The Ballad of Hurricane Sandy, or Drink Today, For Tomorrow You May Be Out

Our hearts go out to all the victims of Hurricane Sandy. 

Let’s not mince words: Hurricanes suck. Or blow, rather. For us Northeasterners, they used to seem exotic, exciting, a day off from work. But now, as global weather mutates from long-term exposure to the ever-changing whimsies of Man, compounded with Mother Nature’s own middle-aged problems, our planet provides little succor.

But if hurricanes provide one positive aspect, it’s that they bring people closer together. Just look at all the news stories about the fearless who rescued the elderly and sick from certain peril, the do-gooders who opened their doors to the needy. Selflessness on a grand scale.

The four stages of Hurricane Sandy:
Theo (calm), Curt (scared),
Steve (buzzed), and Paul (faking
confidence)

Take our recent Man vs. Nature battle against the tumultuous Sandy. While we did not perform heroic deeds, what little we had to offer was in the form of booze. We’ve got lots of it, and as Sandy began its histrionics, we left our penthouse aerie to wait out the blustery evening hours with our lovely friends Curt and Theo, on the safer second floor. Our survival kit: several bottles of spirits, a few limes we had left in the crisper, a shaker, and a bucket of ice.

When coming up with a Hurricane Sandy cocktail, we eschewed any association with the classic Hurricane cocktail of many rums, passion fruit, grenadine, orange, and lime. Although we do enjoy a homemade Hurricane (we had them during Irene’s shenanigans last year [SEE RECIPE BELOW]), and we had the ingredients on hand, we wanted to be at least a little bit creative as the wind started to pummel the building. But we also wanted something simple, something that could be made in the dark if the power decided to give up.

We decided that our main spirit would be twofold: Laird’s apple brandy (not Laird’s Applejack, but the bonded, higher-proof version, with the words “Apple Brandy” on the label [SEE PHOTO RIGHT]), and Southern Comfort. We chose the apple brandy because it’s made in New Jersey, and we wanted to pay homage because we knew that the Garden State would be hit hard. Southern Comfort was a more difficult choice. On its own, it can be a bit cloying, but when mixed with other spirits, this New Orleans spicy peach liqueur can really add depth, creating oodles of new flavors. Sipping them together, we knew we were on the right track.

Normally, we would then start to experiment with fresh citrus or other juices to add to the mix, but a convenient bottle of limeade saved us from having to constantly squeeze fresh limes. When we mixed the three together, we knew the three ingredients made for a happy menage a trois. Present at the finish was a lingering slightly grassy flan-like flavor that reminded us of Żubrówka, or Polish bison grass vodka. This made us happy. So happy in fact, we whipped up a batch of Cheddar Blue Fricos to pair with them before we ventured down to the second floor.

While mixing up our first batch at Curt’s place, we heard a loud crack, followed by an instant boom. We ran to the window to see a huge bough spanning the entire width of the street, lying atop a parked car. Neighbors flocked to the streets to see what had happened. The last thing we wanted to witness was another bough crashing down, so we implored everyone to get back inside. Luckily we had some Hurricane Sandys to assuage our fears of what was yet to come.

Hurricane Sandy
(created by Cocktail Buzz)

Ingredients
1 1/4 ounces Laird’s Apple Brandy (bonded, 100 proof)
1 ounce Southern Comfort
1 ounce limeade (we used Santa Cruz Organic Limeade)
lime wedge

Method
Shake in ice for 10 seconds and strain into ice-filled rocks glass. Squeeze lime wedge and drop into drink. Hope for the best.

Pairing Suggestions for Hurricane Sandy
Cheddar Blue Fricos

❤ ❤ ❤

And, if you’re a fan of the classic, here is a Hurricane recipe that everyone loved last year.

Hurricane
(adapted from Chuck Taggart, who inspired Gary Regan’s recipe in The Joy of Mixology)

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces light rum
1 1/2 ounces dark rum
1 ounce fresh orange juice
1 ounce fresh lime juice
2 ounces passion fruit syrup (if you only have passion fruit puree, use 2 ounces of the puree, plus 1/2 ounce of simple syrup*)
1 teaspoon of real pomegranate grenadine

Method
Shake with ice for 5 seconds and strain into an ice-filled Hurricane or tiki glass. Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry on a cocktail pick.

* In a sauce pan over low heat, dissolve 1 cup sugar in 1 cup water, stirring occasionally until all crystals have dissolved. Let cool and transfer to a clean, airtight container. May be kept in refrigerator for up to a month.

You Can Help
Many restaurants, bars, distilleries, food shops, and liquor stores in the hurricane zone were hit hard, and some face extinction. Those that are still operating need your support right now to stay in business. Stop by one before or after work today, or make a special trip this weekend, to keep their cash registers singing. Or make a donation to one of the many charities set up to provide relief. Peace.

Gravlax Is Easy To Make, and Will Impress Your Guests

Salt, sugar, white peppercorns, and dill are all that’s needed to make the divine Scandinavian cured salmon dish known as gravlax.

When I was in my twenties, I lived with a woman named Erika Worm (it’s pronounced vorm) who showed me the way around a professional kitchen. We lived in her family’s big house on a lake, and Erika cooked as if she were made for the task. As a result of her mom’s catering spell, not only was she blessed with the skills to rival a Top Chef, we had the run of a two-Viking-range kitchen with all the bells and whistles. I would watch her make dish after dish, probing her with questions about temperature, taste, and plating. Later in life, when I was the master of my own kitchen (read nonprofessional), I would try to replicate her dishes. One dish that stood out — one that did not even involve any cooking — was her recipe for gravlax.

Gravlax, slices of salt and sugar–cured salmon that have lightly soaked up the essence of fresh dill, is actually quite easy to make, and I remembered this distinctly. I think Erika called it a no-brainer that looks really impressive on the buffet table. All one needs to do is obtain a fresh piece of salmon, preferably one with the skin still on, and with a close-to-uniform thickness (the center cut works best), rub it with the cure, cover it with fresh dill, and let it sit for a day. How’s that for a no-brainer? I can already hear the wheels spinning in your head. You’re asking yourself where you can buy the freshest piece of salmon because you want to make this for your New Year’s Day brunch.


After you blanket the salmon with the salt and sugar cure, cover it with bunches of fresh dill.


Slicing the gravlax once it’s cured is really the only tricky part. Just make sure you have a thin-bladed and extremely sharp knife at the ready. Have some chilled champagne ready, as you will want to serve your beautiful creation with some bubbly. We recently enjoyed some gravalax with a passion fruit bellini made with thawed passion fruit (maracuja in Portuguese or lilikoi in Hawaiian) puree we always get from a Brazilian shop on 46th Street in Manhattan called Buzios. It also comes in a bottle. You can probably get it at a specialty market that stocks ethnic foods, but if not, you may have to ask your grocer to stock it.


Gravlax with Mustard Dill Sauce
(inspired by recipes by Erika Worm, Marcus Samuelsson, and Ina Garten)

Gravlax

Ingredients
1 1/2 – 2 pounds salmon fillet (skin on, thick center cut)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups salt
2 tablespoons white peppercorns, coarsely ground (use less if you only have black peppercorns)
2 bunches fresh dill (reserve a handful for the sauce)
optional ground spices (such as cumin, caraway, coriander, aniseed, dill seed, juniper berries), in any combination and amount (this is not necessary, and is only suggested if you like to experiment)

Method
In a bowl, mix the sugar, salt, and peppercorns (and any other spices if you are using them). Place the salmon in a glass dish and remove any pin bones. You can locate them by running your fingers over the flesh where the natural separation occurs. Remove with your fingers or a pair of clean bottlenose pliers. Scoop up some of the mixture with your hand and rub all over the salmon, skin included. Place the salmon in a glass dish, and cover with the remainder of the mixture. Then, cover the salmon with the dill so that you don’s see any of the salmon. Press down gently. Let stand at room temperature for 5 hours, 6 maximum. Cover, and refrigerate for about 24–48 hours, the thicker the salmon, the longer the curing time.

Remove the gravlax from the dish (it will be swimming in all the liquid the salt cure has leached from it, and it should smell slightly metallic and briny underneath the dill). Discard the dill, and quickly rinse the gravlax under cold water until the mixture has been washed away. Do not saturate the gravlax. Place the gravlax on a cutting board and with a sharp knife cut thin slices across the grain.

Serve with mustard dill sauce and slices of bagel, or brown bread, or crisp rye bread. Sides of capers, sliced red onion, and lettuce leaves will be appreciated as well. Best eaten within 4 days.

Mustard Dill Sauce (aka hovmästarsås or gravlaxsås)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon honey mustard
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 cup oil, such as grapeseed or other neutral-tasting oil
salt and white pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

Method
In a bowl, or preferably a standing mixer, add all the ingredients except the oil. While mixing vigorously or with the mixer on high, slowly drizzle the oil in steadily. Mix until it thickens.

Passion Fruit Bellini
Ingredients
1/2 tablespoon passion fruit puree
1/2 teaspoon simple syrup*
3–4 ounces champagne, prosecco, or any sparkling wine

Method
In a champagne flute, add the passion fruit puree and the simple syrup. Top with chilled champagne.

* In a sauce pan over low heat, dissolve 1 cup sugar in 1 cup water, stirring occasionally until all crystals have dissolved. Let cool and transfer to a clean, airtight container. May be kept in refrigerator for up to a month.

Text by Paul Zablocki
Photos by Steve Schul and Paul Zablocki