National Moscato Day
May 9th is National Moscato Day! Established just last year by Gallo Family Vineyards, you can celebrate the second annual National Moscato Day this year by uncorking a bottle of moscato and/or making one of the drinks below using moscato! Moscato remains the fastest wine varietal in the U.S. for the third year in a row. It’s created from the Muscat grape and is known for being a sweeter wine, great for pairing with cheese, spicy dishes, and fruity desserts. Moscato is also great for celebrating Mother’s Day, which is on May 12 this year! There are different types of Moscato:
- White Moscato – peach, honey and ripe citrus flavors
- Pink Moscato – red berries and orange blossoms flavors
- Red Moscato – sweet citrus and peach flavors with a red berry finish
- Sparkling Moscato – sweet and bubbly with fruit flavors depending on the type
You can also make cocktails and/or punch with the different types of Moscato, depending on your preference. Click on the links below for recipes.
If you’re throwing a National Moscato Day Party, try some of these tips:
- Set up stations for each type of Moscato in order to let your guests try each one!
- Pair your Moscato with different types of cheese (like Brie, Camembert, aged Parmesan, and Pecorino Romano). Slit a wine cork and slide a card in to label each cheese, letting your guests know which type of cheese they’re eating.
- Moscato and spicy food are a great combination. Serve your moscato with paella – you won’t have to make multiple dishes and it’s a meal within itself.
- Freeze Moscato into ice cube trays for later use or for your party. You can pop them into sparkling water in order to make a quick spritzer!
Oscar Party Cocktails
Award season is in full swing and with the Oscars coming up swiftly on Sunday, why not watch the awards in style? I’ll show you how to entertain your Oscar party guests with movie themed cocktails and popcorn. Inspired by the best picture nominees, I created drinks to fit the themes and tone of each movie and internationally-flavored popcorn based on the foreign-language film nominees.
For recipes for each drink, click the links below.
Beasts of the Southern Wild - The Bathtub
Zero Dark Thirty – Midnight Shooter
Django Unchained - Mandingo Sunset
Silver Linings Playbook - Excelsior!
For recipes for my internationally-flavored popcorn, click here.
If you missed my segment on Good Day New York, you can watch it below!
Oscar Party Cocktails: Beasts of the Southern Wild – The Bathtub
Based in the southern Louisiana bayou community called the “Bathtub,” Beasts of the Southern Wild, is a story about a five-year old girl named Hushpuppy and her unhealthy father. While other Bathtub residents flee due to the oncoming storm, the two decide to stick it out with a few others in their community.
I created a cocktail called The Bathtub, named after the community the movie is based in. This drink was inspired by Louisiana food and spirits. It uses Louisiana’s own Tabasco sauce, vodka dirtied up by Louisiana bayou seasonings, and is garnished with a hush puppy, after one of the main character’s names.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. dirty vodka (Ketel One infused with hot peppers, whole allspice, bay leaves, oregano and thyme)
- 2 oz. tomato juice
- 2 oz. of clamato juice
- 2 oz. beer
- Tabasco
- 1 raw oyster (optional)
- Cajun spiced rim (dry crab boil seasoning)
- Lemon wedge
- Lime Wedge
- Hush Puppy for garnish
Instructions:
Infuse vodka and let sit for at least one day and up to a week. Add vodka, tomato juice, clamato juice, Tabasco (to taste) and beer into a cocktail shaker with ice and stir until combined. Moisten a pint glass rim with a lime wedge and dredge the rim in crab boil seasoning. Pour mixture into rimmed glass and garnish with a skewer of lemon and lime wedges and one hushpuppy.
Oscar Party Cocktails: Amour – Perfect Love
Amour is a story about a couple’s struggle after the wife suffers a stroke. The couple, retired music teachers, are in their eighties and have a daughter who lives abroad with her family.
Because Amour is a French-language film, my cocktail for Amour is named after Parfait Amour, a floral infused liqueur, which is French for “perfect love.”
Ingredients:
- ½ oz. Parfait Amour
- ½ oz. Cointreau
- Top with Moet & Chandon Champagne
Instructions:
Add Parfait Amour and Cointreau into a Champagne flute and slowly top off with chilled Champagne.
Oscar Party Cocktails: Life of Pi – Richard Parker
Pi, a young man, is in the only one from his family who survives a shipwreck and is stranded on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean. Life of Pi unfolds as an adventure as Pi is stranded with a Bengal tiger.
The cocktail for Life of Pi is named after the Bengal tiger, Richard Parker. My inspiration for this drink came from locations and nationalities in the film. The Chai tea is for Pi’s Indian origin, while the Cointreau is for Pi’s name, Piscine Molitar, a swimming pool in France. The Yuzu juice is for the Japanese freighter ship Pi and his family are on and the Canadian whiskey is because Pi’s family was destined for Canada.
Ingredients:
- 4 oz. Chai Tea (hot brewed)
- 1 oz. Cointreau
- 1 oz. Crown Royal Canadian whiskey
- ½ oz. Yuzu Juice
Instructions:
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker without ice and stir well. Pour into a warmed brandy snifter and garnish with a lemon twist.
Oscar Party Cocktails: Les Misérables – Toulon
Taking place in 19th-century France, this movie is based on the musical Les Misérables, which is actually based on the French novel by Victor Hugo. The story follows Jean Valjean, an ex-convict, who becomes mayor of a town in France and struggles as he decides to care for a factory worker’s daughter, all while being hunted by a policeman.
Toulon is the name of this cocktail, inspired by and named after the city in which the prison Jean was in. It’s a classic French cocktail with spirits of the period and sugar and bitters because of the movie is bittersweet.
Ingredients:
- 3 oz. Hennessy
- 1 oz. Benedictine (herbal liqueur)
- 1 oz. dry vermouth
- ½ oz. lemon juice
- sugar cube
- bitters
Instructions:
Combine ingredients into a cocktail shaker half filled with ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and decorate with a lemon rind spiral.
Oscar Party Cocktails: Lincoln – Yankee Punch
Based on part of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s biography of Abraham Lincoln, the film follow’s the President’s struggles during the Civil War. Lincoln focuses on the President’s efforts to have the 13th amendment to emancipate the slaves passed by the House of Representatives.
The Yankee Punch, the cocktail for Lincoln, is a period drink based off of a classic brandy punch. I used Kentucky bourbon in this drink because Lincoln hails from Kentucky.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz. Curacoa
- 2 TBS White Sugar
- 3 oz. Bulleit Kentucky Bourbon
- ½ small lemon
- 2 oz. of soda water
Instructions:
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with shaved ice, shake well, pour into a Colins glass top with soda water, dress the top with fruit of the season.
Oscar Party Cocktails: Argo – Canadian Caper
A thriller based on the Iran hostage crisis in which the six fugitive American diplomatic personnel were rescued. In order to get them out, a CIA operative set up fake Canadian identities for the diplomats and a fake movie scouting.
The cocktail’s name is based on the article “Canadian Caper” and is a “fake” cocktail (non-alcoholic) about a fake movie. I wanted to make it a fun fruity, frozen cocktail…but if you want to be a little stealthy or covert in your drink making, slip in a shot of Canadian whiskey.
Ingredients:
- 1 pkg of Blue Raspberry Drink Mix
- 16 oz. Pineapple Juice
- 8 oz ice water
- 1 ½ oz. Canadian Whiskey (optional)
Instructions:
Blend blue raspberry drink mix and pineapple juice with ice in a blender until smooth and pour into a hurricane-style glass with a straw. Float the Crown Royal on the top filling the straw and garnish with a slice of orange and an umbrella and pretend you are whoever you are not…
Oscar Party Cocktails: Zero Dark Thirty – Midnight Shooter
“A story of history’s greatest manhunt for the world’s dangerous man,” this movie is a chronicle of the hunt for the al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden. This film is a dramatization of the operation by Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 that found and killed bin Laden in 2006.
This cocktail is actually a shooter – down and dirty, quick and easy. As a hard, gritty film, the shooter I created for Zero Dark Thirty is called Midnight Shooter because the operation takes place in the middle of the night.
Ingredients:
- ½ shot black Sambuca
- ½ shot Bulleit Bourbon
Instructions:
Refrigerate ingredients then LAYER in chilled shot glass by carefully pouring over the back of a spoon in the following order; bourbon then Sambuca
Oscar Party Cocktails: Django Unchained – Mandingo Sunset
Django Unchained is a wester film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The film follows a slave who sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner with the help of a German bounty hunter.
I created a surreal drink for a surreal movie. The drink’s name, Mandingo Sunset, was inspired after they rode into the sunset at the end of the movie.
Ingredients:
- 3 oz. Bulleit Bourbon
- 2 oz. orange juice
- 1 oz. lemon juice
- ½ oz. simple syrup
- ½ oz. Maraschino syrup
Instructions:
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into ice-filled rocks glass. Drizzlle maraschino suyrup into the drink to create the sunset effect and garnish with orange.
Oscar Party Cocktails: Silver Linings Playbook
This romantic comedy-drama follows the story of a former teacher who moves back in with his parents after being in a mental institutation. He tries to reconcile with his ex-wife, but meets a girl with problems of her own and the two develop an odd friendship.
My cocktail, the Excelsior!, was inspired by a traditional drink from Philadelphia, the Philly Punch. Back in the Revolutionary War era, fisherman would gather to eat and drink, but at this time, individual cocktails were almost non-existent and punch was the customary way to drink with friends. The name for this drink comes from the main character’s mantra and the exclamation point is used to express the emotion “ever upward.”
Ingredients:
- 3 oz. Myer’s Dark Rum
- ½ oz. peach brandy
- ½ oz. lemon juice
- ½ oz. simple syrup
- top with ginger ale
- lemon wheel
Instructions:
Combine rum, peach brandy, lemon juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until chilled and pour into a 6 oz. wine glass. Top with ginger ale and garnish with a lemon wheel.
Valentine’s Day Chocolate Party: ChocolatRouge Wine
Deliciously different, ChocolatRouge Sweet Red is a luscious blend of fine red wine and rich chocolate flavors reminiscent of chocolate-dipped red berries with a soft velvety finish. Enjoy this ideal combination for a smooth rich taste not to be missed.
Experience true decadence in a luscious blend of rich chocolate flavors and fine red wine. Deliciously Different, ChocolatRouge Milk Chocolate entices with creamy richness. Serve chilled or savor it on the rocks for the ultimate indulgence.
ChocolatRouge Orangette (pictured above)
Mix 2 oz. ChocolatRouge and 1 oz. orange syrup for this tantalizing drink. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a chocolate-covered orange peel or twist of orange
Valentine’s Day Chocolate Party: Iced Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
- Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate and Cocoa
- water
- 1.5 oz. Van Gogh Dark Chocolate Vodka
- 8 oz. of milk
- ice
- 1/4 cup mini marshmallows, for garnish
Preparation:
- Put 1 oz. of the cocoa into a saucer.
- Put some water into another saucer.
- Dip the rim of a martini glasses into the water and shake off any excess. Dip them in the cocoa mix to make a cocoa rim.
- Heat 8 oz. of milk in the microwave and mix in 4 tablespoons of the cocoa until it dissolves.
- In a shaker, add ice, 4 oz. of the hot cocoa, and vodka. Shake vigorously.
- Let it settle for a few minutes, then strain into the martini glass and garnish with the marshmallows and cocoa.
Valentine’s Day Chocolate Party: Chocolate Martini
Ingredients:
- ice cubes
- 2 oz. Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka
- ½ oz. Van Gogh Vanilla Vodka
- 1 oz. butterscotch schnapps
Preparation:
- Combine all ingredients into a shaker with ice.
- Shake vigorously and let it sit in the shaker for several minutes in order to let the vodka mellow in the ice.
- Pour into a chilled martini glass rimmed with Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate and Cocoa.
Romantic Valentine’s Day Stay-cations
Valentines Day is the most romantic day of the year and the ideal time to plan a couples getaway to a romantic destination. What about those of us who can’t fly to our dream destination of choice or don’t have extra cash lying around so soon after the holidays?
I’ll show you how to create a romantic Valentine’s Day stay-cation without leaving the comfort of your own home and without the hefty price tag. I’ve created three Romantic Stay-cation themes based on three lover types; Languid Lovers, Sporty Lovers, Lover Lovers. Each dinner is comprised of food, drinks and décor inspired by the culture and landscape of each of the destinations.
A Tropical Stay-cation Destination for the languid lovers who love to lay around with each other, sipping on drinks wearing only a strategically placed lei. Click the link to see how you can cool off your hot night with exotic frozen drinks and savor the sensual tastes of the tropical islands.
A Ski Stay-cation Destination for the sporty lovers who love to cozy up to a warm fire and enjoy après-ski bites and nibbles without the hassle of suiting up…in ski clothes! Click the link to see how you can prepare hot cocktails to warm you up from top to bottom and how to satisfy your sweet and savory sides with a classic Fondue menu.
A City of Love & Lights (Paris) Stay-cation Destination for the lover lovers who love to fair l’amour en Francais. Click the link to see how you can prepare bubble cocktails that will tickle your palate and how to prepare a romantic picnic by the Seine-style menu.
Romantic Valentine’s Day Stay-cation: Tropical
The Tropical stay-cation destination is perfect for the languid lovers who love to lay around sipping on exotic drinks wearing only a strategically placed lei.
It’s a great excuse to have frozen drinks in the winter and you don’t even have to break out the blender.
Pro Tip: Use ready-to-drink frozen pouches from Parrot Bay. Use the strawberry daiquiri and pina colada to stay within the Valentine’s Day color scheme and you can even layer the two! All you have to do is freeze, squeeze, and pour.
Dress up your drinks with sexy skewers – chocolate candy-dipped fruits on a skewer. To make these, melt the candy dips in a bowl, dip fruits in it, let them dry and put them on a skewer!
Savor the sensual taste of the islands with easy-to-make foods that are perfectly sized to feed each other with…no eating utensils required!
Pineapple Chicken Skewers
- Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1.2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1.5 lb. uncooked chicken breasts , cubed
- 12 fresh pineapple chunks, approximately 1 inch
- 12 skewers
- Preparation:
- Heat the grill (or if it is too chilly outside – preheat the broiler)
- Mix the first seven ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended and add shrimp and pineapple to the mix, toss to coat. Marinade for 1 hour.
- Thread and alternate 2 chicken cubes and 1 pineapple chunk onto each of the 12 skewers.
- Grill (or broil 6 inches from the heat) for 5 to 8 minutes per sided until chicken is cooked through.
Shrimp Ceviche (serves 4)
- Ingredients:
- 2 ½ tablespoons superfine white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon chili paste or sauce
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup minced red onion
- 1 ripe tomato, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- 1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
- 1 pound very fresh medium-small shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 4 avocados, halved
- Plantain chips and root chips
- Preparation
- In a large glass or plastic bowl, dissolve the sugar, salt, and chili paste in the lime juice.
- Season with pepper and cumin.
- Stir in the garlic, onion, tomato, jalapeno and cilantro.
- Gently mix in the shrimp and then cover. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
- To serve, drain the excess liquid from the mixture and place in in avocado halves.
- Serve with a side of (long) plantain chips and root chips.
Passion Pops
- Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 20-oz. can of pineapple chunks
- 1 16-oz. can cream cheese frosting
- 1 bag of white chocolate candy melts
- toasted coconut
- sticks
- Preparation:
- Drain the and finely chop the pineapple, but keep the liquid.
- Bake the cake according to instructions, but instead of water use the pineapple juice.
- Let the cake cool, then crumble into a large bowl and add ½ cup of the chopped pineapple and just enough frosting to combine.
- Mix well and refrigerate overnight or for a couple of hours.
- Make 1-inch balls, then place them onto a baking sheet and insert a stick into each ball no more than halfway into the center.
- Transfer to the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
- Microwave the candy melts in a bowl and dip the cake pops into the candy coating.
- Add toasted coconut to the cake pop before the coating dries.
For decor, break out the beachwear, a beach towel, and to set the mood, place candles in glass vases with shells for lighting and play some of these tropical sounds from my Amazon playlist to get you “in the mood.”
Romantic Valentine’s Day Stay-cation: Ski
The Ski Stay-cation Destination is for the sporty lovers who love to cozy up to a warm fire and enjoy apres-ski bites and nibbles without the hassle of suiting up…in ski clothes!
To get things heated up, start with the hot cocktails! Pro Tip: These drinks can be made in the microwave!
Baked Apple Pie (serves 6)
- Ingredients:
- 30 oz. unfiltered apple juice
- 4 whole cloves
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise pods
- 6 oz. Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
- Preparation:
- Put the apple juice in a large pot with whole cloves, 2 cinnamon sticks, and star anise pods.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from the heat.
- Ladle the mixture into six clear coffee mugs and add 1 oz of brandy to each mug.
- Garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Hot Buttered Rum
- Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Captain Morgan Rum
- 0.75 oz Sugar
- 0.75 oz Lemon Juice
- 0.25 oz Maraschino
- Hot Black Tea
- Butter cubed
- Lemon peel and cloves for garnishing
- Preparation
- Place juice, sugar, maraschino, and rum into a pre-heated mug.
- Add hot tea.
- Stir and then float the butter.
- Garnish with lemon peel and cloves.
Satisfy your sweet and savory sides with a classic Fondue menu.
Cheese Fondue
- Ingredients:
- 1 clove garlic, cut in half
- 1.5 cups dry white wine
- 7 oz Comte cheese, coarsely grated
- 7 oz Raclette cheese
- 7 oz Gruyere cheese, coarsely grated
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- Pinch of ground black pepper
- Pinch of ground paprika
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 3 tablespoons brandy
- Suggested dippables:
- Bite sized cubes of bread
- Bite sized pieces of roasted potatoes
- 1 inch cubes of seasoned blanched veggies
- Peppers, Carrots, Broccoli, etc
- Preparation:
- Rub the inside of a saucepan with the cut side of the garlic and then discard the garlic.
- Add the wine to the prepared pan and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce the heat so the wine is just simmering and add the cheese, nutmeg, black pepper, and paprika, stirring constantly until the fondue is melted and smooth.
- Keeping the heat low to medium, add the flour as needed to thicken, never boiling, the fondue for 15 minutes until it is thickened.
- Add the brandy and stir constantly for 1 minute.
- Transfer the fondue to a fondue pot set over a flame and serve it with cubed bread.
Chocolate Hazelnut Fondue
- Ingredients:
- ¾ cups heavy whipping cream, reserve ¼ cup to thin if fondue begins to thicken
- 4 bittersweet chocolate bars, chopped 3 ½ ounces each
- 2 tablespoons Bailey’s Hazelnut Liqueur (optional)
- ¼ cup finely chopped hazelnuts or almonds (optional)
- Suggested dippables:
- Biscotti
- Salted pretzel sticks
- Cubed pound cake
- Sliced bananas
- Strawberries
- Preparation:
- Heat ½ cup cream in a heavy non-reactive saucepot over moderate heat until cream comes to a low boil.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add chocolate and let chocolate stand in hot cream for 3 to 5 minutes to soften, then whisk the chocolate together with the cream.
- Stir in Bailey’s Hazelnut Liqueur (and chopped nuts) and transfer the fondue to a fondue pot with a flame. If the fondue becomes too thick, stir in reserved cream, 1 tablespoon at a time to get the desired consistency.
- Serve with your favorite dippables.
Bust out the fur rug and a plethora of candles to get your groove on. I made a faux fireplace with the candles. Set the mood with sultry sounds of classic love tunes a la Berry White with my Amazon Playlist below.
Romantic Valentine’s Day Stay-cation: Paris
The City of Love & Lights (Paris) Stay-cation Destination is for the lovers of love to fair l’amour en Francais.
Tickle your valentine’s palate with bubble cocktails.
Kir Royale
- Ingredients:
- Crème de Cassis
- Moet & Chandon Champagne
- Preparation:
- Combine 1 part Crème de Cassis and 5 parts champagne in a champagne glass.
French 75
- Ingredients:
- 1 oz. Tanqueray gin
- ½ oz. fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz. simple syrup
- Moet & Chandon champagne
- lemon twist for garnishing
- Preparation:
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Add the gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup, and shake.
- Strain into a champagne flute, then top with champagne.
- Garnish with a lemon twist.
Plan a romantic “picnic” by the Seine-style menu starting with a Fromage – French breads and a selection of the main types of French cheese.
I used one Brie for my soft cheese, Comté for the hard, and Roquefort for blue.
Make his and her cassoulets of your choice – a Traditional French Cassoulet or a Vegetarian Cassoulet.
Traditional French Cassoulet
- Ingredients:
- 16 oz. white beans (soaked overnight and washed)
- 4 chicken thighs (sautéed skin side down)
- 4 duck sausages (or hot dogs)
- 3 sprigs of fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, tarragon)
- 4 strips of fried bacon
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
- 3 whole cloves of garlic
- 6 cups of chicken stock
- bread crumbs
- salt and pepper to taste
- Preparation:
- In a small bowl, mix thyme, rosemary, and tarragon. Set seasoning mixture aside.
- In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. In batches without crowding, cook chicken, adding more oil if needed, turning occasionally, until browned lightly on all sides, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the browned chicken to a plate. Add sausage to the pot, breaking up with the sides of a wooden spoon, until it loses its pink color, about 8 minutes, while separately frying the 4 strips of bacon.
- Remove sausage from pot and drain some of the grease. Add onions and garlic to the pot.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 6 minutes. Add chicken stock and stir. Add chicken, sausage, and fried bacon.
- Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over and mix well. Bring to a simmer, then add beans.
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Transfer to ramekin, then sprinkle bread crumbs over it.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Using a wooden spoon, gently press the thin crust that has formed on the cassoulet down under the surface.
- Continue baking until the cassoulet is simmering and a second thin crust has formed (about 30 minutes).
- Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Vegetarian Cassoulet (serves 6)
- Ingredients:
- 3 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only)
- 4 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch-wide pieces
- 3 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch-wide pieces
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 2 parsley sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 (19-ounce) cans cannellini or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 quart vegetable stock
- Preparation:
- Halve leeks lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces, then wash well and pat dry.
- Cook leeks, carrots, celery, and garlic in oil with herb sprigs, bay leaf, cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in beans, then water, and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender but not falling apart, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Toss bread crumbs with oil, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a bowl until well coated. Spread in a baking pan and toast in oven, stirring once halfway through, until crisp and golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Cool crumbs in pan, then return to bowl and stir in parsley.
- Discard herb sprigs and bay leaf. Mash some of beans in pot with a potato masher or back of a spoon to thicken broth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to ramekin and sprinkle with garlic crumbs and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Using a woden spoon, gently press the thin crust that has formed on the cassoulet down under the surface.
- Continue baking until the cassoulet is simmering and as econd thin crust has formed (about 30 minutes).
- Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Of course a French picnic spread wouldn’t be complete without macarons! You can order them online at Dana’s Bakery! The one’s pictured above are from Dana’s Valentine’s Day Box.
To spark a twinkle in your lover’s eyes, set the mood with lighting by putting small candles in a mason jar with rose petals and play my Amazon Playlist below!
Super Bowl Entertaining: Bloody Mary Bar
Ingredients:
- 3 oz. of premium vodka
- 3 oz of tomato juice or use your favorite Bloody Mary Mix
- 1 tbs. Horseradish paste
- 3-5 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
- 2 dashes of TABASCO Original Red Sauce
- fresh cracked pepper
- a dash of sea salt
- 1 fresh lime wedge
Tools:
- Highboy glass
- Two mixing glasses
- Olive spoon
- Small skewers or toothpicks
Preparation:
For the rim mix:
In a shallow dish mix equal parts; sea salt, garlic flakes, fresh cracked pepper, paprika, dried parsley, finely chopped dried citrus rind and for an extra kick cayenne pepper.
- Coat the rim of the highboy glass with the juice from the lime wedge and dredge the rim in the mix, fill with ice and set aside.
- In one of the mixing glasses, combine all of the ingredients and roll from one mixing glass to the other to combine. Tomato juice (and pineapple juice) should never be shaken as it makes the juice too foamy.
- Once combined, pour the mixture into the prepared glass and garnish with the skewered olive/onion/lime wheel and celery stick.
Make your bloody mary bar interactive and set up a station where guests can dress up their own drinks! Get creative with the garnishes…I included bacon, fried oysters, and shrimp to name a few.
Super Bowl Entertaining: Hurricane, New Orleans Style
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Old New Orleans Crystal Rum
- 1 oz Old New Orleans Amber Rum
- 3 oz orange juice
- 3 oz unsweetened pineapple juice
- 1/2 oz grenadine syrup
- crushed ice
Preparation:
- Combine all ingredients; mix well (shake or stir).
- Pour over crushed ice in hurricane glass. Best enjoyed through a small straw.
- Garnish with orange wedge and a cherry desired.
Tying back to the location-based theme, Old New Orleans Rum is perfect for a New Orleans Style Hurricane. Distilled in NOLA, Old New Orleans Rum is produced by Celebration Distillation, the oldest premium rum distillery in the United States. The founder of Celebration Distillation, James Michalopoulos, is a New Orleans-based artist, who experimented with distillation through trial and error and with a crew constructed a unique combination pot and column still. For more about Old New Orleans Rum and where you can get it, visit their website at www.oldneworleansrum.com.
Super Bowl Entertaining: The Raven
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Catoctin Creek Watershed Gin
- 1/2 oz lemon juice
- 1/2 oz lime juice
- 2 oz cranberry juice cocktail
- 1/2 oz Blue Curacao
- 1/2 oz Chambord
- crushed ice
Preparation:
- Pour the gin, and blue curacao into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- Strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice.
- Slowly pour the Chambord over the back of a bar spoon so it floats on top.
The Raven is a dark and mysterious cocktail that I’ve adapted from other recipes for the Baltimore Ravens. It calls for Catoctin Creek Watershed Gin, which is distilled in the first legal distillery in Loudoun County since before prohibition by Becky and Scott Harris. Located in the Chesapeake Bay area, this gin perfectly ties in to the location-based theme and in name pays respect to the Chesapeake Bay watershed. It is distilled from organic rye graine with a secret recipe of organic herbs and spices. For more information about Catoctin Creek, you can visit their website at catoctincreekdistilling.com.
Super Bowl Entertaining: The Gold Rush
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Charbay “S” Hop Flavored Whiskey
- 1/2 oz lemon juice
- 1/2 oz lime juice
- 2 oz. orange juice
- lemon wheel and lime wedge for garnish
- crushed ice
Preparation:
- Combine all ingredients, mix well (shake or stir).
- Pour over crushed ice in hurricane glass.
- Best enjoyed through a small straw. Garnish with fruit wedge if desired.
I created The Gold Rush, similar to a Whiskey Sour, for the San Francisco 49ers. This drink calls for Charbay “S” Hop Flavored Whiskey, which is distilled in California and ties into the location theme. Charbay is a family owned business in Napa Valley that has been around since 1984 and is headed by Miles and Marko Karakasevic, a father and son team. Charbay Whiskey S is aged in used Chardonnay French Oak for 22 months, then cut to 99 proof. For more information on Charbay, you can visit their website at www.charbay.com.
Winter Stay-cation Parties
Are you looking to cure the winter blues? During the cold winter months, it’s common for celebrities to take off on luxurious vacations to hot-spots all over the world. Stars are soaking up the sun in exclusive spa resorts and spending tens of thousands of dollars for private island getaways…but what about those of us who can’t make it to our dream destination of choice? I’ll show you how to create a stay-cation party for you and your “posse” with food, drinks and décor inspired by the culture and landscape without the hefty price tag.
- How to Create a Stay-cation Party Theme
Great inspiration for a stay-cation party can be found in the pages for your favorite travel magazines.
Choose a specific destination or you might run the risk of your party becoming a cliché luau or generic tikki party.
- Throw a Lavish Party Without Breaking The Bank
Every budget conscious party planner begins with a comprehensive party plan and a detailed budget to keep them on track (on budget and on time). Another cost saving tip is to look at what you already have at home that can be repurposed in unexpected ways: vases for food services, a festive throw or sarong as a tablecover, etc. Focus on decorative touches in areas of your home that your guests will frequent—setting the tone when the guests walk in at the front door and the bathroom (the two most visited places of the home). The majority of your budget should be spent on food and beverages. Using pre-prepared foods that you can “spice” up can be a considerable time and cost saver.
- How to Announce the Party Theme to Your Guests
Whether emailed or snail mailed, invitations are the first visual clue (or indication) you give your guests as to what the theme is and what is expected of them at the party. Create a collage of your inspiration images in invitations to set the tone. Travel-themed invitations such as passports and postcards can be effective to set the tone with a little bit more work and creativity. The invitation is also the place where you can request guests come in a particular attire to compliment the theme and if there are any special instructions you need to impart (i.e. prompt start time or must prepare to participate in a specific activity). - How to Encourage Others to Dress the Part
The invitation is the place to request specific attire: “flip flops and bathing suits” or “safari gear.” Offer your guests a reward to dress the part: “come barefoot and beautiful to see what the future holds.”
- Do Your Guests Need to Bring a Dish?
Typically my hostess rule is if you are giving a party, then you really shouldn’t ask guests to “pitch in” or bring dishes unless you are clear that it is a potluck dinner. If you are set on having guests bring dishes, then very clear advance notice is required to ensure guests won’t feel put off and will bring dishes that compliment the theme and each other. Make a clear statement on the invitation that each guest is expected to participate and to what extent.
Below are links for drink and food recipes as well as décor tips for 3 different stay-cation themed parties.
Tropical Stay-cation Destination—The Caribbean
If you’re in the mood for a little fun in the sun in the Carribean without the sunburn, click on the link above.
Ski Stay-cation Destination—French Alps
For a cold-climate destination replication of the French Alps, click on the link above.
Exotic Stay-cation Destination—South African Safari Adventure
For a safari adventure to South Africa, click on the link above.
Winter Stay-cation Party: Tropical Destination – The Caribbean
To have some fun in the sun without a sunburn, you can have a tropical stay-cation destination themed party! This one is inspired by the Caribbean and features easy frozen cocktails, pineapple shrimp skewers, and shrimp ceviche!
Frozen Cocktails
Parrot Bay frozen pouches come in three different flavors (Mango Daiquiri, Strawberry Daquiri, and Pina Colada) and are the easiest way to make frozen cocktails. You can layer the beverages with alternating flavors for an added touch–the Strawberry Daquiri and Pina Colada alternating is a great holiday beverage with the red and white layers. You can even set up a Make Your Own garnish bar with fresh fruits and skewers for your guests to garnish their own drinks! Setting up these drinks only requires these three steps:
- Freeze the drinks overnight.
- Pour into a daquiri glass.
- Garnish with fresh fruit skewers.
Pineapple Shrimp Skewers
These skewers are a little sweetness and a touch of heat–one bite later you’ll be savoring the taste of the tropical islands! The recipe below makes 12 skewers.
Ingredients:
- 6 tablespoons Italian dressing
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1.2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 24 uncooked cleaned medium shrimp
- 12 fresh pineapple chunks, approximately 1 inch
- 12 skewers
Method:
- Heat the grill (or if it is too chilly outside – preheat the broiler)
- Mix the first six ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended and add shrimp and pineapple to the mix, toss to coat.
- Thread 2 shrimp and 1 pineapple chunk onto each of the 12 skewers.
- Grill (or broil 6 inches from the heat) for 4 to 5 minutes of until shrimp turn pink.
Shrimp Ceviche
Shrimp ceviche is the perfect tropical dish for seafood lovers! The recipe below serves 4.
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ tablespoons superfine white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon chili paste or sauce
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup minced red onion
- 1 ripe tomato, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- 1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
- 1 pound very fresh medium-small shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 4 avocados, halved
Method:
- In a large glass or plastic bowl, dissolve the sugar, salt, and chili paste in the lime juice.
- Season with pepper and cumin.
- Stir in the garlic, onion, tomato, jalapeno and cilantro.
- Gently mix in the shrimp and then cover. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
- To serve, drain the excess liquid from the shrimp.
- Allow to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes and serve in avocado halves.
Décor
All décor should be designed in a tropical color pallet; lime green, aqua blue, sea foam green, lavender and red hibiscus. This will add color to your home and make you feel as if you really were on a tropical island.
- MYO Luminaries – Give your tropical stay-cation a warm flickering glow with luminaries.
- Gather small paper bags in various tropical colors and place a votive holder with a tea light in to the bag. The light from the tea light will diffuse through the bag creating a soft light that illuminates the room. You can even decorate the bags with punches or cut outs to allow a bit more light to shine through.
- Fruit Centerpieces – To add splashes of color, fill glass vases with whole fruit, oranges, limes, lemons, bananas. Top the vase with a pineapple to create your own palm-tree!
- MYO Leis
- Purchase flowers from your local flower shop or nursery; plumeria, orchids, hibiscus, and gardenia are best. Thread a needle with string or finishing line and thread flowers onto the string by pulling a needle through the center of the flowers. Repeat until you have the desired amount of flowers on the string and then tie the ends together to create a lei.
