Frozen Mint Juleps

(adapted from Emeril Lagasse)

Attention all: I LOVE this drink! Joef made a great mint julep last year for the Kentucky Derby, and this one - for me, at least - and this year he topped it. It's probably a little sweeter and mintier, and the frozen/blended factor was a nice change of pace. If you wanted to go more traditional, you could probably use the same recipe and just not blend the ingredients with ice at the end, instead just adding ice cubes. In any case - fantastic!

For one pitcher:
3/4 cup sugar in the raw
1/2 cup water
1 cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped, plus additional sprigs for garnish
1 cup bourbon (we used Noah's Mill - soooo good, and as Joef would like me to note, 57%)
3 cups ice

In a small pot, heat water and sugar over medium-low, stirring until sugar has fully dissolved. Remove from heat. Add mint and set aside to cool.

When mixture has cooled, strain out the mint leaves with a fine mesh strainer. This is your syrup.

In a blender, combine ice, syrup, and bourbon. Blend until smooth. Serve with mint garnish and it's off to the races!

Hot Hot Soup

This is how Joef refers to this soup (his own recipe, I might add): "If it doesn't hurt a little, you haven't done it right." Like most of what Joef makes, it is intensely, seriously, hot. As in, the first time he made this, I couldn't eat it without downing gobs of ice cream in between gulps. We've toned it down a little since then, and of course now it's much too mild for him (as he frowns at me). Luckily for you, you can adjust the heat to your preference.

Also, Joef bought me a rose tonight. :)

So:
1 lb chicken, cubed
Dash olive oil
5-6 heaping tbsps chili paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, sliced
1/4 cup ground ginger
1-2 habanero peppers, sliced
48 oz chicken broth
Juice of a lime wedge
3/4 head bok choy
1/2 bag bean sprouts
1 zucchini (or yellow zucchini), sliced
6 sprigs mint

In a tall pot, combine chicken, onions, garlic, and chili paste with a dash of olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until the chicken is white on the outsides. Add the ginger and habanero, stir for 1-2 minutes. Add the remainder of the ingredients (bok choy, zucchini, bean sprouts, broth, mint), squeezing the lime over it, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables have softened slightly. Enjoy the wonderful, fiery inferno in your mouth while your husband pouts about it not being hot enough.


Oh, and about the Capital Brewery Supper Club: "not bad" (as it says on the can) is probably an apt descriptor.