Lemon Tea vodka is ready to add pizzazz to
iced tea and lemonade. Photo courtesy
Belvedere Vodka.

A vodka flavor is not the same as “flavored vodka.” Vodka can be flavored with an extract, natural or artificial; or it can be infused or macerated (a longer process) with the actual botanicals (fruits, herbs, spices, etc.). Belvedere takes the long route and macerates for the finest natural flavor.

Meant to pair with iced tea and lemonade, Belvedere Lemon Tea vodka is a complex layering of black tea, green tea, chamomile, lemongrass, honey, ginger and lemon.

Unless you’re a supertaster, though, you won’t find all of that when you take a sip. Although the ingredients combine to provide the overall sensory experience, you’re more likely to find the nose and palate to be bright and citrussy, recalling lemon peel and perhaps a hint of orange (there’s no orange in the blend, but common chemical components evoke other aromas and flavors).

We enjoy more flavor-forward expressions, and found the Lemon Tea flavors to be light on the palate.

While we enjoyed the lemon peel aroma and taste while drinking shots, in a mixed drink—1.5 ounces in 6 ounces of tea or lemonade—the flavor contribution was not much different than we’d get with regular citrus vodka. (Although the citrus flavors do add a bit of pizzazz, if you’re not ready to buy a new bottle of vodka, you can also add plain vodka to iced tea or lemonade.)

The company says that Belvedere Lemon Tea vodka “is designed for afternoon enjoyment, whether you’re poolside, having a BBQ or enjoying a day at the beach.” (Nota bene: Many beaches in the U.S. prohibit the possession or consumption of alcohol.)

We like Belvedere Lemon Tea vodka for Mother’s Day gifting to moms who enjoy a spiked tea or lemonade. Two recipes—a cocktail and a punch—follow.

RECIPES WITH BELVEDERE LEMON VODKA

BELVEDERE PEACH TEA

Ingredients

For one drink:

 
Preparation

1. Build drink over cubed ice. Stir.

2. Garnish with a lemon wedge and sprig of mint and serve.

BELVEDERE SHANDY PUNCH

The Shandy is a popular summer drink, also known as an Arnold Palmer and a Half and Half. Here’s why, and the easy recipe to make a single drink rather than a punch bowl.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. Add all ingredients to a large pitcher or a punch bowl and stir.

2. Chill overnight if possible. To serve, add a block of ice (or ice cubes, if a pitcher). Serve immediately.
 
A SIP OF BELVEDERE TRIVIA

Belvedere, a luxury brand of Polish vodka produced and distributed by LVMH, is named after Belweder, the Polish presidential palace in Warsaw. That’s the building illustrated on the vodka bottle (photo above).

Belvedere is a combination of the Italian words bello and vedere, meaning “beautiful” and “to see.” In architecture, a belvedere is a building, or an architectural feature of a building, designed and situated to look out upon a pleasing scene.

These sandwiches are fraternal triplets. The names were different depending on their origins, but all were initially hearty sandwiches of meat and cheese.

The hoagie, on a crusty, oblong roll (or a portion of a loaf of French or Italian bread), is piled high with Italian cold cuts or other lunch meats, provolone and perhaps another cheese. Garnishes typically include sweet and/or hot peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, oregano and a vinegar and olive oil dressing.

In Europe, this type of sandwich is known as a baguette or a ciabatta, after the type of bread used.
 
 
HOAGIE HISTORY

One of the prevailing explanations of the name “hoagie” is that it was introduced by Italian Americans working at the shipyard known as Hog Island, in southwest Philadelphia, during World War II. It became known as the “Hog Island sandwich,” which evolved to “hoagie.”

But the sandwich had earlier roots with New York Italians.

According to some food historians, the progenitor of the sandwich—but not the name—originated in the late 19th century to serve Italian laborers, who wanted the convenient lunch they had enjoyed in Italy.
 
 
WHAT ABOUT THE SUBMARINE SANDWICH?

It’s another name for the same type of sandwich. The submarine, or sub, has at least two claims to invention; plausibly, it may have occurred in both places.

The first location is Boston at the beginning of World War I, at a local restaurant that served Navy servicemen stationed at the Charlestown Navy Yard. The bread was a specially baked baguette intended to resemble the hull of the submarines after which it was named.

[1] A classic hoagie with Italian-style cold cuts. Photo courtesy Dietz & Watson.

[2] A gourmet sub/hoagie/hero with goat cheese, roasted vegetables and balsamic vinaigrette, from City Sandwich in New York City.

Conti’s granddaughter recounts that he was selling traditional Italian sandwiches made on long, crusty rolls, filled with cold cuts, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, onions, oil, vinegar, Italian herbs, spices, salt and pepper. The sandwich started with a layer of cheese and ended with a layer of cheese so the bread wouldn’t get soggy.

THE GRINDER? THE HERO?

The Grinder: Per Wikipedia, grinder is common term in New England that may have derived from Italian-American slang for a dock worker, among whom the sandwich was popular. Another claim is that it was called a grinder because it took a lot of chewing to eat the hard-crust bread.

Wikipedia also claims that in Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania and parts of New England, grinder usually refers to a hot submarine sandwich (meatball or sausage, e.g.), whereas a cold cuts sandwich is called a submarine/sub [source].

The Hero: New York City called its version a hero sandwich, likely owing to its size and substance. The name is sometimes credited to New York Herald Tribune food writer Clementine Paddleford, who wrote (in the 1930s) that “you needed to be a hero to finish the gigantic Italian sandwich.”

Depending on the region, the sandwich is also called a po’ boy, torpedo, zeppelin and no doubt, other names.

Build yourself a gourmet hoagie to celebrate National Hoagie Day. Use these upgrades to the classic Italian deli meats, or create your own recipe.

 
We’re so hungry just thinking about it—we can’t wait until lunch.
  

It’s not too late to invite a few friends over for cocktails. Smack in the middle of Cocktail Hour is the Kentucky Derby.

You can keep it casual, but invite everyone to wear their most festive hats, Kentucky Derby-style.

Here are three recipes to go with the hats.

KENTUCKY DERBY COCKTAILS

 
And they’re off!

This year is the 20th anniversary of the jalapeño popper, a hot little nugget that enjoys a cold beer.

The original poppers were jalapeño chiles stuffed with cheese, battered and deep-fried—a spicy American snack version of the Mexican dish, chiles rellenos (stuffed bell peppers). They were created by McCain Foods for the restaurant/foodservice industry. You can find them in supermarket frozen foods aisles as Anchor Poppers.

Chefs and home cooks embraced poppers, and stuffing variations have expanded to include different cheeses, crabmeat, ground meat, chopped sautéed mushroom and whatever appeals to the cook (we like polenta and sausage). While restaurants tend to serve the battered and fried poppers, it’s easy—and less caloric—to grill them at home.

It’s A Snap!

The video below shows just how easy it is to grill jalapeños. The toughest part (and it isn’t tough) is scooping out the ribs and the seeds from whole jalapeños with the tops cut off, to create the vessel for filling.

To that end, this inexpensive jalapeño corer is a good investment. You can get one “free” when you buy a jalapeño roasting rack to set atop your grill (about $17.00 for both items).

You don’t need either to make the bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers in this video: Simply slice the chile in two, scoop, fill and use a raw bacon slice to wrap the two sides together. Fold in a foil packet and grill.

But if this is your type of food, the grilling rack speeds up the process—and is the green alternative to sending sheets of foil into the landfill.

More Ideas

Dip Or Sauce: Poppers don’t need a dip or a sauce, but people tend to like them. We combine melted pepper jelly with plain Greek yogurt. Salsa, marinara sauce or any favorite will do as well.

Cookbook: There’s also a cookbook for you: Jalapeño Poppers: and Other Stuffed Chili Peppers which has 100+ recipes, from jalapeño poppers to armadillo eggs to stuffed chili peppers galore.
Pop on!

> The history of orange juice.

> The history of oranges.
 
 
USES FOR ORANGE JUICE

1. Basting Liquid. Orange juice adds delicious flavor to beef, pork and poultry.

2. Cake Mix. Replace the water in the recipe with orange juice in vanilla/white/yellow and chocolate cake cake mixes.

3. Cocktails. There are many, including the Mimosa, Sex On The Beach and Tequila Sunrise. But the classic is a Screwdriver: 1.5 ounces of vodka and 6 ounces of orange juice, with an orange wheel garnish.

4. French Toast, Pancakes & Waffles. Add a tablespoon of juice to your batter. This works best with an added teaspoon of orange zest—and is a reason why you should zest citrus rinds and freeze the zest before throwing out the pulp.

5. Ice Cubes. Freeze the juice in ice cube trays—plain or with an added berry, cherry or snippet of sweet herb (basil, rosemary, thyme).

6. Ice Pops. Freeze the juice plain in an ice pop mold, or mix with vanilla yogurt for a Creamsicle effect. You can also make granita or sorbet.

7. Marinade. Add 1/4 cup of orange juice to your regular marinade. For a basic marinade, start with 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 cloves chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon each of two different chopped herbs (parsley and thyme go well with everything), and for some heat, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.

8. Salad Dressing. For a green salad or fruit salad, substitute orange juice for half the vinegar. You can also use one or more tablespoons of juice to thin the mayonnaise in a chicken salad, coleslaw, or any salad that’s bound with mayo.

9. Smoothie. Add 1/4 cup of orange juice to your regular smoothie recipe; or whip one up with 1/4 cup orange juice, 1 cup fresh fruit and 1 container (6 ounces) of your favorite nonfat yogurt.

10. Spritzer. Enjoy OJ with fewer calories. Dilute orange juice with club soda (try 1/3:2/3, then 1/2:1/2) for a refreshing soft drink, with an optional squeeze of lemon or lime.

What are your favorite ways to use orange juice?
 
 
 
 
 

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[1] Baste your chicken with orange juice (photo © Melina Hammer). See more of her beautiful food photography and her award-winning cookbook at MelinaHammer.com.

[2] Add some orange juice to your vinaigrette (photo © Foods & Wines From Spain).

[3] Pour OJ into ice pop molds for orange ice pops (photo © Williams Sonoma).