My brother told me that he found some vanilla beans in Gourdo’s, a favorite retail store of ours. As vanilla beans are hard to come by in Manila, I was quite happy to learn he could source some. Bottles and bottles of imitation essence can be found on supermarket shelves there but the aroma of this locally-produced flavoring easily fades once incorporated in batters or drinks. That’s when the idea of making our own extract hit me.

Consulting trusty Mr. Google, I typed in ‘vanilla extract recipe’ on the search bar. Wow. 20 million entries. I settled with one. It called for vodka. Another idea hit me. Vanilla-scented poison. Haha! Just brilliant!

So off to Deira Spice Souk I went, got my precious pods, then to the bottle shop for a liter (oh, make that two) of vodi. It will be a long, two-month wait before I get to do my version of grown-up Vanilla Coke. And another month more to perfume my next batch of ice cream. But hey, patience they say is a virtue. In the meantime, I will pass this recipe on to my brother, dream of pouring this sweet, velvety elixir over a couple of cubes of ice and offering a toast to Bacchus. Dude, you may be the god of wine but we mortals take credit for creating this gorgeous ambrosia.

xxx

Karima

Vanilla Vodka

Makes a liter of infused liquor

Ingredients:

Method:

Sterilize an infusion bottle and pour vodka in it. Immerse the pods in the liquor and leave to infuse in a cool dark place for 8 weeks.

When vodka is ready, remove vanilla pods and strain liquid to remove any impurities. Use the vanilla pods to make extract.

Vanilla Extract

Makes 1 cup of extract

Ingredients:

Method:

Sterilize a mason jar and pour vodka in it. Split the vanilla pods and scrape the caviar inside. Add pods and caviar to the vodka in the mason jar. Make sure the pods are completely immersed in the alcohol. Leave to sit in a cool dark place for 4 weeks.

Lemongrass is an aromatic herb that has become a staple ingredient in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine.  It is widely used in fish soups and curries as its citrus flavor blends well with garlic, cilantro and chilies.  Because of its fresh, clean fragrance, it is often incorporated in soaps and various aromatherapy products.

In the Philippines, iced tea is very common in restaurants and fast food joints.  It usually comes flavored with lemon.  In Thailand, it too is flavored but with lemongrass.

This recipe is adapted from the Blue Elephant Cooking School in Bangkok.  To elevate this humble drink a notch, serve it with fruit or herb ice cubes such as lemon zest or mint.

Ingredients:

• 6 stalks lemongrass, bruised
• 8 cups water
• 8 tea bags
• Honey, optional
• Lemon or lime, optional
• Ice cubes

Mise en Place:

1. Bruis the stalks to release their juices and divide between two bowls.
2. Make a simple syrup by boiling 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar.  Add one bowl of the chopped lemongrass just before the syrup come to a boil.  Remove from heat and let stand for half an hour.  Set aside.
3. In a big pot, put the remaining lemongrass and the water and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and let stand for an hour.  Strain the liquid and bring back to a boil.  Add the tea bags and let steep for 5 minutes.  Remove the tea bags and allow to cool at room temperature before putting inside the fridge to chill thoroughly.

Method:

1. Sweeten the tea with lemongrass syrup or honey to taste.
2. Add fruit ice cubes.
3. Garnish with lemongrass stalks for swizzle sticks.

Jon