Spirited Cocktails

We’re thrilled to welcome back guest-blogger Katy, who brings us another easy and delicious small plate to accompany your cocktails!

Eggplant season is just starting here in North America so you may start seeing it at you local farmer’s market. Why not try making Baba Ganoush?  This Arabic staple tastes delicious, is easy to make and fun to say.   Choose eggplants that are firm to the touch, have a smooth and shiny skin and are heavy. Avoid eggplants with brown or soft spots and have a dull color. Read More

Editor’s Note: Today we’re lucky to have another small plate recipe from guest-blogger Katy. What could go better with cocktails than Prosciutto Palmiers?? That’s right – nothing. Oh – be sure to check out her blog, BirkenMommy.

Palmiers look fancy but are quite simple to make. If your a cooking newbie, I’ve written a more detailed (and photographed) palmier tutorial on my blog, BirkenMommy.

Ingredients

1 sheet of slightly thawed puff pastry  (storebought is fine)
1 heaping teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
5 slices prosciutto

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Editor’s Note: Today special guest-blogger Katy returns with an awesome small plate recipe. This simple yet delicious dish makes for a perfect pairing with pre-dinner cocktails!

This rustic twist on a Provençal classic comes from my sister Kelly who is a classically trained chef. It’s more colorful than a traditional tapenade and requires almost no cooking – great for those days when turning on the oven is too horrible to contemplate. Enjoy! Read More

Editor’s Note: We have a special treat this Friday. Katy, our guest-blogger and chef d’cuisine, brings us a recipe for Shrimp Ceviche – the perfect accompaniment for summer cocktails! Enjoy.

Josh’s recent posts on strawberry daiquiris and pisco sours reminded me that the hot, hot days of summer are soon upon us. A cool shrimp ceviche is a great pairing to both drinks and is simple to make.

Ceviche is a traditional South American seafood dish in which fish is marinated in a combination of fresh lime juice and lemon juice. The fish “cooks” due to the acidic combination of lemon and lime juices. Ceviche is traditionally made with red snapper, but can be made with almost any white fish.

This recipe uses shrimp that is lightly pre-cooked. I know, food purists will say that it’s not really ceviche if it’s cooked. While the marinade cooks seafood, it doesn’t kill the bacteria. This isn’t much of an issue with raw fish (think sushi), but it can be with shellfish like shrimp or scallops. So, for safety reasons, it’s a good idea to lightly pre-cook the shrimp. Read More