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Category: Party
Tonight’s cocktail is the James Bond inspired Vesper. This cocktail was first described in the book Casino Royale as 3 parts Gordon’s Gin, 1 part vodka, 1/2 part Kina Lillet – shaken until it is very cold before serving in a deep champagne goblet (i.e. a coupe glass) with a large lemon peel added. I am going to make this cocktail close to the above recipe – but as you now know how I am – I just have to play with it. I have 3 gins here: Tanqueray No. 10, Bombay Sapphire, and Citadelle to play with. The flavor profiles for these 3 gins are very distinct and will produce very different drinks. I also plan to make a slight change…
Today I want to share with you a delicious Irish Freckle Bread recipe just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. This hearty whole wheat bread (or should I dare call it a fruit cake?) is chock full of flavor and delicious fruits – raisins, cranberries, currants, prunes, and dates. Moist and dense, you would think a little goes a long way – which it does – but it is also addicting; you just have to have a second slice! I found this recipe on the King Arthur flour website and loved its simplicity, but made some changes of my own. So here’s my take on this tasty Irish breakfast bread. Give it a try and you’ll agree… this tasty treat should…
I know you all have a friend that reminisces about something from their childhood or neighborhood where they grew up. My friend from Chicago routinely grouses about not being able to enjoy a Chicago-style Italian Beef Sandwich. Being in the Pacific Northwest, he just has not found anything that claims to be Chicago-style Italian Beef compare to what he enjoys back home. So, after a lot of research I decided to take the challenge to silence his fussing and try to satisfy that taste of his hometown. Now I have never been to Chicago so I have no way to compare, but this sandwich was delicious, incredibly delicious, insanely delicious… so I think it was a success. His take on it… a solid thumbs…
Here is a picture post of last night’s impromptu ‘pop-up’ dinner I made for a few friends. Sometimes, on the spur of the moment, I will make dinner for a few friends just to change things up a bit. Last night, I made paella for the lucky few and I wanted to share the pictures with you. I also want to thank the group for being gracious to my impromptu culinary efforts. They are always supportive and provide valuable feedback. Thanks gang! Here are the ingredients I started with: And here are the end results! The group really enjoyed it and best of all… there was no leftovers! When will the next ‘pop-up’ dinner be and what will…
I enjoyed Christmas dinner with my brother Roger, a wizard in the kitchen himself. We decided on rib eye steak, duchess potatoes, and asparagus with Gruyere wrapped in prosciutto as our menu. I opted to cook the steaks and potatoes sous vide style, a method he had not used before. To say he was converted would be an understatement. The steaks were cooked at 122.5 degrees for 90 minutes then seared in a screaming hot cast iron skillet and finished with a pat of butter. The potatoes were cooked sous vide at 195 degrees for 90 minutes, hand mashed and mixed with sour cream and shredded Gruyere cheese, then baked in buttered ramekins. The asparagus was easy with a quick blanch in the 195 degree water bath…
Today’s cocktail recipe is perfect for an old fashioned Christmas party… like a party attended by the Founding Fathers! I received this recipe from Cook’s Science and of course I tweaked the recipe by substituting hard to find ingredients to easier sourced ones while twisting the flavor profile slightly. I am sure the title has you intensely curious (as well as slightly grossed out at the thought of a ‘milk punch’ cocktail), but trust me please. The use of milk in this ‘punch’ is to clarify the cocktail to an incredibly clear light pink hue. The flavor of this cocktail is sublime – just sweet enough, slightly spiced with a hint of citrus from the tea, ‘punch’…
Another Friday night, another cocktail – albeit a little later than I had hoped. Tonight let us get into the holiday spirit and what better way than to relax with a nice glass of egg nog. But wait, isn’t this a cocktail post? Why yes, yes it is… so I am boosting the basic egg nog with brandy, creme de cacao, and cranberry bitters. To keep the cocktail smooth like egg nog and not watered down, I will add a little bit of heavy cream (ok, who’s counting calories during the holidays… not me!). Time to mix and start making merry, Christmas is only a week away! Save Print Nog Alexander Prep time: 5 mins Total time: 5 mins Serves…
We all have told, seen or heard jokes targeting the much maligned fruitcake. Which is really a shame, because the brick/lead weight/anvil connotation is probably not fairly earned if we base it on the plethora of European ‘fruit cakes’. These fruit cakes include Italy’s panettone and Germany’s stollen which are light and flavorful with sweetness from fruits and citrus. I consider both wonderful treats during the holidays and today I want to share with you a quick and easy (read ‘non-yeast’) recipe for stollen. This recipe is based on one I found on the King Arthur Flour website – which of course, as usual, I modified. So, preheat the oven to 325 degrees because this dough comes…
Per request, here is the large group (i.e. family/party) gumbo recipe. This gumbo is a crowd pleaser whenever I bring it to parties or impromptu ‘pop-up’ dinners. This recipe takes some effort and planning, but the results are the best. I make the recipe in segments and complete the cooking in a slow cooker/crock pot. So without further ado… Debby, this recipe is for you! Save Print Chicken, Andouille, and Prawn Gumbo Ingredients 2 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 pound andouille sausage, cut crosswise ½ -inch thick pieces 1½ pounds chicken breast tenders, cut into ¾ -inch thick pieces 1 lb of prawns (26 – 30), shelled and deveined 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning ½ cup butter ½ cup all-purpose flour 2 cups…
Here is my latest experiment – a poppy seed roll! This post is just a picture post… please enjoy the results visually while I enjoy them by sampling! Save Save…