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Monthly Archives: December 2017
Here we are at the end of 2017 and these are some of the dishes I made that did not become posts or were previously posted. I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoyed eating them! Farewell 2017 and Welcome 2018! Drunken Noodles This dish is always a favorite to try and work into the menu! Sous vide 12 Spice Beef Bites Based on an appetizer from one of my favorite restaurants, this tasty beef dish benefits from temperature controlled cooking for tender bites infused with robust Mediterranean spices. I will keep working to deliver this one to all of you! Fajitas Because sometimes you have to enjoy those wonderful Mexican flavors… Pulled Pork Fried Rice Did anyone notice the Basmati rice in this…
As this year quickly slips into history, I thought it would be appropriate to end the year with another classic cocktail. It is interesting to note that I really enjoy the primary ingredients that compose this cocktail, but have never had this one before. Well, I am going to rectify that tonight. Reportedly created by Walter Bergeron at the Carousel Bar in New Orleans in the 1930’s, this beauty reminds me of the original Sazarec, which is another cocktail I really enjoy. I think this easy sipper may quickly become my new favorite in the new year. Yes, it is that good! Save Print Vieux Carré Ingredients 1 oz rye whiskey 1 oz cognac 1 oz sweet vermouth ¼ oz benedictine 2 dashes Angostura bitters 2…
Do you think the spritz is a drink for summer only? Well, here is a holiday cocktail based on sparkling wine from those creative geniuses at America’s Test Kitchen. A friend mentioned I should try this one and well, it is just about perfect as an easy sipper at a holiday party. It pairs well with all those rich, delicious holiday foods from appetizers to dessert. The combination of St. Germain, Aperol, and sweet vermouth with sparkling wine is uncommon, but it really works. Of course, I tweaked my version by substituting Lillet Blanc for the sweet vermouth and increasing the St. Germain by a small amount. The results are outstanding in my opinion. Make it and see for yourself… I think you will definitely…
Merry Christmas! Here is a quick post I wanted to share of the appetizer I enjoyed tonight. Recently I found several sous vide recipes for lobster and I just had to try one. After reading the great information from The Food Lab/Serious Eats, I opted to use the clean and simple distillation of that information from the Sous Vide Guy. It was perfect for creating a quick holiday appetizer and the lobster cooking method could easily be used for a main course. Give this appetizer a try – whether just to spoil yourself or to indulge guests at your New Year’s Eve dinner party. It is super simple to prepare and so elegant to enjoy. Save Print Sous Vide Lobster Cocktail Prep time: 15…
Once I decided to make the Stuffed Pork Loin roast, I knew exactly what to pair with it – this sauce. And I knew exactly how I wanted to prepare this sauce – using sous vide. Like the Balsamic Fig Jam I made last year, cranberries would benefit from the steady temperature of sous vide cooking. This robust savory sauce pairs perfectly with any succulent pork dish, especially this stuffed pork loin roast. Make it and I bet you will find many other dishes to use it on! The possibilities are exciting! Save Print Balsamic Rosemary Cranberry Sauce Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 2 hours 15 mins Total time: 2 hours 25 mins Serves: 6 Ingredients 12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries…
Here is a holiday meal that I believe is a wonderful change from turkey or ham. I decided to give this recipe a trial run (sorry holiday guests!) for my Christmas dinner. I figured it would make holiday cooking a bit easier as I could prepare the roast for cooking a day or two ahead, vacuum seal, and refrigerate it. Then on Christmas Day, I could cook it in a sous vide water bath and once done, it would only need to be seared before serving. The pinwheel slices are festive and special, especially when paired with this Balsamic Rosemary Cranberry Sauce. Is it a little bit more work than the average meal? Sure… but aren’t you and your family/guests worth that effort. This…
Let’s celebrate another holiday season with a flavor bursting bourbon based cocktail with cherry and absinthe. This is yet another twist on a Manhattan (or a Sazerac), which is not a bad thing at all considering I really enjoy them. Yes, I am having fun trying all these variations and sharing them with you. Historically, I could not find out much about this cocktail. I can only think this cocktail was so named by some young bartender still harboring resentment at finding out Christmas presents were an ‘Inside Job’ and that Santa Claus does not exist. Or maybe that is just my fanciful yuletide imagination! Either way, let’s celebrate the holidays with this boozy Manhattan/Sazerac riff. After a few, you will…
Last year I baked a Simple Stollen for Christmas. This year, I just had to try my hand at baking a traditional Italian Christmas bread – panettone. This delicious fruit studded sweet bread is perfect for Christmas morning with coffee or tea (or whatever you prefer). Researching this bread was a bit of work as there are so many different recipes with so many differing steps, but I finally settled on using the King Arthur Flour Overnight Panettone recipe. Of course, I made a few minor changes. First, I used different dried fruits – golden raisins, zante currants, cranberries, and pineapple. Second, I did soak the dried fruits overnight but did not include the soaking liquid in the dough per their suggestion. Third, I used candied peel instead…
So here we are, down to the last few days before Christmas and you have not baked any cookies yet. Do not fear, because here is a quick and easy way to bake up a dozen or two cookies in fast fashion. Simply use a cake mix and adjust the ingredients added to create a quick cookie dough. Once you have the dough, the possibilities are nearly endless with add-ins and toppings to suit your heart’s desire. What, you think this is cheating? Popping cookies out of a roll onto a baking sheet is cheating (in my opinion!), I simply consider this effort as just being clever and taking advantage of a major time saver. Also, did I mention the results are great? Well, they…
This dish is tightly entwined with memories of my parents, especially my dad. Oyster stew was a dish he would make for the family and I can vividly recall as a young child going from ‘Ewww, I’ll never eat that’ to ‘Wow, this is so good’. I can still see all seven of us sitting at the table with the large pot in the middle while my mom ladled and passed out each bowlful. Oyster crackers were passed around; some floated theirs, others crushed and mixed them in, while others enjoyed them on the side. Tabasco sauce was passed around as well… with most of us avoiding it when we were small, but coming to enjoy it as we got older…