GOOD TASTES

CHEERS TO THE WARRIOR WOMEN

WRITTEN BY GINA REARDON / PHOTO BY MELANIE MCDOWELL

I recently took stock of my collections of saved posts on Instagram—books to read, places to go, photos of cats and dogs or other wild animals (because those always lift my spirits), recipes, baked goods, bakers to reach out to for participation in the KC Bake Sale for No Kid Hungry, and creative cocktails to serve at the next gathering of friends or family.

One saved post features Malfy Rosa (pink) gin, and I recall first seeing this gin on the shelf at Underdog Wine Co. in Brookside, drawn to its soft pink hue. I tend to favor cocktails made with white spirits, and gin has always been a favorite. Malfy Rosa gin is distilled using the peel of Sicilian pink grapefruit, Italian juniper, rhubarb, and other botanicals. The grapefruits are grown in citrus groves on the Mediterranean coast where the mountains meet the sea. I love a good story.

We all have stories, and most of us have a story about how breast cancer has impacted the lives of our family or friends. Some of these stories are about loss and some about survival, but all are about the fear, determination, and outpouring of love and support to help those we care about battle the menace that is breast cancer.

During the month of October, dedicated to breast cancer awareness, let’s all mix ourselves a pink cocktail, a reminder of the battles won and the battles lost, and toast all the warrior women who have fought and will continue to fight breast cancer.

Cheers to all of them!

Malfy Rosa Cocktail

SERVES 9

Ingredients

Light & Bright 1-1/2 ounces Malfy Rosa gin 1-1/2 ounces Lillet Blanc 1-1/2 ounces fresh ruby grapefruit juice 1/4 ounce Elderflower liqueur 1/4 ounce rosemary simple syrup 1/4 ounce fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Rosemary Syrup 1 cup sugar 1 cup water 3 sprigs fresh rosemary

Preparation

Light & Bright: Measure all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice, shake and double strain into a chilled wine glass. Garnish with rosemary and a grapefruit slice.

Rosemary Syrup: Add water, sugar, and rosemary to saucepan. Bring to a simmer while whisking; let simmer 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let steep 30 minutes. Strain, cool, and refrigerate.

Mark your calendars for the next KC Culinary Bake Sale on Saturday, Oct. 30, to benefit Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign. This community bake sale features dozens of culinary professionals, independent community bakers and talented Next Generation bakers. Located in Brookside next to the Commerce Bank at 6336 Brookside Plaza under a big white tent, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Funds raised benefit the one out of every seven children facing food insecurity in communities across the country, helping them connect to school breakfasts and afterschool and summer meals. For more information, follow No Kid Hungry KC on Facebook or visit the local chapter website: www. kcteam4nokidhungry.com.

Gina Reardon, former owner of Catering by Design and culinary philanthropist, leads the KC team for No Kid Hungry, culinary professionals and community members focused on supporting Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign. Funds raised help connect the nation’s 16 million low-income children with more school breakfast, lunch, and summer meals.