The Mistress

Last week I was watching old episodes of Oliver's Twist (Jamie Oliver cooking show) and one of the quick and easy recipes was a lime & basil sorbet. It looked VERY simple - and sounded delicious. So I figured I'd give it a go. I talked with Holly on the phone the next day and mentioned it to her, and her response was "just put in the blender with some tequila." Awww...Holly, you say the sweetest things. :) So I (basically) did just that. But here's why...

I actually DID attempt the sorbet, but I just couldn't get it to set. I think I didn't let it boil long enough (I'm still getting used to the electric range - it gets really, really, really, really, really, really hot really, really, really quickly). So it wasn't reduced enough to thicken up as it should in the freezer. But no loss, I pulled it out of the freezer and immediately poured some into a cocktail shaker with tequila. Thus The Mistress was born.

Why The Mistress? Well it fits the theme of our future endeavor. But more than that, it fits a certain Mistress we know and love. I'm speaking of the one and only Lana, of course. She's amazingly sweet, with a touch of earthy freshness. Yet she's damn powerful and can bring you to your knees. Such is the case with this drink. Be forewarned - The Mistress is strong and sweet and will own you.

The Mistress
1 part Lime-Basil simple syrup
3 parts white tequila
Lime wedge

Add the syrup & tequila to a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake vigorously. Pour into a martini glass and squeeze one wedge of lime overtop before serving.


Lime-Basil Simple Syrup
2 C water
1 C sugar
Zest of 5 limes
Juice of 5 limes
1 bunch of basil (handful)

In a pot, combine the sugar and the water. Stir and heat up. Add the zest, and bring to a slow boil.  For sorbet you would allow this to boil for 5 minutes or so. For simple syrup, don't do that. Simply take it off the heat and add the lime juice. Make sure your basil is clean, and pop it into a mortar & pestal. Bash it to death until it's all bruised and you've extracted some juice from the leaves. Add this entire basil mess to the pot and stir through. Let it sit for a couple of minutes so the flavors begin to come together. Then pour the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the basil leaves and pieces. Store in the refrigerator, and it should keep for up to a week.

If you wanted to make the sorbet (and boiled it for at least 5 minutes), at this point you could pour the contents into a metal bowl and pop it in the freezer. After 45 minutes, pull it out and whisk it good. Put it back in for 30 minutes. After that it should be ready for you to spoon out. It wasn't for me, and thus the drink was born.