Cinnamon Kitchen's Lychee Goji Bellini - A Curry For Change recipe (cocktail recipe)

I have recently been sharing with you a number of recipes I have learned from the Indian cooking Masterclass I attended at Vivek Singh's Cinnamon Kitchen restaurant. I was invited by Find Your Feet, a unique and very special charity which has a firm philosophy of offering assistance for the long term rather than aid for the short term. Find Your Feet were holding this Masterclass, with recipe demonstrations by Indian food luminaries Dhruv Baker, Vivek Singh himself and Anjum Anand to launch their "Curry For Change" initiative; a fundraising campaign where we, the great British public can enjoy and indulge our curry obsessions and help people at the same time. Either by eating at one of the Curry For Change partner restaurants, shopping with a partner company or holding your own Indian food dinner party, you could help raise money for Find Your Feet. The money is then spent on giving poor, remote rural communities much needed education and empowerment to help them look after themselves, their community and increase their farming potential to allow them to feed themselves. 

I previously wrote about the Masterclass here: http://snigskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/curry-for-change-indian-cooking.html

I have also, with the very kind permission of Find Your Feet, featured the three recipes I was taught at the Masterclass. The starter, Dhruv Baker's Prawn Malaba Curry can be found here: http://snigskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/dhruv-bakers-prawn-malaba-curry-recipe.html

The main course, Vivek Singh's Roast Saddle of Lamb can be found here: http://snigskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/vivek-singhs-roast-saddle-of-lamb-with.html

Anjum Anand's Pomegranate Souffle can be found here: http://snigskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/anjum-anands-pomegranate-souffle-with.html

The Masterclass was a delight, not just because I learned so much from Vivek, Anjum and Dhruv, but also because I got to meet so many food enthusiasts and fellow bloggers. We had a fantastic time chatting and swapping notes. This chat was further assisted by some delectable canapes and glasses Vivek Singh's Cinnamon Kitchen Lychee and Goji Bellini. I am a sucker for a sparkling wine cocktail, they really are one of my very favourite things, and perhaps on the evening I had one Bellini too many. But how was I to resist such fruity perfection?

Chef Vivek Singh and his Cinnamon Kitchen team looked after me superbly at the Masterclass, but their kindness did not end there. They have agreed to share the recipe of the Lychee and Goji Bellini with me and my readers. Thanks to everyone at Cinnamon Kitchen - I really appreciate it, and will be making this on balmy Summer nights.

I hope you will give it a try too!

Lychee & Goji Bellini

This is a modern, summery take on the classic Italian Bellini.

Delicately light and floral, lychee pairs perfectly with the Fair Goji Liqueur which is packed with vibrant red fruit flavours and a depth of richer herbal notes. The elegant, crisp Prosecco is dry enough to balance the drink and prevent it being overly sweet.

The Fair Goji Liqueur is made from goji berries which are organically grown and Fair Trade Certified. They are sourced directly from a co-op of 300 farmers in the Tibet region of the Himalayas. The sugar used in Fair Goji Liqueur is also organic and Fair Trade Certified, coming from a co-op of 800 independent farmers in Malawi.

The drink is sold exclusively at Cinnamon Kitchen for £8.95 a pop.

Lychee & Goji Bellini 

(Serves 1)

Ingredients:

20ml fresh lychee juice

10ml sugar syrup

8ml Fair Goji Liqueur

100ml Villa Doral Prosecco

Served in a champagne flute

I would like to thank Cinnamon Kitchen and Chef Vivek Singh for letting me share this recipe with you.

Red Wine Cocktails - Ruby Renaissance By Andrew Brady

Now that we are into the month of May, some of us are starting to think about the Summer. Summer is a time when it's great to eat and drink al fresco. We eat less stodgy food, leaving behind stews and casseroles, and begin enjoying salads and barbeques. And we think about drinking lighter and often longer drinks; Pimm's with strawberries and mint, Sangria, and Summer fruit punches. 

Gallo wines are trying to meet that need for lighter, brighter Summer drinking with their Summer Red wine. Designed to be enjoyed chilled, it is a world away from the heavy reds of Winter. I was sent a sample, and asked if I would come up with a Summery Red wine cocktail.

It was a challenge. Red wine has a distinctive taste and either ends up being the dominant taste of the drink or needs something very strong to counteract it. 

Spain appears to be one of the places where there are plenty of ideas for how to mix red wine. Many of you, when travelling around Spain may have tried Kalimotxo, the famous cocktail served in a tall glass made of a 50:50 mix of red wine and coca-cola. It's not subtle, although many swear by it as a Summery drink. 

Tinto Verano, popular in Andalucia (in the south) is 1 part red wine with 1 part Casera (a less sweet type of lemonade than say, Sprite or 7up), served with ice and lemon. And of course, there is Sangria, which is somewhat ubiquitous, although always enjoyable in the sunshine. (I found an interesting and original iced Sangria slushie-type pudding idea here: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/sangria-ice-10000001634829/) 

There are other ideas, based on Spritzers, Bucks Fizz (orange juice or a combination of orange and lemon), or mulled wine. However, I was not really happy with any of them. So I realised I had to call in an expert. 

Andrew Brady, is an English Mixologist par excellence, specialising in cutting-edge "Molecular" cocktails. Combining high quality spirits, freshly squeezed fruit juices, natural ingredients, they seek to combine flavours in daring and innovative ways. Adding unexpected ingredients such as the juices of grilled fruits, spices, chillies, fruit foams and liquid nitrogen gives another delicious twist.

Andrew Brady, Molecular Mixology Master

Originally from the Wirral, England, Andrew has worked in cocktail bars in Chester, Glasgow, and Nottingham. Now he travels the world as a master Mixologist, making noted specialist Junior Merino's "Liquid Chef" cocktail recipes, on Celebrity Cruise's luxury ships. 

Quick aside: Junior Merino is a Mexican born cocktail guru, an inductee of the Court of Master Sommeliers' Guild of Sommeliers, the winner of the International Bar Show's best cocktail competition in 2005, and cocktail consultant to Mexican Airlines, Celebrity Cruises, and 10 international restaurants and hotels, including The Modern in New York.

Back to Andrew: Andrew's passion is inventing his own Molecular cocktail creations, for which he has undeniable and considerable talent, as you will discover.

Andrew's flavour palette is vibrant and highly varied. Some of his creations have involved some strange, unlikely and highly innovative ingredients such as smoked apple, dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide), liquid nitrogen and bacon. Difficult to blend liquers such as Grand Marnier only seem to provide him with a challenge to meet. Grand Marnier is notorious, it's very distinctive signature flavour makes it difficult to blend with other tastes. He is hugely knowledgeable about classic cocktails and historical combinations, which he uses as his inspiration. 

I asked Andrew to help me invent a red wine cocktail. He immediately agreed, but was clear that he didn't want to do something which has been done before. He was determined to come up with something different and special. He experimented with a few combinations before settling on the cocktail recipe he was happy to share with readers of Snig's Kitchen. As ever, professionalism, care for his craft and a passion for perfection were apparent.

The resulting cocktail is called Ruby Renaissance. There are two variants, with the first being slightly sweeter and the second a little drier with a subtle bitter touch as a result of the addition of Aperol. We had 5 people try both versions to unanimously positive feedback. The Aperol version was considered to be a great aperitif cocktail, the sweeter version perfect for drinking in the sunshine, perhaps at a Barbeque party.

I would like to thank Andrew for his skill, patience and dedication. I hope you will give Ruby Renaissance a try!

Ruby Renaissance by Andrew Brady

(All measures are in fluid ounces)

1 fluid ounce = 28.4 ml

2oz Red wine, preferably a light red, such as Gallo's Summer Red or a Pinot Noir

1oz Vodka

1oz St Germain Elderflower Liquer

3/4oz Rose essence (preferably Dainzu brand or Monin)

1/2oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 rose petals for garnish

Variation: 1/2oz Aperol

Pour all the fluid ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake liberally. 

Take a tall glass and fill the bottom with ice. Pour the shaken fluid over the ice. 

Top with the rose petals. 

Ruby Renaissance

Serve and enjoy immediately.

I would like to thank Gallo Wine for sending me a bottle to experiment with.

Obviously, and most importantly, I would like to thank Andrew Brady for his time, care and attention in developing this original cocktail recipe.