My favorite Maker's Mark cocktail recipe

This was the most popular cocktail we sampled when I was doing events at BevMo! Hands down. It was a winner with everyone - even folks who thought they didn't like whiskey. People would linger near our table to get another sample. It was quite funny.

A key ingredient in this recipe is the Maker's Mark whiskey. I've tried it with a variety of whiskey's, but Maker's Mark is the way to go. The sweetness in the whiskey is just the right flavor. I never use another brand.

This cocktail is great for any party, celebration, wedding or fun get together (like football parties!) where you want an easy signature cocktail which everyone will like - and can be self serve.

FIRST KISS
makes 40 cocktails

1 bottle (25oz) Maker's Mark Whiskey
12 oz Triple Sec
64 oz Simply Lemonade
16 oz Simply Orange Juice
1T orange marmalade
1/2 jar maraschino cherries
Garnish: cherries, lemon and orange slices

Mix whiskey, triple sec, lemonade, orange juice and marmalade in a large punch bowl or drink dispenser. Add 1/2 jar of cherries (not juice.) Serve each beverage on ice.

Garnish with a cherry, lemon or orange slice.

Cocktails at Aziza Restaurant in SF

We had the most amazing drinks and dinner with friends last night. We ventured into San Francisco and tried a Moroccan restaurant called Aziza. It's not like any Morrocan restaurant I've ever been to. No sitting on cushions on the floor. No eating with your hands. Chef Mourad Lahlou has taken traditional Moroccan dishes and reinvented them in ways that harmonize with the fresh, local, artisanal ingredients of Northern California. It was really impressive.

I'm not sure they were quite ready for three couples out on the town on a Wednesday night because all their kids were away at camp.

We started at the bar. We almost didn't make it to our table we were having so much fun.

The mixologists (bartenders) along with the owner have created a menu of cocktails using fresh ingredients, muddled herbs, vegetables and fruits, spices and of course the latest and greatest spirits. It was hard picking which drink to order.

We were all in awe of their skills behind the bar, and the flavors of these cocktails. We wanted to try them all.

Spices ready to go.

Vodka, cilantro, kaffir-lime

Sangria, lambrusco, citrus, blueberries

Vodka, dill, saffron, black pepper

Vodka, strawberry, fresno chili

Grapefruit, absinthe, bourbon

almond, hickory smoked salt air, anejo tequila

Have you tried any interesting cocktails lately? Do tell!

Oh, we did have dinner, too. It was amazing. But I didn't grab any pics. The most interesting and unique dish we had was the white gazpacho. And none of us could get enough of the home-made flatbread with the three spreads: chickpea, yogurt-dill, piquillo-almond. So flavorful and yummy. I really wanted a whole plate to myself.

And dessert? TO DIE FOR. They have an amazing pastry chef.

Aziza Restaurant and Bar
5800 Geary Boulevard
San Francisco, CA 94121
415-752-2222
info@aziza-sf.com

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Updated post in 2017 when I realized my BevMo! images were no longer there since they deleted the amazing blog I created for them. waah.

Jameson, Ginger and Lime

I've been pinning and promoting Irish cocktails, food and treats all week. I feel like I've done St. Patrick's day for about 10 days now.

There is one recipe that has been on my mind.

The shamrock shake. Dang you McDonald's.

I found this knock-off recipe on Real Simple. I'm pretty sure some ice cream is in my future.



Don is not a big fan of corned beef and cabbage, which is a bummer. I love it. He hates it. The mere thought of boiled meat and stinky cabbage makes him shiver. So if I want it I'll have to go somewhere else to get it.

I really don't want the house smelling like cabbage anyway. Plus now that I really think about it boiling meat is pretty gross and weird.

Here are some of the things I've seen this week that look really yummy. 

Guinness, Whiskey & Irish Cream Cupcake from Brown Eyed Baker

Midleton Mule with Jameson

What are you making? 

5 Delicious Super Bowl Cocktail Recipes

Margarita on the rocks. The only way to drink a margarita.

Just because our team didn't make it to the Super Bowl, doesn't mean we won't be watching the commercials and Madonna like everyone else. And the game too, of course.

Who's playing again?  

kidding.........don't go all crazy on me.

Here are some great cocktail recipes from BevMo! that I thought you might like. I kinda wish I had a margarita right now - with chips and homemade queso. mmm, mmm

Toast your favorite player with the official MVP Cocktail:

• 1/2 oz. Malibu Rum
• 1/2 oz. Vodka
• Pineapple Juice
• Shake Malibu Rum, Vodka and pineapple juice over ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and decorate with a cherry.

Highlight all the hottest plays with a CIROC Red Zone:

• 1.5 oz CIROC Red Berry
• 1 oz sour mix
• ¼ oz Chambord liqueur
• Shake ingredients over ice and strain into a chilled martini glass.

Sack that QB with The Blitz Cocktail:

• 1 1/2 oz Patrón Añejo tequila
• 1 oz Lillet Rouge
• 1 oz orange curacao liqueur
• Splash of orange bitters
• In an ice filled cocktail shaker, add ingredients. Shake until well blended. Strain over ice.

4th Quarter with 4 seconds left Hail Mary Shooter:

• 1 1/4 oz. Pepper Vodka
• 5 dashes Tabasco Sauce
• Splash Tomato Juice
• Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice, strain into shot glass.

Perfect Post Game Margarita:

• 1 part Espolon Tequila
• 3 parts Cuervo Margarita Mix
• ½ cup or more of crushed ice
• Rim a Margarita glass with BevMo! Lime Salt.  Add mix, tequila, ice, and a slice of lime.

Enjoy!

Go Giants!

See? I know who's playing. And who's singing at half time. 'Cause I'm a material girl you know.

Fresh Blackberry Shortbread Bars

Last week I attended a blogging event sponsored by Driscoll's berries. They had Chef Rick Rodgers there doing a cooking demonstration, photographer Caren Alpert leading a photo workshop, and a baking contest for us bloggers.

I brought Blackberry Shortbread Bars. 

Blackberry Shortbread Bars

2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 t. vanilla bean paste
1 cup white sugar
1 t. baking powder
2 3/4 cup flour + 2 T
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt
1 large egg
12 oz fresh blackberries, sliced in half (two, 6oz containers)

Brown the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden, and will finally start to brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom. Don't let it burn! Remove from stove and stir in vanilla. Transfer to a small dish and cool in freezer until firm (~30 minutes)

Preheat oven to 375˚
Butter a 9 x 13 pan

1) In a medium bowl whisk together sugar, baking powder, flour, salt, and cinnamon
2) Dice chilled butter and add to the flour mixture; add egg; mix with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly.
3) Pat 3/4 of the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan pressing firmly
4) Add blackberry halves in a single layer until crust is covered
5) Scatter remaining crumbs evenly over fruit. Bake 25-30 minutes until the top is slightly brown.
6) Cool completely in pan before cutting

The Driscoll's Event

Chef Rick and his team prepared some really yummy food for the event. I'm going to post all their recipes tomorrow, they would be perfect for a holiday dinner.  My favorite dish of the evening was The Cheese Tartlets with Blackberry. They were light and flaky, salty and sweet, so good!

Blackberry Cobbler Cocktails

 

Dinner: Pancetta Wrapped Pork with Blackberry-Sage Compote, smashed sweet potatoes, and roasted fennel.

Dessert: Blackberry Pumpkin Cake with Granola, and Blackberry-Pear Cobbler with vanilla ice cream

I brought my friend, and fellow blogger, Rachael Hunter as my guest. She's not the supermodel (although she is gorgeous) or a food blogger, but I thought she might enjoy this little event. She was quick to make friends and promote her mommy Happy Mommy Blog to everyone.

She had the Driscoll's guys cracking up, especially when she accidentally got locked on the roof of the building after sneaking up there to grab a smoke. She was frantically calling my cell which was in my purse, out of sight, on the floor. Thankfully I saw the glow and we rescued her.

Some of the dessert entries. The winner was announced today. I didn't win. But it sure was fun participating.

I love making shortbread bars. Because I really love butter.

**Big thanks to Driscoll's for inviting me to the party and for giving me coupons to buy berries. YAY!

Come back tomorrow for the recipes from Rick Rodgers!!!

Bloody Mary

'Tis the season for a spicy Bloody Mary.

I don't know why we only drink these during the holidays. But it's kind of tradition. And I guess it would seem weird drinking them any other time.

My dad is usually the king mixer of this spicy cocktail. But since he's a million miles away Don has taken over the Bloody Mary making duties.

We like ours spicy, with a squeeze of lime and of course a stalk of celery. A nice olive is good too.

Are you a fan of Bloody Mary's? What's your secret ingredient? Care to share your recipe?

I must confess. After I wrote this I REALLY wanted a bloody mary. But sitting alone in your living room drinking a vodka cocktail just doesn't seem right. So I poured myself a glass of the mix, with a squeeze of lime and a skewer of olives and it hit the spot. aaaaaaaaaah

It's like having a snack and a drink all in one. Quite tasty!

Ok. I'm not exactly alone. Don and Bentley are sleeping on the couch and Elli is playing with a friend upstairs. I'm sure mommy drinking vodka during a playdate is frowned upon. So a virgin mary is definitely the right choice.  But all this talk about vodka....... just kidding. I'm really not a fan. Wine is my thing.

I'm leaving now. I'm starting to talk crazy. You're going to start thinking I really did dip into the vodka. I didn't. I'm just giddy for olives.

It's Fiesta Time!

What is Cinco de Mayo anyway? And why don't they make it a national holiday so we can get the day off?  Or at least a regional holiday. Heck, half of California is from Mexico. 

According to Wikipedia, the holiday celebrates Mexico's defeat of the French army in the battle of Puebla. Why were they at battle you ask?  Well, the Mexican government had ceased making interest payments on their debt, so the French invaded Mexico to try to force payment of the debt. Am I missing something? Are we celebrating the fact that Mexico bullied France out of their country so they wouldn't have to pay them back? I think we are. 'Cuz it doesn't say anything about Mexico ever paying them back. Nice.

So do smashing pinata's at a party represent beating the tar out of the French? hmmmm.....

This history lesson is spoiling the mood. No wonder they invented tequila. Something had to numb the guilt. So let's get to it. Grab the tequila, the triple sec, some lime, ice and mix yourself a margarita.

Good tequila to try:

* Cabo Wabo (Sammy Hagar's brand)

* El Tesoro

* Corralejo

* Patron

* Cazadores

* Herradura

Speaking of Sammy Hagar, we saw him recently somewhere.  Where was it? He was in line behind us and you couldn't help but notice his hair. Oh yeah, in line at airport security. Don and I were whispering and doing the whole pointing with your eyes kind of thing. Elli caught on that something was up and had a little fit 'cuz we wouldn't tell her the secret.   sigh...............

Anyhow, back to Fiesta Time.

Grab some chips, salsa, guacamole and have a fun little fiesta at home and make some fajita's or super deluxe nachos. Believe it or not, the best nachos we ever had were at the patio restaurant at the Biltmore in Scottsdale. I just checked their menu and they don't serve the nacho's anymore.  Bummer. They were good. If we still lived in Dallas we would definitely go to Chuy's for our menu favorites: the 9-1-1 Hotplate and Chicken Relleno's.  But we're not.  

So we'll probably make margarita's and have chicken fajita's at home. Better drink just one margarita, though. It's a school night.

Margarita recipe:

1 1/2 ounces tequila

1/2 ounce Triple Sec

1 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice

Rub the rim of a cocktail glass with lime, dip in salt. Fill with ice. Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into glass and serve.

Salud!

Mint Julep. The signature drink of the Kentucky Derby.

Today is the Kentucky Derby. 

So if you find yourself watching the race, here's the same cocktail all the ladies and gents will be sipping at the track.  The classic Mint Julep. 

I love the way the bartender in the attached video gets the ice to crush into ice powder. He puts ice cubes in a canvas bag and beats them with a big wooden mallet.  I have got to try that at home. (Talk about a free therapy session!) I just told Don and he said, "we can buy crushed ice." Hmm.  I'm buying a bag and a mallot!

Here's a video to show you how to make it.  Click here.

You only need 4 incredients:

Simple syrup (sugar and water)

Ice

Mint

Bourbon

Of course the bartender serves it in a really cool pewter cup.  

Enjoy!

That's it.  Have a good weekend everyone!

Click here to order cool cups for next year!

My favorite Mojito recipe.

I first posted this on 4/17/09. I believe it's time to repost this fantastic Mojito recipe. Here you go.

Yeah, It's Friday!  Time to hang out on the patio and enjoy a tasty Mojito with some spicy Caribbean cuisine.  Don't worry if you're enjoying your spring break at home.  You can still eat and drink like you're on vacation. So, invite some friends over, light up the grill and mix a batch of mojito's.

I remember the first time Don and I had a Mojito. We were at a restaurant called Habana Bar and Grill in South Norwalk. They were really strong, but oh so delicious.  

The mojito pairs perfectly with Caribbean food, like grilled steak and chimichurri sauce.  Here's a recipe from Michael Chiarello. He's not from the Caribbean - he's Italian.  But he's an excellent chef and the recipe got a lot of positive reviews. I haven't made this exact recipe, but a chimichurri sauce is a lot like making pesto. Super easy and always yummy.

Here's a video on how to make the perfect Mojito.  Give it a try and tell me what you think.

click here for video

If you're too impatient, here's the recipe. You really should watch the dude in the video make it though.

MOJITO
ONE DRINK:
1 oz fresh lime juice
2 t. sugar
2 oz white rum
fresh mint leaves (gingerly plucked from the stem)
crushed ice - "muddle the he-ll out of it". That's what the bartender says.
Soda water

In a tall glass add 1 oz fresh lime juice and 2t. sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add a little of the crushed ice so glass is 1/3 full. Stir. Gingerly, pluck mint leaves from a stem, then tear them in half and rub the glass rim so it's fragrant, then add them to the glass. Stir. Add 2oz white rum. Fill glass with ice. Top with a little bit of soda water. Add a straw. Enjoy. Make another one. Repeat as necessary.