"Hot Shot" Spicy Gin-Lime Cocktail

 

This is a lightly spicy gin-lime cocktail which was reverse-engineered from the menu description at Blue Water Distilling in Everett WA. It has obvious flavors of jalapeno, cilantro, celery, and lime, rounded out with ginger simple syrup. The heat level is quite moderate, but it's not a drink you'll want to chug. 

To make this cocktail you will need to make three infusions... One spicy vodka, one celery tincture, and one ginger simple syrup. You'll combine those ingredients with gin and lime juice, and garnish with cucumber and Tajin. Nothing is difficult to prepare.

Like Thai curry? You should go to your Asian market right now.

The title of this site tells you it's about complicated cooking, but to make the time for kitchen complications I like to save time where I can.

Here's a tasty, cheap, and easy way to make Thai-style curry that is likely gonna be as good as what you are getting at your take-out joint. Hit your Asian market and look for Mae Ploy brand curry paste. A 400 g tub should cost about three bucks, and it will make several giant batches of very tasty curry. It's a ridiculously good deal.

This post is not a Mae Ploy commercial, though it probably looks like it!

Pot Sticker Dipping Sauce

This fantastic sauce was reverse-engineered from the excellent example at a local Szechuan joint. Key to this condiment is the base of soy sauce and vinegar. A ratio of 1:1 is a good starting point. A little sweetness is also required. Ginger, garlic, green onions, and chili heat make up the rest of the show.

Essential Beef Jerky

This recipe produces jerky with a good balance of salty, savory, sweet, smoky, and spicy. It's great on its own, and a good foundation for further experimentation.

For more heat, I recommend topping the meat slices with pepper flakes or ground black pepper when dehydrating, as opposed to altering the marinade.

Read on for the complete recipe and all the other information you'll need to succeed.