{ Mulled Red Wine with Amaretto }

Last week I had the opportunity to visit London, and I was awestruck by the number of street vendors selling mulled wine and hot cider–not mention awestruck by the number of Brits consuming these boozy concoctions irregardless of the time of day! I was determined to try as many different varieties of each during my 9 day stay, and given the dominant role that alcohol plays in English society, there were plenty of opportunities for me to warm up with a cup of spiced and spiked goodness!

At Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland, I was able to double fist German sausages and mulled wine, in between playing over priced amusement games. I took a fond liking to the sour cherry wine and the amaretto wine, but set out to replicating the latter on this snowy afternoon in the States. I used Jamie Oliver’s mulled wine recipe as the foundation for my technique, but also added the apple cider element of Ina Garten’s recipe. The amaretto was a touch of my own, inspired by the street vendors in London and the result was a fabulous, soul-warming Holiday beverage. I will be making this on the many chilly nights that are yet to come!

{ What You’ll Need }

• 1.5 L bottle of red wine (I used Robert Mondavi Merlot, but many prefer a dry red)
• 2 oranges, peeled and juiced
• 1 lemon, peeled
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6 whole cloves
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthways
• 3 star anise
• 4 cups apple cider
• Amaretto, for garnish (you can also use brandy!)

{ What You Do }

In a stock pot over medium high heat, combine the sugar, cloves, lemon peels, bay leaves, vanilla bean, cinnamon sticks, and orange peel and juice. Add just enough red wine to cover the sugar and spice mixture and allow to boil for 4-6 minutes, until the sugar mixture is thick and syrup-like (see NOTE #1).

Add the remaining red wine, apple cider, and star anise and reduce the heat to low. Allow the wine to heat through, but don’t let it get too hot or the alcohol will burn off. Once heated, ladle into mugs and garnish with orange wedge and splash of amaretto! (see NOTE #2)

*NOTE #1: This step is very important as it develops the flavor of the mulled wine. You want a flavorful rich syrup, so let it reduce down. You don’t want to over-heat the wine mixture once you add the remaining wine or it will burn off all the alcohol content–and who would want that?!?!

*NOTE #2: If you have leftover mulled wine, ladle it into Mason Jars and store in refrigerator for up to 4 days or in freezer for up to 3 months. Just reheat prior to serving.

{ Kendall’s Hard Apple Cider }

My alcohol of choice is whiskey….on the rocks. But every now and then I am tempted to have something a little more fun; a “fancy cocktail,” if you will. Chocolate Martinis and Cookies N’ Creamtinis are not exactly what I have in mind though. I like to stay in the bourbon & whiskey family and far, far away from the whipped cream and flavored vodkas. I mean I want a cocktail after all, not a day’s worth of calories in a martini glass.

When my mom brought home fresh apple cider from the incredible Solebury Orchards in New Hope, I was determined to make a spiked cider cocktail with it. I grabbed the Maker’s Mark, a knob of ginger, some fresh lemon, and got to bartending. The result was an amazingly delicious, not too sweet, cocktail that captured all the flavors of fall. I originally served the drink in a martini glass, but after I got my blog photo, I decided that it was better enjoyed in a short glass over crushed ice. Once I took away the feminine glass, my dad agreed to have a sip and then proceeded order his own.

This is an awesome party cocktail for the holidays, and a great new way to enjoy apple cider!

{ Ingredients }

• 3/4 cup apple cider (I love Soleburry Orchards Cider)
• 1/3 cup bourbon (I use Marker’s Mark!)
• 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 sliced of fresh peeled ginger
• 2 slices of apple, for garnish

{ Directions }

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the cider, bourbon, lemon juice, and ginger. Shake to combine. Strain the cocktail into 2 short glasses filled with crushed ice and garnish with apple slices.

{ Lemon Caper Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes }

One of the most difficult aspects of planning a meal, aside from getting all the groceries together, is deciding what the heck your actually going to make! As is true of most hardcore foodies, I’m no basic meat and potatoes girl. I love elaborate side dishes and I practically live for condiments–the more, the merrier! So after I choose a protein to cook, I usually find myself flipping through the section labeled “side dishes” in my recipe binder (aka my bible), searching for the perfect partner(s) for my main dish. The standard garlic mashed potatoes and roasted veggies just haven’t been tickling my fancy as of lately, and tonight I wanted something different. So I turned to the end all be all recipe collection, the direct source itself, the food network.

After a great deal of searching, I resolved to try making this lemon, garlic, caper pasta created by Giada de Laurentis. My main dish was a simple herb grilled chicken breast (although my mom also paired it with a nice filet of salmon), and it complimented both dishes beautifully. There are very few ingredients used in making the pasta, so the tremendous flavor comes as quite a surprise, but it was more than welcomed by my plate tonight.

{ Ingredients }

• 1/2 pound spaghetti
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (optional)
• 3 tablespoons capers
• 1 lemon, zested
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

{ To Make the Pasta } Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta and transfer to a large bowl.

Add the garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine.

Just before serving, add the basil, capers, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the spaghetti mixture and toss to combine.

{ Triple Berry Lemon Curd Trifle }

I am always looking for an excuse to try out a new dessert recipe, and my parent’s garden party this past Sunday was a perfect occasion. The gathering was held in honor of my father’s boss, who will soon be retiring, and I was in charge of creating the sweet final note for the evening. Rather than go the cupcake route (which has become my signature), I decided to attempt my very first trifle. Given the beautiful summer weather, I figured I would keep the dessert light and do something with citrus flavors and fresh seasonal berries. I browsed the food network online, and was very drawn to Tyler Florence’s lemon curd trifle with fresh berries, however, there were an abundance of complaints with regards to the lemon curd recipe. So I took inspiration from his recipe, but tweaked it to my liking to produce this one! It might just become my new signature dessert because it is sinfully good. Everyone enjoyed it…including myself, which is rare. Most of the time once I see what goes into a dessert (i.e. a pound of butter, 3 cups of sugar, 2 cups of lard, ect..) I can’t enjoy eating it…some things are best not to know! This dessert isn’t exactly healthy either, but I couldn’t stop myself from devouring forkful upon forkful. It has the perfect balance of flavors and textures. The citrus from the lemon helps to cut the heaviness of the whipped cream, and the density of the pound cake is perfectly complimented by the fluffy lemon curd mousse. I used Paula Deen’s “Southwest Georgia Pound Cake” recipe, which I highly recommend. It has an awesome vanilla and almond flavor and it is strong enough to hold up the layers of the trifle.

{ Ingredients }

• 5 extra large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• Zest of 3 lemons
• ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 stick of butter, cut into chunks
• 1 pint of fresh strawberries
• 1 pint of fresh raspberries
• 1 pint of fresh blackberries and/or blueberries
• 2 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 prepared pound cake (I use Paula Deen’s “Southwest Georgia Pound Cake”)
• ½ cup orange liquor (such as Grand Marnier)
• Fresh mint leaves for garnish

{ Directions for lemon curd } Bring a shallow pot of water to a simmer over medium-low heat. Combine the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a metal or glass heat-resistant bowl and whisk until smooth. Set the bowl over the pot of simmering water, without letting the bottom rest in the water and continue to whisk (I use a double-boiler to do this, but it you don’t have one then you’ll have to devise a contraption to make do).

Continue to whisk the egg mixture until it firms up and just about doubles in volume. I find that this takes anywhere between 10-15 minutes so get ready for an arm workout! It is really important that the egg mixture does not come to a boil so be careful that the bowl does not sit directly in the water and don’t stop mixing!! The curd should look like this once it is done:

When it does, remove from the heat and whisk in the butter a couple of chucks at a time, until melted and combined. Then put the curd into the fridge until it is good and firm (about an hour), or until you are ready to use it.

{ Directions for the homemade whipped cream } Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Gradually add the vanilla extract and confectioner’s sugar until stiff peaks form, but be careful not to over beat the cream or it will become grainy.

{ To assemble the trifle } Gently fold the lemon curd into the whipped cream so that it becomes a mousse. Do not mix too hard though, or the whipped cream will loose volume and get become runny. Next line the bottom of the trifle bowl with ½ inch thick slices of pound cake, cut to fit. Drizzle or brush the cake layer with some of the orange liquor until it is slightly moist (not soggy!!). Spoon a layer of the lemon curd mousse over the cake and then top with a layer of fresh berries. Repeat the layers until all of the ingredients have been used up, trying to end on the whipped cream layer so that you can decorate the top with berries! Chill and then serve!

{ Shallot-Thyme Vinaigrette }

Shallot-Thyme Vinaigrette

When I first started cooking in my sophomore year of college, salads were my go to meal. I would put together the most outrageous combination of toppings and homemade dressings, because I was still too scared to handle raw meat (I didn’t conquer that fear until my junior year!). But it’s truly amazing how gourmet and satisfying a quick salad can be if you know how to make it!

I am a firm believer that the foundation of any good salad is a delicious homemade dressing, even though it is the ingredient added last. I never bother with bottled dressings because they are typically very fattening and also dull or artificial in flavor. My all time favorite go-to salad dressing is this easy shallot-thyme honey vinaigrette. It seems to work with all kinds of toppings and really adds a flavorful “umph” to any salad. The Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar deliver just enough tang and acidity, balanced by the sweetness of the honey. And the shallot releases enough of a garlic flavor without being too overbearing (for those of you who are unfamiliar with shallots, they resemble a flavor medium between garlic and onion).

I find that this salad dressing works especially nice with goat cheese, walnuts, and fruit. Below are my two of my favorite salads to use this dressing on:

1. Goat Fiesta: Mixed Baby Greens, Crumbled Goat Cheese, Halved Walnuts, Orange Slices, Shallot-thyme Vinaigrette\
2. Apple Walnut: Mixed Baby Greens, Sliced Apples, Halved Walnuts, Craisins or Dried Cherries, Shallot-thyme Vinaigrette

{ Ingredients }

• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste

{ To Make the Dressing } Whisk together red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, thyme, and shallot with a fork. Slowly add the olive oil while continuing to whisk vigorously. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Goat Fiesta Salad with Goat Cheese, Walnuts, Dried Cranberries, and Shallot-Thyme Vinaigrette

Lemon-Herb Roasted Turkey *****

I can officially do anything.

This is the exact thought that ran through my mind as I pulled my perfectly roasted 16-pound turkey out of the oven today. Of course I’m exaggerating slightly—I don’t think that I can solve poverty in India, or bring peace between North and South Korea (or North Korea and the rest of the world for that matter) but in terms of the culinary world, I have conquered my biggest fear and feel ready to take on any challenge.

I decided to take on the daunting task of cooking “the bird” because I simply got too impatient to wait another week for thanksgiving food. Once Starbucks starts playing Christmas music and Sarah Lee pumpkin pies hit the shelves at the supermarkets, my internal clock starts counting down for turkey and stuffing. So I sent out a facebook message to 13 of my girlfriends inviting them over for a potluck style thanksgiving meal before we all went home for break. I had each of them sign up to bring a side dish and agreed to make the turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, and stuffing myself. Obviously, everyone was down for this epic feast and so the night before the dinner I found myself face-to-face with an enormous 16 pound turkey. (For the first time ever, I actually asked for assistance to my vehicle at the supermarket). I put “the bird” in the sink, took off the plastic wrap, and then just stared at it in sheer panic…I didn’t even know where to begin. So naturally, I got on the phone and called my mom. She walked me through removing the giblets (reminiscent of my 7th grade frog dissection) and then told me to stuff it with whatever herbs and veggies I wanted. She recommended not to do stuffing as that greatly increases the cook time (especially for a turkey as big as mine) and also because it can cause a health issue if the stuffing absorbs any bacteria from the raw turkey meat. So I kept it simple and stuffed my turkey with sage, rosemary, Spanish onion, garlic, celery, and lemon. Then I made a nice lemon herb butter to drizzle on top so that the outside would get golden and crispy (recipe follows). I tied the legs together with some twine, brushed on the butter sauce, and covered it in foil before putting it in the fridge for the night.

Then today, I woke up and gave my roommate, Ariana, the cooking instructions for the turkey because I had to go to work. I told her to pre-heat the oven to 350° and put the turkey still covered in foil into the oven. I told her to do this at 1:00 so that it could cook for some time before I got home from work at 5 O’clock. When I turned on my phone at 5 O’clock, I received a text from Ariana saying:

“I couldn’t get the turkey in until 2:30, but its in the oven now and don’t worry….I took the foil off!”

Now I love Ariana to death, so I couldn’t get mad at her, but you can only imagine how fast I ran home from work. I just kept imagining my turkey black and smoking, completely inedible, and the chance of my apartment burning down. Well when I finally got home and saw my oven smoking, I thought the worst of my fears were a reality, but I managed to salvage the situation. I took the turkey out, scraped off the top burnt layer, recovered it in foil, and then put it back in on a lower heat. I let it keep cooking until 6:30, and then took off the foil and let it cook for another 30 minutes uncovered. When I pulled it out of the oven at 7 O’clock, it miraculously looked picture perfect. I couldn’t even believe it. I then let it sit for an hour and a half (covered) on the counter while I cooked the rest of my side dishes.

Now they say not to judge a book by its cover, so I didn’t have my hopes up yet (even though it looked pretty incredible). But when I popped a little piece of that warm turkey into my mouth, I was amazed that it tasted even better than it looked. I couldn’t have asked for a better first turkey experience!! And I couldn’t have asked for any greater people to share it with either. I am proud to say that we ate all of the turkey with the exception of maybe ½ pound of meat…which I happily ate the following day for lunch.

Turkey Stuffing Ingredients:

• 1 large Spanish onion quartered
• 1 cloves from an entire head of garlic, peeled
• 1 lemon quartered
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 stalks of celery with leaves cut into thirds
• Bundle of sage leaves tied with twine
• Bundle of thyme leaves tied with twine
• Couple sprigs of rosemary

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Remove the giblets from the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out, patting dry when finished. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan and then liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the bunches of thyme, rosemary, and sage, the quartered lemon, celery, quartered onion, and the garlic cloves.  Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter mixture (recipe below) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey.

Roast the turkey about 21 minutes per pound of meat, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. I liked letting mine cook for the last 30 minutes uncovered so that the outside browned and crisped up.

Remove the turkey from the oven and cover with aluminum foil, let stand for at least 30 minutes, or up till serving time. (Hint: the longer the turkey sits, the more the flavors develop and the juicier it is….but don’t let it sit at room temperature too long or bacteria can develop).

Slice the turkey and serve.

Ingredients Lemon Herb Butter:

• 1 stick of butter
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan, melt the stick of butter. Then whisk in the zest and juice of one lemon and the chopped thyme leaves. Remove from heat and brush on turkey.