This week, we’re featuring six recipes/ideas from the Blue Kitchen archives for entertaining, celebrating and just feeling festive.
The holidays are upon us. Time for parties, family get-togethers, intimate dinners and even being indulgent on your own. Food—and drink—play a big part in all of it. Let’s start with something to drink. Continue reading “Six recipes for eating, drinking merrier”
This classic New Orleans cocktail includes gin, orange flower water, half-and-half, an egg white, citrus juices and a whole lot of shaking. Recipe below.
Years ago, when I was fairly new to this drinking thing, one of the first cocktails I ever tried was a Ramos Gin Fizz. The identity of the date who suggested it has vanished from my memory bank—what a fate, to be remembered only for a long-ago beverage—but I do remember how much I liked the drink. Frothy, light, citrusy, it tastes like frivolity and—being mostly gin—can pack quite a wallop. Continue reading “The Ramos Gin Fizz: definitely shaken, not stirred”
With just five ingredients—strawberry-infused vodka, fresh basil, simple syrup, lemon juice and club soda—this cocktail is as cool and easy as summer itself. Recipe below.
So suddenly, kids are back in school. And I’m getting frantic emails about recipes to try and beaches to check out before summer’s over. How did that happen? Thanks to overly hectic schedules and unseasonably cool temperatures (which we love, don’t get me wrong), summer seems to have slipped out the back door on us. Continue reading “Summer in a glass: Strawberry-infused Vodka Cooler with Basil”
One of the fun things about writing a food blog is getting to know other food bloggers—even if it’s only “knowing” them from their blogs. This week, I thought I would share recipes from five fellow bloggers I read pretty regularly. Dig in. Continue reading “Five recipes, five favorite bloggers”
An admittedly biased (and sometimes not so biased) rant on why to avoid stemless wineglasses.
IN THE 1970s, SHELL GAS STATIONS gave out NFL goblets with fill ups. My mom’s kitchen cabinet quickly became filled with them. They were free, after all, and their smoked tint—all the rage at the time—made them a step up from the Flintstone jelly glasses they pushed aside. Today when I see stemless wineglasses, I can’t help but see the ghost of those gas station goblets. Continue reading “Just say no to stemless wineglasses”
For attentive service with a side of good dinner conversation, try snagging a seat at the restaurant’s bar.
Friday was our wedding anniversary. When our dinner plans suddenly fell through, we happened to be near Rootstock Wine & Beer Bar. We were offered a perfectly lovely table or seats at the bar. We chose the bar.
Just to clarify, I’m not talking about eating bar snacks in a bar. No wings, jalapeño poppers or clever little sliders. That’s a different experience, fun in its own right, but here I mean dining at the bar in a place that serves a chef-driven menu. Continue reading “The simple pleasures of dining at the bar”
Just in time for summer picnics, cookouts or quiet evenings on the porch, three very drinkable French whites for under $10.
First, let me admit that white wines are pretty much my year-round go-to wine. While I do enjoy a nice big red with steak or a roast or duck, my first choice for settling in for the evening with a glass of wine is generally an oaky Chardonnay. When warm weather arrives, I’m happy that I can indulge my preference without worrying about raising an eyebrow when I order. Here are three affordable French whites, perfect for summer. Continue reading “Three bargain French white wines for summer”
Three modest reds from Spain that are delightful and easy to drink.
For a long time now, my preferred nightcap has been a glass of red wine. I am always migrating among different varietals, and for a while now I’ve been drinking a lot of monastrells from Spain.
Monastrell, called Mourvèdre in France and Mataro in Australia, is one of the world’s ancient varietals—Wikipedia says it most likely was brought to Spain around 500 BC by the Phoenicians. The same grape grows in France, in the US and in Australia, sometimes being bottled on its own and sometimes making its way into blends. In Spain, the hot, dry climate suits it admirably, and it is widely planted in eastern regions like Yecla, Alicante and Jumilla. Continue reading “For affordable, delicious red wines, turn to Spain’s monastrells”
Gin and tonic, a quintessential summer cocktail, gets refreshed with basil, lemon juice and St-Germain elderflower liqueur. Recipe below.
The artisan cocktail movement has turned happy hour into an adventure—part grownup playdate, part science fair. Bartenders are now alchemists, creating inventive, flavorful drinks from small-batch craft spirits, housemade bitters and all manner of herbs, fruits, vegetables and more. We embrace this trend. These days, we’re as likely to ask for a cocktail menu as we are a wine list, in a bar or even out for dinner. An imaginative, well-mixed cocktail just seems to amp up the fun and the elegance.
At home, this cocktail renaissance has us taking a fresh look at our classic go-to drinks. What is more summery than a gin and tonic? The original, made with gin, tonic water, lime and ice, is bracing and fresh, driven by gin’s signature juniper berry taste. But on a recent evening when I thought of gin and tonics, another archetypal taste of summer popped into my head. Basil. Continue reading “Classic cocktail remix: Basil Lemon Gin and Tonic”
Vosges Haut-Chocolat introduces three new flavors for fall. And Wine Enthusiast Magazine releases its Top 100 Best Buys for 2012.
Dessert with a capital D is only a sometime thing here at Blue Kitchen, but we do like to keep chocolate on hand. Just a square or two after dinner gives the meal a sweet finish without committing to a big, calorie-laden slice or scoop of anything. So when artisanal chocolatier Vosges Haut-Chocolat invited us to join its VIP Blogger Program, we were more than happy to oblige.
A couple of perks of the program are preview announcements of new flavors and—more to the chocolate-loving point—occasional samples of those new flavors. Case in point are three new chocolate bars for fall. Continue reading “Small Bites: 3 new haut chocolates from Vosges and 100 top wines for $15 or less”