Wholesome Cook
Vegetarian

{Day 5} Fizzy citrus and rosemary martini + other miscellaneous

Who’s thirsty?

Hydration is important and with all the jelly making and other cone-shaped food activities: it’s time to have a drink! No one likes a watered-down cocktail, so in today’s post I’m going to feature the mould upside down in the form of a gorgeous and very functional, self-chilling, martini glass.

For the drink of choice, I have decided to give my mandarin sherbet martini a new, slighty savoury lease on life with some muddled rosemary. The original has always been a crowd pleaser, and since I’ve had a few fresh rosemary sprigs leftover from the country-style terrine, it was a case of perfect timing. As far as the choice of citrus goes, I hand squeezed a combination of imperial mandarins, tangelos and a blood orange, which are currently in season and taste best from the local organic markets!

Let me explain the self-chilling function now. Since the mould has to be placed in a glass or mug to ‘function’ upside down, the said glass or mug shoud be filled with crushed ice just before serving to keep the drink nice and cold. Ladies are welcome to enjoy the drink through a straw, while gents can lift the mould out of the ‘chilling chamber’ and sip around the rim. Simple.

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What else I have noticed over the last few days is that the Royal Selangor jelly moulds are like little pieces of art, designed to shine. If they were not they would have been made out of plastic and lived somewhere between all of the other Tupperware containers and the back of the cupboard. Instead, they dazzle. Their polished pewter exterior is gorgeous, the modern mountain-inspired lines simple but eye-catching and they bear the designer’s signature, like any good art piece.

So why not display them as an art piece? On the bookcase, window sill, buffet or dresser? And as I discovered yesterday, they are the perfect place to rest your bracelets and rings even, and highlight their true ornamental value as well. Considering that they also help save lives and help raise breast cancer awareness, they are priceless little heroes to me.

Cheers, I will rasie a glass cone to that!

Giveaway

Don’t forget, each comment on the Royal Selangor Get Your Jelly On challenge posts on my blog (Day 1, Day 2, etc)  is your entry to win an Olympus VG-110 camera. Giveaway is open worldwide! Entries close October 30, midnight AEST. Winner will be announced on the blog on October 31.

Makes 2

Fizzy citrus and rosemary martini

As far as the citrus goes, blood oranges can be substituted by tangelos, and perhaps a tablespoon of sugar as they tend to be sweeter than Valencia or navel oranges. If you don’t want to add sugar you could also top up with extra mandarin juice as long as you get the sweeter variety. I went with 40ml vodka to make the drink lighter on the alcohol, but it will still taste nice with about 60ml of vodka.

Freshly squeezed (not bottled) juice of:

  • 2 imperial mandarins
  • 2 tangelos
  • 1 blood orange

The rest:

  • 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 40-60ml vodka
  • lemondade

You will also need:

  • ice cubes + crushed ice

To make the juice: squeeze all fruits using a handheld citrus press – the amount of fruit should yield just under 2 cups.

To make the martini: place rosemary sprigs into your cocktail shaker (or a jug) and muddle with a wooden spoon until the leaves release fragrance. Add squeezed juices, vodka and a handful of ice cubes. Shake or stir for a few seconds for the cocktail to chill. Allow to stand for a minute as you prepare the glass.

To assemble: place crushed ice 3/4 up the glass the mould will be sitting in. Position the mould securely in the glass making sure the ice surrounds the bottom of the mould. Strain the cocktail into the mould. Top with a splash of lemonade to add some fizz to the mix and serve garnished with a little rosemary branch.

Tip: you could reserve a little of the mandarin peel to add a burnt orange flavour dimension to the drink. Simply heat a 5cm long strip of the peel over a lighter then squeeze the peel to release the oils into the drink. You can put the same peel in for decoration.

52 comments

What's for tea tonight dear? October 5, 2011 at 8:55 am

I can’t see where worldwide commentors can enter the competition draw? All I can find is competition for Malaysian residents spening money on RS products – am I missing something?

Aside from that, great work! Really enjoying the challenge, keep it up.

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Wholesome Cook October 5, 2011 at 9:16 am

Hey there, the worldwide giveaway is for an Olympus camera that I am giving away for comments on my blog posts. The Jelliryfic competition is separate and that’s the one you’ve mentioned. Either way, your comment is in the draw! :-)

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Mel October 5, 2011 at 9:13 am

Oh my gosh I would have never thought! But I bet they taste delicious!

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Wholesome Cook October 5, 2011 at 6:17 pm

They surely do, and so easy to make!

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Anne S October 5, 2011 at 9:14 am

Once again, you have gone above and beyond what I would have made and definitely getting a lot more creative than other entries I’ve seen! keep up the good work!

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Wholesome Cook October 5, 2011 at 6:18 pm

Thanks for your kind comments Anne, keep those words of encouragement coming too :-)

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Nic October 5, 2011 at 9:15 am

I wish I lived in Malaysia so that I could vote for you! Great job and the martini looks and sounds sensational!

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Wholesome Cook October 5, 2011 at 6:19 pm

That’s nice to hear :-)

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Zo Zhou October 5, 2011 at 10:11 am

Love the colour and the combination of citrus – this would really knock my socks off. I always used to want my hair to be that colour (if only I could pull it off with my complexion haha) :D

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Wholesome Cook October 5, 2011 at 6:20 pm

Wow, that’s cute! I’m the opposite, I don’t think I ever wanted my hair to be that colour… :-)

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Sharni October 5, 2011 at 10:26 am

Such a simple drink, I have a feeling it would taste warm and Christmas-y! With the rosemary looking like pine tree needles.

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Wholesome Cook October 5, 2011 at 6:21 pm

Great point! I was thinking along those lines too, citrus is a bit of a winter fruit!

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mademoiselle délicieuse October 5, 2011 at 11:19 am

I’m loving all these alternate uses for a “humble” jelly mould!

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Wholesome Cook October 5, 2011 at 6:22 pm

Thanks, I’m loving coming up with them. The possibilities are endless!

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terri October 5, 2011 at 12:52 pm

yes the mould doubles as a glass:) i love ypour photos!

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Shamaine October 5, 2011 at 1:47 pm

You should call it the Martyna Martyni ! Love it!

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Wholesome Cook October 5, 2011 at 6:23 pm

Hahaha good one! :-)

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friedwontons4u October 5, 2011 at 2:58 pm

This is such a great sophisticated take on the classic jelly shots. I never thought the mould could double as a glass. Great idea!

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Wholesome Cook October 5, 2011 at 6:24 pm

Thank you! :-)

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Toni October 5, 2011 at 5:15 pm

Orange and rosemary sound like a great combination together and look very fancy presented in the RS mould!

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Lora October 5, 2011 at 8:40 pm

This looks spectacular, refreshing, and new. I’m sure that tomorrow when I get home from my internship in a parisian pastry shop I will be craving one of these to pick me up and take the edge off. I may just have to find the energy to go to the store and get the necessary ingredients. It doesn’t hurt that your pictures are beautiful and make it look heavenly.

theamericaine.blogspot.com

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spicegirlfla October 5, 2011 at 10:51 pm

I have similar martini glasses that hold ice in the bottom like this. It’s more of a sit down drink than cocktail party as the martini glass gets wet on the bottom, but they do keep the drinks so perfectly chilled!! This recipe is awesome! I love the combination of the citrus juices with rosemary and the color is gorgeous!!

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Wholesome Cook October 6, 2011 at 12:20 am

Thank you for your comment, so the glasses exist, I didn’t even realise. Too many ideas in my head. Good tip on the sit down party use for the glasses, I was thinking hands wound get cold too!

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Three-Cookies October 5, 2011 at 11:02 pm

Creative use of the mould, bet others did not think of that!

“Cheers, I will raise a cone to that!” But man will raise the cone, woman will drink with a straw:)

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Wholesome Cook October 5, 2011 at 11:38 pm

LOL! Ooops, didn’t even see that one! That’s why I adore people like yourself giving feedback. Thank you my editor :-)

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ChopinandMysaucepan October 5, 2011 at 11:32 pm

Great idea to use the mould as a chiller since it would hold icy liquids so well! The colours are beautiful. Love a stiff and strong drink too after all this jelly making!

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The Hungry Wife October 5, 2011 at 11:37 pm

This sounds so refereshing! I look forward to making this soon and sharing it with my husband. MMMMM!

theverylastbite.wordpress.com

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Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide October 6, 2011 at 2:13 am

Oh my, my! That is just superb looking and is making me think of how to recreate it at home with similar ingredients. I love this line and it’s so true: Hydration is important!

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Marina October 6, 2011 at 3:57 am

This looks amazing!! Love it!

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mycookinghut October 6, 2011 at 6:42 am

Love the colour and I think the addition of the rosemary is great!

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Sissi October 7, 2011 at 12:06 am

All is amazing here: the colour, the combination, the tangelos I have never heard about… I must make this cocktail one day and definitely try with rosemary.

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leaf (the indolent cook) October 7, 2011 at 1:30 am

That deep and vibrant orange is just stunning! Great alternative use of the mould, too.

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TC October 7, 2011 at 7:13 am

Sounds yummy!

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Roxana B October 10, 2011 at 5:02 am

I’ll take two of those! :) Yum.

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Joshua Hudson October 11, 2011 at 11:51 am

Makes me thirsty just looking at it!

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Vivian - vxdollface October 12, 2011 at 3:45 pm

What a great flavour combination!

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Sandy October 14, 2011 at 6:42 am

I love anything with blood oranges in it, this sounds delicious!

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Zoe Roberts October 14, 2011 at 7:57 am

rosemary and citrus…. sounds good to me

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Amber October 15, 2011 at 2:51 am

Oooh I love citrus and herbs, so this is a win-win!

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Sarah O. October 15, 2011 at 3:22 pm

This is both classy and fabulous.

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Ally October 16, 2011 at 10:29 am

Looks. So. Good!

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Mary October 17, 2011 at 8:59 am

I’m chowing down on home made hummus w/ organic blue corn & flax seed tortilla chips, and my mouth is all spiced up, and I’m thirsty, and I WANT THIS TO DRINK, ALREADY! ;-)

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Mez October 18, 2011 at 11:28 am

omg omg omg omg

FORGET THE SPIDER JELLY (Yes I know I’m reading these posts in the wrong order hahaahahaa)

THIS will be perfect for the engagement party!! Bookmarked!!! We are serving cocktails/sangria in GIANT 2lt glass flagons that will be stored in stainless steel washtubs filled with ice. We are aiming for about 5 different types and THIS has totally made the cut, I’ll let you know what the guests think!!!

xox

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jasmine1485 October 18, 2011 at 4:32 pm

What a great idea! I would never have thought of using the mould in this way but I bet it kept the drink deliciously, icily cold :) I love the mix of herbs and fruit, I’ve been reading Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck Cookbook and he mentioned mandarin and thyme together.

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Lenna (veganlenna) October 19, 2011 at 4:33 pm

Looks very tasty. I have never had a Martini, but this would probably persuade me to try it :)

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Fiery drinks for fall | Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide October 20, 2011 at 2:10 pm

[…] of our recent favorites: The fizzy citrus and rosemary martini over at Wholesome Cook; the apple cider martini over at The Cultural Dish; the sophisticated and […]

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Lisa @smartfoodandfit October 20, 2011 at 9:51 pm

I’m glad Greg referred me to check out your drink! I don’t drink much, but the beautiful photo’s are so persuading! This sounds like it would taste just as good w/out the alcohol, perfect for my kids.

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Mollbabe October 21, 2011 at 5:06 am

i want the giveaway please

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Krista October 21, 2011 at 9:05 am

Oh man, I want that drink in my mouth right now!

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Ming October 25, 2011 at 4:19 am

I’m thirsty! Can I have it? :)

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kaokimura October 27, 2011 at 4:47 pm

that was a very creative use of the jelly mold. I’d try making this sometime :)

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Sharn October 30, 2011 at 2:33 pm

Mmmmmmm…. Vodka. Now I’m thirsty! Wonderful lighting and colours too!

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