By
OCinSite At-Large
on January 30, 2012 10:25 PM
Valentine’s Day brings out the romantic hedonism in all of us. Raise your glass and don’t deny it. Here’s how-to: L.A.’s top femme mixologist Tricia Alley (Rolling Stone Restaurant & Lounge, Eva, Providence, First & Hope) has crafted the Breathless Charm cocktail featuring SF’s handcrafted No. 209 gin, blood orange juice, Hibiscus blossom syrup, decanter bitters, Prosecco, and sage.
The balanced fruit, floral and spiced notes support the citrus and spice botanicals of the gin, and the Prosecco provides effervescence to tickle one’s senses. This sensual cocktail is sure to delight your mate on Valentine’s Day!
Breathless Charm
1 ½ oz. No. 209 Gin
2 dashes Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas’ Own Decanter Bitters
½ oz. blood orange juice
½ oz. hibiscus syrup
Prosecco, sage leaf garnish
Combine ingredients minus Prosecco in mixing tin. Add ice and shake vigorously for six seconds. Strain into champagne coupe or flute and top with Prosecco. Float sage leaf on liquid for aromatherapy.
Hibiscus syrup: Combine 1 cup (loose) dried Hibiscus flowers with 1 ½ cups of water and boil for approximately five minutes. Strain out flowers and blend with 2 cups of evaporated cane sugar, stir until dissolved.
By
OCinSite At-Large
on June 06, 2011 11:06 AM
Photo by Monica Little
Recipe by Monica Little | Special to OCinSite.com
Sweet, smooth, and delicious honey mangoes paired with creamy coconut and a salted crunchy almond.
The Coconut Risotto
1 box of Arborio Rice
2 Cans of coconut milk
6-7 honey mangoes (ripened)
1 vanilla bean, halved
1 cup Granulated sugar (possibly more, to taste)
3 Tablespoons butter, unsalted
1 cup of whole almonds
Salt
1. Place the mango on one of its broad sides on a cutting board. Cut the tiniest sliver off one thin end so that when turned onto the cut side it sits nice and tall on a flat surface. Looking down at the mango (a thin side staring back up at you) slice down slightly off-center so that you cut off a nice lobe of fruit and skin, just barely grazing the pit if done really well. Holding the lobe of fruit in the palm of your hand, VERY CAREFULLY, score lines one way then the other into the flesh creating x’s all through; cutting down to but not through the skin. Scoop out the cut flesh with a spoon, into a bowl, so that the chunks and any juice fall into the bowl.
2. Sprinkle the mango chunks with about 1/8 cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup of water. Scrape the seeds from half the vanilla bean into the mango mixture and mix everything together, including the scraped half of vanilla bean. Set aside for later.
3. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl toss the almonds with a drizzle of olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt. Roast for 5 minutes, making sure not to burn! Once cooled, roughly chop the almonds and set aside.
4. Open both cans of coconut milk and empty into a sauce pot. Add ½ cup of the granulated sugar and scrape the other half of the vanilla bean in (add the empty pod as well). Whisk to combine and heat on medium until it’s a smooth mixture and the sugar has dissolved. Add more sugar if you want a sweeter dessert. Keep warm on very low heat.
5. Add the butter to a large, straight-edged saute pan and heat on medium until melted completely. Add all of the Arborio rice and gently stir nonstop in order to coat the rice with the melted butter. Do not let the rice stick to the pan or burn.
6. Begin adding the warm sweetened coconut milk, ladle-full by ladle-full, continuing to cook on medium-low heat and stirring (gently) constantly. The rice will begin to soften and when you run out of coconut milk, pour some warm water into the same sauce pot and ladle that in to finish the rice cooking process. You want the risotto to be al dente but not crunchy.
7. Pour the cooked risotto into a long shallow dish so that it can spread out, and not over cook! Pile the mango mixture along the center, making sure to remove the empty vanilla pod. Then top with the chopped almonds. Enjoy!
A word on honey mangoes, for those unfamiliar, with this delightful fruit: Chauk anan or chok anan is a sweet mango from Thailand, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. It has an oval shape and tapered tips. The ripe fruit and flesh are light yellow and have a sweet taste. Chauk anan is also called a “honey mango.”
Chock anon is a Thai variety that is also known as the Miracle Mango, because it often fruits twice a year (fruiting in the summer, and then gives way to another crop in the winter time). (Source: Wikipedia.com)
When I find them at the supermarket, I buy as many as I can handle. They’ll be gone before you know it! ~ Monica Little
For more in-depth commentary and recipes like this, visit Monica’s web site: Hush Puppies & Dirty Martinis. You can also follow her on Twitter
By
OCinSite At-Large
on December 13, 2010 11:50 AM
Do try this at home. Following are the recipes to mix a Red Hot Santa, Peppermint Froth or a Kentucky Mulled Cider—all, seasonal cocktails from The Loft at Montage Laguna Beach.
Red Hot Santa
Recipes courtesy of The Loft at Montage Laguna Beach
Enjoy this delicious fusion of chocolate and cayenne in a remarkable martini for the winter season.
Ingredients:
2 parts vodka
2 parts chocolate liqueur
1.5 parts sweetened whipping cream
Cocoa powder
Cayenne pepper
Method:
Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to cocoa powder, and rim martini glass with mixture. In shaker filled with ice, add vodka and chocolate liqueur. Shake vigorously and strain into martini glass. Top with sweetened whipping cream.
Peppermint Froth
A dreamy winter cocktail that gives new utility to the candy cane as garnish.
Ingredients:
1.5 parts vodka
1 part peppermint schnapps
½ part simple syrup
½ part cream
Method:
Add all ingredients to shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with seasonal candy.
Kentucky Mulled Cider
Guaranteed to send a blush to your cheeks and a bit of warmth to your center.
Ingredients:
1 cup Maker’s Mark whisky
4 cups apple cider
1 lemon, sliced thin
6 cloves
½ teaspoon ground allspice
2 small cinnamon sticks
Method:
Combine whisky and cider. Add lemon (with rind), cloves, allspice and cinnamon sticks. Heat to boiling and serve.
By
OCinSite At-Large
on December 10, 2010 1:59 PM
A Karmel Apple Martini a day, helps keep holiday letdown at bay. | Photo by Phil Blair
Karmel Apple Martini
Recipe courtesy of Sundried Tomato Café
The Karmel Apple Martini is a tempting combination of caramel, chocolate and apple flavors—worthy of an indulgence.
Ingredients:
2 ounces Sobieski Karamel
½ ounce Apple Pucker
¾ ounce Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
Method:
Rim martini glass with wet chocolate. Shake all ingredients over ice, then pour into martini glass and serve with a peppermint stick.
By
OCinSite At-Large
on
Frost Bite for the holidays. | Photo by Phil Blair
Frost Bite
Recipe courtesy of Tommy Bahama
The Frost Bite is a Lemon Drop that features Tommy Bahama White Sand Rum, triple sec and sour mix, with a splash of Chambord that sinks to the bottom, creating a layer of red. Garnished with a lime, the red and green colors evoke Christmas.
Ingredients:
2.5 parts light rum
¾ part triple sec
¾ part sour mix
¼ part raspberry liqueur
Raw sugar
Lime
Method:
Pour rum, triple sec and sour mix into shaker filled with ice. Shake 20 times and strain into chilled martini glass rimmed with raw sugar. Slowly pour in raspberry liqueur so it sinks to the bottom of glass. Garnish with a lime.
By
OCinSite At-Large
on August 29, 2010 6:06 PM
Deborah Schneider, Executive Chef and partner of SOL Cocina in Newport Beach, offers an eclectic twist on traditional Baja cuisine. Particularly antojitos (little bites) such as her favorite, Carne Asada Taco Vampiro. This recipe and other south-of-the-border gems can be found in Schneider’s cookbook “Amor y Tacos,” available for sale at Sol Cocina.
Taco Vampiro
1 pound well-marbled flap meat or skirt steak
24 fresh corn tortillas
Carne asada marinade
4 ounces grated Jack or Oaxaca cheese (about 2 cups)
4 serrano chiles (thinly sliced)
4 green onions (thinly sliced)
Guacomole
Pico de gallo
Chipotle salsa
Cilantro sprigs
1 cup of cotixa cheese
Cut the meat into 6 pieces and toss with the marinade. Refrigerate and marinade for several hours. Grill meat over a hot fire until it’s done to your liking; be sure to let one side char. Rest the meat and then cut into small dices. Keep warm.
Heat an ungreased heavy griddle. Lay out 6 tortillas and sprinkle the cheese on top. Scatter Serrano chiles and green onions over the Jack cheese. Then cover each with a second tortilla. Cook on both sides until the cheese is melted.
To assemble the tacos, put 1 tablespoon of guacamole on top of each quesadilla. Layer on 2 tablespoons of carne asada and top with a spoonful each of pico de gallo and chipotle salsa. Sprinkle over 1 teaspoon grated cotixa cheese and top with a couple of cilantro sprigs. Roll the taco around the filling and secure it with a toothpick. Eat over a plate so you don’t lose anything!
By
OCinSite At-Large
on August 28, 2010 7:11 PM
Try this delicious and hearty salad, favored by many who dine at Sapphire Restaurant in Laguna Beach. Recipe courtesy of Sapphire Chef Azmin Ghahreman.
Crazy Cobb Salad with Tarragon
Yield four servings
6 ounces Mixed greens
8 slices Cucumber
1 grilled Portobello mushroom, cut into eighths
4 ounces Lobster meat
1/2 pound Grilled chicken breast, sliced
2 Poached Scallops, quartered
4 oz. Smoked Pork Loin, sliced
4 Poached shrimp
8 French green beans cut 1/2-inch pieces
4 Baby squashes blanched
1 Corn ear, roasted & shaved
2 Hard boiled eggs quartered
1 medium heirloom tomato, diced
Chives, cut 1/4-inch pieces for garnish
Tarragon Dressing
1 1/2 cups Salad oil
3 1/2 ounces tarragon vinegar
3ounces Water
1/8 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Onions
1 teaspoon Garlic
2 teaspoon Tarragon, chopped
1 teaspoon Parsley
1 pinch of Salt
1 teaspoon White Pepper
1/4 cup Lemon juice
2 dashes Tabasco Sauce
For the dressing, blend all ingredients except oil. Once blended, gradually stir in the oil and set aside.
For the salad, toss the greens with all vegetables with half the dressing. Place the seafood, pork & chicken in a spiraling circle pattern on top of the greens and vegetables. Drizzle with the remaining dressing, and top with chives.
Click here to learn more about Chef Ghahreman and Sapphire Restaurant.
