{"id":15507,"date":"2014-04-18T17:06:40","date_gmt":"2014-04-19T00:06:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/?p=15507"},"modified":"2015-02-13T11:59:07","modified_gmt":"2015-02-13T19:59:07","slug":"cure-for-the-common-cold-the-bees-knees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/cure-for-the-common-cold-the-bees-knees\/","title":{"rendered":"Cure for the Common Cold: The Bee’s Knees"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nA cure for the common cold and whatever else might ail you, The Bee’s Knees is a honey-sweetened Prohibition-era cocktail that’s simple, clean and refreshing – the perfect drink to usher in Spring.<\/p>\n

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The phrase “bee’s knees” was prohibition-era slang for “the best” and its namesake cocktail is traditionally made from gin, lemon juice, and honey simple syrup. Some say the citrus and honey masked the strong alcohol odor of “bathtub” gin spirits made during Prohibition. You might remember your grandmother proclaiming something was “the bee’s knees”. While the phrase is dated, the drink is enjoying a revival as are many “Prohibition era” cocktails like the Manhattan, Ramos Gin Fizz, Sidecar, French 75, etc.<\/p>\n

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:61]<\/p>\n

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In the early 1900’s a widespread movement began to outlaw alcohol at the national level to battle the growing problem of alcohol dependence in America. In 1920, a constitutional amendment to ban alcohol sales and production became law. While Prohibition was meant to eradicate the temptation of liquor, it had the unintended effect of turning many law-abiding citizens into criminals. By barring liquor from the masses, the government unwittingly made it more desirable, more fashionable, and something eager consumers had to get their hands on. Prohibition gave birth to bathtub gin, cocktails, finger food and the elusive speakeasy. If you were able to provide your guests with an endless stream of libations, your popularity was assured. Better yet, if you were brave enough to invest in the illegal bootlegging business, your fortune might very well be sealed as long as you didn’t lose your life in the process. {Source: Wikimedia commons}<\/p>\n

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The inspiration for my version of the Bee’s Knees was a giant bag of fresh Valencia oranges (plucked direct from the tree by moi) from the groves of Seaview Packing<\/a>, the second stop on a whistle- stop farm tour with the?California Farm Water Coalition.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Along the way we were educated on the ongoing drought in California<\/a>?and its effect on farmers and the supply chain. Our first stop, before hopping on the Suburban train and heading to the oasis known as Palm Springs in the Coachella Valley, was LaBrucherie Produce a fourth generation family farm business in the Imperial Valley, where we learned about the business of growing lettuce and spinach and the intricacies of California’s water crisis.<\/p>\n

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Dennis Jensen, owner of Seaview Packing, led our group through the fragrant orange and lemon groves where picking season is coming to an end and budding new flowers foretell next year’s citrus crop. The day was coming to an end for the pickers and Jensen engaged them in some friendly banter, providing us with prime opportunities to capture the weathered faces and strong hands of the people that bring fruit to our tables. Pickers return to the same farms year after year, are well paid and grateful for their jobs and are well aware of how severe weather – late frosts, consecutive years of no rain – and the current water crisis can affect their livelihood. As we left the citrus groves for Seaview’s date palm orchards, a gregarious woman in yellow (below) greeted us and, in rapid fire Spanish, enthusiastically recalled how he had taught her everything she knows – she is now manager of an adjacent farm.<\/p>\n

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It’s been a month since I wrote my first article on the drought crisis in California and since the shocking announcement on February 21st of a zero allocation for mostly northern San Joaquin and Central Valley farms, the press seems to be onto the next story, but the drought hasn’t gone away. \u00a0To stay current on the situation, follow CA Farm Water Coalition’s Facebook page<\/a>\u00a0or visit their website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here is an excerpt from CA Farm Water Coalition’s Mike Wade in response to an editorial<\/a> that appeared in the Chico Enterprise Record<\/em>:<\/p>\n

“Locally-controlled groundwater management is a reasonable plan for every part of the state. Many of the orchards that are in peril today were planted prior to changes in federal fishery regulations that have drastically reduced water deliveries in the last five years. Simply put, farmers made decisions based on what they knew at the time, and then the rules changed. Blaming them now is unfair. California’s water supply didn’t get where it is because of a few dry years. Two decades of environmental-based water supply cuts that have decimated San Joaquin Valley farmers have done little to improve conditions for wildlife. It’s time to try something different that protects water users in northern, central, and southern California and produces real improvements for threatened and endangered species. We hope elected and appointed officials don’t base sweeping changes on a few dry years, and instead return some sensibility to water supply and ecosystem management.”<\/p>\n

Let’s stay informed on this very important issue that affects anyone who farms or eats food.<\/p>\n

Cheers and Happy Easter!<\/span><\/h2>\n

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