Weekend Snapshot: Tips on getting drunk

I was never a hardcore drinker, nor an occasional drinker. My father hated alcohol and so he raised us to feel the same way against this distilled liquid of high fuelled spirit trapped in this bottle. I used to hate alcohol when I was a kid. At the age 18, force of curiosity, I had my first taste of alcohol. It was disgusting! And so I thought. During the sleepless days of thesis writing we would comfort ourselves with our power drink. My classmates baptised it the "zombie drink" a beautiful blend of one liter of fresh fruit juice (mostly we used Dalandan fruits that is rich in vitamin C) with one bottle of Tanduay Rhum and one bottle of Gin of Ginebra. It was a cocktail so powerful for us that a glass or two could turn us immediately into walking dead.Arriving in France however, I realized that even if I don’t drink alcohol I should have had a wine and cocktail 101 in my academic curriculum. For my knowledge is so meager in this country where drinking is as important as the food they are eating. In France it is indispensable to know at least the basic. White wine for white meat. Red wine for red meat. Cold cider if we are eating crepe or to serve some bubbly Champagne on special occasions. The types of glasses too are crucial or even the temperature at with which we need to serve them. It is so important that it is like a ritual that there is no shortcut in doing it the right way. At home having a wine cellar is not a must but storing some of these bottles is indispensable. Some good Porto, Pastis (specially we are living Provence), Rhum (very practical for cooking desserts), some Italian liquor like Amaretto or Martini or more powerful stuffs like Tequila or a strong Vodka. A wide choice of beer (brown, white, flavored) without forgetting some strong or sweet Ciders at hand would also be useful from time to time. Storing some bottle of sake would also be useful not only for cooking some Japanese dishes but could also be an inventive proposition to some guests. Having a very expensive wine is not really necessary but having some old red wine (at least six years old) waiting in the kitchen will save the day during special occasions. Well the list could really be endless.

When I have learned that I was pregnant last year, I avoided even more alcohol. In fact, It even shocked me to discover that it was just very recently in France that the Ministry of Health signed the Zero Alcohol Campaign alarmed by the high incidence of premature and birth defects because of too much alcohol consumption even by pregnant women. The law just took effect this year meaning "this time" there would be visible warning sign symbol that drinking for pregnant women is dangerous.

So you are probably wondering how do we enjoy alcohol and get drunk in France even if we don’t necessarily like alcohol. It is simple. My tips are the following; First you start up your meal with a sumptuous Drunk Shrimp (nilasing na Hipon) flambé in Sake drizzled with sautéed red pepper, young onion and lots of garlic for entree.

Drunk Shrimp in Sake

Then you followed it with a main dish of roasted breast of duck marinated in grated ginger and a good dose of Porto wine glazed with honey. This dish goes very well with the sweetness of caramelized fresh figs.

Roasted Breast Duck in Honey & Porto with Figs

Then you finish up your meal with Pinacolada Pie. A pie of fresh pineapple flambé in white Rhum and baked with a custard of coco cream over flaky pastry.

Pinacolada Pie

But of course do not forget that this meal should be consumed with great moderation *(that is if you are not pregnant ;-) Cheers!

Drunk Shrimp in Sake (Nilasing na Hipon sa Sake)

250 g of prawns, 1 cup of sake, 1 head of garlic chopped finely, 1 young onion chopped, 1 red pepper cut in small cubes, salt, pepper, 10 g of butter, 2 tbsp of olive oil

Start by marinating the prawns in the sake for a minimum of one hour. In a pan melt the butter with the olive oil and brown lighty the garlic, the onion and the red pepper. Add afterwards the prawn. After 3 minutes add the marinating sake and flambé it. Add salt and pepper.

Roasted Breast Duck in Porto and Honey with Figs

1 large breast of duck, 2 tbsp of grated fresh ginger, 1 tbsp of Balsamic vinegar, half a cup of Porto, salt, pepper, 6 pcs of fresh figues, 5 tbsp of honey

In a bowl combine the honey with grated ginger, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and Porto. Marinate in this sauce the duck. After an hour pre-heat the oven at 220 degrees Celsius. In a pan, brown the duck (fatty side) for about 5 minutes. Then bake in the oven with the marinating sauce for 15 minutes. Set it aside. On the same pan, caramelize slowly the figs. Take it off from the pan, add the marinating sauce and thicken it.

Pinacolada Pie

1 big pineapple, 10 g of butter, half a cup of coconut milk, half a cup of fresh cream, 2 large eggs, 60 g of sugar, 50 g of dessicated coconut, 2 tbsp of white rhum, for the pastry: 200 g of flour, 60 g of sugar, 100 g of butter, 1 egg yolk

Start by preparing the pastry: in a bowl mix the flour with the butter cut in cubes using your hand. Add the sugar and egg yolk mix well. Form a ball and let it stand in the fridge for an hour. Prepare the pastry and put it in a buttered pie pan. Cook it for 15 minutes at 180 degrees. In a pan brown the sides of pineapple with 10 g of butter then add the Rhum and flambé it. Mix in another bowl the eggs with 60 g of sugar then add the coconut milk and fresh cream. Mix well. Finally add the 50 g of dessicated coconut. On the pastry put the coconut cream mixture and arrange on the top the pineapple. Bake in the oven until golden brown (20 minutes at 180 degrees).