Friday, May 31, 2013

Happy Hour at Fishs Eddy


These first warm days have brought a nice sense of tranquility to our offices at Fishs Eddy. But then I mentioned doing a Father's Day e-mail about great summer cocktail recipes, perfect for our glasses, and all of the sudden everybody is a bartender with an opinion! And we couldn't just "share" our recipes could we. Apparently they needed to be tested. And a cocktail needs to be tested with some good bread and cheese, well doesn't it?

So on a warm friday afternoon we all managed to tear ourselves away for an impromptu cocktail party in Mary's showroom. Of course we reminded ourselves that Dad would be very proud to know we are hard at work drinking... I mean thinking... about Fathers Day!




Our resident cocktail experts chose a few of the favorites to make... 


Island limeade in the Tall High Ball Lexington
ISLAND LIMEADE
Ingredients:
-3 cups boiling water
-1/3 cup sugar
-1 ¼  cups freshly squeezed lime juice
-6 oz dark rum

Combine boiling water and sugar to taste. Stir until the sugar dissolves; chill. Add the lime juice to make limeade. Fill 4 tall glasses with ice and divide the rum among the glasses. Top with the limeade. Non-alcoholic variation: Omit the rum.

OLD FASHIONED
Ingredients:
-1 sugar cube
-3 dashes Angostura bitters
-1 tablespoon club soda
-2 oz bourbon
-1 thin strip of lemon peel

In a rocks glass, combine the sugar cube, bitters and club soda. Muddle to a paste. Stir in the bourbon. Add ice and garnish with a two-inch strip of lemon peel.

Use the Gibraltar Rocks 8oz for the Kachumber Cooler
KACHUMBER COOLER

Ingredients:

-4 Cucumbers, peeled and seeded

-juice from 1 lime
-1/2 cup simple syrup
-6 oz gin
-1/2 cup club soda
-Fresh mint

Liquefy the peeled and seeded cucumbers in a food processor. Press pulp through a fine mesh strainer to capture the cucumber juice. Discard solids. You should have about 1/2 cup of cucumber juice. Add an equal amount of simple syrup. (To make the simple syrup, bring equal amounts of water and sugar to a boil. Turn burner off and let liquid cool.)

Add the juice of one lime to the cucumber and sugar water, about 2 Tablespoons. Fill a large tumbler with ice and add one and a half ounces of gin, two ounces of the cucumber/lime/sugar water. Top off with club soda and garnish with a cucumber wedge and muddled mint. Ahhh... so refreshing! The remaining cucumber mixture can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. Just give it a shake before using as the fine pulp settles to the bottom.

MANHATTAN
Ingredients:
-2 oz rye whiskey
-1 oz sweet vermouth
-2 dashes Agostura bitters
-1 marasca cherry

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all of the ingredients and stir. Strain the drink into a martini glass or coupe glass and garnish with a marasca cherry.

the Mint Juplip in the Bodega Tumbler Maxi
MINT JULIP


Ingredients:
-Fresh mint
-Ice
-2 ½ oz bourbon whiskey
-Lemon slice, for garnish, optional
-Simple syrup

Make simple syrup (boil equal parts sugar and water), while heating, add 3 sprigs of mint to infuse flavor. Remove mint and let cool. In a cocktail shaker, combine with ice and add one part simple syrup, two parts bourbon, and freshly torn mint leaves. Shake for 30 seconds, strain into glass over ice, garnish with stalks of mint on the opposite side from where you drink.

Brandy Alexander in the Champagne Bowl Glass
BRANDY ALEXANDER
Ingredients:
-1 oz cream
-1 oz dark crème de cacao
-1oz brandy
-Ground nutmeg for garnish

Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes and shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a dusting of nutmeg. 

Happy Father's Day!









Thursday, May 9, 2013

Alex Guarnascheli Cookbook Signing

Our cookbook signing with Alex Guarnascheli went like buttah! Alex is the Executive Chef of Butter NYC,  a "Chopped" Judge, and a self professed fan of Fishs Eddy!

She took time to speak with everyone...offering advice and answering questions. Such a fun lady!

If you missed the signing, we have some signed copies of Old-School Comfort Food available for purchase in the store.

Alex's youngest fan was first in line!
Ava said that Alex is cooler than Justin Bieber!
Everyone excited to meet Alex
Waiting to get their books signed

...Right next to the mashed potatoes.
Kristen Melega, our fearless event planner
Alex dishing out advice while signing her cookbook
Steven and his dog Peter are huge fans of Chopped



Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Printers Block


Occasionally people get saddled with moody, disobedient, high maintenance dogs or cats or kids. In Sara’s case, it’s a printer. A giant printer in our design studio that has caused so much turmoil here at Fishs Eddy… even almost divorce!
Somehow along the way, Sara got custody.

Sara the Printer Whisperer





This printer is actually in love with Sara. It sits behind her and stares at her all day. It cat calls her and gets jealous when she pays attention to other people, or devices. The printer refuses put out for anyone but Sara.

Roomies



In fact, the printer can’t do anything without Sara because it has an umbilical chord that extends across the design studio right to Sara’s mac. It’s not that Sara is an enabler, or co-dependent or anything like that. Sara always tries to encourage the printer to grow up… to experience life working for somebody else. But the printer refuses.

Overprotective Sara




I have my own theory about all of this. I think the printer is a total snob. It knows excellence and great design and it refuses to work with anyone except Sara, because Sara is a great designer.

One of Sara's many designs



Unfortunately it seems as though the printer hates me the most. Maybe it’s because I taunt it when Sara is away from her desk, “ya know she has someone else in her life!” and “no one is looking, I could jam you up right now!”

Sara & Ron, the other love in her life



Maybe it’s because the printer thinks I’m going to pollute Sara’s ways and it’s trying to protect her. On top of all her talent, Sara is neat, and organized. Her desk is a reflection of how she works, methodically and creatively…always a perfectionist. My desk looks like it's waiting for FEMA to come by and give it an estimate.

Sara's world, Julie's world

I try to tell the printer it takes all kinds, but it won’t hear of it.
Still, I have to say, our snobby elitist highbrow printer knows a good thing... and so do all the people who love the beautiful work that comes out of Sara’s desk… and printer!

For more of Sara's work visit her blog, Pomme Designs.