hemi culture
TASTEMAKERS
I
ndian cuisine reliesonamedleyof spices that, likean
orchestra,mustwork together tobringeachdish to life;
noone flavor canplay too loudly, or thewholebalance is
thrownoff. Nowadays,mixologists arebeginning to
explore thesebold, aromatic flavors—cardamomand clove,
coriander and cumin—in cocktails that areeverybit as
complexas thedishes that inspire them.
At London’sAnise, abar attached to the Indian spot
CinnamonKitchen, Gianni Albanese relishes the challenge
of creating cocktailswitharomatic spices.
“Sometimes it
can takea fewmonths to fine-tunearecipe that includes
cumin, fennelandcloves,”hesays. “But ifusedcorrectly
and inminimaldoses, theresultscanbeastonishing.”
Inhiswhite rum–basedDevonshireExpress, the
intensityof cardamombalances perfectlywith the rich-
ness of espresso. And theAllspice StrawberryBellini gets
its robust, warmingnotes of cinnamon, clove, star anise,
nutmeg and cardamom fromBitter TruthPimentoDram, a
Jamaican-inspired allspice liqueur.
At Bangkok’s Charcoal Tandoor Grill &Mixology, Joseph
Boroski created the1947: Independence cocktail, named
for theyear Indiabecame free fromBritish rule. He
credits thedrink’s creation tohis time spent exploring
India’s spicemarkets. “They’re aheaven for someone like
me, who thrives on thebright colors, titillating smells and
constant shoutingof vendors,” he says. The cocktail pairs
mace-and-clover-infusedvodkawithpomegranate and
housemadehibiscus syrup.
Tomake theGoldenElixir, at
SpiceAffair inBeverlyHills,
JeremiahCalebmixes saffron-
infusedvodkawithhousemade
agave syrup spicedwithginger,
cinnamon, star aniseand clove.
“Thebeautyof Indian spices is that
just a small pinch is sufficient in
flavoring thedrink,” he says.
—JEANINEBARONE
SUBCONTINENTALSIPS
Mixologists are turning to the Indian
spicemarket for inspiration
london
KOUIGN-AMANN
“It’sabombof calories!Kouign-
Amann [pronounced
Queen-ah-mahn
] means
‘butter cake’ in Breton, the Celtic language of
theBrittany region.Madewith croissant dough
enrichedwithbutter and sugar,withadashof salt
sprinkledonbeforebaking,thecakecomesoutwith
athick,savory-sweet,caramelizedcrust.It’snoteasy
tomake,butworth theeffort.”
TARTETROPÉZIENNE
“FromthechicRivieravillage
ofSt.-Tropezcomes itssimpleand tastynamesake
dessert: a halvedbrioche cake toppedwith sugar
crystals and filledwith apastry cream.Alexandre
Micka,aPolishpastry chef, sold the
gateaux
from
his shoponPlacede laMairie in the ’50s,and it’s
believedactressBrigitteBardotsuggestedthename:
TheTartofSt.-Tropez.”
PAN-BAGNAT
“Thispetitesandwichispopularstreet
food inNice,madewithtuna,anchovies,tomatoes,
radishes,hard-boiledegg,greenonion—no lettuce,
nomayonnaise—on a specific round bread.The
name inNiçardmeans ‘bathedbread,’and it’soften
misspelledusing theFrench
pain
rather than
pan
.”
MERVEILLES
“Called
merveilles
(wonders) in the
southwestofFranceand
bugnes
inthesoutheast,this
frieddough is thinand crunchy.Itwasonceeaten
during carnival time (February), thoughnow it’s
found throughoutwinter.Wemake them accord-
ing tomymum’s recipe,withorangeblossom and
lemon,sprinkledwithpowderedsugar.Soyummy!”
BREADBRAINS
Frédéric andFabienne
Souliès at Pitchoun
DEVONSHIREEXPRESS
Yieldsonedrink
• 1 cardamompod
• 3 tablespoonsEl DoradoSuperiorwhite rum
• 1 shot strongespresso
• 2 teaspoonsKahlúa
• 1½ teaspoonsvanilla sugar
• ice cubes
• orangezest
Chill amartini glass.Crush cardamomandadd toa
shakerwith ice.Muddle rum,Kahlúa, espressoand sugar
with thebackof awooden spoon.Seal and shakevigorously
for30 seconds.Strain into the chilledglass.Garnish
witha small piece of orangezest.
