Autumn is in the air. As the leaves begin to fall and the sun sits closer to the horizon, the summer sky gives way to fall constellations and the Earth prepares itself for the cold that is to come. This is a magical time in our yearly cycle. We give thanks for a beautiful, bountiful summer and pay homage to the long warm days. We feel the nostalgia wash over us as the smell of burning leaves fills the night air. We begin to gather wood for the winter fire, we bring our quilts out of storage, we toast to the year that is about to pass and to the new year that is upon us. It is a time of remembrance, of gratitude and of love.
As the history of tradition dictates, autumn is also a time to embrace Earth’s bounty of spices. Nutmeg, star anise, cardamom, all spice, clove and cinnamon all have deep roots starting at the very beginning of human culture, spanning from the healing arts, through candle making and aromatherapy, to the kitchen in our universal home. They deserve our reverence and our creativity as well.
As the history of tradition dictates, autumn is also a time to embrace Earth’s bounty of spices. Nutmeg, star anise, cardamom, all spice, clove and cinnamon all have deep roots starting at the very beginning of human culture, spanning from the healing arts, through candle making and aromatherapy, to the kitchen in our universal home. They deserve our reverence and our creativity as well.
Cinnamon, being one of the most popular sacred spices, gives us a warm entrance into the fall season. The Eclipse of Perseus, named after a fall constellation, is sweet and savory and can be imbibed warm or cold. Sip it slowly, look up at the night sky, breathe in the smell of change and know fall is upon us.
2 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon
¾ oz Cardamaro
¼ oz Disaronno
2 tbsp cinnamon fig jam (see recipe below, regular store bought fig jam can be used)
2 sprigs savory
¾ oz fresh lemon juice
pinch ground cinnamon (add if store bought jam is used)
Pinch, twist and break up savory into mixing glass to release flavor. Add all other ingredients. (If you are using store bought jam add a pinch of cinnamon to mixing glass.) Shake vigorously over ice for 30 seconds. To serve cold, fine strain into an ice filled collins glass and garnish with a sprig of savory. To serve warm, fine strain into a glass mug and heat in microwave for 2 minutes. To heat on stove, fine strain mixture into saucepan and heat until almost boiling. Garnish with lemon wheel and pinch of cinnamon.
16 black mission figs, washed, stems cut and sliced into ½ inch pieces
½ cup water
¾ cup sugar
1/6 oz fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Place figs and water in a medium size saucepan and let sit for 10 minutes. Turn heat to medium and let sit until at full heat. Add sugar, lemon and cinnamon and stir often until figs break down- using a potato masher is helpful to assist in the breakdown. Bring heat to medium low and let cook for approximately 25 minutes. Keep a watchful eye on the jam and stir often. When finished, turn off heat and let sit for another five minutes before canning.
The Eclipse of Perseus
Serving Size: 12 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon
¾ oz Cardamaro
¼ oz Disaronno
2 tbsp cinnamon fig jam (see recipe below, regular store bought fig jam can be used)
2 sprigs savory
¾ oz fresh lemon juice
pinch ground cinnamon (add if store bought jam is used)
Pinch, twist and break up savory into mixing glass to release flavor. Add all other ingredients. (If you are using store bought jam add a pinch of cinnamon to mixing glass.) Shake vigorously over ice for 30 seconds. To serve cold, fine strain into an ice filled collins glass and garnish with a sprig of savory. To serve warm, fine strain into a glass mug and heat in microwave for 2 minutes. To heat on stove, fine strain mixture into saucepan and heat until almost boiling. Garnish with lemon wheel and pinch of cinnamon.
Cinnamon Fig Jam
Makes 1 full Mason jar16 black mission figs, washed, stems cut and sliced into ½ inch pieces
½ cup water
¾ cup sugar
1/6 oz fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Place figs and water in a medium size saucepan and let sit for 10 minutes. Turn heat to medium and let sit until at full heat. Add sugar, lemon and cinnamon and stir often until figs break down- using a potato masher is helpful to assist in the breakdown. Bring heat to medium low and let cook for approximately 25 minutes. Keep a watchful eye on the jam and stir often. When finished, turn off heat and let sit for another five minutes before canning.
Comments
the history of tradition??
Sep 27, 2011 at 7:51 PM
y
Well the point was to stay that throughout history traditions have dictated....there is a difference between history and tradition and tradition does have a history itself in a way :)
I hope you liked the cocktail regardless.
Sep 27, 2011 at 11:15 PM
Carpita
Traditions change over the course of history - I'm with curry on this one. Love the recipes, thanks
Sep 30, 2011 at 12:38 PM
Notice how you just said tradition's'? It's about writing for posterity, Cris. Even though it's not sitting on a coffee table or in the waiting room a doctor's office, it's still out there.
Since half the content on the web is in dire need of a good copy editor, I probably should have just ignored it. There are a dozen different ways " breath in the smell" could have been phrased more concisely as well, but I let that slide.
I will try to mimic this cocktail sometime in the near future though as I am a fan of spice. Perhaps even to the point of adding a pinch of cayenne to the fig compote.
So there,... good beverage by curry, bad snarkiness by me.
Sep 30, 2011 at 1:39 PM
Time for fall drinks girls.....
Sep 30, 2011 at 7:47 PM
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