This post was originally published on April 23, 2015.
Pisces, Phish, Seafood, Water, and Alcohol…. Things I do like. The recipe within this post brings together my love for all of these things in one drink– the Julius Bloody Caesar. I came into this world on Friday, March 13th, which makes me a Pisces by birth (I also like to think I became a Pisces by choice). The Age of Pisces has said to begun in 1 AD and will end in nearly 135 years, which historians have equated with the Age of Christianity or the age that corresponds with evolution of human thought. Moreover, the Age of Pisces can be attributed to the human race trying to find out what the secret truth is “behind what is perceived by [the] five senses.” As a Pisces, I oftentimes reflect upon my third eye, or the sixth chakra, which is representative of intuition and thus serves as my invisible eye providing insight into the mystical world unseen. Thus, I think, as Pisces, we have this sixth sense that may guide us to the secret truth behind our perception of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.
The feminine Pisces is ruled by Jupiter and Neptune, while Pisceans are also closely associated with the moon (I, for one, feel most alive at night). Neptune is rendered the Roman god of the sea, thereby ruling the water sign of Pisces. Water transforms through different phases, just like Pisces change throughout their lifetimes. I am not saying people born under other astrological signs do not change, as everyone changes a lot throughout their lifetimes, but mutability is natural to Pisces and with our fluidity we are able to overcome difficulties and are not resistant to change when it is rendered beneficial. Pisces are intuitive, emotional, quite sensitive, dreamy, artsy, and perceptive– qualities I believe myself to be. I tend to have intuitions, or “gut feelings,” about many things and, when I follow these intuitions, I am often grateful that I did so. I happen to be a mystical creature of sorts– one who believes you should trust the moon and live by the stars.
Two Decembers ago in 2013, I was asked by a friend if I wanted to get a tattoo done in his living room. I didn’t hesitate one bit– I wanted my first tattoo… Why not get it in a living room? Weeks later my friend finally contacted me and told me his friend was coming to his house in a few days on Friday. I had my tattoo design planned out and ready to go; the design is of the third eye/Om symbol (representing my intuitiveness as a Pisces and the vibration that protects existence), along with a “1” on the left side of the third eye symbol making a “13.” As mentioned previously, I was born on Friday, March 13th, and 13 has been my lucky number ever since. So I got the tattoo on that fine Friday and walked home, happy as a clam. Little did I know that I had just got my “13” tattoo on Friday the 13th… Until after it happened. There is the mysticism that is being a Pisces right there. As Pisces is a water sign, the Julius Bloody Caesar is made with clam juice and Thai fish sauce and is garnished with a crab leg, clam, and shrimp, among more traditional ingredients.
Danger
I’ve been told to expect it
I begin my descent
Down the cold granite steps
The first lyrics of Phish’s song “Julius” start with the word danger… a word that is found a few times in Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar… “Danger knows full well that Caesar is more dangerous than he…” Well, BLOODY CAESAR! I like the thrill of danger too. And I like Phish. And Phish relates to the drummer of Phish’s last name, Jon Fishman, which is partially constructed with the word Fish. And Phish is pronounced like Fish. So, the Julius Bloody Caesar ties in my love for the band Phish because the ingredients come from the sea, where the fish swim and play, the name of the Phish song quoted above is Julius, the song Julius is relatable to Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, and a Bloody Mary made with clam juice is instead called a Bloody Caesar. Thus, we have the Julius Bloody Caesar. My analogies may make more sense in my head than in writing
Lastly, I have always loved to swim, which is not uncommon as I am the water sign Pisces (maybe I was a sea creature in a past life?). I grew up on a lake and the first sport I ever excelled at was swimming. There is nothing better than waking up to a beautiful body of water, whether it be an ocean, lake, or river. I am a fan of seafood and freshwater fish thanks to my parents. I also enjoy alcohol. I needed to make a seafood-inspired Bloody for all of these reasons. So there we have the Julius Bloody Caesar. The recipe is below. I hope you enjoyed my post, as it is much longer than usual and tells a bit more about who I am as a person, both spiritually and substantially.
Ingredients
Mix
- 1.5-3 oz vodka
- 3 oz tomato juice*
- 3 oz clam juice (use more clam juice if you want a heavier Caesar flavor!)*
- 1/4 lemon squeezed
- dashes of Worcestershire sauce
- dashes of Thai fish sauce (Nam Pla)
- spoonful of horseradish
- large pinch of Cayman Sea Salt BBQ Rub (or any BBQ rub with salt, pepper, and sweetness)
- large pinch of black pepper
- small pinch of Thai chili powder
*You can also use Clamato instead of using a separate juices, as Clamato is pre-made tomato and clam juice
Garnish
- crab leg
- clam
- shrimp
- pickled okra
- pickled baby corn
- cheddar cheese
Directions
1. Prepare the garnish ingredients that need to be cooked. I boiled the crab legs, steamed the clams, and sauteed the shrimp.
2. Fill a glass halfway with ice (this will not be the glass the drink is served in).
3. Pour the vodka into the glass. I used a generous 2 shots in each Bloody last night.
4. Pour in the tomato and clam juices.
5. Squeeze a quarter of a lemon into the glass.
6. Toss in some dashes of Worcestershire and Thai fish sauce.
7. Add a spoonful of horseradish.
8. Add the BBQ rub, black pepper, and chili powder.
9. Grab another similar-sized glass (this is the one your actual cocktail will be in) and rim it with a lemon wedge.
10. Rim the same glass with something like Demitri’s RimShot!, celery salt, or BBQ rub.
11. Transfer the materials from glass to glass aka “rolling” to mix all of the ingredients together nicely. Your drink should end up in the rimmed glass.
12. Place the crab leg in the glass so it’s partially sticking out of the glass.
13. Place the pickled okra, shrimp, and cheese on a cocktail pick.
14. Lay the cocktail pick horizontally across the glass.
15. Set the clam partially on the edge of the glass so it’s balanced between the glass rim and the cocktail pick.
16. Toss the pickled baby corn into the actual cocktail (it may sink- but who doesn’t like a surprise in their Bloody )
17. “And stretching out into the sea…” may be you, Julius Bloody Caesar in hand.