Yumaste

Maybe it's been all the yoga that has recently entered my life or no longer feeling like I'm wasting away on a hot, crowded Metro North train on a daily basis or just the Summer season in general but it feels like I'm in a "new found, semi -permanent state of calm".  (If you asked me a year ago, I would have never in a million years described myself as someone in a state of calm but I guess a 4 month sabbatical can do that to you) .  There have been the "ease into the day type of weekends", a fast growing addiction for the Sunday nightcap bev to fight off the end of the weekend depression and the habit that you can only really get away with in the Summer of the daily cocktail (or 2) enjoyed on the deck.  It's where you can sit for longer then you usually allow before running off in 17 different directions.  You find yourself putting off the projects for another day because you just want  to soak it in and breathe it out as those "over-stimulated" days are right around the corner.  


Here is the latest cocktail to make it into the rotation thanks to Mario Batali  found in last week's NY Times Sunday Magazine 


The Yumaste Rhubarb Gin and Tonic

In a small sauce pan combine 1 pound fresh rhubarb that is cut into a 1 inch size dice with a simple syrup solution  that is made  up of 1 and 1/2 cups each of water and sugar.  Let the rhubarb pieces poach in the liquid for a couple of minutes over medium heat until they become quite soft and their color and flavor mixes into the liquid.  Let the liquid become a nice syrupy consistency where it reduces a bit and then strain the rhubarb pieces out of it that can be saved for another use (crisp, ice cream topping, jam mix in, all of the above).  Here you have your rhubarb simple syrup that will store quite nicely in your fridge for whenever your beverage (alcoholic or not) needs an instant pick me up.   I also have to mention that it is this fabulous bright shocking pink color that you will immediately fall in love with.  


Now onto the drink making:
Fill a highball or tall glass with ice.  Pour in between an ounce and ounce and a  half of the rhubarb syrup depending on how sweet you like your drink into your glass (I actually went with the method of pouring my syrup in a plastic squeeze bottle so I've just been doing a generous squeeze).   Next add your gin depending where you like your like drink to be. (If we were going with an official recipe, I would say 2 ounces but  as you can see from the picture we enjoy our cocktails in this house out of glasses that have lines etched into them which I use as the pouring gauge).  Fill the remainder of the glass up with tonic water and top with a freshly cut piece of lime.  Give it a quick stir and I assure you that the calmness will set in for you too.


"Treat yourself.  Don't cheat yourself" is actually a favorite and well-used phrase of my brother that works perfectly here for this note.  When it comes to drinks like G and T's go ahead and treat yourself to really good quality ingredients because they will make something classic and simple taste so much more delicious.  We have gotten hooked on the habit of high quality tonic waters such as Q tonic that can be found at Whole Foods or Williams-Sonoma and the fact that it comes in small bottles basically eliminates the issue of breaking into flat tonic water.  Our gin of the moment is Greylock Gin from the Berkshires because why wouldn't you want to drink something made in New England?