Art of the Garnish Cocktail Party & Booksigning Brings Together Influencers at Michelin-Starred Kosaka Restaurant to Celebrate Food and Drink Finishing Touches

Cheers! To Art of the Garnish book launch cocktail party (photo courtesy: CJ McCoy)

Oh what a night! It was a rainy, bleak Monday in Manhattan on the day of of my Art of the Garnish cocktail party — and it was crazy getting around town to secure the fresh ingredients needed for the event.  The week prior I got the liquor from my trusty Union Square Liquors  - thank you Katherine and team for all the deliveries on the night of - plus all the great inspiration as I muddled creative cocktail combinations as I perused your extensive, curated offerings.
So too, Lior’s fabulous LaBoite spices and other non-perishable ingredients. I made sure I secured his special spices I use as garnish.
(More on the kooky, sitcom-like events leading up to the elegant event, as this story progresses...)

First, I can’t thank Kosaka restaurant - especially culinary chef and entrepreneur, Mihyun - along with her husband, Key, who not only showcase Gotham’s only Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant — three times ~ drum roll, if you will - and a big salute to executive chef Yoshihiko Kousaka ~ but the owners are also so savvy as to provide an extraordinary cultural arts program.

The Kosaka Arts program is very much separate from their cuisine but sincerely part of their brand. The Arts program embraces a vast portfolio of offerings, including, garden art, baking bread, floral art, and much, much, more… This is such an extraordinary resource and artful touchstone, that when the Arts’ curator and manger - and a horticultural icon and artist “she-ro” of mine - EunYoung Sebazco asked me if I would do an Art of the Garnish food and drink presentation, I was humbled and honored and, of course, said yes straight away.

For those of you who don’t know, Kosaka is a very elegant restaurant and the Arts program is very VIP ~ limited seating. So, in the end, to have one more guest than the maximum was a huge success (and a big sigh of relief for me!).

Early February was also the clarion call for me getting the menu together for my selection of cocktails and food pairings for this special Garnish book signing event.

With a 90-minute presentation, I figured that we could provide four drinks and five food pairings. I would do two of my creations.
I asked two of the Garnish book’s star mixologists - (friends and family alike) to join me to present their contributions to Garnish.

All too soon, it was February. It was time to prepare for the Garnish cocktail party. Invitations were sent. The Eventbrite posting was up:




I was very honored that both Tom Sebazco and Jessica Wohlers said yes. Both are fine artists, as well as cocktail artists. Tom’s portfolio of drink designs can be experienced at Fitzgerald’s Pub and Jessie is the artisanal drink guru and manager at Leyenda in Brooklyn.

Here was the food and drink menu:


We also offered a Spicy Chile Lime Chicken and Meatballs dish with lime zest, skewered, on a bed of bibb lettuce with a garlicky, avocado yogurt dressing to pair with Tom’s delicious jerk chicken. I love to marry spicy, Caribbean-inspired recipes to stand up - and play well - with the muscular, fruit-laden drinks - which Tom’s Superstorm Sandy is the poster boy!

Because I adore all things that contribute to a sophisticated Cocktail Culture - just think -- we have our own style ~ cocktail dresses & cocktail rings; cocktail tables, cocktail lounges, bar carts, our own napkins, and even times of the day: Happy Hour and "the morning after!" Therefore, it may not come as a surprise that I had customized Art of the Garnish cocktail napkins made.

I found a delightful, dedicated creator on Etsy. Jenny McMinn from Personalized Cups who made the production process easy~sneezy. She’s a doll to work with.  I sent her an image and poof - just like that - she forwarded the mock-ups and I was good-to-go.

However, the napkins almost didn’t make it. On the day of the Garnish event there was nary a napkin. After much back and forth with our doorman (we live in a gorgeous Gotham building that is rather small by New York standards - everyone knows everybody else and some have lived there for generations.  There was no place for my napkins to hide; in spite of Jenny’s admonishment urging us to “look in the back.” Alas, there is no “back” I pleaded to Jenny….
In the end, Jenny is a dedicated professional - dare I say a plucky lass just like a true New York lady - who never gave up. She kept trying to locate the package all day, just as we did. It was near 3 pm - going on 4 o’clock when I fretted again that if I had the time, I’d go to the Post to see if the napkins were there - (despite all the recommendations that they were delivered to our building.)
See, I had to trek over to the manicurist to repair a chipped nail!! Couldn’t have that mar my cocktail ring finger! Sigh...
Ended up, the cocktail napkins never made it out of the Post Office! Bill took one last stab at the cocktail napkin caper rescue. He’s my hero! Thank you, Jenny. (They were “in the back” there. Ha!) The napkins are so adorable and so are you.



The other unanticipated drama that afternoon - (I told you it was a sitcom) -  my little black cocktail dress was to have been delivered at three. At four-thirty I was beside myself when it wasn’t. Close to five it showed up. The event was half past six!

Got the Uber. And in spite of the hour and the rain ~ we arrived at the restaurant tout suite with some time to work.  Jess was an oasis of serenity mixing up her Sweater Weather cocktail and garnish.

At Kosaka’s dining sushi bar, EunYoung and I placed the printed menus on the exquisite tableware that is hand-crafted by the ceramic artist, Akihito Nikaido. These plates and dishes are breathtaking works of art that grace the tables and add sophistication to the dining experience.
My food pairings and presentation bow to his artisanal creations.









The guests were a delightful blend of long-time, friends - some from my botanical garden days, some from the horticultural/garden design world, some foodies, some extended family, and some brand new friends. This is what I would call a perfectly delightful mix of personalities and styles.
Thank you, all for attending the Art of the Garnish Cocktail Party and lending your swanky style to such a posh affair.

And thank you for the Garnish book love!

After EunYoung welcomed our guests and introduced the presenters, I kicked things off. We all toasted to us and the book with a glass of Chandon’s sparkling wine.  Chandon is a brand contributor to the Art of the Garnish. Be sure to make the Chandon fabulous cocktails featured in Art of the Garnish.  It was a festive, salutary start to the fun evening ahead.

I did a short reading from the Garnish book, then finished off the first cocktail of the night: I’m Nutty for You.
We had batched all the cocktails we were serving so we were pretty much good-to-go for each course, nevertheless, cocktails are oh-so-fresh that you really can’t prepare everything ahead of time.
I often quote an enduring cocktail adage, “There’s no doggie bag for a cocktail!”
It’s a very “of-the-moment” experience.

The food pairing here was a homemade whipped dip: chocolate “chips” with a caramel, peanut buttery delight, served with local pretzels and homemade graham crackers. The salty treats balanced the dip in taste and texture.

Whipping up the creamy dip

I wanted to serve this as first-course food pairing not only because it’s kind of a more traditional cocktail snack you'd be more accustomed to munching on with a drink but also because a key part of the I’m Nutty for You garnish is the glass rim is dipped in a local honey, then in graham crackers, and the artful finishing touch garnish is a pretty, speared "toothpick" with several Cracker Jacks! And of course, the Surprise found in every box!



So you see, the caramel, honey, nutty, salty flavors all played a kind of savory and sweet symphony.

In the Garnish book, I hope you’ll be tickled by the story surrounding my nutty cocktail creation.
You'll appreciate the ironic twist of using graham crackers as part of a drink that I meant to be a poke in the eye to Sylvester Graham who created graham cereals in the belief that whole wheat was a purer food ingredient. That's all good.  However, Graham also believed that kind of healthy eating coupled with no sex nor drink was the way to go. Ha! Now, it's a key ingredient in my drink.  Still, I’m sure Mr. Graham would have been tempted by my cocktail creation.

I love researching and creating drinks with food pairings that have a bit of a twist, (not the citrus kind!), a snippet of history, and a story to tell. And that are delicious, of course.

Next up was the polymath Jessica - who artfully described her cocktail contribution - her variation on Sweater Weather. This is one of my favorites - for many reasons. It’s rich and bold yet refreshing. I’ve served it many times to guests at home, at my first Art of Garnish book signing at Gina & Ted’s - and at the “”What’s New, What’s Next” Art of the Garnish, Finishing Touches event at the NY Design Center event -- that wasn’t too long ago. Smile. (books take a loooonggg time to complete!)



It’s so fun to garnish this drink, too. Lots of options: Knitting needles are fun skewers - for the lemon with cloves classic featured in the book on Jessie’s drink, and /or candied ginger - to play up the ginger drink ingredient.



The food pairing was rice balls I made with coconut, ginger and turmeric - with a sexy, slightly spicy, soy sauce. Again, I aimed to have the flavors of the drink and food ingredients complement one another.
I also like creating a cocktail Barscape for this cocktail that includes a ball of yarn with artfully-placed knitting needles, along with the French wooden knitters I’ve had since I was a kid.

Sweater Weather - Art of the Garnish 

Next cocktail course:

Tom prepared one of his several contributions to Art of the Garnish: Superstorm Sandy.
I thought Tom's special creation would be a great feature for the Garnish cocktail party because not only is the drink fabulously refreshing but also the story behind its "birth" is one that New Yorkers who braved Superstorm Sandy — the hundred-year storm we’re still recovering from - would surely appreciate. Plus, Tom is a true artist and raconteur who can tell a great story. This is a great gift that good bartenders aspire to. And it is the reason why patrons seek out good bars and cocktail lounges for the unparalleled camaraderie and stories. Cocktails are stories… They go together like gin and tonic. Or bourbon and ginger or....

Tom didn’t disappoint! And just look at that luscious fruit garnish. Horst loved it too!

There were two food pairings for Superstorm Sandy: Spicy Chile Lime Chicken Meatballs with lime zest, skewered, on a bed of bibb lettuce with a garlicky, avocado yogurt dressing along with Tom’s special jerk chicken on skewers. Perfect fiery treats to the tropical drink.

I then returned for an Art of the Garnish reading and the final cocktail creation of the evening - a kind of dessert drink: Open Sesame.

This is one of my favorite drinks I created for the Garnish book. It's made with my fresh, toasted sesame and fresh tahini that I source from Seed and Mill in Chelsea Market.

And yet... On that afternoon of the Garnish cocktail party event when Bill and I went to get the tahini, (and missed our bus stop because I was trying to manage the cocktail napkin crisis!) the folks there at Seed & Mill said they were switching jar sizes so we had to go to Whole Foods up on 23rd Street to get the tahini. Arghhh! And the clock was ticking - loudly - by that point.
At least I was able to get two varieties of their fabulous, fresh halva, there, to serve with my prepared wine-roasted figs with sweet tahini yogurt, dried apricots and nuts that was the key element to the food pairing.  I count my blessings...

Back to the drink. The cream topping for Open Sesame is made by mixing the fresh cream in the cocktail shaker using the spring removed from the Hawthorn strainer - and shake it till foamy.  I pour the luscious, fresh cream on top of the mixed cocktail ingredients.

The garnish is a mix of La Boite’s Rose Petal and Desert Rose spice that blends halva, sesame, and rose petals.
Sometimes, I also sprinkle a dash of Lior’s Za'atar spice blend on top, too.
(As an aside, I love the Desert Rose on just about anything, really. It’s super terrific on yogurt with homemade granola and fruit and coconut.)

In terms of the all the drinks - I hope you are seeing the thoughtful pairings of flavors in the mixes and blends - along with their garnishes. It’s often said: “If it grows together, it goes together.”
You just need to be creative and stylish when choosing cocktail ingredients and their garnishes. Challenging but fun!

Plus the sheer beauty of this garnish is just so exotic and romantic. It’s a lovely finishing touch to a cocktail party or dinner party. Or just a happy hour!





I did another reading and then it was on to the book signings and Garnish book love.
And lots and lots of photos with the guests.

Debra Mallow - new book friend, Moi, & dear PR friend, Donna Austi. 

Art of Garnish new friends, Sarah Kang and her Mother?! Looks like sister! 

Influencers: Chiccsmf and Global.Loafer - hugs 

Moi and fabulous Horticulturist, garden designer, fashionista: Lynn Torgerson

Garnish book contributor, Marlo Gamora, Jessie Wohlers, & moi 

Me & dear friend - gorgeous, super successful, mother, and marathoner, CJ!

Quite a few of the guests brought their purchased books for autograph… Very cool book love.

Fashionistas- Dear Horst & garden design amiga, Lynn. What savvy style! 

Talented photographer -& my dear, sweet “Pussycat” Rachel & sweet, successful, fabulous, Michael  They are now Newlyweds!! 

Here, with the glamorous, sweet, wonderful Chohee @chohee_p

Chohee - I adore your posts - so creative - and I appreciate your attendance and support.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. To all who made this special night happen. To our special Garnish Guests. And to the brands - especially to Joe Gallo, Troy Antonucci for Hudson Manhattan Rye Whiskey and their superlative New York Rye Manhattan cocktail creation by brand ambassador, David Powell. There’s no better drink for Gotham guests than a Manhattan - especially with this quality, locally distilled spirit. Thank you.



And thank you to our special guests and their social media love, especially Terrance ~ @global.loafer my dear friend, CJ McCoy ~ the Recovering Cupcake Addict @chiccsmf Sarah @mz.sarahkang and Chohee - I adore your posts - so creative - and appreciate your attendance and support.

Just a sampling of the sweet and sassy Instagram posts they shared:














Cheers to you ~ Finishing Touches ~ and the Art of the Garnish!

Learn How to Garnish Your Drinks with Art of the Garnish Author & Two World-Class Mixologists at Kosaka Restaurant, Feb 10th Cocktail Party

It’s rather difficult to add anything nor change this invitation to the upcoming Art of the Garnish event at Kosaka restaurant (see their link under Art) next Monday, February 10th.

It’s truly an honor to be asked to host a fabulous cocktail party at Kosaka - the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Gotham!

Kosaka is an elegant restaurant, revered not only for its food, but for its art program, curated by EunYoung - the extraordinary horticulture talent, who I’ve had the honor of working with -- in New York, in New Jersey and in Ecuador - at Hacienda Cusin - where she introduced the gardeners there in the edible garden to microgreens. (just one of EunYoung's extraordinary talents).

See the overview and links below for Art of the Garnish details.

Please share and invite your garden-to-glass cohort in Gotham area to this tasty, pre-Valentine, fun event. Long live love!

We’ll be serving up four cocktails, food-pairings, barscapes, and readings. There will be the opportunity for book signings, too, naturally.

I sincerely hope you can join us.

Doug Young photo 

Here is the Kosaka invite:

We are happy to announce a special cocktail event Art of the Garnish by Leeann Lavin for Valentines' week. Tickets are available at Event brite.

Learn the "ins & outs" of garnishing your drinks with the specially prepared garnishes with star mixologists featured in her new book. You’ll be delighted to learn tips, tricks, and instructions on the right way to prepare a dizzying array of garnishes, from herbs and citrus to nuts, candy, meat, and jewelry. Sip and see how these garnishes enhance cocktails and will help make you the star of happy hour while enjoyed craft cocktails from the Art of the Garnish along with food pairings.

A special sponsorship provided by Hudson Whiskey. The recipe will showcase the classic New York Rye Manhattan, created by Hudson brand ambassador, David Powell. It is very exciting to have mixologists Jessie Wohlers & Tom Sebazco in our special evening!

Leeann Lavin wrote a Food & Drink column for Examiner.com, curating the food spectrum that dazzles and elevates the radical New York food and drink world. She writes the popular Garden Glamour blog covering the nexus of garden art and culinary art, food events, artisanal food makers, and cookbook reviews. She is also the author of The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook and a contributing author to Savoring Gotham.

A 2015 IACP Cookbook judge, Leeann is also a BlogHer Influencer and a SheKnows Expert. A passionate food and garden thought leader and frequent guest speaker, Leeann has worked in restaurants, bars, and food catering; and creates food and drink recipes with passion, using ingredients from local greenmarkets, her herb garden and farm-ette at her country house in the Garden State, making sure to always add the best ingredient: love.

Here is the official invitation link to Kosaka art’s Art of Garnish event

Thank you all so very much. I am forever deeply grateful.

Cheers! 

Art of the Garnish - My New Book Shows How to Finish Cocktails With Glamorous Style

The Art of the Garnish

I recently wrote -- with great excitement and full of hard-earned pride -- about the publication of my latest book, Art of the Garnish:

“Tis the season!” is heralded throughout the holidays. We toast, we Prost, we Sláinte, and Salute! And what sparks the salutations is the drink! A frizzy, frothy, bubbly, elixir fashioned with a redolent, glittering garnish to top it all off. So why not gild the lily; give the perfect gift - Art of the Garnish.

Now that it’s January - my Capricorn birthday month -- I can’t believe that I only recently learned that a Capricorn is not “just” a goat but a she-goat! Curious by nature, I needed to learn more. And indeed there is more. (What does this have to do with garnishes and cocktails, you, my dear reader, may be tapping out. Please wait…) (smile) Besides, who doesn’t just love astrology and fairy tales?

I learned (according to Greek Mythology.com) that while Capricorn is usually depicted as a goat or sea-goat, in Greek Mythology he is the God Pan. Pan ruled over forests and woodlands, (see how I’m feeling the connection?!). Eventually, Pan became the God (or maybe, just maybe, the Goddess of Nature - wink). Some of the deity’s qualities, such as sexuality and love of nature have become part of the character of people born under this sign. (oooh la la)
Consequently, Capricorn is an earth sign and people born under this sign are responsible, patient, and loyal.

Loyal. That brings me back to Art of the Garnish -- and my enduring passion for all things natural, plant-based and horticulture. I’ve been enchanted by gardens, garden history, garden art, secret gardens, native plant gardens, ecology, along with garden design, edible gardens, and more - for - well - for ever. I’ve so enjoyed sharing this farm-to-table and fork-to-table and dock-to-dish journey with you. And now -- it’s a garden-to-glass celebration.

In the Beginning I’ll have more to share in subsequent posts but for starters, here’s how the Garnish book came about.
Even with this introduction, I’ll summarize; there are plenty of chapters in this part of the saga. And as most everyone knows - books take a very long time to incubate and birth. A very long time…

After my first book, The Hamptons & Long Island Homegrown Cookbook was published, I wrote even more about food, drink, restaurants, dining, growing food, sustainable agriculture, gardens, garden design, and eventually designing tablescapes and cocktail compositions, as well as book reviews for both my Garden Glamour blog and for Examiner.com. I also contributed several chapters to Savoring Gotham and wrote the foreword for Alive and Cooking: An Easy Guide to Health for You and Your Parents.

It wasn’t long after I reported on the The Essential NY Times Cocktail Book that I got a call from its publisher, Cider Mill Press, asking if they could schedule a call with me.

I came to learn that they wanted to talk about me working with them to write a book.
About cocktails.

You can almost picture this all-too-hilarious scene straight out of a Lucile Ball or Melissa McCarthy comedy sketch where the publishing executive asks if I am interested and while you want to feign calm and check your calendar to see if the Ask can be accommodated -- sheer thrill precludes any diplomacy or restraint. A hearty and honest “YES, I’d be honored,” was in order.

And then, in a kind of Rumpelstiltskin riddle - there was just one catch.
Naturally.
The book’s research and manuscript needed to be completed in three months. Or less.

There was no time to waste.

The Manuscript
I did indeed clear my calendar.
I immediately dove head first (or “bottoms up”!) into what we could offer in the cocktail book.
Initially, I knew we could offer a garden-to-glass perspective both in terms of the spirits and the mixes, and the garnishes. After all, I couldn’t think of any spirit that was not plant-based!

And given how very much I adore storytelling, I figured I could not only provide the history and context for some of the classic cocktails, but also offer drinks from some of the places that I have traveled to or lived in that have had a profound influence on me and my cocktail culture, including, Switzerland where I attended school, Japan where I traveled frequently for business, Cuba where I visited for sustainable urban agriculture - and had always dreamed of seeing (it doesn’t disappoint), Ecuador where I’ve worked doing garden design and horticulture and menu development, Aruba where we have a place and sojourn every winter for R&R, and Denmark where I lived and worked - helping compile background research about America’s distinguished early jazz musicians for a Danish notable.

And then I had the idea that most folks don’t embrace the cocktail hour as much as it once was - not for lifestyle reasons, although that is nevertheless true. I was thinking more from a food and drink perspective. We indulge in food pairing with wine and beer but cocktails -- not so much. Why? I believed it was because so many of our cocktails were made with mixes that contained a lot of sugar and processed ingredients that to my palate, not only didn’t taste good, but could also render you rather peaky at the same time.

So the book would showcase the real, regional spirits from a diverse geography of places that use their local, homegrown flowers, roots, bark, fruit, and herbs, for their digestifs, bitters, soda, and simple syrup mixes.
After all, many of the spirits began their jobs as tonics and medicines at the local apothecary and pharmacy. I wanted to showcase that distinctive, handmade, artisanal world of cocktails.

I’m devoted to creative design - elegant and whimsical, as well as crafted, authentic, quality ingredients. I figured all these elements would contribute to the storytelling intrigue of the Garnish book.

And finally, I wanted the book to offer the reader a fun, jaunty journey into the world of cocktails, libation lore, drinks, food, mixology tools cum art, and the festive barscape presentations and ambiance, along with the accessories that mark this ephemeral art.

In putting together Art of the Garnish, I started by thinking of it as the embodiment of a great cocktail party. Beside my one inspired garnishes and cocktails and food pairing, I was privileged to invite some of the world’s best mixologists to the party.

Elevating the Art of the Garnish
I began by recreating my favorite cocktail recipes: my Duchess martini is featured in Art of the Garnish as is the classic Manhattan. I make my own maraschino cherry garnishes, too. (I'll add image later. Sigh)

Recipe for maraschino cherries:
A pound of fresh, pitted cherries (when in season) or cans of Oregon or MIchigan sweet cherries, Peel of one whole orange, a cup of water, cup of sugar, cup of cherry liqueur, fresh vanilla bean seeds scraped from half a vanilla pod, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1 cinnamon stick, dash of nutmeg. In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the cherries and the liqueur and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat. Add the cherries and simmer for 5 minutes. Even less time is needed if using canned cherries. Remove from the heat and add the cherry liquor. Let cool. Store in airtight container.

I also added my own rendition to some cultural classics of my special places. And people too. One of my dear garden design clients has her own honeybees; to honor her and those pollinators I created “Maria’s Mead: Nectar of the Goddesses.” It’s a great story too. Mead is the oldest spirit and its use gave rise to the term, honey-moon. I’ll explain more later…

In addition, I asked some of my favorite spirit makers to suggest some of their favorite top-tier mixologists and brand ambassadors who would best showcase their brand(s). Of course, Macchu Pisco and their star executive and friends, the sisters Melanie and Elizabeth and their London-based cousin, Natasha immediately came to mind. These women are true “she-roes” and straight away offered talent from London and Miami, including Isaac Morrison, drink consultant at Dash Concept, Fabiano Latham, beverage director for Chotto Matte, Valentina Carbone, bartender at Nobu Berkeley St, Calum O’Flynn, The Botanist at Sloane Square, London; Maria Pottage, beverage director at COYA Restaurant & Members Lounge, Miami.
You must read about and taste Macchu Pisco if you don’t already drink their award-winning, hand-crafted Peruvian nectar. It’s a true American success story.

I also worked with Joe Gallo and his clients, including Patron tequila and Cutty Sark Scotch Whisky. I was also gifted to work with Hennessy and their US National brand ambassador, Jordan Bushnell.

Of course, I tapped into family: Jessica Wohlers, fine artist and general manager of Leyenda Brooklyn - one of the best cocktail bars in America, frequently cited as the Best American Bar. Jess is super networked to the world of bartenders and craft cocktail artists and tiki masters. She introduced me to a cohort of Gotham-based professionals who contribute meaningfully to the Garnish book, including, KJ Williams, bartender at Flatiron Lounge, Brian Miller, Ryan Liloia and Jelani Johnson, bartenders at Clover Club and Leyenda; Marlo Gamora, bartender, Dante NYC and Mother of Pearl, NY.

I knew Tom Sebazco, entrepreneur and bartender at Fitzerald’s Pub - having worked with Tom and his multi-talented wife, EunYoung.

I did identify one artist via Instagram: Josh Suchan, Ice and Alchemy, who creates some breathtaking cocktail creations. I was astonished looking at his feed. Further, Josh is a truly nice man. I’ve very much enjoyed working with him. You can readily see his work in the thumbnail images my publisher posted as part of the Amazon link.

Chandon was yet another brand that I very much like; having worked with them in the past. Chandon was kind enough to contribute a few of their world-class recipes to Garnish.

Using my design style, it was relatively easy - and fun - to create the Finishing Touches for the cocktail creations. I was inspired and informed by the ingredients, of course. And fantasy; Hollywood glamour; my fashion garden design background, too.

Garnishes that inspired me were in that same lane. Edible flowers and herbs came naturally to adorn seasonal drinks. Did you know you can eat passion flowers? Or orchids? Or Fuschia?





And talk about fun, for “I’m Nutty for You,” for example, I used Cracker Jacks - complete with a prize.

Or jewelry: think brooches or a tie tack - perfect for spearing a fruit or candy garnish. You know you've lost an earring or cuff link or two. Repurpose it to a memorable garnish.


Knitting needles in a Sweater Weather drink? Of course!

Did you think about candy licorice or passion flower blossoms or sesame seeds with a tahini pairing?



Or smoke? Or toys? Or gold dust? And you thought parasols were the bees knees!

The team at Cider Mill Press was a clutch of delightful and supportive professionals - all women -- who aided and assisted every step of the journey with humor and charm. We had fun, too. But I must confess, I did get worried when the original team changed over the course of time… And then Buzz - my new editor came on board. He sherpa’d Garnish - with grace and courtesy - through the challenges of tying up the loose threads to completion, as well as the somewhat daunting initiative of tasking me last year to produce all the instructions about what tools to use to create citrus garnishes; how to craft the garnishes -- Reamers, Rimmers, zesters, wheels, twists, tattoos, citrus baskets, sculpted garnishes, to name a few and all the detailed drawings to accompany the how-tos.


And much to my heart-fluttering joy, Buzz - and I’m guessing John, the publisher, created the perfectly pretty and glamorous book cover. I clutched my heart and sighed with delight upon first seeing it.

So, while it wasn’t three months to completion - rather three years. It was, undoubtedly, worth it.

Photography
Then, there is the undisputed genius of the professional photographer, Doug Young. While there are a number of my own photos in the book and some stock photos - you will surely recognize the superior quality of Doug’s composition, lighting, craft, and talent that adds so very much to Garnish. I’ve worked with Doug in the past -- was introduced to him and his work through my Long Island Homegrown Cookbook cohort - and was sincerely honored that he agreed to come to our country house to photograph the cocktails for the book. What a day! It was crazy - rushing the natural light. Trying this and that. Cutting flowers; dripping honey; igniting fire (near or on my antique dining table that gave me a sincere case of the frets!). Bill brought in slate from the walk; I mixed and whipped and garnished trying to keep pace with Doug and his unswerving eye and dedication. Bless you. Thank you.





Art of the Garnish
It’s said you can judge a book by its cover - and the glamorous, tactile and textured hardcover Art of the Garnish book beauty is a sight to behold - and touch. It’s pretty-in-pink, accessorized by the Garden-to-Glass green garnishes herbs, flowers, and spices that star in the book. It’s a great size too (6 x 8ish) - ideal for gracing your bar cart, bar, or island mixing station (or bedside table!).

According to Amazon, as supplied by my publisher, the incredible Cider Mill Press - (who I couldn’t love more) - the Garnish book is described as:
Full of tips, tricks, and instructional illustrations about how to prepare a wide range of cocktail garnishes, The Art of the Garnish is a mixology must-have!

The perfect cocktail is a sight to behold, and it is often enhanced both in flavor and appearance thanks to a garnish. Learn the ins and outs of garnishing your drinks with The Art of the Garnish. Full of tips, tricks, and instructional illustrations on the right way to prepare a dizzying array of garnishes, from herbs and citrus to nuts, candy, meat, and jewelry, this book is a must-have for the aspiring mixologist! Like all the books in the “Art of Entertaining” series The Art of the Garnish offers easy-to-follow recipes and colorful photographs; the beautiful images detail how these garnishes enhance cocktails and will help make you the star of happy hour.

I promise -- you will so enjoy the book! I relished researching the cocktail lore: exploring “Where did these drinks originate? Who gave birth to which garnish?” Besides the patina of time, the stories passed on are fueled with booze, not surprisingly, so the true tales are often a bit hazy - but no less intriguing. These are fun stories - the ones you hear from your favorite bar tender who knows her cocktail history.

I based my cocktail recipes and food pairings on the idea that one could enjoy cocktails even more when using natural, garden-inspired spirits that, more often than not, are regional, seasonal, and at one time - gave drinks their special, homegrown panache. For example, Crème de Violette liqueur is made from violet wildflowers native to Austria and Switzerland, adding a light vanilla and floral note to champagne or sparkling wine and cocktails. Moreover, Crème de Violette’s regal color adds more glamour to your drink compositions.


Likewise, the Italian, bitter amaro is an herbal liqueur that started out as a digestif - as did many liquors. I love its regional distinctions; contributing so much flavor due to its artisanal creators. It stands to reason that every amaro is different: it’s a mix of herbs, flowers, aromatic bark, citrus peel and spices—a blend that can include anything from cardamom to elderberry flowers. Therefore, each and every cocktail made with this luscious liquor is unique.
A rather existential experience... True luxury. Plus, I love this sense of adventure.

Yet one more example is that of the Boba Pearl drink recipes. Boba pearls are made from tapioca. I love tapioca - and as a kid, asked that my birthday celebrations include either tapioca - or angel food cake - in place of the traditional birthday cake.

But what is tapioca? Most shrug. Yet, tapioca comes from the cassava plant. Therefore, I paired the drink with a root vegetable appetizer so that the cocktail and food complement one another in the same way that cooks and chefs admonish, “What grows together, goes together.”

More food pairings - and that didn't make it into Garnish:






Let’s not overlook the ice. It’s such a key ingredient in most every drink and yet… Of course, we invested in a pure ice maker so can indulge in those ice nuggets. And pretty ice too - we have skull cubes and heart cubes and…

In a punch, I use flowers in a bundt pan filled with distilled water. As the ice melts, the floral wreath emerges and adds an elegant finishing touch. Below is a video of a Halloween punch with dry ice and a floral ice ring.  Have fun with your ice - more ephemeral cocktail art!

It’s often said that there’s no doggie bag for cocktails. I adore that in-the-moment cocktail experience that cries out for family, friends, community - and conversation; glamour, and style. And you get to do it over again the next evening.

In a home bar or in our case, a speakeasy - complete with a hidden door!

Or in a local tavern, swanky hotel lounge, a terrace, or a beach, or cocktail lounge or bubble bath! The possibilities of place and garnish are limitless. 

As I joyfully herald in Art of the Garnish, cocktail culture is one of the few if only customs that has so many iterations that span many categories - including fashion: a cocktail dress; interior design - a speakeasy or cocktail lounge or bar or tiki hut; a time of day - cocktail hour or happy hour and let’s not forget the Morning After.

Please enjoy my latest book, Art of the Garnish. You’ll be equally smitten with the “libation lore,” the history, the food pairings and tablescape compositions, as well as the cocktail style and the glamour…  Here's a video of my remix on the classic Grasshopper - mine is the Verdant Green Jangala.  The Barscape composition includes the green drinks and garnish, along with plants. and smart devices tuned to jungle or animal YouTube videos - to add to the jungle ambiance!  Fun and immersive.

The smart technology adds to any number of parties - especially those with strong visual elements such as an Oscar or Super Bowl party. You can play old films or previous games.  Or maybe an opera party with Madame Butterfly videos charming your guests.

And I must ask because it's so important to the success of the book - when you do receive your copy, can you please post your review on Amazon or B&N or your local Indie.
We very much appreciate the book love...

Cheers.