In December, I won the Foodie BlogRoll POM Wonderful giveaway. I was oh so excited when my package arrived in the mail. The package included POM pomegranate juice, POMx iced coffee, a few POMx bars, a POM Wonderful notepad and pen. I wanted to create a cocktail with my new box of goodies. As you know I love Cuban food and adapted a Varadero recipe from Celebrate Cuban
by the Three Guys from Miami. This recipe will remind you of a grown-up version of pomegranate lemonade. It is fabulous! Thank you to the Foodie BlogRoll and to POM Wonderful. I am enjoying the products and will probably post another recipe soon.
POM Varadero Cocktail
Ingredients:
2 oz fresh lemon juice
2 oz simple syrup
Crushed ice
3 oz light rum
Lemon-lime soda or soda water
1 oz POM pomegranate juice
Fresh pineapple wedge
Method:
- Blend the lemon juice and simple syrup in an old fashioned glass.
- Add the ice and rum.
- Fill the glass to the top with lemon-lime soda or soda water
- Gently add the POM pomegranate juice so that it floats on the top of the drink.
- Garnish with the pineapple wedge.
Cheers!
February 20, 2010 – 10:24 AM
Congratulations CAITLIN !!!! Her favorite soup is a root vegetable soup that she gets at a local Irish pub.
Your cookbook will be on the way shortly! I hope you enjoy this cookbook as much as I do. Thank you to everyone who participated in the “Culinary Institute of America, New Book of Soups” giveaway. It was interesting to read about your favorite soups. Lentil, Potato and French Onion soups were some of your favorites. Pho, Roasted Pepper and Caldo Gallego soups got my attention. I have been searching for recipes. Thank you for sharing!
Cheers!
February 15, 2010 – 7:14 PM
I love Cuban food and cocktails! Last year, I celebrated my birthday at a Cuban restaurant. I completely enjoy the food, the cocktails and the music. The flavors, spices and simplicity of the cuisine is amazing. It was a terrific birthday celebration. I purchased the cookbook Celebrate Cuban by the Three Guys from Miami about a year ago. It has a few really good cocktail recipes. Recently, I was in the mood for my beloved Cuban music and cocktails. I decided to make a Varadero cocktail. It is named after Cuba’s most famous beach. If you enjoy Cuban music too you might want to try Timba.com’s Cuban radio. A Varadero cocktail and Timba.com’s Cuban radio are the perfect pairing for happy hour.
Varadero Cocktail
Ingredients:
2 oz fresh lemon juice
2 oz simple syrup
Crushed ice
3 oz light rum
Lemon-lime soda or soda water
Fresh pineapple wedge
Method:
- Blend the lemon juice and simple syrup in an old fashioned glass.
- Add the ice and rum.
- Fill the glass to the top with lemon-lime soda or soda water
- Garnish with the pineapple wedge.
Cheers!
February 11, 2010 – 8:55 AM
Here is the perfect cocktail for your lovebug but be careful because it’s strong and sweet – just like love!
Ingredients:
1 oz vodka
1 oz amaretto
1 oz peach schnapps
1 oz orange juice
1 oz cranberry juice
Method
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in all ingredients. Shake until well chilled.
- Pour into a glass and garnish with a strawberry.
Hand made St Valentine’s Day cards are the best! Here’s a cute project for a Lovebug Valentine . Your kids will enjoy it.
Cheers!
February 7, 2010 – 6:03 PM
Valentine’s Day is just one week away. For everyone who has decided to stay home and prepare a romantic dinner, you can still prepare a great cocktail to start your evening. The cocktail that I am featuring today is called Love Potion #9. Remember the song? Ok….probably not because I barely remember it myself. However, I have posted the lyrics after the recipe. I can tell you that this cocktail is nothing like the song’s description! It’s yummy and quite fantastic. It also makes a great dessert.
Love Potion #9
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz strawberry vodka
¾ oz white crème de cacao
½ C of frozen strawberries
1 scoop vanilla bean ice cream
Splash of milk
½ C ice (crushed is best)
Strawberry garnish
Method:
- Place all ingredients except strawberry garnish in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour into a margarita glass and garnish with a strawberry.
Love Potion #9
by The Clovers
I took my troubles down to Madame Rue
You know that gypsy with the gold-capped tooth
She’s got a pad down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine
Sellin’ little bottles of Love Potion Number Nine
I told her that I was a flop with chics
I’ve been this way since 1956
She looked at my palm and she made a magic sign
She said “What you need is Love Potion Number Nine”
She bent down and turned around and gave me a wink
She said “I’m gonna make it up right here in the sink”
It smelled like turpentine, it looked like Indian ink
I held my nose, I closed my eyes, I took a drink
I didn’t know if it was day or night
I started kissin’ everything in sight
But when I kissed a cop down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine
He broke my little bottle of Love Potion Number Nine
Cheers!
January 30, 2010 – 11:14 PM
Helloooo..wing lovers (think Mrs. Doubtfire). Today I am posting the third of five chicken wing recipes in our series. Garlic Butter Ranch Wings is the only recipe in the series that features fried chicken wings. You still have the option to “oven fry” these wings if you don’t want to get out the deep fryer. It is such a simple recipe but boy are these little buggers tasty. The wings are lightly coated with the garlic butter ranch sauce so they are flavorful without being greasy. If you are just joining us, scroll down and check out the first two wing recipes – Tangy Asian Wings and Teriyaki Wings.
Garlic Butter Ranch Wings
Ingredients:
3 pounds whole chicken wings, split
Salt
Pepper
Canola oil
2 Tbsp melted butter
1Tbsp dry ranch dressing mix
1 Tbsp minced garlic
Method:
1. Thoroughly wash the wings. Remove any “hairs” or feathers. Using a sharp knife split the wings and discard the tips.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to your taste level.
3. Preheat canola oil in a deep fryer or in a cast iron pan to 375 F.
4. Deep fry wings until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
5. Combine melted butter, ranch dressing mix and garlic.
6. Put wings in a large mixing bowl and toss with the sauce.
Adapted from: Chicken Wing Recipes
Cheers!
January 28, 2010 – 7:51 AM
I hope everyone enjoyed Tangy Asian Wings. For the second entry in the chicken wing series, I am featuring Teriyaki Wings. These are oh so easy to prepare. Marinate in the refrigerator and then bake them in the oven. My schedule is extremely hectic at this time of year. Both of my boys play basketball. I have to go to a game almost every day and cheer like crazy. It doesn’t leave a lot of time to prepare a great meal. This recipe helps to keep us out of the fast food lines. It’s easy breezy yum yum.
TERIYAKI CHICKEN WINGS
Ingredients:
3 pounds whole chicken wings
½ C orange juice
¼ light soy sauce
2 Tbsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp hot sauce
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Method:
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine orange juice, soy sauce, ginger, lemon juice, salt, hot sauce and garlic. Whisk until well blended.
- Put the wings in a plastic zip bag and pour the marinade over them. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the wings on a foil lined baking sheet. Reserve the marinade for basting.
- Bake for 1 hour. Baste with the reserved marinade after about 30 minutes.
Adapted from: Chicken Wing Recipes
Cheers!
January 26, 2010 – 8:08 AM
We’re getting close to Super Bowl weekend. Are you cheering for Drew Brees and the Saints or Peyton Manning and the Colts? Most football fans will have to make a recipe for the big game. To help you out I am going to do a 5 recipe series on chicken wings, a game day favorite. Yeah…I know. Everyone has their favorite buffalo chicken wing recipe. I do too but this time I wanted to try something new. Variety is the spice of life. Only one recipe in the series uses the deep fryer. Most are made in the oven. How easy is that? The recipes are great for a football party but work just as well as an appetizer for any occasion.
Today’s featured wing recipe is Tangy Asian Wings. This recipe has awesome flavor. My boys absolutely loved it! They could hardly wait for me to finish taking the picture.
Tangy Asian Wings
Ingredients:
3 pounds chicken wings
¼ cup olive oil
Seasoned salt
Pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour for coating
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt
Method:
- Cut wings in half. Coat the wings in olive oil. Sprinkle the chicken with the seasoned salt and pepper. Cover and put in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes but it’s even better when left in the refrigerator for a few hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Dip each piece of chicken in flour and place on a foil covered baking sheet. Spray floured chicken with a cooking spray like Pam. Place in the oven and “fry” for 15 minutes. Turn the wings and oven fry for another 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl combine soy sauce, water, sugar, vinegar, garlic powder and salt. Pour over wings.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, basting wings with sauce often.
Adapted from the Japanese Wings recipe on allrecipes.com
Cheers!
January 23, 2010 – 1:19 PM
It’s time to add something to my Cheese Board. I have been noshing on a few cheeses and thought I’d share one that I really like. I served Chaource over the holidays and everyone seemed to enjoy it. I like to serve it with crackers and a mixture of dried cranberries and walnuts. For something special, drizzle a little bit of honey over the top. However, it is wonderful served on toast points without the “extras”. Try it and tell me what you think.
Chaource
CHAOURCE (shah-OORSE) is a French cheese originally manufactured in its namesake village in the Champagne region. Chaource has been made there since the early 14th century. It is a traditional cow’s milk cheese. Made using a similar recipe to that of Brie, affinage is usually between two and four weeks and the cheese is generally eaten young. The central pâte is soft, creamy in color and slightly crumbly. It is surrounded by a white rind. It is similar to Camembert, but with a creamier texture. When fully matured, Chaource is nutty and a little bit salty with hints of mushroom. It has a ‘melt-in-the-mouth’ texture.
It is only made in a tightly controlled area in the départements of Aube and Yonne. It was recognized as an AOC cheese in 1970, and has been fully regulated since 1977. AOC stands for Appellation d’origine contrôlée, which translates as “controlled term of origin” is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National des Appellations d’Origine (INAO).
It is a wonderful pairing for Champagne (What else?).
Cheers!
