Writer of Pop Culture

Ingredients

• 1 ounce gin
• ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
• ½ ounce St.-Germain elderflower liqueur
• ½ ounce Raspberry Liqueur
• ½ ounce dry vermouth
• Sparkling wine
• 3 raspberries for garnish
• 1 lemon twist for garnish

Instructions:

1. Combine the gin, lemon juice, liqueurs, and vermouth in a shaker, then top with ice.
2. Shake until frosty, then strain into a stemmed cocktail glass.
3. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with the raspberries and lemon twist.

Ingredients

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
• 1 large onion
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces smoked sausages (see note)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning
• 1/2 cup deli mustard
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. Defrost the puffed pastry in the refrigerator according to the package directions, then cut into strips the length of a sausage, wide enough to roll around the sausage.

2. To pickle the onion, slice it paper-thin and add to a bowl with the vinegar and salt. Let sit for at least 45 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 425°. Sear the sausages in a large pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat until browned on the outside, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and let cool.

4. Place a whole sausage on a piece of puffed pastry. Roll it up so that the pastry covers the sides of the sausage. The ends will stick out. Repeat for the remaining sausages, then place the rolls on a baking sheet and brush with the beaten egg. Sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning.

5. Cook in the oven until the puffed pastry is golden brown and crisp, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes.

6. Slice into ½-inch rounds and plate with the pickled onions, mustard, and—for extra heat—sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes.

Note: Half-smokes are ubiquitous in DC; even the Washington Nationals baseball team has deemed them their “official dog.” Despite this, they are harder to find once you’ve left the city limits. It’s worth the online trip (and the shipping) to get the real thing!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1½ pounds ground lamb
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 whole nutmeg clove, or a pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1½ cups dry white wine
• 1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, with their juices, hand crushed
• Pasta, for serving
• 1 (4-ounce) block Pecorino Romano
• Flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, for serving
• Sea salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, celery, and carrot for 2 to 3 minutes, until beginning to soften.

2. Add the ground lamb and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add the milk and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, or until it has cooked down almost completely.

4. Use a Microplane grater to add a few gratings of fresh nutmeg. Or, if using pre-ground nutmeg, add just a pinch.

5. Add the white wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Again, cook for about 5 minutes or until the wine has all but cooked down completely. Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a gentle simmer for 2 to 3 hours, adding a splash of water here and there as needed to keep the sauce from drying out.

6. Toss with cooked pasta and top with shavings of Pecorino Romano and fresh parsley.