Beer Wine Spirits Archives | Page 6 of 7

Green Tea Bubble Tea

December 29, 2011

My fascination with bubble tea began towards the end of my time as an undergraduate at Purdue. Tucked in the corner, among the shops on Chauncey Hill, a new shop opened. For a while we wondered what this little place was which other students – mostly Asian – were flocking to.

At this point in time, although I was up to my forehead in food and nutrition from an academic perspective, I have to admit I knew nothing of food culture. My husband – then fiancée – convinced me to give it a try and my knowledge of beverages hasn’t been the same since.

I loved the texture and consistency; the almond, coconut and fruit flavors. I loved everything down to the big straws and the chewy bubbles. Simply put, it’s unique; I can’t think of anything like it in the U.S. In fact, most people I know would be turned off by chewing their beverages.

Bubble tea has been difficult to find since then. We were exposed to many more bubble drinks when we traveled around Southeast Asia a few years ago, but I’ve been interested in making my own to compensate for the lack of access here.

So when I was flipping through the cookbook Cooking WithoutBorders by Anita Lo with Charlotte Druckman, the Green Tea Bubble Tea caught my eye. Not only was this my chance to make it, but this version just happens to be a cocktail. And what better time for a cocktail than while ringing in the New Year?

Regardless of whether or not you like bubble tea – or even cocktails – this cookbook deserves some exploring. The fusion Lo creates in her recipes is remarkable. Take, for example, the Barbecued Squid with Edamame and Boiled Peanuts, Chilled Grapefruit and Ginger Soup with Sweet Avocado Mousse or Turkey with Spicy Black Beans in Tofu Dumplings.

The cookbook includes all types of meats from pork to rabbit, but it is the seafood dishes that stand out to me. You’ll find several varieties of ceviche, soft shell crab and halibut. The cocktail section is small, but unexpected and original, from the Celery-Dill Martini to this bubble tea.

In the book, Lo describes the drink as an Asian White Russian. I couldn’t agree more, and White and Black Russians just happen to be some of my favorite cocktails. I searched for green tea powder here with no success. Therefore, I brewed strong green tea and made that into the green tea syrup.

This is a strong, but sweet drink ending with the chewy bubbles. If nothing else, the black bubbles in the bottom of your cocktail will serve as a conversation starter.

Happy New Year!

Green Tea Bubble Tea

From Cooking Without Borders by Anita Lo, reprinted with permission from Abrams Books

For the green-tea simple syrup:

1 cup sugar

¼ cup green-tea powder

Pinch of salt

1 cup boiling water

For each drink:

2 tablespoons black bubble-tea

bubbles, cooked, strained, and

rinsed according to package

instructions

Splash of amaretto

2 ounces vodka

1½ ounces green-tea simple syrup, or

to taste

2 ounces milk

Make the green-tea simple syrup: Whisk the sugar with the green-tea

powder and salt until no clumps remain. Slowly add the boiling water,

whisking constantly until dissolved. Strain if necessary to remove clumps.

Let cool.

Make the drink: Combine the cooked “bubbles” with the amaretto in a

rocks glass and fill with ice. Put the vodka, green-tea simple syrup, and

milk in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into the rocks glass.

Serve with a wide straw.

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Banana Bourbon Scones with Walnuts

October 17, 2011

I seem to be big on adding spirits to my breakfast pastries. I justify this by considering them brunch-friendly. I mean, you break out the champagne or vodka at breakfast and people will look at you like you are a weirdo. Name your breakfast brunch and they’ll have a glass with you.

I experimented with bourbon in my scones back in April for Derby with Mint Julep Scones. I was happy with the result, so when those oh-so-common brown bananas were staring at me from the counter, scones came to mind, followed by bourbon.

Banana Bourbon Scones with Walnuts | Fake Food Free

With these scones, I cooked the banana down with butter and bourbon, caramelizing it just a bit. That went into the white whole wheat flour and I added a little crunch with walnuts. These scones are pretty sweet on their own, but for a little seasonal flavor I did a very light drizzle of a maple glaze.

Once again, don’t be afraid to have a little bourbon for breakfast.

Banana Bourbon Scones with Walnuts

Makes: 6 to 8 scones

Ingredients

1 overripe banana
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp Kentucky bourbon
2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp Demerara sugar
½ tsp salt
¼ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
¼ cup walnuts, chopped
1-2 tbsp milk or cream

Glaze (optional):
3 tbsp confectioner’s sugar
1 tbsp maple syrup
Milk

Prep

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the banana and mash with the butter. Pour in the bourbon and cook, stirring often, for about 3 minutes. Set aside

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add the butter and blend with a pastry blender or fork until the butter is in pea-size pieces throughout the flour.

Pour in the banana mixture and stir until incorporated. Add the walnuts. Slowly add the milk or cream a tablespoon at a time until a dough forms. It should be firm enough to roll out for cutting the scones.

Place the dough on a floured surface and use your hands (or a rolling pin) to press it out to about ¾ inch thickness. Use a biscuit cutter or drinking glass to cut out the scones. Place on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until the scone begins to brown and is firm in the center. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.

To glaze, mix the confectioner’s sugar with the maple syrup in a small dish. Slowly add milk, one teaspoon at a time, until a thin, drizzling consistency is reached. Drizzle over cooled scones and let set before serving.

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Food and Fellow Bloggers in Danville, Kentucky!

August 27, 2011

Picturesque; a term often overused yet I can think of few that better describe Danville, KY. Streets lined with manicured hanging flower baskets and old-fashioned store fronts. This small Kentucky city is full of history while managing to also be a trendy college town.

For the five years we lived in Lexington, I had always heard about Danville. I kept meaning to visit, but never took the opportunity. Once when we moved out of the city a little over ago, I got my land, my cattle farm view and my garden, but I also got Danville. Not bad timing either, especially for a foodie.

You see, Danville went wet just a little while back. If you are unfamiliar with small-town USA this means that they now allow alcohol to be served and sold in the area.

While going wet rarely brings the threat of people falling victim to a life of gambling and working the corners as many opponents fear, what it does bring with it are restaurants. Locally owned, locally sourced, unique restaurants.

Some of us in the area have begun the process of forming the Kentucky Food Bloggers Association. Word has been getting out and the Danville Boyle Co Convention & Visitors Bureau invited us to take a a food tour of the city, our first organized event as a group.

Nine bloggers from the central Kentucky area were in attendance. Cameras and notebooks in hand we tackled Danville one bite at a time.

Our first stop was the V the Market, a quaint shop offering everything from cheeses to wines and beers. You can get the rarest of imports as well as the varieties closest to home. Our host shared her interesting stories of how she sources her products and manages to get her hands on some of the rarest offerings in the area. Things like this blue goat cheese and Life & Limb crafted beer.

She worried she was boring us with her stories, but I could have sat on that couch and listened all night. Food, especially food this outstanding, is never boring to me whether you are eating it, hearing about it or taking photos of it.

Next was Mermaid’s Bar and Bistro. This little place is the perfect balance of modern and homey which was nicely represented by martinis sitting on the glowing bar right in front of the homemade meringue pie. We were served generous portions of Mermaid Punch which was followed by Porch Punch, both of which tasted like summer in a glass.

Soon after came a beautiful sampling of food. A prosciutto wrapped prawn, a portion of locally sourced tender steak and gently seared tuna with greens wrapped in a cucumber with a wasabi sauce.

Slowly starting to get full, but still in need of food to counteract the effects of all the punch, we walked down to 303 W of Danville. Bar food lovers, this is your place! This restaurant has the atmosphere of European pub meets US tavern. We were greeted with smiling faces as we marched in armed with DSLRs. We likely looked as if we were sniffing the air knowing that food was near.

We were greeted with a table full of appetizers. Pretzel sticks with pimento cheese, veggies with beer cheese, Wild Alaskan fish fingers, tortilla crusted pizza with spinach, artichokes and chicken, and two kinds of wings. We passed, we picked, we shared, and we got a bit of history about the location.

The most interesting to me was that the wood floors had been salvaged from Hamburg. Hamburg is an area in Lexington that is now full of strip malls, but it used to be a horse farm. The floors were from horse barns and likely had a few derby winners walk across them.

Bordering on “okay, now I’m starting to get really full,” we headed to the Bluegrass Pizza and Pub. Along with V the Market, this was the only place I had been to before, a couple times actually. The place itself isn’t our cup of dining-out tea, but that doesn’t take away from the pie. The pizza here is excellent and it has a lot to do with their crust – the ideal combination of crispy and chewy with just the right thickness.

This place is packed all the time and Thursday night was no exception. We were approached by several people who wanted to know who we were and why this crazy group was photographing their table.

We dined on the Mediterranean pizza with chicken, artichoke, olives and red onions. This was paired with bread sticks and a rich tomato sauce for dipping. And you can’t forget the cheese sticks! What is it about bread, cheese and garlic that is just so good?!

Now, officially full, we headed to the Beer Engine. One thing that has surprised me about Danville is that when they went wet, they went straight for the good stuff – microbrews and some of the most sought after craft beers around. V the Market, 303 W and Bluegrass Pizza all carry these types of beers. You can stop in for a pint or fill a growler (or two) to take home.

At the Beer Engine we were greeted with the kind of place where you just wanna hang out and perhaps discuss world issues over a pint. Or just drink a pint and discuss the masterpiece you have in hand. We got a unique tasting of some amazing beers and I didn’t get the names of all of them, but Dogfish Head Festina Peche and King George’s Nut Brown were part of the tasting. We also had a delicious stout and a honey beer. There were several in the group who did not drink, so the others of us who did took one for the team and made up for them.

Dinner, drinks…what else is there? If you didn’t just yell “dessert” at your computer I’m disappointed.

Yes, dessert!

All the dessert establishments were closed at the late hour our tour finished up, but they managed to host us without actually being open.

First, cupcakes from the Twisted Sifter.

Now I’ve visited this place a time or two and they are by far the best cupcakes I’ve had in the central KY area. (Did you hear that, Food Network? I’m talkin’ Cupcake War quality!) Not only that, but you can actually afford them more often than once a month which may or may not be a good thing. Our tasting flavors were Champagne and Pumpkin Spice. Speechless.

Burke’s Bakery is a Danville institution. I’m pretty sure I’ve never met anyone from Danville who hasn’t said something about Burkes upon answering the question, “Where are you from?” Burke’s is the epitome of an old fashioned bakery making the kind of cookies you used to get in Grandma’s kitchen. They gave us a bag of goodies including these cookies and one of their donuts. Did I mention they do all kinds of baked goods?

The cookies are small. Remember the kind we used to get when portion sizes were appropriate? This also means that a dozen will set you back a whopping $2.50 so when you visit be prepared to control yourself!

Dessert three. Yes, three and I’m not complaining. We got some gorgeous gift bags from Karamel Kreations. This place has holiday gifts written all over it for me. One of those – I could never make a caramel this good – places. I know that because there is a caramel missing from this picture. I felt it my obligation as a food blogger to try it before sharing it with you. You’re welcome.

I’d like to extend a special thank you to each of the staff from the Danville Boyle Co Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Danville Boyle Co Economic Development Partnership, and all the owners of the fine establishments we visited and tasted!

Danville – go, eat, drink, enjoy!

Disclaimer: All foods featured in this post were provided free of charge. I was not required to post about any food or establishment and received no compensation for doing so.

Road Trip to South Carolina – Seafood and More

March 17, 2011

I briefly mentioned that my recent absence was due to some time spent in the south. More south than Kentucky, that is. Last week we took a family road trip to Hilton Head Island with my husband’s parents. Then, completely by coincidence, I went back to Charleston later in the week for a conference for work.

We left Kentucky on Friday afternoon and spent the night in Asheville, NC. I was as excited about this stop as the visit to HHI because I’d never been to Asheville. Using my work and blogging connections I got a great tip for dinner – Tupelo Honey Cafe. (Thanks, Melissa!)

There are two locations in Asheville, but since we had never seen downtown we took a cab and came upon this earthy, quaint, yet trendy joint.

The menu is full of local, naturally raised ingredients. The foods are made from scratch and they had a nice selection of local beers. While we were waiting for a table, I tried the organic Pisgah Porter while I checked out the restaurant’s cookbook.

Scratch-made biscuits with jam arrived at the table soon after we sat down. For a starter, we went with the Local Goat Cheese Plate for Two. Fantastic! A generous mound of light, tangy goat cheese topped with marinated sun-dried tomatoes and olives with greens, surrounded by grilled bread.

We shared entrees – one on the lighter side and one a bit heavy, but completely worth its weight. The grilled Tupelo Tomato Sandwich had fresh tomato, havarti cheese and mayo, served with a house salad. This was a great sandwich that reminded me that spring and summer are on the way.

While I didn’t order them often, I do miss a good fried chicken sandwich. It’s nearly impossible to find naturally raised chicken served like this, but not a Tupelo Honey. The Southern Fried Chicken BLT included fried free-range chicken and maple peppered bacon on an artisan bun. It was crispy and tender. They allow substitution of any side dish for the standard home fries so I had to go with sweet potato fries.

I could have stayed in Asheville a lot longer, but the next morning we were off to Hilton Head. This is the point where I introduce you to lots and lots of seafood. My husband and I were determined to overdose on the fresh stuff. It’s way too rare here in central KY.

Our first restaurant feast was Skull Creek Boathouse with a beautiful sunset view.

We first ordered the Triggerfish Ceviche special that was prepared with Asian flavors. It was beautiful and the fish tasty, but we all agreed we like traditional ceviche better with the tangy bite of citrus.

My husband and I split most of our meals so we could try more things and I’m pretty sure we got at least one fried platter each time. We love seafood of all kinds, but when by the water with beer, some type of fried seafood is always on our menu.

Here he ordered the oyster, shrimp and flounder combo. Everything was lightly fried and full of flavor.

I ordered the Big Kahuna Tuna Burger. This sandwich was outstanding! My second favorite meal of the trip. It included a tuna steak topped with Japanese slaw and sashimi aioli. Again, tasty sweet potato fries.

Now, on to the most cultural culinary part of the trip. I read about Dye’s Gullah Fixins’ on Trip Advisor and learned it is one of the top rated restaurants on the island (for the people who discover it). It is tucked away in an almost empty strip mall and the food that comes out of this small restaurant is nothing short of amazing.

Dye takes your reservations (they are required) and will greet you at the door. She prides herself on making recipes passed down from generations that are Lowcountry, Gullah cooking. She came to our table during our meal to explain that the basis of this type of cooking is to keep it simple. Very few spices, long, slow cooking times and using only what is readily available in the area. It was southern food at its finest with such a strong history.

Drink orders came around and my husband couldn’t pass up trying authentic sweet tea. I have to be honest, to me, sweet tea is sweet tea, but everyone in South Carolina promises theirs is the best. I would expect this one was as good as it gets.

We started with Sweet Potato Cornbread – light, tender and melted in the mouth. Dye’s had pieces of sweet potato in it. (I later had some in Charleston made with sweet potato flour, which I found interesting and need to learn more about.)

The syrup on top wasn’t maple, but made from cane sugar. It was intensely sweet and complex, and went well with the buttery cornbread.

Of course we couldn’t pass up Dye’s Fried Seafood Platter. This one had whiting, shrimp, oysters, a crab cake and hushpuppies. For my sides I went all out with mac and cheese, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try her collard greens.

Everything was very lightly breaded and not as heavy as one would expect. The greens were by far the best collards I’ve eaten.

My husband ordered the Lowcountry Boil. This platter was as incredible as it looks – shrimp, sausage, peppers and onions, potatoes, corn and a hardboiled egg. It was all lightly seasoned and the flavors of the fresh seafood made it so simple, yet so delicious.

If you’re in the area, I highly recommend all these stops! Locavore eating all around, the food on our trip fulfilled all we were wanting from our short time by the shore.

Doodles with Bourbon, or a Day in Central Kentucky

February 28, 2011

Whether you drink it or don’t, love it or hate it, welcome it or ban it, there is no denying that bourbon holds a significant part of Kentucky’s history. Much more than fried chicken, despite the fact that when I tell someone I live in Kentucky, fried chicken is the first thing they mention. Even before horses, I might add.

Bourbon is something that truly puts Kentucky on the map and for good reason. The making of this spirit is quite an art that has been passed down for generations. Ninety-five percent of all bourbon produced comes from right here in central Kentucky.

This weekend we had a birthday to celebrate, my husband’s. When deciding what he would like to do in honor of the big day, he quickly mentioned continuing The Bourbon Trail. Thus far, we have been to Woodford Reserve, Maker’s Mark, and Buffalo Trace (even though they don’t take part in the actual Bourbon trail promotion). This time we wanted to see Wild Turkey and Four Roses.

I’ll tell you a little about our day as well as sum up the one distillery you shouldn’t miss if you are in central Kentucky. First, however, let me tell you how we started our day.

Yes, let’s get to the food.

Doodles, in addition to its cute name and artistic roosters, resides in a building that was once home to a gas station. This is evident by the restrooms on the outside of the building.

It was then a liquor store and finally became a restaurant focused on serving mostly local, organic food with a slight New Orleans flair.

It’s difficult to find a word to describe Doodles. Unique, cute, original, whimsical, gourmet, old-fashioned yet trendy – they just don’t cut it. This place is all those things and more!

We were greeted by the most helpful hostess I’ve had the pleasure to meet and selected our meal from the menu board. We had studied it online so we knew what we wanted going in. Although the daily specials of a twist on a breakfast Monte Cristo and the French toast casserole were tempting.

For drinks we settled on cups of bottomless fair-trade, organic coffee. It should also be noted you can upgrade to a French press for two with coffee roasted in nearby Paris, Kentucky by Caffé Marco.

First came the beignets, coated in powdered sugar, deep fried to perfection as not to be heavy and greasy, but light and fluffy. I told my husband I could swing in for a couple baskets of these and some coffee on occasion and be a completely happy camper.

Oh, but my taste buds (and my eyes) were in for so much more.

Soon an artistic display of Huevos Rancheros came to the table. Being such a connoisseur of Kentucky farm fresh eggs, if there is such a thing, I had no doubt these were the real thing. Just look at those yolks.

They sat atop a flavorful pile of black beans and crisp corn tortillas. All was topped with red and green salsa, sour cream and a wedge of lime.

My husband went for the Corned Beef Hash with equally beautiful eggs on top. The hash was full of flavor and melted in your mouth. Alongside was a light and fluffy biscuit complete with Kentucky jam.

We left the place smiling contently and planning when we could return. Just remember – breakfast, lunch, brunch in Lexington – Doodles. You won’t be disappointed.

So with full bellies we took a drive out to the Wild Turkey distillery to begin the bourbon tasting.

I loved the sign driving in, but I do have to say that this particular tour was a bit…eh. Our tour guide was great, very knowledgeable which sometimes is not the case on these tours. We watched a video and got to see the storage facilities, but they have just doubled their production and the new facilities are not yet open for tours. In addition, they bottle out of state.

So lots to learn, but not much to see. Well, except for the warehouse. If you have never been inside a bourbon warehouse, put it on your to-do list.

All that goes into rolling the barrels, lifting them to higher rows and aging the barrels all in a piece of history that, let’s be honest, looks like it might tumble due to age, is pretty amazing. Then of course there is that wonderful aroma, deemed the angel’s share.

We saw barrels approaching 12 years of age next to brand new ones rolled into the warehouse the week prior. The whole process is intriguing.

A few interesting things we learned is that 50% of the bourbon Wild Turkey makes is exported outside the US, mostly to Australia and Japan. When we were in Ireland we took the Jameson Whiskey tour and learned their whiskey is aged in bourbon barrels from Kentucky. Our guide told us that they hold a contract with Jameson so the barrels used there are likely from Wild Turkey.

Small world in terms of spirits.

After a tasting, at which we took advantage of trying the single barrel and rare varieties, we headed to our next stop. I might add that being out at the distilleries on a Saturday provides a fun time to eavesdrop. Many people are out just to do the distillery tours in the area and come from all over the US as well as abroad.

Four Roses was our next stop and I was really excited about this one. This bourbon has been around for a while, but when we first moved to Kentucky they didn’t offer tours. We quickly learned the reason for this. For several years the bourbon was only exported to areas such as Europe and Japan. Although it was made in Kentucky, none was to be found in the States until it returned just a few short years ago after the brand had a change in parent companies.

The Spanish mission style buildings are well equipped for a tour and here you will get the real thing. We were able to see the fermenters and smell the mash. The only drawback is no aging of barrels or bottling is done on site, but it was still a great tour nonetheless.

Here we were able to try all three varieties. We really like Four Roses for high end bourbon and picked up a single barrel bottle with a couple glasses with the four roses etched in the bottom.

After our tours my husband and I brought up the fact that one really does have to do almost all the tours along the Bourbon Trail to understand the entire process of bourbon making. Because the distilleries utilize different parts of the state for different processes it is difficult now to see all these steps at one single facility.

That being said, if you do want to see it all in one place, get a good explanation of bourbon history and understand what high quality, small batch bourbon is all about go to Woodford Reserve. We have done this tour twice since living in Kentucky and it is far and away our favorite.

So if you make it to central Kentucky in the near future drop me a note. I’ll meet you at Doodles!

Kentucky Bourbon Dogs

February 15, 2011

A favorite in our house, these Kentucky bourbon dogs make the best party appetizers!

Earlier this week when I bragged…sorry, shared about my access to the wonderful world of local meats that is Marksbury Farm, I mentioned that we recently bought some hot dogs there. I really thought after I began focusing my meat purchases on naturally raised and processed meats that hot dogs would be a distant memory.

Not that I gave them up completely. I had one at a Cubs game last summer and they are difficult to pass up at a summer BBQ. However, I can’t say I felt good about buying or eating them and found myself doing so much less often, if at all.

Then I saw them smiling at me in the smoked meat case at Marksbury Farm Market.

Welcome back, hot dogs.

These dogs are a bit different than your standard grocery store variety. The texture was a bit tougher and the circumference a bit larger, but they still have that same familiar hot dog flavor.

We checked out the label and they are not completely without preservatives, but I doubt that is even possible with a hot dog. They are made with all beef and I feel a lot better knowing the origin and processing of that beef back when it was a cow roaming the grasses of Kentucky.

We found the hot dogs just in time for the Super Bowl so we added one of our favorite game snacks to the menu – Bourbon Dogs. This recipe came from my mother-in-law, but after doing a search there are lots of others out there that are similar.

I’ve switched out a few ingredients such as organic ketchup because it is the only variety that I have easy access to that also does not have HFCS in it. And it must be Kentucky bourbon. Any mixer-friendly brand will do.

The longer these dogs sit in their hot tub of barbeque-like bourbon sauce the better they are. Cook them on high for about an hour to get them bubbling, then on low for another hour or two. After that, turn them to warm and serve.

Football may be over, but these will come in handy if you are planning for a little March Madness!

Kentucky Bourbon Dogs

Makes: 6 to 8 snack servings

Ingredients

1 lb. grass-fed hot dogs
1 ½ cups organic ketchup
1/3 cup water
½ cup mascavo sugar (or brown sugar)
½ cup Kentucky bourbon
1 tbsp onion, grated

Preparation

Slice your hot dogs into pieces at least a half inch wide. Place in a 5 quart slow cooker.

In a medium bowl, stir together the ketchup, water, sugar, bourbon and onion. Pour this over the hot dogs and stir so that all pieces are happily coated.

Cook on high for about 1 hour, then reduce to low for 1 to 2 hours. Serve or allow them to sit with the slow cooker on the warm setting so that they absorb even more flavor.

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale & Pretzel Caramels

December 23, 2010

These caramels need few words, so I won’t provide you with many.

I found this recipe several months ago and have kept it tucked away in my arsenal of holiday baking ideas. I decided to make them this week and use one of our favorite beers brewed in downtown Lexington – Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale. It is an ale aged in oak barrels that were previously used to age bourbon.

This was my first time making caramels and I practically did a happy dance in the kitchen when I realized they were setting up correctly.

These caramels are nothing short of perfect – soft, sweet, salty – it doesn’t get any better.

Bravo to Sprinkle Bakes which is where you can find the recipe.

Merry Christmas!

Blessings to you and your family this holiday season!

Smoky Turkey and Kale Soup

December 22, 2010

I thought it was about time I do a post that shows we eat something other than cookies, breads and waffles around here. Lately I feel like Buddy the Elf with the four main food groups – candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup. Well, we do in fact eat veggies, fruit and meat.

My husband’s coworker from Brazil is traveling in the US and he brought his wife along with him for her first trip to the States. We spent time with them while in Brazil and they always showed us the best hospitality so we decided to return the favor and invite them to our new house for dinner. We recreated a Thanksgiving/holiday meal with turkey, cranberries, sweet potato casserole, stuffing, Brussels sprouts and holiday cookies.

Flash back to about 2 months ago…

I ordered our turkey from a friend here who has a small homestead. She had about a dozen turkeys – natural, free range on her property and organic. They were processed by an Amish community nearby.

Great, right? I knew the source of our turkey. I think I even met it. It might have been the one that pecked me on the butt the day I went to visit her alpaca. I’m not kidding!

The problem? The processed turkey weighed 34lbs! Yes, 34!

I could barely carry it to the car. We thawed it in a foam cooler in the guest bath tub, and then we got up at 6:00am on Sunday to battle it.

Honestly if you were keeping score, the turkey won.

We finally decided we had to do our best to cut it into pieces. We managed to get two breasts, the wings and the legs. I cut off other random pieces and made turkey stock out of them. The rest went to the grill.

Nothing like grilling in the winter.

We weren’t sure how tough the meat would be with such a large turkey so my husband had the idea to baste the breast in beer and butter in a pan on the grill. We added about a 7 lb turkey breast with 1 bottle of ale, 1 stick of unsalted butter and 1 sliced onion to a pan. It cooked on our ceramic grill for about 90 minutes at 300 to 350 degrees F.

It turned out great! It was juicy with great flavor. I highly recommend winter grilling!

As you can imagine, we’ll be eating turkey for a while. To lighten things up before our feasts this weekend, I decided to make some soup with the leftover turkey.

If you have smoked turkey, it adds such a complex flavor that makes the soup. I cut some breast meat and then I also placed a turkey leg in the soup to reheat for about 5 minutes, removed it and cut off some of the meat to add back to the soup.

You can do this with any leftover pieces, or you can simply add cooked and shredded or chopped turkey meat at the end.

Smoky Turkey and Kale Soup

2 tbsp olive oil
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 button mushrooms sliced
½ tsp poultry seasoning
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
7 cups turkey stock
5 cups kale, chopped
Cooked turkey leg or wing (if you have one leftover)
2 cups cooked turkey meat, shredded or cubed

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot and add the carrot, onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in the poultry seasoning, salt, black pepper and red pepper.

Add the turkey stock and stir in the kale. Increase the heat slightly and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and if using, place the turkey leg or wing in the soup. Partially cover and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Remove the turkey pieces, continue to simmer the soup. Allow the leg or wing to cool slightly to touch and cut off any meat. Add this meat and the additional cooked turkey meat to the soup. Continue to cook until the turkey is heated through and the vegetables are tender, about 3 to 5 more minutes.

Serves 6 to 8

This post has been submitted to the weekly Souper Sunday roundup at Kahakai Kitchen.

Back Home in Jamaica

December 15, 2010

Welcome home!

That is always the first response we hear when we arrive in Jamaica. Well, after they ask us how many times we’ve been there. This time was number five and after traveling to Antigua for our yearly Caribbean trip last December, I was glad to be back on one of my favorite islands.

If you’ve read my blog for a while you know that the trip we just returned from last night (delayed and minus one bag) is one my husband and I have taken since our honeymoon in 2003. We moved the date to December which happens to be an awesome time because there is nothing like Christmas ornaments and palm trees in lights in the middle of the tropics.

We switch resorts each year and often islands as well. While we consider most all of our other trips travel (which to me means exploration), this trip is vacation. We sometimes do go off the resort like our private tour of Antigua last year, but this year, we just sat, and read, and ate and drank.

Did I mention we ate?

The weather was unlike anything we have experienced in previous trips. We only had a few days of sun, lots of clouds and some pretty fierce wind. Despite that, it is hard to be disappointed when you can watch the ocean, touch the sand, talk to people of one of my favorite cultures, and eat amazing food.

We aren’t buffet people, but depending on the resort are sometimes forced into that at breakfast. Breakfast is where we have to exercise the most restraint and pace ourselves. If you are too tempted by breakfast, then you won’t be hungry for a jerk patty at lunch. If you eat too much at lunch then say good-bye to enjoying your 4 course dinner.

Jerk Chicken Caesar Wrap

Jamaican Beef Patty and a Red Stripe

I guess one could say we’ve learned over the years and try to avoid rookie mistakes. Passing on pancakes is well worth Jerk Pork Roti or Beef Wellington stuffed with spinach and mushrooms and paired with grilled shrimp.

Caesar Salad with a Jerk Chicken Toast

Beef Wellington, Grilled Shrimp and Vegetables

My photos are a mix those taken with good light, bad light, a point and shoot and my DSLR. For what it’s worth, enjoy!

I’ll be back in the North American Christmas spirit and baking away as soon as I get the suitcase unpacked!

Singapore Sling
They make a great one in Jamaica.

Pina Colada with dark rum

Chicken Curry with Poppadom and Mango Chutney

Fish and Chips

My favorite dessert – Coconut Bread Pudding with Ice Cream. Followed closely by…

Coffee Cheesecake with finely ground coffee baked into the top.

Bloody Mary in the morning. My favorite drink because it is made with the amazing
Catch A Fire Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce.

My husband’s favorite – 15 year El Dorado Rum on the rocks. Goes nicely with the Christmas decorations.

Chips with Curry. Yes, we had a lot of curry.

My favorite lunch. Salad with a little jerk pork and chicken on the side.

Every day needs a little Rum Punch.

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Now, those of you who entered last for a chance to win the Oh Nuts gift certificate and have been waiting patiently.

The winner via Random.org is #2, Cynthia! I’ll contact you via email. Congrats! Thanks to all those who entered.

Bourbon Sweet Potato Waffles with Maple Cinnamon Butter

November 14, 2010

Towards the end of last week we were able to catch up on the DVR. One show we’ve been anxiously awaiting was the recent Iron Chef America episode on the Food Network. While I didn’t intend to keep with the theme of my last post, the secret ingredient just happened to be bourbon!

Since I still have some sweet potatoes from my Dad’s garden in the kitchen, I perked up when I saw that Iron Chef Cat Cora was roasting some sweet potatoes for one of her dishes. The final creation was a bourbon sweet potato waffle.

Can you guess what I made for Sunday breakfast this weekend?

I used a combo of whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour and maple syrup to make a hearty, slightly sweet waffle. A little nutmeg and cinnamon in the batter gave it a mild holiday flavor.

I decided to top it off with a simple, sweet butter made with cinnamon and maple syrup. If you add the butter when the waffles are warm, it will melt down into a cinnamon sauce and you won’t need any additional syrup at all.

Bourbon Sweet Potato Waffles

Makes: 6 to 8 waffles

Ingredients

2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
2 cups milk (any variety)
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ cup maple syrup
2 tbsp bourbon
¼ cup mashed sweet potato

Prep

Preheat your waffle iron and melt the two tablespoons of butter. This will be used to brush on the iron before cooking the waffles.

In a large bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, maple syrup and bourbon. Whisk in the sweet potato vigorously to break up any clumps.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring gently to incorporate. Once the batter is mixed, brush butter on the waffle iron and pour by ¼ to 1/3 cup portions onto the hot waffle iron. Cook about 3 to 4 minutes, until the waffled is puffed and slightly browned. Makes 6 to 8 waffles. Top with maple cinnamon butter when warm. (recipe below)

Maple Cinnamon Butter

Makes: About 1/4 cup

Ingredients

½ stick unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp maple syrup
¾ tsp ground cinnamon

Prep

Stir all ingredients together until combined. You can also use a small food processor to blend the ingredients. Add more cinnamon or syrup to taste if desired. Makes about ¼ cup.