Retirement: FAIL!

Apparently I'm not good at being retired. I've worked as much or more since my official retirement on June 1st of last year. Retiring seemed like the right thing to do at the time and I don't regret the decision. But I don't seem to be up to the task of being retired just yet as I've pretty much worked full time as a temp since I "Retired".

I had five weeks off during late December and early January. I was worried about not being busy enough and consequently overbooked myself and caught the cold from hell. I haven't been that sick in many years and was sick for a couple of weeks and I'm still getting over it a couple of weeks later.

Even though I've been busy as the proverbial beaver; I haven't gotten most of what I'd hoped to get done, accomplished. Oh well, I've go the rest of my life.

I've been making cocktails, liqueurs, bitters and the like for the last couple of years - it's part of being a recovering winemaker I guess. I really don't miss the wine business much. I got to the point that my customers were the best part of the business - the rest of it was more trouble that it was worth. I have to confess that when I had good grapes to work with I made wines that I really enjoyed and I enjoyed the process of making those wines, but overall it stopped being fun.

So these days I seek out the great wines that sneak under the radar of the critics and play around with housemade cocktail ingredients to satisfy my creative urges.

One of my favorite cocktails is the Margarita and I love the fact that there are many
variations to play with. An ingredient that is reputed to be in the original formula is damiana liqueur. There are a couple of commercial formulations available; Guaycura and Agavero. Guaycura is perhaps more common and it comes in the pregnant Inca Goddess Bottle. Agavero is subtler and more complex and comes in a bottle that represents the Blue Agave Plant that provides the Reposado Tequila that forms the base of this liqueur.

Damiana is an herb that grows in Central and South America and on the islands in the Caribbean. Supposedly it can be drunk as a tea to relax or used as an aphrodisiac - seems like a bit of a competing view of its effects.

I've made a Damiana Tincture that in the past that I've used with good success in more traditional Margaritas to add a layer of complexity. The recipe for the tincture and a Margarita made with it are included below.

So it's been a bit of a lazy Sunday here at the old homestead and I've been pretty useless. I've done some laundry and a few dishes and I've got a pot of Bayou Butter Beans cooking. Mostly I've been trying a few of these Damiana Liqueur Margaritas for research purposes while being watching some football and working on a blog post.

Lima Beans are one of my favorites. The large beans, also known as butter beans, are creamy and have a faint vegetal or herbaceous note that other beans lack. As I was tasting this batch I was thinking that they'd make a wonderful bean puree. Maybe next time!

Bayou Butter Beans

1 lb Dried Butter Beans (AKA large lima beans)
1 small ham hock - about a 1 1/2 pounds
1 large onion - diced
1 red bell pepper - diced
2 jalapeno peppers - veins and seeds removed and diced
2 or 3 stalks of celery - diced
2 Tablespoons of Cajun Seasoning (use a commercial brand or even better - make your own - see below)
3 quarts of water

Use a 6 quart dutch oven.
Put all of the ingredients except the beans in the dutch oven and bring to a boil - simmer for an hour
Add the beans and bring to a boil.
Lower the temperature and simmer for and hour or two until the beans are tender.
Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Cajun Spice Mix and Rub

• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano leaves
• 2 tablespoons dried sweet basil
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon white pepper
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons celery salt
• 5 tablespoons sweet paprika

Mix thoroughly in a large bowl. The recipe doubles or triples well. Give it away as gifts to your family and friends. This mix also works well as a rub for chicken or pork on the barbecue
 
Demian's Damiana Margarita   (Variation)- Via Casa Coctel

3oz Reposada Tequila - I used Lunazul - this cocktail really shows off the tequila so go ahead and splurge a little.
1 1/2 oz Agavero Tequila Liqueur
Juice of one lime (about an ounce)

Mix all over ice. Shake and strain.

Serve in a large coupe with a salted rim and garnish with a slice of lime.

Variation - if you'd like it a bit sweeter or you just have to have a hit of orange - muddle a lime in the shaker before adding ice and the rest of the ingredients.

Margarita with Damiana Tincture - This is a basic 3-2-1 Margarita with a twist

3 oz Tequila - Blanco or Reposado (100% Blue Agave)
2 oz Cointreau
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
a couple of dashes of Damiana Tincture

Mix all over ice. Shake and strain.


Serve in a large coupe with a salted rim and garnish with a slice of lime.

Damiana Tincture

3 oz Blanco Tequila
1 oz by volume Damiana

Mix together in a jar and let sit for a week. Strain into an old bitters bottle and use a shake or two in a margarita.