Miami Beach-native Brett Ratner is best known for being an Emmy Award-winning film director and producer (Rush Hour, The Family Man, Red Dragon, and X-Men: The Last Stand, anyone?), but now, he’s ventured into spirits, too. And after adding The Hilhaven Lodge Whiskey to his portfolio, Brett brought his newest venture home with him—offering bespoke The Hilhaven Lodge Whiskey cocktails at some of the Magic City’s best restaurants, bars and lounges.
One in particular, The Hilhaven Beach House, is “A Faena Hotel Specialty” cocktail and is available exclusively at Faena Miami Beach {3201 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach; 305.535.4697}. Here’s how to make it at home:
To start, make Blueberry-Lavender Gomme Syrup. To do so, heat 1/4 cup water until it is almost to a boiling point. Add 1 ounce food-grade gum arabic and allow it to stand until it is ‘dissolved.’ (It will take at least a few hours, and the gum arabic will actually soak up the water and become a sticky paste.) Separately, macerate 1 cup blueberries and a palm-sized amount of dry lavender together. Using 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water, dissolve two parts sugar into one part water at a slow boil. As it dissolves, add in the blueberry and lavender mixture and stir constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the gum mixture. Boil for two minutes, stirring constantly. Use a spoon to remove any build-up on the surface. Allow the mixture to cool and strain it through a cheesecloth or sieve. Bottle the syrup in a container with a tight seal and store in the refrigerator.
To make The Hilhaven Beach House cocktail, add a healthy scoop of crushed iced into a rocks glass to begin chilling. Then, measure out 1 1/2 ounces The Hilhaven Lodge Blended Straight American Whiskey, a 1/2 ounce Crème de Cassis (Briottete or Giffard), 3/4 ounce freshly-squeezed lemon juice, and 3/4 ounce of the Blueberry-Lavender Gomme Syrup you just made. Put them all into a shaker and add ice. Shake and strain over the crushed ice in the rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel and put a few blueberries on top. Enjoy!
Happy dining!
By Jennifer Agress | Miami Editor

Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Basil from Scarpetta

serves four
Ingredients

20 ripe plum tomatoes
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
1 pinch of crushed red pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 oz freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano  
6 to 8 fresh basil leaves, well washed and dried, stacked, rolled into a cylinder, and thinly cut (crosswise) into a chiffonade
1 lb spaghetti, either high-quality dry or homemade
Method
To peel the tomatoes, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Have a large bowl of ice water nearby. Cut a small “x” on the bottom of each tomato. Ease about five tomatoes in the pot, let boil for about 15 seconds, and then promptly move the tomatoes into the bowl of ice water. Repeat this step with the remaining tomatoes. Pull off the skin with the tip of a paring knife. If the skin sticks, try using a vegetable peeler and apply a gentle sawing motion. Cut the tomatoes in half and use your finger to flick out the seeds.
After that, cook the tomatoes. Start by heating the 1/3 cup of olive oil over medium-high heat, in a wide pan, until quite hot. Add the tomatoes and crushed red pepper flakes, and season lightly with salt and pepper. The trick is to only add a light amount of salt and pepper, because as the tomatoes reduce, the salt will become more concentrated. Let the tomatoes cook for a few minutes until softened. Then, using a potato masher, finely chop the tomatoes. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tomatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened.
Note: The sauce yields about 3 cups and can be made ahead of time. It can be refrigerated for up to two days, or stored in the freezer for a longer timespan, if needed.  

To serve, bring a large pot of amply-salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until just shy of al dente. Reserve a little bit of the leftover pasta water. Add the pasta to the sauce and cook over medium-high heat, gently tossing the pasta and the sauce together with a couple of wooden spoons and a lot of exaggerated movement. (Shake the pan if you need to!) The goal is to get the pasta tender and the sauce cohesive. If the sauce seems too thick, add a little bit of the pasta water. Take the pan off of the heat and toss the butter, basil, and cheese with the pasta like you did with the sauce. The pasta should take on an orange hue. Serve immediately.
Buon appetito!

Almond Crusted Baked Brie from Bakehouse Brasserie

Ingredients
Almond Crusted Baked Brie:
1 quart Panko
1 tsp almonds, slivered
6 eggs
2 c all-purpose flour
1 Friendship Mon Ami Brie
Salt and pepper, to taste
Apricot Jam:
1 lb dried apricots
1 quart sugar
1 quart water
1 c bourbon
2 tsp salt
Method
For the Almond Crusted Baked Brie: Blend almonds, Panko, salt, and pepper together. Whisk eggs together in a separate bowl. Dip the brie in flour, dip them in the eggs, and then coat them with the Panko and egg mixture. (Coat well!) Place the brie in the fryer at 350 degrees for four to six minutes, until perfectly golden brown.
For the Apricot Jam: Place all ingredients in a pot. Bring the mixture to a light simmer and leave it there for 20 to 25 minutes, until most of the liquid is cooked. While the mixture is still warm, put it in a blender and purée to desired consistency. 
Serve almond crusted brie on a wooden cutting board and garnish with green and red grapes, toast, and crackers of your choice. Put the apricot jam on a saucer plate and serve with the brie. Enjoy!