Half Full

On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, Speed Rack co-founders Ivy Mix and Lynnette Marrero join co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum to look back on the competition’s first decade, how it has evolved and what its future holds.

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Try this delicious Monkey Bread recipe from the book, “Big Bad Breakfast,” by celebrity chef John Currence.

INGREDIENTS:75 cup Granulated sugar
1.5 tsp Ground cinnamon5 tsp Ground nutmeg75 cup Chopped mixed nut topping (see Note)5 cup Dried currants5 cup Granny Smith apple, diced
2 (16-ounce) cans Biscuits, each biscuit cut into quarters
1.25 cups Firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp Pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly oil a 9-inch round or square cake pan.
Combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a gallon-size zip-top plastic bag. In a bowl, toss the nuts, currants, and apple with 2 tablespoons of the sugar mixture, then spread in the bottom of the prepared pan.
Add the biscuits to the bag, seal the bag, and toss to combine well. Layer the biscuit pieces and sugar mixture evenly in a single layer in the pan on top of the nuts, currants, and apple. Don’t be concerned if the biscuits don’t fit perfectly. They will expand to fill out the pan.
In a small saucepan, warm the brown sugar, butter, and vanilla over medium heat until it reaches a very low simmer.
Turn off the heat and pour the sugar mixture evenly over the biscuit pieces. Bake until golden brown and puffed up nicely, about 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3 or 4 minutes, then turn out onto a large serving plate.
Serve warm and pull off the individual pieces to eat.
NOTE: Chopped mixed nut topping is available in the bakery aisle of the grocery store.

Photo: Ed Anderson

Celebrity Chef John Currence’s Signature Monkey Bread Recipe Try this delicious Monkey Bread recipe from the book, ‘Big Bad Breakfast,’ by celebrity chef John Currence.

“We sang, we danced and we ate risotto. One of my most treasured moments with Julia Child was when she came over to my house for dinner. It was not long after I opened Felidia, and she came over for dinner after I had appeared on her Public Television series, Cooking with Master Chefs. She wanted to learn how to make the perfect risotto, and that is exactly what we did. My entire family was present on that memorable Sunday. I fondly remember Julia swaying back and forth in time to the sounds of the accordion while humming along. That day, Julia was Italian and a part of our family. I loved every delicious moment of it. The menu included prosciutto and figs, orecchiette with broccoli di r**e and sausages, mixed wild mushroom risotto, roasted veal shank “stinco” with rosemary, roasted potatoes and radicchio salad, and a nougat semifreddo.” - Lidia Bastianich

Read the rest of ’s Five Favorite Meals, our series on the most cherished dining experiences of bartenders, chefs, distillers and celebrities.

Photo: John Bohn/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Author: Bob Guccione Jr.

Dining With Popes & Julia Child: Lidia Bastianich’s Top Meals The famed restaurateur, Emmy Award-winning TV-show host and cookbook author shares with us the meals that have mattered the most to her.

“My first time was in Kentucky, about 30 years ago...I put away the groceries, and decided I needed a shower. On a whim, I took the beer along. It wasn’t long till I was soaped up, hot water rinsing off the day. I grabbed the jug, and tilted it back. Hot water pounding on my back, cold beer running down my throat. Wow! I’d found a whole new experience. The shower beer!”

Our columnist Lew Bryson examines the popularity of the shower beer and shares his advice for novices on how to pull it off.

Yes, You Should Have a Shower Beer Today We examine the recent popularity of the shower beer and offer advice for novices on how to pull it off.

“With imbibing moving from club to the curb, Bernhardt and Fortner saw an opportunity to make every drink a walking advertisement. They worked up another concoction called the Shark Attack. They’d seen a local bar serving a drink by that name, which featured a tiny plastic shark as a garnish. ‘Gosh, we can improve on that and make it a dramatic thing,’ Bernhardt said. ‘And we did.’

The Shark Attack became bar-top theater, and was served amid clanging bells, flashing lights, and the theme music from Jaws. Each time one was ordered, a bartender blew a whistle and shouted for everyone to get out of the water, then plunged a hollow, grenadine-filled plastic shark into blue, Collins-like drink. Blood rose to the surface. Everyone cheered, more importantly everyone who walked down the street bearing a cup with an eight-inch shark tail emerging out of it became an unpaid billboard for Tropical Isle.” - Wayne Curtis

Read the full story of how Earl Bernhardt reinvented New Orleans’ Bourbon Street with his beach-themed bar empire Tropical Isle and over-the-top drinks, including the now famous Hand Gr***de.

Remembering the Cocktail King of Bourbon Street Earl Bernhardt reinvented New Orleans’ Bourbon Street with his beach-themed bar empire and over-the-top drinks, including the now famous Hand Gr***de.

Top bartender Kevin Beary tackles our speed round of questions.

What’s his favorite cocktail and food pairing? “A 50/50 Gin Martini & oysters.”

: Kevin Beary
Photo: Anjali Pinto

The Last Drink of the Night For a Tiki Cocktail Expert The beverage director at Chicago’s acclaimed tiki haven, Three Dots and a Dash, tackles our speed round of questions.

From McSorley’s Old Ale House to the Ear Inn to the Nancy Whiskey, New York has no shortage of historic watering holes.

So, fix yourself a drink and pull up a stool for this episode of Life Behind Bars. Co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum talk about the extensive history of bars in New York and how the city’s drinking culture has evolved over the last two centuries.

A Cocktail Tour of Old New York This episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars looks at the extensive history of bars in New York.

You need to make celebrity chef Chloe Coscarelli's personal tacos!

“Whether or not you’re a vegan you’ll want to try this recipe this weekend. The mix of Brussels sprouts, roasted corn and chimichurri sauce is the perfect dish that is great on its own or can be paired with other brunch favorites. It’s also light enough to serve as party food but substantial enough to work as a meal.” - Noah Rothbaum

DIRECTIONS:
To make the Brussels sprouts: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the Brussels sprouts, taco seasoning, and salt. Cook, stirring continuously, for about 10 minutes, until the Brussels are slightly softened and charred.
Meanwhile, make the corn. In a separate large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the corn and salt and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes, until charred. Remove the skillet from the heat and mix in the jalapeño, lime juice, and agave. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Make the chimichurri sauce: In a blender or food processor, blend all the chimichurri ingredients until smooth.
To assemble, heat a tortilla in a pan over medium-high heat or by placing it directly on the burner over medium-low heat for about 20 to 30 seconds on each side, using tongs to flip. Layer on some of the corn, Brussels sprouts, and a drizzle of chimichurri sauce. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling. Garnish each with cilantro, a lime wedge, and *Pickled Red Onion (below), if desired.

Photo Credit: Christina Holmes

Celebrity Chef Chloe Coscarelli’s Personal Taco Recipe This weekend try this vegan recipe from the chef’s new book, ‘Chloe Flavor.’

Try this delicious Salt Slab Chocolate Brownie S’mores recipe from the book “Project Fire,” by grilling guru Steven Raichlen.

INGREDIENTS:
6 Excellent chocolate brownies (each about 3 by 4 inches)
6 Fresh mint leaves, rolled and thinly slivered, or 2 tablespoons crème de menthe liqueur (optional)
6 Squares (each about 2 by 3 inches) super-premium chocolate bar
6 Rectangular marshmallows (each about 2 by 3 inches) or conventional marshmallows, cut in half lengthwise
Flaky salt, preferably Maldon, for serving (optional)
1 cup Unsoaked wood chips.

DIRECTIONS:
Brush or scr**e the grill grate clean; there’s no need to oil it. Set up your grill for indirect grilling and heat slowly to medium-high. Gradually heat the salt slab at the same time.
Lay the slivered mint leaves atop the brownies or sprinkle the brownies with crème de menthe, if using. Lay a square of chocolate on top, and top with a marshmallow.
Arrange the marshmallow-topped brownies on the hot salt slab. Add the wood chips to the coals or to your grill’s smoker box and lower the lid. Smoke-roast the s’more brownies until the marshmallows are sizzling and browned, 6 to 10 minutes. Transfer to plates or bowls or serve them right off the salt slab, sprinkled with flaky salt, if using.
Warning: Do not make this recipe in cold weather. Hot salt slabs have been known to crack or explode when exposed to cold air.

Photo Credit: Matthew Benson Foto

Steven Raichlen’s Personal Chocolate Brownie S’mores Recipe Try this delicious Salt Slab Chocolate Brownie S’mores recipe from the new book ‘Project Fire,’ by Steven Raichlen.

Canned cocktails have been around way longer than you think…

“The first prepared cocktail was sold commercially in the late 1800s. One story goes like this: the Heublein brothers owned a fancy hotel in Hartford, Connecticut, and were asked to batch and bottle Martinis and Manhattans for the summer picnic of the First Company Governor’s Foot Guard. The picnic was canceled twice for weather; after a couple of weeks the brothers decreed that the bottles should be dumped. A heroic and curious bartender poured himself a dram from the doomed stash, and discovered it was still…very palatable. He informed his bosses, an idea took root, and in 1892 the brothers launched a bottled line called ‘Outing Club Cocktails,’ which would become the Club Cocktail line of packaged drinks, and long outlast the hotel.” - Wayne Curtis

Canned Cocktails Have Been Around Way Longer Than You Think Canned cocktails may now be all the rage but they have actually been sold since the late 1800s. Read their fascinating history now.

The co-founder of Sugar Monk in New York, Ektoras Binikos, tackled our speed round of questions.

What was the first good drink he ever drank and where? “I tasted my first real cocktail in Athens at a bar named Aerostato (air balloon). I had just turned 18 and could legally drink. I heard about this cool and very popular place attracting artists, intellectuals and students. I had no idea what a cocktail was, so I looked around and pointed to the server a cocktail that visually looked stunning. Ha! It was an Irish Coffee! Very tall glass crowned by a thick layer of foam and a coffee bean with a drizzle of green Crème de Menthe on top. I thought it was the most wonderful drink in the world.”

: Ektoras Binikos

ABBA, Pisco Sours & Oysters: Meet Ektoras Binikos The co-founder of Sugar Monk in New York, tackles our speed round of questions.

This episode of the award-winning podcast “Life Behind Bars” is about bartenders who have been largely lost to history. Click the link to learn more about two incredible barmen: Duncan Nicol, who ran San Francisco’s famed Bank Exchange until Prohibition and was known for his signature Pisco Punch, and Jim Gray, who was one of New York’s most famous bartenders in the late 1800s when he worked at the Fifth Avenue Hotel.

The Greatest Bartenders the World Forgot This episode of the award-winning podcast ‘Life Behind Bars’ is about a couple of important bartenders who have been largely lost to history.

Craving dumplings? Try making them from scratch with famed chef Anita Lo’s recipe for pork and chive dumplings.

Ingredients:

For the Dumplings:
3/4 pound Green cabbage
1/2 pound Ground pork
1/4 pound Peeled, deveined shrimp, chopped
1/2 bunch Scallions, finely chopped
1/2 cup Garlic chives, chopped (optional)
1 large Clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp Grated ginger
3 Tbsp Soy sauce
1/2 tsp Sesame oil
1 Tbsp Sugar
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 package Dumpling wrappers

For the Dipping Sauce:
3 Tbsp Rice wine vinegar
4 Tbsp Soy sauce
1 tsp Thinly sliced scallion white
1 pinch Toasted sesame seeds
Ground black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp Soybean oil or other non-flavored oil such as canola, for pan-frying

DIRECTIONS:
Roughly chop the cabbage and place in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped but not pureed. Remove and squeeze in a clean kitchen towel to remove juices and place dried cabbage in a large bowl for mixing. Add the pork, shrimp, scallions, chives, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and salt and pepper and mix. Test for flavor by poaching or frying a small amount, and adjust seasonings.
To wrap the dumplings, place a tablespoon of filling into the center of each wrapper. Wet the edges, and fold in half, to form a taco-like shape. Make a pleat on the side facing you, about 20 degrees from the apex of the half circle formed by the dumpling skin, toward the top, and seal with your fingers to the back side of the skin. Repeat on the other quarter, in mirror fashion, and seal the dumpling completely, trying to eliminate any air pockets. Place on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper, pleated side up, with dumplings spaced so as not to touch one another. Cover both the wrappers and the folded dumplings with a clean damp cloth to prevent drying while wrapping.
Repeat until you’ve used up all the filling. Freeze unused dumplings by placing the entire sheet pan uncovered in the freezer. When frozen, transfer dumplings to a Ziploc freezer bag.
To make the dipping sauce, mix together the rice vinegar with the soy sauce, scallion, sesame seeds, and black pepper.
Steam the dumplings for about 5 minutes or until cooked through if just made, and 6 minutes if frozen, and serve with the dipping sauce.
To pan-fry, heat a nonstick sauté pan over high heat. Add oil to the pan and swirl, then add the dumplings in one layer so they don’t touch. Add enough water to cover the dumplings halfway, then cover the pan. Cook over medium-high heat until all water is evaporated and the bottoms are browned and crispy.

Make Pork & Chive Dumplings like Professional Chef Anita Lo We got the acclaimed chef and author of the new book, ‘Solo: A Modern Cookbook for a Party of One,’ to share her recipe for dumplings.

Try making the famous Italian soup ribollito from this recipe featured in the book “Venice: Four Seasons of Home Cooking,” by Russell Norman.

“The secret to the recipe is to wait a day before eating it. While it’s certainly a test of self-control, if you’re able to resist temptation you’ll be rewarded. Norman points out that ribollita, of course, means ‘reboiled’ and the dish tastes better the second day.” - Noah Rothbaum

INGREDIENTS:
1 2/3 cup Cannellini beans, dried
2 Bay leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
1 large Onion, finely diced
1 large Carrot, finely diced�
1 large Celery stalk, finely diced
1 clove Garlic, finely chopped
Flaky sea salt
1 tsp Fennel seeds, crushed
small handful Thyme leaves
freshly ground Black pepper
1 14.5 ounce can Diced tomatoes
Half a loaf of stale bread, crustless, torn into small chunks�
1 whole Cavolo nero, roughly shredded

DIRECTIONS:
Soak the beans overnight in a very large bowl with one of the bay leaves and plenty of cold water.
Next day, drain the beans, transfer to a large pot, and cover well with fresh cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes, until soft. While cooking, remove scum as it comes to the surface. Retain 2 large cups of the cooking water, drain the beans and set aside.
In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat a good glug or two of olive oil and gently sauté the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic for a good 15 minutes, until soft and glossy. Add a good pinch or two of salt, the crushed fennel seeds, the thyme, and a twist of black pepper.
Now add the chopped tomatoes, the cooked beans, one of the cups of cooking water and the second bay leaf, and stir over medium heat for about 30 to 45 minutes. About halfway through, submerge the chunks of stale bread in the soup and add the shredded cavolo nero. You may need to use the second cup of cooking water.
When done, your thick soup will improve vastly if you leave it overnight in the fridge and reheat it the next day (ribollito means “reboiled”). Either way, remember to remove the bay leaves and finish each bowl with a twist of pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Photo Credit: Jenny Zarins

Ribollita: A Taste of Italy Without Leaving Your Kitchen Try this hearty soup recipe from the new book ‘Venice: Four Seasons of Home Cooking,’ by Russell Norman.

The Rolling Stones’ thirst for the Tequila Sunrise inspired a generation to drink the agave spirit.

“When Jagger asked Bobby Lozoff to make him a Margarita, the young bartender had a better idea: he offered to make the Stones’ front man a cocktail he had recently mastered—and then tinkered with. Invented at the Arizona Biltmore hotel in the 1930s, the drink was a kind of Singapore Sling modified to showcase the sweet, agave-rich flavor of tequila. ‘We built it in a chimney glass,’ Lozoff remembered. ‘A shot of tequila with one hand, a shot of sweet and sour with the other hand, the soda gun, then orange juice, float crème de cassis on top, grenadine if you wanted.’” -Ted Genoways

Photo Credit: Robert Knight Archive/Getty

Satisfaction: How the Rolling Stones Made Tequila a Hit The famed rock band’s thirst for Tequila Sunrises inspired a generation to drink the agave spirit.

“The Hurricane is widely noted as a rum drink, but not so well known for the ingredient that makes it so crimsony. In theory, this is passion fruit. Historically, it’s often been Fassionola, originally spelled like a proper noun with a capital ‘F,’ but now more often with its case lowered, for reasons we shall see. So, what is fassionola? To be honest, no one is exactly sure.” - Wayne Curtis

Is the Secret to the Hurricane’s Signature Red Color a Mysterious Syrup? Searching for the history and origins of this puzzling tiki cocktail ingredient.

The co-owner of Kingfisher, Sean Umstead, tackled our speed round of questions.

What drink is he most proud of creating? “I’d say I am most proud of my Strawberry Daiquiri. It really embodies my bar Kingfisher. We source the most amazing, tiny flavorful strawberries from George and Lily at Lil’ Farm, just north of Durham. We slow cook them into a syrup, then take the pulp and infuse it into rum along with the trimmed strawberry tops. We adjust the rums as the season progresses. It really shows amazing depth and seasonality. It is also an evolving drink, just as I hope Kingfisher evolves over time.”

: Sean Umstead
Photo Credit: Scott Myers

Boilermakers, BBQ & Boz Scaggs: Meet Bartender Sean Umstead The co-owner of the new bar Kingfisher in Durham, North Carolina, tackles our speed round of questions.

It’s the return of the cocktail hour! On this episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum discuss the return of America’s nightly cocktail hour and what people are mixing up. They also discuss the long-term effects of the coronavirus on the bar industry and how it might change after this pandemic is finished.

The Return of Cocktail Hour This episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars focuses on the effects of the coronavirus on home bartenders and also the long-term impact on bars.

Chef Edward Lee shared his tips and tricks to making perfectly crispy and tender fried chicken. The best part? It’s really simple. Whether you’re a fried chicken rookie or you’re curious to see if you can inject new life into your family’s recipe, Lee’s advice will help you achieve the perfect contrast between crispy crust and tender chicken every time. - Anna Archibald

This Is Not Your Grandma’s Fried Chicken—It’s Better Chef Edward Lee shares his tips and tricks to making perfectly crispy and tender fried chicken. The best part? It’s really simple.

Cookbook author and judge Chef Amanda Freitag offered a few tips and tricks to get perfect rice pudding every time.

“Rice pudding is such a comfort food for Freitag that she craves it most when she’s feeling under the weather. In the notes for her rice pudding recipe (below) featured in her book ‘The Chef Next Door,’ she writes “I was once very ill with the flu and was fortunate to have my parents taking care of me. They were so concerned that I wasn’t eating and begged me to eat something…anything. The only thing I craved was rice pudding.” Her dad dutifully brought her “10 different kinds of rice pudding,” including everything from Kozy Shack to her beloved diner rice pudding.” - Anna Archibald

Photo Credit: David Malosh

The Secrets to Celebrity Chef Amanda Freitag’s Rice Pudding Cookbook author and “Chopped” judge Amanda Freitag offers a few tips and tricks to get perfect rice pudding every time.

Eggs make a perfect Easter cocktail. Why not try this one tomorrow: The Only William’s Easter Lily

INGREDIENTS:
1 Egg
2 tsp Superfine sugar
1 oz VSOP-grade Cognac or Armagnac
1 oz Old Jamaican rum, such as Appleton Reserve75 oz Organic heavy cream
1 tsp Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur5 tsp Crème de roses liqueur, if available, or 2 drops rosewater
Glass: Champagne flute

DIRECTIONS: Separate a small egg. In a cocktail shaker, whip the white into a foam by shaking it vigorously. Add the egg yolk and the rest of the ingredients to another cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake viciously and strain into a Champagne flute. Top with the foamed egg white.

How Eggs Make a Perfect Easter Cocktail Don’t be afraid! You need yolks and whites to make some of tastiest classic drinks.

“Late one afternoon in the fall of 1985, I was sitting alone at a table inside a giant coffee cup two doors down from the Music Machine on Pico Boulevard in West Los Angeles when the waitress brought me a can of beer. Tecate—and cold, cold, cold.

But with it came a saucer, and on the saucer was a neat little mound of subdivided lime wedges and diced white onion. The lime bits I could understand—longnecks of Mexican beer with wedges of lime jammed into them were a recent fad in that part of the country. But the onions? I had no earthly idea what to do with them.” - David Wondrich

Click the link in our bio to read our columnist David Wondrich ’s first experience tasting the Michelada Beer Cocktail.

The Mysterious Case of the Michelada Beer Cocktail The backstory of this refreshing drink runs through Austin and down to Mexico.

Eugene O’Neill’s dive-bar fascination went far beyond “The Iceman Cometh.” The legendary playwright was obsessed with several New York bars that appear in a number of his famous plays.

O’Neill based Harry Hope’s on three of his New York haunts back in the 1910s: Jimmy’s Hotel and Café, aka “Jimmy’s Place” or “Jimmy the Priest’s,” at 252 Fulton Street, where the World Trade Center Tower stands now; the Golden Swan, in the shadow of the elevated tracks at 6th Ave. and West 4th Street on a spot now occupied by the Golden Swan Garden, and the bar of the Garden Hotel, at 63 Madison Ave. on the northeast corner of 27th Street.

Photo Credit: Julieta Cervantes

Eugene O’Neill’s Dive-Bar Fascination Went Far Beyond ‘The Iceman Cometh’ The legendary playwright was obsessed with several New York bars that appear in a number of his famous plays.

Carrie Heller tackles our speed round of questions.

“The first good drink I ever had was a proper Old-Fashioned at Tony’s Saloon in Los Angeles. It was super simple but blew me away coming from crushing shots and Vodka Sodas. It was on a big sexy Penny Pound Ice Cube and the bartender carved the orange peel into a ‘C’ and put it on top of the cube. Then I married that bartender, no joke.”

Photo Credit: Pouring With Heart

Gin Martinis, Garth Brooks & Steaks: Meet Carrie Heller The general manager at The Normandie Club in Los Angeles, tackles our speed round of questions.

There is a truly bizarre history of pandemic cocktail cures…

While sheltering in place at their respective homes, co-hosts David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum discuss the history of drinking during plagues and some of the cocktail cures that were created and popularized on this new episode of our podcast Life Behind Bars. (Spoiler alert: Rock and Rye doesn’t actually protect you from tuberculosis.)

The Bizarre History of Pandemic Cocktail Cures This episode of the award-winning podcast Life Behind Bars focuses on the history of supposed cocktail remedies.

James Beard award-winning cookbook author Dorie Greenspan shared her favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and some tips for making this classic dessert.

“Her tips and recipe will help you achieve a slightly more gourmet version of this classic cookie using pantry staples. Don’t worry; you’ll still find all the rich, chocolatey, nostalgic goodness you crave.” -Anna Archibald

Photo Credit: Davide Luciano

Reaching Chocolate Chip Cookie Nirvana James Beard award-winning cookbook author Dorie Greenspan shares her favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and some tips for making this classic dessert.

Combine your whiskey and dessert with Christopher Kimball’s delicious Maple-Whiskey Pudding Cakes from his book “Milk Street: Tuesday Nights.”
Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street

INGREDIENTS:
6 Tbsp Maple syrup
1 tsp Cider vinegar
6 Tbsp Whiskey, divided
8 Tbsp (1 stick) Salted butter, divided
Kosher salt
1/2 cup White sugar
1/4 cup Whole milk
1 Large egg
1 tsp Vanilla extract
3/4 cup Pecans, toasted
1/2 cup All-purpose flour
1 tsp Baking powder

DIRECTIONS:
In a small saucepan over medium, combine a half cup of water, the maple syrup, vinegar, 4 tablespoons of whiskey, 2 tablespoons of butter and a quarter teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In another small saucepan over medium, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter. Cook, swirling the pan, until the milk solids at the bottom are deep golden brown and the butter has the aroma of toasted nuts, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the middle position. Mist four 6-ounce ramekins with cooking spray and place on a rimmed baking sheet. When the butter is cool, whisk in the sugar, milk, egg, vanilla and remaining 2 tablespoons whiskey. Set aside.
In a food processor, process the pecans until finely ground and beginning to clump, 30 to 40 seconds. Add the flour, baking powder and half a teaspoon of salt, then pulse until combined, about 5 pulses. Add the butter mixture and pulse until a smooth, thick batter forms, about 5 pulses, scraping down the bowl once.
Divide the batter among the prepared ramekins. Gently pour the maple mixture over the batter in each ramekin. Do not stir. Bake until the cakes are puffed and the centers jiggle only slightly, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving; the cakes will fall slightly as they cool.

NOTE: Don’t stir the maple-whiskey syrup into the batter after dividing it among the batter-filled ramekins. During baking, the syrup forms a sauce at the bottom.

Photo Credit: CB Creatives

Christopher Kimball’s Recipe for Having Whiskey for Dessert Try these delicious Maple-Whiskey Pudding Cakes from the new book, ‘Milk Street: Tuesday Nights’ by Christopher Kimball.

Can you use turmeric in cocktails? Top Bartender Claire Sprouse says yes!

“As a cocktail bartender, I think we really geek out about where our coffee, spirits and wines come from, but we really undervalue where botanicals and a lot of dried goods come from,” says Sprouse. “For me, it has started this whole deep dive into exploring where and how I professionally source ingredients that we take for granted.”

Turmeric Cocktails? Yes, You Should Be Drinking Them. The sustainability-minded bartender behind Brooklyn’s new bar Hunky Dory can’t get enough of Diaspora Co.’s golden spice.

When is a Martini no longer a Martini? Our columnist David Wondrich contemplates the evolution of classic cocktail recipes and how to properly name them.

“Back in the two or three decades before Prohibition—the first cocktail revolution—the convention was that if you change the ingredient in a drink you should also change the name...But when the ingredients change the very nature of the drink, on the other hand, it seems only polite to offer the customer fair warning.”

When Is a Martini No Longer a Martini? Our columnist contemplates the evolution of classic cocktail recipes and how to properly name them.

We got “Twin Peaks” icon Kyle MacLachlan to go 10 Rounds with our Editor Noah Rothbaum. Find out what is the best variety of wine to drink while watching Twin Peaks and eating cherry pie.

Photo Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty

What Wine Goes With Cherry Pie? We Asked Kyle MacLachlan The “Twin Peaks” icon and owner of acclaimed wine brand Pursued by Bear tackles our speed round of questions.

Is the Old-Fashioned the world’s first cocktail? On this episode of our award-winning podcast, Life Behind Bars, co-hosts Noah Rothbaum & David Wondrich discuss the long history of the drink and how it’s essentially the very first cocktail ever stirred up. They also address whether or not it’s acceptable to include club soda, and muddled cherries and orange in the mix.

Is the Old-Fashioned the World’s First Cocktail? The Old-Fashion is once again super popular but its history stretches back hundreds of years.