It’s Sunday evening, and I’m mixing cocktail/making a huge mess again, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m fresh off a fun weekend full of activity. Dave and I made the most epic home dinner ever on Friday, with tuna sushi, cream cheese wontons and glazed peas – don’t worry, it’s all coming soon to a blog near you.

Then we were back at the Arbor Lodge Urban Farm on Saturday morning, even though it was pouring. We moved a lot of dirt in the rain, and I have to say the farm is looking good! We’re excited to head out to the grand opening soon.

We also had the opportunity to check out two newish places in North Portland. For brunch we headed out to Broder Nord, which is one of the coolest places I’ve tried in recent memory. I love that the menu is a complete departure from any other restaurant in Portland (except the other Broder, of course). I love the cured fish, the cute presentation of food, the decor and the fact that I wanted to eat everything I saw go past my table: ebelskivers, innovative baked egg scrambles, hashes and more. Dave opted for a lunchier plate of Swedish meatballs that I think I can safely call decadent, because the sauce/gravy felt almost like a hollandaise. It was rich, but not cloying. Broder Nord also gets a major thumbs up for having reasonable serving sizes.

For dinner, we headed for Life of Pie on North Williams, where there is so much going on right now. We loved the wood fired pizza (recommended: the sausage with Mama Lil’s) and we even got a few tips from the gents slinging pies for our own wood-fired pizza oven at home. I was also excited about my $6 glass of 2010 Bordeaux. Such a good deal for a decent glass of wine, it feels like it be a mistake.

Oh wait! This post was supposed to be about cocktails. Whoops. I guess it was a full weekend.

This week I made the Ramos Gin Fizz, partially because I am on an egg white kick and partially because I am continuing in my efforts to make as many cocktails as I can with the stuff I already have at home (though I do know what my next purchase will be, besides a new bourbon: creme de violette. Aviations!)

This cocktail actually has a really large amount of ingredients.

One writer that I’m reading suggested that the drink is a result of a lot of trial and error – because how many cocktails do you know that include both lemon AND lime? Or pair citrus with cream? Not that many.

So what’s the difference between a Ramos gin fizz and a regular gin fizz? Cream, primarily, and also the lime-lemon citrus combo. The egg white is always listed as optional in both recipes (but please keep in mind that egg whites may carry diseases that may kill you, see last week’s post). As I have said before, it’s a risk I’m willing to take because of the amazing texture an egg white brings to any cocktail.

The original Ramos recipe, which like a crazy amount of classic cocktails has its roots in New Orleans, calls for shaking the cocktail for 12 minutes to get the correct amount of foam. I so did not do that. I’m sure that you can get a great foam by shaking for 12 minutes, but I cut to the chase and used my fab Aerolatte

And I have no regrets. I’ve heard you can also use a blender. 🙂

Here’s what you need:
2 oz. gin
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup
3-5 drops Orange Flower Water
1 oz cream
1 egg white
2 oz. club soda

Shake the first 7 ingredients with ice for 2-3 minutes, then pour into a glass. Personally, I’ve found that this recipe fills about 3/4 of a highball glass, so I switched it to a 12 oz Mason jam jar.

Finish with about 2 oz. of club soda, aka carbonated water. If you like (and I highly recommend), amp up your foam a little with an Aerolatte or similar foamer. Garnish with a wedge of lemon.