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Wednesday, August 11, 2010

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. 

12 comments:

Cajun Chef Ryan said...

This looks quite refreshing indeed! Wow, over 1,000 cookbooks, that is a huge collection.

Bon appetit!
=:~)

Kate said...

It is a huge collection but it's so much fun to pull one out and just start cooking from it. Right now, I'm on The Olives Table by Todd English. It automatically opens to the tart so I decided if the tart was that great, other dishes had to be :-) Bon Appetit to you too! Kate

Cajun Chef Ryan said...

Hey Kate, I just answered your questions about my sauces on the grilled chicken tender post.


Culinarily yours,
CCR
=:~)

Drick said...

interesting drink and I like the tip on coating the rim

sara @ CaffeIna said...

wow! You certainly have a great cookbook collection! My shelf is crying from loneliness

Savory Sweet Living said...

I love cookbooks too but I don't have quite an extensive collection as you. Do you have a favorite?

Evan @swEEts said...

I love cookbooks.. they're so addicting! Even if I only make one recipe out of each I can't stop! This cocktail looks great

Unknown said...

Ok, you made me cheat. I usually go through my foodbuzz inbox from the bottom up, but I kept seeing the word Brandy in your title and finally couldn't stand it. I had to click and check it out. I can't WAIT to make this! It looks and sounds fantastic. Don't tell anyone I cheated, ok?

A SPICY PERSPECTIVE said...

Sounds like trouble! My husband would love it if I had one of these!

Joanne said...

Wow! I'd be knocked for a loop. But I would like to give it a try. Looks great!

Jason Phelps said...

That is a lot of cookbooks. You should open a museum, could charge admission to pay for more!!

Jason

Cook with Madin said...

Lovely drink. My you you've got lots of cookbooks.