Today’s handy culinary torch descends from the heavy duty blowtorches, long used by gold and silversmiths (the first patent dates to 1791).

While its most famous kitchen use is to caramelize the sugar on the top of crème brûlée, it is also handy to:

 
Affordable at $25 or so, it’s well worth it if you’d like an easy alternative to using the broiler or holding peppers over the stove flame. You can pick one up at most kitchenware retailers or online.

[1] Always a treat: crème brûlée (photo © QVC).

Here’s a recipe from QVC’s David Venable. If you want to add a Grand Marnier accent, take a look at this recipe.

You’ll need round or oval ceramic ramekins: 5-ounce ramekins for four servings, 3-ounce ramekins for seven servings. This set (photo below) from Bonjour includes both the torch and the ramekins.
 
 
RECIPE: CRÈME BRÛLÉE

Ingredients For 4 Servings

1. PREHEAT the oven to 325°F.

2. BRING the cream and 1/2 cup of the brown sugar to a simmer in a 2-quart saucepan.

3. LIGHTLY WHISK together the egg yolks and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Temper the egg mixture by slowly pouring the cream mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Add the vanilla and the rum and continue whisking until fully incorporated. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Place the bowl with the brûlée mixture into an ice water bath and let cool completely.

4. PLACE the ramekins in a large baking dish. Divide the brûlée mixture evenly among the ramekins, filling them 3/4 of the way full. Place the baking dish in the middle rack of the oven and then fill it with hot tap water, to 2/3 of the way up the ramekin sides.

5. BAKE for 35-45 minutes for 4 (five-ounce) ramekins; or bake for 25-35 minutes for 7 (three-ounce) ramekins. When done, each brûlée will jiggle lightly in the center.

6. REFRIGERATE for 4 hours or overnight. Just before serving, sprinkle the white sugar over each cooled crème brûlée and torch until all of the sugar is melted and golden brown (it will begin to harden when the torch is removed). Serve immediately.

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But the folks at Grey Goose tell us that this Prohibition-era drink is the oldest vodka cocktail found in print. They shared the recipe below.

While the drink appeared long before flavored vodkas were available in the U.S., you can use a cherry flavored vodka for more cherry flavor. Grey Goose, Pinnacle, Skyy, Smirnoff, Svedka, Three Olives and UV, among others, make cherry vodka.

In addition to the cocktail recipe, we have a second recipe for homemade brandied cherries, below.
 
 
RECIPE #1: RUSSIAN COCKTAIL

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the two spirits in a cocktail shaker. Top with crushed ice and shake vigorously.

2. STRAIN into a chilled frappe glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry and serve.
 
 
MARASCHINO LIQUEUR VS. CHERRY LIQUEUR

We actually prefer generic cherry liqueur to the cherry-specific maraschino liqueur. Maraschino liqueur, such as Luxardo, is a clear, relatively dry liqueur made from Marasca cherries, including the crushed pits. The latter give it a subtle bitter almond flavor.

If you like the note of almond, go for the maraschino liqueur. If you like things sweeter with more cherry flavor, head for the cherry liqueur.

[2] Thanks to Grey Goose for the recipe. We’d never seen a “Pink Russian” before.

The ubiquitous maraschino cherries that are a joke in some food circles were once quite elite. The cherries were originally preserved in the liqueur as a delicacy for royalty and the wealthy.

The Marasca cherry (Prunus cerasus var. marasca) is a type of sour Morello cherry that grows largely in Bosnia, Croatia, Herzegovina, northern Italy and Slovenia. With a bitter taste and a drier pulp than other cherry varieties, they are ideal to make maraschino liqueur.

The Marasca cherry tree is very fussy about where it will grow, so in the U.S., the Royal Ann variety is substituted for the Marasca to make maraschino cherries.

[4] Luxardo brand maraschino liqueur. The liqueur is clear, not cherry-red like other cherry liqueurs (photo © The Whiskey Exchange).

You can buy brandied cherries (they’re pricey) or make your own:

 
Here’s a recipe from DarlaCooks.com. Note that the aesthetically-pleasing stems come only with fresh cherries; so you may want to mark your calendar for cherry season, then get out your Mason jars and preserve them.

You can also marinate the cherries in cherry liqueur or kirschwasser, a cherry eau de vie (fruit brandy).

 
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BRANDY & COGNAC

Both brandy and cognac wall into the category of grape brandy, distilled from white wine grapes. But cognac is a superior product.

Cognac must be produced according to strict regulations, and only in the region surrounding the town of Cognac in central France. It must be made from a specific group of white grape varietals that are double distilled using pot stills, and then aged for at least two years.

Brandy is a generic term for a grape distillate that can be made anywhere in the world.

A good analogy is the difference between champagne, which must be made in the Champagne region of France, with specific grapes and techniques; and sparkling wines, which can be made anywhere in the world from any suitable grapes.

Grape brandy can be made anywhere, from any grapes (brandy is also made from fruit and pomace). It does not require double distillation or long aging.

While there are quality brandies, in general Cognac is a better product. The double distilling and aging rounds out the spirit and produces more mellow flavors.

Here’s a dip from the Cherry Marketing Institute, made pink with cherry juice or the stronger cherry juice concentrate. You can also use this cherry recipe to celebrate Washington’s Birthday.

After you make the dip, dilute the extra concentrate to make cherry juice for cocktails or mocktails, and freeze any leftovers into ice cubes and ice pops.

Serve this dip with crackers, toasts or vegetables. We also enjoyed it atop cottage cheese.
 
 
RECIPE: CHERRY NUT SPREAD

Ingredients For 1 Cup (8 Appetizer Servings)

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the cream cheese and tart cherry juice concentrate; mix until smooth. Stir in the sugar, pecans and thyme.

2. REFRIGERATE, covered, 2 to 3 hours or longer, to allow flavors to blend.

3. USE as a spread on toasted breads or as a dip for assorted crackers, with garnish as desired.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF CHERRIES

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*Amaranth, beet, cabbage, chard, kale, mustard, radish and mustard microgreens have red leaves, stems or both.
  

[2] A classic Louisiana gumbo (photo © Mackenzie Ltd.).

Mardi Gras, French for “Fat Tuesday” and called Shrove Tuesday in English, is part of the Catholic Carnival celebration beginning on Epiphany and ending the day before Ash Wednesday.

 
Mardi Gras parades, festivals and masquerades in colorful costumes mark the transition from traditional daily life to Lent.

No parties or celebrations are held during Lent, the six week period prior to Easter that represents the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness.

You don’t have to head to New Orleans to celebrate: Bring the party to your place. If you want to decorate, streamers or balloons in the traditional Mardi Gras colors (purple, green and gold) will do nicely. For music, check out these New Orleans playlists.
 
 
MARDI GRAS MENU

You can entertain easily, with muffaletta sandwiches or a hearty pot of jambalaya.

If you want to do some more elaborate cooking, here are some ideas from Chef Mike Valentine of Ford’s Oyster House, a New Orleans themed restaurant in Greenville, South Carolina.

Here are three classic cocktail ideas:

The Sazerac (photo #3) is a New Orleans variation of a whiskey cocktail, named for the Sazerac de Forge et Fils brand of Cognac that was later replaced by rye in most recipes. Some people date its origins to before the Civil War.

Ingredients Per Cocktail

 
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*You can use other bitters, but Peychaud is the official brand for the Sazerac.

†Absinthe has a strong licorice flavor. Absinthe is so strong that no one ever drinks it straight. In this recipe, it is used to “rinse the glass,” to add a hint of flavor. You can substitute the milder Patsis.
______________________
 
Preparation

1. CHILL an Old Fashioned glass by filling it with ice and letting it sit until ready to use.

2. MUDDLE the simple syrup and Peychaud bitters in a mixing glass. Add the rye and stir with ice.

3. DISCARD the ice in the Old Fashioned glass and rinse it with absinthe (pour a small amount into the glass, swirl it around and discarding the liquid). Strain the mixture from the mixing glass into the Old Fashioned glass.

4. SQUEEZE a lemon twist over the drink. Traditionalists then discard the twist, but you can add it to the drink for flavor.

[3] The Sazerac Cocktail, a New Orleans classic (photo © Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse).

[4] A bread bowl filled with spicy andouille sausage dip (photo © King’s Hawaiian).

This dip recipe (photo #4) comes from King’s Hawaiian, whose delicious sweet breads are a favorite at THE NIBBLE (here’s our review). If you don’t want to serve the dip in a bread bowl, you can serve it in a conventional bowl or keep it warm in a hot pot, on a brazier with a warming candle, etc.

If you don’t want to dip cubes of bread, you can slice the bread and provide knives for spreading the dip.

Ingredients

 
For The Bread Bowl

 
Preparation

1. CREATE a bread bowl: Carve out the center core of the round bread within two inches of the bottom and sides, keeping the shell intact. Cut the bread you’ve removed, and other loaf, into 1-inch cubes for dipping.

2. PLACE the andouille sausage pieces into large frying pan and sauté until cooked thoroughly. Add the Velveeta and cream cheese and stir until melted. Add the Cajun seasoning; adjust to taste.

3. POUR the dip into the bread bowl. Serve with the raw vegetables, bread cubes and toothpicks for dipping; or bread slices and a knife for spreading.
  

You can substitute cherry brandy or liqueur (Cherry Heering, DeKuyper Cherry Brandy, Grand Marnier Natural Cherry, Southern Comfort Cherry, etc.) for the cherry vodka.

RECIPE: CHERRY JELL-O SHOTS

Ingredients

Preparation

1. POUR boiling water over the Jell-O and stir until thoroughly dissolved. Cool to room temperature, then stir in the vodka.

2. POUR the mixture into shot glasses or Jell-O shot cups. Refrigerate until well-set, at least 6 hours. Makes 32 1-ounce jello shots, give or take.

Check out these heart-shaped Jell-O shots.

TIPS FOR MAKING JELL-O SHOTS

Thanks to GreatPartyRecipes.com for these tips:
 
Preparation

 
Eating