Canada Rocks!

Celebrating Canada Day (a little late) with some childhood favorites courtesy of me mum and dad who brought treats back from their weekend visit to their hometown in PQ. Best item in the lot is the bag of Canadian cheddar cheese curds.  Cheese curds, also known as Squeaky Cheese have a soft and moist texture that, upon taking a bite, makes a squeaking sound in your mouth.  It’s a really nice mild cheese that melts incredibly well.  You can snack on it right out of the bag or add it to a plate of spaghetti and sauce or a bowl of tomato vegetable soup or any variety of dishes where melted gooey cheese would be an enhancement.  Tonight we will be making Poutine for dinner,

Yum Yum salt & vinegar chips, Jos Louis and Ah Caramel snack cakes and Canadian Cheese Curds

a traditional Canadian dish served in most restaurants and made at home too.  The melange of french fries, gravy and cheese makes for a perfect dish of simple comfort food.

Poutine

• french fries
• poutine gravy mix (or brown gravy mix)
• Canadian cheddar cheese curds

1. Cook fries according to package directions.  Or make them homemade for a more authentic experience.
2. Cook gravy mix according to package directions
3. Layer fries and cheese in a bowl and pour gravy atop.
4. Mmmm.

The Drinkers Companion Guide to your F***ed Up Summer – Week 1 Recipes

Hi all!  I put myself to the task of creating some Grimm inspired cocktails and with that made a trip to the local package store (that’s “liquor store” for you non-Nutmeggers) and started browsing the selection of nip bottles to purchase and experiment with.  My eye was immediately drawn to two jewel-like bottles standing out among the rest of the nondescript wee bottles lining the shelves.  One was light blue and the other, a very light green.  Hpnotiq and Ty Ku liqueurs, the sales clerk informed me.  Hpnotiq is a blend of premium French vodka, exotic fruit juices and a touch of cognac (ooh, la, la!).  The  Ty Ku line of  Asian sake and spirits, it turns out, touts itself as being the “wiser way to drink”, 100% all-natural and free of gluten, sulfites and tannins.  Best of all, naturally low in calories. Yay!

My first three drinks incorporate one or the other.  Here are the results:

Have you had a “bad couple of weeks”?  This clean and simple drink is exactly what you need to let it all “slide, slide, slide” away:

The Forward Ho

The Forward Ho (giggle)

• 2 ounces Ty Ku Liqueur
• 6 ounces sparkling water
• Lime wedge

1. Fill high ball glass with ice.
2. Add liqueur and sparkling water.
3. Stir and garnish with lime.

Next up is the signature shot of The Grimm Generation; layered and rich, with many dimensions of flavor:

The Blue Eyed & Black Hearted Shooter

Blue Eyed & Black Hearted Shooter

• ½ ounce blue curacao
• ½ ounce Hypnotic Liqueur
• ½ ounce Jaegermeister

1. Add the blue curacao and Hpnotic liqueur to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
2. Shake well and strain into a shot glass.
3. Pour the Jaegermeister over the back of a spoon atop the blue mixture to create a second layer.

It wasn’t the heat.  It was the humidity that inspired this next concoction.  I opened up the fridge and peered in.  The watermelon made my mouth water, it looked so refreshing.  I grabbed it and remembered that I had a nip bottle of Hpnotiq in my freezer.  Well…why wouldn’t I?  Sublime.

Well, Why Wouldn't You? Watermelon Delight

Well, Why Wouldn’t You? Watermelon Delight

• 1 cup diced watermelon
• 1-2 ounces Hypnotic Liqueur
• 2 mint leaves, finely chopped

1. Place watermelon in a dessert cup.
2. Pour chilled liqueur over watermelon.
3. Garnish with mint.

Drink Responsibly. Listen Responsibly. http://www.thegrimmgeneration.com

The Drinker’s Companion Guide to the Soundtrack of your F***ed Up Summer

The Last Record Party available at http://www.thegrimmgeneration.com

If you’re going to make poor decisions, lower your inhibitions and have a full-fledged fucked up summer then you’re going to need cocktails. This makes the whole unseemly business much easier and really speeds up the whole process. With that in mind, I’ve created some recipes for some tasty libations for the season of excess.
Now, I don’t know about you but I try to keep my caloric intake on the low side when imbibing. This helps keep my weight down and keeps my options open with scoring with the more superficial cads out there. Also, I’d rather chew my calories than drink them. So you won’t find any recipes for ice cream drinks or over the top sugary concoctions. What you will find are interesting and unique drinks that will refresh you during the hot summer months.
So starting on Sunday, my six part series will bring you three different cocktail recipes weekly inspired and named after the songs on our CD, The Last Record Party. Along with the recipe, perhaps I’ll spin a tale or divulge a secret or two about the song. Join me, won’t you?
See you soon, and until then…cheers!