WE'VE GOT MAIL!: The Bartender

We’ve got male! Er--mail! We’re so excited to share a letter from our first man-contributor, Sarah’s husband Tygh. Since he and Sarah first started dating as sophomores in high school (yes, you read that right, they are about to celebrate 19 years as a couple!), Tygh has been a steadfast supporter and beneficiary of Sarah’s culinary creations. He loves to eat well, gives thoughtful feedback, and most importantly, never begrudges a girl that second bowl of ice cream. One of the many things that he and Sarah share is a genuine love of the process – you know, that focused trial-and-error that separates an average recipe from a fantastic one. Turns out that while Sarah has been refining her recipe for the perfect homemade brioche, Tygh has been doing a little experimenting of his own…  -Libby

Dear Libby,

Having the distinct good fortune of being Sarah’s husband for over ten years, I’ve been on the receiving end of some truly amazing cooking.  As Sarah’s “official taste-tester” I’ve been lucky enough to sample everything from her savory Bolognese sauce to her fresh blueberry pie. 

Sarah’s success in the kitchen can be attributed to many things, but two characteristics that have played an especially important role are her focus and perseverance.  To that end, mealtime preparations at our home can, at times, become passionate and concentrated affairs that preclude any attempts on my part to “help”.  I’ve learned over the years that Sarah’s meticulous attention to detail and dogged determination in the kitchen is best served by a more “hands-off” approach on my part.  Perhaps she was like this in France, as well?

Nevertheless, I still relish being close by and watching Sarah’s masterful creations.  During the week, this often entails enjoying a glass of wine while Sarah simultaneously makes our delicious dinner and feeds Harvey spoonfuls of homemade carrot and leek puree.  On the weekends, however, I am usually swept up in Sarah’s creative culinary spirit and use this pre dinnertime period to try my hand at mixing a new cocktail for us to try. 

Over the last several months, Sarah and I have both been into bourbon-based cocktails.  I’ve experimented with a number of different preparations this summer that have utilized lemon juice and club soda to make drinks that are a little lighter.  I’ve also started to use egg whites in some of these drinks to soften the flavor profile as well as add some depth and texture.  My most recent concoction follows this pattern and also uses chartreuse, an interesting French liqueur (in homage to you both!) that is distilled from herbs, plants, and flowers.  On its own, it has rather pungent herbal and floral notes, but mixed into a cocktail, it adds a refreshing twist.

 

Bourbon Chartreuse Flip

1.5 ounces bourbon

0.75 ounces Chartreuse

0.75 ounces simple syrup

0.75 ounces lemon juice

1 egg white

3 dashes angostura bitters

Club soda

Add bourbon, chartreuse, simple syrup, lemon juice, egg white, and bitters to a shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds.  Pour into lowball cocktail glass and top with club soda. Enjoy!