Hot Buttered Apple Cider with Calvados slideshow. Ooh! Fancy!
Originally Published Nov. 20, 2020
My closest friends and family know I have collection of “Gourmet” magazines literally sitting on a bookshelf collecting dust. (Now you know, too!) It’s completely illogical because (duh!) the recipes are on the internet. It. makes no sense why I still have magazines from 20 years ago. I’ll let you in a little secret. Those issues represent stability and escapism, when everything else in my life was still up in limbo. (I devoured cooking shows and read cookbooks as a kid). When things were difficult, I could easily dream of going to a foreign land and whip up something delicious. One of the first articles I read included a whipped cream with Calvados and subsequent apple desserts with its usage. It was seared in my memory and it took me more than a decade before I actually bought a bottle. (The Calvados and the Gianduia articles are permanently in my brain.)
My husband lost his father to cancer when he was in his twenties. He stopped working, went back to the family cabin, and took care of his dying father, a brilliant engineer and entrepreneur who secretly, wanted to be a jazz pianist. He took his twin adult boys all over the world, unbeknownst that he had limited time to live. After the divorce, he became an Italian lothario and since my husband and his twin brother were of age, unfortunately, his dad regaled his escapades along with the awkwardness of meeting his many girlfriends. He had a serious one (for a while) in NYC. One night, while wandering around in Manhattan, my husband, his twin bro and his dad, all Californians, unaccustomed to the bitter cold, popped into a warm bakery and ordered apple cider. One drink became two, and they huddled, laughing and freezing together.
When I made this for myself, he asked for a sip. The “Dad, New York” memory came flooding back, like a warm hug. I hope it gives you a moment to pause, take comfort, and breathe. I kept taking alternate takes on the video so mine was heavily spiked. I subsequently became an idiot. I lost my laptop, couldn’t plug the power chord correctly (OMG!), let my daughter play on the iPad, and forgot I had to cook dinner. (That’s why hardly drink!). Either way with or without Calvados, I hope it helps you make some new, warm memories. Cheers!
Here’s an article on why food memories can be so powerful. Enjoy!
Hip Hop and 70’s New York clips from “Taxi Driver,” “Shaft”, “The French Connection” and “Mean Streets”? Yes, please!
Nas - Music Video - N.Y. State of Mind
Here’s a clip of a Hollywoodized Gershwin. Yes, it was in the United Airlines commercial.
Rhapsody In Blue (1945) The Movie
I remembered this from the “Autumn in New York” soundtrack from years past. Because, what is life without PLAY?
Getting Some Fun Out of Life, Madeleine Peyroux
Finally, here’s to memories, dreams, and more of our own happiness. Even if the world is limping along like the zombie apocalypse, who says you need to let it get to you?
Judy Garland Somewhere Over The Rainbow 1939
Thanks for reading! I really appreciate the time you’ve taken to laugh and listen. I hope this helps carve out a moment of calm and happiness for you this week! Here’s more creativity. Xo, Melissa
Hot Buttered Apple Cider with Calvados
Ingredients
1/4 Tbs Butter
a dash of hot water (to help liquify the butter)
a cup of TJ’s Spiced Apple Cider (Just eyeball it.)
Squeeze of lemon
A dash of Calvados (or how much you’d like.)
Add butter and hot water to cup. (Butter gives it a richer mouthfeel. Wow, I sound like an elitist! Boo!) Heat in microwave until butter melts. (The hot water will help it liquify and give it a more consistent texture.) I heated mine for 20 sec.
Add TJ’s Spiced Apple Cider to cup. Heat mixture again to warm through. I heated it for 30 sec.
3. Take warmed Apple Cider out of microwave. Add a squeeze of lemon to round out the flavors. (I find the apple cider to be a bit sweet for me and I prefer my food like people… a little complex and mysterious.)
4. Add Calvados to taste. (The Calvados apple brandy is what makes it taste like an upscale “Jolly Rancher.” I HATED the cheaper “apple” mixers people would drink. YUCK. I’d go slowly at first if you have a sensitivity to cloying sweetness. I promise you, it’s more complex and delicious than the other stuff…. although I do love “Mike’s Hard Lemonade.” Go figure.). Please play with the acidity with the lemon and sweetness from the Calvados Apple Brandy. Enjoy!
Thanks for reading! I hope this gave you a fun break! Have a wonderful week! Xo, Melissa
#hotbutteredappleciderwithcalvados, #calvados, #foodmemories, #newyork, @nas, #rhapsodyinblue, @gershwin, @madeleinpeyroux, @judygarland
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