Archive
for December, 2011
Accursed Fruitcake: A Holiday Drink Recipe from Allston Yacht Club
Dec 24 2011
Being pregnant at Christmas is a little harrowing. I really want to drink….many drinks! But, even if I can’t, I thought I’d be unselfish and share a great drink recipe from Allston Yacht Club in Echo Park with you. This Christmas/ Chanukah-ready concoction is called the Accursed Fruitcake, and it got the seal of approval from my husband, who is allowed to drink. Sigh. He says it embodies everything he loves about winter—it will make your friends and family all warm and festive.
Here’s the easy recipe:
2 oz Applejack
1 Tbs inebriated fruit*
Top with apple cider, and add a Splash of Ginger Beer.
Stir and serve in iced highball glass.
* For the inebriated fruit, you can use dried versions of any or all of following: cranberries, cherries, apricots, blueberries, peaches, candied ginger, white and dark raisins. Boil for 10 minutes. Drain and pour the fruit into a container. Add ¼ cup of sugar for every pound—a pound will make a ton of drinks. Now just add a few cinnamon sticks, a couple of cloves, and allspice. Cover with brandy and let sit until needed.
And, if your not up for making your own drinks, Allston is serving up 6 holiday cocktails until December 30th.
-Valentina
How to Eat a Buffet Brunch: A Plan of Action
Dec 20 2011
A brunch buffet is serious business. Not windpocalypse or electromagnetic field attack serious, but you know, relatively important in the moment. Let’s face it: when a sushi station, charcuterie table and five-foot pastry platter are confronting you, you need a strategy.
I realized as much when I was recently invited to sample the Sunday brunch at the Catalina Kitchen at the Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes—yes, I drove to PV (in the rain) to eat brunch. You would, too, if you saw this menu, which promised cheese boards, Italian meats, three types eggs benedict, smoked fish, Belgian waffles, gelato, etc. etc. etc.
Talk about overwhelming.
But in the end, I think I did well. I executed a three-plate plan to make sure the experience was properly exploited. Take note:
Happiness Is a Pizza Made at Home…
Dec 07 2011
..on a cold (for Los Angeles), Fall night.
-Valentina
Holiday Baking that Will Make You Popular: Easy & Impressive Baklava
Dec 04 2011
My aunt Carlene is one of those natural born bakers. While I struggle to make a halfway decent cupcake or an unoffensive cookie, her baked goods always come out looking and tasting magazine-quality perfect. Seriously, when she hands me a tin of her homemade treats every Christmas, it feels like a prize.
That’s why I turned to her to help me come up with something delicious for Eat My Blog 4.0. When she suggested baklava, I was a little nervous because it looks hard, but it turned out to be easy and—dare I say—fun. Plus, baklava is one of those desserts that’s ridiculously tasty, visually stunning and just exotic enough to trick people into thinking I have enviable culinary skills. And that’s the kind of deception I’m all about.
This recipe was so simple that I think it will be my go-to this holiday season, and it might as well be yours, too. I mean, just picture yourself unveiling a plate of these flaky, golden masterpieces at a holiday party or an office potluck.
You’re going to be so popular.
