Martini Frigidaira

What is Felicia’s favorite way to enjoy a martini, you ask? Felicia likes top shelf vodka or gin with a splash of olive juice and a couple of big, fat stuffed olive frigidairas. Olive frigidairas is Felicia’s term for olives stuffed with whatever cheese, nuts, meat, etc. that you happen to find in your fridge. Today Felicia is garnishing her martini with an olive stuffed with bleu cheese and sliced turkey.

Mixology Monday: Rum

The theme of this month’s Mixology Monday, hosted by Trader Tiki, is rum. Last month, for the fruit liqueur-themed Mixology Monday, Felicia made (and drank) a Banana Split Martini. Here’s the real deal: Felicia has to admit she hates making cocktails with fruit liqueurs. When mixing cocktails, Felicia prefers to use fresh, creative ingredients, not artificially flavored yellow dye number two. As a matter of fact, Felicia has become well-known for her Farmers’ Market Cocktails and other such labor intensive locavore drinks. Felicia would like to tell you that as much as you might love it, forget the Banana Split Martini. She was drunk when she made it. You deserve even better.

In the spirit of freshness, Felicia would like to introduce you to her latest creation: the Bananas Foster Martini. This martini has received a “two thumbs up” and a “bottoms up” from the staff at both Simply Red Bistro and Felicia’s Atomic Lounge. This cocktail is a bit of work, so you might want to order it at the Lounge or Bistro instead of making it yourself. If you decide to use this cocktail on your own restaurant/bar menu, be sure to give Felicia credit because this extraordinarily tasty winner is going into the Felicia Cocktail Book, due to be finished this summer (any thirsty publishers out there?).

The Bananas Foster martini is essentially the best Bananas Foster you have ever had, in liquid form. This cocktail is super fresh and dangerously smooth. Another successful dessert in a glass by yours truly.

Felicia’s Bananas Foster Martini
½ medium-sized banana
1 ½ ounce Goslings dark rum
1 ¼ ounce cinnamon spice syrup (see recipe below)
¾ ounce half-n-half
whipped cream
cinnamon

Muddle banana with rum, syrup and half-n-half until it is smoothie consistency (no lumps). Shake with ice. Strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon.

Cinnamon Spice Syrup
½ cup water
½ cup dark brown sugar
½ vanilla bean
1 cinnamon stick

Cook all ingredients over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring almost to a boil and remove from heat immediately. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes. Remove vanilla bean and cinnamon stick. Let syrup cool before using. This syrup also makes a phenomenal vanilla ice cream topping, especially if you include a few slices of banana.

Your Anise Cocktail

Felicia made another new cocktail and the critics (that would be you all) are declaring it fabulous. Felicia concocted a red wine-based simple syrup with star anise and some other spices; a splash of this syrup is then added to a glass of champagne. Felicia was going to call this drink “Red Anise Champagne” but for some reason that name seemed to bring up graphic images for some people. So for those of you have difficulty saying the word “anise,” Felicia has dubbed this drink “Star-Struck Bubbly.” If you tend to cringe at the flavor of licorice, fear not. The anise subtly harmonizes with vanilla bean and cinnamon to create a unique – and incredible - experience for your palate. Seriously, a little anise never hurt anyone.

Bar Incident: Sirens and Mojitos

Felicia had her first visit from the flashing lights last night on her busiest night of the year to date. The red, white and blue lights artfully reflected off of the silver walls, creating an air of anticipation and mystery. If Felicia wasn't outside greeting the brave men in uniforms, she would have taken some nice photos of the reflections for you. No, it was not the police coming to arrest Leah who slapped a patron after one too many rude demands for drinks, money waving, etc. Nor was the newly painted men's room on fire after a mischievous patron snuck an indoor cigarette and carelessly tossed the butt into the paper towel-filled trashcan (from the few men who DO wash their hands). The story goes that a patron came upon the unfortunate circumstance of "falling ill" in the bar. What kind of illness? Though Felicia is sensitive and highly intuitive, she is not psychic and does not want to hazard a guess. Hopefully the individual involved will visit us and let us know that she is feeling better. Felicia did learn a few things from the experience that she would like to share with you:

1) a gurney/stretcher does in fact fit through that narrow space between the bar stools and the middle bar.

2) when going out for an evening on the town, you should make sure the people you are with know your last name (and your first name, for that matter).

3) if you are prone to "falling ill," you should pin your full name and address inside your tshirt before you go out. Or use a sharpy and those scratchy iron-on labels like your mom stuck in all your clothes when you went to summer camp.

4) the Ithaca police and Bangs ambulance dudes are really nice. Thanks, guys!

Felicia could go on, but out of respect for the privacy and potential embarrassment of the person who had the pleasure of riding all tucked in and cozy to the hospital with three handsome hunks attending to her needs, Felicia will pause and let you humbly ponder your own embarrassing bar moments.

And now here is the mojito recipe that Felicia promised you:

Mojito

1 ½ ounces rum
about 15 medium-sized mint leaves
½ lime cut into wedges
1 teaspoon sugar
club soda

Muddle rum, mint, limes and sugar in a pint glass (Felicia likes big drinks) until they are thoroughly mashed. Fill with ice; top with club soda. Toss into another glass and back again to gently mix.