Page 4C
EAT, DRINK & EXPLORE
East Oregonian
Saturday, October 28, 2017
Scotch stars in this fall cocktail
with pear and warm spices
By THE CULINARY
INSTITUTE OF AMERICA
Associated Press
Melissa D’Arabian via AP
Pumpkin and spice breakfast bowl.
Put pumpkin puree to work
as part of a frozen winter treat
By MELISSA D’ARABIAN
Associated Press
All four of my daughters
love frozen acai bowls
because they feel like
you’re eating ice cream for
breakfast, except healthier.
If you haven’t hopped
on the acai bowl craze,
allow me to update you.
Superfood acai berry puree
is blended up with fruit —
usually berries or banana
— and then served thick,
creamy and semi-frozen,
topped with granola, fruit,
nuts or other goodies.
You can buy gorgeous
berry-topped bowls at juice
bars across the country, or
make your own by blending
up the base, pouring it
into individual bowls and
freezing. Once frozen solid,
they’ll last for weeks.
But, you’ll need to let
it soften a little to achieve
the desired consistency,
which means this is a great
make-ahead breakfast.
Stock up the freezer with
frozen bowls, and pull them
out as needed to thaw a
few minutes on the counter,
adding toppings, and eat.
But frozen breakfast
bowls are also fantastic as a
to-go snack in a lunchbox:
an icepack slows down the
thawing enough to have the
bowl at the perfect texture
about two hours later. And
don’t worry if you miss the
mark: even if it completely
thaws, the bowl stays tasty,
even if more smoothie-
bowl-esque than ice-creamy.
Today, I’m winterizing
this summertime treat by
swapping out the acai and
bringing in the beloved
flavors of the season in
my Pumpkin and Spice
Breakfast Bowl. Pumpkin
puree is not only perfectly
seasonal, but it boasts a
ton of vitamin A (more
PUMPKIN & SPICE BREAKFAST BOWLS
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 15 minutes, plus freezing and
thawing time
Base:
• 1 large ripe banana, sliced
• 1 ½ cups canned pumpkin puree
• 1 cup reduced fat vanilla Greek yogurt (nonfat
yogurt not recommended)
• ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or mix of
cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice)
• pinch of salt
Topping:
• 2 small apples, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup pecan halves or pieces
• ¼ cup raw oats
• 4 teaspoons maple syrup
Place all the ingredients for the base into a blender
and blend until creamy and smooth, about one minute.
(Tip: Blend on low. You may need to start and stop
blender, breaking up the ingredients using a wooden
spoon when NOT blending.) Divide the blended
mixture among four individual freezer-safe bowls or
to-go containers. Top and eat as is for a smoothie bowl.
Or, freeze for at least 30 minutes, or up to a month
(covered). Just before serving, top with apples, pecans,
oats and the maple syrup drizzled on top.
Breakfast bowl can then be eaten frozen like an
ice cream: Allow a frozen solid bowl to soften a little
before — at room temperature, this will take approxi-
mately 20 minutes.
In a lunchbox with an ice pack, the ideal frozen
eating time is 1-2 hours after removing from the
freezer. If the bowls “overthaw,” simply enjoy them as
smoothie bowls.
Chef’s Note: Customize your toppings swapping in
nuts, seeds, fruit, berries, chia seeds, hemp hearts, or
shaved coconut.
Nutrition information per serving: 235 calories; 68
calories from fat; 8 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats);
4 mg cholesterol; 97 mg sodium; 39 g carbohydrate; 8
g fiber; 22 g sugar; 9 g protein.
than a day’s worth in one
serving), and a smattering
of other vitamins, minerals
and fiber. And, it’s naturally
sweet so not a lot of extra
sugar is needed to make
this breakfast feel like more
of an indulgence than it
actually is. Loading up the
freezer with these bowls
is an excellent plan-ahead
strategy, whether you’re a
mom of four, or you just
want to streamline your
mornings.
———
Food Network star
Melissa d’Arabian is an
expert on healthy eating
on a budget. She is the
author of the cookbook,
“Supermarket Healthy.”
Cold-weather cocktails
aren’t limited to eggnogs
and mulled ciders. In fact,
the flavors of fall and winter
can be just as exciting, and
even as refreshing, as those
beachy concoctions we sip
during the summer. And
there’s an ingredient you
may not have considered that
is definitely worth adding to
your repertoire — scotch.
In this Spiced Orchard
Pear recipe from The Culi-
nary Institute of America,
scotch is the unexpected star.
The drink highlights the best
of the fall season, with notes
of citrus to help you ease
into the snowy winter.
CIA instructor Rory
Brown says, “The flavor
from the orange liqueur
and the lemon juice balance
the cocktail and act as a
transition into winter.”
Of course, it wouldn’t be
a fall cocktail without the
familiar flavors of juicy pear
and the warmth of spices,
and while you may be less
accustomed to using scotch
in cocktails, this recipe may
change your mind. Though
its name may conjure up
images of mens’ clubs and
leather-bound books, a new
generation is helping to
move it into the mainstream.
Scotch is basically the
embodiment of fall, with
its caramel flavors perfectly
complimenting the aroma
from your neighbor’s
fireplace. And while many
think of scotch as whisky’s
smoky cousin, not all Scotch
is smoky.
Widely regarded for its
long history, Scotch is a
whisky — much like those
produced in the U.S. —
made in Scotland under
some very specific require-
ments. Part of the historical
process is to toast and dry
the malt before processing.
Peat, a sort of spongy, mossy
material that is abundant
in the earth of Ireland and
Scotland, remains a popular
fuel source in Scotland.
When burned, peat gives off
an unmistakably fragrant
smoke, and when used to dry
the malt, it imparts a strong
flavor that carries through to
the finished product.
The scotches produced
on the island of Islay are
known to be among the
smokiest (or, the peatiest),
but overall, scotches run
the gamut in color, flavor,
and aroma, and certainly
not all are created equal.
Experiment with producers,
regions, and blends to find
your favorite.
By now, you should
be checking to see if it’s
cocktail hour. But don’t
rush it, because you have a
Phil Mansfield/The Culinary Institute of America
Spiced orchard pear cocktail.
SPICED ORCHARD PEAR
Servings: 1
Start to finish: 25 minutes (Active time: 5 minutes)
• 2 ounces blended Scotch
• ¾ ounce pear puree
• ½ ounce orange liqueur
• ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ ounce Winter Syrup (recipe below)
• 1 cinnamon stick, for garnish (see note)
In a cocktail shaker, combine the Scotch, pear
puree, orange liqueur, lemon juice, and syrup. Add ice,
then shake until well-combined.
Strain into a rocks glass, over fresh ice, and garnish
with the cinnamon stick.
Chef’s Note: If desired, lightly burn one end of the
cinnamon stick with a torch. Invert the rocks glass
over the cinnamon stick on a heat-safe surface or plate
while you prepare the cocktail.
Winter Syrup:
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups sugar
• The peel of 1 orange, white pith removed
• 1 star anise
• 3 whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 5 cardamom pods
Combine water, sugar, orange peel, anise, cloves,
cinnamon, and cardamom in a medium saucepan over
medium heat.
Cook until the mixture is simmering and the sugar
has dissolved.
Set aside until cool, then strain. Refrigerate for up
to 3 weeks.
Nutrition information per serving: 211 calories; 0
calories from fat; 0 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats);
0 mg cholesterol; 7 mg sodium; 13 g carbohydrate; 1
g fiber; 10 g sugar; 0 g protein.
few things to do first. The
best cocktails don’t come
easy — except for gin and
tonics, which are easy and
perfect, but not seasonally
appropriate — but luckily,
this one is pretty close.
You can find pear
puree in the freezer section
of some grocery stores,
but if not, just put 3 to 4
peeled and cored pears in
a saucepan with about 1/4
cup of water. Cook until the
pears are soft, then blend
them to a smooth puree.
Cool them before using,
and keep in the refrigerator
for a week or so. While it’s
cooling, make your simple
syrup.
Simple syrups are an
equal mix of sugar and
water, boiled to dissolve
the sugar. We often add
flavorings like vanilla, fruit
essence, or spices. Make
your simple syrup weeks
ahead, if you like. And use
any leftover syrup in other
cocktails (it screams fall
sangria), to sweeten iced tea,
or even tossed with apples
for your apple pie.
We know that not
everyone is on the prowl for
a good cocktail, so if you
would prefer a nonalcoholic
version, combine the pear
puree, lemon juice, and
simple syrup with a splash
of club soda, seltzer, or
good quality ginger beer.
You can torch the end of the
cinnamon stick (we give a
quick how-to in the recipe)
for a smoky garnish that is
just like the real deal.
Tips for air travel: How to find deals and when to book
By BETH J. HARPAZ
AP Travel Editor
NEW YORK — Booking air
travel is stressful. How far in
advance should you book? Did you
get the best fare?
That anxiety is magnified this
time of year as travelers finalize
holiday plans and look ahead to
winter getaways and spring break.
In an interview with AP Travel’s
“Get Outta Here” podcast , Airfare-
Watchdog.com founder George
Hobica offered some advice for
finding the best deals.
Fare searches
and price tracking
“Sign up for airfare alerts,”
Hobica said. “There are many
website products that will give
you an alert when the fare goes
up or down,” including Airfare-
Watchdog,
Google
Flights,
Expedia, Kayak and Priceline.
Just remember not all airlines
are tracked by every website. For
example, Delta flights don’t show
up on Hopper, JetBlue no longer
sells tickets on Vayama and South-
west bans third-party websites
from automatically scraping its
data. AirfareWatchdog includes
Southwest flights by manually
collecting the information.
AirfareWatchdog also special-
izes in spotting deals that may
“only last for a few hours or maybe
a day or two,” Hobica said. Sign
up for alerts for specific routes
and you’ll receive an email when
prices hit reasonable levels or go
on sale.
Hoping to score a $1 or $20
AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File
Booking flights can be stressful as consumers worry about how to
get the best deal and how far ahead to book, especially at holiday
time. Experts say check multiple websites for prices and forget the
notion that there’s a magic day of the week or time of day when
fares drop.
“mistake fare” that airlines publish
by accident? Hobica says they’re
“rare these days” because airline
computers are programmed to
catch them.
How far in advance
should you book?
“Last-minute fares are always
more expensive,” Hobica said.
Some studies suggest that nine
to 12 weeks ahead is the best time
frame for booking domestic tickets.
How about holiday fares?
Should you book Thanksgiving
fares in April or May?
“Definitely start looking as early
as possible if you know you’re
going to travel over a holiday,”
Hobica said.
Prices are higher around the
holidays because many travelers
prefer the same schedule. They
want to arrive in time for the meal
on Thanksgiving Thursday or be
back at work the first weekday
after Christmas. If your schedule
is flexible, you’ll get a better price
by staying a day or two later or
leaving a day early. “Traveling on
the Saturday after Thanksgiving
is going to be cheaper than the
Sunday after Thanksgiving,” he
said.
Magic day to book?
“I don’t think there is a magic
formula or a magic time of the
week to look for a good airfare,”
said Hobica. “There is a myth out
there that Tuesday is the best time
to book airfares.”
Airlines do announce sales
on Tuesdays, he said, but also
post sales on Fridays, sometimes
unannounced, “hoping people will
buy the last remaining seats on a
flight.”
Hobica also sometimes sees
“amazing airfare sales on Saturday
and Sunday” when searches by
consumers tend to fall off. Some-
times the lower demand can push
automated pricing down.
Does the very act of repeatedly
searching for a flight nudge prices
higher? Hobica says no. But you
could see prices rise while you’re
searching if all the cheap seats get
booked by others. Usually airlines
limit how many seats sell at the
lowest fares.
Booking tips
Is it better to book through
airline websites?
Not necessarily. The same flight
might be priced differently on
different third-party sites. A search
engine like BookingBuddy.com
lets you compare the same flight on
different websites. Sometimes an
online travel agency like Expedia
or Priceline will offer a lower
fare than the airline because of a
specially negotiated deal, Hobica
said.
But if there’s a problem with
the flight, it might be easier to
straighten out if you’ve booked
directly with the airline.
Other tips:
• If fares drop after you book,
you’re probably stuck with the
higher fare because airlines
charge so much to change tickets.
But there are a few exceptions.
Southwest, for example, does not
charge for changing tickets. And
U.S. Department of Transportation
rules state that passengers may
“cancel a booking without penalty,
for 24 hours after the reservation is
made, if they make the reservation
one week or more prior to a flight’s
departure date.” That means if the
price drops within 24 hours, you
can rebook without penalty on
flights at least a week out.
• If you’re buying multiple
seats on the same flight, book the
trips separately for each traveler.
Airlines limit how many seats are
sold at the lowest fare, and if there’s
only one cheap seat left, you’ll
miss the deal if you’re buying
two tickets at once. But if you’re
flying with kids, best to keep their
tickets on the same reservation as
the accompanying adult in case of
bumping or other issues.
• It may be cheaper to fly one
way on one airline and return on
another. Just remember that if your
outgoing flight is canceled, you’ll
be stuck for the return on the other
airline.
• Consider airport alternatives:
Baltimore versus Washington;
Newark versus Trenton, New
Jersey; Boston versus Providence,
Rhode Island.
• Hotel-airfare packages can be
cheaper than booking flights and
lodging separately. Look for deals
on sites like Upside.com.
———
Scott Mayerowitz, AP’s digital
storytelling editor for business
news and former airlines reporter,
contributed to this story.