Strawberry-Rosé Spritzer and Six Years of Blogging

Each year that my blog's birthday comes and goes, I think to myself, I can't believe I've made it another year. This site certainly isn't what it used to be, and I doubt it ever will be again, but it's nice to have this piece of the Interweb in which I get to share delicious food and drink and ramble a bit. My blog birthday treats seem to mostly be centered around strawberries and Nutella because...why not? This year, I decided to celebrate in cocktail form with strawberry-soaked rose wine and a hint of bitterness from my favorite aperitif, Aperol. It brought a hint of spring to my Chicago kitchen, even when it snowed two days later. Luckily, I am now enjoying a nice week in California to warm my soul. Anyway, thanks as always for continuing to let me share on here and cheers to another year!


One year ago: Magic Cake
Two years ago: Nutella Pop Tarts
Three years ago: Strawberry Crisp
Four years ago: Nutella Sandwich Cookies
Five years ago: Perfect Party Cake
Six years ago (my first post...don't judge!):The Return of The Glamorous Life

Strawberry-Rose Spritzer
(Adapted from Bon Appetit)

Makes 8 servings 

2 cups strawberries, washed, hulled, and chopped
1 750-ml bottle rose wine
2 cups soda water
1/3 cup Aperol
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a large pitcher, combine the strawberries and rose and let the strawberries steep for at least three hours or overnight.

Strain the rose from the strawberries and reserve the strawberries for garnish. Pour the wine back into the pitcher and mix in the soda water, Aperol, and lemon juice. Fill each glass with ice cubes and a few strawberries and pour the drink over the ice. Serve immediately.

Printable Recipe

Cranberry Mojitos

I spent the better part of the summer of 2002 perfecting my mojito making methods. In 2005 I graduated to rum and diet cokes during my nights out on the town, and then eventually cut rum out of my life except for the occasional mixed cocktail. I was recently sent a couple bottles of Shellback Rum so I decided to make something festive to try and get myself in the holiday spirit (see what I did there?). These mojitos are a little sweet, a little tart, and a lot of fun. The Shellback rum was surprisingly smooth which was nice with this particular cocktail. I found this recipe on We Are Not Martha. I reduced the amount of sugar in the simple syrup to 3/4 cup, but otherwise followed it exactly. You can find the original recipe here.

One year ago: Roasted Beet Salad with Wilted Greens, Herbed Goat Cheese and Candied Walnuts
Two years ago: Crostini with Poached Pears, Gorgonzola, and Honey
Three years ago: Kale Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing
Four years ago: Penne with Pesto, Mascarpone, and Bacon

Frozen Hot Chocolate

I came back from ten days in Africa fully expecting cold weather and gray skies. Instead I was greeted with sunny skies and 85 degree temperatures. I guess I brought the Namibian heat back with me! This frozen slushie was the perfect way to cool off during my relaxing weekend and was so worth me breaking my blender. Again, this is way more slushie than milkshake which I actually prefer since I'm not a huge fan of milkshakes. It's not too sweet and if you use low or nonfat milk, it's not terribly bad for you (for those that made resolutions to eat better).



Everything you need


Chocolate in the double boiler


(Almost) melted chocolate


Add the sugar and hot chocolate mix


Mix thoroughly


Add some milk


Mix until smooth


Add everything to the blender


Blended


Serve


One year ago: Sweet Potato Hash with a Fried Egg
Two years ago: Turkey Black Bean Chili
Three years ago: Shaksouka


Frozen Hot chcolate
(Adapted from Serendipity 3)

3 ounces of your favorite chocolate (can use a variety), cut into small pieces
2 teaspoons hot chocolate mix
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
3 cups ice
Whipped cream and chocolate shavings for topping (optional)

Place the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally until the chocolate has melted. Add the hot chocolate and sugar, and stir until completely blended. Remove the bowl from the heat and slowly stir in half a cup of milk. Mix until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Place the ice, remaining, milk, and cooled chocolate mixture in a blender. Mix on high speed until smooth. Pour into a glass and serve with whipped cream and chocolate shavings if using.

Printable Recipe

Cucumber Cocktails

The spring weather here has been all over the place. One day it's raining and the next day it's 90 degrees. This past weekend brought one of those 90 degree days. I do not do well in the heat. I needed to cool down ASAP. I am currently obsessed with cucumbers. I slice them into thin discs and snack on them like chips. I put lemons and cucumbers into my Brita filter and call it spa water. I can't get enough of cucumbers. Remembering my refreshing signature cocktail from last summer, I decided to make a cooling drink featuring my current favorite treat. I love herby notes in my cocktails and more tart drinks so these are perfect for me. These are delicious with and without the alcohol so feel free to enjoy them either way.







Cucumber Mint Lemonade
(By Esi)

1 1/2 cups cucumber juice (recipe follows)
6 tablespoons mint simple syrup (recipe follows)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Sparkling water
Vodka
Lemons, cucumber, and mint for garnish if desired

Mix the cucumber juice, simple syrup, and lemon juice together in a pitcher. Fill a glass with a few cubes of ice. Add 1/4 cup of the cucumber/lemon mixture, 1/4 cup of sparkling water, and 2 tablespoons of vodka. Stir to combine and serve immediately.

Cucumber juice
(By Esi)

Makes 3 cups

4 English cucumbers, peeled and roughly chopped.

Blend the cucumbers in a blender or food processor until liquefied. Set a strainer over a bowl and strain the juice, making sure to squeeze the extra juice from the pulp. Set aside.

Mint Simple Syrup
(By Esi)

1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
2 springs mint

In a small saucepan, heat the water, sugar, and mint over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and allow to cool completely in the refrigerator. Once the mixture has cooled, discard the mint.


Basil Simple Syrup
(By Esi)

1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
4 large basil leaves

In a small saucepan, heat the water, sugar, and basil over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and allow to cool completely in the refrigerator. Once the mixture has cooled, discard the basil.

Cucumber Basil Limeade
(By Esi)

1 1/2 cups cucumber juice
7 tablespoons basil simple syrup
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
Sparkling water
Vodka
Limes, cucumber, and basil for garnish if desired

Mix the cucumber juice, simple syrup, and lime juice together in a pitcher. Fill a glass with a few cubes of ice. Add 1/4 cup of the cucumber/lime mixture, 1/4 cup of sparkling water, and 2 tablespoons of vodka. Stir to combine and serve immediately.

Printable Recipes

Mixed Berry-Acai Smoothie

When I got an email from Bossa Nova with an offer to try one of their superfruit juices, I didn't hesitate to say yes. The juices arrived in gorgeous packaging (I use the canvas bag every week at the farmer's market), I opened one, drank most of it and left it at that. I finally got around to trying a couple of the juices in a "recipe" and so glad I did. I have had smoothies nearly every day for the last couple of weeks. It's an easy way for me to get my fruit servings each day and delicious to boot. I love that the juices aren't too sweet and are only sweetened slightly with agave. The juices came with a list of great recipes so I hope to try one of those soon, if not, I'm sure they will go well in some festive holiday cocktails.



Mixed Berry-Acai Smoothie
(By Esi)

Makes 1 smoothie

1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
1/4 cup Bossa Nova Acai juice with blueberry
1/2 banana, sliced
1 teaspoon flax meal (optional)
1/2 teaspoon agave or to taste

Add all ingredients to a blender and mix until smooth.

Printable Recipe

Watermelon Cucumber Cocktail

This summer in Los Angeles has been decidedly cool. In fact, despite a few days of heat last month, it was the coolest July on record. I happen to love cool weather so it's been great for me, but that all changed about two weeks ago. All of a sudden it got super hot and the heat didn't let up until this past weekend. I've been miserable with the AC cranked high and trying to avoid contact with the outside world. Luckily, there are some delicious ways to cool off in this city.  I recently discovered Pinkberry's new watermelon flavor and I'm obsessed. I also totally love the way they serve it with watermelon chunks, watermelon puree and diced cucumber. It's fresh and fantastic. The first time I tried the combination, I knew I wanted to make a drink based on it. This cocktail is so refreshing and a perfect antidote to the heat. I plan on making this often...especially when the heat gets really intense in September and October with the Santa Ana winds.

PS, If someone can help me come up with a catchy name for this drink, I will totally invite you over for a cocktail!



Watermelon Cucumber Cocktail
(By Esi)


*Note, I prefer drinks on the tart side. You'll probably get much more juice from the watermelon than the amount listed below so feel free to play around with the quantities. Also, if you're not a drinker, leave the vodka out. This drink is great even without the alcohol!

Makes 4+ drinks

1 small, seedless watermelon, peeled and cut into chunks
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup simple syrup (recipe below)
1 cup seltzer water
6 ounces vodka
Ice cubes
Diced cucumber

Place the watermelon chunks in a blender. Blitz until liquefied. Place a strainer over a bowl and add the watermelon puree. Strain the juice and reserve 2 1/2 cups of the juice.

In a large pitcher, mix the watermelon juice with the lime juice. Fill each glass with a couple of ice cubes and a small handful of cucumber pieces. Add 1/4 cup of the watermelon and lime mixture, 1/4 cup of the seltzer, and 1 1/2 ounces of vodka to each glass. Serve immediately.

Printable Recipe

Simple Syrup

Makes 1/4 cup

In a small saucepan, dissolve 1/4 cup of sugar in 1/4 cup of water over low heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Apple Soju Cocktail

This past week the two things that have been on the forefront of my life are food and cocktails. This is not necessarily a bad thing. This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend not one, but two amazing food events and see a lot of fab people from all over town. Of course I was too busy eating and drinking to take pictures, but believe me when I say, it was an amazing time. I kicked the weekend off with LA Wine Fest on Saturday. It was a hot, sweaty affair with tons of interesting wines, and not enough food. Luckily we made up for the lack of sustenance with a trip to Jitlada Thai immediately after. I would have loved to fast, but the next day I had Taste of the Nation to look forward to. The amount of food was simply overwhelming. Highlights for me were the beef skewers from Chaya, the pork belly from Mercantile, and the liquid olives from The Bazaar. Naturally when you're on a roll with the food and cocktails, it's hard to just stop. On Sunday I made a trip to the Bev Hills farmers market with Chrysta from Kiss My Bundt. Apples aren't really in season so they are a great deal and I got one so I could make this great drink I recently spotted on Momofuku For 2. This is really refreshing and perfect to cool off with on a warm day. The pink lady apples lend their sweetness and mild tartness to the soju and the lime water helps this effervescent drink feel light. This is a perfect sitting on the patio while watching your afternoon waste away kind of drink...not that I know what it's like to have a patio anymore, but a girl can dream, right?





Apple Soju Cocktail
(Adapted from Gourmet, October 2007)



Makes about 4 servings

1 Pink Lady apple
1 1/2 cups soju
Chilled lime flavored sparkling water
Lime wedges, optional, for serving

Cut apple into matchsticks, discarding core, then put in a pitcher and stir in soju. Let macerate, covered and chilled, at least 30 minutes.

Fill 4 glasses with ice. Strain about 1/4 cup soju into each glass, then add some apple pieces to each glass. Top off drinks with sparkling water and some of the apples. Serve with lime wedges if desired.

Printable Recipe

Rhubarb Cocktails

One of the things I love to do on a lazy weekend is to mix up a batch of cocktails and sit on my caged in porch while working on my computer. It was a little too chilly to fully appreciate sitting outside on Saturday, but it didn't stop me from mixing some delicious drinks. I had picked up some rhubarb at the Hollywood farmers market last weekend and was anxious to use it. A little while ago I saw this rhubarb soda on the Culinate site and thought it would probably be delicious with a little vodka mixed in. They must have read my mind because this past week I came across this rhubarb cosmopolitan on the same site. I still have a bunch of lemons from Raulito's brother so I just used those and came up with a delicious combination of both of the recipes. After I had tried each drink as written, I decided to just fill a glass with some ice, add the rhubarb syrup, some vodka, a splash of lemon juice, and then topped it off with some sparkling water. Since I prefer my drinks on the tart side, it was my favorite combination and a really delicious (if not naughty) way to enjoy rhubarb.



Rhubarb Simple Syrup
(From Culinate)

Makes 1 1/2 cups

1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb (about 5 stalks)
About 1 cup sugar (I used a little less)
1 1/2 cups water

Place rhubarb, sugar, and 1½ cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the syrup is bright pink.

Turn off the heat and allow to cool. Strain syrup into a large jar.

Printable Recipe

Real Margaritas

How do you like your margaritas? I prefer them on the rocks with no salt. Also, I tend to favor drinks that are more tart than sweet. It's been a while since I have had a good margarita, mostly because I prefer wine over cocktails, but I found some tequila and triple sec in my freezer so in the spirit of Cinco de Mayo, I had some margaritas with my fajitas. The biggest effort came from juicing the limes. You need a few of them (5-6) to get that half cup of juice. It's so worth it though...none of that premade stuff! I only had gold tequila, but I would recommend using silver if you have it. Either way, they are really good and definitely reminiscent of my beloved kick-ass margaritas from Marix. They are also STRONG so watch out! In a last minute TWIST, I ended up going to Marix and having a wonderful evening with some close friends. It was a great night and I hope you enjoyed yours as well.



Real Margaritas
(Adapted from Ina Garten)

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup Triple Sec
1 cup tequila
1/2 cup club soda, or to taste

Mix the lime juice, lemon, triple sec and tequila. Add club soda to taste and serve over ice.

Vodka Rosemary Lemonade Fizz

When life gives you lemons...make vodka rosemary lemonade fizz. Since this past week was pretty crappy, I knew I wanted to have a nice relaxing weekend. I still have a surplus of lemons from my favorite Mexican and when I saw this post on TasteSpotting the other day, I knew I would have to make it while sitting outside and enjoying the beautiful sunshine. Unfortunately, my apartment doesn't get a lot of light and it was rather windy and cool yesterday, but nevertheless it was a beautiful day and this cocktail is amazing. Remember back when I made the lemon-rosemary sorbet? Well maybe you don't, but this recipe is basically that in a drink form. So refreshing and perfect for warm weather and even though it has cooled down considerably from the unbearable heat last weekend, it was perfect for my Saturday out on my patio with Us Weekly (and of course my new Gourmet and Saveur) and some tunes.

I'm off to the farmers market and then the LA Times Festival of Books so Raul can stalk Giada and I can hopefully stalk Curtis Stone. Enjoy your Sunday!



Vodka Rosemary Lemonade Fizz
(From Gourmet, May 2009)

Makes 8 servings

1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar (I used a little less than 1 cup)
2 (8-inch) rosemary sprigs, plus extra for garnish
1/2 cup (or more, to taste) vodka
Chilled club soda or seltzer

Bring lemon juice, sugar, and rosemary to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Discard rosemary sprigs.

Fill glass halfway with ice. Pour about 2-3 tablespoons of lemon syrup and add 1-2 tablespoons vodka. Top with selzter and stir. Garnish with rosemary sprigs.

Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

Thank you guys for the well wishes yesterday! I am feeling sort of better...enough to go to the farmers market and flirt with the cute guy that sells me salad :) I actually got some stuff done too instead of just sitting around all day. Last week, I was introduced to the 101 in 1001 list via Miss Marie. I loved the idea that instead of setting traditional new year's resolutions that you may or may not keep, you come up with a list of specific, attainable goals in a set time period. Plus, I love that the time period is really long so you can set some lofty goals and some immediate goals. As I get closer to 30 (ugh, so scared), I want to come up with some things so that I won't feel I have been completely useless with my life up until that point. I spent much of yesterday coming up with a little more than half my list. Unfortunately for you, I am going to keep my list private, but I may share with you when I reach a few of the goals. What does all of this have to do with homemade marshmallows? Absolutely nothing! Right before I started food blogging, I came across the concept of making your own marshmallows. The thought had never even occurred to me before, but now I think it is a brilliant idea. It gave me a chance to put my new stand mixer to good use and it was kind of fun too!! The marshmallows are good on their own, but put them in a mug of steaming hot homemade cocoa and well... you have something out of this world!!


Vanilla Bean Marshmallows
(From Slashfood)

.75-oz unflavored gelatin (3 envelopes of Knox gelatin)
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cups light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
Seeds from one vanilla bean

Line 9 x 9-inch pan with plastic wrap and lightly oil it. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Soak for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine sugar, corn syrup, vanilla bean seeds and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil and boil hard for 1 minute. Pour the boiling syrup into soaked gelatin and turn on the mixer, using the whisk attachment, to high speed. Add the salt and beat for 12 minutes.

Using a greased spatula, scrape marshmallow into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Take another piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap and press lightly on top of the marshmallow, creating a seal. Let mixture sit for a few hours, or overnight, until cooled and firmly set.

In a shallow dish, combine equal parts cornstarch and confectioners' sugar. Remove marshmallow from pan and cut into equal pieces with scissors or a chef's knife (it helps if whatever tool you use is greased). Dredge each piece of marshmallow in confectioners' sugar mixture. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 40 large marshmallows, depending on the size you choose to cut them.

Hot Chocolate
(From the back of the Kroger Unsweetened Cocoa carton)

Makes 1 serving

In a large, microwave safe mug combine 1 heaping teaspoon unsweetened cocoa, 2 heaping teaspoons sugar, and a dash of salt. Add 2 teaspoons cold milk and stir until smooth. Full mug with milk, microwave on high 1-4 minutes or until hot. Stir midway through heating and when hot.

POM-Tastic!

Here are some more fun things to serve up if you are having a holiday party soon. A few weeks ago, I took a picture of this cocktail that I had before going out to a party. It was delicious and pretty. I got the idea from a yummy drink that I love at Chaya which is just champagne (or sparkling wine) with pomegranate seeds sprinkled in it. I enjoyed several of these cocktails earlier this year while reading a script out on the restaurant's patio. The script was ludicrous (when the movie comes out next year, I may or may not share details with you), but the drinks and the Chaya burger kept me going.


Last week, I got the idea to make a pomegranate granita. I mean, I have done everything else with pomegranates, why not a boozy granita as well? You get your antioxidants and your buzz in one swoop :) I used quite a bit of vodka in this recipe. If you're not down with that amount, or want to make this a virgin granita (which will freeze better), just replace the vodka with water.


I recently came across this pomegranate jam on TasteSpotting that I knew I would have to try. We often talk about preserving our summer harvest, but clearly, I love pomegranates so much, I thought it would be an excellent way to preserve some of the winter harvest. Well, unfortunately for me, the recipe didn't go exactly as planned. I blame my roommate who was hovering around my space while I was trying to recreate culinary genius. Whatever the problem, before I knew it, I had created pomegranate caramel instead of pomegranate jam. Fortunately for me, it was really good!

(When I still thought it could pass for jam)



(The resulting caramel candy)


Pomegranate Bellini

Proseco
Pomegranate juice
Pomegranate seeds

Fill a glass with proseco. Add a splash of pomegranate juice and top with pomegranate seeds.


Pomegranate Granita

1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
3/4 cup vodka
1/4 cup water
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Whisk together all of the ingredients in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved. Pour into an 8x8 baking dish and place in the freezer. Chill for at least 4 hours, scraping the top every hour. Can be done overnight.

To serve, layer a glass alternately with pomegranate arils, granita, and then top with more arils. Serve immediately.

Pomegranate Carmel Candy

1 3/4 cups pomegranate juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds


Combine pomegranate juice and sugar in a large pot over moderate heat. Stir frequently until the sugar dissolves, turn the heat to medium high and continue cooking for 30 minutes. Skim off the pink foam as necessary.

Add the pomegranate seeds and lemon juice and cook for another 30 minutes.

Check for consistency by dropping a spoonful of candy on a chilled plate. When you tilt the plate, if it stays in a mound and not run, the candy is done. Alternately, you can cook the mixture until dark amber in color.

Pour into an 9-inch baking dish lined with greased aluminium foil. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Use a pizza cutter to cut the candy into pieces. Alternately, you can break the candy into pieces once it has completely cooled.

Blood Orangeade

I'm trying to limit my alcohol consumption leading up to my birthday (where I am sure copious amounts of wine will be consumed). However, I still wanted to have something special for our potluck and also share it with anyone who didn't feel like drinking so to use my remaining blood oranges, I came up with this. Unfortunately, I fell off the wagon...hard, but I still enjoyed a glass of this summery fun beverage.

Blood Orangeade
(By Esi)

4 blood oranges, juiced
1 1/2 navel oranges, juiced
1 c water
1 c sugar
750 ml sparkling water

In a medium saucepan simmer 1 c water with 1 c sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool. Juice oranges. In a large pitcher, combine the juice, simple syrup, and sparkling water and stir. Serve in glasses filled with ice.