Spirits

The power of spirits

No, I am not talking about ghosts, evil spirits or holy spirits. Yes, we need good spirits to face any daily tasks and to be relaxed.  Start the day with a smile and full of spirits I like that motto and attitude. When we work in a good mood, then things can be done with ease.

What about "spirited cooking"!  Today is all about cooking with spirits.  What is the benefit of the spirits in the cooking process?  Spirits and liqueurs are beautifully enriching ingredients, giving food a depth of flavour that never fails to seduce the taste buds. That is the power of the spirits.

Spirits  and   Liqueurs

Brandy

In the kitchen, brandy is very versatile. It is a delicious flavour to soups, butter, and meat dishes.  It works well with savoury and sweet dishes and is famous for flaming.  Does it sound familiar?  Every Christmas you have the festive dessert, the pudding flames in brandy.

Cavaldos, the very famous apple brandy, named after the region where it is made.

In Normandy, there is a gastronomic tradition called "Norman hole".  A shot of neat Calvados is drunk in place of sorbet before the main course of a meal.  The idea is that the spirit punches a hole through the food that has already been eaten and makes room for more.



Liqueurs
Essentially a liqueur is any spirit-based drink to which flavouring elements have been added, usually by infusion, and -in the vast majority of cases - enhanced by sweetening.

Citrus-Flavoured Liqueurs
Oranges and tangerines are the fruits most frequently used, with brandy as the favoured spirit.  All citrus-flavoured liqueurs work wonderfully well drizzled over ice cream.

The best-loved of all orange-flavoured liqueurs, Grand Marnier, was the invention of Louis-Alexandre Marnier.

Light pancakes served with orange and Grand Marnier sauce, delicious for Sunday Breakfast.

It has been great to have the book of "Spirited Cooking", with Jenni Fleetwood as the consulting editor.  I learn a lot from this book, and I am glad that I could share this information from it.

I do cooking with spirits, liquor and wine occasionally, it does sound so extravagant, but you shop them only once, and you use those for a lot of cooking.
Spiced Red Cabbage with Apple and Calvados is delicious for autumn. 

To be continued.

I hope everyone finished the week in high spirits, I wish you all to enjoy the weekend.

Stay Tuned

Susy