Beekman 1802 Has Arrived!

Beekman 1802 has arrived.

Great news in ATLANTA! My Beekman 1802 order has arrived! Blaak Cheese, Cajeta and soap! Initial reaction: The order was perfectly packages and everything seems to have arrived in perfect condition.

Soaps: They smell so good, I ordered a bar of Autumn and Winter. I’m not sure which I like best but I will let you know. From my initial sniffs they definitely evoke the appropriate seasons!

The Cheese: Even through it’s packaging it smells delicious! I’m beyond excited to unwrap and share with friends. I’ll have to run out and gran a nice bottle (or 4) of Champagne.

I didn’t open the Cajeta, but I’m sure it’s beyond good!

I’m thinking a gathering of friends is in order to share this Upstate New York bounty! It’s going to be a beautiful fall weekend here in town!

Stay tuned for some reviews.

Skinnygirl Throw Down: Margarita vs. Sangria

Finally found the Sangria at Savi Urban Market!

I’m a huge fan of the Skinnygirl Margarita! I’ve been a loyal guilt free drinker since it’s launch. I was stoked when they announced a new flavor, Skinnygirl Sangria (I love me some Sangria). I was FINALLY able to try the new Sangria down here in HOTLANTA and it’s time for a little throw down: Skinnygirl Margarita vs. Skinnygirl Sangria. Who will win the battle? Let’s pour a few glasses and see. Each category gets 10 points to slip between the 2, beverage with the most points wins.

First Impression (Sight and Smell):
SGM: 7 SGS: 3
I just love the color and smell of the Margarita! It screams refreshing goodness! Sangria’s somewhat apple juice color doesn’t quite do it for me, however I do enjoy the sweet smell.

Taste (perhaps the most important category):
SGM: 8 SGS: 2
Maybe I’m biased but the Margarita knocks the Sangria out of the bottle! The Skinnygirl Margarita tastes JUST like a Margarita (if not better)! The flavors are perfectly balanced and refreshing. The Sangria just didn’t taste like Sangria, I can’t get the vision or taste of apple Juice out of my head.

Versatility (let’s get creative and create some new variations)
SGM: 4 SGS: 6

Jazzed up Sangria w/ some tids and bits!

After some experimentation I was able to add some other fresh ingredients to each cocktail to create some new twists. I had the most fun with the Sangria! I had company over and I poured the bottle into a nice pitcher, added fresh berries and some blueberry flavored vodka (let it sit in the fridge for a couple hours).  When it came time to serve, I filled large wine goblets with some ice, added the sangria and topped it off with some sparkling water.

I continued experimenting by adding other fresh fruits and liquors (it was such fun). I added some spiced rum, apples and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper) and it didn’t quite work out, but I think with a little finessing I may be able to create a nice spicy winter sangria. Speaking of spicy, infuse your Skinnygirl margarita with some jalapenos and you have a nice spicy refreshing cocktail! YUM!

Enjoying some Skinnygirl Margs!

To me the winner is the Skinnygirl Margarita! It is just perfect in every way, I feel like I’m drinking a high calorie margarita but in fact it’s a guilt free drink which is delicious and most importantly fresh. Other pre-mixed cocktails taste stale and are usually too sweet, that is NOT the case here! Bravo Skinnygirl! I’m beyond excited for the white cranberry cosmo, I just hope it doesn’t take that long to get into the Georgia stores (I’ve started making daily calls for it).

Final tally: Margarita 19 Sangria 11

Which flavor do you like better!?

Recipe: Greens and Beans

Last night was the kind of night where I went home and had no clue what to make for dinner. I looked in the fridge and it was slim pickings however there was a nice bushel of kale so I made greens and beans. Last night’s was a bit nontraditional (due to the fact that I had to use what was on hand), the end result was very tasty.

Ingredients:
2 bunches of kale (very roughly chopped and ribs removed)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large shallot finely chopped (or 2 small)
1/3 cup chopped turkey pepperoni (regular will also work)
1 tomato (diced)
3 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (1 tablespoon dried)
1 can of cannelloni beans (rinsed)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
64 ounces of Chicken stock
grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Prepare kale by doing a very rough chop and removing the ribs rinse and sprinkle some salt, let it sit for 10 minutes and rinse again. Heat olive in a large stock pot over medium heat, add shallots and saute for 2 minutes, add pepperoni and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Add tomato, garlic and parsley; cook for 2 minutes before adding the beans. Add beans and crushed red pepper (along with a dash of salt and pepper). After another 2-3 minutes add the Kale and stir into the ingredients, saute for 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a light boil (check to see if more salt, pepper and crushed red pepper is needed). Simmer for 35 – 45 minutes or until the greens are tender. Before serving let it sit for 15 – 20 minutes. Serve in shallow bowls and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. ENJOY!

PS: Grab some crusty bread from the market (for dipping).

Sunday Dinner: A Tribute

The table is set for Sunday Dinner

I think my most favorite thing about food is its power to bring people together. Since I can remember I’ve always had Sunday Dinner (whether it be with family, friends or both). This tradition dates back to before I was born and continues to live on in my household. I would say 95% of my childhood Sundays were spend at my Grandma and Grandpa’s house. The house with filled with the sights and sounds of a home-cooked Italian meal (usually sauce and meatballs w/ chicken and potatoes and antipasto).

There was always something special about Sunday Dinner, the feeling of having everyone together and the fact that we were eating “dinner” at 1pm in the afternoon made everything feel more special. I like to continue the tradition here in Georgia by spending most of my weekend in the kitchen.  This past weekend I cooked up some sauce and meatballs and rolled out some homemade pasta (all with a head cold – not to brag). Making sauce is a labor of love, once you have all the ingredients together you just need to give it some time to reach it’s peak flavor. I start my sauce the morning before I plan on serving (so if I’m serving on a Sunday I start Saturday morning). I cook the sauce for about 10 hours on Saturday, let it cool, store in the fridge overnight and resume simmering the next day for 5-6 hours. The end result is a ruby red stock pot of delicious red sauce. Don’t forget the meatballs! I will be posting my recipes for both of those soon (along with a video tutorial on how to roll out some fresh pasta).

This Sunday get some friend and/or family together for a nice Sunday Dinner! What’s on the menu for this Sunday, stay tuned.

The start of something good.

Favorite Things: Mast Brothers Chocolate Bars

Mast Brothers Chocolate and a Cappuccino

Nothing beats an awesome chocolate bar. My current favorite and soon to be snack box staple is Mast Brothers Chocolate Bars (yes I have a snack box). The experience begins with beautifully designed wrappings and continues through the gold foil.

To date I’ve tried the Brooklyn Blend (strong chocolate flavor with a nice hint of tobacco) and the Serrano Pepper. I was amazed at how fresh the Serrano flavor was, normally pepper flavored bars tend to taste more like dried peppers, not the case here, the Serrano flavor was spicy and refreshing. I had to resist eating the whole bar.

The Mast Brothers Chocolate Bar is an experience and they will make great gifts for the holidays (can we say host/hostess gifts?)! I plan on stoking up. Locally in Atlanta you can find the bars (in many different flavors) at the market at Star Provisions they retail for $8.50 a bar. I look forward to trying the Stumptown Coffee and Cocoa Nibs! Also they pair great with a glass of red or espresso! Hope you enjoy this Favorite Thing!

For more info visit: Mast Brothers Chocolate

Mast Brother Chocolate at Star Provisions

Market Meal: Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Triangle Ravioli

Market Meal: TJ's Butternut Squash Ravioli Triangles

It’s time for a super quick and easy Market Meal using mostly store bought ingredients with some easy gourmet flairs!

Shopping List:
1 package of Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Triangle Ravioli (if you don’t live near a TJ’s, check your local grocer’s refrigerated pasta section)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Fresh Sea Salt
Fresh Sage (or dried if you’re in a bind)
Dried Cranberries (can also sub Golden Raisins)
Sliced Toasted Almonds
Grated Parmesan Cheese

So how are we going to jazz up these store bought ravioli? A quick brown butter sauce!

Begin by boiling water for the Ravioli, once it’s boiling, start cooking the ravioli (follow package instructions) and begin the brown butter sauce.

Over medium heat melt the butter, keep cooking and swirling the frying pan until the butter begins to brown, once it strats browning add a couple dashes of sea salt, the sage and the cranberries, continue to cook for another minute and once browned remove from the heat. Add the cooked ravioli to the brown butter sauce and return to the stove on low-medium heat for 1-2 minutes and coat the ravioli and meld all the flavors together. Throw the ravioli on a platter and sprinkle with with grated Parmesan cheese and toasted almonds. Serve with a salad and you have a delicious meal with just a tiny bit of effort!

Roast Chicken Season: Chicken Stock

Chicken Stock

We’ve been getting some great mileage with our roasted chicken and more recipes and ideas are on the way. One of my favorite benefits to roasting a chicken is being able to use the carcass to make homemade chicken stock. Let’s face it, a good boxed chicken stock is hard to find. I’ve actually narrowed down my store bought chicken stock to 2 brands and I won’t variate from them (I see a favorite things post in the near future). The only thing to trump my 2 favorite stocks is homemade chicken stock.

Making homemade chicken stock is easy and fun (yes fun). It allows you an opportunity to clear out the vegetable bin in your fridge. There are several ingredients which I think are essential and some other ingredients which can be fun to add (if you have them on hand). So here is my recipe for making a nice chicken chicken stock.

1 Chicken Carcass with dark meat and some white meat still attached
*I also add any leftover drippings that I might have saved from the roasting process
2 large onions (peeled each cut into quarters)
2 shallots (peeled and left whole)
4 large or 6 small carrots (unpeeled and washed, cut them into 2 halves or thirds)
3-4 celery stalks (cut into thirds)
6-8 cloves of garlic (peeled and left whole)
Large Bunch Fresh Herbs (I prefer parsley, rosemary, thyme and dill)
16 ounces Fresh Whole Mushroom (preferably Baby Bella)
1 lemon (cut into quarters)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 tablespoons Sea Salt
1 tablespoon Whole Black Peppercorns

Combine ingredients with 6 quarts water in a large 16 quart stock pot. Bring to a boil then reduce and simmer for 4-5 hours (uncovered). About 3 1/2 hours in give it a nice taste and see if additional seasoning is necessary. Once it’s done simmering let cool on the stove for a bit then run it all through a colander (throw away the solids) if you like a more “pure broth”, run the liquid through a fine sieve. Store the broth in an airtight container and let it sit in the fridge, once it cools all the yucky fats will rise to the surface and it will make it easier to skim (do so after the broth has been refrigerated for at least 8 hours). Use within a day or 2, or freeze for up to 2 months.

What to do with the stock? I guess I can pass along a soup recipe or two, stay tuned!