Campari Popsicles with Prosecco

I've never been particularly fond of Campari because I've always found it to be too bitter and without any depth. But this combination of orange, simple sryup, and lemon gives it just the right amount of zing in this bubbly drink. It's not exactly popsicle season, but these frozen nuggets are tasty and fit right in for fall and winter holiday festivities. If you don't have a popsicle maker/freezer you can also freeze the mixture in an ice cube tray for more visually appealing results. They're a good idea for parties or even a nice change from your usual mimosa at brunch.  Also a good option for NYE!

Frozen Campari-sicles

1/3 cup Campari

1/3 cup simple syrup*

3/4 cups fresh orange juice  

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 

1. Simple syrup: Bring 2:1 parts sugar and water to a near boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves completely. Let cool until room temp and measure out a 1/3 cup. Save the rest for another cocktail. (Store it in the fridge!)

2. Combine all ingredients, stirring well. Divide among popsicle molds and insert sticks and freeze until firm, OR divide into ice cube trays and freeze. For the recipe below I used silicone ice cube trays like this one.

*Note that adding any alcohol, such as Campari, will make your frozen treats softer than you might be used to!

For the cocktail:

Add two cubes of frozen Campari goodness (or break up about half of a popsicle) to the bottom of a champagne flute or coupe, top with Prosecco and serve immediately.

Holidays are for Drinking: Low Alcohol Cocktails

Yea, you already know that Holiday Festivities = Imbibing of Alcoholic Beverages. We're going to be drinking a LOT. Some of us are going to need to pace ourselves with delicious lower alcohol cocktails so we don't fall asleep in the gravy boat or say inappropriate things at this year's holiday party. Here's a nice one to stimulate the appetite and refresh the palate. Make sure you get plenty of orange oil into the glass!

Alla Moda 

2 oz Cocchi Americano 

1/2 oz Punt e Mes 

2 wide orange peels 

Tools: double rocks glass, stirring spoon, vegetable peeler 

In a double rocks glass, squeeze out the oils from the orange peel. Drop in the peel, fill with ice. Add the Cocchi Americano and Punt e Mes, stir for about 10 seconds. Squeeze in the other orange peel on top, then use as a garnish. 

What is Cocchi Americano?
An aperitif style wine produced in Asti, it's similar to Lillet but with a bit more oomph! Crisp and citrusy, Cocchi Americano – like any other vermouth or aperitif wine – should be stored in the fridge after opening.

Bacon!

I've been cooking a lot with bacon recently, or I should say, a lot more than usual. There will be recipes to follow in the next couple of weeks...but to get you ready for them, here are a couple of sustainable bacon recommendations for the NorCal folks who like their meat humanely raised. And of course, it's extra special tasty too. You'll be happy as a pig in mud!

What Does “Sustainable” and “humanely raised” mean in this conext?

It means the pigs were raised without the use of antibiotics and hormones, and that they're allowed to roam free rather than living their entire lives confined in a gestation crate. In the case of farms like Niman Ranch, it also extends to how the farmers treat the land the animals are raised on.

Black Pig Bacon

From the awesome chefs at Zazu in Santa Rosa, CA, this bacon comes from heritage pigs raised in WA at Pure Country Pork farm, the first sustainable hog farm in the US. (I included a link so you could see the bizarre family photo with cut n' paste piggies.) The bacon from Black Pig Meat Co. is dry cured with brown sugar, a process that takes 21 days and leads to perfection. It's finished off with a nice long applewood smoking. Go get some!

Niman Ranch

More readily available in the Bay Area and surrounding regions, this is pretty much my default bacon choice unless presented with something extra special like the one above. You can find maple and applewood smoked and bother are delicious. Go for the maple if you prefer and sweet and salty combo. Either way, you can't go wrong.

Or...make your own bacon with a tasty slab 'o pork belly from Marin Sun Farms!

Spicy Hash Brown Bird's Nest

Brunch is my favorite meal ever in the whole world. Breakfast potatoes are my favorite brunch item. Add some runny eggs...perfect.

I have made a lot of breakfast potatoes, so I'll add that while soaking the potatoes isn't absolutely necessary, the difference between soaked and unsoaked taters is quite noticeable. Removing some of the starchy weight will make a lighter, slightly crisper batch of hash browns. I definitely think it's better this.

Spicy Hash Browns with Bird's Nest

4-5 medium potatoes, I used yukon gold
¾ cup onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ Tbsp butter
respectable pinch of red pepper flakes
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper

4 humanely raised eggs

1. Wash and then grate the potatoes with the skins on. Soak shredded potatoes in a large bowl with cold water for at least 30 minutes. If particularly starchy, drain, rinse, and replace the water.
2. Drain the potatoes well. Meanwhile in an oversized skillet (that has a lid), heat oil and butter. Saute the onions until soft.
3. Add the red pepper flakes, stirring well. Then add the potatoes tossing and toss them with the onions. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne, and mix together.
4. Cook mixture on medium high heat, flipping the potatoes every five minutes or so. I recommend using a large spatula to make things easier. (The bigger the skillet you use, the less you'll need to do this. But make sure you have a lid that fits!)
5. Total cooking time before adding the eggs will be around 35 minutes. When you're satisfied with the texture of the hash browns, make four small holes so that you can see the bottom of the pan. Crack the eggs and gently deposit into the nests. Cover the pan and cook on medium-low heat for about 4-5 minutes, or until the whites are set.
6. Remove the lid, turn off the heat, and let the eggs rest for about 3 minutes.

Serve with a strong cup of coffee and a mimosa.

5 vodkas that all taste the same… and are cheaper than Grey Goose.

Vodka drinkers are a funny lot. In contrast to imbibers of other spirits, the vodka crowd seems especially attached to a particular brand, with little interest in trying something new. So when you don’t carry Grey Goose (rolls eyes) for their vodka n’ cranberry, all hell breaks loose. Most of the time, they settle for Belvedere, or they really have to slum it and drink Ketel One. I always try to recommend something more affordable and up to par in terms of craftsmanship, which is typically something with a hard-to-pronounce name from Russia. Why pay 10 bucks for a spirit if you’re going to drown it in juice or soda?

A typical conversation:

Bar patron: “I’ll have a grey goose and diet.”

Me: “I’m sorry but we don’t carry Grey Goose. But I can recommend a similar vodka. We have Russian Standard or Hangar One…”

Bar Patron: Interrupts with a look of disgust “Fine, make it a Ketel and diet.”

Me: “Sure…but we also don’t have diet coke.” Smiles apologetically

Bar Patron: Murders me with their eyes

So here are my recommendations for vodka drinkers who want something good and don’t care about brand recognition. And you’ll have a ton of extra money left over to buy cranberry juice!

Russian Standard $22 for 750ml

They say it's the number one selling vodka in Russia! Need I say more? I once accidentally poured this for a Ketel drinker and they didn't know the difference. Mwahaha.

Tito’s Organic $18 for 750ml

Small batch vodka distilled in Austin, Texas. Works great in a Bloody Mary AND it’s organic.

Kirkland Brand Vodka $30 for 1.75L

If you see this in Costco, buy it! No, it won’t fit in your liquor cabinet, but it makes a great conversation piece. I suspect it’s just Belvedere with a different label. They practically give it away.

Svedka $12 for 750

It’s cheap and it tastes like…vodka!

Sobiesky $12 for 750ml

Tastes just like…Svedka! Oh, and the folks in Poland love it.

*Be advised, these are recommendations for vodkas that I find similar to each other. I’m not saying that Ciroc tastes just like Ketel One. I’m not delving into the nuances of rye vodkas vs. potato vodkas. Don’t get your trousers in a knot, vodka drinkers, I’m just here to help!