I’ve done a lot of liqueurs lately haven’t I? Cranberry Liqueur and Coffee Liqueur for the holidays and in my case made to give to friends and family as holiday gifts. I’ve got Limoncello in my brewing facility (OK, garage) that will be ready for summer but for right now? How about Chocolate Liqueur made with Scharffen Berger Chocolate. I saved this one because I thought it perfect for Valentines Day.

I love making gifts for special holidays. Except for my children, I haven’t purchased a gift for someone for, hmm…decades. Really. I just feel like it’s a true gift from the heart if I put myself into the effort. If you lined up all those years of gifts you would have a picture of how my interests have changed. There was the Pendleton wool jacket I made for my ex-husband (well, he was a husband at the time; I’m not nuts!), the quilted apron and pot holders for a mother-in-law, macrame hangers for potted plants, cross stitched pillows and jars of goods that I used to can after a summers bounty of berries and cucumbers. I’ve made painted sweatshirts, earrings, ceramics and stained glass. But nothing seems to satisfy me (and I like to think the recipients) as much as cookies, breads and these liqueurs. Oh wait…maybe the Maple Bourbon Bacon I gave everyone this past year for Christmas…yes, I heard a lot about that bacon. :)

I’m fairly certain that if I presented a gift to someone from a department store they would be perplexed and confused; surely wondering if my body had been taken over by an unseen entity. Sometimes that effort can run head on into real life and buying gifts would be easier but I know it would be so much less satisfying for me and as long as the people in my life seem to enjoy the fruits of my labors, I’m keeping at it. This liqueur and the martini made with it are my offering for this day when we express our love through flowers, candy and most definitely chocolate. Forget the abundance of commercial products…make this gift for your loved ones and show them a gift straight from your heart. And Scharffen Berger.

I don’t use Scharffen Berger for every baked good or dessert I put together; I’m also a big fan of Ghirardelli Chocolate Chips for my everyday fare. But there are times when the quality of the chocolate needs to be superior and this is my go to brand. They are only available in select stores and Whole Foods but if those options aren’t available, you can also order online. Sometimes something or someone special just deserves the very best.

Disclaimer: This post was not sponsored by Scharffen Berger Chocolate; which means I can say whatever I want about them. Which also means I really really do like their chocolate. So there.

I recently started working with The Daily Basics, an online lifestyle magazine where I’ll be their cocktail/appetizer contributor each month. Either a cocktail or appetizer will be shared here on Creative Culinary and the companion will be featured on their site. This month, I was inspired to make a Classic Manhattan, which became the tale of ‘finding the perfect glass.’ The receipt of a shipment of family heirlooms and the one unique glass I wanted the most having been broken was the beginning of that tale. It was exasperating but along the way it also was the perfect example of someone going the extra mile…I hope you’ll go read the story but I have to give a shout out here to Scott, the manager of YaYa’s in the Denver Tech Center. Without Scott, those gorgeous glasses would not be featured here and I’m indebted to him. Forever!

If the Manhattan is considered one of the finest cocktails ever conceived it deserves a great appetizer. While I enjoy a traditional pate too, I decided to pair the cocktail this time with a Mushroom Paté; my take on an appetizer that I could imagine being served with a Manhattan all those many years ago when it first gained notoriety. It’s rich and decadent but also something that would appeal to all of my friends including the vegetarians among them.

I’ve been making this paté for a very long time…or at least one like it. This is the first time I’ve ever considered actually writing down the ingredients that I use. I first had it served at a party I attended a decade ago and all I could get from the hostess was that it was a combination of sautéed mushrooms and cream cheese so I’m sure I’m made a revision to it each and every time I’ve put it together but I must say, I think this was the best. Maybe it was that extra clove of garlic?

It’s easy to prepare and can be held in the refrigerator overnight so it’s a great appetizer if you want to make something ahead of time. I actually think it’s best if given some time for the flavors to meld so try this next time you’re having a get together and want to make it easier for you…anything you can make a day ahead is a bonus.

 Be sure to visit ‘The Daily Basics’ for my article on the Classic Manhattan

This is a simple cocktail but it’s one of my favorites; simple to make and so refreshing it’s something I can drink year round. The truth is that long before I ever tried a Cuba Libre I was long hooked on Coca Cola with a slice of lime. Somewhere along the way (of course not until I was 21!!) I was introduced to my favorite drink with an adult beverage as part of the mix. Immediate love. It may be a simple drink but it does not have a simple history.

After the end of the Spanish-American war in 1898, the United States occupied Cuba until 1902 and in a twist that seems appropriate for a major corporation in today’s climate, that also signaled the beginning of sales of Coca Cola in Cuba. In August of 1900, while celebrating the US victory over Spain in Cuba, Captain Russell of the United States Army Signal Corps, ordered Bacardi rum (at that time THE rum of Cuba) with a Coca Cola and a slice of lime. His toast of “Por Cuba libre!” in celebration of a free Cuba had a special political significance and was frequently used by Cubans and Americans alike; the name and the cocktail were forever married and that was that.

A second war more than 40 years later saw a resurgence in the popularity of this  drink. By 1944, all American distillers, no matter their size, were required to turn 100 percent of their production over to Uncle Sam which resulted in low domestic supplies of many favorite liquors. At the same time Caribbean rum was plentiful enough to make up for that. With some irony, sugar was being rationed which meant most people did not have enough to make daiquiris or Collins cocktails but the one company that was big enough to pull strings and continue production? Coca Cola!

Prohibition eventually ended but this cocktail’s popularity did not. Though now made with any variety of different rums and coke from bottled to diet to caffeinated…it’s still a popular drink and still a symbol of ‘free Cuba’ by dissidents in that country.

Recreating the ‘original’ Cuba Libre would be impossible today. It’s not just rumor or heresy, the truth is that Coca Cola at one time included a considerable amount of cocaine and it wasn’t until 1904 when executives started to explore phasing out the cocaine content from the beverage; that was accomplished soon thereafter. Bacardi moved their Cuban operation to Puerto Rico after prohibition so though there is some attempt by Bacardi to hang onto the Cuban legacy, they are no longer a Cuban rum so any attempt today to recreate that original drink with Cuban rum and a cola with cocaine would have to be a much more clandestine adventure then the one I took to secure ingredients. I was excited just to find glass bottles of Coca Cola made in Mexico. They are typically manufactured with cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup and are more representative of Coca Cola from days gone by. The ingredients may not be the same but in the spirit of hoping someday the people of Cuba are free, I say ‘Cuba Libre!’

 

The winter solstice this past year was December 21; when the sun reaches the most southerly declination. It marks the day of the year with the least hours of daylight; the official start of winter. Though we can certainly anticipate more winter weather in Colorado, for me the winter solstice also signals the beginning of the end; the days after this moment in time get longer every day and we can appreciate the advent of spring as the next season to celebrate; my personal favorite time of the year.

It’s this same time of the year that citrus starts to play a bigger role in our food choices. With good reason in particular in the warmer parts of the country as lemons, limes, tangerines and grapefruit ripen and become plentiful, however, I find myself craving them as if they were growing in my garden yet there is not one tree within hundreds of miles of me. After the season of gluttony, I look forward to lighter dishes and especially love salad dressings and cocktails that  include the brightness that is brought to our palate by citrus. If you are lucky enough to have a tree (or several) of Meyer lemons, please, please do not lament to me that you simply can not use all of the little beauties coming from your tree. That is not a problem. You can make lemonade or if it would help, you can send some of them to me! :)

I purchased grapefruits and limes from the market a couple of days ago so inspiration for this cocktail came from seeing that fruit bowl on the counter. I really wanted to concentrate on the grapefruit; it’s sort of become my new favorite citrus. To balance the tartness of the juice I decided to add some maraschino liqueur. I recently made some of my own maraschino cherries for holiday gifts which are simply cherries that soak in Maraschino liqueur; once you try these beauties there is no going back.

There might be some that would take me to task for calling a cocktail without either gin or vermouth a martini and I get it, I really do; purists have their cause and all. However, I can’t get beyond that word for something served in a conventional glass shape that we have come to know as a martini glass! Vodkatini? Nope, can’t do it. So I’ll continue to call any beverage I serve in a martini glass a martini and just ask that you try this; it will bring a bit of sunshine into the dreary days of winter and we can anticipate spring together!

Hello and goodbye. That time of year when we look at the past 12 months and search for accomplishments and meaning and face toward the new year with both anticipation and maybe some trepidation. Did we accomplish all we wanted to; did we grow, provide, serve enough? Will we make changes to how we manage our lives and our time in the New Year and manage to fulfill dreams that today, right now, seem imminently possible or maybe even imminently impossible?

My own experience this past year has included the continuation of a difficult journey. I still need a cane to walk as the result of a severe injury suffered in February 2010. I could never have imagined that something so simple as my leg falling asleep could result in an injury that has changed the entire landscape of my life; affecting both my professional career and personal relationships. Discovering through this process the new friends who have become steadfast and the old ones who found it easier to look the other way.

Through it all I remain grateful for the readers who visit this blog and participate with me in this journey. I’ve loved to cook and provide sustenance for those around me for as long as I can remember and this blog allows me a journal of those experiences. Your engagement along with your encouraging comments makes me grateful for each one of you. Your compliments, especially on my photography, can take me to the moon. Any progress in that arena has surely been made possible over the course of the past two years by regaining the ability to stand and walk without a walker. When my balance was of greater concern than white balance. I wish you could have been party to some of that early work; I’m sure that you would have valiantly tried not to but even I had to laugh at the ridiculousness of it. Walker, dog, gate, 1 dish at a time, so tired by the time I got anything setup and in enough pain that I was lucky to snap 2 photos of the end result. Someone told me that I should have done a blog post about what it took to get a dish made and a photo taken but I’m just grateful that those days are past. I might still be hobbled a bit but it’s focusing on the progress that keeps me going. Is it good or bad that I can now work on a post long enough to generate 50+ photos each time? :)

So I wish for more progress in this coming year. To learn and grow even more. To get physically stronger and emotionally tougher. To continue building relationships both in real life and with friends I have met online. Maybe to hop on a jet plane and make a trip to a blogging conference finally! And I wish the same for you. That you realize your dreams or maybe even just realize what they are. That you find support and encouragement on your path and that maybe I’ll even be a party to seeing your success or a friend when it seems that will never happen. To each of you I say, Happy New Year!

Seems this is the time of year for a lot of blogs to offer up their most popular posts; using criteria that each decides upon. I thought it might be interesting; sort of a nod to the future with a first recipe of the year while also reminiscing about the year in review. For the posts from this past year, I’ve included those that were seen the most and for something new, I’m including this tasty tart that is  easy and delicious; easy enough to pull together today even if you have the last of holiday company coming by for a visit. Combining two things I love, bacon and caramelized onions, it’s a favorite in our home.

 

I admit I was a bit surprised when I compiled the posts that statistics consider my ‘Best Of.’ Why? Well, I’ve been doing this blog or a variation of it for 16 years and yet what lists as half of my most popular posts? The booze. Yes, you guys like the adult beverages A LOT! I only started doing a cocktail each week on a regular basis a couple of months ago and it’s evident they are hugely popular so today I’m glad I made an appetizer…we need something to munch on with all of those libations!

This is a simple tart…no crust required! Dough is put into a pan that has had some butter melted in it first, it’s covered with bacon, caramelized onions and Parmesan and baked. Easy and delish. I hope you enjoy it and do be sure to check out the most popular posts of 2011 after the recipe. Cheers to YOU!

Our Most Popular Posts of 2011

10. Maple Bourbon Bacon – This one may have squeaked in and it’s a good thing because this might be my personal favorite. Participating in Charcutepalooza was life changing stuff and learning how to cure and smoke my own bacon was a highlight. Ask my friends and family what they got for Christmas this year…it would include bacon!

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9. Make Your Own Coffee Liqueur – Made with espresso and a hint of chocolate; I truly do think this is better than Kahlua!

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8. Cocoa, Cayenne and Espresso Roasted Walnuts – These were perfect…crispy, toasted, cocoa and a hint of heat. So good.

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7. Maple Bacon Roasted Turkey – This is the best turkey I have ever had so it’s worthy of being in this list…and has been for the third year in a row. Yes, it’s that good.

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6. Wood Butter – A Recipe for Your Wooden Spoons and More…

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5. How to Make Cranberry Liqueur – Easy, gorgeous and so tasty…the perfect holiday liqueur!

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4. VootBeer – A fabulously refreshing and unique drink; a very adult Root Beer Float!

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3. Molasses and Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – I think if these cookies had not been included in the ‘best of’ by readers I would have had to fudge. Simply the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made.

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2. Cranberry Ginger Fizz Cocktail – Listed on sites all over the web as a suggestion for a holiday drink…it is quintessentially so. Gorgeous, refreshing and filled with flavors of the season.

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1. The Smoretini – This is it; the single most popular post based on viewer visits. I think every woman on the planet must have pinned this cocktail. A Girl Scout memory type of thing revisited as an adult beverage? Must be it.

Hope you enjoyed this roundup and I look forward to seeing more of you in the coming year. Happy New Year!

I’ve long had a holiday love affair with the decadence of Kahlua and Cream; it was the first ‘adult’ drink I was served in the safety of my parents home on Christmas Eve. I didn’t have the typical adolescent tendency to want to get drunk before I was old enough to legally imbibe but I will admit I loved the taste of this concoction. Moving beyond a Shirley Temple was exciting and the richness of Kahlua and Cream was a pretty easy cocktail to transition to. It was also perfect for the night before Christmas when family were together and there was always such a spirit of celebration. I’ve loved it ever since.

For the best finish to any drink with eggnog, fresh nutmeg is fabulous.

Over the years, my favorite cocktail has gone through several iterations which I would love to share. Starting this month I’m working with The Daily Basics to prepare a cocktail each month for their readers in conjunction with Happy Hour Friday, so I hope you’ll scoot on over to their site to read more and get the recipe for my Eggnog, Coffee Liqueur and Jameson cocktail. Sure, use Kahlua if you must, but I’ve also got a fabulous recipe for my homemade coffee liqueur…I think it’s even better!

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In keeping with making this my own, I also wanted to make eggnog this year. Even though I can find some great products locally, it was time to try something ‘homemade.’ I’m so glad I asked my friend Rachael at La Fuji Mama. She has two young girls and I really wanted something for this base that was without alcohol and good for anyone without fear of eating raw eggs. This recipe is cooked slightly so eliminates the worry of serving it to anyone who does not have the strongest immune system. Though I must say the elderly in that bunch will probably enjoy some of the ‘added’ ingredients of the cocktail!

This is a very special Happy Hour Friday. A sweet friend I’ve met on Twitter is getting married this Saturday and I’m part of a large group that wanted to celebrate with Nelly (Cooking With Books), even if only in a virtual sense. I remember seeing her tweet, not that long ago,  ‘And…I said YESSSSS!‘ and it was exactly as I suspected. A ring was proffered, a request of the most sincerity was made and our Nelly said YES to her beloved “M” as she affectionately calls Brian Murray, her fiancé and soon to be husband.

Nelly and I connected by way of goat. That’s right…goat. Although we had tweeted a bit before, it was during the Goaterie challenge I helped put together this past year that we saw each other in the hallway more often; we chatted up a bit and got to know each other better. I knew she had a fellow in Martha’s Vineyard and was dying to get back to the US to be with him. Now, she will be; forever and ever. Nelly and Brian are getting married on Saturday in Martha’s Vineyard and the food blogosphere is all ‘atwitter’ with excitement!

I thought it important that I find a cocktail that seemed appropriate to the occasion. Oh, I’m sure they’ll have a special bridal toast (they could try my friend Lora’s Negroni Sbagliato with prosecco!) but if there were a big reception and we were there more than virtually, this is the cocktail I would make. Nelly comes to us from the Dominican Republic and brings some of that spice with her, so I wanted something with some oomph. I had just finished making some jars of Luxardo infused cherries, my version of Maraschino cherries, for gifts and wanted to use some of them. It seemed prophetic that I had also just received a fantastic bottle of Tanteo Tequila with a couple of small bottles of Tanteo Infused Tequilas. One was their Tropical Infusion; how perfect was that? I found what I think is also the perfect recipe from a bartender at The Gramercy Tavern in New York City. Combining tequila with blueberries, cherries, lime juice and Luxardo, it’s fruity and pretty but with a real bite. Don’t let that pretty pink color fool you; this is not a girly girl drink at all!

Wishing Brian and Nelly a wonderful day and a lifetime of love. Hugs and Kisses to both of you and of course, Cheers!

Maraschino cherries were originally soaked in 70-proof Maraschino cordial made from the juice of the Italian Dalmatian marasca wild cherry. The commercial maraschino cherries we know are put into a brining liquid of sodium metabisulfate, calcium chloride, and citric acid; soaked in corn syrup and fructose solution; then artificially flavored and colored either red or green. Once you try these you will never go back…promise! They are so simple and so very good; cherries are simply covered with the Luxardo liqueur and ready in a matter of days! See Recipe Notes.

Like so many, my childhood memory of cranberries is centered on the canned, jellied version of cranberry sauce. I can’t say I hated it, but I just don’t care for anything ‘jelloish’; preferring jam in a heartbeat to jelly. Still I was unprepared for how much I would LOVE cranberry sauce made from scratch. Talk about easy..it’s a mystery why anyone would have ever thought to can berries as a gelatinized sauce in the first place. Cranberry sauce is easy, having the mouth feel of whole berries is a huge plus and not to be discounted? The resulting dish is beyond compare to anything you can purchase at the market and the opportunity to put your own spin on it is limitless.

Ever since that fateful year that I decided to experiment with fresh cranberries, I’ve come to really enjoy the holidays and the availability of this beautiful fruit. As a faithful Costco member, the abundance of berries in my home after shopping there gives me ample opportunity to try several dishes. I absolutely must try a new version of cranberry sauce each year with some hits and some misses. Everyone who has had my Merlot Cranberry Sauce with Toasted Walnuts loves it as much as I do. However, no one got to even try the Asian version I made one year with jalapeno and Chinese Five Spice; it just did not cut it for me and I sure wasn’t going to serve it to anyone else. Sob.

This year I decided to incorporate the ingredients from a favorite cocktail, the Cosmopolitan, substituting the water typically used in cooking the cranberries with vodka. During the process of preparing this dish, I had a moment of thinking I had done this before…one of those deja vu moments when something seemed so familiar. And then I remembered that indeed I had; however that attempt had the vodka added after the cranberries were cooked down and it was just a bit too harsh for my tastes. So I continued with my attempt this year which required cooking the vodka and cranberries together. What a difference. It’s hard to explain but the taste of vodka is not so evident as just a cooler, crisper result to the overall product. Love at first bite.

So, this is not ‘really’ a cocktail and because I hate to disappoint…take a bit of these berries and some of the juices, add a splash of Grand Marnier and some chilled vodka or Spanish cava and voila; a new and unique holiday cocktail is quickly in hand!

I’ve participated with Steven Gilberg and @WineTwits before when I’ve hosted combination wine tastings and tweetups that serve to get the word out about different wines; either by region or type. When I was asked to serve as a host  for a ‘food’ event, how could I say no? I invited friends; made sure they had coupons for the featured product and we convened at my home for a fun night of chatting, laughter, food and Twitter. I’m lucky to be a part of a local blogger group I helped to get started this time last year and it’s sure nice to have a group of friends to invite that enjoy getting together and bringing a dish as much as I do. We had such fun and I hope you find something in this selection that you’ll want to make yourself. Hey…the cocktail at least!

I sent out a cellphone picture I snapped that night I thought you might enjoy…is this the new cocktail party? Hope Karen, Andrea and Donna don’t kill me!

We each had a recipe that had been developed by Chef Rick Rodgers who is known as America’s Thanksgiving expert and the author of the best-selling cookbook ‘Thanksgiving 101‘ as well as being a frequent contributor to Williams-Sonoma and Bon Appetit magazine. We used his recipes as a start and everyone had the liberty of following or making whatever changes they wanted. All that was required were raspberries.

Holiday Berry Bellini (click on titles for printable PDF of each recipe)
I did the cocktail (go figure) and we just loved it. How can you go wrong with St. Germain, Cava, raspberries and a bit of lime juice? SO good. The original recipe for this cocktail called for lemon juice but I had limes and truth is…I can’t imagine it any other way now. Not too sweet; just right.

Wild Rice Dressing with Raspberries and Carmelized Shallots
Andrea (www.forkfingerschopsticks.com) prepared this dish; I admit it was new to me to have fresh fruit with a rice dish but I loved it. Andrea also brought a dozen freshly made tamales; I begged and she stopped and picked some up. Now we all want to make some of our own (are you listening Karen?).

Roasted Acorn Squash with Raspberry Sauce
Donna (http://cookistry.blogspot.com) prepared this gorgeous squash dish. Really…have you EVER thought of a raspberry sauce for squash? The sauce makes it visually pretty and gives your taste buds a treat too…not your mothers’ overly sweet squash.

Eggnog Panna Cotta with Raspberries and a Balsamic Vinegar Glaze
Karen (www.savourytable.com) brought us this amazing dessert. Both light and rich, it was a delicious finish to our meal. Not overly sweet, it was a just the perfect way to end our meal.

This was a fun experience; it certainly opened our eyes to just how versatile raspberries really are. My thanks to Driscolls for the berries and recipes; even more thanks to my friends for bringing the event to fruition…you are all THE BOMB!

Brie with Honeyed Raspberries and Almonds (pictured above)
My friend Jane (www.noplainjaneskitchen.com) was charged with the Brie and Raspberry appetizer but she had a last minute opportunity to see a relative coming through Denver International Airport and decided to head out there for a visit. She was kind enough to drop off her goodies and we managed to put the appetizer together in her absence. Jane has substituted almonds for the pistachios in the original recipe and they were so perfect I can’t imagine not having used them! This was something I will do again for a party…warm brie, fruit and nuts? Oh yes, my kind of appetizer.

Notes:

• We were all compensated by Driscolls for the cost of the berries. I received additional compensation for assisting the organizers with recruiting other hosts in the US.  I was not compensated for this post and I hate the part where we are supposed to say something along the lines of ‘all thoughts are mine.’ Get real…do you know me? :)
• Thanks to Driscolls Berries for the photos of the squash and panna cotta.