D.M.R. Fine Foods: Search results for sip

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Toast With This!: Pomegranate, Mint & Ginger Fizz

The holidays are just about here--and I couldn't be more excited! I'm looking forward to reuniting with family and close friends, eating well and creating new memories. When coming together, I recommend having a signature drink to toast the occasion--and to keep "bar" duty to a minimum. It's another one of my go-to entertaining tips that makes things lighter, easier--and always festive.

Inspired by flavors that sing of the holidays (pomegranate, citrus, mint and ginger), I fell for this jazzy 'mocktail' recipe--adapted from Martha Stewart--for a beautiful, elegant--and yes, quite delicious, sip. Add it to your repertoire and you'll be toasting throughout the holidays--and beyond!

Happy Sipping!

Pomegranate, Mint & Ginger Fizz

Ingredients:
10 mint leaves, plus extra for garnish
1 teaspoon sugar
Juice of 1 orange, about 1/4 cup
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
Ginger ale

Method:
In a tall glass, muddle mint leaves and sugar together until the leaves are fully coated and a paste almost forms. Add in orange and pomegranate juices and top off with chilled ginger ale. Stir slightly to mix, pour into serving glasses and garnish with fresh mint. Sip and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Deck the Halls Mocktail + A Holiday Recipe Exchange!

This year, I'm excited to take part in Eat the Culture’s 2023 Holiday Recipe Exchange: Party Pairings for All the Holidays! Holidays often revolve around communal moments – sharing stories, laughter, and, of course, food. This year's roundup is all about those delightful 'lite bites' and drinks that set the tone for festive gatherings.

I had the pleasure of partnering with Ashley of Pink Owl Kitchen who crafted delicious New Orleans BBQ Shrimp. This dish pairs perfectly with my Deck the Halls Mocktail. Learn more about Eat the Culture and find a complete list of recipes from all participants here. Share these recipes with your friends and loved ones and follow each participant by using the hashtags #HolidayswithETC, #PerfectPartyPairings, and #ETCHOLIDAYS2023 on Instagram.

And speaking of the holidays, they have always represented the time of year where my favorite things combine (faith, family, friends--and food!) and ignite my merry-making. With the backdrop of the world today, I'm anticipating the upcoming holiday season more than ever.

And to celebrate the many special moments, gatherings, soon-to-come memories, and merriment, I'm toasting to this season--and decking the halls!--with a festive, effervescent and beautiful sip. Cue my easy and fun Deck the Halls Mocktail.

I'm talking a worthy signature drink (for easy entertaining) that's adaptable for any occasion from a kids' party, to a Girls' Night, to Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve, and beyond. It's the drink that you'll love to sip and serve, again and again. It's been in my holiday repertoire for a couple of holiday seasons now, and I'm thrilled to share and make your holidays all the merrier, brighter and tastier.

A really special wow factor happens to be the festive ice cubes that serve the double duty of both chilling—and adorning—this drink. Like mini frozen ornaments, they boast orange, rosemary, cranberry, and star anise. A beautiful compliment to the gorgeous drink hue, these ice cubes elevate this drink and make it a feast for the eyes.

So now that we’re agreed that this will be making the rounds during the holiday season, let’s cheers to safe, festive…

Happy Sipping!

Deck the Halls Mocktail

Ingredients:

Festive Ice Cubes* (recipe to follow)

Ginger beer

Grenadine syrup

Orange slices

Maraschino Cherries

Festive Ice Cubes:

Ingredients:

Cranberries (frozen or fresh)

Orange Slices

Fresh rosemary sprigs

Star Anise

Water

Special Equipment: Ice cube tray/mold

Method:

Place cranberries, an orange slice, rosemary sprigs and star anise into an ice cube mold or tray compartments. Add water and freeze overnight.

Add festive ice cube(s) to a glass. Pour over ginger beer. Add a splash or two of grenadine. Garnish with orange slices and cherries. Enjoy and cheers to a fabulous holiday season!

Toast With This!: Elderflower Lemonade Spritz

Only a handful of days back home from my most recent jaunts to London and Paris and everything--including the longing to return--is still fresh and vivid in my memory. As I paused to reflect, I realized that this most recent visit to Paris, in particular, marked the fifth over the past 17 years. And can I let you in on a secret? It's still my favorite all these years later. If you've been following the blog for a while, then you know London is also a fond destination and this third time around was as charming as the first over twelve years ago.

So putting my sentiments to the side, momentarily at least, I want to share an ode to the casual, yet sophisticated, sip that takes many variations among the sidewalk cafes and restaurants throughout each destination: the Spritz.

From the Aperol (which recently underwent a heated review, turned debate, courtesy of New York Times Cooking, but which showed no sign of waning across the pond if my observations are any proof), to the St. Germain, and beyond, the Spritz undoubtedly holds its own as a drink of choice.

I've created a light, effervescent version that's as refreshing as the Summer days are long and the temps are hot--making it an undeniable go-to all season long. Combining Elderflower Lemonade (I like Belvoir's), Prosecco, and Club Soda for an elegant sip couldn't be easier, or more delicious--and the combined bubbly effect is a lovely bonus.

If you can't be cafe-side in Paris or London, you can still enjoy the same joie de vivre--and toast with this.

Happy Sipping!

Elderflower Lemonade Spritz
Ingredients:
Elderflower Lemonade (or Lemonade combined with an Elderflower Cordial), chilled
Prosecco, chilled
Club Soda

Method:
Pour Elderflower Lemonade into a glass, followed by Prosecco, and topped off with a splash of club soda. Stir slightly and enjoy!

Toast With This!: Sangria Mocktails

Summer soirees and festive sips go together like few things do. And when the occasion (or non-occasion) calls for it, you'll want to have a refreshing, bright, delicious and thirst-quenching sip in your arsenal.

And I just happen to have the drink that's all that--sangria mocktails. Fruity, light, and bursting with the essence of Summer, sangria is the perfect sip for toasting the longer, more relaxed days of the season. With its roots in Spanish and Portuguese cultures, it’s loved the world round—and for good reason! Sans the alcohol, this mocktail version is a festive alternative that captures all the deliciousness that this drink is known for and delivers a tropical flair that's ever so good and toast-worthy.

This recipe was a hit at my Pop-Up Cooking School earlier this Summer, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it, too. So here's to the remaining days of Summer and...

Happy Sipping!

Sangria Mocktails

Ingredients:

1 cup papaya nectar

1 cup tropical Italian soda

1 cup lime Italian soda

1 cup sparkling grape juice

Fresh mint leaves

1 teaspoon sugar

Fresh or frozen fruit

Method:

Roughly tear mint leaves and place in the bottom of a pitcher. Sprinkle with sugar and muddle together to release the mint oils. Pour in nectar, soda, and juice and stir to combine. Add in fruit to finish. Chill before serving or serve over ice. Enjoy!

(Cook's Note: If unable to locate tropical flavored soda, substitute with an alternate flavor, like lemon or orange.)

Toast With This!: Bloody Mary Mocktail

The weekend is here! And if you're looking for something extra special to wash down the yummy breakfast and brunch eats you have on the menu, look no further than a delicious Bloody Mary mocktail. This drink packs a bold, savory punch as the flavors of tomato, horseradish, celery, worcestershire, garlic, and more, come together into an unforgettably scrumptious sip. Promise.

There are many variations on this classic, but I personally favor Ina Garten's recipe (sans the alcohol--and hence our mocktail version.) So as you relax, relate and release this weekend, don't forget to toast with this!

Happy Sipping!

Bloody Mary Mocktail

Ingredients:

3 large stalks celery from the heart, including leaves, plus extra for serving
36 ounces tomato juice (recommended: Sacramento)
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon grated yellow onion
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
12 dashes Tabasco, or to taste

Cut the celery in large dices, including the leaves, and puree in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until finely minced. In a large pitcher, combine the rest of the ingredients. With the food processor running, pour 1/4 of the tomato juice mixture into the food processor through the feed tube. Then pour the contents of the food processor into the pitcher with the remaining tomato juice mixture. Chill. Serve over ice with a stick of celery.

Image Source

Savory Thyme-Parmesan Cookies

Over the weekend I dropped into one of my favorite stores for everything girly, girl, Anthropologie. As these things usually happen, I saw (and couldn't resist) adorable little 'extras' like this that I love to bring into my kitchen. One of my favorites, however, was a clever cookie stamp, replete with a fun recipe and message that resonates through all of my cooking: Made With Love. And I was sold (again!).

Rather than the sweet cookie variety (that we all love), the recipe serves up a savory, crispy cookie-cracker of sorts that's perfect for serving as an appetizer or paired with either fruit, cheese, fondue, or along with a great sip. To add a bit more savory flair, I tossed in some freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and within the hour I had homemade crackers for the noshing.

Happy Eating!

Savory Thyme-Parmesan Cookies

Ingredients:
3/4 cup flour
3 tablespoons butter, semi-cold
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Method:
Combine flour, butter, salt and cheese in a bowl. Mix quickly with your hands, adding drops of ice water as you go to bring the dough together and make it smooth. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

On a well floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness, cut out the cookies (and stamp them if using a cookie stamp). Bake the cookies for 25 minutes in the pre-heated oven and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Yvette Van Boven, Copyright 2013

HOW TO DRINK: Water

With the resolutions for healthier living and eating that abound this time of the year, water is sure to be the beverage of choice for those on a serious mission. And with the upside-only benefits that this liquid powerhouse brings to the table, is it any wonder? Probably not. What may be of wonder, however, is that there is a proper way to drink it.

With water (hopefully) on everyone's minds--and in everyone's mouths--more and more lately, I thought now would be the perfect time to introduce it into our "how to eat" series, although today's installment is more accurately titled "how to drink".

So before your next refill, learn more about this precious resource--how to drink it, that is.

Happy (Water) Drinking!

Drinking Water

Blot your mouth before taking a drink. Do not drink water while food is in your mouth, roll water around your mouth, or swallow loudly. If you have taken too hot a mouthful of food, sip a bit of water. Do not forcefully drain an entire glassful. Hold a tumbler-type glass near the bottom, a small stem glass by the stem, and large goblets at the bottom of the bowl.

Image Source

Toast With This!: Blackberry Ginger Soda

With so much happening in the world today, not the least of which involves addressing the very serious matter of the lingering impacts of systemic racism, there has never been a better time to celebrate and amplify the voices and impact of black people, including our culture, cuisine, businesses and more. And with that comes the (perfectly timed) celebration of Juneteenth on June 19th., which commemorates the final act of emancipation from slavery under the Confederacy, two and a half years following President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

My personal celebration will include an exciting collaboration with fellow black culinary creatives for a virtual Juneteenth Cookout. With a bevy of recipes in tow, showcasing the exuberance, flavors, and resiliency of a people destined for freedom, I'm inviting you to join us by raising a glass of my favorite Blackberry Ginger Soda, an ode to the original Juneteenth staple of Red Soda Water.

“Watermelon and red soda water are the oldest traditional foods on Juneteenth,” said Dr. Ronald Myers, head of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation.

Red represents perseverance and spans much of the celebrated cuisine. So if you haven't guessed by now, it's a delicious, empowering time of jubilee!

See my original post below that includes the easy four-ingredient recipe and join in the celebration with a toast to freedom, joy and better days ahead. You can also grab the recipes of the additional collaborators below for exceptional menu ideas for your very own Juneteenth cookout.
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Original Post:

If last week's solstice didn't carry enough of a bang to convince you that Summer has officially arrived, then this past weekend's sweltering heat offered a not-so-gentle reminder. And almost as fast as I welcomed the season, I began seeking a refreshing sip to usher in a much needed cool down.

While running my Saturday morning errands, I stopped in one of my favorite stores and landed upon the inspiration for this beautiful & ohh so good drink: rich, sweet blackberry syrup and sparkling dry ginger. My wheels instantly began turning and the resulting mocktail was born. I couldn't resist garnishing it with stunning blackberry king ice cubes, for added flair, and topping it off with a couple of splashes of club soda.

The punch from the ginger, coupled with the sweet blackberry essence and fizzy soda, makes this the perfect drink to toast the season--and it should definitely be in rotation in your sipping and entertaining repertoire. It's a casual, pour-as-you-like, non-recipe of sorts so make it your own, leading with the ginger as the base and accented with blackberry syrup and club soda to finish.

Happy Sipping!

Blackberry Ginger Soda

Ingredients:

Sparkling Dry Ginger (or ginger ale), chilled

Blackberry Syrup

Club Soda

Blackberry Ice Cubes

Method:

Fill glasses with ice cubes. Pour desired amount of ginger into glass, followed by a few drizzles of the syrup. Top with a couple splashes of soda. Stir to combine and enjoy!

The Juneteenth Cookout Recipes Round-Up:

A Girl Called Adri | Blackened Catfish

Beautiful Eats & Things | Spiced Grilled Peaches

Black Girls Who Brunch | Brown Butter Sweet Potato Cake

Brazilian Kitchen Abroad | Brazilian Collard Greens with Bacon

Britney Breaks Bread | Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Sour Cream and Honey Sauce

Brownbelle | Watermelon Hibiscus Whiskey Smash

Butter Be Ready | Chicken and Waffles

Chef and Steward | Watermelon and Feta Salad

Chef Curl Ardee | Honey and Butter Cornbread

Chenée Today | Lemon Icebox Pie

Christy Irene | Crawfish Etoufee