Posts Labeled ‘cocktail’

December 21st, 2009

Countdown to Hosting a Fabulous New Year’s Eve Party: Part One – Dessert

Holiday season is drawing to a close. Chances are your gifts are purchased, the house is decorated, and your menu is complete. So now its time to turn our attention to the next soiree of the season: New Year’s Eve.

Celebrating New Year’s Eve at home is such a fashionably chic way to ring in 2010. I can think of no better way to kick off a brand new year than by extending gracious hospitality to close friends.

One of my favorite ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve is hosting a cocktail party featuring decadent desserts and delicious drinks. Often, dinner parties on New Year’s drag on a little too long (if you start at 7:00 p.m. with dinner, you have five hours to pass before the stroke of midnight). Starting a bit later and serving dessert and drinks seem just right.

Over the next few days, I’ll share some tips, ideas, and trends for hosting a chic, comfortable New Year’s Eve cocktail party. We’ll cover dessert recipes, drink ideas, decor, and other elements of a New Year’s party friends will be talking about for years to come.

Today we’ll start with some decadent desserts, the cornerstone of the menu:

Cheese platter — for those who may not have a sweet tooth, a cheese platter is a wonderful alternative. Compose your platter with a variety of tastes, textures, and types of cheeses. Include at least one blue, triple cream, and hard cow or sheep’s milk cheese. Locally, Balducci’s and Cowgirl Creamery are two great sources for cheese.

Chocolate candy assortment — Visit a local, artisanal chocolatier in your area and purchase a sampling of classic chocolates to serve on a small tiered platter. My new favorite source for such treats: The Sugar Cube in Alexandria, VA. They offer amazing chocolates by the pound; the hardest part will be choosing which ones to get!

Champagne gelatin with peaches and plums — This grown-up version of jello shots is sure to please.

Champagne gelatin with peaches and plums, via Martha Stewart Living

Champagne gelatin with peaches and plums, via Martha Stewart Living

Tiramisu Eggnog Trifle — maybe it’s the Italian girl in me, but I can never pass on tiramisu. And with a bit of eggnog, this twist on the Italian classic makes it all the more seasonal.

Tiramisu Eggnog Trifle

Tiramisu Eggnog Trifle

Stay tuned for the next installment of this series which will focus on noteworthy New Year’s cocktails.

August 19th, 2009

The Sazerac and The Rickey: “Officially” Classic Cocktails

My husband and I finally saw  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button a few weeks ago (Yes, yes. I know we are late to the scene on this one…) which we both agreed was a fabulous film.

The foodie in me could not help but notice Thomas Button’s drink of choice in the movie, the Sazerac. The official state cocktail of Louisiana, the Sazerac was created in the early 1800′s making it one of the most longstanding, classic cocktails around. Made with rye whiskey, this straight up concoction is a particularly nice to warm up with on a rainy evening.

The Sazerac (photo via Epicurious)

The Sazerac (photo via Epicurious)

Lest you think Louisiana is the only jurisdiction with its own cocktail, DC is working hard to have its local cocktail, the Rickey, declared as its official spirited drink. Taking up the charge is Master Mixologist Derek Brown who makes a wonderful case for the Rickey as DC’s Summer Signature Cocktail. I, myself, am a huge fan of the Rickey. Perhaps it is because I am a sucker for anything with lime juice?

For more about DC’s attention on the Rickey, check out this DC Foodies article on the DC Craft Bartenders Guild’s Rickey Month. And read more about Derek Brown and his latest venture on DCist.

Derek Brown at The Gibson (photo via Washingtonian)

Derek Brown at The Gibson (photo via Washingtonian)

Serving cocktails that are steeped in history can make for great conversation at your next dinner party. Whether you are serving classics like the sazerac or a rickey, do a little research before mixing your guests their drinks and share with them what you’ve learned. It will make for even more spirited (pun intended!) gathering.

July 28th, 2009

Lemonade: Liquid respite from the dog-days of summer.

Man, it is hot outside today! I dropped my friend Jill off in DC this morning and decided to sit outside at a coffee shop to do a little work and enjoy the city for a while. About a minute after sitting down at my shaded table I was totally and completely schvitzing. “Hmmm… Maybe working from the air-conditioned home office isn’t that bad? Should I go home?”

Seconds later:

Unlocking car.
Cruising across the Roosevelt Bridge.
Opening garage door.
Walking in house.
Ahhh!!

There’s nothing better than a climatized sanctuary offering refuge from a scorcher of a summer’s day. Except for, maybe, lemonade. On days like this, I usually find myself craving that particular citrus beverage. Something about it is so refreshing.

Here a few lemonade recipes particularly worth the effort:

Patrick O’Connell’s Classic Lemonade Recipe

I made this classic lemonade recipe when I got home today. Liquid gold, Patrick!

Champagne Lemonade

I served this champagne cocktail (mixed a large pitcher of it) for a dinner party a while back. It was a major hit.

Tyler Florence's Champagne Lemonade

Tyler Florence's Champagne Lemonade

Rosemary Lemonade

I first fell in love with rosemary lemonade at a business lunch at Vidalia years ago. They no longer include it on their menu but I was able to find this recipe which could be close. (According to Vidalia, their lemonades “are seasonal. Right now we are featuring peach lemonade and strawberry lemonade.” If they are even half as good as their rosemary-spiked sister I highly recommend checking them out!)

Stay cool (and well-hydrated!), everyone, and let me know if you have a favorite beat-the-summer-heat drink!

May 12th, 2009

Eco-Chic Entertaining with… Napkins (Part 2)

I love using cloth cocktail napkins when I throw a party. Set alongside appetizer plates and glasses on the bar, the small napkins are a great way to tie in the color or motif of one’s party. Cloth cocktail napkins are not only a nice touch for guests (who wouldn’t prefer cloth to paper when dabbing one’s lips?!), but they are also a small way to show care for our environment. Instead of throwing paper napkins away into the trash after a party, all the host has to do is toss the cloth cocktail napkins in the washer to be cleaned for the next use.

A standard cocktail or tea napkin is 12″ x 12″ before folding. There are some lovely choices for a host to consider, all available through a variety of stores. Here are a few that I like:

Leontine Linens RIley Cocktail Napkins

Leontine Linens RIley Cocktail Napkins

Williams-Sonoma White Monogrammed Hotel Cocktail Napkins

Williams-Sonoma White Monogrammed Hotel Cocktail Napkins

Set of Six Toasts Cocktail Napkins from Geary's

Set of Six Toasts Cocktail Napkins from Geary's

Crochet tea napkins available at Neiman Marcus

Crochet tea napkins available at Neiman Marcus

Roxie Print Cocktail Napkins from Crate & Barrel

Roxie Print Cocktail Napkins from Crate & Barrel

As a general practice, using cloth napkins at home not just when entertaining is an important way to limit trash/waste generated in the house. Be sure to check out part one of this post that discussed using napkin rings and cloth napkins as one eco-chic way to entertain.

May 11th, 2009

Go ahead. Punch me.

When most people think of punch they think of an afternoon party with punch and cookies served in a stuffy atmosphere, or better still, movies from the 80s where some bad boy with a flask would spike the punch at a homecoming dance.

Well I have news for you. Punch is no longer boring and stuffy! Over the last year I’ve seen a major resurgence in cocktail punches both at notable restaurant bars and at social events.

The next time you entertain, consider surprising your guests with a colorful, tasty punch. Here are a few classic cocktail punches worthy of trying:

Kill Devil Punch

Kill Devil Punch featured at www.foodandwine.com

Kill Devil Punch featured at www.foodandwine.com

Mother’s Ruin Punch

Mother's Ruin Punch from www.foodandwine.com

Mother's Ruin Punch from www.foodandwine.com

Champagne Punch

If you have a copy of the Old Mr Boston Bartender’s Guide (I love mine!), there are about 20 other punch concoctions to choose from.

Serving Punch

The classic way to serve punch is, of course, with a punch bowl set. I somehow ended up with two sets when I got married and wondered when we would ever use them. Now I am so thankful I have them!

If you don’t have a set, simply use a lovely bowl for the punch and some stemless glassware. This makes for a more modern approach and also allows for greater styling options.

Here is one classic punch bowl set available at Crate & Barrel:

virginia punch bowl set from Crate & Barrel

virginia punch bowl set from Crate & Barrel

For a more modern styling idea, see the Mother’s Ruin Punch recipe photo above.

 

Feeling Punchy?

Do you have a favorite punch recipe? Go ahead, punch me! Leave the recipe or other punch ideas in the comment section.

May 5th, 2009

Loco for Margaritas

Happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone! What better way to celebrate the evening with friends than by sampling some margaritas?! Here are a few to try, courtesy of some of our favorite chefs and culinary experts:

THE RECIPES

Key Lime Margaritas – Gourmet magazine

Key Lime Margaritas

Key Lime Margaritas

Mesa Grill Margarita – Bobby Flay

Real Margaritas – Ina Garten

Frozen Blood Orange Margaritas – Ina Garten

Frozen Passionfruit Margaritas – Wolfgang Puck

Blossom Rita – Gabriel Orta, Master Mixologist

THE SALT

For those “with salt” fans, be sure to have some margarita rimmer on hand. If you don’t have a specialty rimmer, like those Stirrings provides, just use some kosher salt.  Simply pour the salt into a small dish, rub a lime on the rim of the glass, and dip the glass into the salt.

Stirrings margarita rimmer

Stirrings margarita rimmer

THE MACHINE

When you can’t decide which frozen margarita to make,  try this brand new Margaritaville machine.  It’s sister machine (discussed in an earlier post) makes one type of margarita at a time, while this new version offers triple the fun.

Premium Margaritaville Trio Frozen Concoction Maker

Premium Margaritaville Trio Frozen Concoction Maker

THE GLASSES

Margaritas can be served in an old-fashioned glass but it is always more festive to serve them in a specialty glass. These are a few of my favorites. I particularly love the Aqua Freeze glasses from NOVICA which boast a beautiful color.

Margarita Glass from Simon Pearce

Margarita Glass from Simon Pearce

NOVICA Margarita glasses, 'Cobalt Spirals' (set of 6)

NOVICA Margarita glasses, 'Cobalt Spirals' (set of 6)

NOVICA Margarita glasses, 'Aqua Freeze' (set of 4)

NOVICA Margarita glasses, 'Aqua Freeze' (set of 4)