated into strands

Rub rim of champagne flute with lime juice and dip into sechuan button strands to rim glass; set aside. Pour first four ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Strain into prepared flute. Top with champagne; stir once gently without disturbing garnish. Serve and enjoy.

Mixing Notes
It takes patience to separate the strands of a sechuan button, but I found it easiest to chop off the stem and green bit at the base and then rub the blossom gently between my thumb and fingers. This works best with dry hands.

Rose water is not a substitute for the Sence Rose Nectar, a key ingredient that you may or may not readily find in your local market* but is sold online.

It is important to precisely measure the ingredients for this cocktail. If the rose nectar dominates, the drink sniffs and tastes like cheap perfume. If the other ingredients overpower it, the rose aroma and flavor is lost completely. Measuring is the best way to ensure balance.

Lavender Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon dried lavender blossoms.

Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, and boil 1 minute or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add dried lavender blossoms and let sit for 15 minutes. Pour liquid through a strainer into a glass container, discarding lavender. Cover and chill. Syrup may be stored in refrigerator up to a month -- I've found that adding 1 Tablespoon unflavored vodka when bottling the syrup extends its shelf life. (I use Finlandia vodka.)

* Footnote
After a few trial mixes I began running low on the key ingredient Sence Rose Nectar, which had inspired the whole idea behind this cocktail: The producer's website claims that the stuff is readily available at Whole Foods and Green's Liquor stores in the Greater Atlanta area, so I wasn't worried about getting my hands on enough to fine-tune my recipe...until store managers at both retailers informed me that they no longer carry it. I had the recipe to the stage where I was pretty sure that I'd finalized the correct proportions, but really wanted to test it again--so I did some fancy recipe math and was able to stretch the 2 ounces remaining to test the recipe twice. Fortunately, it worked. But that's why the glass in these photos looks shy of a full pour.

So my advice is to plan ahead and order up some sechuan buttons and rose nectar now, so you're prepared to celebrate Valentine's Day in zippy Insatiable style ;-)

Sechuan Buttons, Part 2

After several hours spent experimenting with sechuan buttons in cocktails, I've reached several conclusions:* Consume in moderation. Yesterday for about three hours I conducted mixology experiments in earnest, tasting potential ingredients and combinations. I quit by about 5 p.m. when Dean and I went out to run some errands, eat dinner and catch a movie. When I went to bed around Midnight my tongue was still tingling. Clearly, I'd had a few too many sechuan buttons. That said....

* Don't be too stingy. Hoping to spare my friends the overdose that I'd experienced, when serving some drinks to my test audience tonight, I was conservative about how many sechuan buttons I used. But my friend Lisa asked for more of them, and wanted them bold and upfront--she preferred the sechuan buttons used to rim the glass rather than as a garnish sprinkled on top of the drink. I gave her a more generous helping and was curious to see how she feels about them tomorrow.... [Our morning email exchange: Was your tongue buzzing all night? No. I think it stopped after about half hour. Maybe my tongue isn’t very sensitive.] So, proceed with caution but listen to your audience.

* You could add sechuan buttons to any cocktail recipe to kick the drink up a notch, because they add a sensation but no real flavor. Sprinkle a few strands across the top or rim the glass of a margarita and it's a Full Charge Margarita or Angry Agave. A martini becomes a Sparktini. A mojito becomes a Buzzjito. You get the idea.

* Get creative. I think the exotic little buds are best showcased in innovative creations with unusual ingredients.

For my contest entry I'm creating an original recipe. But here are two recipes that I think are well-suited to tweaking with the simple addition of a few sechuan buttons (that change, I think, gives me license to grant them new names):

African Lightening
1 part Amarula Cream Liqueur
1 part Finlandia Vodka
sechuan button, separated into strands for garnish

Pour spirits over ice in a rocks glass and stir to combine. Garnish by sprinkling sechuan button strands across the top. Serve and enjoy.

Mixology Note: Since sechuan buttons are originally from Africa, pairing them with Amarula Cream Liqueur is a natural fit. Manufactured in South Africa, Amarula Cream Liqueur is made with African marula fruit.

Child's Play
2 oz. Three-O Bubble vodka
1 oz. ginger ale
1 oz. cranberry or pomegranate juice
sechuan button, separated into strands for garnish

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish by sprinkling sechuan button strands across the top. Serve and enjoy, each sip a reminder of the childhood pleasures of Bazooka gum and PopRocks candy.

Sechuan Buttons, Part 1

A few days ago I was invited by Justin Marx of Marx Foods to participate in a contest the company is hosting to encourage folks to create some original recipes using sechuan buttons. The participants get a starter pack of a dozen buttons to use to develop recipes and then the winner receives a prize of some more sechuan buttons--the prize is no big lure, but the chance to play around with a product that I'd never previously heard about was intriguing, and so I agreed to do it. Since this was my first introduction to sechuan buttons, I did a little research and learned they're originally from Africa where they're known as the toothache plant. "The taste for some people is like 'electricity,'" according to producer Koppert Cress USA. The sensation of eating them is described as similar to "putting 9 volt battery on your tongue" and "PopRocks."

To my palate, they have little actual taste but pack plenty of tingly mouthfeel. For me, the sensation is much less painful than a battery and more consistent than PopRocks--it's strangely enjoyable, in small doses. (Chew too many sechuan buttons and you'll continue to feel a tingle on your tongue hours later.) To see the reactions of several tasters, watch this YouTube video.

I think sechuan buttons are a fun little oddity that are best used in moderation. I'd enjoy them incorporated into an amuse bouche--they'd awaken your palate like a defibrillator!--and also in creative cocktails or perhaps an unusual dessert. Adding them to a main course would seem an overdose. I decided to focus my recipe development efforts on cocktails.

Before getting started on inventing my own recipes, I checked out Marx Foods' recommendations for "How to use sechuan buttons in cocktails and coolers." Since I received my buttons just days before the contest deadline, I did not have time to experiment with infusions.

To further understand how the ingredient works when mixed into a drink, I wanted to first try a recipe someone else had created. I started with Junior Merino's Gin Shocktail recipe, which on the link is posted as follows:

"Ingredients:
3 sechuan buttons
1/4 oz simple syrup
3/4 oz fresh pink grapefruit juice
1/8 oz fresh lime juice
1 1/2 oz Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut
Garnish: orange peel, Koppert Cress Szechuan Buttons, and Koppert Cress Purple Shiso.

Pour Champagne into a coupe glass. Muddle the buttons in a cocktail glass then add the rest of the ingredients, ice, shake and double strain into the coupe glass with the champagne and garnish."

Weird that it has no gin!!! (Later, after a more extensive online search, I found that while several sites have posted the above gin-less recipe, this version does include gin and must be the proper original.)

But before I'd found the correction, I adapted the misprinted recipe as follows:

1 sechuan button -- you could use more, but I was conserving my limited supply in anticipation of future experimentation
1/4 oz simple syrup
3/4 oz fresh pink grapefruit juice
1/8 oz fresh lime juice
1.5 oz. gin -- I used Martin Miller's Gin

Muddle the button in a cocktail shaker with simple syrup then add the rest of the ingredients, ice, shake and strain into a cocktail glass.
Yum! Dean and I enjoyed this tasty cocktail and the sechuan button's surprising zip. One drawback was that when the button is muddled it disintegrates a bit too much, so you could easily drink the cocktail without chewing the tiny bits -- and that would eliminate the sensation. So as a future modification to this recipe, I'd say skip the muddling and just sprinkle some of a shredded button to float on top as a garnish.

I'll be experimenting with the sechuan buttons and posting additional thoughts and recipes in the days to come.

Super Pan

A new venture by Chef Hector Santiago, Super Pan Latino Sandwich Shop is open for lunch every Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and is located next to his Pura Vida Tapas restaurant.

My friend ordered a Cuban sandwich. She loved it:I tried the coca de jamon y queso ($12) which is made with Serrano ham, Manchego cheese, date marcona almond butter, arugula, piquillo pepper agridulce on "Spanish foccacia."The sweet combination of ingredients was a bit of a challenge to eat since the bread crumbled faster than I was able to bite through the ham. But I managed.

An authentic touch, the Coca-Colas here are from Mexico, so they're made with cane sugar not high fructose corn syrup.

The seating area is on ground level but the kitchen and order counter is up a short flight of steps. Bring a friend if you can't climb stairs.

Bottom Line: Lunch here feels like taking a tasty excursion south of Atlanta.

City Club of Buckhead

Members-only organizations like the City Club of Buckhead ignite the curiosity of those who aren't part of the exclusive ranks. Yesterday at a media event I was able to lunch at this establishment that I might otherwise have never experienced -- and I'm happy to share this inside peek.

Executive Chef Darryl Evans oversees all aspects of the dining experience at the club, including the restaurant, off-site catering and special events. He began his career as a chef's apprentice in 1983 with the American Culinary Federation at the Cherokee Town and Country Club, which has been named the very best private club in America since 1997. Seven years later, he was appointed Executive Chef and has since held that position at several restaurants, country clubs and four Star-rated establishments.Charred white corn chowder with cornmeal fried crispy oyster:
Iceberg wedge salad with buttermilk ranch dressing, bleu cheese crumbles, toasted peacns and sugar cane bacon -- seriously, the best bacon ever:
Applewood smoked pork rack, sweet potato & potato mash, and Vidalia onion brulee stuffed with smoked turkey collard greens:
Red velvet cake -- a fitting choice, since the lunch theme was Savannah tourism, and red velvet cake is a favored dessert of all good Southerners:

Sprig

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Rose Marie Cocktail

Some time ago at Bocado I had a delicious cocktail that featured rosemary and grapefruit juice. Last evening, I decided to try to make it at home. I can't vouch for whether or not this recipe comes close to Bocado's recipe, but I think it yields a tasty drink:

Rose Marie Cocktail
3 oz. fresh ruby red grapefruit juice
2 oz. Sapphire gin
1 oz. rosemary simple syrup
rosemary sprig for garnish

Combine liquid ingredients and shake vigorously with ice in a Boston shaker. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with rosemary sprig.

Rosemary Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
4 fresh rosemary sprigs, washed and pat dry

Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, and boil 1 minute or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add rosemary sprigs and let stand 30 minutes. Pour liquid through a strainer into a glass container, discarding rosemary sprigs. Cover and chill. Syrup may be stored in refrigerator up to a month -- I've found that adding 1 Tablespoon unflavored vodka when bottling the syrup extends its shelf life.


-Image Credit: http://candlefind.com/uploads/images/Fresh/Rosemary-grapefruit.jpg

Happy National Pie Day

The American Pie Council (APC) celebrates National Pie Day every January 23 (it's as easy to remember as 1/23). Celebrate by baking or buying a pie...after all, pie is hot! According to Nation's Restaurant News, pies are a top restaurant trend for 2011.

"Pies are part of our American heritage, but they are becoming even more popular among dessert lovers," says Linda Hoskins, executive director APC. "Ninety percent of Americans agree that a slice of pie represents one of the simple pleasures in life."

Which pie will you choose? Apple pie, the favorite of 36 million Americans? Pumpkin pie, first introduced to the holiday table at the pilgrim's second Thanksgiving in 1623? Or a nutty pecan pie, the third most popular choice in our nation of pie lovers?

For recipes and ideas, visit the APC website. If you don't feel like baking, join the 7 percent of Americans who admit to having passed off a store-bought pie as homemade.

MedShare

Recycling is a critical element of environmentalism, but what’s even better is to avoid throwing materials away. If what might go into a dumpster has value to somebody somewhere else, the best option is to see that it’s reused. The objective of MedShare is to ensure that surplus medical supplies and equipment are collected in the United States and redistributed to healthcare facilities in developing countries where they can be put to good use.

Nell Diallo, MedShare's vice president of corporate and international relations.
-Photo Courtesy MedShare

Since it was founded in 1998, MedShare has donated nearly $55 million worth of medical supplies and equipment to hospitals and clinics in 72 countries around the world. This accomplishment was spearheaded from the organization’s one Atlanta office. “We have about 32 partner hospitals around the United States,” says Nell Diallo, MedShare’s vice president of corporate and international relations. “But the bulk of our donations currently comes from the metro Atlanta area.” With a second office soon opening in San Francisco, the non-profit’s global impact will continue to grow; longer-term plans call for additional offices in Illinois and Florida.

MedShare collects “surplus” medical supplies and equipment (not pharmaceuticals). What qualifies as surplus? “Let me give you an example,” says Diallo. “Let’s say you went for surgery in one of the hospitals in metro Atlanta and they decided that because of the nature of the surgery they needed ten items laid out in the room for your operation. Let’s say that during the operation they needed only eight of these items. The other two items are not used and are in fact still brand new, but those items in many instances for regulatory purposes cannot be used on another patient and would become discarded by the hospital.” MedShare works with hospitals to collect these items that would otherwise be discarded. Approximately 600 volunteers a month help process collections for needy facilities around the world.

One volunteer, Diane Keltz of Stone Mountain, works three hours every Wednesday for what she describes as fun rewards. “I feel good when I walk in the door and when I walk out of the door knowing I have accomplished something good,” she says. “To send these materials to third world countries that need this so much—that really makes me feel good about recycling.” In 2007, MedShare collected 141 tons of goods at an average of nine tons of usable goods each week. Volunteers spent over 19,000 hours evaluating, sorting, labeling, inventorying and preparing these goods for shipment.

MedShare is not the only organization in the nation to collect and redistribute medical supplies and equipment—others include Brother’s Brother Foundation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach in Springfield, Illinois; and Medical Bridges in Houston, Texas—but it is regarded as a leader in the field because of its unique sorting and ordering system. “We create an inventory list that’s accessible via password,” says Diallo. “It’s similar to ebay” in that folks can order specifically what they need.

Commonly needed items include “things like gloves, sutures, and basic materials needed by all hospitals,” says Diallo, who adds that she’s seen some healthcare providers hand wash and line dry latex gloves for re-use when they’re in short supply. Basic equipment like sonograms and imaging equipment are also in demand. While such equipment may have been previously used, a biomedical engineer on staff at MedShare ensures that all equipment is in workable condition before it’s sent out with an operation and service manual.

A total of 400 forty-foot containers have been shipped by MedShare to outfit over 900 medical teams. Recipients must meet pre-established qualification criteria. “First and foremost, they must be serving the needy,” says Diallo, “so no private hospitals or clinics—they have to be registered as a nonprofit. There are a number of checks and balances that we use.” Many MedShare recipients have a stateside association with a church or other organization that’s doing some international outreach; in addition, MedShare board members have visited many beneficiaries for first-hand authentication.

“All around it’s a good business decision,” says Debra Bloom of Emory Healthcare’s partnership with MedShare. “It’s a great environmental decision that keeps extra supplies out of the landfill. And employees have a lot of pride knowing that surplus medical supplies and equipment are set aside to help clinics and patients who badly need them. It touches people’s lives, both employees and the folks on the receiving end.”

“MedShare really is a win-win,” says Diallo. Recalling a group of doctors visiting the MedShare warehouse from the Ukraine, Diallo describes one doctor who “walked in and burst out crying. That reaction is one that I frequently get from visitors. They cannot believe the unused medical supplies donated in the quantities that we are shipping.” Yet MedShare is committed to a double mission: “We not only aid needy institutions,” says Diallo. “We are also helping clean up the environment. What we’ve collected in the U.S. accounts for over one million cubic feet of space saved from landfills or incinerators which pollutes our own environment.”

For more information about MedShare, ask about how to donate funds or to sign up as a volunteer call 770-323-5858.

Abattoir

For a forthcoming article in Where Atlanta magazine, I recently interviewed Executive Chef Joshua Hopkins of Abattoir. And then with my mouth watering I grabbed a friend and went to check the place out.

The goal at Abattoir is to use every functional piece of the animal. Thus the menu features some offbeat (and potentially off-putting) things like kidneys, hearts, tongues, sweetbreads and so on. If the thought of such organs makes you squeamish, don't worry: There are plenty of more mainstream options and even vegetable dishes, too. All of the various ingredients are sourced locally as much as possible.

We started with a house-prepared selection of charcuterie ($20):Each of the diverse offerings was delicious--even, to my utter surprise, the thin white strips of lard. I could have enjoyed this platter and a glass of wine and called it a satisfying meal, but in the name of research I tasted more...

Salad with roasted beets, radish and ricotta ($8.50):
The assortment proved as tasty as it was beautiful.

Pork rinds ($4) arrived "crackling" hot... ...and not at all greasy. It was like biting into a crispy cloud of bacon essence.

Roasted root vegetable risotto ($16):
Find it difficult to eat your veggies? This dish will cure you.

Roasted leg of lamb with lamb sausage, cauliflower, farro, sultana and pickled mustard ($25) and fried green tomatoes ($5.50): Cooked to perfection.

Maple crème caramel with brown sugar bacon cookie ($8):
This dish was love/hate for me. I thought the maple crème caramel was pure deliciousness, yet couldn't enjoy the cookie. But then I'm not a person who loves bacon. (Yeah, that admission may get me kicked out of the South.)

Bottom Line: While its eco-wise philosophy aligns with trend, Abattoir manages to avoid feeling exclusive and snooty by offering menu items that challenge diners to try something new alongside more familiar favorites. Friendly servers and a casual dining space combine for a relaxed vibe.

SIP @ Riverside

Opened on Friday, November 12, 2010, Sip @ Riverside is located in the former River Room space. Under the same ownership as the River Room, Old Vinings Inn and SIP Crabapple, SIP @ Riverside is conceived as an innovative tapas restaurant, lounge and wine bar. Last evening a friend and I checked it out.

The menu presents small plates (tapas) and entrees with suggested wine pairings. We sampled several small plates with wines.

The wine list offers a selection of over 50 wines that may be ordered by the 1-ounce sip, half glass, full glass or bottle. This format makes it easy and more affordable to sample several different wines if you're curious to try new things or want to pair a wine with each course.

According to the press release, "The star of the wine bar area is the restaurant’s self-serve cruvinet wine machines, a temperature-controlled system that keeps wine as fresh as the moment they’re uncorked for up to six weeks." From the booth where I sat in the restaurant I didn't notice the machine and don't know if the wines that I ordered were tapped from it, but I can say that each wine was fresh and enjoyable.

Roasted Beet Salad ($6) with goat cheese crumbles and herbal hints of mint drizzled in an orange marmalade vinaigrette:The beet salad had bright flavors, though the addition of lettuce or micro-greens would be a benefit. I'd also prefer the beets sliced or cut into wedges rather than diced as they'd be easier to fork, but this is my sole complaint of the evening (and a rather nitpicky one, I admit).

Vietnamese-style Crawfish Spring Rolls ($8) with bibb lettuce and nuoc cham dipping sauce:Crunchy and sweet with pleasant contrast of sour.

Smoked Chicken Stuffed Poblano ($9) with smoked gouda and a roasted tomato cream sauce:This dish is a divine combination of soft and crunchy textures as well as spicy heat and savory sweet notes. Atlanta may be in the Southeastern U.S., but this dish will have your taste buds doing a line dance like a native Southwesterner.

Pistachio Crusted Scallops ($9) with orange juice reduction and roasted baby zucchini:These scallops were cooked to perfection.

Truffle Papas Fritas ($5) are twice-fried potatoes tossed in herbs and white truffle oil served with a spicy house-made ketchup: Some truffle dishes get bogged down with the truffle flavor, but not here. These thin potato bites are crunchy yet soft and have just enough truffle aroma and flavor to add interest.

BBQ Pork Tacos ($7) slow cooked pork in soft flour tortilla with granny smith apple slaw: Another divine dish that may make you wonder if you've stumbled into Texas or further Southwest.

Sweet Corn Fritters ($6) with spicy cucumber relish: Crunchy and sweet with a hint of spice that's cooled by cucumber.

SIP @ Riverside is located in the Post Riverside Town Square at 4403 Northside Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia 30327. For more information, call 404-233-5455.

Bottom Line: A tasty addition to the Atlanta dining scene. Don't miss the stuffed poblano pepper and the pork tacos—though consider yourself warned that a taste may lead to addiction.

U'Luvka Vodka

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http://getawaysforgrownups.com/mixed-case-1/

Cocktail Rescue

Domaine de Canton is a fusion of VSOP cognac and Vietnamese ginger. It smells and tastes like ginger root with a hint of spicy pepper and a touch of vanilla in the background. Beyond the tang that it adds to cocktails as an ingredient, the liqueur comes in a scalloped bottle that adds visual interest to the bar:
Having previously enjoyed Domaine de Canton as a secondary or minor ingredient in cocktails, I decided to test a few recipes where it's used as a main ingredient. I tested two recipes that are very similar:

Classic Ginger Martini
2 parts Domaine de Canton liqueur
2 parts vodka
juice squeezed from one lemon wedge

Shake with ice. Strain and serve in a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

French Ginger Martini
2 parts Domaine de Canton liqueur
2 parts vodka
1 splash Grand Marnier

Shake with ice. Strain and serve in a chilled martini glass.

Ginger lovers would adore either cocktail, though I preferred the French version because I'll opt for sweet over sour any day. But the ginger flavor is stronger than Ginger Ale; you'd have to be a real ginger lover to love these drinks. If the drink seems way too strong, don't just dump it down the drain and start from scratch on some other recipe. Grab a bottle of tonic water and attempt a cocktail rescue:
I dumped my French Ginger martini into a Collins glass filled with ice and topped it off with tonic water to taste. Yum! Inspiration came via this recipe:

Indochine Tonic
1 part Domaine de Canton liqueur
1 part vodka
tonic water

Strain shaken spirits to Collins glass filled with ice and top with tonic water. Squeeze the juice of a lemon wedge and drop into drink.

-Recipes Courtesy Domaine de Canton

Cabana Cachaça

Once upon a time, I thought that I didn't like gin. Turns out—as I discovered during a side-by-side tasting of several different brands—that I don't like certain gins. But I adore the good stuff. I've thus learned that it's unfair to dismiss an entire spirit category just because I haven't had a decent whatever-it-is yet. Until recently such was my situation with cachaça. I'd tried several but none had won me over. The Brazilian liquor made of sugarcane juice is all the rage, I'd been told, but I couldn't see why. That all changed once I sampled Cabana Cachaça. Let me just say: Yum.

For my review, please visit: http://getawaysforgrownups.com/mixed-case-1/

To test it in a cocktail, I opted for The Ultimate Caipirinha posted on the "mixology" tab of the producer's website:

Ingredients
2 oz. Cabana Cachaça
1 lime, quartered
1 oz. simple syrup
For a seasonal spin, I also added 1 small clementine, quartered

Preparation
Muddle fruit with simple syrup. Add Cabana Cachaça and ice. Shake and pour contents into a rocks glass. Garnish with slices of fruit. Enjoy.

Verdict: Double thumbs up on that cocktail.

Prefer another option? Head to Fleming's and order a Caipirinha Cooler. Or mix your own:

Ingredients
1/4 cup mixed blueberries and raspberries
1 lime, quartered
1 oz. Simple Syrup
2 oz. Cabana Cachaça

Preparation
In a shaker, mash the lime and berries
Pour in simple syrup
Add ice and Cabana Cachaça
Shake and pour into a rocks glass
Garnish with a lime

-Caipirinha Cooler recipe courtesy Fleming's

Bottom Line: Thumbs up.

Pecans

Whether you pronounce it pah-cahn or pea-can, it's delicious and nutritious (rich in zinc). Some fun facts about the little brown nut:

* The United States produces about 80 percent of the world's pecan crop.

* Albany, Georgia boasts more than 600,000 pecan trees, making it the pecan capital of the United States.

* There are over 1,000 varieties of pecans. Many are named for Native American Indian tribes, including Cheyenne, Mohawk, Sioux, Choctaw and Shawnee.

* Pecan trees usually range in height from 70 to 100 feet, but can grow as tall as 150 feet. Native pecan trees that are 150-years-old or more have trucks over three feet in diameter.

* Georgia pecan wood was used to make the handles of the torches used during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

* Pecans are the only nut tree that is truly native to the United States.

* Georgia barbecue experts often use pecan wood to smoke their meat. It's one of the ingredients that lends Georgia barbecue it's distinctive regional flavor.

-Photo Credit Small Farms