Iced Matcha Latte

This is the first at-home matcha latte I've ever made that I really liked. And I have tried quite a few times. I love that this one doesn't need any special equipment.

Notes:

• I make this keto friendly by using unsweetened almond milk and a sugar-free sweetener (Truvia, or sugar-free flavored syrup like lavender, vanilla, or almond is especially lovely. I also want to try rose flavor sometime.)
• Spend a little more money and get a nicer matcha for drinking. Rishi sells a decent one, and I have recently ordered matcha from Blue Bottle but haven't tasted it yet. I am curious about Costco matcha but haven't taken the plunge yet.
  

Verdict: Easy to make and tastes really good. I make them several times a week.

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RECIPE: Matcha Latte (1899 Matcha Cafe)

Rhubarb Gin and Tonic

Notes:

• The solids left after you press out the syrup are basically rhubarb jam, so instead of throwing it away, I filled some oatmeal bars with it! I used my favorite recipe for date-fig oatmeal squares and used this instead of the date filling.
  

Verdict: I thought it was OK but I don't know that I'd go out of my way to make it again. Honestly, I preferred it without alcohol = the syrup with just soda water/sparkling water, especially a cherry or orange flavored one.

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RECIPE: Rhubarb Gin and Tonic (Smitten Kitchen)

Peach Matcha Lemonade

A fancy refreshing drink with matcha green tea in it. This was another drink recipe I saw on the Rishi website and had to try for myself with similar ingredients (like the Blue Jasmine Gin and Tonic).

Notes:

• I used a peach green tea for the liquid in the matcha shot.
• A bamboo matcha whisk works great to make the matcha shot.
• While the layered drink *looks* nice, it definitely tastes better when it's mixed together.
  

Verdict: I really liked it, and have made it a couple more times since the initial attempt. Matcha with fruit flavors is just really pleasant.

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RECIPE: Peach Blossom Matcha Lemonade (Rishi)

Italian Soda Float

One of my favorite things to look at on Instagram besides fancy street fashion is Japanese retro style cafes and coffee shops. One of the things that's really aesthetically pleasing to me in addition to the environs is the brightly colored cream soda floats that so many places serve. I have a plane ticket to go to Japan in February 2022, but it's starting to look unlikely that they'll be allowing tourists back into the country by then. Whether or not I get to go, in the meantime I wanted to try making my own soda float. I used this page for inspiration.

Notes:

• I used raspberry Torani syrup for the flavoring.
• I used a cherry flavored seltzer water because it's what I had in the house.
• If you want a pretty gradient effect like in the photo, add the syrup to the bottom of the glass, then the ice, then gently pour the soda water down the side of the glass.
  

Verdict: The flavor was nice (not overly sweet thankfully). The crushed ice helps support the ice cream on top and makes it look pretty, but it really gets in the way of eating the ice cream (but maybe you're supposed to mix it to melt it into the drink). I'm starting to wonder if this is a food that generally looks way better than it tastes. I would like to try again with less ice, and maybe a melon syrup for that bright green or blue color.

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RECIPE:

Italian Soda Float
Serves 1

2 tbsp flavored syrup of your choice (fruity flavor recommended)
6-8 oz soda water
4-5 ice cubes, crushed (enough to fill about half the glass)
1 scoop (about 3-4 oz) vanilla ice cream
1 maraschino cherry (optional)

Add syrup to the bottom of an 8-10 ounce glass. Add crushed ice to the glass. Slowly, gently pour the soda water down the side of the glass to almost fill it. Gently place the scoop of ice cream on top of the ice. Top with maraschino cherry. Serve with a long dessert spoon or straw.

Lychee-Rose Shochu Highball

I wanted to make a chuhai (shochu highball) drink and got attracted to this recipe by the beautiful pink and green color palette in the original recipe's photo. It is inspired by a drink at a bar in Sydney, Australia called the Miss Wednesday.

I originally tried the recipe a couple of months ago with sweet cherries instead of lychee because it was what I had on hand, rose and cherry go well together, and I wanted a pretty pink and green drink, but it was just OK. I went and got the ingredients to make it properly. I made it exactly as written.

notice the pretty rose shaped ice cubes

Verdict: I really enjoyed this drink! I was a fan of the taste (especially the combination of lychee and rose). I am still getting used to the look and texture of lychee fruit. It just doesn't look appetizing to me. But I would definitely have this again.

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RECIPE: Shochu Highball (The Gourmet Traveller)

Watermelon and Strawberry Smoothie

I have been making this for so long I forgot where I originally found the recipe, but it is a great way to use up a lot of watermelon and is a nice fruity drink for summer. It also lends itself nicely to becoming an adult beverage with the addition of vodka or gin.

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RECIPE:

Watermelon-Strawberry Smoothie
Makes about 2 1/2 cups

2 cups fresh watermelon, cubed
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 tbsp sweetened lime juice (or 2 tsp lime juice and 1 tsp your favorite sweetener), or to taste

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, about 20-30 seconds. Pour into a tall glass. Serve immediately.

Tea Toddy

Winter in a cold place during the pandemic hasn't been easy with regard to socializing, but thankfully we have a few sets of friends who don't mind bundling up to sit around a fire and talk in the back yard (including our neighbors across the street, which is pretty convenient since we don't have to drive). While at our neighbors' house one evening for a fire, they made hot toddies with bourbon, lemon, and spices. It was so cozy and went a long way to help stay warm. They told me how to make one, and also told me you can make them with tea, which really excited me. I had to try this for myself.

I've heard of lots of people making toddies with either tea OR alcohol, but I have found I like mine with both at the same time!

Notes:

• The alcohol is optional, but if you are making it with alcohol, make sure the tea flavor and alcohol flavor will complement each other. I usually make mine with bourbon for the liquor, and for tea, I like chamomile, a lemon-forward herbal tea, or decaffeinated black tea (Ahmad Evening Tea is great if you can find it) because I often end up drinking them at night and don't want the caffeine to keep me awake. Ginger tea, plain green tea, or a fruit flavored black tea might also be tasty.
  

Verdict: Despite how I came to know of them, these are likely to hold a cozy memory of friends whenever I drink them. They're great for soothing your throat and when you want something to warm you up. If you like warm drinks (tea especially), I highly recommend it.

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RECIPE: Chamomile-Honey Hot Toddy (Garrett McCord, Simply Recipes)

Painkiller Cocktail

I tried this because I wanted something with similar flavors to the Vacation Juice, but without needing a blender. I wanted to be able to bring it with us to a patio hangout with some friends that live across town.

Notes:

• I used Bacardi Black for the dark rum.
• I made my own cream of coconut using this recipe. 
• It's really easy to mix up a bunch of it to bring to a party. Mix everything but the ice together, and keep it in the fridge. When ready to serve, pour into glasses over ice. Four servings fit into a quart sized glass jar.
  

Verdict: It is on the heavy side because of the fruit juices and cream of coconut, and I think the black rum makes the alcoholic nature of it quite pronounced, but it is not especially sweet, and it's fruity and tasty. I would consider making it again if I was in the mood for a tropical drink without a bunch of sugar or artificial colors.

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RECIPE: Painkiller Cocktail

Bourbon Peach Smash

My neighbor generously gave me a bag full of nice peaches recently, and this is one of the things I decided to make with them.

Verdict: It was pleasant, and I even like shrub type drinks, but I wouldn't go out of my way to make it again. I like fruity drinks, but if there's actual fruit in the drink I like to consume it, and it was hard to eat the fruit out of this one.

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RECIPE: Bourbon Peach Smash (Smitten Kitchen)

Vacation Juice

Like many people, I too have turned to Animal Crossing to help me get through the weeks upon weeks of social isolation. I was resistant at first but eventually caved, and it turns out it's a fun way to visit people you can't normally hang out with.

Notes:

• I recommend drinking it with a long spoon; the frozen part tends to float to the top and you may need to mix it back in occasionally so you're not sipping either all ice or completely melted drink.
  
• The video description gives the incorrect amount of pineapple juice so I have written the recipe below with the proper amount. (If you don't use enough, it won't taste quite right.)
  
• If you don't want to try the float with the blue portion of the drink (it's entirely for looks) or if you fail at making it float on top, just pour it into the glass -- it starts off with this cool ice blue and pale yellow marbled look but it will eventually mix and turn green. OR if you're feeling lazy, just put the blue curaçao into the bottom of your glass instead of blending it into a portion of the drink. It will mix in as you drink.
  
• We really liked adding a small amount of key lime juice to it (1/2 oz total per drink) to enhance the sour flavors. Regular lime juice would work too.
• I made my own cream of coconut using Steve the Bartender's recipe (400 ml coconut milk, 375 g sugar, pinch of salt, heat on the stove until the sugar is dissolved).
• You want to use enough ice to double the volume of the drink. There is about 8 fl oz (1 cup) of liquid so you will need about 7-8 ice cubes.
  

Verdict: I like it! It's fruity, cool, and sweet but not overwhelmingly so.

Edit 10/29/20: I have made this at least 4-5 more times over the summer, but with some slight tweaks (as described above) because I am lazy. Still not sick of it.

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Vacation Juice
adapted from How to Drink, originally posted June 20, 2020
Serves 2, or 1 very generously

3.75 fl oz (98 ml) pineapple juice
0.75 fl oz (22 ml) orange juice
0.5 fl oz (14 ml) lime juice (optional, but recommended if you like yours more sour)
1.5 fl oz (45 ml) cream of coconut
2 fl oz (60 ml) white rum
0.5 fl oz (14 ml) blue curaçao
7-8 ice cube, about 1 cup total volume
Optional garnishes: lime wheels, foam plumeria flowers, maraschino cherries

Measure juices, cream of coconut, and rum into the blender jar. Add ice. Blend to a frappe (ice will be finely ground). Pour 3/4 of it into glass(es). Add blue curaçao to the remainder of the drink in the blender, and pulse a few times until it is incorporated. Slowly pour the rest of the blender contents over the back of a wide spoon into the glass so that it floats on the top of the drink. Garnish (if desired) and drink through a colorful straw.

Blue Jasmine Gin and Tonic

I've been fascinated with teas that contain butterfly pea flowers because of both the pretty blue color and the fact that they'll change to purple or pink with the addition of acidic ingredients -- the pigment that makes the flowers blue reacts to changes in pH. I also love jasmine tea and when I found that Rishi had combined the two, I was excited to try it. I did not have their exact blend, but I had their plain jasmine tea and plain butterfly pea flowers at home, and seeing as those are the only two ingredients in their blend, I added butterfly pea flowers to the jasmine tea until it looked visually similar to their picture. I brewed some first to taste it and I liked it, so my next trial was to make their Gin Blossom drink with the tea I blended. It involves steeping the tea overnight in the gin, something that was new to me but seems safer than infusing liquor with fresh fruit at room temperature for weeks.

I only made half a batch of the infused gin because I wasn't sure if it'd be worth the extra work but I LOVE it. The finished drink was surprisingly complex and nicely balanced. It started out tasting lightly fruity and sweet, almost like a grape popsicle, and then as I sipped and the ice melted I started to get more of the bitterness and floral flavors from the tea.

Notes:

• I used a neutral flavored gin (New Amsterdam) and liked the result, but I could see an herbal or floral tasting one working nicely too.
• The color of the finished drink was less vivid pink than their photo but was still delightfully pretty.
• Don't skip the lemon peel! It helps balance all the flavors and also smells nice while you drink.

Verdict: This was unusual and lovely, and not particularly hard to make, though it takes some more planning than a regular gin and tonic. I would definitely make it again, especially for a fancy event or special occasion.

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RECIPE:

Blue Jasmine Gin and Tonic

adapted from Rishi Tea

Per 1 drink:

2 oz tea infused gin (recipe follows)

5 oz tonic water

Ice

Lemon peel

Tea infused gin (makes enough for 5 drink servings)

5 g dried jasmine green tea

3 g dried butterfly pea flowers

10 oz (about 300 ml) neutral flavored gin

To infuse gin: combine all ingredients in a glass jar with secure lid and let stand overnight (~8 hours) at room temperature. Strain out tea leaves.

To make the drink: Fill a rocks or highball glass with ice. Pour gin over the ice, then top with tonic water. Stir gently to combine. Garnish with the lemon peel. Serve immediately.

Whipped Coffee (Dalgona Coffee)

A friend of mine introduced me to whipped coffee, and it looked intriguing enough that I had to try it for myself. I found that this drink originated in South Korea, and having recently fallen down a rabbit hole of Korean street food videos this made me extra excited.

before whipping

I am still trying to find an answer for what makes it work scientifically. So far, the best explanation I have found is that the instant coffee has less oil in it than regular ground coffee, and this lack of oil allows it to whip into this fluffy voluminous texture.

after whipping

Notes:

• I used instant espresso instead of regular instant coffee because I liked the taste better and the granules are smaller, allowing for quicker dissolving.
• I mixed 1% milk + half-and-half to get something resembling whole milk, but you can use any type of milk you like to drink.
• I used a hand mixer like this recipe calls for, but used both beaters in a metal bowl because only putting one beater on it seems really weird to me.
• It says the vanilla is optional but I added it because I like the flavor.
• It whipped up much faster than the recipe said it would, maybe 2-3 minutes at most. I'm not sure if it's like meringue where if you over-whip it, it collapses? I didn't want to find out.

Verdict: It's a little hard to drink unless you have something to mix it with, so I kept a dessert spoon handy. The texture of the whipped part is really pleasant. I have made it twice so far and will keep it around for whenever fancy coffee mood strikes.

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RECIPE: Whipped Coffee (Leah Maroney, The Spruce Eats)

Frozen Mango Margarita

Made because I missed the taste of fresh fruit in March (it is cold and snowy for nearly half the year where I live) and we are sheltering in place and we were looking for ways to start cleaning out our freezer and liquor cabinet. This ticked all the boxes.

Notes:

• We used El Jimador silver tequila because I felt like aged tequila might not be the best for mixing into sweet fruity drinks. I am still learning how I like tequila, so you might prefer a different kind.
• It may be too thick to blend; add additional ingredients to your personal preference. I really liked an extra bit of sour (lime juice) and sweet (simple syrup). You can add water, but if you add too much it will water down the drink and it won't have the sweet-tart contrast that makes it so tasty.

Verdict: Absolute heaven. It's fruity and sweet and sour, and the smooth creamy texture of the frozen mango really makes it for me. This will be my go-to recipe for frozen margaritas, and I'm hoping to try it with other sweet frozen fruits in the future (like strawberries!)

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RECIPE:

Frozen Mango Margarita

adapted from House of Yumm

Serves 1

1 1/2 oz tequila

1 cup frozen mango chunks

1/2 cup ice

2 tbsp simple syrup 

3/4 oz triple sec or orange liqueur

Juice of 1/2 lime (about 1 tbsp)

If you do not already have simple syrup: mix equal volumes of sugar and water in a saucepan (1/2 cup of each will make enough for about 6 margaritas), heat over high heat while stirring until all the sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat and let cool.

Place frozen mango and ice in a blender, then add rest of ingredients, and blend until smooth. If it is too thick to blend, you can add a couple tablespoons of water, or additional liquid ingredients to your personal preference (lime juice or triple sec for me).

Lavender Apple Mint Syrup

When I was in Germany earlier this month, I went to the Frankfurt Kleinmarkthalle, an indoor marketplace selling both freshly prepared food and lots of hard-to-find, high quality cooking ingredients from around the world. I wish I'd gotten there sooner -- I was there right before it closed for the day and had just eaten so basically the worst time I could go. Of note were these really delicious looking deli sandwiches, a couple of stalls selling fancy coffee drinks, a chocolate shop where I bought acorn-shaped Belgian pralines, and a bunch of stalls on the upper floor that resembled an Italian butcher shop and deli. Again, I was kind of sad that I had eaten right before I went there.

One of the things I saw for sale while wandering the aisles was a bottle of lavender apple mint syrup. I didn't buy it because I wasn't sure I'd be allowed to bring it home in my carry-on luggage but the combination of those flavors sounded so good to me that I had to try making it for myself. Never mind that I didn't know what I was going to do with it. I could not find a recipe for it, so the below is based on my experiences developing a recipe for ginger syrup (mainly that an ingredient is going to impart a much stronger flavor if pureed rather than chopped) plus a couple of recipes that already existed for lavender mint syrup (without apple). I am pleased with my first crack at it and think I've got a good start here but I would make a couple of changes next time to make it even better.

Notes:

• I made this with a Honeycrisp apple but I think a sour apple (like Granny Smith) would taste even better.
• I am considering adding more lavender next time, maybe 1 1/2 tbsp instead of 1, because I could taste it but I wanted it to be a little more prominent. A sour apple might bring it out more.
• My syrup turned out a bit darker in color than the one at the Kleinmarkthalle (theirs was the color of apple flesh, a pale yellow, and a little bit cloudy) and I think this is due to the kind of apple used, and maybe because I left the skin on. Lavender can darken the mixture too, in my experience.
• My favorite way to enjoy this syrup so far is to mix it with plain sparkling water or green tea. I had the tea hot, but  think it would be even better iced. I tried it mixed with sparkling water and gin but I didn't like it. I am sure there's a way to make a good cocktail with it and I just haven't discovered it.

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RECIPE:

Lavender Apple Mint Syrup
by The Matcha Chronicles
Makes about 2 cups

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 large tart apple
1 tbsp dried culinary lavender buds
1/4 oz (7 g) fresh mint leaves (no stems)

Core and dice the apple, leaving skin on. Place sugar and water in a small saucepan and set on the stove. Add diced apple to the saucepan. Set heat to high and bring to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer contents to a blender. Blend on medium-high speed for about 20 seconds or until apple has broken down significantly. Return syrup mixture to the saucepan. Stir in dried lavender. Clap the mint leaves between your hands, then add to the pan and stir to combine. Cover and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain with a tea strainer and let cool. Transfer to a glass jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Italian Manhattan

Look at this beautiful drink from my friends' wedding. It is bourbon, amaretto, and cherry juice. The glass is apparently supposed to have a bunch of ice in it too but we forgot that part. Oops. That pick with a gummy heart on it is an adorable touch! The bride's father claimed he made up this recipe himself, but knowing him, I'm taking that with a truckload sized grain of salt.

I loved this drink, and ever since the wedding two years ago I have been wanting to try to make it at home. We had scheduled a dinner date with these friends just after their anniversary, and I thought that would be the perfect excuse to try. They may live on the other side of the world and it was evening here and morning there, but through the wonders of modern technology, we cooked dinner and they cooked brunch, made these to drink after the meal, and we chatted for a good long time. We even set up our computer on the other side of the table so it was almost like they were actually there.

It still needs a bit of tweaking to get it to look and taste as good as the one in the photo, but I think we're off to a great start with the below.

Notes:

• I tried the liquid that maraschino cherries are packed in and 100% pure cherry juice, and neither was really the right flavor or sweet enough. (I only tried maraschino cherry liquid in the original ratios and not 1/1/1.) I will try cherry juice cocktail the next time.
• The original drink calls for different ingredient ratios, but I found it most pleasant with a 1/1/1 ratio, especially with 100% cherry juice.
• A friend suggested higher quality amaretto would make a difference (I went for a middle of the road brand).

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RECIPE:

Italian Manhattan
adapted from The Intoxicologist
Serves 1

1 1/2 oz bourbon whiskey
1 1/2 oz amaretto liqueur
1 1/2 oz cherry juice cocktail
Maraschino cherry (optional)

Put all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a maraschino cherry if desired. Serve immediately.

Red Sangria

I first made The Minimalist Baker's red sangria a couple of summers ago to bring to a cookout. I recently made it again last week when we had guests over in the evening, and it has been wonderfully easy and tasty both times. I like that you don't really need to let it stand any longer than the time it takes for it to chill.

Notes:

• I used a blend of dry-ish red wines (Apothic) since I made it on short notice and the store didn't have a huge selection of Spanish wine to choose from. Reading the reviews, it looks like just about any dry or semi-dry (not sweet) red wine will work.
• The recipe says you can use rum or brandy; I went for brandy. You don't need anything super fancy here since you're mixing it.
• I used dark brown sugar and went for the smaller amount.
• I threw in a couple shots of triple sec because I forgot to buy orange juice but then I did end up getting the orange juice and putting that in too. If you want it extra boozy and orangey you can put it in, but it's absolutely not necessary.
• I used a Fuji apple because they tend to be pretty sweet and keep their shape nicely.
• I made a single batch for 4 people and we very easily finished it. We each had a little more than one wine glass full.
• This is best consumed as soon as possible after making, though it will keep chilled for up to 2 days.

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RECIPE:

Red Sangria
adapted from The Minimalist Baker
Serves 4

1/2 medium apple (about 90g), cored, with skin on, chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 medium navel orange (about 65g), with rind on, seeds removed, cut in half and then into 1/8 inch/3 mm slices
3-4 tbsp (40-50g) brown sugar
3/4 cup (175 ml) orange juice
1/3 cup (80 ml) brandy, plus more to taste
1 bottle (750 ml) dry or semi-dry red wine; Spanish wines are the most traditional
About 7-8 ice cubes, to chill

Place fruit and brown sugar in the bottom of a 2 quart pitcher and use a wooden spoon to mix for about 45 seconds, or until the juices from the fruit have begun to dissolve the sugar. Pour the orange juice and brandy over the muddled fruit and mix for another 30 seconds, or until the sugar has dissolved. Add the red wine and stir to combine everything. At this point, you can adjust the flavor to your liking with more orange juice, brandy, and/or sugar. Once you are satisfied with the taste, add the ice cubes to the pitcher and stir to cool the mixture. If you have time, let stand in the fridge for at least an hour for the flavors to combine and everything to chill, but you can also serve it immediately, with or without more ice.

Blood Orange Margaritas

I have been wanting to try these ever since a coworker told me how much she loved them when she made them. Now that it's finally blood orange season again, I got my chance. I served them with carnitas tacos. I did not change anything about the recipe.

Verdict: They were definitely good, but not blow-your-socks-off good (for me at least). Given how hard to source and potentially pricey blood oranges can be, I don't know that I'll go out of my way to make these again, but I am definitely glad I tried it!

RECIPE: Blood Orange Margaritas

Vermontucky Lemonade

I ran across this on Smitten Kitchen and I had fresh lemons, so I decided to give it a try! It's basically maple lemonade with bourbon whiskey (I used Buffalo Trace, and the smaller amount of it). I wasn't sure how maple and lemon were going to taste together but I was curious.

Verdict: It was pretty nice! It was a little bit watered down tasting but I am almost certain it's because of some not great decisions about how I prepared the lemonade. I don't know that I'll go out of my way to make it again since bourbon is not my first choice of things to drink (and if I do drink it I tend to drink it by itself) but I'm glad I tried it, and if someone put this in front of me I'd happily drink it. I'd even try it again if I would make the lemonade properly.
Edit: After thoroughly chilling it and letting it stand in the fridge for a few days I think the lemonade tasted better.

RECIPE: Vermontucky Lemonade

Holiday Bakeathon 2018

Holiday Bakeathon, the 5th anniversary! While it's still a long day, I think we've got the process mostly figured out. This year's cookies featured extra fancy decorating with edible glitter and more piping tips. I think I even have a new favorite Christmas cookie (gasp).

RECIPES

• Spicy Gingerbread Cookies (Smitten Kitchen) -- our old standby. I never get tired of how they taste with cream cheese frosting, and we keep coming up with new and/or funny ways to decorate them.
• Cream Cheese Frosting
• Cinnamon-Sugar Rugelach
• Decadent Hot Chocolate Mix (Smitten Kitchen)
• Homemade Marshmallows (Alton Brown) -- we cut these into bigger marshmallows for the hot chocolate instead of mini marshmallows to save time. Use the best quality vanilla you can get your hands on, and don't bother with corn starch, use all powdered sugar. They were really good and I was sad when they were gone, so I made another batch and shared them with my work colleagues, who were surprised that you could make marshmallows at home. They taste so much better than store bought. They're also really kid friendly! My colleague's 7 year old daughter absolutely loved them.
• Linzer Torte (Maida Heatter via Smitten Kitchen) -- absolutely amazing, so good I wanted to cry. This is permanently going on my list of must-make holiday treats, whether I make it with my friends or not.
• Hazelnut-Orange Biscotti (Paul Hollywood via BBC)
• Espresso-Chocolate Shortbread Cookies (Dorie Greenspan via Smitten Kitchen) -- for the chocolate part, we opted for milk chocolate with toffee bits, and I think that was a good choice because they were kind of bitter otherwise.

BAKEATHONS PAST

• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014

Ramen Robstravanganza

I threw a party to welcome Sarah home from her 3 month stay in France. She really missed ramen and had always wanted to try making her own, so I decided to make some from scratch for her. There were also several other recipes she sent me while she was there that I quietly saved and made for the party. Since I was not keen on making the noodles from scratch, I bought some refrigerated ones from the Asian grocery store since they have a better texture than the flash-fried ones in dry packets. We did not put a tare in the broth but I would like to try one of these two next time.

RECIPES

• Ramen components
• Pork Bone (Tonkotsu) Broth -- I used this as a general guide also with some tips from other recipes. I didn't put mushrooms in it but I did use the onion. Definitely rinse the bones. It ended up boiling for about 6 hours and was incredibly rich and lovely. I used neck and leg bones. I made it another time and it wasn't quite as good, so maybe I'll follow the suggestion to also put chicken bones in next time.
• Momofuku Pork Belly (Epicurious)
• Jammy Soft-Boiled Eggs (Bon Appetit) -- I've tried this method several times and they are consistently the perfect texture.
• Ramen Eggs (Just One Cookbook) -- use the jammy soft-boiled eggs you made in the above recipe for this. I prefer making these in larger batches since they take so long.
• Spicy Bean Sprout Salad (Just One Cookbook) -- this was good in the ramen as well as on its own.
• Chopped green onions
• Wasabi Pea Snack Mix (Kendra Vaculin via Food52) -- I did not make the wasabi peas from scratch because I did not have time, and the effort would be wasted on me anyway since I don't really like them. This was sneakily spicy in that it didn't taste very spicy at first but as you eat it a pretty good burn develops. I used less sriracha than was called for.
• Miso Butterscotch Bars (Aliwaks via Food52) -- sweet and salty wins every time. They didn't quite have the texture I was hoping for but they were delicious.
• Peach Rosemary Tea Collins
• Chuhai / Shochu Highball (The Drink Blog) -- chuhai is an incredibly popular adult beverage in Japan, so much so that you can buy it in a can at any time of the day from a convenience store. It's also really easy to make, and versatile in that you can flavor it with nearly any kind of fruit to suit your taste.