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by snebbu

PUMPKIN Gone Wild! 10 Ways to Use That Pumpkin on Your Porch

80% of Americans have at least one pumpkin still sitting on their porch – FACT. Well, not definitely, but you get the point. Many of us toss the pumpkin in the woods, others in the garbage. But why not EAT the pumpkin (or drink out of it)? Even though Halloween is over, you can still find a handy (and edible) way of using that pumpkin before throwing it out. These are recipes that require the real thing – pumpkin puree, real pumpkin…not pumpkin pie filling. You’re welcome.

10. Cauliflower-Pumpkin-Ricota Gratin

Total veggie dish…so it’s totally healthy. With one pumpkin and a large serving of cauliflower, you can feed a full family!

9. Warm Kale Salad w/Pumpkin Seeds and Sweet Potato (or PUMPKIN)

I’m sorry to even say this…but yes, I like Kale. UGH. I understand the disappointment. But even if you don’t like Kale, adding in the pumpkin seeds for a good crunch, and substituting the sweet potato with pumpkin may finally get to you the “basic” status that you’ve been aiming for. If you don’t know what that means, clearly you aren’t cool.

8. Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes

Yum. That’s all.

(Reluctant Entertainer)

7. Tomato-Pumpkin Soup

Tomato soup is the perfect meal for a cold winter day. But we have not reached winter yet! Clearly, the only way to make it a seasonal dish right now is to….add pumpkin!

6. Bacon, Egg, and Goat Cheese Stuffed Pumpkin

This is not for the faint of heart. But need I remind you of the FIRST word….BACON!

5. The Pumpkin TAP

Personally, I believe this is the most useful.

4. Pumpkin Fried Rice

Try your own “fake out take out” night and impress the fam with this adorable dish.

(Judy in Her Natural Habitat: The Kitchen)

3. Pumpkin Ricotta Ravioli

Cheese, pumpkin, and pasta. Need I say more?

(My Kitchen Addiction)

2. Kaddo Bourani

While I love sweets, and overall American values like over-eating, it’s always fun to embark upon different flavors. This is a completely different way of using a pumpkin – put the pie crust away.

(Tiny Urban Kitchen)

1. Pumpkin Brioche Cinnamon Rolls

Ooey, gooey, pumpkin-y. Screw Cinnabon.

(Wild Yeast)

by snebbu

Top 10 Halloween Foods

YES. Halloween is upon us. Break out the Hocus Pocus, The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, and your favorite horror DVD. But what good are these delightful fall productions without fall-themed food? Well, frankly they are nothing without our beloved food. Clearly, you’re doing it wrong if you have not yet enjoyed some sort of “halloweeny” food. Here are our top ten suggestions:

10. Acorn Squash Fondue

Who needs the melting pot? Get the acorn squash while their on sale and fill it with ooey, gooey cheese.

9. Caramel Apples

Yes, that apple is supposed to be me. My favorite part (other than eating them) is trying to design the most vulgur apple.

8. Butterfinger Cheesecake

Tell yourself that you didn’t have to go back to the store for candy because you didn’t blow through the first bag. OR, you could make a more refined candy treat that won’t tempt you to go through that second bag “for the kids.”

7. Pumpkin Caramel Mousse Cake

Pumpkin at a whole new level.

6. Baked Stuffed Pumpkin

This version is pretty much a pumpkin pie in a pumpkin. If that’s not your thing, think of the other possibilities (cheese, meet, ya know – the basics).

5. Black Bean Spaghetti

BS showed us the blood and guts of spaghetti with a gourmet spin.

4. Pumpkin Chai Ice Cream

In the BEST of households, ice cream is NEVER out of season. Don’t you dare tell me otherwise.

3. Three Musketeers Pop-Tail

Who needs candy anyway when you can have a dessert that also has booze?

2. Butternut Squash Pizza

No, Domino’s does not have this flavor.

1. Butternut Squash Quiche

And finally, something for those who still want to eat “healthy” on Halloween.

by snebbu

Endless Spirits: The New York Sour

I over-did it this year. Pumpkin beer is beginning to get old. Sad, I know – it’s not even Halloween yet. I’ve been seeking out other booze drinks to help satisfy my thirst and I think I found an alternative that I can still call a holiday drink: The New York Sour. I first tried this drink last Christmas season and it was AWESOME. Gives you that warm feeling you want in the cold months, sweetness of the whiskey and wine, along with the tart touch of sour mix. Plus, it looks pretty….well pretty I guess. Your friends will be impressed.

The New York Sour is a whiskey sour with a splash of red wine on top. No worries, if you are not a whiskey drinker, this cocktail will still impress even you. The wine adds a surprisingly refreshingly sweet flavor to the drink that balances everything out quite well. That being said, it also doesn’t take away from the classic tastes of the whiskey sour. The best way to explain the first sip is a feeling of jubilation. Yes…I believe that accurately describes a drink that provides the satisfying sweetness of whiskey, the tartness of the sour mix, and the sweet refreshing crispness of red wine. Here’s how to make your own:

New York Sour

2 ounce Whiskey (of your choice)
1 ounce lemon juice
1 ounce simple syrup
1/2 – 1 ounce dry red wine

Pour whiskey and lemon juice into a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice. Shake, shake, shake the shaker until frosty on the outside. Pour the mixture into a fancy glass (include some of the bits of ice). Pour wine over a spoon, impress friends, and drink up!

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by snebbu

Endless Beer: Flying Dog White Peach Saison

Flying Dog’s Brewhouse Rarities series typically takes a standard style of beer and either amps it up, or puts a twist on it. The White Peach Saison is their latest addition to what is becoming quite the collection of rarities. Flying Dog looks to offer a “sweet, yet tart” version of a Saison. The brew meets the challenge with a balance that at least reminds me of a peach cobbler a la mode. Cheers.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Peaches and subtle pepper

Appearance: Very light orange with haze. Light white head.

Mouthfeel: Very light and crisp with little to no lingering until it hits your throat.

Taste: Sweet peach up front, complimented by sweet, subtle caramel of the malt. Pepper/spice taste typically found in the Saison yeast comes up afterward. Sweet flavor reminiscent of a peach cobbler a la mode.

Overall: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert – this is a refreshing and tasty brew. The sweetness of the malts and white peach provides a flavor that could go with anything from pecan pancakes to peach pie. Hops are present in the suds, but the peaches are definitely the star without taking away from the Saison style.

ES Rating: 4.5/5 Suds

Endless Pairings

Cheese: Havarti with salted almonds and dried apricots

Appetizer: Mushroom, goat Cheese, and balsamic flatbread

Entree: Pineapple glazed salmon with zucchini fries and arugula salad

Dessert: Peach and pecan crepes with chantilly cream

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by snebbu

Top Ten Beers to End Your Summer

Summer is coming to an end. Teachers and students must return to the dreaded school year, people start to give up on visiting the beach/lake/river, and discussions center around when the pool will close. Sad face. With all this doom and gloom, the only way to try to squeak out the last few bits of summer are of course through alcohol. We took a look at the ten best beers to remind of the summer. Enjoy.

10. Victory Summer Love

Summer love lends a refreshing, crisp taste to a beer without losing the actual flavor of beer. For me, shandies may tend to be too sweet. The ABV is low enough to day drink without compromising taste.

9. Coppertail Unholy

Based out of Tampa, Coppertail brewed an American Trippel that sticks to the traditional style of a trippel with tasty hops throughout. This is a drink to have on the porch in the evening as the day cools down and you realize the summer is ending. The high ABV makes this a great summer night cap.

8. Dogfish Head Namaste

Namaste is one of my go-to summer beers. It’s a low ABV plus a very refreshing beer with strong taste of summer (orange, lemongrass). PLUS, it can be mixed with another beer on our list. Delish.

7. Ballast Point Pineapple Sculpin

Ballast Point Sculpin has been a tradition in our summer beer exchange for a few years now. But once they starting coming out with additional flavors of the Sculpin, we couldn’t help but try out the others. Pineapple is my favorite, and it sticks to the theme of summer. Pineapple juice flavor is strong, yet you still think you’re drinking beer.

6. Founders All Day IPA

Endless Beer: Flying Dog “Heat Series” Carolina Reaper Peach IPA

YOWZA! Apparently the folks at Flying dog take all of their series very seriously. The heat series seeks to provide a brew with serious heat to it without destroying the taste of the beer. Some “hot” or spicy beers provide the heat that is promised, but the flavor of actual beer is gone. These beers typically end up in our chili. However, this particular brew provides the heat that is promised while also giving the sweet and refreshing taste of a peach IPA. You will break a sweat while drinking this refreshing brew – weird…right? Good sipping beer and makes for great conversation at a party.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Light golden with good carbonation. Light head with off-white color.

Aroma: Sweet, sweet peaches with a hint of vanilla and very subtle hop aroma.

Mouthfeel: Crisp and light – typical feel of an IPA.

Taste: First, a sweet taste of straight-up peach juice with just enough of a hoppy taste to let you know that it is an IPA. Immediately following the first sip as the suds go down, heat hits the back of your throat. The heat lingers throughout the entire drink, but the sweet peach flavor continues with every sip.

Overall: The heat of the beer is not as overwhelming as a typical spicy beer – it is much more balanced and does not burn your tongue as some hot sauces do. The heat stays with you throughout the drink, but it does not take away from the peach flavor of the overall brew. You’l break a sweat, but the other flavors keep you wanting more!

ES Rating: 4/5 suds

Endless Pairings:

Cheese: Sweet Honey Goat Cheese with Blueberry Preserves

Appetizer: Bavarian Pretzel with Cheese Sauce

Entree: Grilled Sirloin with Green Beans and Twice Baked Potato

Dessert: Blueberry & Peach Cobbler served with Vanilla Ice Cream

Cigar: Nat Sherman Timeless

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by snebbu

Pop-Up Dinner: A Scenic Feast

Pop-up dinners are a thing. Just when you think you’ve caught on to the latest trend, something else “pops up” to slap you in the face and tell you how much you suck at staying up to date with the cool kids. Generally, pop-up dinners are a way of having a fancy meal wherever the eff you want. Typically, pop-up dinners take place outdoors in a very scenic area. Think candlelight dinners on the beach, sunsets in the country, farm-side dinners on the horizon, etc. Pop-up dinners can be hosted by friends and family, or they can be hosted by restaurants. We found out about this concept by getting an invite from my sister to her boyfriend’s farm. The dinner was a true attempt of farm to table (like…table is on the farm).

The beauty of pop-up dinners are that anybody can do it anywhere…in theory. You just have to make sure you have a means of getting the food cooked and serving it to your guests. However, the options are endless in terms of decor and menu. At the pop-up dinner we attended, it was right next to the actual harvest of the farm. The scenery was the farmhouse on one side, and on all other sides were crops and farm life ranging from leafy greens and tomato plants to chickens and goats. The tables were under a few white tents, with strands of lights set up and a country-themed decor. Aside from being one of the most humid and hot days of the year, the scene was perfect.

One of my favorite parts of the concept of pop-up dinners is the menu. Hosts can craft the menu according to the setting. Whether it is a seafood while waterfront on a summer day, or fall harvest on the farm in the autumn, there are endless options in creating a menu that allows guests to appreciate the food in a different manner. At the farm in Maryland (Third Way Farm), The menu started with a charcuterie board followed by a salad made of all the crops harvested at Third Way Farm. The next course was a tomato gazpacho (from the farm) with berries, assorted melons, and spicy watermelon balls. Finally, the main course was a braised goat with the locally harvested vegetables from the farm followed by a bourbon honey ice cream over herbed peach galette.

The chefs at Laurrapin in Havre De Grace, MD came to the farm to cook the meal. While a lot of the food was brought over and then warmed, they tried to cook as much of the food as fresh as possible. They did a good job getting the food out hot for each guest and trying to incorporate the farm’s food into each course. The most challenging part of the pop up dinner is ensuring that you have the equipment necessary to serve your crowd. Planning is important for these kind of events but when done right, the reward is quite impressive! If you are bored of your regular restaurants and want to try something new and creative with some friends – pop-up dinners are a great way to jump into something hip and new!

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