All you closet sherry drinkers out there; this one’s for you!

I love sherry. I love it dry to drink, sweet to cook and in vinegar form for my salad. Give me a glass of Manzanilla Sherry and I will show you a happy woman. Yesterday, I came across this article in the L.A. Times announcing the return of sherry to the cocktail hour. I was so excited that not only did I tweet my excitement, but I finally decided to put a little idea of mine into a glass. I call it my Savory Sherry Cocktail.

Over the last few weeks, every time I’ve eaten a clementine or sipped a sherry I kept thinking of how delicious the two would be together.  The two together was a good combination, but they needed a bridge, an herbal mediator ensuring a harmonious coupling. After giving it a bit of thought, I decided a fresh bay leaf would be best up to the challenge. I first added a bruised bay leaf to the drink but the result was not very noticeable. Then I infused the sherry with a bruised bay leaf overnight for a much more pleasing result.  I recommend using either a fino or manzanilla sherry for this recipe, a sweet sherry will not produce the same light refreshing cocktail experience. Also, if you can’t find clementines, Valencia oranges are a wonderful alternative.

Savory Sherry Cocktail

1-1 1/2 ounces Bay Infused Dry Sherry (chilled or at room temp, your preference)

2 ounces Freshly Squeezed Clementine Juice (chilled or at room temp, your preference)

Fresh Bay Leaves, to garnish

In a small glass, combine the ingredients, give a quick stir and garnish with a bay leaf. Enjoy!

Note: To infuse the sherry with a bay leaf, simply bruise one or two leaves and insert them into your bottle of sherry for 24 to 48 hours.

Is it just me or do people tend to over think entertaining? Hosts and hostesses stressing themselves out trying to do too much, preparing food that is simply too fussy, ending up as the loneliest person at the party. The result this has had seems to be that people rarely entertain anymore, reserving parties for obligatory celebrations and holidays alone. Where has the Friday evening cocktail party gone?

During my past year in Seattle, I lived in a space of 610sq. ft,  and with most of my dishes in storage at my parents house, I did not do much entertaining. With our recent move to Petaluma I am re-discovering my multitude of party dishes, teacup collection, and a multitude Parisian bistro glasses, all of which I am itching to use. Funny thing about this is that in Seattle with all of my friends and family, I hadn’t the dishes for entertaining. Now that I have them, well, my friends and family are a bit too far away for entertainment purposes. Thankfully, having my very own food blog I am able indulge myself just the tiniest bit, by sharing a few tricks for hosting an evening gathering that won’t drive you mad, while getting to play with my toys.

The Drinks

The first area, since this is a cocktail party, is of course, the cocktail. One of the best things in the world to do is to have one or two creative cocktails at your gathering. They are always a source of curiosity and conversation. My current favorites are a Sparkling Elderflower Cocktail and a Saffron Buddha’s Hand Cocktail. They are two very different drinks designed to cater to the very different tastes of your guests. Both of these drinks are inspired by cocktails I have favored at the amazing Txori pintxo bar in Seattle. The drinks aren’t exactly the same, but are delicious in their own right. They also don’t use a lot of fussy ingredients that need prepping as some do.

I also like to keep my guests good and hydrated especially this time of year, by placing little water pitchers and glasses in convenient spots.

Sparkling Elderflower Cocktail

2 ounces Belvoir Elderflower Press, chilled (it is the only kind I know of, but if you have a favorite use it)

Dry Sparkling Wine, chilled

Orange twist, optional garnish

In a champagne glass (or whatever shape glass you like to use for parties that holds a similar amount), place the press, and top with the sparkling wine and orange twist if you so choose. Enjoy!

Saffron Buddha’s Hand Cocktail

1 scant ounce Hangar One Buddha’s Hand Infused Vodka, chilled

1 tsp Spanish Saffron + more for a garnish

A quart of Fresh Orange Juice, chilled

In a pitcher, combine the saffron and orange juice overnight to infuse.

In a martini glass (or your favorite glass), combine the juice infusion with the vodka and stir. Top with a little pinch of saffron to garnish.

*My Parisian bistro glasses are perfect for this!

Notes: If you can’t find this rather specialized vodka, I recommend using a higher quality citron infused variety. This is the sort of drink that will allow a cheaper varieties imperfections to shine through.

Make sure the saffron is fresh or the drink will quickly betray its staleness.

If you do not want to squeeze the oj yourself Odwalla has a lovely one. It is pasteurized, but still quite delicious.

The Food

The second area is naturally the  food. When it is Wednesday night and you are suddenly filled with the need to entertain, the best solution is a little combination of creativity and ease. For many this is the point when the grocer’s frozen food case becomes suddenly more appealing, but I urge them not to succumb. With only a few good ingredients and a small amount of time you can prepare cocktail nibbles that will be a delightful as they are simple. Your guests would likely prefer a little toast topped with herbed ricotta and marinated zucchini to a stuffed mushroom that has been living a sad frozen existence for over a year. I have whipped up a few recipes such as Anchovy Chevre Spread and a Garbanzo Jamon Salad to share with you over the coming weeks, each one taking only a minimum amount of time. For now, I have included links to past posts that would be perfect for a no fuss party.

Zucchini and Jamon Serrano

Blue Cheese Prune Bites

Crispy Melon Cups

Baby Thyme Palmiers

Specky Bundles

The Dreaded Dishware

For some, the dread of hosting stems more from the clean up than anything else, which is something I have a solution to. Have a specific set of dedicated party wear. Yes, it costs a little bit, but not as much as you may think. Besides, in the long run it will be far cheaper than spending your money on paper  plates and plastic forks every time you host a gathering. I hit the Pottery Barn Outlet five years ago and bought 30 attractive, but sturdy glasses (pictured at the start of the post), for .99 a piece. My party plates are a combination of my collection of Cape Cod red glass plates and clear glass plates from that same outlet.

A lot of people tend to think I am crazy for using glass with all of the cleanup involved, but in truth there really isn’t that much. For those of you in that catagory this should explain it. While I like to use my beautiful long stemmed Waterford glasses, there is one thing this party wear has that they don’t; the ability to fit easily into my dishwasher. If all I have to do at the end of an evening is to fill the dishwasher and enjoy one final cocktail with Phil before bed, than I am a happy hostess. Besides, who needs all of that trash anyway?

I also have an array of small serving glasses that can be used for anything from tea and wine to garbanzo salad and coconut ice cream. Using a pretty little dish to serve something simple and delicious will only make your guests feel more special and welcome. For my part I know I love to fill a large apothecary jar with bread, use antique pitchers for wine, or decorating with herb filled tea glasses.

That same idea also that applies to my glassware also applies to cloth napkins, although I am positive I’ve just lost half of you. I love a crisp white napkins, but for those of you rolling your eyes about now, a dark color to hide any past discoloration works well for this type of situation. But, since is ease is the idea here, a good quality paper napkin will do well if you don’t have a basket full of freshly ironed napkins laying around.

Now, I should clarify one point, I do love the spend days prepping for a party, but this post is more about showing that you don’t have to make that comittment every single time.  You’d  be surprised at just how much more often you will be inclined to entertain when you have all of this, plus a few simple recipes at the ready.

I’d love to hear your favortie tips, tricks and recipes for simple entertaining. Please leave them in the comments section, I’m always on the lookout for a new idea.

Having recently moved all of my worldly possessions  about 900 miles, I spent a good share of this month lifting, unwrapping and arranging. Most evenings I was hot, tired and ready for a drink. I am sure since I moved to America’s wine capitol that many of you would have thought I’d be making a beeline towards a bottle of wine, but that was not the case. As much as I love wine, I wanted something refreshing and only mildly alcoholic in this warm and dry climate.

I used lychee as a starting point for this drink. Lychee is a lovely mild fruit with an interesting slightly spongy texture that is incredibly addictive. I am a fan, but I can tell you that every time I bring home lychees from Uwajimaya, Phil motors through them like they are going out of style. His sticky hands always tell the story. My recipe calls for you to use canned lychees, because you need the syrup they are packed to flavor the drink. If you can’t find lychees try your local Asian grocer.

I took the delicate flavor of the lychee and paired it with something a little less wholesome. At first I thought of vodka, but it sort of felt like a fall back option. Then I was puttering around Trader Joe’s wine section when I saw a bottle of sake and I realised it’s delicate flavor and mild punch would be gorgeous with the lychee. That left the refreshing element of the lemonade. I initially used a sparkling lemonade. The light effervescence it adds makes the drink very refreshing, but I think I prefer the more pronounced tang of a still lemonade. I leave that choice to you.

Lychee Sake Lemonade

Ice

1 TBS Lychee Syrup

1/4 cup Chilled Sake (sparkling or still, but I recommend still)

Chilled Lemonade (sparkling or still, it’s your choice)

Lychee to garnish, seeds removed

Hibiscus Flowers, to garnish (optional)

Fill a tall glass with ice, add the syrup, sake and lemonade. Give it a stir and garnish with your lychee.

Notes: You can use sparkling sake for this drink, but it is a tad spendy. I personally enjoy my sparkling sake on it’s own.

You may have taken notice of the straw in the photo, it is a reusable straw I picked up at Starbucks a century ago. I don’t know if they still sell them, but I’m sure you can find them elsewhere.

The Road Ahead

I’ve been to California once, more if you count layovers, but who wants to remember those. I was in the second grade and my family went on a trip to Disneyland and Universal Studios. I got mouse ears, ate my first churro, dizzied myself on the Tea Cups and even got a hug from Mickey himself. It was every 7 year old’s  fantasy. Now, it is 23 years later and I am finally going to return to the sunny spaces of California, but with this time things will be a bit different. I have aged and my tastes have become somewhat more refined that theme park munchies (not knocking churros though), and a turn on the Matterhorn roller coaster. This time instead of Southern California, I will be in Northern California and I will be living there.

As of May 31st, my new home will be somewhere in Marin county (most likely Petaluma) and I couldn’t be more excited. Of course this means I’ll be leaving the city I love so much, but I have been prepared for this. We had an idea even before we left New York that our time in Seattle would be short, so we have made the most of our time here in this city we love so much. But, I don’t want to dwell on that too much at the moment, instead I want to look to the next adventure. In Marin, we will be perfectly situated to take in all of the delights of Northern California with the bounty of Sonoma and Napa practically on our doorstep. I am brimming with excitement to visit the Fatted Calf in Napa, stuff myself full of the amazing blue cheese from Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese, and to experience the luscious wines of the Russian River Valley. I believe the next few years are going to be great.

If any of you have any suggestions of things to see, do and eat in Northern California, please share them with me. I would really appreciate a little help in getting to know my (soon to be) new home.

This week I have a new cocktail recipe to share with you. Something a little bubbly to celebrate the exciting time ahead. This is a bit more of a grown up drink, and isn’t cloyingly sweet or stomach churning sour. The sparkling wine really shines while the brandy adds a touch of elegance. I like the fresh apple here, because it is more of an accent unlike drinks that use fake apple flavors so everything is discernible instead of tart and green. Enjoy!

Sparkling Northwestern

The Juice of 3 Fresh Apples, (I used Jonagold)

1 cup Clear Creek Apple Eau de Vie, (you may use Calvados if Clear Creek isn’t available)

1 Bottle Dry Sparkling Wine, chilled (I used some not so northwestern Cava, but Argyle has a great sparkling wine that would be great)

Apple Wedges, to garnish, be sure to mist with lemon water to avoid discoloration

Stir gently in a pitcher and serve!

Variation: To get a bit Spanish, substitute Fino Sherry for the Apple Brandy for a wonderful and unique flavor

Whether you are a reader of this site or know me personally, there is a good chance you know that despite his best efforts my husband Phil is not the best cook. He is however a bit of a mixologist and came up with the recipe for today’s post at the end of the last holiday season. I have been excited to share it with you ever since.

The gin and tonic is a most hallowed beverage in Phil’s world, so it is only natural that his concoction was built upon it’s shoulders. It all started with a drop of cranberry juice, a “hey, taste this” and the arrival of wild lime leaves in our kitchen. The dressed up flavors coupled with it’s decidedly festive appearance made this cocktail a shoe-in for The Endive Chronicles 2008 Holiday Bonanza.

Don’t forget that throughout the month of December I will be posting much more often!

Peace, Love and Joy!

Phil’s Holiday Gin and Tonic

1 oz. Icy cold Gin (we prefer Bendistillery or Bombay Sapphire, but go with your favorite)

1/2 oz. Cranberry Juice

1 Wild Lime Leaves, slightly bruised to release the oils

4 oz. Cold Tonic

Ice (optional)

Combine your ingredients in a glass and stir.

Note: Our freezer is not condusive to ice trays, which is why we opted to forgo the ice. I leave that decision in your capable hands.

“Vorremmo due negroni per favore” was one Italian phrase I had no trouble with on our trip to Rome last November. There, we were met by our dear friends Leslie and Richard, who (lucky for us) seemed to have their collective fingers on the pulse when it came to Roman style refreshment. Our rather giddy friends met us at our hotel for dinner, fresh from a café on the Piazza Navona where they had just sampled this cocktail alla Romana recommended by Richard’s sister.

As soon as we cleaned our dinner plates we headed for the nearest bar to give it a try ourselves. We ended up at a pub with the rather humorous name, Druid’s Rock, that was covered from floor to ceiling with soccer pennants, scarves, and posters; I was pleased to be seated under the giant Y Ddraig Goch* flag of Wales.  Despite my amusement this didn’t exactly seem like the proper setting to try this Roman cocktail, but with a name like Druid’s Rock there was no way I was leaving. So we settled in and ordered our drinks.

On my first sip, I thought this combination of Campari, Vermouth and gin was not for me. I began to question why I had gotten it since I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to liquor. It was bitter and strong, but strangely intriguing and a bit tempting. So, I sipped my drink, eyeing it with suspicion trying to ascertain what it was about this electric ruby liquid that beckoned me to drink and by the time my glass was empty, I was as giddy and in love with negroni as my friends were.  After that first taste we stopped off for a negroni every evening until we left Rome. I even schooled an ex-pat bartender from the UK on how to make negroni. I realized yesterday that I had not had one since we left Italy and I think it is high time to remedy that.

Now the negroni pictured above was what Leslie and Richard drank on the Piazza Navona. They were a bit more ornate than what your would normally be served, which is an orange wedge stuck on the side of your glass. I remember Leslie saying that the fruit and most especially the red currants were lovely paired with negroni and it just so happens that I found a pint of fresh, organic, grown in Washington, red currants that matched the shade of the negroni perfectly. I do like the way a touch of orange accents the drink so I have added a touch of fresh orange juice to the mix instead of on the rim.

Cin-Cin!

Negroni

1oz. Campari
1oz. Dry Vermouth
1oz. Gin
1 tsp of fresh orange juice
Spray of fresh red currant

Shake the campari, Vermouth, Gin and orange with ice in a cocktail shaker and strain over ice. Garnish with a spray of red currant.

Note: I should mention that I most often see recipes for negroni with sweet vermouth listed. I have no clue what was in the original blend, but it never made an appearance in any negroni I drank during my trip to Rome. I trued it with the sweet and found it cloying and repellant. You should feel free to do what you like.

*Despite my best efforts I don’t actually speak Welsh. I guess a word-a-day e-mail wasn’t the best route to take on that one. The Welsh above says, the red dragon. I really need to look into Rosetta Stone, so I can learn something other than Cymru.