Sweet Blog O'Mine

Category: Food and Drink

  • Booze You Can Use: Have a Few Negronis

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    Yeah, yeah, I know. I've already told you to have a negroni. This time it's for charity. During Imbibe & Campari Negroni week from June 2-8, over 600 bars worldwide are donating at least $1 per negroni to a charity of their choice.  So drink up! (I did a small preview of Negroni Week in my kitchen last night — hence the awful picture)

  • Pacific Northwest Recap

    I still feel like I'm recovering from Portland and Seattle — a week full of work inspiration, friends, laughs, and wonderful food and drink. Many thanks to those I got to see, especially to those who treated me to food, drinks (and lodging) during my journey! xoxo

  • This Week’s Reading List

  • Booze You Can Use: Have a Club Soda with Bitters

    So after a lovely weekend visiting my family in Maine I was felled by some sort of stomach bug. While recovering, I'm obviously not having a cocktail tonight. On those nights when you might not necessarily feel like drinking something boozy — for whatever reason — a club soda with bitters usually hits the spot. Angostura is the most widely available, of course, but if your bartender (or home bar) carries something more fancypants that is to your liking — go for it. 

  • Your Tastebuds, They Are A-Changin’

    I love this recent NYT article about how your tastes in food evolve over the course of your lifetime. I always make a point to taste foods I don't like (or think I don't like) every now and again just to make sure my tastes haven't changed — if I'm lucky, they have. Still waiting for my tastebuds to flip on goat cheese — hasn't happened yet . . .

  • Good Advice on Eating Alone on Valentine’s Day (or any other day, really)

    I didn't write this, but I truly wish I had. Props to you, Jean Grae.

    Get a loaf of great bread. From a bakery. Or a supermarket. Whatever you want. I don’t know what you want. Something with olives in it? Rosemary? Sundried tomatoes? None of the above? Baguette? Focaccia?

    It’s up to you.

    Now, get things that will go with this bread.

    A great olive oil.
    A wonderful pesto.
    A tapenade (I’m thinking about this anchovy and black tapenade that I had recently. OMG YES SO GOOD.)
    Olives. A gang of mixed olives.
    Sea salt chocolate.
    An Asian pear.
    Grilled asparagus.
    Meats. Prosciutto…whatever, man.

    CHEESE. CHEESE AND MORE CHEESE.
    Get you some GOOD damn cheese.
    You could even make some Burrata. Dear lord, you should make some Burrata. It’s an Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream. Yes. Exactly.

    Anyways, it’s not that hard to learn how to make. I’ve done it. It’s delicious and amazing and now you will know how to make cheese and THAT, is sexy. Make some Burrata and level up in life. People get excited when you tell them you make cheese. THEN THEY WILL MARRY YOU. OH!

    Put everything on a big chopping board or a wooden whatever. Sit there. Eat it.

  • Rockin’ Oaxaca

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    My photos from January's Oaxaca trip are up! Finally.

     

  • Booze You Can Use: Have a Little Italy

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    photo courtesy of cocktailia.com

    It's Friday — time for a drink. @daisy17 and I are already plotting and planning this evening's post-work drink destination. Despite the slightly warmer temperature, I'm still in the mood for brown & stirred drinks. This Manhattan-y variation from Pegu Club might do the trick tonight:

    Little Italy
    2 oz. rye (Pegu uses Rittenhouse 100)
    1/2 oz. Cynar
    3/4 oz. sweet vermouth (Pegu uses Martini & Rossi)
    Stir ingredients with ice in a mixing glass and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with 2 Luxardo cherries, skewered.

  • A Taste to Tide You Over

    until I get my act together and post my pictures from Oaxaca . . .

    Taste

  • Booze You Can Use: Have A Division Bell

    Tomorrow I leave for a week in Oaxaca, Mexico. As you may know, Oaxaca is ground zero for mezcal, and I'll be spending a great deal of time visiting palenques and learning about mezcal production (this is, after all, a USBGNY trip). For those of you who aren't joining me on the trip, you can play along at home, and make yourself a Division Bell (or go to Mayahuel and have one there).

    Division Bell
    1 oz Del Maguey San Luis Del Rio mezcal
    3/4 oz. Aperol
    3/4 oz. Maraska or 1/2 oz. Luxardo (Maraschino)
    3/4 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
    Shake well with ice, strain into a cocktail glass. Twist and squeeze a grapefruit peel over the glass. Rub the rim of the glass with the peel, then discard it.