A STORY BEHIND EVERY RECIPE
Every tacky sweater party needs a couple of old school snacks to pair with the retro theme. These 5 fun apps/drinks are throwback with a typical Cooktales modern twist. If you're hosting the party, make them all. If you're attending the party, bring one to share. Some may seem a bit silly, but I would never have you eat something that doesn't taste fabulous - it's seriously against my nature and these party snacks are the real deal!
It's hard to believe these jelly molds were all the rage some years ago, but here I am attempting to bring them back - ha! While this particular mold is fruity, booze-filled, and yummy, I really just see this recipe as something fun to have at your tacky sweater party. Or better yet, bring it as a hostess gift! It'll go right along with your silly outfit.
6 ounces cherry gelatin mix
1 cup boiling water
1 cup whipped cream or vanilla vodka
1 cup pitted, sliced cherries - fresh or frozen
1 tablespoon minced mint leaves
Rosemary sprigs - for garnish
Stir gelatin into boiling water until dissolved. Add the vodka, cherries, mint, and mix together. Pour into a greased bundt pan or circle mold. Chill several hours - overnight to be safe.
Before serving, dip the bottom of the mold in warm water to loosen. Place a plate or cake stand over the top of the mold and slowly turn over. Garnish with rosemary sprigs. Cut into slices to serve.
If you've read my cookbook, you know the story of how my cooking career started with my family's heirloom cookbook. These recipes were passed down all the way back to the 1800's and have inspired me from the day I received the book. One of my favorite cocktails from the book that I make throughout the holiday season is my grandmother's recipe for Hot Buttered Rum. If you wanted to give this a modern twist, you could also do it with Bourbon or any Barrel-Aged spirit (I do find the classic spiced rum to be the best though). This is such a fun DIY for guests at your party. Or you could even bring the "hot butter" in a glass jar with a bottle of booze as a hostess gift to the next gathering you attend.
1/2 pound softened butter
1/2 pound light brown sugar
1/2 pound confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pint vanilla ice cream
Dark spiced rum, bourbon, or any barrel-aged spirit - for serving
Cinnamon sticks - for serving (optional)
Whipped cream - for serving (optional)
Beat together the butter, brown sugar, confectioners sugar, and cinnamon until light and fluffy. Fold in the ice cream and freeze until firm.
Serve in mugs or heat-proof glasses with 3 tablespoons of the frozen "hot butter" and 1 shot (or to taste) of booze per cup. Top with hot water and add a cinnamon stick and whipped cream if desired.
If you know anything about me and Tres, you know we love our Napa wines. We are serious Napa Valley regulars and have tasted our share of wines from the well-known wine travel destination. Now, I wouldn't call us "experts." We love wine with food and have been to multiple wine regions all over the world, so we have learned a bit about it over the years. But experts? We know what we like, we know how to pair it with food, and we typically like the good stuff. That's about it.
Of all the wine regions we have visited Napa is our favorite, but wines from there tend to be quite pricy. I happen to think (aside from what a lot of people think are "Disney World For Adults" popularity destination prices) most of the wines are worth it. Of course, that can't be said about all the expensive ones - we've had extremely pricy pours that I couldn't POUR OUT quick enough - but the ones that are good are REAL good and worth every dime.
Last time I was in Napa with my mom we met up with some well-traveled, wine savvy friends. When one of them started passionately talking about how delicious some of the Trader Joe's $4 wines are, I couldn't help but count down the days until the Memphis location opened so I could try them. Since the opening, I've taken it upon myself to find lower-priced wines somewhat comparable to the more expensive wines we love. When you share a bottle a night more often than not, this becomes very necessary. What I discovered downright shocked me. Some of these wines aren't only lower-priced but they're CHEAP - and they're GOOD!
I have now replaced my regular $25-30 a night bottles with $4-10 bottles - no joke. Here's my list with short descriptions. I hope you find it helpful and load up next time you visit Trader Joe's! Remember though, everyone has a different taste for different wines so feel free to venture out and find your own favorites. This list will give you a good starting point!
I had to include at least one fizzy on this list, and this one is solid. A product of France, it has that authentic champagne taste without the heavy authentic champagne price tag.
Since our trip to the south of France last year, I have been extra particular about white wine. As in, I rarely find crisp whites I like anymore unless they come from that region. I have no idea what region this wine comes from, but it is from France and it's my new favorite cheap white. It's so very similar to the crisp, clean whites I fell in love with in Nice, Cannes, and Provence.
I'm a chardonnay gal through and through, particularly in the fall and winter. There's nothing like a creamy, buttery chard cozied up fireside. But the cheap stuff doesn't cut it when it comes to this type of wine. As much as I love chardonnay, "wedding chardonnay" (as I call it) makes me cringe - if you've ever had a cheap, bad chard you know what I'm talking about. For awhile, I was so addicted to Rombauer Chardonnay but got tired of paying for it, so I started going to wine stores asking for lower priced copycats. Let me tell you, they're not easy to find. Most good chardonnay has a higher price tag. This Trader Joe's version comes from the Carneros region (where many delicious Napa Chardonnays are made) and it tastes like it - for a shocking $12.99!
Tres prefers sauvignon blanc when it comes to whites, and this one is Tres-approved. Citrusy, refreshing, bright and crisp - it would pair wonderfully with Thanksgiving turkey, chicken, or white fish.
My choice for a white table wine, a sangria, or a big party you want to buy decent wine for but don't want to pay too much. It's light and goes down easy. Not a to-die-for wine, but will do the job when you need something lower priced.
Fruit forward, smooth, a bit of berry and cream - this is my current top TJ's pick. It reminds me so much of some of my favorite easy-drinking, yet full body reds from Napa. It's also from Paso Robles, another California region of wine we tend to favor. When in doubt, I tend to choose wines from Paso - they rarely disappoint for the price. This one is so very good!!!
Another Paso pick, I've purchased this bottle almost every time I've made a TJ's trip. I just keep coming back to it because it's that good. It's deep, bold and oaky, but with some of that jam flavor I love in some of my favorite good cabs.
I love a good blend, and this one is the perfect example of a nice quality one for less money. Earthy, a bit peppery, with hints of deep fall fruit - this is a great wine for colder seasons. Use a wine aerator or let breathe for a bit before enjoying for the complete experience with this one.
Light, easy to drink - your typical good pinot. Would be fabulous with deer meat and duck cooler months, great with light meats in warmer months. Don't be scared to chill this one in the fridge slightly during hot summer days.
This is my pick for red table wine or when you need red in abundance for large parties and entertaining, but truth be told this may be my #2 pick behind the Liberte - mainly because the price doesn't match how good the wine actually is. I have been opening bottles of this night after night on repeat, and I think it gets better every time I drink it. No, it's not the best red you'll ever drink but for the price, it'll become your favorite weeknight red to just plow through.
Newest find to the list. I randomly picked this bottle, put it in the wine fridge, forgot about it, and when we found it and started drinking it, Tres said, “Is this one of our good bottles?” I couldn’t answer him because I couldn’t remember where it came from. I finally came to the conclusion it wasn’t a travel bottle but then I started thinking maybe a friend brought it over. When I was at a TGs last week, I saw it for a whopping $5.99 and was thrilled! Now I can buy this wine to drink every night!!! I thought it was a $20+ bottle but it’s ceratinly not! Yay!
I say it all the time, but I love any excuse for a party, and St. Patrick’s Day is no exception. I have always throughly enjoyed green beer - not for it's taste, as I'm pretty certain most of the beer used for green beer I would never drink any other day - but because it's festive! I remember the St. Patty's Day my senior year of college. I'd gone through surgery less than a week before and wasn't fully recovered but insisted I could not miss out on a green beer. So I met some of my friends and had one! This recipe is a cleaner, lighter, and more flavorful version, and you'll love serving it to your friends. St. Patrick's Day falls on a Friday this year so there’s no excuse to skip out on celebrating!
Ingredients (4 drinks):
2 bottles ginger beer
2 bottles (Golden, Blonde, or Wheat) beer
Green food coloring
4 large mint leaves, plus more for garnish
Directions:
Several hours before serving, chill 4 beer glasses in the freezer. At an angle, pour equal parts ginger beer and regular beer into the glasses. Squeeze in 4 to 6 drops of food coloring into each glass – depending on how green you desire your beers – and stir to combine. Take each sprig of mint into your palm, one at a time, and smack it with your other hand, like you’re clapping. This releases the herb’s oils and will bring out the mint flavor in the drink. Place a leaf into each of the glasses. Garnish each with another sprig of mint. Serve and keep ‘em coming!
CHEERS TO HAPPY DRINKING!!!
I made these lovelies for Live at the Garden's Heart concert, and they were a huge hit! If you live in Memphis and have never been to one of these concerts, buy tickets for the next one now. They are an absolute blast. You can read more about what Live in the Garden is all about in my last blog post.
And when you go, I highly recommend making and bringing this cocktail. I decided to take the traditional Purple Cow Float and kick it up a notch - chic, adult style. Blackberries, blueberries, lavender simple syrup, and vanilla vodka are blended together, put in a to-go bottle, and packed up with ice cream and sparkling water, so it's perfect for any outdoor gathering or picnic. I used Yarnell's Ice Cream because it is absolutely delicious and makes all the difference with the perfect amount of sweet and creamy - exactly what you want from ice cream. Even better, it's now available in most Memphis Krogers and Walmarts so you can pick some up on your next trip to the grocery store. This is the perfect summer treat!
Grocery list (4 to 6 drinks):
Directions:
1. In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup of water to a boil with the sugar and lavender. Set aside and let cool and steep for at least 10 minutes. Take out the lavender.
2. In a Vitamix or blender, blend together the simple syrup, blackberries, blueberries, and vodka. Transfer to a pitcher or bottle.
3. When ready to serve, pour about 1/4 cup of the purple cow mix into each glass. Add one or two scoops of ice cream and top with the sparkling water. Garnish with lavender stems.
When I was in college, I remember me and my girlfriends making such a big deal about Cinco de Mayo. Any excuse to party, right?! Well, in the good ole Delta of Cleveland, Mississippi, we had two Mexican restaurants: Guadalajara and La Cabana. What's funny is, everyone had their own opinion about which one was better so there was often a debate when we decided where to eat Mexican food - particularly for Cinco de Mayo. Usually whoever got out voted lost, but because we all just wanted to be together, no one ever really cared where we went. If you happened to be the one that got out voted that day, you just threw on some heels, fluffed up your hair, and said, "ok whatever, let's go get margaritas!" Because in the end, it wasn't about the food or the drinks, it was about being together!
Grocery list:
16 oz frozen strawberries
4 cups ice
1 cup white tequila
1 cup triple sec
3/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1 lemon - juiced
1/2 cup agave
Dash of salt
3 bottles Abita Strawberry beers
Directions:
1. Pour the strawberries, ice, tequila, triple sec, lime juice, lemon juice, agave, and salt into a blender. Blend on high until it all comes together.
2. Pour the mixture into a large punch bowl. Open the strawberry beer bottles and turn them upside down, directly into the ice mixture.
3. Serve in salt rimmed glasses.
CHEERS TO HAPPY DRINKING!!!
RECIPE:
Grocery list (4-6 servings):
2 cups fresh or frozen cherries
4 tsp sugar
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
4 cups milk
1 tsp almond extract
Whipped cream, for garnish
Toasted sliced almonds, for garnish
Maraschino cherries, for garnish
Directions:
1. Put the cherries and sugar in a food processor and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Blend together and pour into a strainer over a bowl. Using a spoon, press down on the cherry blend to get as much liquid into the bowl as possible. You should have close to one cup of liquid.
2. Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add white chocolate chips and heavy cream. Whisk until smooth then slowly pour in the milk, cherry juice, and almond extract. Whisk together and serve in mugs when warm. Garnish with whipped cream, almonds, and a cherry if desired.
CHEERS TO HAPPY DRINKING!!
The first time I had anything rose flavored, I was in Vegas and had a drink called Walk in the Garden. It tasted like absolute roses! I told myself I had to go home and start cooking with rose water, and since then, I break the rose water out to cook with every Valentine's Day. This cocktail is romantic and heavenly.
Grocery list:
Directions:
1. In a small saucepan, bring the sugar, rose water, and 1/2 cup water to a boil over high heat. Take off the heat and let cool.
2. Add the rose simple syrup to a blender with ice, lemon juice, Pisco, grenadine, egg whites, and bitters. Blend at the highest speed for about 20 second or until foamy.
3. Pour into 4 lowball glasses and garnish with rose petals.
CHEERS TO HAPPY DRINKING!!!
I know what you're thinking. Where's the BBQ?! I was really going to make this recipe a BBQ one but I already have a great one: my Pork Rind BBQ Nachos. Definitely give them a try - they're a Memphis staple with a healthy twist! BBQ will always be the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to Memphis (next to Elvis, of course), but any local Memphian will tell you we are also known for our local brews! Ghost River, High Cotton, Wiseacre, Memphis Made - these are all some of the best beers I've ever had in life, and Im not just saying that because I'm a local. I wanted to represent a Memphis tailgate in the best way, so I decided to go with something you're sure to see there - local beers everywhere! Of course, I had to throw my own little spin on these brews and turn them into cocktails! If you're not from Memphis and can't get these beers, never fret... I've given examples of what types of beer to use with each recipe!
Grocery List:
1 bottle Ghost River Golden Ale (or any golden ale or golden beer)
6 oz Pumpkin Spice sparkling soda or sparkling water (found at Fresh Market)
Directions:
Pour the golden ale into a large beer mug. Top it off with 6 oz of the soda or enough to fill the glass. Garnish with a straw.
Grocery list:
1 tbsp hibiscus syrup (found in international markets or specialty stores)
High Cotton Hefeweizen or ESB (or any kind of blonde, hefeweizen, or ESB beer)
Hibiscus flower, for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Add hibiscus syrup to a champagne flute. Top it off with blonde beer, hefeweizen, or ESB. Garnish with a hibiscus flower.
Grocery list:
2 oz honey syrup (equal parts honey and water boiled and cooled)
1 oz gin
1 oz lemon juice
Memphis Made Kolsch (or any pale, golden, or German ale)
Directions:
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake together the honey syrup, gin, and lemon juice. Pour into a glass filled with crushed ice and top with the ale. Garnish with a lemon wedge.
Grocery list:
1 oz Khalua or coffee liquor
1 can Wiseacre Gotta Get Up To Get Down (or any coffee stout, coffee beer, or stout)
2 oz half and half
Directions:
Pour coffee liquor in a lowball glass filled with ice cubes. Slowly pour in the coffee stout. Top with half and half. Stir together to drink.
CHEERS TO FOOTBALL SEASON!!!
This weekend Tres was out of town so I went to my best friend Ginger's house for pool time and cocktails! I came up with this concoction using Jones Orchard's Christmas Jam. Yes, I'm aware we have a log way to go until Christmas! But this cocktail is definitely a summer cocktail - the jam is full of strawberries and while it's delicious over a slice of bread it's also perfect as a simple syrup in a cocktail for a hot summer day! If you don't have access to Christmas Jam, you can substitute with strawberry jelly. I featured this recipe today on Local Memphis Live, but wasn't able to show the whole recipe, so here it is! Make this delicious drink asap!
Grocery List:
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Christmas Jam (or strawberry jelly)
3/4 cup basil plus more for garnish
1 cup fresh strawberries - chopped
1 cup fresh watermelon - cubed
1/2 cup vodka
1 bottle prosecco or sparkling wine
Directions:
1. In a small saucepan over high heat combine the water, sugar, jelly, and basil. Bring to a boil for 1 minute then take off heat and let cool. When cooled, remove the basil.
2. Add the strawberries and watermelon to a blender. Blend on high until completely liquified. Pour the fruit mixture through a strainer, into a pitcher to remove pulp from the fruit. Add about 1/2 cup of the simple syrup, the vodka, and the bottle of presseco or sparkling wine. Stir to combine.
3. To serve, add ice to 4-6 glasses, pour the mixture evenly into glasses and garnish with a basil leaf.
CHEERS TO HAPPY DRINKING!!!
This holiday weekend, Tres planted our herb garden, complete with one of my favorites: lavender! While he was out golfing on Monday, I was relaxing outside on our balcony, enjoying a good book and the ambiance of our new spring garden. I decided all these herbs should be broken in, so I decided to make a cocktail. I often use lavender syrup for many of my concoctions, so I knew I wanted to start there. Luck also had it that Tres talked me into buying these fun little lavender soda waters at Fresh Market the day before, so I pulled out our copper mugs and made what only could be described as Lavender Mules!
Grocery List:
Lavender syrup:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
2 large lavender sprigs
Drinks (1 serving):
2 oz vodka
1 small lime - juiced
1 oz lavender syrup
Lavender soda water or Ginger beer
Lime wedges & lavender sprigs - for garnish
Directions:
1. Make simple syrup. Bring sugar, water, and lavender springs to a complete boil. Take off heat to let steep and cool.
2. Fill a copper mug or highball glass with crushed ice. Add vodka, lime juice, lavender syrup and stir together. Top off with the lavender soda water to taste.
3. Garnish with limes and lavender.
CHEERS TO HAPPY DRINKING!!!
Sometimes Tres and I make Sunday a lazy day. It's rare for us to just hang out on the couch and do nothing, but if there's rain or nothing going on, we will take it easy. Last Sunday we were enjoying a day on the couch, catching up on House of Cards of course, and I decided we needed a fun, cozy drink. Just by using what we had in the house, I came up with this lovely coffee!
Grocery List (2 drinks):
1 cup milk
2 tbsp brown sugar
4 cloves
1 star anise
1/2 vanilla bean pod, split with seeds out
2 cinnamon sticks
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch all spice
4 shots espresso or 1 cup coffee
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp powered sugar
Directions:
1. Over low heat in a small saucepan combine milk, brown sugar, vanilla seeds and pods, cloves, star anise, cinnamon sticks, ginger, cinnamon, and all spice. Heat for 10-15 minutes and strain.
2. Brew coffee or espresso and combine with the warm milk.
3. Whip cream and powdered sugar together with a wisk by hand or using a hand mixer.
4. Pour coffee mixture into two glasses and top with the cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Everything about the French life and culture inspires my cooking daily. Because of the French, we now understand and love food in America the way the French have for years. Thanks to the likes of food-obsessed Americans such as Julia Child, M.F.K. Fischer, and James Beard who lived in France and brought French food culture to the US, we now have a country full of "foodies." Every self-proclaimed foodie must spend time in France. It's completely necessary to even get the slightest glimpse of what food is really all about.
This recipe comes inspired by mine and Tres' trip to The champagne region of France last year. There's nothing quite like "champagne country" because guess what?! There's only ONE!!! If you've ever wondered why champagne is so rare and so expensive, it's because champagne is only made in one place: France. You see, champagne can only be made here because the terrain, soil, and climate are absolutely perfect to get the distinct flavor and consistency that is champagne. It's pretty spectacular when you think about it.
As special and fancy as champagne may be, throwing $70+ dollars into a Saturday afternoon cocktail is not always my style. Actually, it's never my style. I would prefer that amount of money to be drank solo... No need to mix it up and wash it down with simple syrup. So, in this case, I cheated a little bit. You don't need champagne for this drink. A sparkling wine, Cava, or Prosecco rose will do just the trick! Rose Lillet, a French aperitif, is added for a zip and sweetness, and something about the fresh honey and berries give this drink a very "French countryside" feel. I want to be in Provence looking at Lavender fields when I drink this.
Grocery List:
1/2 cup honey
1 cup water
1 lemon
3/4 cup of strawberries - sliced
3/4 cup of Rainier cherries - pitted and halved
3/4 cup red raspberries
1 cup rose Lillet - chilled
1 bottle sparkling rose - chilled
Directions:
Step 1:
Make the berry-honey syrup. In a saucepan, bring the honey, water, and 1/4 cup each of the strawberries, cherries, and raspberries to a boil. Slightly mash the berries in the syrup and set aside to cool.
Step 2:
Add the remainder of the berries to a pitcher. Slice a lemon in half. Juice one half into the pitcher and slice the other half into small pieces and add with the berries.
Step 3:
Strain the berry-honey syrup into the pitcher and discard the mashed berries. Add the Lillet and the bottle of sparkling rose into the pitcher. Stir and serve!
CHEERS TO HAPPY DRINKING!!
Mimosa... the simple drink that can create a million stories in a lifetime. It's the happy place every Saturday and Sunday for every brunching human out there. It's bliss. And it's two ingredients: sparkling wine (or champagne if you get really fancy) and OJ. Big brunch restaurants have spiced this drink up thousands of different ways, and I've maybe tried 100 different versions. I have to say though, the original is my sunshine in a glass. You just simply don't have to do too much to this drink to make it "the best mimosa ever." However, I've found fresh orange juice never hurts. And a little sweetness can make any little lady (or dude with a sweet tooth) happy. Here's a fun version that will present beautifully at any brunch party or morning gathering!
IMG_3256
Grocery List:
8-10 large oranges
1 bottle of sparkling wine, cava, prosecco, or champagne
1/4 cup of sugar
zest from one orange
Directions:
.
Step 1
Juice your oranges. You can do this by hand or with whatever juicing tool you have on hand. I simply juice mine right into a measuring cup by hand
.
Step 2
Pour sugar on a small plate. Zest orange into the sugar. Stir together.
.
Step 3:
Take an orange slice and "rim your glass" with the juice from the orange. Dip your class in the sugar-orange mixture
.
Step 4
Fill glass 3/4 way with the sparkling and after the bubbles settle add fresh OJ.
Easy-peasy!!!
CHEERS TO HAPPY DRINKING!!!