The official blog for Taste This
I’ve changed
The thing about having been ill is that you do things differently, maybe not right away, but then you look back and realize that you’ve changed. I’ve changed.
You laugh harder, live larger, love more deeply, and take more chances. The focus is on living and doing so memorably. Continue reading ‘Cherry Berry Campari Spritzer’
Love. Love. Love.
How can you not remember your first love, your first crush, your first adult obsession, or your first slow kiss? There is something so indescribably powerful about that emotion packed chemical reaction. The closest thing I can equate it to is a craving for chocolate. I’ll be the first to confess that I am obsessed with chocolate. Not just any chocolate, I like a standout. Continue reading ‘Chocolate Reckless Love Cocktail’
The holidays have arrived. Seasonal music floods retail stores and becomes all too common on radio stations; while on TV there is a seemingly unending stream of commercials touting the Christmas theme. As we check Thanksgiving off of our culinary and social list my mind instantly turns towards gift giving. Making a homemade gift is always nice and while cookies are a delicious way to go, I wanted to find that perfect gift to give that is a bit unusual. This concept takes hardly any time to make and will certainly be memorable.
Continue reading ‘Fire Sugar Cubes – Not Your Granny’s Sugar Cubes’
There is some sort of strange energy that prevails once the end of the year hits. It’s as if we think we have to somehow squeeze everything into those remaining months. It feels like a continuous time crunch with no apparent end in sight. Yet, somehow I am happy to have this experience this year. I’ll take every last bit of it. I don’t want to miss a beat. Last year I could only wish to be going to parties and seeing family and friends, so I am reminded to manage the swells of activity that exist and to find the fun in the little moments. Continue reading ‘Warm Chai Coconut Koloa Coffee Rum Mylk’
I have breast cancer.
Those four words you never hope to say. I was going to blog about taking a forest bath, but that will be another day, today it seems less important. I realize a food blog hardly seems like the place to make this sort of announcement to some, to others they will fully understand that this is exactly what a blog is about. It is about relevance and transparency. It is a window into my world. So here it is. Continue reading ‘Watermelon Refresher & A Dose of Reality’
Right now I can’t cook to save my life. It is just not possible. There are those moments in life when the wheels just come off and you free fall Don Draper style off the high rise. That’s where I am. That’s what my life feels like right now. I’ve tried to ‘pretty it up’ and put lip stick on a pig, but at the end of the day, it is still lip stick on a pig. Nothing more. Continue reading ‘Watermelon Basil Sweet Tea’
Blackberries make summer memories
Summer simmers along, with hot days and warm still nights. This is the sign of a good blackberry summer. The berries hang heavy and ripe on their briers, waiting for eager hands to gather them. Heaving buckets heaped with berries comprise the Mt. Shasta Blackberry Festival’s iconic food – blackberry pie. As the summer days melt away, this end-of-summer staple, sweet tangy blackberries, ease us into the next season.
For our family, the Mt. Shasta Blackberry Festival has been a staple. There is nothing quite like a good ole’ fashioned summer party to push away the back to school blues. The potato sack races, watermelon eating contest and balloon toss contests are often picturesque images seen only in a Martha Stewart magazine but here, Continue reading ‘Blackberry & Proscuitto Goat Cheese Herbed Pizza’
If you’ve got love and romance on your noggin and are looking for a quiet night in, a special dinner should be the prelude to the evening ahead. (What? No love in your life well then, love the one(s) you are with. Why not spoil a friend or family member?) Keeping things delicious and simple is the way to go. Besides so many restaurants are so terribly overbooked on February 14th that I’ve been a long time fan of staying home and enjoying the evening in.
Valentine’s Day Menu D’Amore
* Cocktail – Mandarin Beastie
* Appetizers – Hot Mess Spiced Bar Nuts & Pesto Parmesan Chips
* Main Course – Orange Marinaded Pork Tenderloin, Carrot Dijon Salad & Potato and Onion Au Gratin
* Dessert – Passion Fruit Cake or Chunky Krispie Chocolate Cherry Treats
Aside from the adult beverage, a lot of this meal can be done ahead of time. Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday this year so if you are like me and running in a few too many directions it’s important to be prepared. Here’s my Valentine’s Day Meal Count Down to prepare this Menu D’Amore.
February 11 (Tuesday) organize the shopping list.
February 12 (Wednesday) prepare hot messed spiced nuts and store in an airtight container.
February 13 (Thursday) marinade the meat, prepare the carrot salad and dessert (if making the cake it can be frosted on Friday). Then set the table before heading off to bed.
February 14 (Friday) bring the meat to room temperature while preparing the au gratin potatoes and frosting the cake. Prepare the Pesto Parmesan Crackers and while they are in the oven start to mix up a batch of Mandarin Beasties.
Note: All of these recipes appear throughout the Bowl Licker blog but to help you get your grocery list organized I’ve also listed the ingredients on this page. For the full instructions click on the names of each recipe in the list above.
Mandarin Beastie
Cocktail Ingredients
Ice
3 oz Mandarin orange vodka
1 oz lemonade or fresh lime juice
1 oz club soda
Hot Messed Spiced Nuts
Nut Ingredients
2 3/4 cups assorted nuts (whole almonds, Brazilian nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans)
2 TBS rosemary, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 TBS dark brown sugar
2 tsps sea salt (if using salted nuts then reduce salt by 1 tsp)
1 TBS unsalted butter, melted
Pesto Parmesan Chips
Chip Ingredients
12-16 wonton wrappers (3-inch squares)
1 TBS olive oil
1 TBS Parmesan cheese
Paprika, dash
2-3 TBS pesto
Orange Marinaded Pork Tenderloin
Tenderloin Ingredients
1 cup orange juice
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 TBS fresh rosemary, chopped
3 tsps, garlic, minced
2 (3/4 pound) whole pork tenderloins
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Carrot Salad Dressing with Dijon Dressing
Salad & Dressing Ingredients
1 TBS lemon juice
2 tsps Dijon mustard
3 TBS olive oil
1 lb carrots, peeled and shredded
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 TBS fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp fresh chives, chopped
2 TBS pine nuts, toasted
Potato and Onion Au Gratin
Potato Ingredients
2 tsps garlic, minced
2 lbs russet potatoes (approximately 4), peeled
dash Nutmeg, ground
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Emmentaler, grated
1 white onion, sliced
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy (double) cream
Passion Fruit Chiffon Cake
Passion Fruit Filling Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup passion fruit nectar or puree
4 egg yolks
1 vanilla bean—split, seeds scraped
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into TBS
Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature
8 oz cream cheese (I like whipped), room temperature
2 – 3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsps passion fruit nectar or puree (often found in frozen fruit section of Latin markets)
food coloring (optional)
Chunky Krispie Chocolate Cherry Treats
Krispie Ingredients
3 TBS salted butter
1 (10 oz) bag of large marshmallows
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 cup dried cherries, chopped
1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
Summer is nearly here and it seems I am turning nearly everything I cook, bake or blend into the color green. So many lovely green veggies and herbs are in bloom to play around with – the hours seem to melt away as I pine over fresh ingredients to meld into new creations. The recipes need not be overly complicated; the goal is just to taste the freshness in every bite, or in this case, gulp. This drink recipe is 100% kid friendly, but with the flick of a wrist (and your favorite white alcohol) it can quickly turn into an adult beverage. No one needs to know that you are not all drinking the same exact drink!
I tend to gravitate towards a tart palate so when making this recipe for myself I will often cut the simple syrup recipe in half. My family tends to like things on the sweeter side, so I have provided that recipe as the base recipe. Tweak it as you like. I think it is a wonderful summer drink that will refresh even the hottest of guest.
Green Lemonade
Simple Syrup
6 TBS sugar
6 TBS water
Green Lemonade Ingredients
1 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed (approximately 4-5 lemons)
2 cups fresh mint leaves, stems removed
5 cups water, cold or room temperature
2 cups large ice cubes
simple syrup (recipe below)
Garnish
6 mint sprigs, small or
peeled lemon rind
Directions
In a small pot, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Once sugar is dissolved remove pot from heat and set aside.
In a blender combine lemon juice, mint leaves, water, and ice. Blend until well combined. If desired, the small bits of mint can be strained out of the juice. Lastly, add simple syrup and stir.
To garnish, serve with a sprig of mint or a little lemon rind.
It’s difficult to imagine that as a native Californian I have NEVER been to Yosemite….until this past weekend. I think it is safe to say that I was enamored with everything I saw. A truly spectacular location that was made all the more memorable when shared with family and good friends.
We stayed at the Evergreen Lodge which was about 40 minutes outside of the park. The accommodations were adorable rustic private cabins. The restaurant and tavern on the property served wonderfully fresh and progressive California cuisine. I was further excited to discover what I think will be deemed my birthday drink from here on forward. >drum roll please< I am happy to share with you the soon to be famous Humido! Its inventor, Douglas Salles, the beverage service manager for the Evergreen Lodge. This drink is brilliant- fresh, rich in spices and not too sweet.
What’s so great about the ingredients in this drink? It’s the rum and the Hum. What is Hum? Hum is a liquor inspired by the French Caribbean and modeled after the great Amaros of Italy. It is made by infusing a pot still rhum (a type of rum made from distilled sugar cane juice) with fair trade hibiscus, ginger root, cardamom and kaffir lime to create the beautifully balanced American Botanical Spirit called HUM. Hum is technically a “liqueur,” however, it cannot be compared to traditional liqueurs at a bold 70 proof.
Humido Cocktail
Ingredients
3 blackberries, 5 blueberries and 2 large wedges of limes
1 1/2 oz of Hum
1/2 oz of Rum (or Vodka)
1 tsp agave nectar
ginger beer
Garnish: 2 blackberries, 1 slight wedge of lime
Directions
In a bucket glass with some ice muddle the blackberries, blueberries and with limes. Pour into a cocktail shaker and add agave nectar, Hum and rum. Shake well and strain back into a bucket glass filled with ice. Top it off with ginger beer. Garnish with blackberries and lime.
Cute Bar Bling:
