Cocktail O’Clock: A White Christmas

Dreaming of snow this Christmas? Let coconut flakes stand in for the real stuff on top of your drink. If you get your guests boozed up enough, they may even think it’s snowing.

You could do this with pretty much any drink; Isaac Elbhar at Bryant Park Hotel Cellar Bar in New York offers it atop the Purple Snowflake Martini:

1 ½ oz of 44th Degree North (Huckleberry Vodka)
¾ oz of Cointreau
½ oz of Pineapple Juice
3 fresh blackberry
1 fresh squeeze of lemon juice
Coconut flakes
Pour all ingredients into shaker except the coconut flakes. Shake the concoction vigorously! Pour the mixture into a martini glass and top with coconut flakes.

Edible Holiday Gifts: Boozy Peppermint Bark

Peppermint bark is a standard for the holiday season, but since we like playing with our food here at ES we decided to give ours a bit of a boozy twist by adding in a peppermint Kahlua truffle center.

We’re so glad we did and we are betting you will too. What can you expect in this bark? How about a bottom chocolate layer crunched-up with some crushed chocolate wafers. For the center we boozed up our bark with Kahlua’s seasonal Peppermint Mocha mix, and to finish it all off is a layer of white chocolate with crushed Peppermint Andes candy.

Now that we’ve finished tweaking a classic bark, we’re off to create a new bark with a bit of wine. Stay tuned!

Peppermint Truffle Bark

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10 Christmas Treats Better Than Christmas Cookies

Last week I couldn’t figure out what the deal is with Christmas cookies. And after some ranting, I was still curious-slash-irritated. I decided that I’d actually rather eat the dreaded cupcake over some  snickerdoodle. Let’s stroll through some other Christmas eats more exciting than those damn cookies.

10. Ho! Ho!

(Photo: Strange Days)

9. Life is Like…

(Photo: omgitsrenzo)

8. Honestly, I Don’t Know What This Is Made Of, But It’s Gorgeous, Right?!

(Photo: Icy Snow of Winter)

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What’s the Deal With Christmas Cookies?

I should probably know this as an American. But I just don’t understand the whole Christmas cookies thing.

When I was five my mom revealed that Santa didn’t exist. She made me swear not to tell my Christmas-celebrating friends. Every time a friend mentioned Santa I would smirk, but play along. It’s not easy being a Jewish kid in a Christian world, but that little nugget of truth made me feel special during the red and green take over of December.

I like decorating trees. I like reindeer lawn scenes. I like eggnog. But I just don’t understand the cookie obsession this time of year.

Did it start with Santa’s present of milk and cookies?

Is it as an excuse to turn the oven on to warm a cold house?

I just don’t know. And would love to learn why.

(Photo: Greatest Time of the Year)

Giada De Laurentiis Suggests You Buy Her $99 14-Piece Knife Set

Raise your hand if you never want to hear the words “CYBER MONDAY” again? Holy crap. I scanned my emails yesterday and I bet every other one rolled in with a CYBER MONDAY deal. (Although I did indulge: NYT digital subscription.)

With these CYBER MONDAY specials come lists. Lots of lists from lots of famous people telling us to buy lots of crap. Take this gift guide from Giada De Laurentiis. She started a line with Target. The list is posted on Target’s blog, A Bullyseye View. Out of fifteen items De Laurentiis recommends, FOUR are from her own line.

Welcome to the spirit of giving.

(Photo: A Bullseye View)

Gridiron Grub: In the Pocket

Rendell

Well the holidays are over and the east coast is in the process of clearing out from the first significant snowstorm of the year. Because of this snowmageddon/snowpocalypse, or whatever else weatherman say to get us to stay tuned in, my beloved Eagles moved their game from Sunday to Tuesday night.

It is a move that did not go over well. Even Gov. Ed Rendell came out and called America a nation of wusses. To be fair this is the same man who years ago admitted that when he was a Philadelphia-based district attorney he offered cash to anyone who could reach the field with a snowball. Despite the snow being cleared, the Iggles must not have been told that they were supposed to play Tuesday night because they barely showed up. Their lackluster effort ensured that the high point of the night would be the pierogi we had thawed out for dinner.

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Leftovers Week: Laundry Room Turkey Coconut Curry Soup

laundry room turkey coconut curry soup

Luckily for my family there was a culinary student chef in the room when it came time to carve the Christmas turkey. And there I was, carving a turkey with tongs in my great aunt’s laundry room amid detergent and dryer sheets. The turkey, which had been cooking for what looked like days, sat in a roaster placed on top of the washing machine. The turkey cooked for so long in fact, that the meat just fell off of the carcass. Yes, this happened. Bless my great aunt who does all of this on her own and refuses anyone’s help. Even a chef’s. Ah, the stubborn Czech.

After the Christmas turkey had been “carved,” green bean casserole consumed, and stomachs bulged over belts, the leftovers were put in doggie bags for us to take home.  What to do with this uber-cooked turkey? Well, soup of course.

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