as promised, i’m putting all the recipes from our holiday event (intoxicated zodiac, susan miller & todd english) online. so now all you zodiac junkies can drink your very own sign for some extra christmas cheer this year!

The work of Nicholas Culpeper, the father of western herbalism, serves as a guide when i create astrology-themed drinks. Culpeper’s books are still in print, 300 years after he wrote detailed descriptions of which plants belong to which signs and how to use them medicinally. In Medieval Herbal Astrology, plants have Zodiac signs, just like people. In the Medieval times only seven planets had been discovered as opposed to nine today. Therefore, since these drinks are based on Medieval Herbal Astrology, the ancient ruling planet for each sign is referenced.

“under the stars” is a NOISE 784 production. sponsored by TYKU, perrier and jim beam, the recipes call for these fine products. cheers!

Aries’ Cocktail features CRANBERRY as its star ingredient! Aries is ruled by Mars: The scarlet, fiery, hot planet. Flavors that are very spicy or very tart are often ruled by Mars. The cranberry’s bright crimson color, underscored by its tangy flavor certainly betrays its allegiance to the red planet, and is hence an Aries.

ARIES XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz sochu, 2 oz cranberry syrup, 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice, perrier
(shake over ice and strain pour into an ice packed collins glass. Top with Perrier. Garnish with a floating fresh cranberry)

CRANBERRY SPICE SYRUP:
2 c white sugar, 3 c water, 1 c fresh cranberries, peel of half a small orange
(simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

Taurus’ Cocktail features PEPPERMINT as its star ingredient! If its divinely fragrant and tantalizingly tasty, you can bet its ruled by Venus. This beautiful planet rules all fruit, herbs and flowers that are particularly fragrant. Hence, mint falls under the dominion of Venus and may be identified as a Taurus.

TAURUS XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz sochu, 1 oz peppermint syrup, 1 oz lemon juice
(served up with a mini candy cane garnish)

PEPPERMINT MINT SYRUP:
3 c white sugar, 2 c water, 1 tsp peppermint extract
(heat until dissolved)

Gemini’s Cocktail features HAZELNUT as its star ingredient! Culpeper lists the hazelnut under Mercury. The tree’s delicate leaves & flowers are indicative of this planet’s fleeting & wispy qualities. After all, Mercury is the fastest orbiting planet in our solar system. hazelnut is a Gemini.

GEMINI XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz sochu, 1 oz hazelnut cocoa syrup, 1 oz creamer
(served up with a few pcs of floating chopped hazelnut garnish)

HAZELNUT COCOA SYRUP:
1 c “NUTELLA” spread,2 c water
(heat lightly and whisk until blended)

Cancer’s Cocktail features EGG as its star ingredient! The egg is ruled by the Moon, as is Cancer. They share the traits of a hard outer shell and a soft, pale, fleshy inside. Cancer is known for its innate creativity, along with a desire to “nest.” What symbolizes those two qualities more than the egg?

CANCER XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz whiskey, 1 oz ‘nog anise syrup, 1 oz creamer
(served up with a floating star anise)

‘NOG ANISE SYRUP:
1 c brown sugar, 1 ½ c water, 2 cinnamon sticks, 5 star anise, 4 tsp chopped, fresh ginger, 3 tsp vanilla extract, 10 cardamom pods
(toast spices over medium low in pan first. then simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

Leo’s Cocktail features CLEMENTINE as its star ingredient! The bright, round, orange-colored, life-giving star of our solar system, the Sun, rules over Leo. Because the clementine bears a heavy physical resemblance to the sun, it is given ruler ship under it. The clementine is a Leo.

LEO XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz sochu, 1 oz clementine rosemary syrup, 1 1/2 oz lemon juice
(served over ice topped with Perrier. Garnish with a slice of clementine)

CLEMENTINE ROSEMARY SYRUP:
2 chopped clementines, ¼ c chopped fresh rosemary, 2 c white sugar, 2 c water
(simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

Virgo’s Cocktail features POMEGRANATE as its star ingredient! The pomegranate is ruled by Mercury due to its astringent qualities. Mercury is the fleet-footed planet and therefore holds ownership over anything that is fast-binding and drying in nature. That is why the pomegranate is a Virgo.

VIRGO XMAS TIPPLE:
1 oz sochu, 1 oz tyku liqueur, 1 1/2 oz pomegranate grenadine, 1/2 oz lemon juice
(serve up and garnish with 3 floating pomegranate seeds)

POMEGRANATE GRENADINE:
Equal parts 100% pomegranate juice and water
(simmer for 20-30 minutes)

Libra’s Cocktail features SUGAR PLUM as its star ingredient! Libra is ruled by the Venus, the beautiful planet. Venus holds dominion over things that are sugary sweet, succulent, attractive and delectable in nature. A perfectly ripe, juicy plum would certainly fall under ruler ship of Venus, and may be called a Libra.

LIBRA XMAS TIPPLE:
1 oz sochu, 1 oz tyku liqueur, 1 oz plum syrup, 1 oz lemon juice
(serve up and garnish with a sugar rim)

SUGAR PLUM SYRUP:
2 c white sugar, 3 c water, 2-3 chopped fresh plums
(simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

Scorpio’s Cocktail features CLOVE as its star ingredient! The incredibly pungent and powerful clove is ruled by none other than what many refer to as the planet of war, Mars. Really, it is the planet of passion and the strength to defend and protect. In fact, clove is so strong it can be used to defeat Cancer. Today, Scorpio is considered co-ruled by Mars and Pluto.

SCORPIO XMAS TIPPLE:
1 oz sochu, 1 oz sake, 1 oz lemon juice, 1 oz clove chili syrup, perrier
(served over ice, topped with perrier, garnished with a floating clove and straw)

CLOVE CHILI SYRUP:
1 c white sugar, 3 c water, 2-3 pinches cloves, 1 small handful or approx 20 dried chili arbols
(toast chilis and clove over medium low in pan first. simmer for 15-20 minutes and strain)

Sagittarius’ Cocktail features FIG as its star ingredient The vast number of seeds in a fig makes it a fruit ruled by Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. This huge planet is the owner of all things Ubiquitous, prolific, abundant and colossal in nature. This is why the fig is listed as a Sagittarius.

SAGITTARIUS XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz whiskey, 1 ¼ oz fig syrup, ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
(shake over ice and strain into glass. Garnish with a dried fig slice)

FIG SYRUP:
1 c fresh chopped figs, 1 c white sugar, 2 c water
(simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

Capricorn’s Cocktail features MOLASSES as its star ingredient! Discarded as a by-product, molasses is the almost black, densely thick, mildly bittersweet syrup that is born from the dregs of the sugar cane plant. Saturn symbolizes frugality, austerity and scarcity. Molasses is ruled by Saturn due to the nature of its genesis.

CAPRICORN XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz whiskey, 1 oz gingerbread syrup, 1 oz creamer
(served up with a slice of candied ginger garnish)

GINGERBREAD SYRUP: 2 c brown sugar, 2 c water, 1 c molasses, 5 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
(simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

Aquarius’ Cocktail features CEDAR as its star ingredient! Saturn is the slowest moving planet, symbolizing longevity and resilience. Plants ruled by this constant planet are extremely hardy in nature–take for example the famously pest and weather-resistant cedar tree. Today Aquarius is considered co-ruled by Saturn and Uranus. That’s why cedar is an Aquarius.

AQUARIUS XMAS TIPPLE:
1 oz sochu, 1 oz sake, 3/4 oz lemon juice, 1 oz cedar syrup
(served up with a sugar rim)

CEDAR TIP SYRUP:
2 c white sugar, 2 c water, 1 c dried cedar tip needles
(toast cedar over medium low in pan first. simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

Pisces’ Cocktail features CHESTNUT as its star ingredient! The chestnut tree’s diameter can be as great as 17 feet, which epitomizes the grandiose qualities of the largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter. Today, Pisces is considered co-ruled by Jupiter and the more recently discovered Neptune. The chestnut is a Pisces and sheer size alone is what determines that.

PISCES XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz whiskey, 1 oz chestnut syrup, 1 oz creamer
(served up a chestnut slice garnish)

CHESTNUT SYRUP:
2 c white sugar, 2 c water, 1 c chopped and peeled roasted chestnuts
(simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

ROAST CHESTNUT GARNISH:
Slice each nut prior to baking with a knife, but try not to penetrate flesh. Then it will be easier to slice them for garniature.

good things are worth waiting for. good things like say, COMIDA MERCADO FRESCO. a year and a half ago, i consulted on the cocktail menu at comida, and was proud of some of my most creative libations it. unfortunately, it was only open for a few months when it burned down, due to a highly suspicious blaze. so much work… and for what? it is only now than i can finally know for what…. comida is back and it’s better than ever.

the original comida opened on march eleventh, making it a pisces. i honored comida’s sun sign by creating the ZODIACO PISCES, which called for blueberry jam and pisco.

when the fire happened, i unwittingly, and quite prophetically i might add, likened its demise to the sign of scorpio. i predicted that like a phoenix, and the invincible sign of scorpio, comida would rise again. the PHOENIX RISING, which called for mezcal and absinthe, was created in its honor.

now, one and a half years later, comida has reopened in park slope brooklyn, fulfilling it’s restaurant destiny. here’s the ironic part: comida has reincarnated back as a SCORPIO! it reopened on november fifth… what are the odds of that? i take that as a sign that all is as it’s meant to be. so in honor of comida, the scorpionic mexican restaurant, a toast to never giving up on what you want…

margaritte malfy, comida’s co-owner, concocted this scorpion bevvie. margaritte is a sun in capricorn with a scorpio ascendant! the habanero pepper in this drink belongs to none other than spicy scorpio…

MARGARITA DE FUEGO Y HIELO:
2 oz partida silver
1 oz watermelon puree
1/2 triple sec
1/4 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
3 or so slivers of chile habanero
***shake over ice. strain into glass. rim glass with chipotle salt.

(CHIPOTLE SALT: mix sea salt with chipotle powder until color is light brown)

(WATERMELON PUREE: blend watermelon with water until smooth and watery. store in fridge this goes bad quick)

“hell hath no fury like a scorpio woman scorned.” and… i can’t remember the exact verbiage but it was something like “pity thy who hath been loved by a scorpio.” i can’t remember where i read those apropos lines, but they stuck with me. as a scorpio rising, mars, venus and jupiter… i must admit they resonate true. passion, revenge, focus—all traits of the bug with the big black stinger: scorpio! and yes, i’ll also admit that revenge is sweet… especially when it just floats your way without having to do any of that nasty vengeful meddling! karma’s a bitch, and it doesn’t miss a beat. after all, is there anything sweeter than the silent i told you so? but i suppose there are a few things sweeter, and the champagne pisco sour is certainly one of them. after all, if you’ve had the pleasure of imbibing peru’s famous pisco sour, than you’re well aware that it is one of the most awesome drinks in the world. pair that with another one of the world’s most awesome drinks, champagne, and you have an doubly awesome drink. enjoy dear bittersweet scorpio!

CHAMPAGNE PISCO SOUR:
1.5 oz pisco or vodka
.5 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
10 dashes aromatic bitters
.5 oz simple syrup (raw sugar)
champagne

Shake over ice. Strain into flute.
Fill with champagne. Gently stir. garnish with something lemon.

*Simple Syrup: equal parts sugar/water
(substitute stevia for sugar for no calories or glycemic index)

here’s my column this month in MOD MAG:

I didn’t know him, but I knew I someday would. After all, he would be my boss. I assumed from his somber character that he was of Scorpion descent, and as it turns out I was right. Later, I’d come to find he was a double Scorpio, none the less… but for now, the boy standing before me appeared chilly and potentially snobby. our conversation lasted less than a minute, but in that time I was intimidated and interested. His few words were soft and careful in their delivery—and they were also genuinely helpful. all though the Scorpion tried to speak them in a easy manner, there was nothing off handed about them. I casually asked, so what is your birthday? He was surprisingly open with his answer, November 3rd why? muttering that he’d learned more about astrology in the last three days then he’d learned in his whole life. (Our new boss was an avid believer in the zodiac and apparently I wasn’t the only one curious about his sign). I answered, no reason, smirking to myself for being dead on. A wave of sweet relief washed over me as I realized he wasn’t uptight, stuffy or a snob. merely aloof, and reserved, as a proper double scorpio should be.

absinthe and horseradish are jointly ruled by mars, and hence this fab brunch fave is a scorpio. the double use of the two martian ingredients make it so apropros for the double scorpio. (keep in mind, scorpio is jointly ruled by mars and pluto).

DOUBLE SCORPIO:

1/4 oz absinthe
1 1/2 oz vodka
1 dash kosher salt
1 dash ground black pepper
1 dash Tabasco
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. horseradish
Dash fresh squeezed clear citrus (lemon or lime)

fill glass with ice and add ingredients, then top with tomatoe juice. stir and garnish with anything green, in honor of the green fairy~

this potent concoction was to be our newest addition to comida’s cocktail menu. but fate, as the old devil would have it, would choose to delay its introduction. unfortunately, comida experienced a fire last night, and like the phoenix rises from ashes, so will comida have to rebuild itself. if you have read my blog dedication you’ll know that i’m no stranger to fire and the baffling devastation it leaves in its wake. what could have caused this? why did this happen? what good will come out of this? what we do know for sure is that no one was hurt, and it was not a kitchen fire. how it started no one knows.

the legendary wise owl is ruled by the sign of scorpio, and that is why i make reference to the phoenix. scorpio is symbolized by so many powerful animals—the owl, the phoenix, the eagle, the snake, and of course the scorpion. and if any sign has the strength, determination, will and wits to win against the odds, it is scorpio. and if anyone has the capability to comprehend the grand scope of tragedy when it strikes, it is scorpio. so here, here, let’s raise our glasses to comida rising with this cocktail of scorpio…

PHOENIX RISING:
2 oz mezcal
3/4 oz maraschino cherry liqueur
1/8 oz absinthe
10 drops agnostura bitters
brandied cherry
***shake all over ice, strain into ice packed glass with a splash of cherry juice and and garnish with a brandied cherry

found a great recipe for brandied cherries in the new york times. thanks to marlene from sloshed, i made these before cherries were in season and used frozen ones which worked out just fine.

1 cup sugar
2 whole cloves
1 2-inch piece cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods
1 quart sweet cherries, stemmed and pitted
1/2 cup Cognac or other aged brandy.

1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and spices with a cup of water. Bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Let simmer for 5 minutes.

2. Turn off heat and add cherries and brandy to pot. Let cool, then store mixture in a jar in refrigerator for at least 2 days before eating, and up to several months.

this has become one of our best selling specialty cocktails at COMIDA… the habanero pisco sour. i’m a huge fan of pisco, which is a type of south american brandy distilled from white grapes. it’s delic… now the famous pisco sour hails from either peru or chili. those two heavyweights are duking it out to establish who really created this famous cocktail. apparently, if i’m correct in my research, peru’s recipe calls for a raw egg while chili’s recipe does not. that seems to the main difference between these country’s pisco sour. there is also a version i found called the “Ají Sour” which calls for a green chili pepper.

the habanero pepper is one of mexico’s spiciest. and the best thing about this versatile chili is that it is available in so many colors, as you can see from the photo below. in case you didn’t know, almost all peppers can be found in a similar spectrum of colors, it simply depends on the length of time they are aloud to ripen on the vine… that’s all!

scorpio’s ancient ruler is mars (now co-ruled by pluto), which is the red hot planet of caustic, fiery, energy. so that would have to mean that the habanero is a scorpio, or an aries (also ruled by mars). but for this post, we’ll call it scorpio.

HABANERO PISCO SOUR:
3 oz pisco
1 oz lime
1 oz simple syrup
12 dashes angostura bitters
sliver habanero chili
***shake all and strain into a martini glass. garnish with the pepper if you like.

in honor of our new president and vice president elect, i present you with the OBAMATINI. this recipe is based off of LAMB MARTINI’S now famous libation, the BARACKTAIL. phil went to the great trouble of creating a drink that called for “native obama ingredients,” such as, pineapple. pineapple comes from hawaii where barack spent much of his childhood. the cardomom-infused vodka is a tip to indonesia, another one of barack’s global stomping grounds, of which we really no so little. i added orange as a salut to leo, barack’s sun sign.

all though barack’s sun is in leo, libra is the president-elect’s rising sign. due to libra’s ascending influence in barack’s natal chart, he portrays himself as a pleasant looking, diplomatic, refined, and cocky (yes i did say this) individual. this libran placement only heightens his innate leoan star power.

however, as i tasted this cocktail, the cardomom flavor far outweighed any other. for that reason, i have listed this particular libation under the rulership of scorpio. the spicy flavor of indonesia’s cardomom makes it an herb of mars, ancient ruler of SCORPIO. ruler of death and rebirth, scorpio will assist in the killing our antiquated ways and help birth a new america. scorpio is the great healer, and the great destroyer… So which traits of scorpio has obama adopted for his own?

in his victory speech, barack stressed that he can’t create change alone. he asked that we prepare to chip in and help rebuild the united states. barack is not a magician, but he has instilled within us magical hopes. thoughts are things, and these should manifest into reality. i think the very first thing we can do to help is to sip this intriguing tipple. cheers to change…

there are a few more obama-inspired cocktails out there… FELICIA’S SPEAK EASY and SACKBEE.

THE OBAMATINI

* 1 oz rye
* 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
* 1 oz pineapple juice (fresh is best) or 2 oz pineapple puree
* 1 oz cardamom vodka
* 1 oz fresh orange juice
* 1 oz homemade grenadine

Shake in a iced cocktail shaker, strain, serve in a cocktail glass. garnish with pomegranate seeds, pineapple wedge or orange twist.

cardomom vodka: add 1c cardomom pods to 750 ml vodka and infuse for about a week. strain and store.

grenadine: add the seeds from 1 pomegranate to 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in sauce pot. Bring to boil, stir and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Strain into final storage container, adding 1 oz vodka as a preservative. Store in fridge.

basil is an herb of scorpio, who is ruled by mars. it’s feisty bite will add a good dose of flavor to whatever recipe is calling for it. i mean, this cocktail would have been great with just the tomato, but add a tad basil and it’s even better. see, having a scorpio around always adds an element of interest. so don’t forget that when you are planning your next cocktail party. go ahead and invite that quiet scorpio across the hall. because whoever you thought they were, will no doubt be the opposite of who they really are, once you get to know them.

TOMATO BASIL TINI
3 oz tomato water*
1 oz vodka
1/2 oz lemon
2 pinch of sea salt
3 leaves basil
cheesecloth (grocery store)

muddle tomato water, basil, salt. do not over-muddle the basil or things will get bitter fast. add vodka and shake over ice. strain into martini glass and garnish with leo’s cherry tomato and scorpio’s leaf basil. or, if you’re not a vegan, garnish with a ball of sagittarius’ fresh non-rBGH cheese.

TOMATO WATER:
puree ripe tomatoes in food processor. place in cheese cloth for several hours, allowing water to drip through. when the water has all dripped through, squeeze out the remaining liquid into a separate container. (drink that tomato juice alone, or make a bloody mary). the water should be pale yellow in color and crystal clear.

it’s that time of year again– the time of plenty, the reaping of nature’s bounty, the reward for your hard work… autumn harvest. there is such as vast wealth of produce available at this time of year that i find it’s simply not possible to keep up with it all. it’s a crime against nature and humanity when those beautiful plums go rotten, just because you were too full from peaches and raspberries to eat them. a crime it tell you, but fret no more! good ‘ole mom has the solution… and that solution is STEWED FRUIT.

when mom sees the contents of her fruit bowl sliding down the slippery slope of rottenness, she takes the whole lot and dumps them in a pot. she then adds some sugar, with a little bit of water to prevent the bottom from sticking, and simmers on low until what’s left is a big pile of wet lumpy fruit. trust me, this will taste much better than it sounds. after you finish stewing the fruit (20 minutes or so), strain (be sure to squeeze out all the valuable liquid), and add a splash of vodka as a preservative. store in fridge until you are ready to use. voila–no wasted bounty, and a fresh cocktail to boot!

while most but not all fruit falls under the dominion of delectable venus, the very nature of this cocktail is scorpion. taking something whose vital force is all but gone… and giving it an entirely new life in the form of a cocktail–well, that’s scorpio for you. the sign of life and death, and that of the greatest healer as well. like the phoenix rising from the ashes, scorpio will have your near rotten fruit smelling like roses and tasting like heaven. cheers to you all powerful scorpion.

STEWED FRUIT COCKTAIL:
1 cup stewed fruit juice (mom used plum)
3 oz fresh squeezed lemon
4 oz tequila
1 cup or so simple syrup* (sweeten to taste)

add all ingredients to small pitcher and stir. cool in fridge and serve straight up, or over ice if the mixture is very thick. (the ice will water it down). garnish with a piece of non-rotten fruit.

simple syrup is a mixture of equal parts sugar and water. no need to heat, simply stir, shake or agitate until dissolved and store in fridge.

THANKS TO KOCHTOPF HOSTING WEEKEND HERB BLOGGING.