Picking wine for a turkey dinner

December 6, 2007 | Posted by Allison as Holiday Fun, Spirits & Libations at 2:13 pm | (3) Comments »

What kind of wine should you serve with turkey? It can be quite a challenge to find something to complement the strong flavors of sweet yet cranberry sauce and savory stuffings. Try a light, fruity red with a touch of acid. Popular picks include a fruity Zinfandel or an earthy Pinot Noir. If you’d rather serve your meal with white wine, pick a Sauvignon. It has a good acidity level with a touch of herbs. Many recommend the Dry Riesling, which has a delicate sweetness that complements the food.

Irish Cream Coffee

November 5, 2007 | Posted by Lorena as Drinks, Holiday Fun, Spirits & Libations, Cozy Comfort Food Recipes, Uncategorized at 9:11 am | (3) Comments »

Irish Cream Coffee

You’ve got the fireplace going, and holiday cookies fresh from the oven. The only thing missing? Coffee. “Whip” up a big mug of this special Irish treat in minutes.

Creamy Irish Coffee

Ingredients

4 cups of fresh coffee
1 cup of whipping cream.
½ cup of Irish whiskey.
¼ cup of sugar.
2 tablespoons of Sugar.
2 tablespoons of Irish whiskey.

What’s next

In a saucepan, add 4 cups of strong fresh coffee, ½ cup of Irish whiskey and ¼ cup sugar. Heat up, but do not boil.

Whip 1 cup of whipping cream until it is light, then beat in 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of whiskey. Pour the coffee into coffee mugs and spoon the cream on top. Serve.

Strawberry Gazpacho Recipe for Valentine’s Day

February 8, 2007 | Posted by Allison as Spirits & Libations at 7:50 am | (2) Comments »

Good morning, readers! I was reading SlashFood earlier & stumbled upon this fantastic Valentine’s Day recipe for Strawberry Gazpacho. Easy to whip up in no time flat (just in case you forgot about the sweethearts holiday) & absolutely delicious. I tried something similar in Atlanta a few months ago. Give it a try, I think you’ll be surprised at the tasty results.

Ingredients:

1 package frozen strawberries
Fresh mint leaves
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp fresh lime juice
2 cups total of any individual or combination of the following: strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries

What’s Next:

In a large saucepan, combine the frozen strawberries, 3 or 4 fresh mint leaves, and vanilla extract. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes. If mixture becomes too thick, add more water in 1/4 cup increments. Remove from heat, cover, and chill in the refrigerator.

Once chilled, strain ingredients. Pour strained strawberry mixture into a blender, add 1/2 cup water, honey, lemon and lime juice. Blend until very smooth. Add remaining 2 cups of your choice of berries, and pulse gently in blender. The mixture does not have to be fully smooth at this stage.

To serve, pour into soup bowls, wine glasses, or your choice of dish. Garnish and serve with a spoon & enjoy!

Eat well & Laugh often!

Perique Tobacco Liqueur

January 9, 2007 | Posted by Allison as Spirits & Libations at 12:30 pm | Comments »

Without a doubt, tobacco has gotten a bad rap lately, and for good reason. But before cigarettes & cigars were popular, tobacco was a much more refined temptation.

The pleasant scent of tobacco has long been appreciated for its rich & earthy tones. And that’s just what the new liqueur Perique is trying to capture. Perique tobacco is one of the “rarest and most precious tobacco in the entire world” & is known worldwide for its fig & pepper flavors, and so inspired Ted Breaux to create Perique, a liqueur celebrating these tastes. At 62 proof, this $42 per bottle unique experience is available in very limited quantities, so you better get a move on!

Eat well & Laugh often!

Southern Fruit Tea Recipe

May 30, 2006 | Posted by Allison as Spirits & Libations at 1:59 pm | Comments »

Fruit Tea.jpg Now you can’t have a complete summer without the right drinks. I love tea of any kind and this Southern Fruit Tea recipe just says summer with every taste.

Ingredients:

Tea bags for 2 gallons tea
1 1/2 quarts boiling water
2 cups granulated sugar
2 peaches, pureed
48 ounce can pineapple juice
12 ounce can frozen orange juice
12 ounce can frozen lemonade

What’s Next:

Place tea bags in bowl or pitcher. Pour boiling water over tea bags. Add sugar, stirring to dissolve. Let tea bags steep in sugar water several hours or overnight. discard tea bags. Pour tea into a large bowl. Add juices & peaches, stirring well. Pour equal amounts into two one-gallon jugs. Add water to each to fill jug. Refrigerate. Shake well before serving.

You can spice up the tea with a hint of almond flavoring that is sure to make your taste buds tingle.

Eat well & Drink often!

The Best Cinco De Mayo Watermelon Margarita Recipe

May 5, 2006 | Posted by Allison as Spirits & Libations at 9:12 am | Comments »

Watermelon Margarita.jpg Happy Cinco De Mayo! Now let’s really celebrate with this wonderful watermelon margarita recipe!

Ingredients:

4 cups watermelon, seeded & cubed
1 6-ounce can frozen limeade concentrate
1/2 cup tequila, your pick
3 tablespoons sugar & lime wedges for garnish

In a large zip-lock bag- place watermelon cubes inside & freeze for 8 hours.

Take out your watermelon bag & get your blender ready. In the blender combine half of your watermelon cubes, limeade & tequila. Process until smooth.

Repeat with the remaining half.

To garnish: Place the sugar in a wide, shallow bowl. Moisten the rim of a margarita glass with a lime wedge.

Dip the rim in the sugar. Pour the watermelon mixture into the prepared glass. Garnish with a lime wedge and get ready to party!

Eat well & Laugh often!

Allison’s Top 5 Martini Recipes

April 18, 2006 | Posted by Allison as Spirits & Libations at 12:40 pm | Comments »

Chocolate Martini.jpg Let’s get these spirits & libations on the road & make a toast to my top 5 Martini recipes. Now, I’ve already said I’m no Martini purist, so don’t hold my chocolate, Sake & Vodka against me. Here goes…..

#5: Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You Sake Martini Recipe:

Ingredients:

2.5 oz Gin (or go for the Vodka if you like)
1/4 oz Sake
1/4 oz Blue CuraCao
Want an olive or onion to garnish?

What’s Next:

A Sake Martini is a creative approach to the standard Martini. I like it, but it does take a few tries to warm up to. Chill your Martini glasses with ice for three minutes. In your shaker: pour all ingredients inside with some ice. Shake ten times, or stir 30 times with a bar spoon. Remove ice & serve with your choice of olive or onion.

#4: The Haunted Bride Martini

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Gin
1 oz dry Vermouth
1/2 oz Benedictine
1 teaspoon Pernod
2 dashes Bitters, your choice
Cherry for you?

What’s Next:

This Martini recipe is named after an unknown bar patron second-guessing her marriage engagement. Chill your Martini glasses with ice for three minutes. In your shaker: pour all ingredients inside with some ice. Shake ten times, or stir 30 times with a bar spoon. Serve with a cherry or you choice of garnish.

#3: The Classic Martini

Ingredients:

2 oz Gin
1/2 oz dry Vermouth
Olive for garnishing

What’s Next:

Here is the classic Martini, in all it’s glory. Chill your Martini glasses with ice for three minutes. In your shaker: pour all ingredients inside with some ice. Shake ten times, or stir 30 times with a bar spoon. Garnish with olive.

#2: Shaken Not Stirred Bond James Bond Martini:

Ingredients:

3 oz Gin
1 oz Vodka
1/2 oz Lillet Blanc wine
Twist of lemon

What’s Next:

Well, I bet you can guess where this Martini recipe has its origins. Pour Gin, Vodka & Lillet Blanc into shaker half-filled with cracked ice. Shake well, strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon, and serve.

#1: I Never Forget the Chocolate Chocolate Vodka Martini:

Ingredients:

2 oz Vodka
1 oz Godiva liqueur
1 oz white creme de cacao
Chocolate stick for garnish

What’s Next:

No, as you know, I never do forget the chocolate. Chill your Martini glasses with ice for three minutes. In your shaker: pour all ingredients inside with some ice. Shake ten times, or stir 30 times with a bar spoon. Serve with chocolate stick for garnish.

I hope you have enjoyed my top 5 Martini recipes list. Enjoy one for me.

Eat well & Laugh often.

An Informative History of My Friend the Martini

April 18, 2006 | Posted by Allison as Spirits & Libations, The Facts / History at 10:00 am | Comments »

Just a little historical walk with my pal the Martini, why don’t you join us. The modern day true Martini consists of Gin and a varying amount of dry Vermouth and is sometimes garnished with an olive, twist or cocktail onion. But I’m no Martini purist, so if you add a little Vodka or mix in some chocolate, you have my permission to keep the name Martini.

There are differing arguments as to the origin of the Martini, but the most detailed account lies with the Martinez from 1862. This drink calls for four parts red, sweet Vermouth to one part Gin and is garnished with a cherry, sounds good to me. The first Martinez was made with aromatic bitters and Old Tom Gin, which was very sweet compared to today’s take on the drink.

The transformation from the Martinez to the Martini was a gradual one; first Old Tom Gin was replaced with London Dry, then orange bitters took over aromatic bitters’ place. Folks then began to replace the red, sweet Vermouth with a white, dry Vermouth. The proportions of the drink eventually became equal parts and soon the modern dry Martini appeared, just add olive.

If you don’t like that little historical number, try this one on for size. Someone came up with a Martini history anecdote involving the British Army. The story claims that the drink’s name came from the Martini and Henry rifle used by the army around 1871. The punch was that the rifle and the drink both shared a strong kick. Pretty cute.

Well, no matter the history or claims regarding the Martini, it is a sexy and smooth drink that just waits experimentation. Stay tuned for ‘Allison’s Top 5 Martini Recipes’ post.

Eat well & Laugh often.