Whiskey Watermelon Cocktail

Remember way back in March when I made my big blogging comeback after a long 7 month absence?  Well I believe I failed to mention that just because I was "back" didn't mean that I would be back to blogging as consistently as I used to.  Which...you might have already figured out by now.  Considering that it is indeed June.

I'm still in that settling phase (even though I've been in Nashville for 7 months) with work, a new house, and so many lovely visitors.  With so much going on it's been a bit hard to carve out time specifically for blogging BUT I'm working at it...And I think I'm slowly getting better!

Other than being a busy busy bee, there is another major reason for the delay.  I haven't had my own space to take pictures, write, and do all of the wonderful things that are associated with putting up these posts.  However, two weekends ago a magical thing happened.  Momma Bear swooped down to Nashville for a last minute surprise visit and helped me create that space I had been so desperately needing.  And guess what?  I'm totally in love with it.  The room sits at the back of the house and is completely filled with windows and a gorgeous view of the back yard and garden.  With so much light, quiet, and coffee back here I have a feeling it will be so much easier to finally sit down and share more recipes with you.

In fact, I have TWO more recipes that have been made and photographed that are just sitting on the back burner waiting to be devoured.  Exciting right?

Moral of this story?  Don't give up on this thing yet.  I'm coming back to you.  Slowly but surely.

Let's move on to the cocktail.



It's purely coincidence that my last two posts have come about after a bloody mary or two.  Sunday = day off = bloody marys = blog posts.  At least it's productive.

This cocktail is for the bourbon lover (me) and was concocted by a good friend and cocktail making connoisseur (who I've promised not to name for fear of an overwhelming amount of fan mail/drink requests).

I completely understand that the whole watermelon/cucumber/basil combination is screaming to be mixed with vodka...BUT this little drink knocked my socks off.  The muddling of the watermelon, basil, and cucumber adds some flavor to the overall simple drink without taking away from the bourbon.  It's light, refreshing, and the perfect non-sweet drink for summer.

So make yourself a cocktail, sit back, and relax.  I'll be back soon!



Makes: 1 drink
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
2 ounces bourbon (I used Bulleit)
2 small chunks watermelon
1 slice cucumber
2 basil leaves (I used rosie basil)
2-3 dashes bitters
1/2 ounce sweet vermouth                                                                              

Directions:
Muddle the watermelon, cucumber, and basil with a couple dashes of bitters.  Add bourbon and sweet vermouth.  Add ice and stir.

Orange Saffron Bread

I've decided it's time to start working on my horrible recipe A.D.D.

I'll make something, make the effort to take photos, upload them to my computer, even put them into their own file...and then all of a sudden I find myself browsing through entirely new and delicious recipes.  My attention quickly moves to making something new and the "old" recipe goes out the door.  Then, as you can imagine, the process repeats itself.  It's an unbelievably vicious cycle.

Besides the fact that these recipes deserve to make it out of their little files on my computer, I decided that now is the ideal time to start pulling things from the vault.  With a cross country move (we'll talk more about this later) only three weeks away my little apartment is taking a beating.  There are boxes starting to pile up due to some preliminary packing as well as all of the contents of my closet now being distributed throughout the apartment.

**MINOR RANT-My wonderful landlord decided to make the only closet in the apartment into a bathroom for the neighboring unit with one day's notice.  Such a sweetheart.**

Needless to say, cooking and photographing in this little apartment has just gotten that much harder.

But the silver lining is of course there.  Now these sweet little recipes get to present themselves to you! 

As I found this one I wanted to kick myself for not sharing before.  These delicious loaves of bread came from a cookbook that was given to me by the amazing woman that I work for after her and her husband's visit to Rancho La Puerta.  I salivated at first sight and have been making things from it on a regular basis ever since.  It's an unbelievable healthy and seasonal book that you wouldn't regret having on your shelves.

Ramble.  Ramble.  Ramble.

This bread is amazingly rich in flavor.  The orange and saffron are wonderful together and something I never would have thrown together on my own.  You need a piece of this.  Warm.  And slathered with butter.

So get to baking!



Adapted from the Rancho La Puerta Cookbook

Makes: 2 loaves
Prep Time: 20 minutes + 2 hours 40 minutes rise time
Bake Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 4 hours

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon Spanish saffron threads
4 cups warm water
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 cup agave syrup or maple syrup
zest of 2 oranges
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon sea salt
4 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup toasted pine nuts
4-5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

Directions:

1. Soak the saffron threads in 1/2 cup of the water for 30 minutes.
2. Combine the remaining 3 1/2 cups of water and the yeast.  Let stand until frothy, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir the syrup, orange zest, saffron, melted butter, and salt into the yeast until thoroughly combined.  Add the wheat flour and mix until smooth.
4. Stir in the pine nuts and most of the all-purpose flour, reserving 1 cup.  The dough will be a little sticky.  Flour the countertop with some of the remaining flour and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding flour to the surface as needed to make the dough more manageable.  You may not use all the flour, or you may need a little more. The final dough should feel moist and a little tacky, but not sticky or wet.
5. Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl.  Turn over once to coat and cover with a barely damp tea towel.  Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours.
6. Punch down the dough.  Divide into 2 equal portions.  Spread or roll each portion into a rectangle and pinch the edges together.
7. Place each loaf in an oiled loaf pan.  Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-frea place until the loaves have doubled in size, about 40 minutes.
8. Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 1 hour, or until the tops are browned and the loaves sound hollow when tapped.  Cool completely on a rack before slicing.

Tequila Lime Cornmeal Cookies

Due to my ever growing obsession with Joanne Chang/her cookbooks/her restaurant/her bakeries I've had quite a few conversations with people regarding one if not all of those things, which happen (most often) at my work, Shake the Tree, where we sell both of Joanne's cookbooks.

As people are flipping through the pages of either Flour or Flour, Too I typically rave about all of her delicious recipes such as the homemade breads, the sticky sticky buns, the decadent cakes...and the overall excellence of the recipes included in her cookbooks.  That typically leads into some of the recipes I've made or a little chat about her restaurants.  However, there is one other little comment that has entered it's way into the conversation time and time again...

"Those lime cornmeal cookies."

People are constantly RAVING about these things.  And now I understand why.

As people would tell me about their obsession with these cookies I would always think about the very good chance that the cookies would be dry and almost grainy from the cornmeal.  The combination always sounded appealing, but the cookie itself did not.

And then I made them.  And tried them.  And my mind is forever changed.

Cornmeal in cookies is a wonderful, wonderful thing.  It creates a texture that I've never experienced in cookies.  Dryness is nowhere near an issue as the edges of the cookies are lightly brown and crisp but the center is soft and almost cake like.  And the heavenly glaze balances out the cornmeal in the greatest way possible.

I've adapted the recipe ever so slightly to include tequila and coconut (because tequila, lime, coconut...why not?) but if you're not a fan of either, leave them out and your cookies will still be equally delicious.



Adapted from the Flour Cookbook by Joanne Chang

Makes: 14-16 cookies
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 15-18 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes + 30 minutes cooling time

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons finely grated lime zest
1 tablespoon tequila (optional)
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup medium-coarse yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
shredded coconut for sprinkling
for the lime glaze-
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1-1 1/2 limes)
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest (about 1 lime)
1 teaspoon tequila (optional)

Directions:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350°.
2. Using a mixer, cream together the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.  Stop the mixer a few times and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.  Add the lime zest and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute to release the lime flavor.  Add the eggs, tequila, and vanilla and continue to beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.  Scrape the bowl again and make sure the eggs are thoroughly incorporated.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.  On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until the flour is completely incorporated.
4. Drop the dough in scant 1/4 cup balls onto a baking sheet.  Flatten each ball slightly with the palm of your hand.
5. Bake for about 15-18 minutes, or until the cookies are pale brown on the edges, still pale in the center, and just firm to the touch in the center.  Let cool onthe baking sheet on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes, then transfer to the wire rack to cool to room temperature or just a bit warmer before glazing.
6. While the cookies are cooling, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, water, lime juice, lime zest, and tequila in a small bowl until smooth.
7. Brush the cookies with a thin layer of the glaze and sprinkle the cookies with a small amount of shredded coconut.  Allow the glaze to set for about 10 minutes before serving or storing.

Meal Plan Monday - A Mexican Party!

This weekend I'll be traveling home for the finale of a very special event...one that I've never really talked about or shared on here...

My gorgeous sister's wedding in Mexico!

With the timing of the wedding being right before finals I never got the chance to share wedding details.  So I figured today's Meal Plan Monday would be the perfect time to share some of the recipes I have my eyes on to make for this weekend's little "reception" as well as some of the pictures from the wedding day.

WARNING: This post is photo heavy.  But I tried to keep it under control.  I promise.

Out of the ridiculous amount of photos, I decided to only share pictures from the wedding day itself as a way to not bore you by the time you reached photo collage #435.



The wedding day started out just as any big day should.  With amazing, out of this world food.  That morning just me and Codi (my amazing big sis) headed away from the resort to a small little place called La Cueva del Chango.  The scenery was breathtaking and just what we needed to relax before the big day.  I ordered orange/carrot/papaya juice and Codi jumped on the mimosa train to ease the nerves.  We opened a few presents and tried to soak everything in as we waited on our food.  To be honest I don't even know what I ordered...it was a special of some sort.  It involved eggs, peppers, chaya, avocado, a bowl of black beans, and fresh warm tortillas.  It was amazing.  Perfect.  Just what we needed.  And of course...we went back the next morning.



As soon as we returned from breakfast it was time to start getting ready.  And then the nerves really started to kick in...for both of us.  But Dad being the superhero that he is, diligently brought drinks to the room as needed.  We took our time primping, taking pictures, and doing the very girly "fan your face and try not to cry" thing (as you can see Codi getting ready to do on the left) as we waited for the photographer to arrive.



After the photographer had taken a few solo shots of Codi in the room we were informed that it was go time.  The walk from the room to the gazebo was the longest/most nerve wracking walk I've ever experienced.  Codi was nervous, which seemed to rub off on me.  But as soon as we hit the gazebo nervousness turned into emotion.  And me being the slightly unemotional being that I am...turned into a big blubbering mess.  But a happy blubbering mess is okay.  Especially if your big sis is behind you doing the exact same thing.  That's my rule of thumb anyway.



As soon as Dad handed Codi off, the tears turned into big big smiles.  The ceremony was short but beautiful and couldn't have been any more perfect for Codi and Curt.  To be honest it's all a bit of a blur due to the emotional high but I've never seen my sis so darn happy.



Immediately after the ceremony everyone grabbed a drink and headed to the beach for some photos, laughs, and hugs.  It was the perfect end to an even more perfect wedding.

And it was easily one of the most exciting moments I've ever been apart of and I still couldn't be any happier for them. {I can't wait to squeeze you both this weekend!}



And now for the food.  I would love to hear some votes on which of the following I should make OR any other party food suggestions you may have!  Have a great week everyone!

Pico de Gallo

-from The Galley Gourmet

Guacamole

-from GI 365

Spinach, Manchego, Raisin, and Hazelnut Mini Empanadas

-from The Kitchen Sink Recipes

Elote Fritters

-from Spoon Fork Bacon

Enchilada Stuffed Mushrooms

-from Lauren's Latest

Cheesy Chorizo and Caramelized Onion Dip

-from Foodiecrush

Mexican Grilled Corn

-from I Wash...You Dry

Bang Bang Chicken Kabobs

-from Center Cut Cook

Chipotle Lime Shrimp

-from Gimme Some Oven

Smoky Watermelon-Jalapeno Margarita

-from Boulder Locavore

Michelada

-from Running with Tweezers

Homemade Pickles

I've already told you about the over consumption of cheese-hotdogs and macaroni and cheese by my dad and I during our summers at the lake.  But what I didn't tell you is that between those meals...we ate a significant amount of peanuts, green olives, and pickles.

Anyone in my family will vouch for me.  These are a few of my dad's favorite things.  And guess what.  They've turned into some of my favorite things. 

Or at least the green olives and pickles. 

But this wasn't just a lake thing.  On nights that no one was really up for dinner, mom and I would head to the kitchen to prepare the "Bell" cheese and pickle plate of deliciousness.  It's contents always included green olives, pickles (both sweet and dill), cheese, crackers, baby corn, some sort of fruit, and any other random thing we had on hand.  It's kind of like the Missouri version of an antipasti plate.  And I love it.

While I love all of the above things, the love for pickles is pretty deep.  Both sides of the family did some pretty mean pickling back in the day.  And I have sneakily gotten my hands on several of those recipes.  They're beautifully handwritten and just waiting to be used.

But I haven't gotten to them quite yet. 

I went for these pickles in the Flour, Too cookbook A) Because I love it. B) Because I trust everything Joanne Chang writes. C) Because there is no "canning" involved. D) Because simplicity is wonderful.

I mean come on.  Have you ever wanted to make pickles but didn't really want to go through the whole canning process?  Of course you have.  Especially if they produce pickles like these.

At first they were a little heavy on the fennel/black licorice taste but that died down significantly as they chilled.  I was also a little worried that there were far too many cucumber slices for the amount of brine.  But don't worry about this either!  Just keep pushing them into the brine and all will workout.

They are heavenly.  And simple.  It's summer.  You need these.



Adapted from Flour, Too Cookbook

Makes: 1 1/2 Quarts
Prep Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Cooling Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 11 hours 30 minutes

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
4 English Cucumbers, cut crosswise into rounds 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups Champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
4 teaspoons pickling spice
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Directions:

1. Put the cucumber rounds in a large container with a lid.  In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and vinegar.  Bring to a boil over high heat, and boil until the sugar dissolves.  Remove the pan from the heat, add the salt, pickling spice, mustard seeds, celery seeds, fennel seeds, turmeric, pepper, cloves, and cayenne.  Pour the brine over the cucumbers and set aside to cool at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
2. When pickles have cooled to room temperature, cover and refrigerate them.  The pickles are ready to serve after they have chilled for at least 8 hours.  They may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Chilled Spanish White Gazpacho

I would do unmentionable things right now for centralized air conditioning.

What's going on in Boston right now!  It's so darn humid.

Growing up in the Midwest, centralized air conditioning was pretty well the norm.  So you can imagine when I made the transition to Boston I was taken aback by the fact that my apartment building (that was built in 1890) didn't exactly have heating or air conditioning.

Over the last three years I've learned to adjust, somewhat.  Either by creating a "cool room" and closing the door to the room that the air conditioner is in, sitting by the pool, or eating cold delicious soups like this one.



I first learned about cold soups from Spring Creek Tea Room, a place that I don't talk about nearly enough.  Spring Creek was my home away from home starting at age 14 (technically I started at 13 but I believe that's illegal so....).  It's where I expanded my love for food beyond turkey, cheese, and bread.  It's where my love for baking began.  And it's where I learned to love the kitchen.  To this day it is the first stop I make when visiting home and it will continue to be that way.

Oh yeah.  Cold soup. 

Spring Creek has always served (at least in my 9 years) Strawberry Soup, which is a cold, sweet, creamy, smoothie-esque, treat served year round with a special Peach Soup served only in the summer.  At first, I was completely against it due to all of my picky eating habits.  But then someone forced me into it.  And I became a cold soup lover for life.  It really was that simple.  After that defining moment, I went on to try the Peach Soup (my favorite out of the two) and Brenda's homemade Gazpacho, which I fell in love with before trying it, as five of us stood in the teeny tiny kitchen cutting up the biggest pile of vegetables I had ever seen.

Since then I've always made my own version of that Gazpacho (which you can read about here).  And I've never ventured outside of that box...until my Flour Too Cookbook arrived.  (As you all know, I'm in love with Flour and getting my hands on the new cookbook was a very happy moment for me.  If you haven't seen either book...click on the link below and prepare yourself for a life altering moment.)  This soup is far different from what I expected.  Typically Gazpacho is loaded with vegetables, and therefore not sweet at all.  But this is loaded with fruit and therefore has a delicious sweetness to it.  But it's not drag you down sweet.  The cucumbers, cilantro, lime, and almonds balance the grapes in the most perfect way.  Making this gazpacho the perfect way to cool off in this miserable heat.



Adapted from Joanne Chang's Flour Too

Makes: 4-6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: None!
Total Time: 20 minutes + 1 hour chill time

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
2 lb seedless green grapes, stemmed
1/2 cup whole blanched almonds
2 garlic cloves
6 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons good-quality sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 English cucumbers, cut crosswise into 1-2 inch pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus 1 1/2-2 tablespoons for finishing
dill to garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Working in batches, combine the grapes, almonds, garlic, cilantro, vinegar, lime juice, and salt in a blender and pulse until the almonds and garlic are chopped but not too finely.  Add the cucumbers and pulse again until the cucumbers are blended.  Make sure not to overblend so the soup retains a bit of texture!  Using a spatula or wooden spoon, stir in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil.
2. Refrigerate for at lease 1 hour to chill the soup and allow the flavors to blend.  Ladle into bowls and drizzle each with about 1 teaspoon olive oil and a sprig of dill before serving.  The soup will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.