Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases

PARTIDA TEQUILA COCKTAIL RECIPES: CHRISTMAS and NEW YEAR'S EVE HOLIDAY MIXED DRINKS

Looking for some easy holiday cocktail and martini recipes? Mix Partida Tequila (Blanco, Resposado, and Anejo) and Godiva Liqueur together for a Chocolate Peppermint Cookie cocktail, coconut rum and Frangelico for a Toasted Macaroon cocktail, Bailey's Irish Cream and Amaretto for a Seven Layer Cookie mixed drink, and hot apple cider for a Heated Affair!

A PARTIDA TEQUILA HOLIDAY SEASON!

When Partida approached me with the possibility of sampling a variety of their ultra smooth top-of-the-line tequila in some very unique holiday cocktail recipes, it didn't take long to respond with a resounding YES! They sent me three bottles—Blanco, Resposado, and Anejo—and seven recipes. With the help of a few close friends, we had an awesome cocktail party! Our personal favorite was the SEVEN LAYER COOKIE recipe! If you don't have all the ingredients, try substituting similar items.

 

Made from 100% blue agave in the Tequila Valley (the heart of Mexico's historic Tequila Valley Region), Tequila Partida is the all-natural pairing for many of your favorite foods. For years Partida has been commended by numerous media outlets, including The Spirit Journal (the country's leading spirits review publication - which rated Partida Reposado "the best Tequila in the world" as one of the top five spirits in the world) along with Wine Enthusiast, The New York Times, Four Seasons Magazine and countless others.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT COOKIE COCKTAIL

• 3/4 oz. Partida Blanco Tequila
• 1 oz. Peppermint Schnapps
• 3/4 oz. Godiva® Liqueur
• 1-1/2 oz. Cream

Rim martini glass with chocolate syrup and crushed candy canes. Shake ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into martini glass.

TOASTED MACAROON COCKTAIL

• 1 oz. Coconut Milk
• 1-1/2 oz. Coconut rum
• 1/4 oz. Licor 43
• 1/2 oz. Partida Blanco Tequila
• 1/2 oz. Frangelico

Combine ingredients in a shaker and shake with ice. Strain into a glass filled with ice and garnish with toasted coconut shavings on top.

SUGAR COOKIE COCKTAIL

• 2-1/2 oz. Partida Resposado Tequila
• 1 Tsp.Brown Sugar
• Brown Sugar for garnish

Rim a cordial glass with brown sugar. Add tequila and brown sugar into a shaker with ice and shake ingredients well. Strain into glass.

SEVEN LAYER COOKIE COCKTAIL

• 3/4 oz. Godiva® Liqueur
• 3/4 oz. Coconut rum
• 1/2 oz. Butterscotch Schnapps
• 1/2 oz. Partida Anejo Tequila
• 1/4 oz. Frangelico
• 1/2 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream®
• 1/2 oz. Amaretto

Garnish rim of a martini glass with crushed cookie crumbs. Shake all ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into martini glass.

HEATED AFFAIR COCKTAIL

• 2 oz Partida Anejo Tequila
• 6 oz Hot Spiced Apple Cider
• Heavy Cream

In a small warm wine glass add Tequila and hot apple cider. Float heavy cream.
Garnish: Grate fresh Nutmeg over cream.
 
Apple Cider Preparation: In a pot add Organic Apple Juice. Add winter spices like Cloves, Cinnamon Stick, All Spice, and Orange Peel. Start of by adding a few cloves one cinnamon stick etc so as to find the right-spiced apple cider flavor. You can always add more spice later. Bring everything to a low heat for about 15mins. Taste for flavor. When the desired flavor is reached then take off stove. Strain out all the spices and orange peel. Serve warm and enjoy!

 
CAFE PACIFICO COCKTAIL

• 1 1/2oz Partida Blanco
• ½ oz Coffee liqueur
• 4oz Freshly Brewed Hot  Coffee
• 3 Barspoons Cinnamon & Sugar Mix
• Heavy Cream

Prepare small warm wine glass. Add Tequila & Coffee. Mix in the Cinnamon Sugar. Float Heavy Cream on top of the coffee.Garnish with a  Sprinkle of Cinnamon Sugar mix on top & a cinnamon stick. Note: The Cinnamon sugar mix is 4 parts granulated white sugar to 1 part ground cinnamon. Mix them together in a bowl.

For more details and purchasing information, go check out the Partida website at www.tequilapartida.com. Photos courtesy Tequila Partida.

BERTOLLI GIVEAWAY Reminder: $175.00 Food and Wine Tasting Kit

The giveaway for BERTOLLI's 'Into the Heart of Italy' Food and Wine Pairing Kit Valued at $175 ends at midnight, Tuesday, June 1st, so make sure you get your comments in for the drawing before time runs out. This is a fantastic tasting kit with pasta bowls, serving plates, wine carafe, wine cooler, coupons for Bertolli's frozen entrees, and a $50.00 Visa Card to take to your local wine shop and pick out complimentary wines.

Giveaway Ends Midnight EST, June 1, 2010

Make sure you read all the instructions first, and leave your comment on the original post. What are you waiting for? Go enter the Bertolli Into the Heart of Italy Food and Wine Pairing Kit Valued at $175 giveaway! Continental U.S. entries only.

Kentucky Derby 2010 Recipe Contenders: Mint Julep Recipe, Kentucky Derby Pie

What are the odds you can get to Churchill Downs for a Kentucky Derby Party? Have your own Kentucky Derby Party with these recipes.  I didn't know this, but Bobby Flay has his own race horses, plus, he has a mean Mint Julep Recipe! Then again, Food Network's Emeril Lagasse has his own awesome version of Kentucky Derby Pie that's to-die-for!

BEST Kentucky Derby Pie Recipe
My own version, made with blood, sweat and tears, and some major love! Seriously, we made these Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pies for years at the bakery. Way too good and very rich. Just what you want for tomorrow's race with a tall icy Mint Julep!

Another one of the bakery's specialties: Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe with Roasted Pecans

Check out my Slideshow Photos of Kentucky Derby Horses and of course, my Kentucky Derby Pie!

  

Emeril Lagasse's Gold Brick Chocolate Pecan Pie - This recipe sounds pretty similar to my Kentucky Derby Pie. However, his does include edible gold leaf. Not sure if you want to include this or not. Looks pretty, but probably over-the-top expensive too!

Bobby Flay's Mint Julep Recipe - So easy to make Kentucky Derby Mint Juleps made with just a few ingredients. Course, the best Bourbon Whiskey and fresh mint leaves are a must for this race day special.

Double Chocolate Mint Brownie Sundaes: Kentucky Derby Dessert from Yumsugar

Now off to Dave's Marketplace to pick up some fresh mint and all the Kentucky Derby Pie fixin's!

Mint Julep photo: Wikipedia.org

Kentucky Derby race horse: AP Photo

St. Patrick's Day Recipes For The Irish In All Of Us!

 

 
HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

Rumor has it "There's a little Irish in all of us." Irish Soda Bread Recipe, Homemade Baileys Irish Cream, White Chocolate Baileys Irish Cream Cheesecake, Baileys Irish Cream Mousse Pie, and even a Healthy Irish Soda Bread Recipe will tempt you into kissing the Blarney Stone early. There's no need to wait until March 17th to celebrate St.Patty's Day. Do it now, and party all month!

I'm Irish, what can I say? We love to party and eat good food. The St. Patrick's Day recipes below are my own creations that we've made and eaten over many years in the bakery and at home. You don't have to be Irish to love their food. Any time of the year is a good time to be Irish! Enjoy the holiday early and often. St. Paddy would be proud!

 

 

St. Patrick's Day Recipes

• Irish Soda Bread - You can't celebrate St. Patrick's Day without a slice of traditional Irish Soda Bread. Have it for breakfast with a cup of Irish Breakfast Tea.
• Healthy Irish Soda Bread - Looking for a healthier Irish Soda Bread? This delicious bread is made with honey and King Arthur's Unbleached White Whole Wheat Flour. Add some raisins or get crazy with craisins, and have a slice with honey!
• White Chocolate Baileys Irish Cream Cheesecake - Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with an over-the-top, ultra-rich White Chocolate Baileys Irish Cream Cheesecake baked in an Oreo Cookie crust! Sounds simply decadent doesn't it?
• White Chocolate Irish Cream Mousse Pie - Whip up an easy Irish Cream Mousse Pie for St. Patrick's Day! Pile this fluffy Baileys mousse in a graham cracker or flaky pie crust and decorate it with white chocolate shavings.
• Homemade Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur - Making your own thick & creamy Irish Cream is easier than you think with this fool-proof recipe. Just throw all the ingredients together, whisk and chill. Serve it on the rocks for the ultimate St. Patty's Day drink!
• Make a Reuben Sandwich with Corned Beef Leftovers - What are you going to do when St. Paddy's Day is over, and you've got tons of corned beef leftovers? Make a sandwich! It's no wonder Grilled Reuben Sandwiches with swiss cheese & sauerkraut on rye with thousand island dressing and mustard is the top selling sandwich the day after St. Patty's Day!

LAST MINUTE KENTUCKY DERBY RECIPES

It's Not Too Late To Celebrate!
The weekend is still young! There's still time to make The Best Kentucky Chocolate Pecan Pie, or a Mint Julep for post race parties! The pie can be whipped up quick and served warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Early Times Mint Julep Recipe, Midnight Cowboy, Louisville Cooler and Kentucky B&B recipes can all be found here!

Have A Great Weekend!

GIVEAWAY - Garofalo Pasta & Partida Agave Nectar

                                        

Garofalo Pasta & Partida Agave Nectar Giveaway!
Sara is my newest best friend! Sara represents Garofalo & Partida Agave Nectar, and she sent me this HUGE box of goodies one day! I almost felt guilty trying all the little bottles of Tequila, Vodka, and Gin.  But wait! That wasn't all! She also sent me a big bag of Garolfalo's Calamarata Pasta too. I'll show you the picture of all the things she sent, but then you'd feel left out. So, please, don't feel bad, because we're having a.......

GIVEAWAY!
Thanks to Sara, she's going to drop ship TWO (2) winners, a big bag of Garolfalo's Calamarata Pasta, AND a bottle of their awesome Partida Agave Nectar! We ate the pasta with homemade sauce and mushrooms. It was awesome! The pasta holds its shape and is very elegant on the plate.


John is in LOVE with the Partida Agave Nectar! Even though it's great for a Margarita, he's been using it as a sweetener in his tea and coffee too. It's 100% organic, so he really feels good about that. I've used it in baking, which is comparable to honey in texture and volume, although much sweeter. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one of those gallon jugs some day. Good for Margaritas AND baking!

Garofalo
Garofalo has been making pasta for over 200 years and today produces the Signature line from its headquarters near the world-renowned ruins of Pompeii. Garofalo’s Signature line of pastas combines decades of knowledge of the art and skill of traditional Neapolitan pasta making with the efficiencies of today’s technology to create top quality pasta products. Their specialty cuts include; Schiaffoni, Pappardelle and Calamarata. Long cuts, short cuts and whole wheat pasta. They make lots more, so go check out their website and see what else they have to offer! Also, I heard that Costco carries the product in some of their stores, so you'll be able to get it there as well.

Calamarata
The shape of this specialty cut calls to mind calamari rings and is perfect when paired with heavy sauces that can stand up to Calamarata’s heft.Sauce Pairing Suggestion: Cream sauce with porcini mushrooms. Like I said, the pasta rings are big almost like Calamari, and very elegant. Something you would definitely serve to company!

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Check out Garofalo's tips & tricks for "The Secret To Perfect Pasta". Lots of good info here; How long do I cook pasta for? Do I rinse my pasta? What so you suggest I pair the pasta with? Recipes & links to more recipes!!!

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Partida Agave Nectar Partida Tequila from 100% blue agave combined with 100% Organic Partida Agave Nectar provides the pure, natural agave taste found in the partida Margarita. Agave Nectar is a natural sweetener made from 100% agave extracted from the heart of the blue agave plant. Because agave nectar has a low glycemic index, it is absorbed slowly into the body which prevents spikes in blood sugar levels. Partida nectar is sweeter than sugar by as much as 2/3 so less is needed for sweetening, meaning less calories. It is also less viscous than honey, making it more versatile. The sweet, natural flavor of agave nectar is great for baking, sweetening beverages and a multitude of other uses in addition to making the Partida Margarita, the best Margarita ever!

The Partida Agave Nectar Margarita

• 1 1/2 ounces Partida Tequila (Blanco, Reposado or Anejo)
• 1 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice (the juice of one whole lime)
• 3/4 ounces Partida Agave Nectar (to taste)
• 3/4 ounces pure water
• Shake all ingredients with ice in standard bar shaker. Taste. Add additional lime juice if you prefer more tartness; add more agave nectar for more sweetness. Serve in glass on rocks. No garnish, no salt.

The Giveaway Rules
Don't you just hate rules? I do too, but to make sure everything goes along smoothly, there has to be some guidelines. Tell me what kind of pasta sauce is your favorite? Do you make your own? Or do you buy it in a jar, then doctor it up? 

Sorry, US entries only this time please! They're drop-shipping the box, so we have to keep it in the country. One entry, no duplicate comments allowed, and it has to be on this post. I'll use Mr. Random Generator (totally legit) to pick the winning numbers and email you if your number comes up. I will choose TWO (2) winners. They'll each get a box with Garolfalo's Calamarata Pasta & a bottle of Partida Agave Nectar. I'll announce it right here on my blog like I always do.

Deadline for comments is Tuesday, April 7th, 2009 at midnight EST. Good luck to  everyone!

ST. PATRICK'S DAY RECIPES Round-up

                                                                        

   


St. Paddy is Irish, Don't You Know?
St. Patrick's Day is Tuesday, only two days away. St. Joseph's Day is Thursday, March 19th. Two holidays, only two days apart! And for all you Rhode Islander's out there, that's BIG news! Can you say Zeppole? So, needless to say, I've been writing like crazy in all different topics too. One thing you will notice is a number of Irish recipes.  I tacked on a few from last week just to keep the list together. I have more links to add, but these will at least get you started on the road to the pot of gold. Just kidding!

                                                  

Irish Recipes!

• Healthy Irish Soda Bread!!!
• Traditional Irish Soda Bread Recipe 
• Baileys Irish Cream Cheesecake Recipe
• Homemade Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur Recipe
• White Chocolate Baileys Irish Cream Mousse Pie Recipe

 

More Random Recipes & Articles - Week Ending 3/14

• Hello, Cupcake! Book Review
• 5 Best Selling Cupcake Cookbooks
• Nutella Chocolate Fudge Brownie Recipe
• Lots of Nutella Recipes - World Nutella Day Round-Up
• Congratulations To The Smith's Edge Winners!

 
 

FEEDS & EMAIL ALERTS
Just a note on feeds and email alerts. With a Feed, you get an almost instant message update in your reader of choice. Most people have all their feeds go to their Google reader or iGoogle page. When you get to my main page on The Examiner for instance, you'll see that familiar orange box in the upper right hand header next to "Donna's Articles". If you click that, it'll bring you straight to a page to sign up for instant alerts. Spatulas & Corkscrews on the other hand, doesn't have anything so bright and shiny. It just says, "Subscribe to this blog's feed", in the top right sidebar right under Get Email Updates. It does the same thing - instant updates so you don't miss a thing!

Email Updates work a little different. When you enter your email address, Feedblitz gets the message and sends it to you the next day. If I can get a post in before midnight, you'll have an email waiting for you in the morning. If I don't, and do it anytime during the day, you'll get it the next day. They're only sent out once every 24 hours. Not that that's bad. They both have their own charms and applications. My suggestion would be to do both. Because if you're anything like me? I'll forget to look at my reader, but ALWAYS check my email! Keep in mind though, that it could be a day later. PHEW!!!


Now that I've totally confused you, I'm inviting you to subscribe to my FEEDS and EMAIL UPDATES, not only this blog, but also The Examiner and Suite101 as well. Many of you already have, and for that I'm extremely grateful. You're the reason I cook, grill, bake and drink!

 

Irish Beer Tasting - People's Liquor Warehouse

Irish Beer Tasting & Seminar
Let's start off St. Patrick's Day a little early! People's Liquor Warehouse, 1350 Greenwich Ave, Warwick, RI, is hosting an Irish Beer Seminar on Wednesday, March 11th at 6pm.

 

The Luck of the Irish!
Marc, "The Wine Guy", and People's Liquor Warehouse,  is brewing up a great event with an Irish Beer Tasting. Meet their special guest speaker who will join Marc in presenting what promises to be a very lively discussion of Irish brewing and Irish Pub Fare. Maybe with a little Irish luck, we'll be kissing the Blarney Stone on St. Patrick's Day!

 

People's Liquor Warehouse
The seminar is free and open to the public, and People's Liquor Warehouse asks that you reserve your spot by calling 401-737-0900. We'll see you there on Wednesday, March 11th at 6:00pm!

1350 Greenwich Ave, Warwick, RI 02886
peoplesliquorwarehouse.com 
(401) 737-0900

photo by sxc

BAILEYS IRISH CREAM MOUSSE RECIPE

                                             

Baileys Irish Cream
I fell in love with a wonderful liqueur called Baileys Irish Cream many years ago.  We were newly married and Baileys had just come out with their Irish Cream. I wasn't quite sure if I'd like a thick liqueur. We poured it over ice cubes and sipped it slowly. It was so smooth, it slid down our throats like honey. We were hooked!

What is Irish Cream?
According to Wikipedia, "Bailey's Irish Cream was created by Gilbeys of Ireland as it searched for something to introduce to the international market...the product was introduced in 1974. Despite attributions to Andrew Bailey of the R.A. Bailey Company, no such person existed. The choice of the name Bailey was based on branding."

Homemade Irish Cream
Since our early honeymoon days, I've made my own Irish Cream. Why not? It's certainly cheaper than buying it at the store! And easy too! Check out my recipe Homemade Irish Cream and see if you don't like it just as much as we do!

                                               
                                            

White Chocolate Irish Cream Mousse Pie
After making my own Irish Cream, Mousse Pie seemed to be the next logical thing to do with this delicious, silky smooth liquid. And so, I made up my own recipe for Irish Cream Mousse. At first, we just put it in parfait glasses. Then, I got creative and made the Best Ever Flaky Pie Crust and we were in business. That's when customers caught wind of this awesome pie, and it became a favorite every St. Patrick's Day. Sometimes, I didn't feel like making and rolling out pie crust. That's when I was lazy and made a Graham Cracker Crust. WOW! That gave it a different taste and texture! Did I say this pie had white chocolate in it? Oh, yeah! It does, and you will like it too!

St. Patrick's Day Irish Cream & Mousse Pie
With St. Patrick's Day right around the corner, why not mix up a batch of my own Homemade Irish Cream. Then, use it in the White Chocolate Bailey's Irish Cream Mousse Pie - or make parfaits. Either way, when you're done licking the beaters, you'll be ready to kiss the Blarney Stone!

WATERMELON GIN FIZZ COCKTAILS

                                              

Watermelon Fizzy Lifting Drinks
The Last Taste Of Summer?

I made some cocktails about a month ago, in the heat of summer. Ooooh, they were refreshing! I took pictures of the watermelon slices, pureed the watermelon, strained the watermelon, chilled the watermelon, made the watermelon cocktails, and then we drank them without any thought to photograph them! I'll bet you're thinking, "What a ditz!" All I could think of was how good and cold those drinks looked. I wanted one then, not later! It was hot out. The ice would melt!

                                                                         

Hours after they were gone, I glanced over at the camera and sighed...no, I said a naughty word! I was so upset, mostly with myself for forgetting to take pictures. John just laughed and said. "At least we got to drink them before the ice melted! You can always make more!" 

One day last week, it was hot again. I had a watermelon in the cooler. I still had half a bottle of gin. I had a lemon. I have a pot of mint growing on the deck. Bingo! I was in the cocktail business again!

                                                                 

This was a great chance to use the new Cuisinart Immersion Blender I got for my birthday from my daughter Kerri. I suppose you could also puree it in a blender, but I didn't have one, so there was no other choice. You do have to strain the juice from the fruit, and that seems to be the biggest time waster, but it needs to be done. I don't have cheesecloth, so I folded a few pieces of paper towel and placed it in a colander. I poured the pureed watermelon over it and let it drip through on its own. When it was almost done draining, I gently pulled up the soaked paper towels and squeezed the rest of the juice out. After that, it's a piece of cake!

                                                                    

     

Use a good gin like Bombay Sapphire or Tanqueray. It does make a difference.

So, without any more blah, blah, blah, here's my best Watermelon Gin Fizz Cocktail. It's inspired and adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine. Because this drink is cute and pink, it could be classified as a Girly drink or a Chick cocktail, like Cosmopolitans. But you know what? Girly drink or not, John and all the guys at the pizza party loved them too!

Summer's not over yet! Have a virtual Watermelon Gin Fizz with us on our sailboat overlooking the bay!

                                                                  

Watermelon Gin Fizz Cocktail

• 4 cups strained watermelon juice
• 20 mint leaves, chopped fine
• 2 cups simple syrup, room temperature
• Juice of 1 lemon or lime
• 3 cups Bombay Sapphire or Tanqueray gin, chilled
• Mint sprigs for garnish
• Club soda, chilled
• Ice cubes
  

                                                                       

Directions:

1. Make simple syrup by bringing 1 cup of white sugar and 1 cup of water to a boil. Boil until all the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and let cool.
2. Cut up 1 small seedless watermelon (remember to cut the rind off!) and with an immersion blender or stand blender, puree it with 20 chopped mint leaves. Strain though cheesecloth or paper towels until you have 4 cups of juice.
3. Chill watermelon juice, simple syrup and lemon juice until cold.
4. Chill gin until ready to serve.
5. When ready to serve, add cold gin to chilled juice and pour over ice.
6. Add a splash of club soda and garnish with mint sprigs.
7. Invite some friends over, turn on a Jimmy Buffet CD, put your feet up, and chill!
8. Serves a lot!