Brandy Crusta

I'm a cookbook addict.  I admit it.  I own well over a thousand cookbooks.  I read them like novels.  And, sometimes, I even cook out of them!  My favorites are mostly stored in a bookcase in the living room.  The rest are in bookcases in the family room.  Pretty soon, I'll be storing them in bookcases in the basement too...  And, let's not even talk about the boxes of recipes I've clipped from magazines.  I'll never run out of ideas for new dishes.  And, now, I've got Foodbuzz and all the great ideas there!  So, on my shopping expedition to try and find napkins for the Mardi Gras party, I went to Tuesday Morning.  And, while I was there I HAD to look through the cookbooks.  The Kitchen Table by Chef Randy Evans caught my eye.  It's the kitchen table story of Brennan's of Houston.  While this cookbook will never make it to the living room, it's pretty darned good.  The one recipe we've tried thus far is the Brandy Crusta.  The notes say that the Crusta is the father to the sidecar and the grandfather to the margarita.  I love margaritas.  Particularly Clegg's Margaritas.  So, this was a must make.  It turned out to be a fun drink and one we'll probably make again.

Brandy Crusta

1 oz brandy
1/2 oz Grand Marnier
1/4 oz maraschino liqueur
1/4 oz simple syrup
1/4 oz Cointreau
juice of one lemon
dash Grenadine

In our house, Grand Marnier substitutes for all the orange liqueurs available.  So, we used that for both the Grand Marnier and the Cointreau ingredients.  Combine everything in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until blended.  Strain into a champagne flute rimmed with sugar.  We've found the best way to rim a glass with sugar is to use a little Karo syrup.  You can use water also.