An inspirational GIVEAWAY!

This is a first here at F for Food, but that last post inspired me to do it. 

Recently, as I glanced across my vast cookbook collection, at all of the words and images that inspire me daily in the kitchen, I thought I might just pass some of that inspiration along to you. I recently attended an event in which Michael Psilakis did a cooking demonstration. While he showed us how to make Greek sliders, he spoke of his inspiration, his father, who always encouraged him to follow what he loved. Much like Chef Psilakis, I have been lucky enough to have two parents that have always fostered my creativity. No matter what. 

That night, I received an autographed(!)copy of his beautiful cookbook: How to Roast a Lamb. The recipes and photography are inspired and inspiring. And I want to give this very cookbook to one of you!

How to Enter How to Roast a LambGiveaway


This is a blog-comment giveaway.

1. Leave a comment on this post about something that has been inspirational to you.

2. Let me know how I can contact you (blog, email, Twitter handle, etc.) so I can track you down if you are selected!

3. Share this giveaway post with your friends on Facebook and/or Twitter because, after all, sharing is caring!

4.Everyone is welcome to comment to enter, but I can only ship this set of cookbooks within the U.S. for no other reason than it is heavy and expensive to ship. (If you’re outside the US and win, you just need to provide me with a US mailing address to send.)

This giveaway ends on Friday, March 8th at 5PM PST. 

Good luck!

Inspirato.

Yes, we have all heard that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And, on a base level and on the high-road level, I suppose it is. But, there is a fine line between imitation and inspiration.  Imitation versus inspiration is a perennial discussion in the art world and other worlds as well.  And, it is such valid dialogue.

Imitation:

Okay, so when Julie Esperes got her Coca-Cola shirt and acid washed, tapered, high-waisted Guess jeans in the sixth (or was it seventh?) grade, I really wanted them, too. But let's face it, it wasn't just Julie who had the Coca-Cola shirt or the acid washed, tapered, high-waisted Guess jeans in the sixth (or was it seventh?) grade. It was a trend. And yes, both Paz and I desperately wanted Johnny Depp as our boyfriend after watching the french-kissing scene in Cry Baby for the seventy-third time in a row. Again, I doubt we were alone.  Incidentally, while I do think I scored the jeans, I neither got the Coca Cola shirt nor Johnny Depp.

Occasionally, I have succumbed to and thoroughly enjoyed some trends and things I've seen my friends, or Madonna, do.  But the thing is, black rubber bracelets and all, I've known what works and doesn't work for me. No matter how many girlfriends of mine did it, I would never have dotted my i with a heart.

As I grew more and more into myself, the Me in me kept growing into more and more of Me.  More often than not I have marched to the beat of my own drum and had my own style, which admittedly has not always been super awesome (I didn't start shaving my legs until I was almost finished with college and I have given myself some truly atrocious haircuts/dye-jobs throughout my life).  My confidence in my passion and "wanting to to it my way" hasn't always worked.  Deciding on Film Noir as a 'major' in undergraduate school, or creating an independent study in roller skating for PE credit did not earn me points or make me too popular. 

Inspiration:

When I lived in Atlanta, I started playing with Polaroid cameras. All sorts. Then it moved into all plastic lens or toy cameras. I was fixated on the muted tones, blurred light, and the ephemeral quality of the prints. I was equally fixated on how what began as happy accidents, with light leaks and light streaks, could become purposeful and designed. Then certain artists began to stand out, almost like deciphering code for John Nash. I became enamored of photographers such as Nan Goldin, Uta Barth, Corrine Day, Terry Richardson and William Eggelston, to name a few. I was devouring publications like Purple, Big, Soma, Blind Spot and sweating publishers such as Steidle and Taschen.

And so I went back to school. To study photography. The funny thing was, though a very good school, it was an institution that focused primarily on advertising and professional photography - not art. From 35mm to 4X5 to medium format, from black and white to color, we studied every technical nuance of the science of light to the camera to the celluloid that went in it. I had to do mock Gap ads and even spent a week in the studio, with a house of cards of scrims and gels and filters trying to light a Michael Graves pepper mill in the style of German Expressionism. I called the final product The Pepper Mill of Dr. Caligari.

The thing is, throughout photography school, being taught technique and control, I really and truly grasped the concept of needing to understand rules before breaking them. And for one of my final projects, I cast aside the Hasselblad and picked up the Polaroid 600. I shot eight images, some of bright flowers and some of me and my then boyfriend nude and/or tangled up with one another. I then very coarsely sewed them together to create a Jacob's Ladder of sorts. I also had to also stand up and present and explain my work to a room full of wide-eyed, speechless classmates and teachers. I don't know that they quite knew what to do with it, or me, but I know they all appreciated my confidence in what I had created. It was the most personal and most beautiful piece of art I have made to date.

And now I have shifted again. For the past five years I have had this little food blog. Now I like to write. Now I want to write. Sometimes I write things that make me feel naked, or stupid, or trivial. Sometimes I write things that I know make my parent's toenails curl (like mentioning that Polaroid booklet). I don't know who's reading or what they think of what they see. But I know I need to do it. Whether it's understanding every frame of The Blue Dahlia, and talking about it, or taking pictures of pepper mills, Gap products or my sex life, or writing about what I eat, drink, cook or think about, I feel I have always had my voice.

And though I may have coveted my neighbors, so to speak, I have never emulated them. Nor could I. But without Nan Goldin, I don't know if I would have found the courage to be naked, be it on film or in words. And without Terry Richardson, if I would have understood the brilliance in the simplicity, and the validity, of a point and shoot camera with a built in flash. Without the publications that gave them a voice, I don't know if I'd keep making mine as loud as possible for so long.

And to be honest, this particular blog post is, in part, inspired by two other blog posts: one with words that are so profound, elegant and straightforward, that I feel I must run off to write every time I read a new post, and another one that had a beautiful and inspired looking recipe, that propelled me straight into the kitchen. I know I don't, and couldn't, write like Ellisa, even if I wanted to. Which I don't. Because, as I've said, I am me and I have my own voice. And I had no way to make the recipe Olga posted, because I did not have the time nor the ingredients. Instead, I took the two the parts of the dish that my eyes landed on in the photograph of the food, and the baking method (roasting), and figured out something of my own.

And it was delicious. And what's more, amazing food for thought.


Click here to check out and enter an inspirational giveaway!

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Blood Orange

*inspired by Sassy Radish's Roasted Chicken Thighs With Clementines

which was inspired by Jerusalem, by Ottolenghi and Tamimi

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds (approximately 6) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 

1 medium shallot, thinly sliced

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons fresh sage, coarsely chopped

1 medium blood orange, cut into very thin slices

3 tablespoons of blood orange juice

A splash of champagne

The juice of 1 Meyer lemon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl combine the olive oil, blood orange juice, lemon juice, champagne, shallot, salt, and pepper with 1/4 cup of water.

Add chicken to bowl and give everything a nice stir, so that the chicken is well-coated in the marinade, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. If you didn’t plan ahead and don’t have a few hours (or overnight) making this on the go works out perfectly fine.

Position the baking rack in the middle and heat the oven. Divide the chicken and all the marinade across (9x13x2-inch) roasting pan, so that there is enough room to accommodate everything comfortably in a single layer. Make sure the chicken skin is facing up. Wedge the blood orange slices among the chicken, throughout the pan. Sprinkle the sage and garlic equally over the chicken. Roast for about 45 minutes or until the chicken is nicely browned and cooked through, basting 3 or 4 times during the first 30 minutes. The edges of some of the clementines will start to look burnt. Check on the chicken about 35 minutes into the roasting process and if you think that the liquid is beginning to dry up add a splash more water (or use your judgment).

Serve chicken with some of the caramelized orange slices an a drizzle of the drippings from the roasting pan.

Printable recipe.

One year ago: Grilled Oysters with Garlicky, Lemony, Buttery Sauce

Two years ago: Avgolemono Soup

Three years ago: Lasagne Bolognese

Five years ago: Angelini Osteria

Superfood Cereal Recipe

I love breakfast, but I also find it the easiest meal to skip. I get bored with traditional breakfast foods like eggs and cereal and pancakes day after day. Sometimes I eat leftovers from the previous night's dinner for breakfast but more frequently I just skip it entirely. I know skipping breakfast is not a good idea and so I'm always looking for tasty breakfast solutions, especially ones that take little time to prepare. 

My latest weekday breakfast is what I am calling superfood cereal. It's based on a Canadian cereal I tried at the Winter Fancy Food Show called "Holy Crap." It's made from chia, hemp, buckwheat and some dried fruit and it soaks in milk for 15 minutes before you eat it. It tastes a lot like tapioca pudding with a bit of crunch from the buckwheat, though not quite as sweet as pudding. What's most amazing about it is how little it takes to satisfy. Just a few tablespoons of cereal and a quarter cup of milk and I swear for hours I am not even the slightest bit hungry.

While I don't think this cereal is a cure all, it is very healthy. Chia is a good source of fiber, protein and omega-3 fatty acids, buckwheat is high in the essential amino acids lysine and arginine and hemp seeds are rich in magnesium, potassium, iron, protein and essential omega-3, -6 and -9 fatty acids. I encourage you to change up the proportions to suit your taste. The possibilities are endless, you could switch up the dried fruit, maybe add a little coconut. Holy Crap also includes a bit of cinnamon and dried apples. Some other ideas would be to add shredded apple, flaxseed, vanilla, mashed banana or even juice instead of milk. Have fun and make it yours!

Superfood Cereal

serves 1

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon raw buckwheat groats

1 Tablespoon chia seeds

1 Tablespoon hemp seeds or "hearts"

2 teaspoons dried berries, chopped finely

1/4 cup milk, any kind
Fresh fruit, optional

Instructions

Crush the buckwheat groats either in a mortar with a pestle, in a food processor or place them in a heavy plastic bag and smack them with a rolling pin. You want them somewhat crushed, but not into powder. It's easiest to do this with more groats, then just measure out a tablespoon at a time after they are crushed. 

Combine the crushed buckwheat, chia, hemp and dried berries in a very small bowl. Add the milk, stir to combine then let sit for 15 minutes to soak before serving. Top with fresh fruit if desired.

Enjoy! 

Happy National Margarita Day!

I just heard that today is National Margarita Day (thank you, Twitter), and so I thought I’d repost this ancient video recipe I did for About.com. Please keep in mind that this isn’t a Food Wishes video, so there’s a few things you may not be used to. I had to be under 3 minutes; it couldn’t contain inappropriate humor; and maybe worst of all, I was forced to show my “face for radio.” In fairness, I do get better looking after a few of these. Enjoy! 

Salsa Verde Chicken and Dumplings

First of all, a very belated thank you for all the sweet comments about our upcoming move this June.  In all honesty, I'm experiencing a bit of denial.  As excited as I am to go, I'm also sad to leave a place that I'm just now becoming comfortable in.  We've been really lucky to meet some awesome people in New Jersey, not to mention how great it is having NYC so dang close.  But, life is an adventure and I'm ready to soak in all that California has to offer.

And even though I haven't started buying boxes or searching for apartments, I have become painfully aware of how much food I really don't want to move across the country, or throw away.  Once again it's a race against the clock to eat all of the random freezer and pantry items that I tend to collect.  And for some unexplainable reason, I'd managed to accumulate about five big jars of salsa verde.  Every time I go to Trader Joe's I have to buy some, even if I'm already drowning in it.  It's a compulsion.

So I was very excited to find this recipe at Kevin and Amanda's site.  And let me tell you, chicken and dumplings do not get better than this.  So creamy, with big chunks of chicken and soft fluffy dumplings, it's as close to wrapping yourself in a warm blanket as it gets.  The salsa verde adds a great twist, giving it just a big of tang, and a delicious flavor.  My only regret was not adding more veggies in it.  Next time I'll definitely be adding handfuls of carrots, celery and peppers for more nutrition and color.

Salsa Verde Chicken and Dumplings
Borrowed from Kevin and Amanda

Ingredients

For the Sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 jar (16 ounces) salsa verde (2 cups)
1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk (or 2/3 cup half and half)
18 oz (about 4.5 cups) cooked, chopped chicken, I used rotisserie

For the cornbread:
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 – 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion greens

Directions

1. Sauce: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large oven-proof skillet. Whisk in the flour to make a paste. Add broth, salsa verde, and evaporated milk (or half and half) and whisk vigorously until thick and bubbly. Stir in chicken and turn heat to low to keep warm.

2. Cornbread: Meanwhile, heat milk and butter in a small saucepan until melted and steamy. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and scallions in a separate bowl with a fork. Pour in milk mixture and stir to form a dough. Drop spoonfuls of dough into the skillet with chicken mixture.

3. Transfer skillet to oven and bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, until cornbread is cooked through, and the edges are crisp and golden brown.

Easy Egg Bake

Hello.  It's 6am Siri.  6am Siri has bacon on the stove and a pot of coffee in her lap.  6am Siri is dealing with some familiar, dreaded words associated with a baby... "teething" and "growth spurt."  6am Siri was up last night at 10 (I go to bed at 8), 12, 2, 4 and I just fed my baby again, hence, why I am up at 6am and calling myself '6am Siri' like a really annoying person.  

Oh boy.  Listen, I don't want to complain.  I know these phases come and go, and in a few days she might be back to sleeping from 8-6 like she was 2 weeks ago (RIGHT, UNIVERSE?!?).  It's just that four nights of "sleeping" like this has turned me into a silly, delirious zombie, and I just looked out my window and thought a bird was a giant puff of smoke.

Oh boy.  (Do I keep saying that?)  I sure wish I was enjoying this egg bake I made a few days ago.  (p.s. I love calling something a "bake" or a "casserole" or a "hot dish" because, Minnesota that's why.)  It's my friend's recipe and it's the easiest thing in the world to throw together.  Best part?  You assemble it the night before so all you have to do in the morning is roll your zombie self out of bed and pop it in the oven.  And it's one of those dishes that will work with any sort of cheese, meat or veggie you have in your fridge.  It's entirely interchangeable.  Here's how to do it, and now if you'll excuse me I have some coffee and bacon to make love to...

9 eggs, 3 cups of milk, 1 1/2 cups grated cheese of choice, 1 lb. cooked sausage (or bacon or pancetta), 3 pieces of bread in inch cubes, whatever veggies you fancy, 1 tsp dry mustard, salt and pepper.  I like to whisk my eggs, milk, and spices first.  Then I add cheese, meat bread and veggies.  Then I throw it all in a greased baking dish, cover, refrigerate overnight.  Then in the morning I uncover and bake for, oh, 20-30 minutes in a 375 degree oven.  Just keep an eye on it and when it's all golden it's done.

  

Cheese Straws – These Don’t Suck

I took a few things for granted in this cheese straws video. I assumed you could tell how delicious they were as I crunched into them, which is why I never said as much. I also assumed you’d figure out how, where, and when to use them; as I failed to give my usual serving suggestions. I was so taken by the sound and texture of these cheesy sticks, that it just never occurred to me to state such obvious facts.

So, for the record, let’s make this official. These really tasted great, and that’s without any embellishments whatsoever. There are so many things that will work with this technique, including, but not limited to garlic butter, fresh herbs, crushed nuts, and/or literally any dried spice. As far as approved uses, it’d be easier to list things this wouldn’t work with.

Any soup, stew, or bowl of chili would look substantially better with some of these alongside. A few cheese straws will make that sleepy bowl of leftover pasta suddenly seems special again, and substituting them for toast at breakfast is a proven crowd-pleaser. Dipping toasted bread into a runny egg yolk is nice, but dipping with a warm, crispy cheese straw? That goes way beyond nice.

As long as you use some nice, grate-able pungent cheeses, and cook them long enough to get crisp, there’s no way these won’t be great. I hope you give them a try soon, and report back with all your brilliant adaptations. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
frozen puff pastry

about 2 tsp olive oil , or as needed

about 1/2 cup total finely grated aged cheddar and Parmigiano-Reggiano, or more as needed

salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste

All About Chia

One of the biggest trends I saw this year at the Winter Fancy Food Show was the explosion in the number of products with chia seeds. I first heard of chia in a "ch-ch-ch-chia, the pottery that grows!" chia pet commercial and maybe you did too.  But now chia is back and being touted as a "superfood."

Chia is showing up in everything from cereal to drinks, snacks, baked goods and even pasta. When soaked in any liquid it creates a gel that can be used in place of eggs, it also has a pleasant pudding like texture that might remind you of tapioca. Unsoaked the seeds are crunchy and find their way into granola, chips and more.

Chia seeds are either white or brown and virtually flavorless, but create interesting texture and offer a lot of nutritional benefits. A staple food of the Mayans and Aztecs, just one tablespoon provides 5 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein, 6% of the recommended daily allowance of calcium and 4% iron. But it's a real powerhouse when it comes to omega fatty acids, providing 2282 mg of omega-3 and 752 mg of omega-6. Look for chia in health food stores. 

I tried chia in a variety of products and really enjoyed them. I've also had fun cooking and baking with them. Here are a few of my favorite products using chia:

Bonachia pasta from Al Dente Pasta Company uses chia in place of eggs. You would not know that there is chia in the product and like all of Al Dente's dried pasta, the chia spinach fettuccini has the wonderful texture of fresh homemade pasta when cooked. Whether you are avoiding eggs or not, this is a great product and much less expensive than buying fresh pasta.  I used it in a recipe I was working on recently and it turned out just great (I'll be sharing that recipe soon).

Mamma Chia makes fruit juice drinks with chia seeds that are plumped up and suspended in the liquid. They are refreshing, quenching your thirst while also taking the edge off when you're feeling hungry. They come in a wide variety of delicious flavors like raspberry passion, guava and blackberry hibiscus. If they were less expensive (about $3.99 a bottle) I would be inclined to buy them more frequently. 

Another chia product I really enjoyed trying at the Fancy Food Show was the Canadian cereal provocatively named "Holy Crap." I can say it definitely lives up to the name, it's a bit like eating creamy pudding for breakfast. Made with chia, hemp hearts and buckwheat groats plus some dried fruit, a little bit really fills you up. Because it doesn't have very good distribution yet, I created my own version which I will share tomorrow...

Here are some ways you can use chia:

* Sprinkle chia seeds on top yogurt or hot cereal

* Make cherry almond chia granola

* Whip up some chocolate chia pudding

* Use chia like poppy seeds in lemon chia seed cake

* Add chia to chili

* Toss chia seeds in a stir fry instead of sesame seeds

* Blend chia seeds into blueberry jam

* Use chia to make vegan chocolate chip cookies

* Make a chia cucumber salad

* Make pomegranate lime chia fresca 

Chocolate Balls, a fluffier version

Chocolate balls is a favorite in Sweden, and found in every café. They come in all shapes and sizes - no, that's not really true, they're all somewhat round... but the size definitely varies. And so does the quality.

My favorite right now, when eating out, is from Espresso House. Theirs are fluffy and soft in the middle, and have a pleasing chocolate shell underneath the coconut, encasing the filling. Similar, but far superior to the ubiquitous Delicato-ball that's found everywhere.

Today, I had a bad craving, but also a wicked cold, and with both kids home, I wasn't about to go out. Much better to figure out how to make them at home! As it turns out, this is a pretty good approximation, close enough for me. The major differences from my normal chocolate balls are three:

-you mix the oatmeal beforehand
-you add melted chocolate to the filling
-you dip them in chocolate



Fluffier Chocolate Balls
makes about 15

100 g butter, softened
90 g powdered sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp vanilla sugar
2 tbsp brewed espresso coffee, cold
140 g oatmeal
25 g dark chocolate, melted

Dark chocolate for dipping
coconut flakes, unsweetened

First, run the oatmeal in a food processor until it's ground.

Next, beat the butter with the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla sugar until creamy and fluffy. Add the coffee, and again, mix well. Stir in the oatmeal, and finally the chocolate.

This will be a little too soft to roll, so place the bowl in the fridge for half an hour to firm up. Then, shape into balls, about the size of a walnut. Place on a plastic-lined plate and freeze for at least half an hour.

Then, melt some dark chocolate, and dip the frozen balls into it, Quickly, before the chocolate sets, roll them into coconut flakes.

Chill before serving. And serve them with coffee.

Chocolate Espresso Quinoa Pudding

HEALTHY, DELICIOUS, CHOCOLATE AND DIFFERENT...

just the kind of breakfast treat i'm looking for.  topped with some vanilla greek yogurt, a few fresh cherries and you have a healthy fun dessert for breakfast.  make on a sunday morning and enjoy the rest throughout the week for a quick, fun, guilt-free breakfast treat.

my mother always says, "try the recipe as written, then you can put your spin on it..."

well, i wasn't listening in this case...
i had a problem.

i was lucky.  i knew how to fix it.

needless to say...i ran in to a few minor complications, explained below, but i really like the idea of quinoa because it's full of fiber, it's a complete protein and a little out of the ordinary for breakfast let alone a chocolate breakfast.

i always like to add a touch of espresso when using chocolate in any form and try to add a little protein powder to any of my breakfast treats.  these are, of course, optional.

as far as sweeteners go?  i like Zsweet and Stevia "cup for cup", but real sugar will work just fine.

CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO QUINOA PUDDING

adapted from Alyssa Rimmer "The Queen of Quinoa"

1 cup quinoa

3 cups chocolate almond milk, unsweetened

1/4 cup maple syrup, i used sugar free

3-4 Tbsp good unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tbsp chia seeds, optional

1 scoop chocolate protein powder, optional (check for gluten if need)

3/4 tsp espresso powder

1/4 cup Stevia "cup for cup" sweetener...more or less to taste

or sweetener of choice...to taste

Alyssa's instructions...

add quinoa, milk, espresso powder, sweetener of choice, protein powder and maple syrup to a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  reduce to a simmer and stir in cocoa powder.  cover with lid 3/4 of the way, stirring frequently for about 30 minutes, until the water has almost entirely been absorbed.  remove from the heat, stir in chia seeds, if using and serve.

what i did...

i followed the instructions, but my quinoa wasn't cooked all the way...maybe because i added protein powder ?  so... i added a little more than 1/2 cup almond milk, and cooked it the rest of the way in a bain marie (water bath) in the oven like a custard.  approx. another 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  i covered the baking dish with aluminum foil, not the whole bain marie, just the pudding.

after going the extra mile... i had fully cooked quinoa pudding...

in conclusion...please refer to the original recipe if you are not sure about it.  i'm not so sure the quinoa would have cooked all the way with or without the protein powder, but Alyssa IS "The Quinoa Queen" so  i would trust her recipe and instructions in her post.

nutrition facts (approx.)

according to my recipe with 8 servings

calories...135, protein...7, carbs...18, fat...3.8, fiber...3

Oscar-Themed Cocktails

Are you having an Oscar Party?  Not I, said the fly.  Before kids, I made a point out of seeing every nominated film.  Now, I would go see a movie like "Safe Haven" if it meant I could eat popcorn in a dark theater.  But, if I were having an Oscar party, wouldn't it be fun to have themed cocktails for the Best Picture films?  The nice people at Deustch Family Wine & Spirits have just that for you... see below for some tasty sounding adult beverages.  For all alcoholic products listed in this post, go to the Deustch Family Wine & Spirits website.  

AMOUR - Catatonic

1 oz. Adult Chocolate Milk

1 oz. creme de menthe

6 oz. hot chocolate

1 oz. whipped cream

Pour the Adult Chocolate Milk and creme de menthe into a coffee mug, and stir.  Add hot chocolate, and top with whipped cream.  Sprinkle with chocolate shavings and a cherry, if desired, and serve.

ARGO - Canadian Embassy

2 oz. The Original Moonshine

1/2 oz. maple syrup

Slice of orange

Dash of bitters

Measure maple syrup into a glass.  Add ice and pour in The Original Moonshine slowly, stirring to ensure that you properly combine it with the syrup.  Add a splash of bitters.  Rub an orange slice around the inside of a rocks glass, add fresh ice, and strain The Original Moonshine mixture into the rocks glass.  Garnish with orange and serve.

 LIFE OF PI - Eye of the Tiger

2 oz. LICOR 43 Liqueur 

1/2 oz. Galliano

2 oz. fresh orange juice 

2 oz. unsweetened pineapple juice

1 oz. passion fruit nectar

3/4 oz. fresh lime juice

1 oz. simple syrup

Dash of rum-based bitters

Ice cubes

Garnish: pineapple wedge, orange slice, or any other fresh fruit

Combine all ingredients with ice and shake.  Strain into an ice-filled glass and garnish.

LES MISERABLES - Gavroche

2 oz. LICOR 43 Liqueur

1/2 oz. vodka

2 oz. fresh orange juice

2 oz. cranberry juice cocktail

Ice cubes

Clementines, peeled, separated into segments

Mix cranberry juice, vodka, LICOR 43 Liqueur, and orange juice in cocktail shaker full of ice.  Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish each with a clementine segment.

LINCOLN - Prairie Lawyer

2 oz. of The Original Moonshine

2 tablespoons Mint Syrup

Crushed ice

1 tablespoon of fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Mint leaves

Fresh mint sprig

Combine mint leaves, syrup and The Original Moonshine in a glass.  Using a bar spoon, crush the mint to release its essence into the liquid.  Fill the glass with ice.  Gently press the spoon into the ice, shaking it to incorporate The Original Moonshine syrup mixture.  Garnish.

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK - Home-aid

2 oz. LICOR 43 Liqueur

1/2 oz. vodka

4 oz. tropical fruit punch

1 tablespoon of fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Combine all ingredients with ice and shake.  Strain into an ice-filled glass and garnish with an umbrella.

DJANGO UNCHANGED - The D is Silent

1.5 oz. LICOR 43 Liqueur

1/2 oz. pomegranate juice

3/4 oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice

2 oz. ginger beer

Add all ingredients but the ginger beer into a cocktail shaker full of ice; shake and strain into a cocktail glass, then add the ginger beer.  You can also serve this drink in a highball glass over ice by instead adding pomegranate juice, LICOR 43 Liqueur, and lime juice to an ice-filled glass; stirring for 30 seconds.  Add the ginger beer and stir once more.  The over-ice version stays cooler longer, but as the ice melts the smoky flavor will be less distinct.  

ZERO DARK THIRTY - Seal Team Six

2 oz. LICOR 43 Liqueur

1 oz. of dark rum

1 splash 151 Proof Rum

Dark Cola

5 cubes ice

Fill glass with ice.  Add dark rum and LICOR 43 Liqueur.  Fill with Cola.  Add splash of High Proof Rum to taste.  

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD - The Bathtub

1 oz. The Original Moonshine

1/2 oz. of triple sec

7 dashes of rum-based bitters

7 dashes orgeat syrup-based bitters

Champagne

Ice cubes

Lemon twist

Stir ingredients briefly over ice, strain into a chilled flute, top with Champagne and garnish.

*Please drink responsibly.  There, I said it.  Thanks Deustch Family Wine & Spirits for the great ideas!  (Top image)

Banana Cookie Bars with Nutella Buttercream Frosting

Carson accuses me of letting bananas go bad.  And by the way, it's possible I've written that exact sentence on this blog before.  Ok so maybe I don't rush to eat them while they're edible.  Maybe I silently rejoice when I see them start to brown and ripen.  Maybe I google banana recipes like it's my job.  It is sort of my job, right?  It's my job.  Let's go with that.  

So I had two ripe bananas, and I found this recipe.  Gosh darnit, it's good.  I don't think you can possibly go wrong pairing bananas with Nutella, and these bars, while slightly dense, resemble a sugar cookie with delicious banana flavor.  You should let your bananas go bad, I think...      

Banana mini-muffins

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Another way to attempt and use up those inevitably browning bananas that always seem to exist in my fruit basket...

Banana mini-muffins
Makes about 30

2 very ripe bananas
1 egg
80 g Demerara sugar (or just regular brown sugar)
80 ml neutral oil
125 ml milk
250 ml all-purpose flour
180 ml whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Line a mini-muffin tin with paper cups.

Mash the bananas and mix with the egg, sugar, oil and milk. Mix in the dry ingredients (and as usual, I don't bother pre-mixing the dry ones, I'm too lazy) until they're just combined. Dollop into the mini-muffin tin, and bake at 175°C for about 7-9 minutes.

Raw Kale Salad – Mmmm…Tough and Bitter

I realized after watching the finished video for this raw kale salad that I used the words “tough” and “bitter” about a dozen times. Not exactly a ringing endorsement. I used those words because kale is tough and bitter, but when properly prepared, those are valuable assets, not liabilities.

If you slice it thin, and toss it with other tasty treats, the kale mellows out, and serves as a perfect foil for other vegetation. The sweet, wet crunch of raw apple counters the bitterness, and the texture of the leaves elevated from opposite directions by juicy orange and crunchy nuts. It’s quite a scene.

I’m going to do a video for the orange cumin vinaigrette, but in the meantime, the ingredients are listed below. Feel free to copy my salad formula, but this is more of an idea video than an actual recipe. You know what you like, so whatever that is, add it to some raw kale, and see what happens. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 big or 4 small Raw Kale Salads:

1 head green kale

1 persimmon, sliced

1 apple, sliced thin or matchstick cut

2 seedless oranges, cut into segments aka “supremes” (click here for video)

handful of chopped nuts

For the dressing:

1 rounded teaspoon Dijon mustard           

1 rounded teaspoon orange zest

1 tsp cumin, or to taste

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 tbsp orange juice

1/4 cup rice vinegar (or white wine or sherry vinegar)

1/3 cup olive oil, or to taste

salt and pepper to taste

Quick Chicken Corn Chowder

LA can be such a tease.  This past weekend we experienced 80 degree temps, cloudless skies, and populated beaches.  And now it's cold, gray and raining.  I know "cold" is relative, and it might be much colder where you are (trust me, I lived in the Midwest for 13 years).  But I say anything below 60 degrees calls for Chowder, that's right, I say it.  

I love finding Cooking Light recipes that sound good, because most of the time they really are.  This did not taste like a diet version of chowder, and yet it was made with low-fat milk and only two tablespoons of butter (recipe here).  If you have leftover chicken, make this, it will take you no time at all and it will be delicious.  In any kind of weather.