This bottle has earned a permanent spot in the bar.
…right next to the current bottle of Noilly Prat Original French Dry!
Gin Martini
makes 2
4 ounces gin
(We like Plymouth, Tanquerey, Junipero, Bombay Sapphire or Hendrick’s)
2 ounces Dolin Dry Vermouth
2 pieces of orange or lemon rind
In an ice filled shaker, add gin and vermouth. Stir vigorously until thoroughly chilled. Strain and divide between two chilled martini glasses and mist each glass with one piece of the orange rind. Discard or add the piece of pinched rind, as you choose.
Vodka Martini
makes 2
4 ounces Vodka
(Karlsson’s Gold or Chase for a potato vodka…Or… Stoli if you like wheat)
1 ounce Dolin Dry Vermouth
2 olive skewers, one olive per skewer
In a shaker filled with ice, add vodka and vermouth. Stir vigorously until thoroughly chilled. Strain and divide between two chilled martini glasses. Garnish each glass with one olive skewer.
Cheers!
Dried Fruit And Nut Bars
Blondie… meet fruit and nuts.
Cranberry Nut Bars
makes one 8×8 inch baking dish
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup butter, soft
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup walnuts
1 cup pistachios
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pine nuts, to scatter on top
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Combine well. Add flour mixture, nuts and dried cranberries. Stir to combine. Pour into buttered 8×8 inch baking dish and smooth the top. Sprinkle pine nuts over the top. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-38 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool. Then, cut into squares or bars.
Red Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potato Pie
makes 1 pie
2 sweet potatoes, boiled
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1-2 teaspoon orange zest
1 single crust batch pie dough, bottom only
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Roll and place pie dough in pie dish. Decorate edges and prick bottom. Chill.
Combine all in a food processor while potatoes are still warm and pulse for about 30 seconds, or until smooth. Fill pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes. The center of the pie should be mostly firm to the touch.
Spices
Soaked White Kidney Beans
In a large dutch oven, bring beans and water to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover and let sit 30 minutes. Drain and repeat.
White Chili
makes 1 large dutch oven
12 oz. white kidney beans, soaked
2 onions, diced
3 Tablespoons olive oil
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet red pepper, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1-2 jalapeños, finely diced
2 tsp cumin, freshly ground
1/2 teaspoon white pepper, freshly ground
2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano
generous splash of your favorite hot sauce
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup whole milk
After soaking and straining beans. Set aside. In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil. Sauté onions to a light golden color. Add garlic, pepper, carrots, celery, and jalapeños. Sauté briefly. Add spices. Stir. Add beans, and chicken stock. Bring to a hearty simmer. Then, reduce heat to a low simmer and cook until tender (at least 1 – 1 1/2 hours) stirring the pot as needed. (And, adding additional chicken stock, as needed.) Add whole milk. Bring the chili back to a simmer. Serve with sour cream and cheddar cheese.
Need more protein? Grill one chicken breast per person.
Party like it’s 1907.
Original Recipe
Go to the club.
Drink six toasts.
Eat a slice of meat.
Drink six more toasts.
-New York Times: “A Few Recipes”, January 13, 1907
…Who says they didn’t know how to have a good time in the old days?
Toasty bottom, cheesy tops… this is definitely what’s for lunch, today!
4 Sandwiches
Homemade bread has a notoriously short shelf life. So, this is a great way to use the remaining half of a day or two old loaf of bread.
My Croque Monsieur
makes 4 sandwiches
8 slices of my Honey Wheat Bread
8 slices Gruyère, or the best Swiss cheese you have on hand
sliced ham, as you like it
Dijon mustard, as needed
Mornay or béchamel sauce, as needed
1 chunk (1-2 oz) Parmigiano Reggiano
1 piece white bread, toasted and cooled
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Brush 4 slices of bread with dijon. Arrange in the bottom of an 8×8 inch baking dish Dijon side up. Layer with Swiss cheese and ham. Top with remaining bread slices. Lightly spoon béchamel or Mornay sauce over the top and spread it thinly to evenly coat the top of the bread. Layer with more Swiss cheese. In a food processor, pulse Parmigiano Reggiano and white bread to fine crumbs. Sprinkle over the top of the sauced sandwiches. Place in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until top is golden brown and bubbly.
A cocktail fit for love …or falling in love.
Luxardo Manhattan
makes 2
4 ounces Maker’s Mark bourbon
1 ounce Luxardo Maraschino
2 splashes orange bitters
2 cherries soaked in Luxardo Maraschino
2 pieces of orange peel, try to keep the amount of pith to a minimum
Combine all in an ice filled shaker. Stir vigorously. Strain and divide between two martini glasses. Drop one cherry into each glass. Then, squeeze one piece of orange peel over each cocktail and drop it into the glass.
Cheers!
———————–
To my love…
It’s easy to keep love alive when you show me the depth of your love every day.
Every. Day.
…For all time, Darling
Before Baking
…And After
This lovely deep dark orange casserole is proof to me that it’s worth the extra pennies to buy red sweet potatoes. This was one of my best sweet potato casseroles… ever. More accurately, this might be called a crustless sweet potato pie crumble. Served warm, this is a lovely winter dessert.
Sweet potato crumble…. it’s not just for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Sweet Potato Crumble
makes 1 casserole
4 red sweet potatoes, peeled
1/2 – 1 cup sugar
4 Tablespoons butter
1/2 – 1 cup cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake sweet potatoes in a sheet pan with 1 inch of water. Bake sweet potatoes for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Let sit for 30 minutes, then drain. In a large bowl, mash potatoes, sugar, butter, and 1/2 cup cream to your desired consistency. Add more cream, if needed. Pour into buttered casserole dish.
Crumble Topping
1 part oatmeal (50/50 quick oats and oat bran mix)
1 part flour
1 part light and fruity olive oil
1 part sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Combine all in a small bowl. Sprinkle crumbs over sweet potato mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Serve small scoops with a dollop of whipped cream or a mini scoop or two of French Vanilla Ice Cream.
Trader Joe’s Sunflower Butter… love it.
But, it’s a little intense and overpowering. So, these bars are perfect. The white chocolate mellows out the nutty bitterness. It’s ok to eat what is essentially candy if you throw some oatmeal in there?
…Right?
No? La la la, I can’t hear you!
No Bake Sunflower Butter Bars
makes 1 9×13 rectangle’o’fudge
1 cup sugar
1 TBSP butter, unsalted
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sunflower butter (or, peanut butter if you prefer)
2 cups white chocolate chips
4 cups rolled oats
In a microwave-safe large bowl, combine sugar, butter, and milk. Heat until butter melts. About 1-2 minutes. Add white chocolate chips and sunflower butter. Stir until smooth and creamy. Add rolled oats. Stir to combine.
Spread on parchment in the shape of a 9×13 inch rectangle. Or, spread it thinner if you prefer. Chill until sliceable.
Slice into 1×1 or 2×2 inch squares.
(These are very rich and quite filling.)
Time for yum-yums!
Blueberry… Pancake… Love
If you are fortunate enough to have the love of your life make you pancakes, eat them!
(…Even if they’re topped with a frightening gob of heart-shaped butter.)
Happy Valentine’s Day!
|
|
