Sea of Rubies Punch

Bijouxs is getting ready to welcome 2011 with a festive New Year’s menu that includes the Bijouxs version of Sea of Rubies Punch. It is a pretty little jewel, providing an easy and modern house cocktail to get your celebration started.

Sea of Rubies Punch, via the Bijouxs version, was a recipe we featured in Pasadena Magazine’s November Food and Wine Issue. Bijouxs charge was to create a budget-friendly cocktail party and by serving a house cocktail, verses a full bar, you may celebrate without breaking the bank. Our thanks to Christina Gandolfo for contributing all the photographs for this post. Christina is the photographer who took the wonderful Bijouxs photographs in Pasadena Magazine, and has a little post on her blog about her visit to the Bijouxs kitchen studio.

Simple ingredients form a not-to-sweet punch. Begin with some sparkling wine, after all this is a celebration, such as Italian Prosecco, or a Spanish Cava (you may of course use champagne instead of the sparkling wine, depending on your budget). Fresh tangerine, lemon and lime juices add a citrus note, and then the punch is enriched with the sweet tart pomegranate molasses.

If you have not tried pomegranate molasses don’t worry the bottle won’t go to waste. It’s wonderful, rich thick syrup that adds a plumy hue to the punch and also creates the basis for glazes for chicken and poultry, and may be added to vinaigrettes to create a lively pomegranate salad. Locally, Bristol Farms and Whole Foods seem to carry it on a regular basis and may can be found in many supermarkets with a larger international foods section or markets specializing in Mediterranean foods, and of course online. You might wish to try making your own pomegranate molasses the recipe has but a few ingredients.

And of course the little jewels of the punch, the ruby colored pomegranate seeds.  The seeds are beautiful floating in the punch and finally settling in the glasses. One way to ensure that they stay afloat is to freeze some of the seeds, along with water to create ice cubes housing the seeds. Add these ice cubes to the punch, and sprinkle the top with extra seeds right before serving; this is especially helpful if you are using a punch bowl or larger vessel. The punch is equally as visual when served from a tall glass pitcher. We added twists of tangerine, and a small bowl of the seeds for those requiring extra “rubies.” Sea of Rubies Punch, a simple yet elegant way to toast 2011.

2010 has been a very special year for Bijouxs. We launched our website, were featured by Pasadena Magazine, have had special visits from guests who have contributed their talents to add to the Bijouxs website experience and just welcomed Bailey the cat to join the Bijouxs kitchen. We are very grateful for your support and encouragement.

The recipe for Bijouxs is quite simple, to bring you the little jewels from the kitchen: time tested recipes, kitchen equipment, and pantry items – classic, useful and with enduring qualities. We look forward to bringing you more little jewels in 2011.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year.

As always, enjoy. B