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Monthly Archives: August 2018
Happy Friday before Labor Day, everyone! I am back and here is tonight’s tipple – the Hunter Cocktail. Recently, I was reading a viewpoint about mixing cocktails with few high quality ingredients being courageous. I will admit that I all acts of creation take a modicum of courage – it exposes the creator to criticism and review regardless of the ingredient count. The beauty is that people take the chance to share something and extend their experience and knowledge, regardless of the accolades or critique. This is one of those cocktails; ingeniously simple and full of flavor. It is perfect for saying goodbye to summer with its cherry influence while saying hello to fall with its warming bourbon. The origins of this cocktail are clouded in…
Today I want to share with you a delicious experiment I recently completed. After sharing the Balsamic Ginger Fig Jam with friends and co-workers (to rave reviews I might add), I found Adriatic figs at my local international store and decided to see if I could work the same magic with them. I was thinking something along the lines of the Fig Newton filling – but with a bit of something extra. How about an adult Fig Newton; one laced with bourbon? So, I set about to create this concoction and here are the results. Like the Balsamic Ginger Fig Jam, this recipe is super easy and foolproof due to cooking it sous vide. No scorching, no stirring, no hassle… and I like that. Besides, the…
Here is a quick Thai inspired beef satay dish that really satisfies. Intensely flavorful and simple to prepare, I just don’t know why I haven’t made this dish before… or 100 times before as a matter of fact. I like these skewers of marinated thinly sliced beef with peanut sauce when preparing as appetizer or jasmine rice and stir fried vegetables when made as a meal. Really, nothing much more is needed. And with these waning days of summer, it is a great excuse to fire up the grill. So invite some friends and make this tasty appetizer, your guests will thank you! Save Print Simple Beef Satay Prep time: 2 hours 15 mins Cook time: 10 mins Total time: …
How does shredded beef in a rich, flavorful sauce sound? This Caribbean dish has roots in the region’s Spanish influence, specifically from the Canary Islands. Ropa Vieja is known as the national dish of Cuba and Puerto Rico also has a famous variant. The beauty of Ropa Vieja is in braising the beef in a rich sofrito, then shredding the beef into the sauce before adding sauteed peppers and onions along with briny green olives and cilantro. My variant is a bit different – an experiment to see if I can replicate the braised results using sous vide. How do you think I did? You will have to read the results below! Save Print Ropa Vieja Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 6 hours…
With the heat recently, I just have not felt like cooking. These are times when simple appetizers satisfy best and this hummus recipe is easy to prepare and delicious to enjoy. The recipe is based on this one from Inspired Taste and it produces a wonderfully creamy hummus that can be tweaked as you see fit. Roasted red pepper, no problem. Roasted garlic, again easy to add. Only your imagination limits you when it comes to this Mediterranean staple. My favorite add is the simplest – lemon zest. I like the increased ‘zing’ from the lemon in contrast to the cumin. So enough babbling on, let’s make some hummus! Save Print Simple Hummus Prep time: 10 mins Total time: 10 mins Serves…
How about a summer Saturday evening tipple to tantalize your taste buds? This riff on the violet imbued Aviation cocktail swaps in St. Germain elderflower liqueur for the Creme de Violette. But don’t be fooled, gin is the star here so choose it wisely. Different gins will provide you with different flavor profiles, some of which may not be particularly palatable. Just think of how a string juniper forward gin would pair with elderflower – probably not well in my humble opinion! So I kept my concoction solidly in the floral range by using a softer gin like Old Tom or Citadelle, which produced a satisfying sweetness with floral character and the freshness of a gentle sea breeze. I would call that a perfect way to…