[1] A Hurricane cocktail served in the traditional Hurricane glass, fashioned after a hurricane lamp (photo © Alex 9500 | Panther Media).

[2] The Hurricane is so popular that the Hard Rock Cafe in Stockholm has its own printed Hurricane glasses (photo © Bacardi Rum | Facebook).

[3] Gosling’s Black Seal dark rum (photo © Gosling’s).

Everything is now closed, including things that never close, such as the public transit system and the theaters. The subway is not expected to be up and running until later on Monday. Instead of a “snow day,” we have two “hurricane days.”

So last night we threw a hurricane party and invited some friends who live in our apartment building for Hurricane cocktails—an appropriate name even though no hurricane engendered the creation of the drink.

The rum cocktail called a Hurricane was invented by New Orleans tavern owner Pat O’Brien in the early 1940s.

He had too many cases of rum, because the wholesale distributors required the purchase of a large number of cases of rum in order to buy a case of the more popular whiskeys.

Scotch and Irish whiskeys were in limited supply because of World War II.

Stuck with many cases of rum in the basement, O’Brien did what any businessman would do: He concocted a cocktail to use it.

The curvy, footed cocktail glass he used, shaped like a hurricane lamp, was called hurricane glass. That’s how the drink got its name.

The Hurricane became a fixture in the French Quarter, with Pat O’Brien’s bar a tourist destination.

Alas, with the use of cheap mixes to maximize profits, today’s French Quarter Hurricane is likely to be just another sweet, artificially colored drink, even at Pat O’Brien’s.

So if you want a good Hurricane, you’ll have to go to a top venue, or make your own.
 
 
RECIPE: ORIGINAL HURRICANE COCKTAIL

Ingredients Per Cocktail

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the rum, passion fruit syrup and lemon juice in a shaker; shake vigorously until the mixing tin frosts.

2. STRAIN into a hurricane glass over fresh crushed ice.

3. GARNISH with an orange and cherry “flag” (skewer) and serve.
 
 
Check out the variations below.

As with almost every recipe, there are myriad variations on the Hurricane.

 
The choice is yours.

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*Rum is fermented from sugar cane and molasses. Light rum (also called silver rum or white rum) is fermented in steel and filtered and has a clear color. To make dark rum (also called amber rum or gold rum), the clear light rum is aged in charred oak barrels, acquiring a caramel color and rich layers of flavor. Rich, caramel dark rum is made by aging clear rum in charred oak casks, giving it a deep brown color and a full flavor. Spiced rum, often colored dark with caramel, is not a dark rum.

Don’t stick it in a closet and forget about it. Our parents’ liquor closet grew and grew for 30 years, until the house was sold and a bar’s worth of over-the-hill drink had to be drained and recycled.

Here’s a better approach:

Why spend money on small jars of “specialty” bean dip when it’s so easy to make your own? You can use black beans (also known as common beans and turtle beans, among other names) or white beans (use cannellini, Great Northern or marrow bean varieties).

The cooking video below demonstrates a chunky black bean salsa dip: a combination of beans, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice and zest. (The word “dip” is extraneous, except when necessary to explain to non-Mexicans what to do with it.)

Personally, we skip the last step in the video recipe, which adds the juice, zest and segments of an orange. It’s a “fusion” addition: The orange originated in Southeast Asia* and although available in modern Mexico, isn’t part of traditional Mexican cuisine. Instead, add a cup of cooked or raw corn kernels (corn is indigenous to Mexico).

How To Use Black Bean Salsa/Dip

In addition to a dip for chips, it’s a delicious salsa (the word means sauce) for broiled or grilled fish, burgers, chicken, over rice and in a salad with greens and/or vegetables. (Beans are legumes, not vegetables.)

For an even better flavor, plan a day ahead and start with dry beans: They need to soak overnight and cook for up to 90 minutes, until soft and ready to purée.

Want a white bean dip? Try this recipe. This spreadable, puréed dip is delicious on bruschetta and sandwiches as well as for dipping chips.

Beans are a guilt-free food. Among the most inexpensive and nutritious foods available, beans are a great source of protein that can substitute for meat. They are typically low in [beneficial] fat and are cholesterol free, while delivering folate, iron, magnesium and potassium and fiber.

• Check out our Bean Glossary for the many different types of beans.
• All about bean nutrition.
• Make a vegetarian sandwich with white bean dip, using our recipe for a hummus sandwich.

*For those who point out that the lime also originated in Southern Asia: OK, but it’s been a flavor in Mexican cooking for hundreds of years.

So enjoy a simple hummus and cucumber sandwich in pita, or become a creative sandwich artist with this list of sandwich ideas:

Choose Your Hummus

There are so many different flavors of hummus that you can choose from dozens, including artichoke, garlic, horseradish, jalapeño, olive, pesto, red pepper and sundried tomato.

Choose Your Bread

Go for a good-for-you bread: whole wheat bread/roll/pita or other whole grain bread (look for the ingredients: corn, flaxseed, hemp, oats, rye, spelt (farro) or whole wheat).

Add Some Of These 20+ Items To Your Hummus Sandwich

A reader writes: “When I order a beverage, sometimes it comes with a wedge of lime or lemon, sometimes a wheel (a circular slice). Is there a substantive difference or is it just an individual choice?”

The difference is style over substance.

Whether your beverage is a soft drink, juice, water, tea/iced tea or a cocktail, a garnish adds a nice touch.

Some bartenders do the work for you by squeezing the juice and then adding the squeezed wedge to the drink. Others notch the wedge from the fruit edge to the rind, and affix it to the rim of the glass for you to squeeze.

Here’s Option 3

If you don’t need the citrus flavor, garnish with a slice of cucumber, which goes with just about any drink. It’s elegant in appearance and is a crunchy edible bonus.

Orange wheels, berries, melon and fruit slices are other options. Look at contrasting colors, such as the attractive green of a kiwi wheel.

And don’t overlook one of our favorite tips:

Fill your water pitcher with any combination of sliced fruits and berries. You’ll get an absolutely delicious infused water that’s calorie-free.