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kiwi mojitos.

January 7, 2011 in Cocktails with 3 Comments

If you’re looking for a cocktail that will make you feel like you’ve instantly been transported to a far-off, tropical island (and who isn’t!) – I have just the thing for you.

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But we’re not talking about a cloyingly sweet frozen piña colada, packed with ingredients made of who-knows-what that seem to mask any sign of real pineapple or coconut, heaven forbid. No margaritas from which the only taste you can successfully extricate is an overpowering and anything-but-natural sour mix… Or worse, José Cuervo.

Who wants a cocktail made with fresh, organic ingredients and premium liquor you can actually taste?

I do. And my guess is that you do, too. This lovely take on the mojito is everything you’d expect from the classic, and then so much more – all thanks to the crisp addition of puréed kiwifruit. You can strain the fruit, if you wish, but I happen to love those little black flecks that let you know you’re drinking a tall, or short, glass full of kiwi.

Oh – and did you know that the kiwifruit is at its seasonal peak right now? Reading this in Bon Appétit last month took me by surprise; kiwi seems like a fruit fit for summer, designated for spring at the very least.

Kiwi, in January? I’ll take it. I’ll drink it right up, as a matter of fact.

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Kiwi Mojitos

  • 6 kiwifruits, preferably organic
  • 1 bunch mint leaves
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 cup {or more} light rum, such as Bacardi
  • Sugar, and/or simple syrup
  • Club soda or sparkling water

Peel kiwis by cutting the ends off and then sliding a teaspoon around the edges to remove the skin. Chop 4 of the kiwifruits and purée in mini food processor; set aside. Chop 2 remaining fruits into large pieces; set aside for serving.

Add mint leaves and lime juice to a small pitcher. Top with sugar; start with 2-3 tablespoons or so if you prefer a not-so-sweet drink, and add more if you like it sweeter. Using a wooden spoon, muddle the leaves against the sides of the pitcher and stir vigorously to allow flavors to combine and meld.

Next, add the rum and puréed kiwifruit to the pitcher and give it a stir. Taste for rum and sugar, adding more of either if you’d like. You can also add simple syrup if your sugar isn’t dissolving, but I find that it will if you give it a good stir with the lime juice. Top with a pour of club soda. Pour into glasses filled with ice, and finish with remaining chopped kiwi.

Serves 4.

flowers for your bubbly.

December 30, 2010 in Cocktails with 1 Comment

Because when it comes to champagne, strawberries get too much play.

And, you know…they’re not really in season right now anyway.

I have something even better for your New Year’s Eve soirée:  an adorable little jar of edible flowers. An instant dose of glamour only to improve upon the most glamorous drink ever to exist. I call it sheer brilliance. And the best part? No more wasting precious moments mixing drinks or shaking the cocktail shaker. Just drop into your glasses before pouring, and enjoy.

I think they’re great for any special occasion:  a brunch, a dinner party, or perhaps simply an excuse to break open a bottle of bubbly on a Tuesday night.

The flowers are actually edible, and though I didn’t eat one myself, I like the idea that whatever I’m putting inside my drink is totally non-toxic. Though the flowers are flavored with raspberry and rhubarb, I didn’t find that they imparted any of this into the champagne itself. They’re also fairly easy to find; you should be able to get them at your nearest Whole Foods or Williams-Sonoma.

Whether you’re hosting your own party tomorrow night, or heading to another, these darling little flowers are sure to jazz up your midnight champagne toast.

Cheers, dolls! Here’s to a Happy and Healthy New Year for all!

{image via Daily Candy}

sangria + tapas.

November 10, 2010 in Cocktails, Dinner Party Worthy, Obsessed, Starters with 7 Comments

Do you ever feel like you have *a ton* of favorite things?

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I do.

I tend to get obsessive over the things I love. Instead of saying, “I really enjoy sangria and tapas,” I feel it’s necessary to tell you that sangria and tapas is basically my favorite thing in the world.

And the thing is, I mean it. Don’t you worry about the fact that a good antipasti platter, the perfect margarita, and all things truffle are also my favorite. They still are.

Isn’t there enough love to go around? I don’t want to have just one favorite thing. Especially not when discussing food. Or cocktails.

Because, you know… Food and cocktails are my favorite.

Lucky for me, Daniel shares the same love of tapas and sangria as I do. And while we love going out to our favorite little Spanish restaurant for plate after plate of Spanish meats and cheeses, we’ve since discovered how very easy and perfect it is to create an equally delicious {albeit more simple} spread at home.

And you’ll be amazed at just how simple it is to throw together. Sangria is pretty difficult to screw up, and I think it’s fun because you can customize it according to your tastes, adding your own favorite fruits, and making it as sweet {or brandy-soaked} as you’d like. Remember, the longer you can make it ahead of time the better – that way, the fruit has time to soak up all of the brandy and wine.

The tapas are no more difficult; you can purchase most of your Spanish-themed goodies from the local deli or specialty foods shop. Just grab a block of Manchego, some Serrano ham, a few pre-marinated olives, and a container of Marcona almonds and you’re more than good to go (Whole Foods should carry it all). The marinated chickpea salad is just as easy; you likely have all of the ingredients already in your pantry, give-or-take the fresh herbs and scallions.

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Perfect Sangria

  • A bottle of good Spanish red wine
  • Brandy {we used Spanish-brand Fundador}
  • Club soda or sparkling water {we used lime-flavored Pellegrino}
  • Sugar
  • Fruit of your choice (we used apples, pears, oranges, lemons, limes, and grapes}

Chop fruit into bite-sized pieces. If you’re using citrus fruits, I recommend peeling some of the oranges and sectioning them so you can eat the fruit as you’re drinking, whereas lemons and limes can simply be sliced with the skin left intact.

Place fruit in a pitcher – I like to use a glass one. Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons {more or less, depending on how sweet you like it} over the fruit, and add a good pour of brandy to the pitcher. No need to overdo it, because you can always add more later. Let the fruit soak up some of that goodness from the brandy and sugar for a few minutes, and give it a nice stir.

Pour bottle of wine and about a cup or so of club soda into the pitcher. Give it a stir and a taste; add more brandy/club soda/sugar as necessary.

Tapas Plate

  • A nice loaf of country bread
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Assorted marinated olives
  • Marcona almonds
  • Manchego cheese, broken into chunks
  • Marinated chickpea salad, recipe below

Marinated Chickpea Salad

Adapted from Real Simple

  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 scallions, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
  • Kosher salt and black pepper

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Still hungry? Stay tuned for the next piece of this Spanish-themed pie… Paella!

blackberry thyme margaritas.

September 18, 2010 in Cocktails, Dinner Party Worthy with 4 Comments

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Okay, fine – I guess mojitos have had this down for a while. And though I *very much* love a good mojito, lately I’ve been discovering countless new favorite cocktails made with fresh herbs.

You’ve seen me use basil before here, but today we’re talking thyme. Thyme, and margaritas. These things make me happy.

Thyme is from the mint family, and to me, it has a very lightly earthy, almost lemony flavor and scent. It’s delicious with so many types of things – roast chicken being one of my personal favorites – and it seems to go perfectly in this margarita.

But wait – we haven’t even gotten to the blackberry part! Ah yes, the blackberries. Sure, you could puree them, strain the seeds out, get all fancy with it…but there’s really no need. I just threw a bunch of berries into my pitcher – along with the thyme – and muddled it all up against the glass with my wooden spoon. I think the flavor combination works brilliantly together, and the blackberries create a gorgeous purple hue. It’s rustic, thanks to the thyme – yet the bubby and high-quality tequila up the glam factor.

All in all, it’s a pretty sexy drink, if you ask me.

Blackberry-Thyme Margaritas

Adapted from Bon Appétit
  • 1-2 cups fresh blackberries
  • Handful fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1 1/2 cups good white tequila
  • 3/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup Cointreau or other orange liquor
  • 1 cup simple syrup
  • 1 cup champagne or sparkling wine

    • Place blackberries and thyme sprigs {be sure to leave extra of both for garnish} in medium bowl. Press firmly on solids with muddler or back of wooden spoon until mashed. Mix in tequila, simple syrup, lime juice, Cointreau, and sparkling wine. Stir to blend well. Fill glasses with ice, and pour margarita mixture over. Garnish with a couple blackberries and thyme sprigs.

    Makes about 8 drinks.

    watermelon {vodka} lemonade.

    August 15, 2010 in Cocktails with 6 Comments

    When life hands you lemons, grab some vodka and make yourself some lemonade.

    Add some puréed watermelon and it gets even better.

    I can only partially take credit for this idea, because this recipe is the product of the second week of Project Pastry Queen. Which means we have not only Rebecca Rather of Pastry Queen fame to thank, but also Ashley of Delish for choosing this week’s recipe.

    The reason I say I can take partial credit, is that I made some pretty substantial changes to the recipe. Read: I forgot to bring the one thing I needed when we left to spend this weekend with the fam. The cookbook.

    It happens.

    Like I said, you make lemonade. In this case, lemonade with puréed watermelon. And vodka.

    The original recipe used a little more sugar, and much more water. I don’t like my drinks too sweet, so I may have done the same thing even if I had the recipe in front of me. Using less water made it extra tart, but I liked it this way because we were using vodka.

    So basically, we replaced the extra water in the recipe with vodka. Do you see any harm in that? Me neither.

    The other major change is that I puréed the watermelon, while the original recipe left the fruit diced in the pitcher. I loved the purée in the drink. I think that if I were to make it again, I’d add even more. I do love this drink because the diced fruit makes it almost like a fruity-vodka sangria. Tequila would be another great match for this.

    If you’d like to see the recipe in its original form, be sure to check out Ashley’s post.

    Watermelon Lemonade

    Adapted from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather

    • 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice {for me, this was 8 lemons}
    • 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice {7 limes}
    • 2 1/2 cups diced watermelon
    • Mixed diced fruit of your choice {I used one apple, one pear, and handfuls of sliced strawberries and blueberries}
    • 1 orange, preferably organic, sliced into rounds
    • 1 lemon, preferably organic, sliced into rounds
    • 1 lime, preferably organic, sliced into rounds
    • About 2 cups good vodka – or, to taste

    For the sugar syrup:

    • 1 1/2 cups water
    • 1 1/2 cups sugar

    Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-high and boil until dissolved. Make sure to allow it to cool before making the rest of the drink.

    Juice your lemons and limes. Add to blender with watermelon sugar syrup and purée. Place your citrus rounds and diced fruit into a glass pitcher. Pour puréed mixture from the blender into the pitcher over the fruit. Stir well and chill until icy cold.

    strawberry basil {vodka} lemonade.

    July 22, 2010 in Cocktails with 6 Comments

    Do I even need to say anything to convince you to make this summer cocktail of perfection, like, this weekend?

    {Or, today. Today works, too}

    The best part? You don’t even need a recipe. Just add ingredients to taste.

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    Strawberries

    Fresh basil leaves

    Good vodka

    Lemonade

    Fresh lemon slices

    Begin this party like you would any other – with a nice sugar rim. Rub a cut lemon slice around the edge of the glass, and then press the top of the glass into a small plate of sugar. Now, you can get to muddling. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the empty glass, add a few basil leaves, grab a wooden spoon and get to work. Depending on how sweet your lemonade is, you could add a simple syrup or some extra sugar here. You’re really just trying to break the flavor up out of the leaves into the citrus. Next, get your strawberries and lemonade into a blender, along with a good pour of vodka. I used fresh strawberries because, duh, they’re in season, but you could always use frozen. Likewise, the lemonade is flexible. I recommend making a homemade version, like this, but something like Crystal Light would be a nice low-calorie substitute. Pureé the ingredients and voilà.

    Serve over ice, and garnish with lemon and strawberry slices and a few more basil leaves if you’re feeling fancy. And you should, because fancy is fun.

    Cheers!

    jalapeno-infused {grapefruit} margaritas.

    June 24, 2010 in Cocktails with 12 Comments

    I don’t know about you, but I could really use a margarita right now.

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    Or two.

    I think it’s safe to say that a margarita is my all-time favorite cocktail. Then again, I really love mojitos – especially coconut ones. Or, anything with champagne. And we can’t forget about my ongoing love affair with extra-dirty martinis. Or sangria.

    Still, margaritas are what you pull out when you really want to have a good time. I guess it has something to do with the Patrón?

    Tequila = fun.

    Add some grapefruit and jalapeno into the mix, and you’ve got yourself a party. Or at least I do, because those are two more of my favorite things. Jalapeno-infused tequila – it sounds fancy, doesn’t it? It’s not. It’s actually super-easy; all you do is take however much tequila you want to drink, slice up a jalapeno or two, and drop them in. Let them soak in there for at least an hour, and you’re good to go. You won’t believe how much the tequila soaks up the flavor of the peppers – if you like jalapeno, you’re guaranteed to love it.

    Jalapeno-Infused Grapefruit Margaritas

    Serves 10

    2-3 jalapenos, sliced

    2 cups good white tequila

    3 cups grapefruit juice {fresh-squeezed or my favorite brand}

    If you don’t like grapefruit juice, you could probably use any other type of citrus juice here – or even pineapple might be nice.  Pour tequila into a pitcher and allow jalapenos to infuse for at least an hour – the longer the better. Then, stir your juice in.

    And have some fun.

    {Feel skinny while you’re at it: both grapefruit and jalapeno contain properties thought to increase your metabolism. Just sayin’}

    national {vodka} iced tea day.

    June 10, 2010 in Cocktails, Fabulously Simple with 13 Comments

    I like my iced tea nice and strong.

    And by strong, I mean lots of vodka.

    Luckily, there are others out there who apparently agreed – and thus created Firefly Vodka Infused with American Tea.

    If you’re new to this, you may be thinking of the Long Island variety the second you hear “vodka” and “tea” in the same sentence. But that is SO not what this stuff is. It tastes like a pure mixture of vodka and freshly-brewed sweet tea. I find it to be very sweet; you can mix it with water and it tastes just like sweet tea. I love to add water and fresh-squeezed lemon juice for a lower-calorie Arnold Palmer, but you can also definitely add some straight-up lemonade for the real deal. Another low-calorie option would be to add Crystal Light – anything from the lemonade flavor, to one of their flavored iced teas.

    I love to serve it in a highball glass with lemon slices and mint sprigs. Doesn’t it look like the perfect summer cocktail?

    I must warn you, though – this beverage can be very dangerous. It goes down oh-so-easy, and on a hot summer day, you may just forget about the heavy dose of vodka in your glass.

    Are any of you fabulous babies out there as obsessed with this stuff as I am? And if you haven’t tried it yet, I’m thinking today’s the day – give National Iced Tea Day a run for its money!

    *Image via Gourmet, courtesy of Stylee PR

    put the lime in the coconut.

    May 20, 2010 in Cocktails, The World Is Not Flat with 14 Comments

    I’m not sure what you’re planning on doing this weekend, but I do know this.

    Whatever it is, it will be exponentially better if you do it {before, during, or after} drinking these frozen cocktails of perfection.

    One of Daniel and I’s favorite places is without a doubt the island of St. John. It’s right off the coast of St. Thomas, so you can easily take a ferry from there. We stopped at here on a cruise last year for my birthday (you can see a couple of photos and read our delicious love story here).

    We love St. John for many reasons.

    One, being:

    Another, being:

    Allow me to introduce you to Woody’s Seafood Saloon. We ended up here after asking a local where we could find great food and drinks, and we are eternally grateful for his recommendation.

    {This, by the way, is the best thing you can do when you’re anywhere foreign. Locals always know best}

    Woody’s is just a walk from the beach, and it’s about as authentic as it gets. Here you can find the most delicious tropical cocktails you’ve ever tasted, and the perfect selection of tropical-island-inspired seafood and appetizers. We were particularly obsessed with their conch fritters and the most outrageous drink I’ve ever had…

    You guessed it – that of the frozen coconut and lime variety.

    I’m a huge coconut fan, so I love pretty much every drink involving it – but this…something about it was extraordinary. It was beyond refreshing, but it had such a kick to it – the flavors practically burst inside your mouth. I could never seem to get that frozen creation out of my mind. And there’s really only one logical thing to do in this situation.

    Move to St. John so you can enjoy them on a daily basis.

    And if that doesn’t work out, you can always try and make up your own version at home. That’s precisely what I did a couple of weeks ago when we had friends over for a little Sunday Funday. I really had no idea what they put in the Woody’s original, but I knew it involved coconut, lime, and rum.

    So, I winged it. And this is what I came up with.

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    Coconut-Lime Coolers

    Yield: 1 pitcher

    • 2 cups coconut rum
    • 3 scoops lime sherbet
    • 3/4 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
    • 3/4 cup coconut water
    • Sprinkle of lime zest
    Fill blender pitcher over halfway with ice. Add the first 4 ingredients and blend away. At this point, you can add more or less of anything according to your taste. Garnish with fresh lime zest.
    I really have no idea if they use lime sherbet over at Woody’s. My guess is that they don’t – but I won’t the answer until I go back. Either way, it adds an unbelievably delicious creaminess to the drink – almost like a coconut-lime version of a creamsicle.
    {Also known as: heaven in a glass}

    ladies who lunch.

    March 22, 2010 in Cocktails, Fabulously Simple, Healthy Eats with 7 Comments

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    Does lunch get any more fabulous when this is where you’re sitting?

    Yes, it does. Enter melon-infused wine.

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    And gazpacho made with fresh green grapes, alongside tomato and mozzarella sandwiches.

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    Leave it to my fabulous Aunt Sandy to serve this up on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Honestly – she is the most wonderful aunt (friend, mentor, and woman, really) anyone could ask for – and I know I’m biased, but it’s the truth. She has inspired me since I was a little girl, and the recent discovery of my own passion for cooking has taken it to the next level. She’s a true gourmet chef, the hostess of all hostesses, and SO much more.

    I have to say – my favorite part of the day was the discovery of this new way to enjoy white wine. All you do is take a melon baller and scoop your melon into balls (you can really use any melon here, but we did cantaloupe), place them into a carafe or pitcher, then pour your wine in (we used a pinot grigio) and let it soak for a day or so. The melon balls are like little sponges for the wine, you will be surprised at how much they absorb! We also added several fresh sprigs of mint, which was a perfect addition. The end result is so crisp and refreshing, and just *screams* to be drank on a beautiful spring day.

    Then there was a little caprese sandwich station where she had set up beautifully thick tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, arugula, prosciutto, and turkey all on a stand, complete with mayonnaise,  sun-dried tomato spread, and french bread, of course. The presentation was simple but made it so much more special than serving the sandwiches on a plate.

    And what other way is there to eat a gazpacho other than out of a martini glass? This is what it’s all about – a simple change in serveware to make things fun and elegant. The gazpacho was a chilled, puréed mixture of green grapes, almonds, lowfat buttermilk, garlic, and scallions; it was so delicious and unique, and the garlic really took it to the next level.

    {Note: This gazpacho was born from some extra grapes and buttermilk that my aunt needed to use – and that is my definition of a true chef. When you understand ingredients and how they work together, something as simple as leftovers in your fridge have the ability to form a perfect dish.}

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