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| 1920's couple. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books |
“There was so much to read for one thing and
so much fine health to be pulled out of the young, breath-giving air.” ~ Nick
Carraway, in The Great Gatsby.
I love this picture from my Granddaddy’s photo
album. To my mind, it could be Gatsby and Daisy, or better, it’s Nick Carraway and Jordan Baker, enjoying a
laugh on Gatsby’s patio before dancing and drinking the night away at one of
Jay’s parties designed to lure Daisy across the bay and back into his arms.There are no identifying notes on the photograph, but whoever they are, they stick with me because of the way they're dressed - his long legs and 28-inch waist, the flip of her skirt and the way her head leans into him. The kicker, though, are the feet - I have a spectacular weakness for spectator shoes - and the way they're crossed in opposite directions.
“The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald is,
hands-down, my favorite novel, one I try to re-read every few years. Fitzgerald’s
wordsmithing and narrator Nick’s observations are
new to me each time I’ve read it as an adult, but I hated it the first time it
was assigned to me in high school. The eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg taunted me
from the cover and I didn’t understand why Daisy didn’t leave brutish Tom and
run off with dashing Jay. It’s one of those books, I think, that reads better
once you’ve seen more of life. In other words, it’s wasted on so many
teenagers.
I’ve read the novel many times, seen three
movie versions (I thought last year’s Leo DiCaprio/Baz Luhrman version was fantastic
~ Leo was perfect in the pink suit.), and just last week, saw it as a play,
produced by the Georgia Ensemble Theatre in historic Roswell. The production
challenges – automobiles are significant to the story, and scenes that require
a dock, two mansions and a pool, were neatly overcome and the actors met the
challenges of the characters, as well. Nick’s wry humor came across more so
than in other versions, and Daisy was unexpectedly sympathetic, a difficult
task for a woman responsible directly for one death and indirectly for two. If
you’re in Atlanta, make a date ~ it’s playing through March 16.
For a book written about an opulent life in
abundant times, there’s remarkably little food mentioned in “Gatsby.” Of
course, there's the sandwiches and pastries that Nick serves when he invites Daisy to tea
(and a clandestine meeting with her old love, Jay.), prepared by the cook, the “demoniac
Finn.” While there may not be food, there is booze ~ fountains of champagne at
Gatsby’s soirees and bottles of whiskey at the Buchanan’s.
“Every Friday, five crates of oranges and
lemons arrived from a fruiterer in New York – every Monday these same oranges
and lemons left his backdoor in a pyramid of pulpless halves.” ~ The Great
Gatsby
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| Old-fashioned cocktails. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books |
And so, to celebrate my favorite novel, here’s
an old-fashioned cocktail made with peach-infused bourbon, something I make up
each summer when local produce stands offer crates of sun-ripened fruit at
giveaway prices. For six weeks, fresh peaches and lemon peel soak in
Kentucky bourbon, the infused mixture is then strained and combined with
simple syrup and aged for two more weeks. This ambrosia can be served in a
myriad of ways - on its own, in cocktails, in grown-up ice cream desserts, or
as a glaze for grilled meats. The mix is called Southern Succor and just like
re-reading Gatsby, it gets better with age. Cheers, old sport.
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| Southern Succor by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books |
Southern Succor
adapted from "American Home Cooking" by Cheryl &
Bill Jamison
6 peaches, peeled and chopped into chunks
Zest and juice of one lemon
750 ml bourbon whiskey
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1. In a large glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, place peaches, lemon zest and
juice. Cover with whiskey, seal jar and place in refrigerator to steep for up
to six weeks.
2. After six weeks, open jar and strain out the fruit and zest. Press lightly
to get all the good stuff out, but not so much as to push the fruit into the
liquid. Discard the fruit. Pour the liquid back into the jar.
3. In a saucepan, combine sugar and water and bring to a boil. When sugar
dissolves, cool syrup to room temperature. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then
cool to room temperature. Add the sugar syrup to the bourbon, return to the
refrigerator and let age for another two weeks before using.
The peachy bourbon may be between steps 1 and 2, but is still delicious in an
old-fashioned, the legendary first drink to be called a "cocktail."
It's sweet and fruity, and just perfect for viewing the sunset from the front
porch.
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| Joey's Old-Fashioned. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books |
Joey's Old-Fashioned
Joey is a mixologist and philosopher and this
is his version of an old-fashioned, with the exception of the lemon - he uses orange.
Because he lives in the South, he'll sometimes finish the drink with tea
instead of water.
In an old-fashioned glass (a short tumbler), place maraschino cherries, a wedge
of lemon and a teaspoon of sugar. Muddle. Pour 2 ounces of peach whiskey, then
a splash of water. Stir and garnish with lemon and cherry.
This post is part of #LetsLunch, a Twitter party featuring food writers and bloggers from around the world. Please visit these sites for more #LetsLunch stories.
Lisa’s
Pop Cakes from Monday Morning Cooking Club
Lucy’s
Old Fashioned from A Cook and Her Books
Jill’s
Orange Tarts at Eating My Words
Linda’s
Homemade Tagalongs from Free Range Cookies
Annabelle’s
Eggs for Bren at Glass of Fancy
Linda’s
Oaxacan Mole Rojo at Spicebox Travels
Cheryl’s
Hemingway Hamburger at A Tiger in the Kitchen
Betty’s
Leche Flan from Asian in America
Text and images copyright 2014, Lucy Mercer.
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