Every August, Ms. S&C takes her annual trip up to Seneca Lake. It is quite possibly her favorite weekend of the year. (She’s written about these lake trips before.) Here’s what you can expect when you’re at the lake with Ms. S&C and her funny, funny friends.
Beer
Lounging
Cute kids
Wet dogs
Cocktails
Ms. S&C’s has a three-part series covering her favorite weekend of the year. Part one: Sights of the lake. Part two: Overheard at the lake. Part three: Drinks at the lake.
posted by Ms. S&C
As Ms. S&C mentioned in her recent Rehoboth Beach update, the “crush” may be the perfect beach cocktail, which means it may be the perfect summer cocktail. It is certainly a damn refreshing cocktail. And, it is a cocktail that is very easy to make. Did you hear that? It is a cocktail that is super easy to make. Make one. This weekend.
There’s one month before Labor Day, so Ms. S&C begs you — pleads with you — to make a “crush” before summer is over. Did I mention how it is so easy? And, how it tastes like a summer drink is supposed to? If there is one thing Ms. S&C can give you this summer, it is the Grapefruit Crush.
Ms. S&C’s favorite cocktail of this hot, hot summer?
The grapefruit crush.
Grapefruit Crush
(recipe adapted from Going Out Gurus, and what they claim to be a proper and traditional recipe)
Ingredients:
Directions:
Fill a collins-style glass with ice. Combine one part vodka, two parts juice, and top with soda. Stir. Garnish with lime wedge.
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When you’re beachside or poolside or lakeside — or, wishing you were beachside, poolside, lakeside — here’s a playlist that can help set the mood.
Some of the songs are on the playlist because of name alone. Beach House is one example (I’m glad the band name works because I’m totally digging their Teen Dream album right now). The Velvet Underground’s “Ocean” is another (I think the song is about heroin?). Some of the songs are, naturally, from surfer bands: The Beach Boys and Jan & Dean. And bands who are inspired by surfer bands: The Morning Benders, Caribou, and Surfer Blood. (And, good god, it was hard not to pick most of the songs from The Beach Boys’ Surfer Hits album, or from Pet Sounds, which is actually my fave.)
Perhaps Ms. S&C was destined to surf because all these songs come directly from the S&C music library. They’ve just been waiting to be compiled on a playlist, and to be heard with a grapefruit crush in hand.
Surf Songs
Ms. S&C would like to know: Do you have favorite songs that remind you of the beach? What songs should be added to the surfing playlist? Please share!
posted by Ms. S&C
Posted in cocktails, music, spring/summer cocktails, vodka
Tagged beach, crushes, grapefruit, S&C music
Parades of people, salty air, smells of ice cream and boardwalk fries — there are so many delights at the beach! (Ms. S&C wishes she was still at the beach.)
She has shared Rehoboth Beach experiences before (fortunately the weather was much more cooperating this time around). Favorite spots that were revisted during her recent stay included:
Ms. S&C also came across some new spots that will now be included in the rotation:
In Bloody Mary heaven at The Starboard in Dewey Beach.
The Starboard is also famous for their “crushes,” a super refreshing mix of fresh juices (orange or grapefruit), vodka, and soda. Ms. S&C first heard about “crushes,” from Washington Post’s Going Out Gurus. And, she agrees with Fritz Hahn, crushes are a favorite beach drink (recipe to come, promise!).
Orange you glad you tried those crushes, Ms. S&C? Yes, she is.
As for other beach amusements, Ms. S&C tried surfing for the first time. She arranged lessons with Rehoboth Beach Boarding School and will never forget this call: Get Ready (waves coming), Paddle Hard, and Pop-up. The adrenaline rush was pretty incredible. Plus, there’s something great about paddling around on a surfboard in the ocean. (And, there’s something badass about coming home with bruised knees and sore ribs.)
PS) You better believe that a S&C surfer playlist is in the works. Stay tuned for that because it will go great with those “crushes.”
posted by Ms. S&C
The Bloody Mary smorgesbord at The Starboard in Dewey Beach.
Posted in cocktails, spring/summer cocktails, vodka
Tagged beach, bloody mary, crushes, grapefruit, orange, S&C on the road
A little over a year ago, Ms. S&C ran her first 5K. Since then, she’s run in ten 5Ks and one 5-miler. Her 11th race was this past weekend, when she ran the Crystal City Twilighter. It was sweltering, it was tough, but it was also so freakin’ gratifying. I don’t know if it was because of the cheering crowd, because other friends ran in the race, or because it was one of the hottest days of the year — this race was memorable.
What shoes was Ms. S&C wearing? A new pair of Brooks. What was Ms. S&C drinking? Well, a hell of a lot of water before and after the race. But, a little after 9 pm, she opened a beer — a Bud Light — and no beer has ever tasted better.
There was at least sweat and beers as Ms. S&C ran her 11th race on
one of the hottest days of the year.
Continuing with the S&C music momentum, Ms. S&C thought she’d share her current running playlist. While she doesn’t listen to music during races (she tries to make it on pure adrenaline), her iPod is a necessity for everyday runs.
The S&C running mix includes:
And finally, our public service announcement: go for a run. Go for a walk. Get outside. Then, drink to your health!
posted by Ms. S&C
Last week’s Top Chef episode featured local ingredients: Chesapeake Bay blue crabs and food from a local Virginia farm.
The Quickfire Challenge had the chefs cooking our popular local treasure: blue crabs. Ed won the challenge with his dish of jumbo lump crab, thai basil, mango and cucumber. Considering I’ve picked crabs for the past *three* weekends straight, I tend to agree with local boy Tim’s philosophy: you don’t need to add a lot of flavors to blue crabs — the crab can shine on its own. But, I also don’t think anyone was planning to throw a half dozen crabs, covered in Old Bay, in front of Padma with a beer, a mallet, and some hushpuppies (I’d be in heaven).
The Elimination Challenge took the chef’s to Virginia’s first totally certified farm, Ayrshire Farm, — a farm of locally produced, humanely raised meats and organic produce — to prepare elegant rustic farm dishes. I love elegant, rustic farm dishes. I love eating outdoors. I love eating outdoors wearing a scarf. And, I would love eating outdoors, wearing a scarf, with Eric Ripert. A few other comments about the episode:
The Top Chef challenge was family style fare, but turn your focus to Kenny’s Hot and Sour Curried Eggplant with Peppers & Carrot Tops
For the Top Chef Drink Pairing: Virginia is for Viognier, not lovers. In a Washington Post article last year, Dave McIntyre reported that Viognier is very popular among Virginia vintners because the grapes are suited to this climate, and can remain balanced because it tolerates the heat and humidity (apparently the thick skin and growing in loose clusters makes it resistant to rot in the humid climate).
The wine is described as nuanced: lush and opulent with exuberant fruit, but also “austere and subtle in the classic fashion of the wines of Condrieu, Viognier’s homeland in France’s Rhone Valley.” The only Virginia Viognier I can recall buying was a bottle from the Tarara Winery in Loudoun County, Va. I think the richness and slight sweetness of the Viognier would be a good match for the spicy curry in Kenny’s eggplant dish.
posted by Ms. S&C
Last week’s episode of Top Chef DC was focused on hotel food. The episode itself was a lot like hotel food: somewhat boring, pretty ordinary, nothing too memorable.
Here are a few highlights, or lowlights as the case may be:
Top Chef Breakfast: “Creole Style” Crab Cake Eggs Benedict with Asparagus & Bacon Potato Hash in Hollandaise
Top Chef Dinner: Braised Beef Short Rib, Polenta, Shiitake Mushrooms & Gremolata (aka the “bizness”)
There’s an article that I can’t stop talking about: Frank Bruni, former restaurant critic for The New York Times, wrote a piece on the bloody mary. When I shared the article on Facebook, a friend replied, “It’s hard to imagine a better breakfast. Or dinner. Or lunch. Or snack.” So true! Because it is a drink that is good any time of the day, and because it could be a meal on its own, the Bloody Mary is our pick for the Top Chef Drink Pairing.
I think a farm-to-table brunch is in my near future. With fresh, ripe tomatoes on the horizon and a bountiful herb garden, I’ve got the makings for my own “liquid salad.” And, wondering what to do with those leftover Maryland blue crabs you couldn’t polish off the night before? Yes, crab eggs benedict, please.
posted by Ms. S&C
Remember me? I’m Ms. Shoes & Cocktails. I used to blog more frequently about topics near and dear to my heart. While blogging inspiration inevitably ebbs and flows, I promise you this is just a small drought. It is summer after all.
If you are looking for some S&C-related reading material, can I recommend the following?
No longer preppy, the J.Crew look is now “a European in the United States.”
Here’s a great article from The New York Times Magazine about J.Crew’s new and improved transformation. It is now a brand that “twinkles with references to France and haute couture.” I also particularly enjoyed the description of their copywriting style as “distinctive J.Crew haikus.” A good example: these Raffia Rose Printed Peep Toes are described as, “Both sweet and sultry, these blushworthy peep toes ensure that summer romance isn’t just in the air but also on your feet.”
The Bloody Mary: nutritious and naughty, packed with vitamins and vice. A farm-to-table drink; a liquid salad.
The New York Times is the source of another fantastic article. This article by Frank Bruni, former restaurant critic for The Times, takes a look at how the Bloody Mary is changing for the better. How is it changing for the better? One restaurant in the East Village has a version called the “Chicago Matchbox,” and includes pickled Brussels sprouts, caper berries, white turnips, green beans and radishes. Also: some bartenders aren’t afraid to replace vodka as go-to spirit. Bruni goes on to say, “Tequila is perhaps vodka’s best bloody surrogate: its smokiness plays nicely with the flavor of tomato.”
I just want to go back to Paris.
Lastly, you want something that isn’t S&C related? Check out my new favorite blog, littlebrownpen. The author is a copywriter and photographer, and has the most beautiful photos of Paris I’ve ever seen. Seriously, I melt every time I look at them. I am so awestruck that I forget about all the places I’ve never visited, and I just want to go back to Paris. Check out this glorious sequence of Red and Green, and isn’t Violette a pretty word?
Mmm. Just what I needed. Now I’m inspired.
posted by Ms. S&C
Posted in alerts, cocktail-related, cocktails, shoes
Tagged j.crew, peep-toe pumps, S&C alerts, S&C reading material, seen elsewhere
This week’s episode of Top Chef DC had the cheftestants baking pies and grilling picnic food for Capital Hill interns, while they played badminton, croquet, and lounged on George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate. (I want to picnic and play lawn games at Mt. Vernon! Right now. It’s gorgeous outside!)
I also want to see more of pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini, who was guest judge for the Quickfire Pie-Baking Challenge. Not sure I was all that excited about the upcoming Top Chef: Just Desserts until this dark haired, tattooed chef (who has a book titled “Dessert Fourplay”) came into my life. Um, yeah, he is super hot. He was also a good judge. I particularly appreciated his comment to Amanda when she said she was not a pastry chef. He responded, “I think it’s kind of a cop-out to say you’re not a pastry chef. My grandmother’s not a pastry chef either, and she can make a pie.” (In the end, it was Kenny who finally came through with a win with his bananas foster pie. I like Kenny.)
For the Elimination Challenge, the chefs prepared picnic food. It was interesting that most of their menus did not go in the direction of the Great American Picnic. A lot of the dishes were heavily Asian-influenced. And, the winning dish was Arnold‘s Lebanese-inspired lamb with lemongrass.
Arnold’s winning dish: Sesame Lamb Meatball, Tabouli Salad, Gazpacho
For the Top Chef Drink Pairing: given the picnic-y setting, lawn games and warm climate, it is hard to choose something other than beer. (Except that the distillery at Mount Vernon is now making a Rye Whiskey!) Considering the Mediterranean flavors of Arnold’s dish, Goldstar Beer from Israel could be an option (remember this funny advertisement?). Or, you could have the Great American Lager to go with the Great-but-not-so-American-Picnic.
posted by Ms. S&C
Ms. S&C plans to keep it simple this summer. More than anything, she just wants to be comfortable. It is far too hot for anything else. Far too hot.
As for her wardrobe, Ms. S&C has in heavy rotation a Mossimo maxi dress she picked up at Target last year (it’s green and very similar to this one). She also still truly loves these studded sandals she found over at Zappos.
Flowing dresses and flat sandals help keep her comfortable. So do drinks with ice.
When she finds a concept she likes, she happy to stick with it. Here are a few other items that will bring her comfort during the blazing months of summer. First, there’s a long knit dress from Garnet Hill. This maxi-style dress is made of super soft cotton, so it is — yes — super comfortable. Style is not sacrificed for comfort, however. The twisted shoulder straps give the dress an unique detail, and the fitted bodice and v-neck front (and back) flatter any body type. Plus, what great colors and prints!
Ms. S&C’s favorite summer look: soft, flowing dresses paired
with comfortable sandals
Paired with the dress are metallic sandals from Piperlime. Big selling points: the silver flats have a little extra padding for extra comfort, love the woven detail, and they are ridiculously inexpensive. To finish off her look, the lovely dangly earrings are from Anthropologie (and are the same ones she picked out for her “Style in the City” party outfit).
Ms. S&C wants to know: What will keep you cool and comfortable this summer? Share your wardrobe and drink ideas below.
Happy Summer! (If only it weren’t so damn hot.)
posted by Ms. S&C
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