Brian and Kevin!

Summer Cocktails

We've been crazy for cocktails recently. The sidecar is always a favorite, but recent forays have included an expertly made Manhattan (at The Montauk Club, thanks Antonio!) and Brian's sazerac at Keen's Steakhouse. (Kevin is also a big fan of a rusty nail, but not in summer.)

We polled some loyal readers and your favorite summer cocktail is the mojito. We couldn't agree more, but we like to put our spin on the classic, muddling basil instead of mint — which allows us to make use of the herbs we planted in our  this spring. 

Basil and mint are cousins, supposedly, and the resulting drink takes on a slightly savory and borderline bracing quality. "The alchemy of fresh lime and fresh basil is unmatched by modern science," says Brian. Adds Kevin: "It's tasty!"

    BASIL MOJITO — adapted from The Little Black Book of Cocktails

    1 1/2 oz light rum (a/k/a one shot) — we use Bacardi

    1/4 teaspoon of regular sugar

    Juice of 1 lime — there is no substitute for fresh lime juice

    Soda water

    Basil leaves — we use 4-5 large leaves or more smaller leaves

Muddle the basil and the sugar in a glass — we use a double old fashioned glass but the highball glass is more traditional. Add ice — fill it up! — rum, and lime juice.  Fill the glass with soda water and garnish with lime. 

Spoiler Alert!

Well, not really. Anita Lo, one of our favorite chefs, has been doing amazing work on Top Chef: Masters. Her Anissa restaurant has been a go-to spot for us on Valentine's Day and our first-date anniversary. 

Lo, who also runs the Rickshaw Dumpling Bar in Manhattan (they have a truck in Park Slope!), is playing for SHARE, a survivor-led nonprofit supporting women with ovarian and breast cancer.

Check it out and root for her August 5 on Bravo!

The One That Got Away

Readers new and old, you are in for a treat. Here's RonniLyn Pustil, who worked with Kevin at POZ Magazine, his first job in NYC. She broke Manhattan's heart when she moved back home to Toronto to live the life of her dreams. She's a lifelong friend and we thought it was time you met.

Can you tell us about your work?

I'm a freelance editor and I currently have two clients: CATIE (Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange) is a nonprofit HIV treatment information agency and I also work for Clean Eating magazine. I'm looking for more work now, so if you hear of anything...

How are Lil & Fran?

There are no words for Lily (3) & Franny (21 months), my two gorgeous girls (below). They are my life. Come over for a playdate! 

Lily's favourite word du jour: "Absolutely!" Franny's favourite youtube video: Planet Unicorn... "Heeeeyyyy!"

Do you have a favorite story that you worked on at POZ?

There was the feature on medical marijuana that I edited, written by Stacie Stukin. There were a few Gazette news stories that were fun. But most of all, I'd have to say I loved working with the columnists and helping shape their real-life stories into something they were proud of. That was the most rewarding work I did there.

Is there a memory from the POZ offices you care to share?

What comes to mind right now is the summer that Aiden Shaw was a guest editor at the office and everyone fell madly in love with him. [Editors' note: This is the Brit-born, uh, adult film star/memoirist, not the Sex and the City character that was intentionally named after him. He was ridiculously polite.]

I'll also never forget spending an afternoon with Barton Benes at his studio while he was being photographed by Nan Goldin for his POZ cover. 

What celebrity would you like to have a cocktail with?

Jon Gosselin (joke!). Probably Richard Gere. A few cocktails if you know what I mean... I've had a crush on him forever.

Can you tell us about the night you met Al Pacino?

It was September 1996. A friend took me to the Eugene O'Neill play "Hughie" at Circle in the Square theater, starring my love Al Pacino. My friend told me that he was friends with Al, but I thought he was just trying to impress me.

After the play we went backstage and stood in line outside of Al's dressing room. There was Sam Shephard! When it was our turn to say hello, Al invited us to dinner with him!!! We went to Joe Allen's. Al ordered some kind of steak and offered me a bite from his fork! I was a vegetarian but I ate that steak! That's right! For dessert we shared the banana cream pie (or was it coconut?). Al was warm, chatty and engaging. 

It was only my second week living in NYC, and I thought that is what life was going to be like there.

If anyone out there is having a rough day, what song should they play?

For any kind of day: "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye.

We know a few wonderful single girls. As the Carrie Bradshaw of Kevin's life for years in NYC, do you have any advice for them?

Spend quality time with your friends. Practice yoga. Treat yourself (think food, mani-pedis, clothes). Go out dancing. Enjoy being single. Sometimes it's hard to do that last one if you're looking for love, but trust me, enjoy it. Kiss a lot of boys.

How did you meet Rob? When did you know he was the one?

I met Rob on a blind date. We were fixed up by mutual friends. I knew he was the one by our third date. He basically announced to me: "We're going to do this. But we're going to take it slow because this is something special and I don't want to screw it up." Also, he was (and still is) an excellent kisser.

For those visiting Toronto, can you tell us about Rob's restaurant/lounge Supermarket?

Supermarket is in a very funky part of town called Kensington Market. It is an Asian fusion restaurant with tapas-style dishes. The food is super yummy and meant to be shared. Sweet, spicy and fresh. It is also a nightclub with live bands and DJs. 

My favourite dish on the menu is the Veggie Pad Thai. I also love the Mango Salad and the curry dishes are delish. Oh, and the Sweet Potato Chips. My favourite cocktail is the lychee martini.

Two Hot Mamas!

Due to popular demand, here is a photo of Kathleen with Carol at the wheel of her convertible. Today we went to the beautiful Thai Pavilion and Garden at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison. It was beautiful and we got some sun. 

Now we are back in Brooklyn, worn out but very happy with our fun weekend. A big thanks to Brian's parents for being such great hosts and guides!

Live from Madison!

We have had the best weekend in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Brian's parents (Paul & Carol) and Kevin's mom (Kathleen) toured the capitol on Saturday with us and Scott. Kathleen just loves the Madison area and has enjoyed spending time with Carol. Sunday, while the guys went searching for fresh sweet corn, the girls took a ride in Carol's convertible. They have fun together, as you can see in the photo below of them enjoying a beer train with us at The Great Dane.

The Weekend Begins!

Kevin's mom Kathleen is here in Park Slope, Brooklyn and the fun is already starting. While Brian toiled at work, Kevin and Kathleen hit Barrio for margaritas and watched Cash Cab on the TV there. 

Kevin told the batrender that we're all going to Wisconsin tomorrow — we're psyched!

About Last Night

 

A couple of years ago Brian’s parents gave us a grill pan and it changed our lives. We use it all the time. This here is a hearty summer salad — a take-off on Barefoot Contessa's Wasabi Tuna Rolls — that’s so easy Kevin made it on his own last night just as Brian was getting in from work. Brian called it a deconstructed guacamole. We like spicy, but you can drop the jalapeno. In fact, the salad is so basic that you should think of anything you like about Mexican food and toss it in.

Salad of grilled tuna with avocado and a lime-jalapeno dressing (for two)

• 1 lb. tuna steak
  
• Whatever greens you like—live free or die.
  
•  Fresh basil cut into ribbons to mix in the greens 
• 1 avocado (ripe, don’t want it too firm)
  
• 1 tb. olive oil
  
• Zest of one lime
  
• Juice of one lime
  
• ½ teaspoon of soy sauce
  
• Little bit of red onion, finely chopped
  
• ½ tomato (just to add a color), chopped
  
• ½ jalapeno pepper (remove seeds), finely chopped
  
• Salt and coarse pepper to taste
  
• To garnish: toasted pine nuts and parmesan ribbons

Directions

Get a  big bowl cuz you’re gonna throw everything in there. Put in olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, soy sauce, salt and pepper and give it a whisk.

Slice the avocado in half lengthwise so you can get the pit out cleanly. Get the meat of the avocado onto a cutting board and slice it into fat chunks. Quickly get into the lime dressing (as you know, the lime keeps it from browning). Put in the tomato, red onion and jalapeno.

Are you ready for the tuna? As you get the grill nice and hot on a high temp, cover each side of the tuna steak in olive oil and salt/coarse pepper. Drop it on the grill and don’t touch it for 2 minutes, then flip and don’t touch it again for 2 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and let it rest a minute. Then chop into big meaty chunks. Put it in the bowl of dressing and mix it up. (You’re just searing the tuna, so it will be really raw inside—but you will also be amazed at how the lime continues to cook it. So you want to stick to the short grilling time.)

Throw it all on a bed of greens (with the basil mixed in — it will pop), take a potato peeler to a chunk of parmesan and peel off little ribbons over it. For crunch, sprinkle with some toasted pine nuts (or whatever you like—just something for texture). You’re done and you’re smug.

Look Out Wisconsin

We're getting psyched to head back to Sun Prairie to visit with Brian's parents Paul and Carol — and we're bringing Kevin's mom Kathleen!

We'll be in town for this weekend's Esser Family Picnic and we'll get to see an appendix-free Scott, too. It'll be awesome.

Mystery Solved!

Yesterday we set out to find the Cinderella who left her cardigan at our apartment. It belongs to none other than Rose Cuison Villazor! "That's my sweater," says the law professor (pictured left with her husband Rodney). 

Rose is just back from her hometown of Saipan, where she delivered free public lectures on land rights and immigration law. Here, here and here you can read local coverage of the hometown hero's return.

Lost Cardigan ISO Beautiful Guest

Are you the woman who came to our party and were so busy having fun that you left your silk camel-taupe Banana Republic cardigan (somewhat like this one) in our apartment? 

If so, you have impeccable taste — very Angelina Jolie for St. John Knits — and we would love to get it back to you.