It's Wednesday. So What's Cooking?

To help you celebrate your holiday of choice in style, Studs came up with a beverage that’s easy to make and lip smackin’ good.

VODKA & PINEAPPLE
3 pineapples cored, peeled, and cut into rings
1.75 liters of your favorite vodka
Large wide-mouth glass container with a secure lid

Place the pineapple rings at the bottom of the container in any design you fancy. Pour the vodka on top. Be sure to cover the pineapple by at least 2 inches. You don’t have to refrigerate as the alcohol preserves the fruit. Check periodically to be sure the vodka level is still well over the pineapple.

To serve, pour over ice in a cocktail glass or swirl it with ice and then pour into pony glasses.

Here are two more drinks for your pleasure.

CITRUS CHAMPAGNE PUNCH
1 cup fresh lemon juice
3 cups superfine or granulated sugar
4 cups vodka
1 bottle Limoncello
3 tbsp. dry vermouth
4 bottles chilled dry Champagne or sparkling wine
2 lemons sliced thin
1 bottle ginger ale

Combine lemon juice, sugar, vodka, Limoncello, and vermouth in a large nonreactive bowl. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Add sliced lemons. Cover and refrigerate 1 – 2 hours to chill.

Add Champagne then gently stir to blend. Add the ginger ale if the mixture seems too strong.

Serve in a punch bowl with ice on the side. Makes approximately 5 gallons.

For a smaller crowd, scale down the recipe by at least half. Fill tall glasses with a few ice cubes. Add the punch and enjoy.

MOCK CHAMPAGNE PUNCH
2 bottles ginger ale, the 2 liter size
1 pineapple juice, 46 oz.
1 bottle white grape juice, 64 oz.

To make an ice ring:
Fill a ring-shaped cake pan half full with ginger ale.
Freeze until partially frozen. Lay pieces of fruit around the ring. I used blueberries and orange slices. Fill the pan with ginger ale and freeze until solid.

Chill the second bottle of ginger ale and juices for several hours.

In a large punch bowl, lay the ice ring. Pour the ginger ale and juices over the ice ring and serve.

Another Studly Gem

Drinks served at a bar or restaurant on those nice little napkins can be a pain when the paper clings to the bottom of the glass and smacks you in the chin. To avoid the problem lift your glass and sprinkle salt on the napkin. Voila! No more stick.

And no cocktail is ever complete without a little nosh.

BLACK OLIVES IN OIL
1 can medium pitted black olives
3 garlic cloves
Olive oil
Glass jar with a secure lid

Drain the black olives and pour them into the jar. Crush the garlic into the jar. Pour in the olive oil to cover. Refrigerate at least 1 week. The mix will become thick and cloudy. It’s okay, that’s the oil solidifying.

To serve, set the jar on the counter until the oil becomes clear and normal consistency, which will take several hours. Spoon out the quantity of olives you wish to serve into a pretty dish. Be sure to have toothpicks. Put the jar back in the fridge for future use. You can refill with more olives and the mixture can stay good for up to three months.

I'll be back Monday with Dorien Grey. Until then...

Please drink responsibly.

Sloane Taylor
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