Dan's Papers - May 30, 2008 - Silvia Lehrer's Cooking Column

Slurp: Drinks and Light Fare, All Day, All Night, a delightful feel-good book from Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2008, is chock full of beverages, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, with appealing and colorful photos of each and every recipe that are just begging to make you want to 'slurp' from morning to night. Start the day with wake-you-up juices - orange, strawberry and apricot, a tropical citrus, mango and papaya or a blueberry and vanilla smoothie - yum! The authors, Nina Dreyer Hensley, Jim Hensley and Paul Lowe, haven't forgotten your morning coffee including cappuccino variations, hot chocolate, and mint, rosemary or ginger teas. Breakfast anyone? Try baked plums with yogurt and almonds, eggs baked in toast cups, or breakfast muffins with walnuts or berries.

For some who like it hot imagine sipping on a watermelon and chile cooler on a torrid summer afternoon or all manner of delectable fruit shakes, lattes and iced teas. Accompany your light drinks with quick and easy salads - or a new presentation for Caesar salad in a glass - carrot and ginger soup, and focaccia sandwiched with some of your favorite ingredients, pesto, Parma ham (prosciutto) and mozzarella accompany this section.

In Slurp, page after colorful page will inspire you to prepare the classic drinks of evening - vodka, grapefruit and cranberry juice for a seabreeze, an exotic mai tai with rum, Curacao and brandy, and my favorite, a margarita. You will find recipes for Bellini, kir royal, mojito and even the "in drink," the Brazilian caipirinha. If alcohol is not your thing there is a tropical punch floating all manner of summer fruit. Sweet potato chips and a bowlful of spiced up olives are there for your pleasure, too. There seems to be no end to the interesting ideas in this charming book, including all you need to know about preparing syrups, drink accessories such as 'tasty ice cubes,' sugared rims and what, if any, equipment you might need. If there ever was a book to begin a fun summer it is Slurp.

2/3 cup blueberries, preferably frozen, plus fresh berries for garnish
1/2 large banana
1 2/3 cups plain yogurt
Seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean
1 tablespoon sugar, optional
6 ice cubes

Place all the ingredients except the fresh berry garnish in a blender and mix until smooth. Pour the smoothie into a glass and garnish with the reserved berries.

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
2 parts brewed espresso
1 part hot milk
1 part foamed milk*
Pinch grated chocolate for garnish

Pour the chocolate syrup into a tempered glass or cup. Add the espresso, hot milk, and foamed milk. Garnish with grated chocolate.

*Lacking a milk steamer, just pour a little hot milk into a tightly capped Mason jar. Shake well!

FOCACCIA WITH PESTO, PARMA HAM AND MOZARELLA
Light fare with your daytime shake or cooler.
Serves 4

1 large round loaf focaccia bread
1/2 cup prepared pesto
10 ounces fresh arugula, washed and spin-dried
8 thin slices Parma ham or smoked ham
10-12 thin slices mozzarella cheese
2 medium-size plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
Several fresh basil leaves

Slice the focaccia through the center so you have two large round halves. Then cut in half crosswise and in half again. Fill each halved quarter with the remaining ingredients, equally divided, and serve.

1 ounce (2 tablespoons) vodka
3/4 tablespoon apricot liqueur
3/4 tablespoon cranberry juice
3/4 tablespoon pineapple juice
Ice cubes
Champagne
Strawberry garnish

Place the vodka, apricot liqueur, cranberry juice, pineapple juice, and ice cubes in a shaker and shake well. Strain the cocktail into a martini glass and top off with champagne. Garnish with a strawberry.

SHRIMP WITH CORIANDER AND LIME
Skewer your shrimp for a cheery nibble at cocktail time.
Serves 8

16 large shrimp
16 wooden skewers soaked in water for 30
minutes
Juice of lime plus lime quarters for serving
2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Shell and de-vein the shrimp, leaving tails intact and wash. Dry well on paper towels. Thread one shrimp on each skewer. Put on a plate and sprinkle with lime juice, fish sauce and coriander. Let the shrimp marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour and then grill for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Squeeze a little lime juice over them and serve warm.

Above recipes reprinted and adapted from Slurp: Drinks and Light Fare All Day, All Night, Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2008.