Archives for category: beverages

Fresh Squeezed Margaritas…

February 3, 2012 //
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I know it has been a while since I have posted, but we moved!!! It has all been very exciting, but have not been cooking much due to the fact that we are just getting settled and we have been enjoying exploring all of the amazing food in our new neighborhood. We moved east from Silver Lake to Highland Park. Mike and I love having so much space and Luna is so much happier with her big yard. My new kitchen is huge and we have a great dining room for lots of dinner parties ahead. Although we have not been cooking much yet in our new home, there has def been no shortage of cocktails!!! Not only can moving drive you to drink, but the weather has been so amazing, that we have been blowing off steam outside whenever we can. On one of the many beautiful days we have had the last couple of weeks, we got together with our pal and made some homemade margaritas. They are so yummy that I don’t think I will ever go back to the bottled mix and will continue to explore with other flavors as well.  Hope you try them and can’t wait to get back in the saddle and break in my new kitchen!!!

Fresh Squeezed Margaritas:

  • 3/4 cup lemon juice, from 6 to 10 lemons
  • 3/4 cup lime juice, from 8 to 12 limes
  • 3 1/2 cups tequila
  • 2 cups Cointreau, Grand Marnier, or Triple Sec
  • 1/2 cup simple syrup (you could use agave syrup instead)
  • 2 quarts ice cubes

Juice lemons and limes by squeezing into a large measuring cup. Strain juice through a sieve into a pitcher to ensure no seeds are present. Make simple syrup by bringing equal parts sugar and water to a boil until sugar is dissolved and let cool.

If serving a large group, add all ingredients into a large pitcher and mix well. For individual cocktails, make the mix less the alcohol and shake cocktails individually adding alcohol as you wish (which is how I prefer it).

Rub rims of glasses with lime juice and dip into margarita salt. Serve margaritas over ice with a fresh lime slice. Last weekend we added pineapple juice into the mix and it was delish. Perfect for a warm day and even better after a stressful move!

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Categories beverages, cocktail, food and recipes, fruit, vegan, vegetarian

Yummy Cranberry Bellinis…

December 4, 2011 //
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During the holidays, it is nice to start the meal off with a good signature cocktail. I can’t drink much champagne, so having a bellini or a mimosa at the start of a meal is perfect for me. This recipe is totally easy and can also be used as a nice cocktail for a weekend brunch. I mean, who doesn’t love copping a lil buzz in the early afternoon on the weekends??? It is crisp, refreshing, the color of the puree is gorgeous, and cranberries are a perfect fruit to use during the holidays. I can’t wait to make these again. If you don’t like things super sweet, it is okay to cut down on the sugar amount, and I suppose you could also use agave or stevia in order to make it a little better for you. Cheers!

Yummy Cranberry Bellinis:

  • 2 cups fresh cranberries
  • 1/3 cup superfine sugar
  • zest of 1 orange or lemon
  • 2/3 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 bottle chilled Champagne or Prosecco

Place the cranberries, sugar, zest, and juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, or until soft. Let cool a bit and put mixture into a food processor and puree until smooth and silky. You should have about 3/4 to 1 cup of thin puree.

Put puree in a jar or covered bowl and chill. If you need to prepare it ahead, the puree can be stored in the refrigerator for around 2 or 3 days. When ready to use, give the puree and stir, then spoon a rounded tablespoon into each glass. Top with bubbly and enjoy!

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Categories appetizer, beverages, cocktail, dessert, food and recipes, fruit, vegan, vegetarian

Plum and Nectarine Sangria…

September 2, 2011 //
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Tonight is the kickoff to Mike’s long birthday weekend and it is Friday, which we generally try to consider an at home date night with the three of us (that includes Luna-bear). I am gonna put together a yummy summer meal which starts with a cool, crisp, white sangria. Plums and nectarines are so abundant and affordable in the markets right now that this was a no brainer. This recipe is a bit more alcoholic than others, so feel free to omit some of the alcohol. This would be just as good with just the wine, fruit, and fizz. I think Mike and I both need a good time tonight, so I am gonna go full blast with this one!!!

When shopping for the ingredients, it is important to look for plums and nectarines that are ripe but still firm to ensure that they do not become too soft when soaked in the wine. Rinse the fruits well to remove any surface chemicals before slicing them. Use a dry white Rioja or Sauvignon Blanc for the wine. Here is what else you need:

  • 1 cup peach nectar
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 3 oz. peach or apricot brandy
  • 2 oz. orange liqueur
  • the juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 oz. simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water brought to a boil for 2 minutes in a small saucepan and cooled)
  • 1 bottle (750 ml) dry white wine
  • 1 bottle (24 fl. oz.) sparkling water, chilled
  • 2 plums, halved, pitted and cut into thin wedges
  • 2 nectarines, halved, pitted and cut into thin wedges
  • ice cubes as needed

Place all ingredients less the sparkling water in a pitcher and stir to mix. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 48 hours. Serve over ice and top with sparkling water.  This is gonna pair wonderfully with the fish tacos and pineapple salsa I have planned for this evening. Hopefully Mike will be surprised! Wish my Dad was here for this one. He LOVES a good sangria!

 

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Categories beverages, food and recipes, fruit, vegan, vegetarian

Peaches ‘n Cream Pops

August 28, 2011 //
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It is sweltering hot this weekend. We actually are using our air conditioner which is something we never do! It is also peach season, we have been buying so many of them, and Mike has been a real peach lately:) We had a couple that were about to go off, so I made Mike a tasty treat.

Peaches ‘n Cream Pops:

Makes around 4 pops.

  • 2 large ripened peaches
  • 1 cup milk or half and half
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1-2 Tbsp. vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 1 Tbsp.honey
  • pinch of fresh nutmeg

Chop peaches and put into a blender or smoothie maker. Add half and half, lemon juice, Greek yogurt, honey, and nutmeg. Pour mixture into popsicle molds.

Freeze for at least 8 hours. When they are done freezing and ready to eat, it is helpful to run the mold under warm water for a bit. Enjoy!

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Categories appetizer, beverages, breakfast, dessert, food and recipes, fruit, side dish, vegetarian

Wine and Cheese…

August 21, 2011 //
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We had such a lovely evening last night geeking out on wine and food. We met an amazing couple named John and Margie who both studied “hospitality” and are both able to make a living out of  informing people about some of my favorite things… hotels, food, and wine! Lucky bastards. Anyways, we learned quite a bit about wine and cheese pairings and thought some of you may find it helpful. Luckily she gave us a pairing wheel to follow, as we had quite a bit of wine, so I would have never remembered!

With light styles of wine, you want to to pair fresh and creamy cheeses. Light fruity whites such as Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, White Zin., Sauvignon Blanc, or Chardonnay and fruity low tannin reds such as Rose, Nouveau/Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, Light Chianti/Sangiovese, Dolcetto, Merlot, Shiraz/Syrah, Zinfandel should be paired with sweet/protein dominant cheeses such as Fromage Blanc, Marscapone, Cream Cheese, Ricotta, Fresh Mozzarella, Brie, Camembert, St. Nectair, Jack, Teleme, Taleggio, and smoked cheeses. 

With crisp and fruity wines, you want to pair young, tangy cheese. So crisp light white wines such as Pinot Grigio, Champagne, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chablis/Chardonnay, Viogner, and fruity low tannin reds such as Rose, Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Sangiovese, Dolcetto, Shiraz/Syrah, and Zinfandel should be paired with acidity and protein dominant cheeses such as Fresh Goat Cheese/Chevre, Montrachet, Boucheron, Brebiou, Crescenza, Tomini from Piedmont, Marzalino, and Fresh Pecorino. 

In the most versatile wine and cheese category, most whites and reds such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, Rose, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Shiraz/Syrah, Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon can be paired with young, tangy, and salty cheeses where salt, acidity, and protein are dominant. Young versions of Cheddar, Gruyere, Emmental, Fontina, Reblochon, Cabecou, Beaufort; soft creamy blues such as cambozola, Blue Castello, Saga Blue, Gorgonzola Dolce; and triple creams such as Pierre Robert, St. Andre, Brillate-Savarin, Explorateur all fall into this category.

Dessert Wines such as Dry Amarone, Recioto, Madeira, Sweet Sherry, Port, Muscat, Riesling, Vin Santo, Sauternes, Tokaji, and Ice Wine should be paired with aged, salty cheeses where salt and protein are dominant. Strong blues like Roquefort, Stilton, Gorgonzola, Cabrales, Maytag, and Pt. Reyes Blue pair well. Dry aged and salt brined cheeses such as Parmesan, Asiago, Dry Jack, Aged Sharp Cheddar, Feta, ad Ricotta Salata should also be served with dessert wines.If that doesn’t make your head spin!!! This is just a basic guide, but one thing I learned last night is that if it tastes good to you, then you are probably right with the pairing. We just tasted a few California wines last night (well, formally that is… a bottle of Champagne, a Rose, and some others eventually made it to the table). We had a Sauv. Blanc, a Pinot Noir, a Cabernet, and an Ice Wine with the lesson. Margie set out a Chevre, a Manchego, a Brie, a triple cream that I can’t remember, and an amazing Parmesan. Looking forward to what we will learn next time. If you know anyone who knows wine well, I highly recommend doing this as a group. It was so much fun!!!

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Categories appetizer, beverages, lifestyle
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