Above, our liquor cabinet. It is ready for summer.

Summer is quickly approaching and before we know it we’ll be wearing less clothing and complaining about the heat instead of the cold. I want to make sure we are ready for it by finding an appropriate (or inappropriate!) cocktail to sooth ourselves with all summer long. Last year we had a couple of contenders and my friend Katie served as judge. This year I am turning to you, dear readers, for help. I need ideas for refreshing summer cocktails. Think: fresh fruit, herbs, and infused simple syrups! You know my style, seasonal, local, beautiful! Extra points for original creations, so all of you mixologists should start inventing now. No recipe too simple or too complicated! Post recipes in the comments below or feel free to email me (tim at lottieanddoof.com) with ideas. All ideas should be submitted by June 1st. I’ll narrow it down to 3 finalists and then we can all decide on the cocktail that will help us survive the long, hot, (and fun) summer ahead of us.

Skoal!

It is remarkable how my diet changes with the seasons. The things I am interested in eating, the amount of food and even the preparation. We had a few days of warm weather last month and I instantly adopted a summer palate. I was interested in salads and simple meals. I also wanted bright, refreshing things to drink.
At a recent dinner at Longman & Eagle I had a whiskey drink with ginger beer that was pretty outstanding and got me wondering about ginger beer. I’ve heard it used to describe a variety of beverages, some containing alcohol, some not, some carbonated, some not. A little internet research seems to confirm that the term is applied to a range of liquids and the only common component is, well, ginger. I was interested in a non-alcoholic version that I could use as a mixer with soda or something a little stronger and  decided to give making my own ginger beer a go.

Yes, the name of this recipe made me laugh too. The taste, however, is not funny. It is buttery and delicious and an excellent way to use the other half of the dough from the kuchen. After the many steps that go into making that masterpiece, this simple preparation will seem easy and breezy, but no less satisfying.

I don’t know Carole Walter, but I love Carole Walter. She is a woman after my own heart. She is an incredibly accomplished baker, teacher and cookbook author and judging from her author photo, a very sweet lady. But the books are what I want to talk to you about today. Specifically, Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins and More, her encyclopedia-like cookbook dedicated to these pastries. An entire cookbook about coffee cake, people! You know how I feel about coffee cake! Walter’s books are wonderful resources for anyone interested in baking and I encourage you all to seek out her recipes.

A tiny little post and a final recipe from Bryan’s party.