SANDRA'S ALASKA STEAMER CLAMS in a GARLIC-BUTTER-VODKA SAUCE

Yakutat Alaska white steamer clams
are prepared in a velvety garlic-butter-vodka sauce
to create my infamous side or main dish,
including adding crispy Texas toast dipping...

Servings: 4 as an appetizer or 2 as a main course

Prep: 10 Mins.

Cook: 20 Mins.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 3 equal pats (divided)

3/4 cup finely chopped celery

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped green onion, both white and green parts

1/2 cup chopped, fresh roma tomatoes

Yes, we ate all the steamer clams
and I ate the small cockle,
but we refrained from eating the starfish ;-)

2 pounds live steamer clams in shells, scrubbed

1/4 cup quality vodka

3-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried sweet basil

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Tip: Prep all your ingredients ahead of time, including laying out your servings bowls.

Also, preheat your oven to 375F, then begin baking your garlic Texas toast, according to pkg directions, about 8-10 total minutes

(it's found in the freezer section of the market).

METHOD

In a large, high side sauté pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons/pats of butter. Add the finely chopped celery and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic, green onions and chopped tomatoes, and sauté for 2 minutes.

With pan off heat, add the vodka to deglaze pan by scraping bottom.  Return pan to heat and add chicken broth, parsley, basil, and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to a rolling simmer, add clams, cover pan, and cook just until they open up, about 3-5 minutes (do not overcook).

Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Add remaining tablespoon/pat of butter and gently stir to incorporate. 

Serve immediately in shallow, wide bowls with hot and crispy garlic Texas toast for dipping. ~ Enjoy!

SANDRA'S HOMEMADE LEMON EXTRACT

The hardest part is waiting 8 weeks,
although with minimal effort
you'll reap rewards many
times over, as the flavors of these
three extracts can't be beat...

Yields: 4 oz. (1/2 cup) lemon extract 

Prep: 5 Mins.
Cure: 8 weeks

--1 (4 oz.) Mason jar with plastic lid (or lid and ring)

INGREDIENTS

1 large, fresh lemon, washed and dried, then zest (do not include with bitter pith when zesting) 

1/2 cup quality vodka

METHOD

Place your jar in a small saucepan, and cover with water.  Bring to boil for 10 minutes to sterilize.  Remove jar on a clean kitchen towel to cool and air dry. (If not using plastic lids as I am, be sure to sterilize your rings and lids as well.)

Meanwhile, zest lemon (not white pith as it is bitter) and place into bottom of the 4 oz. Mason jar.  Fill jar with vodka to within 1/4" of top of rim. Place lid on jar and close tightly, shake a few times, label, date and place it in a cool, dark cabinet. 

Let rest for 8 weeks, while occasionally shaking a couple times per week, which will become a darker yellow color over time.

After 8 weeks you can start using your homemade extract in recipes for custards, pies, tarts, breads, desserts, crepes, sauces, breakfast dishes, smoothies, and so on. If you would like some of the zest in your recipe, just shake the jar beforehand. – Enjoy!

-- Click here for: Vanilla Extract recipe

-- Click here for: Vanilla-Bourbon Extract recipe

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tips:  Use as much as you need, and when you have only 20% of the extract remaining you should replenish with more vodka and/or zest, and shake again. In addition, when you're using a fresh lemon zest in a recipe, add any leftover to the jar of homemade extract. If you continue to feed your extract in this manner, the extract will keep forever; simply remove some of the older zest if the jar becomes too crowded.

SANDRA’S OVER-THE-TOP MEYER-LEMONTINI

A refreshing,
must-try Meyer-Lemontini
you're sure to enjoy 
(made with my home-
grown meyer lemons)...

Servings: (1)

Prep: 10 Mins.

INGREDIENTS

Cocktail:

2 ozs. Stolichnaya Vodka
--(aka Stolies; Russian Vodka)

½ oz. Triple Sec

½ teaspoon superfine sugar

¾ oz. freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

Rimming:

Superfine sugar

Meyer lemon zest

Garnish

Superfine sugar

--Kitchen torch

METHOD

Cut one ½ slice meyer lemon to reserve for garnish, and set aside.

Cut a small wedge of meyer lemon to rim glass, and set aside.

Place superfine sugar and zest of meyer lemon on a saucer, and set aside.

Reserve the remaining meyer lemon to squeeze for the cocktail. 

Create the glazed meyer lemon slice by dipping it on both sides in the sugar/zest mixture, and use a kitchen torch to glaze.

Create a sugar-rimmed glass by taking a meyer lemon wedge and rub the rim of the glass so it is slightly moist. Dip the damp edge of the glass into the sugar/zest.

Mix the Stolichnaya Vodka, Triple Sec, sugar and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker half filled with ice cubes. 

Shake well to make sure sugar is blended, until the outside of shaker begins to frost.  

Pour strained liquor into the prepared sugar/zest-rimmed martini glass and garnish with the glazed meyer lemon wedge.

~ Enjoy, in moderation of course ~ Cheers!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Tips:  If you are using regular lemons instead be sure to increase the superfine sugar to 1 teaspoon in the cocktail, as meyer lemons tend to be sweeter.  


You can also glaze your lemon slice (garnish) by broiling it on a tin foil-lined baking sheet for a couple of minutes if you do not have a kitchen torch.

SANDRA’S HEAVENLY HOMEMADE VANILLA EXTRACT and VANILLA BOURBON EXTRACT

The hardest part is waiting 8 weeks,
although with minimal effort
you'll reap rewards many
times over, as the flavors of these
two extracts can't be beat...

Yields: 8 oz. vanilla extract 

+ 8 oz. vanilla bourbon extract

Prep: 15 Mins.

--2 (8 oz.) canning jars with lids and rings

INGREDIENTS

***Vanilla Extract

3 medium organic vanilla beans

1 cup quality vodka

***Vanilla Bourbon Extract

3 medium organic vanilla bourbon beans

1 cup quality bourbon

METHOD

Place your jars, lids, and rings in a medium saucepan, and cover with water.  Bring to boil for 10 minutes to sterilize.  Remove jars, rings, and lids with tongs, and place on a clean kitchen towel to cool and air dry.

Meanwhile, cut the beans in half crosswise, and then lengthwise to expose seeds. Tuck the beans inside the respective jars and fill with one with vodka, and the other bourbon. Place lids and rings on jars and close tightly, shake them a few times, label, and place it in a cool, dark cabinet. 

Let them rest for 8 weeks, while occasionally shaking a couple times per week, which will become darker over time.  After 8 weeks you can start using your homemade extracts in recipes for custards, pies, tarts, breads, desserts, crepes, sauces, breakfast dishes, smoothies, and so on. If you would like some of the seeds in your recipe, just shake the jar beforehand. – Enjoy!

-- Click here for: Lemon Extract recipe (shown below)...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tips:  Use as much as you need, and when you have only 20% of the extract remaining you should replenish them respectively with more vodka/bourbon, and shake again. In addition, when you're using a fresh vanilla/bourbon bean in a recipe, add the empty pod to the respective jar of homemade extract. If you continue to feed them in this manner, the extracts will keep forever; simply remove some of the older beans if the jars become too crowded.

Empty vanilla or vanilla bourbon pods can be placed in sugar jars, or tea tins to flavor them as well.

MOSCOW MULE COCKTAIL HOUR

This refreshing beverage was served 

to my husband sometime ago by a 

friend while on a trip to Fairbanks, Alaska. 

We recently made this cocktail 

while eating dinner and watching a 

Mariners game with an out-of-town 

guest here in Juneau.

(BTW: The recipe is listed directly on 

each Cock ‘n Bull Ginger Beer bottle.)

Servings: (4)
Prep: 5 Mins.

Posted: by Sandra

INGREDIENTS

6 ozs. (jiggers) vodka
2 fresh limes, halved crosswise and juiced, reserving 4 squeezed lime halves
Ice cubes
4 (12 oz.) chilled Cock ‘n Bull Ginger Beers
--(A bottled, non-alcoholic beverage found at Fred Meyer in the grocery section)

METHOD

In a glass pitcher, add all the ingredients and toss in the squeezed lime halves, give it a good stir, and pour into 4 glasses. – Enjoy!