Recipe of the Month - July
New York Egg Cream
Okay, if you're in New York, forget about making this, instead just take yourself to the nearest diner, deli, or candy store... and order up this utterly refreshing drink.
If you are anywhere else, you gotta make yourself a nice egg cream though. And speaking about the name "egg cream": it has no eggs, it has no cream, why the name? No one really knows, except that it was born on the streets of New York, and many people say it was because it tasted as rich as a drink that contained eggs and cream, as these were the richest ingredients anyone could think of — and who could afford to put both things in a drink? And this drink has neither but tastes divine! What it does have is chocolate syrup, milk and sparkling water.
By the way, there are strawberry and vanilla egg creams too, but as far as this girl goes, if it doesn't have chocolate it just ain't an egg cream. Go ahead, have another one. Have one for me!
Makes one big chocolatey glass full:
- 4-5 tablespoons rich dark chocolate syrup
- 1/2 cup cold milk
- 3/4 cup cold sparkling water such as club soda
In a large glass mix the syrup with milk, then pour in the soda. It may foam up, so keep your lips near to suck up any chocolatey foam.
Drink up!
Variation one: Serve in layers! Pour the syrup into the glass against the back of a spoon, then do the same with the milk, then pour in the soda gently. It should remain in layers. Serve sprinkled with cocoa powder.
Variation two: Serve with a big fat scoop of chocolate ice cream plopped right into the egg cream. Yum. Recipe courtesy of: Kosher Cooking (Southwater press) and Jewish Heritage Cooking (Anness Pub).
© Marlena Spieler 2004