The Gift Basket

One of our popular winter cocktails is leaving the menu at Revival Bar + Kitchen to make room for lighter, more summery drinks. I thought I'd post it here in case someone decides they can't live without it and they need to recreate it at home. It's a simple stirred cocktail that Manhattan lovers will enjoy, with just a hint of smokiness from the blended scotch (I have some recommendations below). It also makes a great after-dinner cocktail.

The Gift Basket

1.75 oz blended scotch (I used Bank Note)
.75 oz 5 year Madeira Sherry (I used Broadbent)
.5 oz Amaro Nonino
Small dash each of Angostura bitters, and Ango. orange bitters

Stir ingredients in a mixing glass until chilled, about 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe, and garnish with a wide orange peel, squeezing the oils onto the top of the drink.

As for scotch, I've tried it with Famous Grouse achieving decent results, but lacking the depth I really wanted. Bank Note has been my go-to for this one, but I can also highly recommend Monkey Shoulder, which is a blend of Speyside single malts that also makes a good sipping whiskey.  If you want to bump up the smoke (but in a controlled way), try adding just a tablespoon of a peaty single malt such as Ardbeg or Ledaig.

One Pot Turkey Stew and Biscuits

Turkey leftovers! Use up the last of that turkey in this one pot stew...this is epic comfort food.

One Pot Turkey Stew and Biscuits
adapted from Food and Wine

The Stew

2 Tbsps olive oil
3 large shallots, finely chopped
2-3 cups sliced mushrooms (a combo of chanterelle, shiitake, and hedgehog works nicely)
3 carrots, cut into bite sized rounds
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
3/4 cup white wine
1.5 Tbsps all-purpose flour
3.5 cups turkey or chicken stock
about 3 cups shredded turkey
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp minced thyme (optional)
salt to taste

The Biscuit Dough

1 ¾ cup self-rising flour*
3 Tbsp butter
7 oz whole milk
1 tsp finely chopped fresh sage
1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme

1. In a large oven safe pot or Dutch oven, preferably with low sides, saute the shallots, mushrooms, carrot, and celery in the olive oil until soft, or about 10 minutes. If you want to add the extra thyme, now is a good...time...to do it.

2. Add the white wine, cook until mostly evaporated, about 2 more minutes. Then add the Tbsp of flour, give it a stir, and pour in the stock. Simmer until mixture starts to thicken, about 3-5 minutes if your stock is already warm.

3. Add shredded turkey, frozen peas, and salt and pepper. Turn heat off stove and pre-heat oven to 425.

4. In a food processor combine the flour, butter, and chopped herbs, and pulse about 5 times. Then begin adding milk gradually, pulsing only enough to combine. When the milk is gone you should have a soft dough.

5. Using a spoon, scoop the dough and form into little balls and place them gently on top of the stew. You should end up with about 20.

6. Bake the dish for 25 minutes, turning on the broiler for the last 1-2 minutes to brown the tops of the biscuits. Let it rest a few minutes after taking it out of the oven.

*If you don't have self-rising flour on hand, you can substitute all-purpose flour.  Just be sure to add 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp baking soda for every cup of all purpose flour used.

How to Make Easy Pizza Dough (best recipe ever)

This sounds like a big claim, I know, but it's true. Not only is the dough ridiculously easy to make, handle, and shape, it's also very, very tasty. So much so that we've been eating pizza about four nights a week (sometimes even for breakfast) since we've discovered the joys of easy homemade pizza dough. There is also a lot less guilt involved post-pizza--it's a lot healthier than take out pizza and you can control the amount of toppings and their quality.

 A pizza stone is nice to have but not absolutely necessary—we've tried this crust on a pizza stone, a regular nonstick pan, and a cast iron pizza pan, and all three make a great pie. The regular nonstick pan will brown the bottom faster than the other two, so keep an eye on it if that's what you're using.


Easy Pizza Dough
adapted from a book called Pizza 

makes about two 14 inch pizzas 

3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup warm water
¾ packet yeast
3 Tbsp olive oil
about 1 tsp sugar
pinch of salt

 

1. Put the yeast in a large bowl, add the water which should be lukewarm, and let sit while you measure out the flour.

2. Measure flour into a separate bowl.

3. Add olive oil, sugar, and salt to the yeasty water, which should look cloudy at this point. Take a wooden spoon and stir the mixture together. While stirring, gradually add the flour until the mixture begins pull away from the bowl and is no longer too sticky to handle.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, then knead in the remaining flour that you were not able to stir in.

the dough will nearly triple in size after it's done rising

  

5. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a dish towel, and let rise for about 1-1.5 hours (preferably in the warmest part of your kitchen).

That's it! Easy, right?

pizza dough is spread out and ready for toppings!

*When you're ready to use the dough, divide it up depending on the size pan you're using. If you want to save the other half or portion of the dough, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge up to two days. 

*Get the oven hot!! Preheat the oven to 475-500º and then stretch the dough out on your pizza pan or stone. When the oven is hot enough, bake off the crust for about 5-6 minutes, pull it out and add your toppings, return the pizza and bake for 8-10 more minutes. I often switch the oven to broil for the last minute or two of cooking to brown the cheese.

Stuff face with pizza. Repeat.

the Tea Tree Cocktail

Last week I discovered some CA grown Bergamot oranges at Berkeley Bowl. They're in the sour orange category and apparently tend to pop up in late winter.  I had never tried them before, or even seen them in a store, and because I'm obsessed with citrus they had to come home with me. If you're a fan of Earl Grey tea, then you'll probably love the flavor profile. The oils and/or citrus peel from the Bergamot orange are used to give the tea its distinct characteristics.  As for using it in a cocktail...the upshot, an obscenely complex drink that's bright and balanced, the perfect aperitif. The combination of the bourbon and Bergamot makes you think black tea is actually somewhere in the cocktail.

the Tea Tree

1 oz Eagle Rare bourbon

1.5 oz Cocchi di Torino*

1 oz Bergamot orange juice

2.5 oz prosecco 

zest/peel of Bergamot orange

Tools: shaker, cocktail strainer, wire strainer, champagne flute, zester or vegetable peeler

Shake the bourbon, sweet vermouth, and orange juice for about 15 seconds with ice. Double strain through a sieve or wire strainer and into chilled champagne flute. This is to remove any citrus pulp from the drink. Top off with prosecco, and add a healthy orange twist to the drink. The oils from the peel work nicely in place of orange bitters. Use a vegetable peeler for a thicker twist.

*Cocchi di Torino is an amazing Italian sweet vermouth. If you like Carpano Antica, you will want to pick up a bottle of this. Try Cask or K and L.

Caramelized Onions

They may not be the most attractive looking condiment, but I assure you they are one of the most delicious. I like to add them to patty melts, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, and grilled cheese; you can even toss them in an omelet. Simple to make, the hardest part is keeping an eye on them to make sure they don't burn. 

Caramelized Onions

 2 large white or yellow onions, sliced into rings 

about 2.5 Tbsp olive oil 

1/2 tsp champagne vinegar (optional)

In a medium (preferably non-stick) pan heat the olive oil on medium high heat for a minute or so. Add the onion slices and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the onion starts to turn a light or golden brown color, turn the heat down to low, and cook for about 25-30 more minutes, stirring them every once in a while to keep them from burning or sticking to the pan. Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar if you like a little extra pop. They can be served warm or at room tempertature