How Entertaining

For a farewell BBQ for friends moving to California soon...  

Gifts from the kitchen... And, the Interwebs.

I love the Internet. Brilliant ideas, information. Love it. This brilliant lady made fresh Christmas potpourri, and so I did this... I added whole cloves to mine (about 1 Tablespoon).

And, my friends loved it. LOVED.

And, this brilliant lady shared this recipe for Primal Chocolate Chip Cookies, and they are the only kind I make anymore. They're that good. And, our family isn't even gluten free, but healthier cookies are a winner, especially when they taste great. 

I do make mine with COLD butter rather than palm shortening (or coconut oil when I make them for vegan friends). 

They're made with almond meal, butter, honey, vanilla, salt, and baking soda. That's it. I know the recipe by heart. Oh, and they're made in the food processor. I only stir the chocolate chips in by hand at the end. 

Aren't they pretty? 

And, perhaps most exciting of all this year... On The Rocks, the casual dining restaurant/bar on Kailua-Kona Bay in Kona, HI, shared the recipe for their Famous Mai Tai on their blog this month. If I close my eyes, it's just like I'm right there with my feet in the sand sipping on one while listening to some amazing live tunes on a ukulele!

Go to their site to see this recipe and more... Be sure to try out all of their cocktails! Open for happy hour daily from 3 – 5PM!  See you On the Rocks!   Be Social!! Or, just whip it up for gifts:

Huggoʻs Famous Mai Tai
1/2 oz of white rum
Mai Tai Mix – 1/2 inch from top
Float Dark Rum on top (about 1.5 oz.)
Served On the Rocks with 12″ straw
Garnish with a fresh pineapple wedge, lime wedge and umbrella!

For Mai Tai Mix (by the Gallon)
1.5 cans of Pineapple Juice
1 qt Orange Juice
12 ox Orgeat syrup
12 oz Orange Curacao

Preserved Lemons & Cosmo Liqueur...

... for Christmas gifts. I made a lamb tangine with some preserved lemon for New Year's Eve dinner, and a Moroccan stew the next week. Heavenly. Amazing. These may be my new holiday gifts. Who needs baked-goods anyway when you can have excellent cooking & cocktail ingredients? 

Apple Pie (but not the eatin' kind...)

A few weeks ago, I was offered a taste of Apple Pie at a BBQ get-together a ways out in the country. Now, if you watch Justified on USA, you'll understand why such an offer might give me pause. But, the pause only lasted a brief second since these folks aren't the poisoning sort, and it looked tasty. It was, and they happily shared the "recipe." Our batch turned out delightful as well.

Apple Pie Liqueur

1/3 bottle of Everclear or vodka
1 can frozen Apple juice concentrate (100% pure apple juice only)
1/2 cup sugar
1 hefty pinch cinnamon
1 small pinch nutmeg
(and I added)...
1 pinch ground cardamom
1-2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

You could heat the sugar and a bit of the apple juice concentrate up to melt the sugar down. My method was far less civilized, as I poured the sugar into the Everclear bottle 1/4 cup at a time (using a funnel), and shook the ever-loving heck out of it. Then, I added the can of defrosted apple juice, the spices and the extract and shook some more. The pretty bottle of Apple Pie is now sitting on the shelf in our cool pantry... melding. The cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom settle to the bottom of the bottle, so you really don't need to even worry about straining.

It is especially fabulous mixed about 1/2 and 1/2 with some excellent, pure apple cider as a tasty cocktail, and we tried ours after just 24-hrs. Enjoy!!

Wordless Wednesday: Strawberry Fields...

Long, lost recipes...

I do not understand the desire to hoard recipes. In my opinion, not sharing a fabulous recipe is just wrong. And, just to prove that their is Karma in such things, I recently recovered three recipes that I'd lost track of over the years. How did I get them back? Well, from the good friend I shared them with of course! Thanks Jamie...

This one is a very tasty salad dressing, and I recently discovered that while Benihana serves it with green onion and carrot on lettuce, the sweet and sourness of this recipe goes amazingly well with strawberries and mandarin oranges!

Oh, and if you're going to go to the trouble of chopping, peeling, and then whizzing this up in your food processor, triple the recipe below (like I do) and make three cups instead of one, then give some away to friends (with the recipe of course!)

Benihana of Tokyo's Sweet & Sour Salad Dressing

1/4 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. peanut oil
2 T. rice vinegar
2 T. water
1 T. chopped ginger
1 T. chopped celery
1 T. soy sauce
1 t. tomato paste
1.5 t. sugar
1 t. lemon juice

Blend all ingredients together with salt and pepper to taste, until smooth. Makes 1 cup.

Now, this is one that I was thinking about a few years ago and wishing I had the recipe again... I'd totally forgotten that I'd put it in Jamie's bridal-shower cookbook that we gave her. Jen and I used to whip up this dough when we (and Jamie) roomed together up at Western in the Cambridge Square Apartments. It's a super-speedy and tasty dough.

Cambridge Square Pizza Crust

1 pkg. yeast
1 c. warm water
2.5 c. flour
2 T. oil
1 t. sugar
1 t. salt

Dissolve yeast in water, stir in remaining ingredients and beat vigorously for about 20 strokes. Let rest for 5 minutes. Top and cook at 450-degrees F.

And, last, but not least... the punch that Jamie served at my bridal shower, and we served at the wedding. And, countless weddings and showers (baby and bridal) ever since. Technically, this one wasn't lost, since I posted it to Allrecipe.com years ago, but still, it was fun to see it and have it here.

Tart & Bubbly Wedding (and Shower) Punch

2 cans frozen cranberry juice (or 1 gallon in bottle)

2 cans frozen pink lemonade
1 large can pineapple juice (or 2 cans frozen pineapple juice - Hawaii's Own)

2 liters ginger ale (and cranberry ginger ale is great too)

In a large punch bowl, mix concentrates and juices. Add ice and slowly pour in the ginger ale.

TGIF: Monstertini

Ooooohhh.... OK, so this drink isn't really blue, but inverting the colors on the image gave it a fun, spooky look. If you want a frightfully delicious martini for your Halloween party, try a "Monstertini" (or maybe "Sour Pear Monster" is a more accurate name). I think I made this up, although I haven't searched for recipes yet... I was inspired by an orange rock-candy swizzle I picked up recently, and a sale on Odwalla Monster C, so mixed in a martini glass:

Monstertini (AKA Sour Pear Monster)

1 part Sour mix
1 part Absolut Pears
1 part Odwalla C Monster - Citrus C

In this case, the sour and Citrus C were cold from the fridge, so I skipped the shaker. I used one shot of each, but you could mix in larger quantities, and the rock candy swizzle was orange flavored, so that added to the drink. Tasty. Happy Friday, and you're welcome.

A Cuppa Chai

A few weeks ago we visited my brother and his family in Bellingham, and prior to departure, I conferred with Mary-Claire about food. I had a lot of egg yolks left over from the birthday cake's Swiss Meringue Buttercream, and planned to make Ginger Creme Brulee. And, M-C planned something equally divine to do with the rest of my fresh ginger (and a bunch of her own spices and tea). This chai tea was a big hit because Joel is not a coffee fan, and the kids adore chai.

I (of course) altered the recipe a bit (had to add star anise, which makes chai for me!), but here it is! I also did crazy things like emptying out a bag of tea (dry) and then adding ground cloves and cardamom (the only kind I had on hand) to the bag and re-stapling... hey, whatever works!

Easy Chai Tea
(adapted from Real Simple magazine)
8 cardamom seeds
8 cloves
4 black peppercorns
3 cinnamon sticks
2 - 1-inch pieces fresh ginger, sliced
2 star anise pods
2 cups whole milk
2 cups water
6 bags black tea (Darjeeling or other)
sugar to taste

Crush the spices, then place in saucepan with milk and water and bring to boil. Remove from heat and steep for 10 minutes. Strain into 4 cups and add about 2 tsps. sugar or agave to taste to each (or let your guests sweeten their own).

Singapore Sling

Jamie mixed us up some Singapore Slings last night while we were all prepping dinner... they were dangerously delicious!

Jamie's Singapore Sling
(makes 2)
2 shots cherry brandy
1 shot triple sec
2 shots Cascade Mountain gin
2 shots pineapple juice
1 shot lime juice
1 shot grenadine
And, Club Soda to fill the shaker...
serve over ice, and beware!

And, the Beat Goes On...

I say, when you're on a roll, just go with it... so, here's my rendition of Margarita Iced Tea! In the midst of running errands, Erik and I shared lunch at Taco Time the other day, and I was pleased to discover their delicious "Margarita Iced Tea." It was perfect. Black tea with "that great margarita flavor you love," not too sweet, and very refreshing. But, at $1.89 a pop for 16 oz., frugal me isn't going to keep buying it. Then, today I found margarita mix and cold brew Lipton tea bags on sale at the grocery. Mmm... You're welcome.

Do you love the re-use of my Taco Time cup?? So green of me...

Margarita Iced Tea
2 bags cold-brew Lipton tea
16 oz. cold water
4 oz. margarita mix
1/2 glass crushed ice

Brew the tea for 3 minutes in a tall glass. Pour over ice in another large glass (about 3/4 of the cup) then add the limey goodness (about 1/4 of the cup - I really eyeballed it). Stir. Add the rest of the tea as you sip (and adjust to taste). Enjoy!

Pumpkin Floats

That's right, Pumpkin Floats... festive and tasty. Try 'em!!

Pumpkin Floats
(created by me, and they are delicious!)

1. Dreyer's Pumpkin ice cream
2. Henry Weinhard's Orange Cream Soda
3. Glass

Scoop ice cream into glass, pour orange cream soda over top, and serve.

Tastier than pie, my friends! Be brave, Sam I Am.

The Gingersnap Latte

Yes, that's right. Gingersnap Latte. I was corrected this morning when ordering my first of the season. It's no longer Gingerbread Latte, and the difference appears to be the crystallized ginger sprinkled on the top of the drink. I'm glad that I knew it was there, because when you get to the bottom of your drink and there are chunks of something... startling even if you knew something was there.

Anyway, how is it? Pretty good. The bite of the ginger cuts the formerly too sweet drink (at least in my opinion - I always only get 2 pumps in a tall because of that). I like the change, except for the chunks at the bottom. And, this is one of the few flavored Starbucks drink that I do, so I'm happy that they didn't totally change the syrup or something more drastic.

Lickin' Good

So, I don't have a pic of the fab Caesar salad I made last night because we ate it too fast. The recipe is from my friend Amanda's husband, and it is excellent. And even I licked my bowl clean. Happily, it was accompanied by my all time fave beer (aside from Guinness, of course)—Buffalo Bill's Brewery Pumpkin Ale. It's already at QFC, so I snapped some up pronto.

My daughter is clever and knows me so well, "Mama, can we make Gruffalo Crumble?" (If you've not read The Gruffalo, check it out at the library!) Anyway, I had to make that "recipe" up. I used fresh apricots that we had (he has orange eyes) and purple blackberries (purple spikes on his back) and one tart apple (he was supposedly surly, right?). I used the crisp recipe from the original Moosewood Cookbook as a base, and it turned out wonderfully.

And, this morning, I made the Cappuccino Hazelnut Scones recipe from The Baker's Apprentice (sequel to Bread Alone, by Judith Ryan Hendricks, both of which are great and recommended to me by Jerrie), although I altered it for the non-coffee guy in our house, and made Maple Pecan Scones. They are hands down the BEST scones I've ever had. This recipe will be a keeper. There are indeed 6 Tbs of butter in it and 3/4 c. cream, but you divide it into either 8 or 16 servings, so it's really not that big a deal. I've got another recipe for scones that uses 12 Tbs. of butter and cream and buttermilk, and they don't come close to the texture and excellence of this recipe, and they're "lighter" relatively speaking!

So, the recipes:

Godwin Garlicky Caesar Salad Dressing

4 (or more to taste) cloves of freshly pressed (or chopped) garlic
3/4 cup light mayo (olive oil mayo is great)
2 Tbs. grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Mix and serve with romaine leaves, grated parmesan, crouton and chicken if you like. Makes 6-8 servings.
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Gruffalo Crumble (adapted from Moosewood's Fruit Crisp)

Five chopped fresh apricots
2 pints fresh blackberries
1 peeled and chopped tart apple
1/3 cup sugar

Topping:
1 c rolled oats
1 c flour
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
dash of nutmeg and allspice or cardamom
1/4 tsp. salt
5 Tbs. melted butter

Preheat oven to 375. Mix fruit and sugar in 8x8 pan. Mix topping ingredients and pat down firmly on top of fruit. Bake 35 mins or until fruit is bubbling up around the edges and topping is browned.

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Maple Pecan Scones (adapted from Cappuccino Hazelnut Scones from The Baker's Apprentice)

2 c. unbleached flour
1/3 c. sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
6 Tbs. unsalted butter cut into small cubes (very cold)
3/4 c. toasted and coarsely chopped pecans (or hazelnuts if doing original recipe)
1 1/2 Tbs. Maple extract (or 2 Tbs. instant espresso powder if making CappHaze Scones)
3/4 c. cream
1 large egg, beaten
Cream and sugar for glaze

Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment paper, and preheat oven to 400-degrees F. Toast chopped nuts (in a loaf pan) while you are chopping fridged butter, then put butter in small bowl and put in freezer while you whisk the dry ingredients together. Next, cut the butter into the dry stuff with a pastry blender, two knives or your fingers until the largest pieces are the size of peas. Then in a small bowl, beat the egg, and add the cream and maple (or espresso powder) and mix. Add the cream mixture to the butter mixture and mix with a fork until nearly combined, then gather into a moist shaggy ball and put on prepared pan and flatten into a circle that's 1- to 1 1/2-inches thick. Score the circle into eight wedges with a very sharp knife. Brush with cream and sprinkle with a little sugar, then bake for about 20 mins. (deep golden color and toothpick in center should remove clean). Remove from oven, cool for five mins, cut along score lines, then brush with a little more cream (mixed with a little sugar) - about 2 Tbs. of cream and 1 tsp. sugar only. Let cool an additional 5 minutes then serve. (Can be frozen and then baked without thawing; just allow 5-10 extra minutes of baking time.)

We Heart Kagome!

We love Kagome juice. LOVE it. One 8-oz. serving is a full adult daily serving of veggies AND fruits. I found it at Whole Foods when Madeline was about one and wanted juice, but I didn't want to give her "liquid sugar". Kagome is spendy at Whole Foods or QFC, but Bartell's often sells it for $2/large bottle and sometimes even less with a coupon. Fred Meyer often has it on sale too. Since I cut it with half water for the kids too, it goes even further. And, I think the varieties of flavors helps develop their diverse (and un-picky) palates!

Mango, red berry, pomegranate, peach, orange blossom, and purple roots n' fruits are favorites. We also make popsicles and "Jelly" (AKA Knox Juice Gelatin Blocks or shapes) with Kagome.

A couple of the flavors that are not the kids' favorites for drinking (but work in recipes) : Red Autumn Fruits (too heavy on red pepper for the kids, but good in soup), Carrot Ginger (strong on the ginger, good if you like that, and good used in Asian recipes or Gingersnaps). We've not tried the tomato-based flavors. Here's a link to Kagome's recipes: http://www.kagome.us/Recipes.aspx?navIndex=402.


Kagome Juice Knox "Jelly" Blocks

2 envelopes Knox Unflavored Gelatin
1/2 c. cold Kagome juice
1 1/2 c. Kagome juice heated to boiling
1 T. honey or agave necter (optional)

Sprinkle gelatin over cold juice in large bowl; let stand 1 minute. Add hot juice (bring to boil in microwave) and stir until gelatin completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stir in sweetener if adding. Pout into 8 x 8 pan and let cool on counter for about 10 minutes. Stir again before popping into fridge. Fridge 'til firm — about 3 hours.

Ruby Pomegranate Harmony Kagome juice is really pretty for red hearts - just cut shapes out of the pan when firm. You can double this recipe and put it in a 9 x 13 pan too.

Bourbolicious

This recipe is from Rochelle's cousins, who were visiting from Kentucky when we made it at a dinner party years ago... and we dubbed it "Bourbolicious" because it wasn't as Bourbon Slush-y as it was supposed to be when dinner was ready (but still delicious).

Actually, when I make this, I usually double the batch because it disappears so quickly at a party—even people who usually don't like bourbon or mixed drinks still love this particular concoction.

Bourbolicious
(or Bourbon Slush x Two - this recipe is for a DOUBLE BATCH!!)
2 12-oz. cans lemonade
1 12-oz. can orange juice
2 c. sugar
3 c. bourbon (go ahead, use the Knob Creek)
4 1/2 c. brewed black tea (add sugar to it while it's hot to melt sugar)
12 c water

Mix together and freeze in plastic container(s). Best to freeze overnight. You can mix in a little ginger ale if serving in a punch bowl.

Some Like It Cold

I like cold-brewed coffee. I've been told that something like 90% of the caffeine (and all the good flavor) is retained, while only about 15% of the usual acid is present. And, fewer oils. So, it's easier on your stomach, and I think it tastes better—more like coffee smells. It strongly concentrates the coffee flavor of coffee, makes the coffee up to twice as strong, but the overall brew has far less acidity and no "burnt" taste.

It does take more time to brew without the heat, although the resulting brew lasts up to two weeks in the fridge. Mine never lasts that long.

I use my French press to make my cold brew since you steep the coffee in room-temp water and then need to strain the grounds off later:

Basically, the ratio is 4:1 water to coffee. Measure a 1/2 cup of coffee into the brewing container. Add about 2 cups of room-temperature water. Stir the mixture up. Cover the container and let it sit a minimum of 4 hours or ideally, overnight. It can sit up to about 12 hours, but less time works too—it'll just be slightly less concentrated. Strain (French press comes in handy here) and pour into a jar for storage in the fridge.

Mix your cold-brew concentrate with water or milk to taste. It makes great iced coffee, is also good nuked by the cup, and is equally good leaded or unleaded. Especially helpful if you only have one coffee drinker in your household.

A Glass Full of Sunshine

Orange Julius recipe from Lora. Joel & I used to make these in college. They're guaranteed to make you smile.
1/2 can frozen OJ concentrate
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 t. vanilla
Ice to thicken
Blend and enjoy!