POM-Tastic!

Here are some more fun things to serve up if you are having a holiday party soon. A few weeks ago, I took a picture of this cocktail that I had before going out to a party. It was delicious and pretty. I got the idea from a yummy drink that I love at Chaya which is just champagne (or sparkling wine) with pomegranate seeds sprinkled in it. I enjoyed several of these cocktails earlier this year while reading a script out on the restaurant's patio. The script was ludicrous (when the movie comes out next year, I may or may not share details with you), but the drinks and the Chaya burger kept me going.


Last week, I got the idea to make a pomegranate granita. I mean, I have done everything else with pomegranates, why not a boozy granita as well? You get your antioxidants and your buzz in one swoop :) I used quite a bit of vodka in this recipe. If you're not down with that amount, or want to make this a virgin granita (which will freeze better), just replace the vodka with water.


I recently came across this pomegranate jam on TasteSpotting that I knew I would have to try. We often talk about preserving our summer harvest, but clearly, I love pomegranates so much, I thought it would be an excellent way to preserve some of the winter harvest. Well, unfortunately for me, the recipe didn't go exactly as planned. I blame my roommate who was hovering around my space while I was trying to recreate culinary genius. Whatever the problem, before I knew it, I had created pomegranate caramel instead of pomegranate jam. Fortunately for me, it was really good!

(When I still thought it could pass for jam)



(The resulting caramel candy)


Pomegranate Bellini

Proseco
Pomegranate juice
Pomegranate seeds

Fill a glass with proseco. Add a splash of pomegranate juice and top with pomegranate seeds.


Pomegranate Granita

1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
3/4 cup vodka
1/4 cup water
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Whisk together all of the ingredients in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved. Pour into an 8x8 baking dish and place in the freezer. Chill for at least 4 hours, scraping the top every hour. Can be done overnight.

To serve, layer a glass alternately with pomegranate arils, granita, and then top with more arils. Serve immediately.

Pomegranate Carmel Candy

1 3/4 cups pomegranate juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds


Combine pomegranate juice and sugar in a large pot over moderate heat. Stir frequently until the sugar dissolves, turn the heat to medium high and continue cooking for 30 minutes. Skim off the pink foam as necessary.

Add the pomegranate seeds and lemon juice and cook for another 30 minutes.

Check for consistency by dropping a spoonful of candy on a chilled plate. When you tilt the plate, if it stays in a mound and not run, the candy is done. Alternately, you can cook the mixture until dark amber in color.

Pour into an 9-inch baking dish lined with greased aluminium foil. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Use a pizza cutter to cut the candy into pieces. Alternately, you can break the candy into pieces once it has completely cooled.