Thursday, March 20, 2008

Manhattan Transfer


So I realized at about 7pm that I needed to create a drink of the week. Remember? I promised I would give them to you on Fridays now, so you could enjoy them all weekend long. Well, It was a beautiful day here in Southern California. The kind of day that makes you want to sip on white wine, sit in the sun and forget about the fact that taxes are due in less than a month. Unfortunately, I was only able to think about taxes - - the white wine and sunshine never came to fruition. Yet, I was also able to create a phenomenal drink of the week. My inspiration...the enormous orange tree in our backyard that is so fruitful one would think i put fertility drugs in the soil. I didn't. In case you were wondering.
Let me start by saying that I am not super fond of screwdrivers (the drink, not the tool. I actually find the tool quite useful). Screwdrivers were our drink of choice senior year in high school, and as you can imagine, we often drank too many, and we often got sick, and it often smelled. My disdain aside, I decided that the screwdriver would be my basis for this drink. I screamed out the back door for Andrew to pick me a few ripe oranges off the tree. He came back with oranges that did not look ripe to me, but as it turns out they were ripe and they were phenomenal. So I squeezed them all in to a glass pitcher and then grabbed a grapefruit and a couple of blood oranges I had laying around and squeezed them, too. Oh, and yes, I just happened to have blood oranges laying around, that's what foodies do. Now, this is where it gets a bit tricky - - for you, not for me - - because,I just started pulling a bunch of stuff out of the fridge, the pantry and the liquor cabinet. I realized I don't actually come up with drinks that people can just make that day. Noooooooo, that would be too easy. Instead I grab as many hard to find (lets call them aspirational) ingredients as possible, pour them in a glass and then say, "Hey! Hey, you! Look at me. Look what I just made. Jealous?" I'm probably going to continue to do it, but I at least wanted you to know that I was aware of it. Back to the drink. Into a glass of ice I poured the juice mixture to just over the half way point. The glass should always be at least half full, right? Then I added a shot of Grey Goose L'Orange Vodka, and then I started with the splashes.
A splash of:
Rose's Sweetened Lime Juice
Rose's Grenadine
Campari
Robert Lambert Blood Orange Syrup (I know, I know)
Cointreau
Mixed it all together, and without even taking a sip, ( I already knew it was going to be amazing)handed it off to my brother. His expression after his first sip assured me of that. Then it was off to the master drink tester. I wasn't super confident, since Andrew isn't much into juice (unless you count vitamin water as juice). He reluctantly took a sip after inspecting the contents of the glass and sniffing it. I think he said something like, "Not bad. I could see how someone would really like this if they liked juice." Then he apologized for not liking juice and handed the drink back to me. I loved it. But wait, I still had to come up with a name. I proceeded to make dinner, eat dinner, wash dishes, all the while trying to think of a name and nothing. Then I walked myself into the bathroom, sat down to pee and two words popped into my head. "Manhattan Transfer." It was like magic. I have no idea why, or how, but they just did, so I decided to go with it.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous website, I love the clean and simple design, and your wordings and pictures, are you a photographer?

Magic of CRM

Unknown said...

Odd how things pop in your mind at oddest times. Me, I am forgetful and must write down the sudden, surprising inspirations. I do enjoy your haphazard approach! So, I think you should name your next creation “happenstance” The name seems fitting for you.

Also, what is there not to like about juice? Maybe your partner needs therapy or some other form of counseling! Maybe he needs an intervention from friends and family. ha!

Enjoy enjoy.

wendy said...

sounds like a great drink jen...loving the method to your madness.

Jessi said...

I will have to try this drink, as I was previously not a fan of screwdrivers, but I like all the fruit.

Anonymous said...

Do you believe in freedom?

esruel said...

Bacardi & coke, ice and a slice of lemon. Aah, what a fabulous drink!
Or malibu, coke and ice - no lemon. Tastes just like ice cream.
A Manhattan Transfer, eh? Gotta try it - but in a bar. Gonna write it down and take it with me.
Great stuff here. I've added you, as I'm becoming a bit of a foodie myself.

Anonymous said...

Wow...That's pretty amazing! I've got to try it sometime, really.

Morgo said...

I have bad college memories of screwdrivers too. Worst still is gin. It was the first alcoholic drank I ever had and just a sniff of it now would likely send me at full speed to the nearest great white throne. Yuck!

theyshoot30yearolds

oil man said...

my father goes by the silver fox

Ron said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

hey do you think you can help me? im new to this whole blogger thing, and so i really don't know what im doing. what happened was i was looking at blogs and i came across yours. i noticed the picture you have at the top with your blog title in it, and i was wondering how you got that there. can you tell me what to do?

Loves Widow said...

I loved this blog! You pretty much make me laugh with your wit in this. The drink sounds great, and I think I'll just have to ask my mom to get the stuff ( for her of course ;) ) keep up the great work!!

k said...

hi! love your blog...and beautiful photos. i am trying to discover new things about food myself and i enjoy your meanderings.

CatherineCofC said...

I loved this blog! It felt as though I knew a little bit more about you, just after reading this. The design was clean and simple, which I liked. You also had a great choice of photos. Your wording was very vivid and your use of details evoked great images In the mind. I am not quite a foodie yet, however I do enjoy a good meal and a good drink. I loved the method behind your “Manhattan Transfer” and it sounds great. I will have to try it! Great blog!

Puddle Jumper said...

yea i recently had a college screwdriver incident, so i might try this instead!

sonika said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
dani said...

hello there,
i recently discovered your blogs. i love them. especially your polaroid blog.
anyway, i don't know how much you like italian food but the book "The Classic Italian Cookbook" from Marcella Hazan (you might know her) is very good!
you might like it. i love it!
have fun with cooking

Mystique said...

awww the title of the blog misled me. thought you are talking about my favorite jazz group Manhattan Transfer. :)

But nice blog!
Hey drop by to my humble abode.
www.mystique2008.blogspot.com

dita

Relyn Lawson said...

I am so excited to have found your blog. It is gorgeous and inspiring. Was thinking that if you haven't read it, you might like "Cooking for Mr. Latte" by Amanda Hesser. It's a fun read. A foodie memoir with recipes. Just thought I would share.

Unknown said...

I have no one who you are, but I was reading your blog and thinking "Gosh I love the way everything just flows." Felt like I was there.

But back to what I really wanted to say. All the while I was reading your blog I thought you were a male, because of the photo and when you stated you sat down to pee I was thinking, "wtf, he must have been raised by only women." And then I see your name is Jen. LoL!

Just thought I'd share. Ha!

Mrs. Donaghy, I Presume... said...

Hmmmm, I will have to try some of these recipes. Especially the pasta one.

How do you like living in Highland Park? I live here too.

thedudewhisperer@yahoo.com said...

The DW will be trying a Manhattan Transfer in the near future, although perhaps with a slight lemon variation since that's the tree in his back yard up here in SF. BTW, your tree may not be fertility drugs, but it may be mellow according to this in the LAist...
http://www.laist.com/2008/03/10/after_a_5month.php

Profasaurus Realitus said...

I was with you until the blood orange syrup...have to run out for that one. But even so, it sounds promising.

Anonymous said...

Isn't it funny how things just pop into your mind at the strangest times. Devine Inspiration???? I think so! Great blog,love the look, the feel and the content.