Posted by Trott

I finished the Beverages chapter of the 2006 Joy Of Cooking over the weekend. I have to say that the recipes in that chapter do not seem to be up to the usual high standards.

For one thing, they ruined my favorite beverage recipe from the 1997 edition, Spiced Tea. The 1997 version of the recipe is basically strong tea and simple syrup that's been infused with cardamom, cinnamon, clove, and orange zest. It is absolutely delicious, if a tad too sweet. But how hard is it to cut back a bit on the sugar? So it is a fine recipe.

The version of Spiced Tea in the 2006 edition, on the other hand, replaces the cardamom with...orange juice and lemon juice. What the f**k?! (They probably didn't want it to be so similar to the Chai Tea recipe that they added for the 2006 edition, so they removed the cardamom. At least, that's my theory.)

Furthermore, almost all the punches in the Party Beverages section are just too darned sweet. They generally seem to be improved with the addition of either vodka or sparkling wine.

Speaking of vodka and sparkling wine, I am now on to the chapters that involve cocktails. Cocktails were completely absent from the 1997 edition, so it's difficult to imagine that the 2006 edition won't get the nod in this category. And I am fortunate to have Mr. Underhill Lounge as a resource. I get to borrow his yellow Chartreuse this weekend so that I don't have a whole bottle sitting around just because I need two dashes of it for a Champagne Cocktail. Thanks, Mr. Underhill Lounge!

Labels: joy of cooking