Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Yesterday evening I learned that a person dear to me had coronavirus. Probably.

Allow me to explain. This person’s blood was tested for CoVid-19 antibodies, and the test results were positive. Happily, this person was totally asymptomatic! This person practiced physical distancing, washed hands regularly, wore a face mask, and was not in contact with anyone ill. But the virus is insidious, and somehow, this person got infected, probably.  (The test does not claim to be totally accurate.)

Let me repeat: happily, this person was totally asymptomatic! (Big sigh of relief!) And now this person has antibodies, although no one know how effective these antibodies are, and how long they will last.

This disease is “novel,” as we know. So little is definitely known. But while we wait for science to provide us with answers, let us continue our safe practices, such as hand washing and mask wearing. All this just further convinces me that we need more testing, so none of us –whoops!–are caught off-guard.

And that’s my inspiration for the name of today’s drink, which is my version of a Brandy Daisy cocktail. In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine 2 ounces brandy, 1/2 ounce dark rum, 1/2 ounce blue curaçao (makes the drink green!), 3/4 ounce simple syrup, and 1/2 ounce lemon juice. Shake well, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass rimmed with sugar. Top off with 1-2 ounces club soda.

 

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Hydroxychloroquine is in the news, again, even though the US Food and Drug Administration’s website states the following: “FDA cautions against use of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for COVID-19 outside of the hospital setting or a clinical trial due to risk of heart rhythm problems. Does not affect FDA-approved uses for malaria, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.”

This led me to think about malaria, and about tonic water.

Quinine is made from the bark of the Cinchona or “fever tree” and has been used as both a preventative and treatment for malaria for over 350 years.  The taste is bitter, so British troops stationed in India in the 1800s mixed the quinine with water, sugar, and juices from some locally-grown fruit and voila! Tonic water was born! Soon enough, the Brits started adding their daily rations of gin to the tonic water to make it even more palatable. Weren’t they a clever lot?

So, if a daily gin and tonic could prevent malaria, could a daily gin and tonic also prevent infection by the coronavirus? Sounds like a safer bet than drinking Clorox and a safer bet than hydroxychloroquine.

I wanted a new spin on the traditional gin and tonic (not that there’s anything wrong with tradition), so this drink includes a splash of Lemon Zinger tea, but any hibiscus-based herbal tea would do. I am using Canada Dry tonic water which does contain a tiny amount of quinine (many brands do not), which can be dangerous in large amounts.

In a glass with several ice cubes, combine 1 ounce Lemon Zinger tea, 1 ounce gin, and 1/2 ounce lemon juice. Stir, and add about 4 ounces of tonic water. Garnish with a lemon wedge.

 

 

Monday, May 18, 2020

Today I am offering a toast of deep appreciation for my quarantine cohabitators, Husband and Younger Son. Not only do they look out for my best interests, but they put up with my day-in and day-out meddling and, most importantly, make me laugh on a regular basis. We enjoy each other’s company, and conversation at the dinner table never stalls. My “kings” are making my “new normal” bearable, and I love them.

Cut up 1/4 of a ripe pear (I chose a Bartlett) into 1/2 inch pieces. Put the pear in a shaker and add 1 1/2 ounces pear schnapps and 1 teaspoon cinnamon sugar. Muddle together. Add 2 ounces white wine and a few ice cubes.  Shake well and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a slice of pear sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

 

 

Throwback to May 18, 2015

1. At 10:30 PM, giving into a craving for 85% dark chocolate.

2. At 11:00 PM, being asked by Youngest Child to help him review conditional probability, which set my mind a-whirling.

3. At 11:30 PM, realizing that Youngest Child is three short months away from college move-in date.

4. At midnight, flinching in horror when Youngest Child asked if I wanted to see the 3 foot snake on the front porch.

5. At 12:30 AM, panicking when Youngest Child confirmed that it was probably only an Eastern garter snake, and not a copperhead, and then retracted his confirmation because “I really didn’t get a good look at the head, come to think of it.”

6. At 1 AM, hearing Youngest Child proclaim, “If we’re lucky, the snake will still be here in the morning.”

7. At 1:30 AM, trying to block out the snoring from cuddly-yet-congested Husband.

Throwback to May 18, 2016

1. “Oh goodness, those towers and banners near the stage make this place look like a scene from Harry Potter.”

2. “This is a very sedate group of parents and relatives compared to yesterday’s group at VCU. Maybe it’s because these Duke parents are still in a state of shock over how much money they paid for tuition here.”

3. “There he is! There he is! Did you spot our boy? He’s in the row that just walked in.”

4. “Russet colored hoods for the forestry and environment people? Russet? Couldn’t they find a nice shade of green for my activist son to wear?”

5. “Yes, that dean is indeed wearing a magenta robe.”

6. “The invocation would have been more touching, I think, if the chaplain didn’t use all those football analogies. Life is not a game.”

7. “Wow, Dr. William Foege deserves that honorary doctorate since he was the leader in wiping out smallpox worldwide. We should bow to his greatness–what a hero!”

8. “Wow, Charlie Rose deserves that honorary doctorate since he is one of the world’s best interviewers–and he earned 2 degrees from Duke. But is he a hero?”

9. “Wow, Mike Krzyzewski deserves to be the commencement speaker because he is the ‘winningest’ coach ever. My dad loved him, because Mike went to West Point, and Mike is from Chicago, and above all, Mike is Polish. He was my dad’s hero.”

10. “Coach K’s speech was good, but it felt suspiciously like a pep talk he would give to his players in the locker room. Did he just say, ‘It’s game time!’? Well, maybe life is a game after all.”

11. “I didn’t think I was going to cry, but I am.”

12. “Yes, he is meeting us afterwards, because we need photos on this sunny day.”

13. “I am so proud of my baby boy!”

Sunday, May 17, 2020

This morning, Facebook gently reminded me that one year ago today, I was at Nationals Park in Washington, DC, with my dear niece and her sweet friend.  These ladies drove all the way from Indiana to see our capital city and to watch their beloved Cubs play the Nats. I happily served as their tour guide for the weekend.  To make that particular evening even better, the Cubs won! My niece gleefully unfurled her “W” flag (how did she get that into her tiny purse?) and waved it as the other Cubs fans cheered.

This year, we are still waiting for the baseball season to start.  And for the first time in many years, our family members won’t be gathering together to attend the Indianapolis 500 over Memorial Day weekend. This pandemic has definitely thrown us a curve ball.

For this cocktail, I am closely following the recipe for the “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” cocktail.  Alas, I had no Cracker Jack in the house, so I decided to dip the glass rim into caramel sauce and then into salted popcorn crumbs.

In a shaker, combine 2 ounces rye (I prefer Knob Creek 100 proof), 1 ounce Frangelico, 1 ounce Amaretto, 1/4 ounce lemon juice, and 1 pinch salt.  Shake gently and pour into a glass with several ice cubes, then add about 4 ounces of club soda, and stir again.

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Saturdays are a mental-health-relief day for me.  The news cycle seems to slow down a bit on the weekend, so I try to not log onto the Washington Post page and try not to ask Alexa for the day’s news summary.  But we are in a pandemic, and I really can’t help myself. What if everyone in the White House and the Congress came down with CoVid-19 symptoms overnight? What if an effective vaccine was discovered while I slept?  What if scientists suddenly stumbled on proof that cocktails are the cure for the virus?

Today’s cocktail is my variation of the Classic Vermouth Cassis.  Crème de cassis is made with black currants, which are definitely more popular in northern and eastern Europe than in the USA. In fact, growing black currants is still prohibited by law in several states, since at the turn of the 20th century, the berry was viewed as a carrier of white pine blister rust, a then-threat to the logging industry.  But it’s our loss– the berry is high in vitamin C, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamin B5. You can find black currant-based beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, in England, France, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, and even New Zealand.

In a tall glass with a few ice cubes, mix 3 ounces dry vermouth with 1 ounce crème de cassis and stir.  Top off with club soda and stir again. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel or berries.

 

1.”College Girl and the rest of the sculpture majors are toward the very back, so we won’t see her at all from our seats in the balcony.”

2. “I am glad they got this goofy saxophone ensemble to play Pomp and Circumstance. I have never heard it played quite this uniquely before. I like it fun.”

3. “Those caps are the best-decorated I have ever seen. Glitter and sequins and flashing lights. Is that a bird on top of that one? But this is fitting for art school, when you think about it.”

4. “The commencement speaker wants all the grads to ‘brand’ themselves and learn from their failures? Brilliant advice.”

5. “Wow, look at all the smart, hard-working graduates out there–dancers and actors and musicians and artists, making the world a better place for us.”

6. “Oh my goodness, she doesn’t realize she has a whole clean slate ahead of her now, does she?”

7. “OK, so when they call her name and she walks across the stage, we all need to wave and scream.”

8. “Brown hoods for the art school grads? No worries. Who’s going to look at your hood if you are wearing fabulously colorful and/or sparkly shoes?”

9. “The announcer just mispronounced both her first name and her last name. Geesh!”

10. “Aw, I like how this is probably the fifth time today they have mentioned that the VCU School of the Arts is the number one ranked public art school in the country.”

11. “I didn’t think I was going to cry, but I am.”

12. “Yes, she is supposed to meet us afterwards, but she is still inside where it is nice and dry and we are now outside in the pouring rain.”

13. “I am so proud of my baby girl.”

Throwback to May 16, 2016.

1. “I am so glad College Girl is sitting with the band on the stage, because now we can clearly see her during the whole ceremony.”

2. “I am glad the band is playing other music in addition to Pomp and Circumstance. I like it classy.”

3.”Those robes and caps and hoods look so anachronistic. Or even silly, really, when you think about it.”

4.”The commencement speaker wants all the grads to kiss their mommas? Brilliant advice.”

5. “Wow, look at all the smart, hard-working graduates out there–doctors and engineers and all these PhDs…”

6. “Oh my goodness, she doesn’t realize she is graduating with honors, does she?”

7. “Why are those people waving and screaming at their kids? Show some dignity, people!”

8. “Brown hoods for the Art School grads? Brown? For all those creative people? They should be sparkly and colorful! Even the engineers have bright orange and the dentists are wearing lavender. Geesh!”

9. “The announcer is doing a fabulous job with all of these difficult names.”

10. “Aw, I like how they mentioned that the VCU School of the Arts is the number one ranked public school of art and design in the country.”

11. “I didn’t think I was going to cry, but I am.”

12. “No, she is not meeting us afterwards, because she needs to pack up her music and hurry back to campus for the next part of graduation.”

13. “I am so proud of my baby girl!”

 

 

Friday, May 15, 2020

The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Ralph Northam, has given permission for most of the state to reopen today. It’s Phase 1 of a long process. Some businesses and customers are delighted, but polls show that many citizens are worried that we are moving too quickly. I have mixed emotions–of course I want the economy to get going!–but I am still very wary of going out in public. Yes, the family will still support curbside pickup and/or deliveries (buy local!), but no, we don’t want to sit on any restaurant patio just yet.

Today’s drink is my version of a cocktail called “Cherry Bomb.”  Do I mean the name to portend the possible dangers of the weeks ahead?  Perhaps, but I would be happy to be proven wrong.

In a mixing glass, combine 4 fresh sweet cherries (halved and pitted), 1/4 of a lemon, 1/4 a teaspoon of lime juice, 5-6 fresh mint leaves, 1/2 ounce simple syrup, and 1 dash Angostura bitters.  Use a muddler to smash the fruit.  Pour into a smaller glass, add 2 ounces of dark rum, and stir. Add ice to fill the glass. Top with a splash of club soda, if desired.