Search This Blog

Sunday, March 6, 2011

A Sad, Sad Tale

This evening, we decided to do a little Karaoke (just the two of us). Normally, we "warm up" with a shot of tequila, salt and lime. For those of you who have never done a tequila shot (all 4 of you), here is the routine:

     1. Lick the back of your hand, then shake or apply salt to the wet spot.
     2. Take the lime in that same hand
     3. Take the shot glass of tequila in the opposite hand


     Now (in order):  1) Lick the salt off the back of your hand  2) Down the shot of tequila  and  3) Put the wedge of lime in your mouth and suck out the juice. This is one reason why tequila "shots" are such a safe drink. As long as you can remember the order, you are OK. When you begin to think, "Let's see.... which come first????"- then you've had too many.


Anyway, back to Karaoke night. It has come to this. Some months ago, I stopped buying tequila. Because it is in import, it is expensive and I cannot justify paying the price. So I have substituted Cachaça (a Brazilian liquor), which is acceptable. However, tonight we ran out of limes and had to use lemon wedges. So it has come down to this: instead of tequila shots and lime, we have been forced to rely on Cachaça and lemon wedges. I can tell you that the karaoke suffered.

But don't feel sorry for us. We'll survive, somehow. People all over are having to make sacrifices and we are no exception. So we will struggle on through, doing our best with what we have.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sad, indeed, but one can only admire your courage in going public with an account of the depths of depravity to which you've sunk.

But hey, it's icy and cold up north.

~doc

Geraldo said...

Hello Wally!

As usual I have a nice recipe… lol… this time for cachaça, which is a brandy made from the juice of the very first pressing of sugarcane.

First it is worth mentioning that there are literally five thousand different brands of cachaças in Brazil. Sorry to say but the white, un-aged cachaça such as “Velho Barreiro” or “Pitu 51” are not the best to drink straight or neat… lol… actually they taste terrible!

Most fine cachaças are aged in barrels (oak, among other woods), and this aging process yields a cachaça with a smoother taste and a yellow caramel color. Brazilian law stipulates that cachaça must be aged at least one year to be labeled “aged”. Some of the best Brazilian cachaças are: Vale Verde, Anísio Santiago, Canarinha, Germana, Cladionor etc.

However, the white and un-aged cachaça can be used in a wonderful Brazilian drink called “caipirinha”… I am sure you will love it… It must be made with fresh lime to achieve an authentic taste. In Brazil, the very best “caipirinhas” are made with “limões galegos”… I believe that in the US it is called “key lime”. It has a lighter lime odor and tastes a little more acidic. The larger, more readily available, thick-skinned, “Tahitian limes” sold almost elsewhere in the world can certainly be used but are not as good as “key limes”.

Voici the recipe of the Brazilian caipirinha:

You will need:

• Cachaça
• Limes (key limes, if available)
• Superfine sugar
• Crushed ice
• A "lowball", "rocks" or "Old-Fashioned" glass
• A pestle (from a mortar and pestle, or something similar) for the muddling

Preparation:

• Cut the ends off of the lime and discard.
• Cut the lime in half lengthwise and cut out the white pith in the middle.
• Cut the lime in half, and cut one half of the lime into four wedges and place in the glass. If your lime is small, you will need to add more lime to the glass.
• Add one to three tablespoons of sugar. The amount of sugar depends on your personal taste as well as the size of the lime you are using… Brazilians like it very sweet!
• Use the pestle to "muddle" the limes and sugar together. Basically, you want to crush the limes so that they mix in well with the sugar. Be careful not to break the skin of the lime. When you've gotten all of the juice out of the lime, you're done.
• Pack crushed ice in the glass all the way to the top.
• Add cachaça all the way to the top of the glass.
• Use a larger glass or bottom of a cocktail shaker and put it over the top of your drink. Pick up with two hands and shake very well for at least 15 seconds.
• Garnish with a wedge or slice of lime.
• Drink... and enjoy the best caipirinha!

william said...

Bah..would've done anything to hear a couple of minutes of you and your wife sing.Next time see if you can put up an audio file.:-)


-william c

Wally said...

William- if we put up an audio file of Denise and I singing- I think we would lose 1/2 of our loyal readers.....