Archive | Beverages

Serves 8 to 10

Sangria may be the go-to punch of summertime, but it is typically made with cheap wine, cheaper brandy and loads of fruit to add flavor. This beer version makes use of raspberry-laced lambic (ale flavored with raspberries instead of hops) and refreshing Belgian ale, with crisp rosé thrown in for good measure.

1 750ml bottle Framboise lambic, such as Lindemans, chilled
1 750ml bottle rosé wine or Lillet Blanc, chilled
2 (12-ounce) bottles white or blond ale, chilled (we like Anthem’s Golden One)
1–2 handfuls of raspberries
1 orange, thinly sliced

Add a good amount of ice to a large pitcher, add all of the ingredients and stir until well blended. Serve over ice.

Makes 4

Essentially equal parts beer and lemonade, a Shandy is one of our summer faves, especially when made with COOP’s Elevator Wheat. We made our own lemonade, to better control the sweetness and tartness. Set beer glasses in the freezer for added chill.

¼ cup sugar
½ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4 lemons), plus wedges, for serving
3–4 bottles wheat beer

Combine sugar and ¼ cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Refrigerate until cool, at least 10 minutes and up to 1 week.

To serve, combine sugar syrup with lemon juice. Pour a beer into each glass then stir in about ¼ cup of the lemon mixture. Serve, garnished with a lemon wedge.

Makes 2

A michelada is a classic Mexican cerveza preparada (prepared beer) made with light Mexican beer, lime juice and hot sauce with or without a dash of tomato juice. We used Marshall’s pilsner and spiced it up with a salt-cayenne rimmed glass.

2 tablespoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons lime juice (plus extra lime wedges for rimming the glasses)
¼ cup tomato juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoons hot sauce (or more to taste)
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 bottles light beer

Combine the salt, paprika and cayenne on a small shallow plate. Rub a lime wedge around the rims of 2 pint glasses, then dip the rims in the salt mixture. Fill glasses with ice and set aside.

Divide tomato juice, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and a few pinches of black pepper between the two glasses. Top off with cold beer and stir to combine. Garnish each with a lime wedge and a pinch of black pepper.

Words and Photography by Judy Allen

It’s hard not to taste summertime when you bite into a tender yet crisp summer roll. The crispness comes from the vegetable filling, for these classic Vietnamese treats are not fried— rice paper skins are soaked brie y in warm water to soften them enough to roll around an assortment of fresh ingredients.

I like to fill them with cooked shrimp, al dente rice stick noodles and an array of fresh herbs and veggies: mint, basil, cilantro, shredded cabbage, carrots and cucumber sticks, for starters. Feel free to swap with your favorite ingredients; shredded chicken, avocado and thinly sliced bell peppers make suitable substitutes.

There is a small Vietnamese restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri, that gives customers the option of rolling summer rolls at the table. The process is quite fun, but the  rst step is a necessary one: Make sure all of the ingredients are prepped ahead of time, and have them within easy reach before the rolling begins. Once the sheets of rice paper are softened in water you won’t have time for slicing and dicing.

Store the wrapped rolls in a dish or plastic container that’s roomy enough to hold them without touching. Place a damp paper towel in the bottom of the container to keep the rolls moist, then cover them tightly with a lid or plastic wrap.

SHRIMP SUMMER ROLLS

Makes 12 rolls

Rice stick noodles and rice paper wrappers can be found in Asian grocery stores and many supermarkets. If not serving immediately, keep the summer rolls tightly covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 2 hours. To serve, slice the rolls in half and serve with the nuoc cham and peanut sauces for dipping.

24 medium shrimp (about 1 pound), peeled and deveined
4 ounces rice vermicelli (rice stick noodles)
12 large rice paper wrappers
24 basil leaves ( ai or Italian)
24 mint leaves
12 sprigs fresh cilantro
2 cup  nely shredded Napa cabbage
1 large English cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into long thin strips
1 cup julienned or shredded carrots

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until bright pink and just opaque, about 1½ minutes. Drain in a colander and run under cold water until cool. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and place on a cutting board. Cut shrimp in half horizontally. Place in a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to wrap.

Meanwhile, place noodles in a heatproof baking dish, cover with hot water, soak 8–10 minutes, drain and rinse under cold water.

Arrange all remaining ingredients in bowls around prep area.

Place a clean, damp kitchen towel on a work surface. Place ½ inch of cool water in a pie plate. Working with 1 wrapper at a time, completely submerge the wrapper until it is soft and pliable, 10–15 seconds.

Remove the wrapper from the water and place it on the towel. Working quickly, place 4 shrimp halves, cut side up, in a straight row across lower third of spring roll skin. Top shrimp with 2 basil leaves, 2 mint leaves, a sprig of cilantro, a few tablespoons of shredded cabbage, a few cucumber sticks, a pinch of carrots and ¼ cup rice noodles.

Carefully lift edge of spring roll wrapper nearest you up and over filling. Fold sides over filling if desired and continue to roll away from you until edges are sealed, rolling as tightly as possible without tearing the wrapper. Transfer rolls to a platter, cover with a damp paper towel and continue building remaining rolls.

VIETNAMESE DIPPING SAUCE

Makes about 1 cup

Nuoc cham is a classic Vietnamese dipping sauce that is salty, tart, spicy and a bit sweet all at the same time. Adjust the flavors according to your own taste preferences.

¼ cup fish sauce
¼ cup lime juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed and finely minced (optional)
1 Thai chile, thinly sliced (optional)
¼ cup water

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Adjust flavors to taste.

PEANUT-COCONUT DIPPING SAUCE

Makes about 1½ cups

This rich, nutty sauce pairs nicely with the crisp, fresh flavors within summer rolls. I like to toss any leftover sauce with cooked whole-wheat noodles, throw in shredded chicken, grated carrots and shredded cabbage for a quick main-dish meal.

½ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup coconut milk
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (or rice wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon hot sauce such as sriracha
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

Whisk together all ingredients, adding water if necessary to reach desired consistency

JUDY ALLEN, creative director of Edible Tulsa, is an award-winning food writer, wife and mom. Texas born but Oklahoma-raised, Judy studied interior design at Oklahoma State University before she decided she would rather be IN the kitchen than designing them. She attended culinary school at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. When her classmates were debating whether to work for Jean- Georges or Daniel, she was trying to figure out how to get to Martha. She became an intern the Monday after culinary school graduation, and continued to work for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia for six years as, ultimately, senior food editor. After blizzards, hurricanes, 9/11 and, ultimately, an enormous blackout, she chose to go back to Oklahoma. Judy has been the food editor of TulsaPeople Magazine for the past seven years as well as an independent food stylist and recipe developer for other publications. Her work has been published in Cooking Light, Real Simple, Food Network Magazine and Cottage Living. She loves cooking for friends and family and documents her favorite dishes on her blog, TenThousandSnacks. com. Judy lives in Tulsa with her husband and son.