By the time I couldn’t stop drooling over Red Rooster’s online menu, I’d already moved to a different borough, so I was “too far”, a common mindset among residents of cities with nearly 10 million people or more.
Nabbing an e-copy of The Red Rooster Cookbook was the only solution because it had many recipes that were – and still are – served at Red Rooster Harlem, including Chef Samuelsson’s drink, the Yes Chef.
I know. The Yes Chef is an alcohol-based drink. But I’m learning about swappables and nixed the vodka called for in the original and made two spirit-free versions: one with vinegar and one with tea. Mocktail-ization in full effect.
Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson
- Mint
- Homemade honey syrup
- Homemade ginger beer
- Pineapple juice
- Lime juice
VodkaVinegar or Over-steeped tea (Varieties abound. Play with ‘em.)
Equipment: shaker cup, saucepan, food processor, fine-mesh strainer
Me: Refreshing with vinegar. Mellow with tea, especially the taste of pineapple. I was expecting more of a kick from the ginger ’cause I’d fiddled with the recipe to ensure a good kick.
GJ: I didn’t know there was ginger in this. I could taste everything else in the vinegar one; the minty taste was slight (the leaf helped). The flavors weren’t as intense in the tea one, and I could definitely taste tea; the ginger too, but again just a little mint.
Another Round? Make it a daily round of both for each of us. The tea won out the vinegar for GJ, but I enjoyed them both the same.