Drunken Cherries/Flavored Booze

Our little cherry tree post pruning.

It's been awhile since I last posted. Life is busy these days and new recipes have been on the back burner. Even this one is a blast from the past. I did this recipe 3 years ago when we had an amazing cherry season when I first arrived in Germany. Our cherry tree has been a bit barren since then but after a little pruning from the landlord, the beast awoke and produced an amazing number of cherries this year. What to do with them? Well eat them, of course. In as many creative ways as possible! Here is one of my favorite ways to enjoy the fruits of the season.

Drunken Cherries/Flavored Booze

Ingredients:

• Fresh Cherries (stem on or off, doesn't matter): They can be store bought. I know very few people who are lucky enough to have a cherry tree in their yard.
• Good Brandy/Cognac/Rum/Vodka/Whiskey: Your choice on the liquor, but get some decent stuff. Cheap liquor has a lot of impurities in it and the enhancing of the flavors will also enhance the taste of the impurities. Don't go broke on booze, but don't settle for $5 handle of vodka either--it's not a good idea for cooking (or drinking for that matter).
• Grenadine Syrup: If you buy cherries from the supermarket, they probably won't be as sweet as you'd like them. If you'd like to sweeten them up a bit while adding some artificial cherry flavor, this is the way to go. I personally don't use it, but this recipe can be a bit harsh for some.

Method: Now pay attention because this is difficult :)

1. Fill a mason jar to the bottom of the brim with cherries.
2. Cover the cherries with the liquor of your choice. If you want to add grenadine syrup, now would be the time to add it.
3. Put a lid on it and place it in the refrigerator for 1 week. Test one after a week. If you like the way it tastes, eat them. If you don't, leave them in for another week and check again. If you don't like them at that point, give them to someone who you know likes the taste of alcohol and wait for the rave reviews. I wouldn't save them much past 3 weeks. Even though alcohol is a great preservative, I personally wouldn't eat them. If at any point there is an unusual tingling on your tongue, discard them.

This is a really simple recipe recipe that can go two ways. You get booze flavored cherries or cherry flavored booze. Both are consumable so feel free to divide and conquer.  As always, be responsible with these things. Due to my rough Missouri education, I wouldn't trust my math, but I would estimate that 5-6 cherries would equal the amount of alcohol found in one drink. So if you eat the entire jar, be prepared to sit tight for awhile and DO NOT DRIVE OR OPERATE HEAVY MACHINERY. 

Kayla's White & Green Chicken Chili

My wife, Kayla, makes this amazing chicken chili. It's a white chili that has so many flavors to it that all hit you at different times of the bite but meld into one great flavor at the end. It has some bite but finishes clean and keeps you ready for another bite. I use scoop style chips to get a whole lot of the chili in each bite but thin blue corn chips have their merit as well.

Here is her recipe. I make no claims to this stuff. This is completely her creation but it's so good I had to share! The following was pulled directly from her blog. The pink text is hers and the notes I make will be in black.

The absolute best thing about this recipe is that if you substitute red curry powder instead of using cumin and it makes a completely different, amazing chili. Try it!

You will need:

• 4-5 Chicken Breasts, or the equivalent amount of chicken tenders. I've used both. I like thigh meat better than breasts. It's got better flavor, but I'll never complain about my wife's white meat usage.
• 3 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 jar Salsa Verde. Don't use the trendy looking jars of green stuff. Get the cans from the Mexican section that look like you could get sick from eating it. Those products always make the best food!
• 1 purple onion (chopped)
• 1 jalapeno (chopped) 1? 1? How about 4!
• 3 Cans Great Northern Beans. Smash one of the can's beans to oblivion and pour it in. It will help with the thickening process. Otherwise you might end up with "White & Green Chicken Soup".
• Cumin (I do mine to taste). Be generous! If you're not sure of what cumin brings to the table, just remember that cumin is what makes taco bell taste like taco bell. It is useless in small quantities, but if you are generous, it will return the favor with flavor.
• Crushed coriander seed (I do mine to taste). I would roast them if they weren't roasted prior to jarring.
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)
• Olive Oil
• Cilantro. USE A TON! I LOVE THIS STUFF!!!
• Limes
• Mexican Cheese (Shredded)
• Your favorite tortilla chip (I prefer the blue corn! Yum!)

1. *Boil water and add chicken breasts. Cook until done.
2. *Chop chicken. I like to use a pizza cutter to dice it. It gives good sizes and is quick and easy!
3. *In a pot (I like to my cast iron dutch oven!) heat olive oil. Add chicken, salt and pepper and let it simmer a little.
4. *Add purple onion and jalapeno. Cook for approximately 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. *Add cumin and crushed coriander and stir. Then add the salsa verde
6. *After cooking for a few minutes, add chicken broth.
7. *Add one and a half cans of the beans. With the other can and a half, smash beans first, to make a more chili feel, if you prefer.
8. *Squeeze in some lime juice and let it simmer until its hot enough to your liking!
9. *Add cilantro shortly before serving.
10. Serve with shredded cheese and limes, and dip with the chips to your hearts content.