The Essential James Beard Cookbook (9 page)

¹
⁄
₃
freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 ounce)

Dash of Grenadine

Shake well in a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

The Standard Manhattan

¾ rye whiskey (2¼ ounces)

¼ Italian (sweet or red) vermouth (¾ ounce)

1 dash of Angostura bitters per drink

Stir vigorously in the cocktail shaker with plenty of ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. The maraschino cherry is the traditional addition to this drink.

The Martini—circa 1940

Put plenty of ice in your cocktail shaker. Add two or three strips of lemon peel. Add three parts of gin (2
¼
ounces) and one part (
¾
ounce) of French (dry) vermouth. Stir well, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnished with tiny cocktail onions. [
Editor: These days, the cocktail onion garnish would render the Martini a Gibson.
]

The Martini—circa 1961

The modern Martini is made with nine parts of gin (3 ounces) now to one (1 teaspoon) of French (dry) vermouth. In other words, there’s just a hint of vermouth as compared with its predecessor. Stir well in a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. [
Editor: Stuffed olive garnish, anyone?
]

Vodka Martini

Editor: The Martini originally had almost equal parts of gin and vermouth. Over the years, the amount of gin increased, and then changed to vodka as the Russian liquor’s popularity increased. The “very dry” Vodka Martini with just a drop of vermouth didn’t appear until the 1950s.

4 parts vodka (2 ounces)

1 part French-type vermouth (½ ounce)

Stir with ice as with a Martini. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and serve with a twist of lemon peel.

Old-Fashioned

This is my own version of the Old-Fashioned, for I loathe “fruit salad” in a drink and all the decorations that usually accompany this simple cocktail. [
Editor: Beard means that many bartenders added maraschino cherries and orange slices to the original Old-Fashioned recipe, which never had fruit in it.
]

1 sugar cube

1 slice of lemon peel

2 dashes of Angostura bitters

3 ounces whiskey, rum, or brandy

Mash the sugar, lemon peel, bitters in an old-fashioned glass (a.k.a. “rocks glass”) with a muddler. Add the ice and the spirit and stir well.

The Screwdriver

2 ounces vodka

1 cup (8 ounces) freshly squeezed orange juice

Put several ice cubes into a 14-ounce glass, pour in the vodka and orange juice, and stir languidly.

Sidecar

¹
⁄
₃
freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 ounce)

¹
⁄
₃
Cointreau (1 ounce)

¹
⁄
₃
Cognac (1 ounce)

Shake well in a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Sour

2 ounces whiskey, rum, or brandy

1 teaspoon of superfine sugar

Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

Shake well in cocktail shaker with plenty of ice. Strain into a small chilled cocktail glass.

Stinger

2 ounces Cognac

1 ounce white crème de menthe

Shake in a cocktail shaker with cracked ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. [
Editor: For a vodka stinger, substitute vodka for the Cognac.
]

Tom Collins

The same recipe is correct for a rum Collins, substituting rum for gin. [
Editor: Or use vodka for a vodka Collins.
]

1½ teaspoons superfine sugar

1½ teaspoons water

Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon or 1½ limes

4 ounces of gin

Club soda, as needed

Stir the sugar and water in a cocktail shaker. Add the juice and gin and shake with ice. Strain into an ice-filled tall glass, then fill with club soda. Do not garnish with fruit.

VARIATION

FRENCH SEVENTY-FIVE:
Substitute French champagne or domestic sparkling wine for the club soda.

Vermouth Cassis

4 ounces French (dry) vermouth

Crème de cassis liqueur

Club soda, as needed

Pour the vermouth over ice in a tall glass. Add crème de cassis to taste. Fill with club soda. Add a twist of lemon peel.

White Satin

½ gin (1½ ounces)

½ freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (1½ ounces)

Shake well in a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

SOUPS

Basic Cream of Vegetable Soup

Black Bean Soup

Borsch

California Gazpacho

My Favorite Clam Chowder

Cold Minted Pea Soup

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Cream of Pea Soup

Cream of Tomato Soup

Four-Day Vegetable Soup

Avgolemono (Egg-Lemon Soup)

Garbure Basquaise

Garlic Soup

Gruyère Soup

Onion Soup au Gratin

Lentil Soup with Chard and Lemon

Sorrel Soup

Turkish Cucumber and Yogurt Soup

Squash and Corn Soup

Udon Noodle Soup

Vichyssoise

BASIC CREAM OF VEGETABLE SOUP

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

This is easy and quick because it consists of little more than puréed cooked vegetables and their cooking liquid (preferably homemade chicken stock, skimmed of all fat) mixed with cream, sour cream, half-and-half, or yogurt. If you have a food processor or blender, the puréeing is simplicity itself. If you use a blender, you will have to blend the vegetables with some or all of the cooking liquid, in batches; but unless the vegetable is very dense and starchy, like potatoes, or shell beans, this isn’t necessary with the food processor.

The usual proportions for the soup are 1 cup uncooked chopped or cooked puréed vegetables and 2 cups stock to 1 cup cream, but the thickness of the soup depends on the vegetable you are using. Starchy root vegetables provide their own thickening. If you are using vegetables with a high water content, such as summer squash, cucumbers, or leafy green vegetables, you need a large quantity of the vegetable and added thickening. I find instant mashed potato, which cooks smooth and is comparatively tasteless, to be an excellent thickener. In fact, it is the best use I know for this “convenience” product. Use one of the 2-serving packages, or more if needed [see Editor’s Note,
here
], and stir it into the reheated soup, cooking until you get the consistency you want.

For a more traditional and richer thickening, beat 2 egg yolks with the 1 cup cream before adding it to the soup, and cook gently, stirring, until thickened. [
Editor: Do not let the soup boil.
] However, I think you will find the all-vegetable thickening gives a better, purer flavor and a lighter result—with fewer calories.

The soup base of stock and puréed vegetables can be made in quantity and frozen, then thawed and reheated with the cream when you are ready to serve—and, of course, any of the soups may be served cold.

Once you start to play around with the basic recipe that follows, you can alter and adjust it to suit yourself, adding different flavoring herbs and experimenting with various vegetables and combinations of vegetables. For instance, a cut-up avocado put in the blender or food processor (not the food mill) with a zucchini, watercress, or cucumber soup will both thicken and give a lovely flavor and velvety texture.

2 cups
Chicken Stock

1 cup sliced or finely cut vegetable

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh herb of your choice or 1 teaspoon dried herb

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup cream (heavy, light, sour), half-and-half, or yogurt

Instant mashed potato for thickening, if needed [see Editor’s Note,
here
]

Chopped fresh parsley, dill, or chives, or a sprinkle of paprika, for garnish

Put the stock, vegetables, and herbs in a saucepan and simmer until tender but not mushy. Purée the vegetables in a food processor or blender. [
Editor: Whenever you purée a hot mixture in a blender, vent the opening in the lid so the steam can escape. Otherwise, the steam will build up in the container and create pressure that splatters puréed food all over the kitchen walls—and you.
]

Return the vegetables and liquid to the pan and season to taste with salt and pepper, depending on how seasoned the stock is. Stir in the cream and reheat. If using sour cream or yogurt, be sure to keep the soup under the boiling point, or it will curdle.

If the soup needs more thickening, stir in instant mashed potatoes and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until thickened to taste. The amount will depend on the natural thickness of the vegetable used. Serve with a garnish of chopped parsley, chives, dill, or whatever herb is appropriate, or a dash of paprika.
[
Editor: Add the instant potatoes by the tablespoon into the simmering soup until it reaches the desired thickness.
]