Recipes

The Tuckahoe

Raising the Bar

Of course wine pairing and having a beverage that complements the food is an important part of any meal, but when you are just kicking back enjoying the sun and surf that the Hamptons is known for, what is in your glass?  My name is Clayton Schermerhorn and I am the Maitre’d to the private chef Peter Cooke.  While most of my time is spent serving and addressing  the needs of the Mr., Mrs and guests of the house, I love to tend the bar when I get the chance.  This love came from a thirst for creativity, and the challenge I meet on regular basis when introduced to a clients [often limited] liquor cabinet.  Sometimes you just have to “mix-it-up” per se and create,  I actually really like doing this.  So much that it is something Peter and I now mention while doing our needs and wants assessment with clients.  Have you ever had a Tuckahoe, Sandbar or White Swan Martini…?  Not unless you have been a guest where it is the house drink, this is just  part of the personal service that we provide.  Summer is a time to relax, have fun and enjoy yourself and having a great summer drink can bring your 8 to a solid 10!  You don’t have to be a mixologist or a seasoned bartender to provide a great beverage for you and your guests.  So here are two simple crowd-pleasers that will win you big points.  Margaritas and Sangria are warm weather favorites can be done in so many ways and they are ALL great, but here are two of my recopies.

White Peach-Raspberry Sangria

-Two 1.75L bottles of Chardonnay

-300mL of Cointreau

-2oz Superfine sugar

-Two 6oz packages of red raspberries

-Five white peaches

-Two cans of Ginger Ale

Note: The longer you give this time to sit the better.  I suggest that you prepare this the night before or first thing in the morning of the day you plan to serve this so that everything has time to mingle.

Directions - 1.) Begin by cutting each peach into 8 slices  2.) Gently muddle the raspberries to break them up a bit, and mix with sugar, let this sit until the sugar dissolves and a syrup forms at the bottom of your bowl. 3.) Combine the peaches, raspberries, wine, and Cointreau into a container.  4.) Stir occasionally. Prior to serving in a pitcher, add the ginger ale as well as some of the peaches.

The Basic Margarita, slightly refined…

-2oz of Tequila (gold is recommended for this recipe)

-.5oz of Grand Marnier

-1oz of Pineapple Juice

-1oz of Orange Juice

-3oz of Margarita mix

-Dash of Rosie’s Lime Juice

-Ice

-1 lemon

-1Lime

-Salt or Sugar

NOTE: You will need a mixer and an extra pint glass to measure and mix to ensure the perfect pour into the glass that will be served.

Directions - 1.) Cut the lemon and lime into wedges and and make a slight cut perpendicular to the wedge down to the rind, so that it could sit on the rim of the glass.  2. Prepare your glass by moistening the rim with a lemon wedge and dip into either salt or sugar to coat the rim. 3) Put the desired amount of ice into a pint glass. 4.) Combine the tequila, Grand Marnier, pineapple and orange juice,  Rosie’s Lime juice first.  5.) Fill the rest of the glass with margarita mix, cover and shake to mix. 6.) Pour into your prepared glass and garnish with a lime wedge.

Thank you for lending your time to me today, have a drink on me!  Raising the Bar will appear as a regular column here, so I invite you to visit us often.

Cheers,

          Clayton