“Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun”
Noel Cowards
The origin of that expression is from Rudyard Kipling who once described the delirium produced by the sun in India, observing that only “mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun”. We fitted in right with it when we went out in the afternoon yesterday. Was it hot, or was it hot? Mr PAB, who is just recovering from a bad bout of tummy virus, dehydration and subsequent hospitalisation, had some urgent pending work, so yours truly volunteered to play chauffeur! What kept me going was the thought of getting back home to some chilled ale!
Ouf!! We’ve had a hot summer, and when I say hot, I mean HOT! The temperatures have consistently stayed in the mid 40C’s and there has been little respite. This is the peak of the North Indian summer, which is known for being as treacherous and unrelenting as can be. It’s customary for folk like me to wake up each morning and whiff the morning air for any hint of rain coming our way. ZILCH! Day after day we are faced with heat and dust, and power-cuts of course!
What makes the heat bearable and often enjoyable is refreshing posts like thisoneby Aran Goyoaga of Canelle et Vanille, an award winning blogger who continues to amaze and inspire me with her posts. The minute I saw the ginger ale, the mixology and the bubbles, I knew it was going to be a happy summer. Suddenly life seemed so much more bearable and worthwhile! Summer is for ginger ale! YES! I truly loved Aran’s post at Design Sponge, characteristic of her aesthetic photographs and her evocative writing. The advent of fresh ginger this season had me longing for ale. A simple and fun recipe, with ‘mixology’ thrown in, something for everyone… what more could we want this summer?
The glasses I’ve served the bubbly in are typically the sort found across India, and are used to serve tea in road-side tea stalls. They’ve been around for as long as I can remember. I remember seeing them when we used to travel by train as kids. It was either these or little terracotta cups, but they form a part of the essence of India. I had gone into the heart of the old city a few days go on work, and found an old lady selling tea in these. Of course I immediately asked her if I could buy a set. She pleaded with her rather unrelenting old man, eventually persuading him into agreeing, then happily packed them off with me. Her only question was what I would do with these? Sweet lady!
The bottles in the background are also part of our cultural heritage if I may say so. Summer in North India is not complete without crates of these available at every street corner. They are filled with lime juice and sealed with a marble on top, offering a thirst quencher for the man on the street. They are called called ‘bunta-bottle’ in the local lingo, bunta meaning marble. I love the shape of the bottle and the heaviness of the glass too. Though I am now very iffy about the source of water that fills the bottle, I bought them for their rustic charm!
To get to the mixology stage, with strawberries being from a season gone by, my next best bet for a consommé lay in peaches.Yes, indeed, stone fruits – the other thing that makes summer so much fun. Googling didn’t throw up anything, so I did what I thought was best, and made a consommé of peaches. Since it was less potent than strawberry consommé, I had to use more than 1 tbsp, and it lent a subtle hint of peachiness to the ale. This ale is a wonderful addition to summer!
Homemade Ginger Ale:
Adapted from Aran Goyoaga’s recipe posted @ Design Sponge
25g fresh ginger, grated
1 cup raw sugar
½ cup water
Juice of 2 limes
1/8 tsp active dry yeast
7 cups water Method:
In a small saucepan, add the grated ginger, raw sugar and ½ cup water. Bring to a boil and let sugar dissolve. Remove pan from heat and let the syrup steep and cool for about 30 minutes.
Strain the syrup through a fine sieve. Mix with the lime juice, yeast and 7 cups of water. Whisk together and using a funnel, pour into a plastic bottle. Screw the cap on the bottle. Make sure it is a plastic bottle and not glass as the gases from the fermentation can crack the glass jar.
Let it ferment at room temperature for about 2 days until carbonation forms. Make sure to refrigerate after it starts to carbonate.
Peach Consommé:
{Aran made a sweet strawberry consommé}
1 lb fresh peaches, peeled, pitted & chopped
½ cup sugar Method:
In a bowl, toss together the peaches and sugar. Cover the bowl and let them macerate for 2-3 hours, and puree.
Strain through a coffee filter and leave to stand undisturbed for 4-5 hours. Do not press as we only want to collect the clear juice.
Mixology:
1/2 cup homemade ginger ale
2 Tbs peach consommé
1 Tbs vodka to taste (optional)
Fresh lemon slices
Peaches
In a rocks glass mix the ingredients. Add ice to chill. Squeeze a fresh lemon to taste and garnish with fresh lemon and strawberry slices. Serve and enjoy!
As I sign off, just a reminder for a giveaway I am hosting courtesy of CSN Stores. On offer is a one-time-use $80 gift certificate for one lucky winner to use as they wish on any of the CSN websites. Do leave a comment HERE if you wish to take part.
And then the blogs come alive again…with the buzz of something new, something being missed. Events are popping up each day, one more enticing than the other. The addiction is maddening & the pace of calendar days flying by sometimes terrifying! Then comes the MBP…a special event. Foodies across blogosphere will always bookmark & save something they’ve got tempted by for the next one on the things-to-do (& SOON) list.
I’ve been eyeing this lovely Ginger-mint-lime cooler @ 28 Cooks for ages waiting for warmer days to come. Come they have…& I hit my patch of mint pronto! Lovely drink…refreshing, full of flavour…evocative of long lazy hot summers that come & go each passing year. Couldn’t have asked for a cooler cooler!! Thank you Fiber… we LOVED this drink; even the kids did!!
It’s the Monthly Blog Patrol or MBP which affords us a platform to get there…novel & most welcome. This month’s event is hosted by Sig @ Live to Eat & she chooses Mixed Drinks. As she says…”A blog event that encourages trying a recipe from a fellow blogger, is a small nudge in the rear to go hunting through our bookmarks and other blogs to find that special recipe we have been meaning to try. Monthly Blog Patrol aka MBP used to be a popular event in the blogosphere, which has been taking a break for a few months now. The idea is to do a monthly patrolling of our favorite blogs and cook something from them based on the theme of the month. MBP is the brainchild of the dynamic blogger Coffee of The Spice Cafe.” Thank you Coffee for an event well thought of, & Sig for being the guest-host for March. Great choice…Mixed Drinks! Ingredients:
Sugar – 1 cup
Water – 2 cups
Rock salt – 1/2 tsp
Lime Juice – of 6-8 limes
Ginger – 1″ piece / grated
Fresh mint leaves
Method:
Put the water + sugar + grated ginger into a pan & simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Allow to cool completely, strain into a jug & add the lime juice & salt to taste. This is now a concentrate.
Adjust for taste. Chill. Pour into glasses with crushed ice & top with soda or water. I didn’t have soda on hand, so I used water. Garnish with slices of lime & mint leaves.
Sit back, take a long deep sip & RELAX!!
Note: Amy @ Familia Bencomo says it tastes great with sparkling water too….she’s got a point!!
“Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.” Sam Keen
