Did you know that quinine aka tonic water glows in the dark under blacklight? Far out
The Foodies (formerly known as the Supper Club) are a group of friends who love to cook, eat, drink, and laugh together at themed dinner parties. Our friends and family tell us they enjoy living vicariously through tales of our feasts so we’ll share the stories, pictures, and recipes here on the blog from time to time. Click here for previous Foodie Group posts, and here for the group’s origin story.
“Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.” Maya Angelou
“Let there be light,” said Kathleen and Karen, our evening's hosts. There was light, and it was good. The date coincided with the anniversary of Thomas Edison receiving the patent for his invention, the incandescent light bulb, so the Light theme for our dinner party seemed perfectly apropos. Let's take a moment to offer ol' Thomas Alva our hearty congratulations for inventing a whole mess of things - this guy was patent-crazy with 2,322 of 'em to his name worldwide!
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This song is pretty on-the-nose for our theme but doesn't blend well with the rockin' playlist below. Check it out!
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As to the smarty-pants title of this post, which according to Urban Dictionary refers to a high level of intoxication, well, we always enjoy some tasty cocktails and wine with our feasts and that evening was no exception. We’re a little too old (er, mature, no, how about ‘experienced’?) to overdo it with the booze, but we do manage to have a real good time.
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You know, Edison also invented the phonograph, so there's another connection to this fun playlist.
We've gathered a few tunes that reference some aspect of the theme either in the song title or band name. We've got old favorites and a few new-to-us tracks for your listening pleasure. So help yourself to a refreshing beverage of your choice, hit the Play arrow on the playlist, sit back and read on to learn more about our illuminating evening. Here is the menu: |
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Drinks - Ilise and Ann: Dirty Martini Shooters; White Port & Tonic cocktails
Appetizers – Ellyn: Roasted Carrot and White Bean Dip; Two kinds of Tapas with Romesco (Chorizo, Manchego and Tomato; and Feta with Roasted Peppers)
Main Course – Karen and Kathleen: Pork Chops with Flaming Apricot Bourbon Sauce; Flambéed Sweet Potatoes; Steamed Broccoli
Dessert – Greg and Dan: Orange Charlotte Royale
Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.
Appetizers – Ellyn: Roasted Carrot and White Bean Dip; Two kinds of Tapas with Romesco (Chorizo, Manchego and Tomato; and Feta with Roasted Peppers)
Main Course – Karen and Kathleen: Pork Chops with Flaming Apricot Bourbon Sauce; Flambéed Sweet Potatoes; Steamed Broccoli
Dessert – Greg and Dan: Orange Charlotte Royale
Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.
“You have to find what sparks a light in you so that you in your own way can illuminate the world.” Oprah Winfrey
Let’s talk about the drinks. There were a few ways we could have approached this challenge. ‘Light’ drinks versus regular cocktails, meaning lower alcohol content and fewer calories. ‘Light’ as in pale-colored. Heavenly drinks inspired by the quote from Genesis. And probably a few additional options.
House Bartender Ilise opted for cocktails that would glow in the dark under blacklight. Did you know that the quinine in tonic water glows in the dark? Yes!
Using silicone ice molds, Ilise made frozen shot glasses out of tonic water and filled them with mini martinis. Well, that’s not quite accurate. Tiny shots of gin went into the frozen quinine glasses which were served with these out-there “olives” made via molecular gastronomy. Purchased during last year’s Spain vacation, these gourmet treats called Caviaroli Drops, made by the Spanish chef/ restaurateur Albert Adria, are briny liquid-filled orbs – cool, delicious, and weird all at the same time.
House Bartender Ilise opted for cocktails that would glow in the dark under blacklight. Did you know that the quinine in tonic water glows in the dark? Yes!
Using silicone ice molds, Ilise made frozen shot glasses out of tonic water and filled them with mini martinis. Well, that’s not quite accurate. Tiny shots of gin went into the frozen quinine glasses which were served with these out-there “olives” made via molecular gastronomy. Purchased during last year’s Spain vacation, these gourmet treats called Caviaroli Drops, made by the Spanish chef/ restaurateur Albert Adria, are briny liquid-filled orbs – cool, delicious, and weird all at the same time.
Frozen tonic water shot glasses, for serving the Dirty Martini Shooters
Dirty Martini Shooter
Recipe source: Ilise Goldberg
Makes one drink
INGREDIENTS:
Recipe source: Ilise Goldberg
Makes one drink
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 ½ ounces Gin (I used Gin Mare)
- ½ Teaspoon Olive Juice
- 5 Black Peppercorns
- 4 Juniper Berries
- 2 Pods of Cardamom
- 1 Rosemary Sprig
- 1 Green Olive
- Place all ingredients except the olive in a cocktail mixing glass – give it a good swirl. Add ice and stir until well chilled.
- Strain into a chilled glass and add an olive.
- Serving Tip: In this case, Ilise made tonic water shot glasses so they would glow with a black light.
| Print The Recipe- Dirty Martini Shooter |
We turned on the blacklights (yes, we schlepped lamps to this dinner; we are nothing if not committed), dimmed the regular lights, served the drinks and let it glow. This was fun but messy – the tonic water shot glasses melted quickly leaving a sweet and sticky mess behind. Oh well, it seemed like a good idea at the time! Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.
Next up, a light sipping cocktail made of white port and tonic. In this case, light refers to lower alcohol content and the non-traditional color of the port. In this country, we are most accustomed to tawny and ruby ports, but in Portugal a white port & tonic is the tipple of choice. Look into this, you won’t be sorry – especially as summer patio sipping season approaches. You’re welcome!
White Port & Tonic Cocktails
Recipe source: Ilise Goldberg
Makes one drink
INGREDIENTS:
Fill a tumbler with solid ice cubes. Add white port, and top with tonic. Squeeze a slice of lemon over the drink and drop into drink as garnish. Give it a quick stir. Sip and enjoy!
Note: For the dinner party Ilise made ice cubes out of tonic water so they would glow with a black light. She used a ratio of 2 tonic cubes to 1 ice cube in each glass.
Recipe source: Ilise Goldberg
Makes one drink
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 ounces White Port
- 3-4 ounces of good Tonic Water (we enjoy Fever Tree)
- Slice of Lemon
Fill a tumbler with solid ice cubes. Add white port, and top with tonic. Squeeze a slice of lemon over the drink and drop into drink as garnish. Give it a quick stir. Sip and enjoy!
Note: For the dinner party Ilise made ice cubes out of tonic water so they would glow with a black light. She used a ratio of 2 tonic cubes to 1 ice cube in each glass.
| Print The Recipe- White Port and Tonic Cocktails |
“Maybe you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light.” Madeline L’Engle
Roasted Carrot and Cannellini Dip
As we sipped our cocktails, Ellyn's appetizers flipped the switch on flavor with two appetizers that revealed different interpretations of the theme. First we enjoyed a Roasted Carrot and Cannellini Dip, a lower-calorie version of a classic bean dip. Wow, who knew carrots could taste so creamy, flavorful and – yes, I’ll say it – light! Colorful like the sun, and satisfying too. Perfect with crackers, bread, or chopped veggies.
The second appetizer embodied a literary interpretation of light. A luscious plate of tapas recalled the Hemingway novel, The Sun Also Rises, set in Spain. The featured element was a kick-butt Romesco sauce - classically Spanish, and quintessentially delicious. One type of small bite layered Romesco with chorizo, Manchego cheese and tomato. The other tapas included roasted peppers and feta cheese alongside the Romesco. Oh my Yum! Both were through-the-roof delicious, and in danger of spoiling our dinner. (I could barely stop eating them!) Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.
The second appetizer embodied a literary interpretation of light. A luscious plate of tapas recalled the Hemingway novel, The Sun Also Rises, set in Spain. The featured element was a kick-butt Romesco sauce - classically Spanish, and quintessentially delicious. One type of small bite layered Romesco with chorizo, Manchego cheese and tomato. The other tapas included roasted peppers and feta cheese alongside the Romesco. Oh my Yum! Both were through-the-roof delicious, and in danger of spoiling our dinner. (I could barely stop eating them!) Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.
“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” Plato
Next it was time to sit down for a candlelight dinner courtesy of Karen and Kathleen, but first we gathered around the stove to watch some flaming performance art. The Ks chose to flambée the pork chops and the sweet potatoes, a technique which calls for dousing the food in alcohol and then lighting the liquid on fire to quickly ‘cook out’ the alcohol, leaving only flavor behind. When the blue flame dies down, your dish is ready to serve. We did not get good photos of this, so you’ll just have to take my word for it – it was very dramatic, inspiring oohs and aahs from the hungry crowd.
And may I just say, those pork chops were heavenly. They were flamed with bourbon, a perfect match for pork. The sweet potatoes were sprinkled with rum before the match was introduced. Both dishes blazed their way into our hearts (and tummies) - oh so good!
And may I just say, those pork chops were heavenly. They were flamed with bourbon, a perfect match for pork. The sweet potatoes were sprinkled with rum before the match was introduced. Both dishes blazed their way into our hearts (and tummies) - oh so good!
“Travel light, live light, spread light, be the light.” Yogi Bhajan
Finally we turned to the dazzling dessert, Orange Charlotte Royale, prepared by Greg and Dan. This was another playing-with-fire dish which, once again, did not cooperate for pictures. Trust me, it flamed, it impressed, and it followed through with a large dose of wonderful flavor and light, airy texture. Essentially a sponge cake with a flavorful filling and a flaming glaze, here's how Greg describes the dish:
Original inspiration and construction method (along with the ganache which I made with white chocolate instead of dark) came from this recipe from Fine Cooking.
The sponge cake was based on this recipe from Sugar Hero. The filling for the cake roll was first a layer of orange marmalade and then the above ganache
Filling was inspired by this Taste of Home recipe (including use of chopped mandarin oranges (15 oz can), adding some Cointreau, and reducing the sugar amount by using the syrup drained from the mandarin oranges).
We ended up brushing the finished unmolded Charlotte Royale with a glaze (the remaining half jar of orange marmalade warmed and combined with Cointreau). After brushing the glaze on, we then set it aflame for a dramatic presentation.
Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.
“There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.” Leonard Cohen
So there you have it - our illuminating evening recapped. We all departed with a warm glow, full bellies, and a deeper appreciation for the humble light bulb. I hope you have seen the light yourself and will now commence to set fire to your dinner tonight. I can't guarantee the results will be as tasty as what my fellow Foodies achieved, but it will certainly be dramatic and dare I say - brilliant!
Hungry for more tales of the Foodie Dinners? Find our past stories here.
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