New Year's Cocktails

Ring in the New Year right!

Happy New Year’s Eve everyone!  I hope your New Year’s is full of fireworks, great music, lots of sparkly things and of course, at least one great cocktail.  If you don’t have a clue on what kind of concoction you should have on this holiday, don’t fret, we have your back!  Here are some New Year’s cocktail ideas to get you started.

Strawberry Bubbly

 Ingredients:

·         Strawberries

·         ½ oz Simple Syrup

·         ½ oz Ketel One Vodka – Chilled (Optional)

·         Bisol Jeio Prosecco – Chilled

o   Glassware: Champagne Flute

o   Garnish: Strawberry (cut the top off and cut a slit from the bottom to about halfway up – this will help it sit on the edge of your flute)

Yes, it’s just that simple!  In a Boston Shaker, muddle two strawberries (washed and with the tops cut off) with your simple syrup.  If you’d like an extra kick to your cocktail, you can add about a ½ oz of chilled vodka (go with something high quality like Ketel One).  If vodka is not your thing, you can skip this step and you’ll still get a tasty cocktail.  Take your muddled mixture of strawberries, simple syrup and vodka (if you choose) and put it into a champagne flute.  Top with either prosecco or champagne (here at BPI we’re partial to Bisol Jeio Prosecco) and garnish with a strawberry.

Hint:  Never made simple syrup before?  Don’t be intimidated, it’s incredibly easy!  Check out more info here.

Bourbon Fizz

Ingredients:

·         1 ½ oz Maker’s Mark

·         2 Slices of Fresh Ginger

·         Sugar Cube

·         Lemon Slice

·         Club Soda

o   Glassware: Lowball glass

o   Garnish: Lemon Slice

This cocktail is a definite hit to ring in the New Year!  It’s a crowd pleaser and you’ll find that the ladies and the gents both love this flavorful yet unique cocktail.  In a lowball glass, muddle your two slices of ginger, sugar cube and lemon slice until all of the ingredients are “mashed” together.  Add ice to your lowball glass and then pour in your 1 ½ oz of Maker’s Mark.  Lastly, top the cocktail with club soda.  Garnish your glass with a lemon slice.

Sparkling Rum Punch

Source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocktail

Ingredients:

·         1 Cup Orange Juice (Get the good stuff, it’ll be worth it!)

·         1 Cup Pineapple Juice

·         ½ Cup Mango Juice – Optional

·         ½ Cup Cointreau

·         ½ Cup Myers’s Dark Rum

·         2 Bottles Bisol Jeio Prosecco

·         Whole Orange Slices

o   Glassware: Highball Glasses

o   Garnish: Orange Slices

This recipe will make about 10 servings, which is great if you’re hosting a New Year’s celebration at your place.  And, you can serve this drink “punch style” in a large serving bowl so that your guests can help themselves, meaning that you won’t be tied up by having to continuously make people cocktails throughout the night.  First, combine your orange, pineapple and mango juice in a large serving bowl.  You can easily get away with only using orange juice and pineapple juice but if you want more of a tropical flavor, add the mango juice to the mixture.  Once combined, stir in your Cointreau and Myers’s Dark Rum.  Cover the serving bowl and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.  Before your guests arrive, take the mixture out of the fridge and add in the two bottles of Prosecco.  Lastly, place the orange slices on top.  For an extra touch, I like to keep a smaller bowl with ice cubes and serving tongs next to the mixture so that guests can pre-fill their glasses with ice before serving themselves from the punch bowl.  This way, you don’t have to add ice to your punch bowl, which will inevitably water down your punch over time.

Champagne

Ingredients:

·         Champagne

o   Glassware: Champagne Flute

Open Champagne bottle.  Pour into flute.  Drink.  J

Tis the Season!

*For Holiday Inspiration*

 Some holidays are approaching, some holidays are already here!  I may not have a tree in my home this year (due to an extremely small apartment) but I do have what I’m referring to as a Christmas Barrel (see above) – just so that we can still keep the holiday spirit alive.  Celebrating the holidays isn’t necessary about what you do, how you do it, or for us, what we cook but that doesn't mean that we can’t have a little fun with it!  I love the holiday season because it gives me a chance to try new recipes, create festive cocktails and spend plenty of time with my family and friends.  While my holiday décor is definitely lacking this year, I do have some recipes I would like to share with you that’ll be sure to please your guests and to get you into the DIY spirit of the season.  Here are four things you should try this holiday season:

Cocktail Idea

Pomegranate Spritzer

 Ingredients:

·        1 ½ oz Grey Goose Vodka

·        ½ oz Cointreau

·        ½ oz Lime Juice

·        1 oz Pomegranate Juice

·        Top with Prosecco

o   Glassware: Highball Glass

o   Garnish: Pomegranate Seeds and a Thin Orange Slice

Not only is this cocktail light, refreshing, fizzy and delicious, but it also gains a ruby color from the pomegranate juice and seeds, making it a lovely looking holiday cocktail.  These cocktails are easy enough to prep ahead of time for your guests so that they have something to go along with your hors d'oeuvres.  In a cocktail shaker with ice, add in your Grey Goose, Cointreau, Lime Juice and Pomegranate Juice.  Shake well and pour entire contents into a highball glass.  Garnish cocktail with floating pomegranate seeds and an orange slice.

The recipe above is for one person but you can easily increase the yield by doing some simple math and then instead of shaking, combine the first four ingredients (vodka, orange liqueur, lime & pomegranate) in a punch bowl and stir until fully mixed.  I would suggest then immediately transferring the mixture into individual glasses with ice and then topping with Prosecco for a consistent taste and presentation.  Garnish individually.

Appetizer Idea

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

 Ingredients:

·        12-16 Asparagus Spears

·        6-8 Thinly Sliced Prosciutto Strips, Cut in Half

·        1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

·        Sea Salt

·        Cracked Pepper

This appetizer is really popular here at the Inn, especially as a hors d'oeuvre for wedding parties.  It’s really quick and easy to make and gives your guests something healthy and interesting to nibble on while they’re waiting for dinner to be served.  You can serve this dish at room temperature along with a cheese and veggie platter or you can serve it as a side dish along with your main courses.

Preheat your oven to 400°.  Go ahead and snap off the ends of the asparagus and discard these ends.  Evenly disperse the olive oil on a baking sheet and place your asparagus spears onto the baking sheet, without them touching one another.  Lightly season with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper (to taste).  Roast the asparagus until it is tender (about 15 minutes).  Take the asparagus out of the oven when they are tender and let them cool for a few minutes before handling.  Then, carefully wrap each asparagus spear with a strip of prosciutto, leaving the tips of the asparagus bare.  Arrange on a platter and serve at room temperature.

Entrée Idea

Maine Maple-Brown Ham

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pulaw/6657532873/

Ingredients:

·        Fully Cooked Spiral Ham (5-6 lbs.)

·        ½ Cup Brown Sugar

·        ½ Cup Maine Maple Syrup

·        2 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard

·        ¼ Tsp. Ground Cloves

·        ¼ Tsp. Orange Zest

·        ¼ Cup Water

Most of us had our fill of turkey at Thanksgiving time so it’s only appropriate to try something new for this December holiday season.  I grew up with my family getting your traditional store-bought ham, as maybe you did as well.  Well, I’m quite fond of my crockpot and for a space and time saver, I’m going to tryout using my crockpot to add some life and flavor into my already cooked spiral ham.  This is an easy way to transform your store bought ham into something really special for the holiday season, playing off of ingredients and spices that most of us commonly associate with this season.

In a medium saucepan, combine your brown sugar, maple syrup, mustard, cloves, orange zest and water over medium-high heat.  Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves.  Place your spiral ham into the crockpot and pour your maple-brown mixture over your ham.  If you’d like, take a pastry brush (or something similar) and dip it into the mixture that’s in the crockpot and paint the mixture directly onto the ham, making sure to get in-between each slice (this will ensure consistency).  Cook on low heat for 6 hours while also basting the juices about every hour or so.  You can serve your ham immediately after it is done cooking but if you’d like it to have a little bit of a crunchy texture around the edges, you can transfer your ham to the oven to continue cooking for only about 5-10 minutes, at 350°.  Keep the juices separate and then once your ham is finish, transfer it to a platter and baste again with the juices.  For an added display touch, cut an orange into thin, fully round slices and arrange around the platter.

Dessert Idea

Eggnog Cookies

Source: http://tidymom.net/2012/cookie-baking-tips/

Cookie Ingredients:

·        2 ¼ Cups Flour

·        1 Tsp. Baking Powder

·        ½ Tsp. Cinnamon

·        ½ Tsp. Nutmeg

·        ¼ Tsp. Allspice

·        ½ Tsp. Ginger

·        ½ Cup Granulated Sugar

·        2 Sticks of Butter (Softened)

·        1 Tsp. Vanilla

·        3 Large Egg Yolks

Frosting Ingredients:

·        1 Cup Confectioners’ Sugar

·        1 Tbsp. Butter (Softened)

·        2 Tbsp. Heavy Cream

·        2 Tbsp. Myers’s Dark Rum

·        Red and Green Sprinkles (Optional)

Who doesn’t love holiday cookies?  The great thing about these cookies is that you can easily make these the day before your holiday party and refrigerate and serve at room temperature as a dessert.  This will free up your time in the kitchen during your holiday extravaganza, allowing you to spend more time with your guests.

Sift together your flour, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl, place your softened butter and slowly add in your granulated sugar, continuously mixing until it is fully mixed and has a creamy texture.  Beat in each of your eggs, one-by-one, until fully mixed and then stir in your vanilla.  Transfer this concoction into your mixing bowl which has your dry ingredients in it and lightly mix until all of the ingredients are melded together.  Using plastic wrap, shape the dough into one, long log, about 2” in diameter.  Chill the dough in your fridge for at least two hours or until firm.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350° and while you’re waiting, line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Unwrap your cookie dough and slice the log into even slices, about ¼” thick.  Arrange the cookies on each baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly golden in color.  While your cookies are baking, you can get started on your icing.  Combine the confectioners’ sugar and butter in a mixing bowl and lightly beat until it is smooth.  Add in the cream and dark rum and mix until fully blended.  When your cookies are done cooking, let them fully cool.  Then, taking a spoon, place a dollop of icing on each and spread the icing around with the backside of the spoon.  Sprinkle with some red and green sprinkles and then enjoy!

Happy Holidays from all of us at BPI!

What I Learned From My Trip to Norway
A Snapshot of Norwegian Food and Drink

Velkommen (welcome)!  As I hinted to in my previous posts, this past week I had the pleasure of visiting the amazing country of Norway.  Being a self-proclaimed foodie, I couldn't help but try as many traditional Norwegian dishes and drinks as I could.  Now that I’m back in the States, I’d like to share with you some of what I learned while visiting the land of Viking Ships, Fjords, Christmas Markets and Skiing.

 Personal Photo: Taken from Oslo's Ski Jump, Holmenkollbakken

I’m happy to report that the craft beer market has hit Norway.  While beer prices are quite high in Norway (usually starting around $10 for a draught, no joke), they are producing some pretty great beer and mikrobryggeris (Norwegian for microbreweries) are popping up everywhere.  Here are my favorites from our trip:

The best inexpensive beer from Norway in my book is Ringnes.  Ringnes is the largest brewer in Norway and currently is a part of the Carlsberg Group.  The brewery was founded in 1876 and has been producing beer, soft drinks and mineral water ever since.  Their Premium Lager is their flagship beer and you can find it at most bars, grocery stores and vinmonopolets.

While walking around the streets of Oslo, we were lucky enough to randomly stumble upon the Schous-Kjelleren Mikrobryggeri on our second night in Norway.  To get to the brewery, you pass their illuminated sign on an archway which leads you down a flight of stairs to a long brick and stone corridor, with a roaring fireplace at the end and long rows of tables lit up with white candles.  The ambiance of this mikrobryggeri is impressive but even more impressive is the selection of brews they have on tap.  If you get a chance to stop by this brewery around Christmas, I would suggest having their Juleøl (Norwegian for Christmas beer) and their Empress of India (IPA).

We were also privileged to try some brews from Ægir Brewery, which is not located in Oslo but you can find their beer on draught all around the city of Oslo.  I was told fantastical stories about this brewery from the many bartenders I befriended on this trip and so, upon my return to Maine, I checked it out the brewery's website and this place looks amazing!  Ægir is part of the Flåmsbrygga Hotel, located in Flåm, which is close to Bergen on the West Coast of Norway.

Located close to the famous fjord of Bergen, this brewery was designed in a "Viking" style with slate floors, driftwood adorning the walls, dragon décor and a massive fireplace.  Ægir has also started their own distillery now, producing their very own aquavit, a popular Norwegian spirit.  If you're lucky enough to find their bottled beer or even luckier to visit the brewery itself, I recommend their Rallar Amber Ale and their Ægir India Pale Ale, both of which are quite good.

During our trip, we were able to also experience some very traditional and eccentric Norwegian dishes.  I do have to add as well that I was extremely impressed by everything we ate, even if some of them were made in unique ways!  First off, you can’t go to Norway without getting your hands on some sort of cured seafood.  Like Maine, Norway knows their seafood and Norwegian Salmon Gravlax (pronounced grahv-lahks) is just one perfect example of a traditional and delicious salted seafood dish.  Typically, gravlax is a Nordic dish that is cured in salt, sugar and dill.  Typically, you can eat it with hovmästarsås (a mustard/dill combination that is amazing) and it’s either served on a hearty bread or with some simple boiled potatoes.

Want a Gravlax and Hovmästarsås recipe?  Check one out here!

While cured salmon is really common in Norway and pretty easy to obtain in the States, salmon isn’t the only thing they are known to cure and enjoy in Norway.  Some other cured seafood and meat options I saw (and may or may not have experienced) included Fenalår (leg of lamb), Pinnekjøtt (lamb ribs), Tørrfisk (stockfish) and Hval (whale... yes whale).  Now, I know that the consumption of whale is controversial but it is part of Norway's long cultural history farming off of the seas and whale is still legal today to consume in this country.

We had the pleasure to eat dinner at a small, traditional Norwegian Restaurant named Dovrehallen on our fourth night in Oslo.  Here, we experienced two really amazing traditional Norwegian dishes.  The first was an open-faced sandwich with a Pickled Beet and Herring Salad.  The dish was so incredibly fresh and bright with acidity, I loved it!  While it was great to have this dish served as a sandwich, I could also see this dish served as more of an appetizer, on petite toasts.  This was a really approachable Norwegian dish that I think many people would definitely enjoy.

Want to make your own Beet and Herring Salad?  Here's the recipe, just for you!

The second dish we enjoyed at Dovrehallen was the notorious Norwegian Christmas dish, Lutefisk (pronounced loo-tuh-fisk).  Before I give you a quick overview of what lutefisk actually is, I want to preface that with my guarantee that this dish (when prepared properly) is completely safe to consume and is actually quite delicious.  Okay, so what is lutefisk?  Long story short, lutefisk is a traditional Nordic dish that consists of dried and salted whitefish and lye.  Lutefisk literally translates to “lye fish…”  So I know your next question is, how could this not be harmful for you (and secondly, why in the world would you voluntarily eat this)?  Because of the soaking process the stockfish goes through, the fish becomes edible and, again, is actually quite delicious.  You typically eat lutefisk with boiled potatoes, a grain mustard, mushy peas and bacon (cut up small and soaking in plenty of bacon grease).  If you are an adventurous eater, I would say, go for it!  You can make your own lutefisk dish here in the States but it might be hard to get your hands on the real stuff.  If having “lye fish” does scare you a little bit but you’re still interested in the dish, I would suggest making a salted and boiled cod (or other mild whitefish) and serve it with the same accoutrements.  It’s not the same thing exactly, but you get the idea.

If you get lucky and find some lutefisk, here’s how you would traditionally prepare it.

Source: http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutefisk

Now, a few blog posts back, I mentioned how to make Mulled Wine for your Thanksgiving adventures.  I even mentioned how I was determined to get my hands on Gløgg (pronouced 'glurgg') while vacationing in Norway and I am thrilled to let you know that Gløgg is alive and well in Norway!  I’m not going to lie, I drank it just about every night I was there, granted I did spend a lot of time in Oslo’s Julemarked (Christmas Markets).  If you’re interested in how to prepare your own traditional Norwegian Gløgg, check out NPR’s recipe right here.  Also, if you favor a nonalcoholic version, you can make Gløgg Uten (which translates to Gløgg "Without"), which is still a delight.  Most places that serve Gløgg will have a jar of crushed nuts and raisins that you can scoop into your beverage for a little extra flavor.  Sometimes you'll even find your Gløgg accompanied with a small gingerbread cookie.

Cocktails to Keep You Warm This Winter

Perfect for a walk in the snow or a night by the fire!

Today was a bitterly cold day on Prouts Neck and so what better way to think about warming up than to daydream about some of the delightful winter cocktails I plan on making this winter.  With the holiday season upon us, I know plenty of us will have to think of creative ways to keep their guests entertained and warm.  So with that, here's a jump start on your party planning with four winter cocktails that are sure to keep your blood warm and your spirits high.

BPI Irish Coffee

 

Garnish: Crème de Menthe Whipped Cream

Ingredients: 

•      1 oz Jameson Irish Whiskey
•      1 oz Bailey’s Irish Cream
•      Coffee
•      Whipped Cream (Garnish)
•      ¼ oz Crème de Menthe (Garnish) – Preferably Green

Pour your Jameson and Bailey’s into your mug and then fill the mug with coffee until about three quarters of the way full.  Give the liquid a gentle stir and then top the cocktail with whipped cream.  For an added effect, you might want to try to add some Crème de Menthe onto the whipped cream.  I go with the “green” version of Crème de Menthe because (wait for it) it’s an Irish Coffee.  Either way, if you use white or green, it’ll have the same taste but just not the same visual effect.  The easiest way to pour Crème de Menthe onto your cocktail without making a huge mess is to use a bar pourer and cover the top with your thumb so that only a small amount of the liqueur will drip out from the bottle.  If this isn’t an option, that’s fine, just use the same “thumb” method and place some paper towels under your cocktail, just in case you make a mess. 

Hint:  If you like the idea of this cocktail but want to try something a little bit simpler, you can make a really delicious hot chocolate cocktail using the same glassware and whipped cream trick.  Just add 1 ½ oz of Crème de Menthe to a mug of hot chocolate, top with whipped cream and Crème de Menthe drizzle and voila, you have the cocktail version of an Andes mint, right in your glass.

White Cranberry Cosmopolitan

Garnish: 3 Frozen Cranberries

Ingredients:  

•      1 ½ oz Smirnoff Cranberry Vodka
•      ½ oz Cointreau
•      1 oz Lime Juice
•      1 oz White Cranberry Juice
•      Frozen Cranberries (Garnish)

For this recipe, go ahead and combine your choice of Cranberry Vodka, Cointreau, Lime Juice and White Cranberry Juice into a shaker with ice and shake well.  Strain liquid into a chilled martini glass and garnish with 3 frozen cranberries.  This cocktail is definitely a hit as it is quite similar to your normal “cosmopolitan” cocktail but has a few interesting tweaks to make it a perfect companion for a winter night.

Lemongrass Hot Toddy

Yields: 2 Servings

Glassware: Glass or Ceramic Mug

Garnish: Lemon Wedge

 Ingredients:

•      2 Tazo Zen Tea Bags
•      1 ½ Cup Water
•      1 ½ oz Bourbon
•      2 oz Lemon Juice
•      ½ oz Honey
•      2 Lemon Wedges (Garnish)

When making a Hot Toddy, some of the fun is just picking out a great tea flavor to infuse into your cocktail.  My favorite choice is Tazo’s “Zen” which is a green tea with lemongrass, spearmint and a hint of lemon.  The lemongrass, spearmint, honey and bourbon flavors tie together really nicely making a good “sitting by the fire” cocktail.  Put water into a saucepan and bring it to a boil.  Remove the saucepan from heat and add in the two tea bags and cover.  Allow the tea to steep for 3-5 minutes and then add in your lemon juice and honey to the saucepan.  In your mugs, pour your bourbon and then top with your tea mixture.  Garnish your mug with a lemon wedge and then drink up!

Hint:  Want to try something different?  Try this same recipe with a different type of tea flavor.  I’m really partial to Tazo Tea so I suggest trying Tazo’s “Earl Grey”, “Chai” and “Calm.”

Winter Sangria

Yields: 4 Servings

Glassware: Wine Glass

Garnish: Sugared Rosemary Sprig

Ingredients:  

·        1 Granny Smith Apple, Chopped

·        1 Red Apple, Chopped

·        1 Cup Fresh Cranberries

·        1 Sprig of Rosemary

·        1 Bottle Pinot Grigio – Your choice

·        ½ Cup White Grape Juice

·        ¼ Cup White Sugar

·        1 Can Club Soda

·        ½ Cup Granulated Sugar (Garnish)

·        4 Rosemary Sprigs (Garnish)

The beauty of sangria is that it’s easy to make as it only requires you to combine all of your ingredients and let them sit together to infuse.  Feel free to play around with the ingredients above a little if you’d like, sangria is really easy to manipulate.  For this sangria recipe, I’m borrowing Jerry James Stone’s which looked so great I had to give it a shot!  To make this recipe, you’re going to want to combine all of the above ingredients into a large pitcher or bowl and mix well until the sugar dissolves.  Then refrigerate your sangria for about an hour before you intend to serve it.  Serve this cocktail in a wine glass with a good heaping of the fruit directly from the infusion.

For the garnish for this drink, take a sprig of rosemary and lightly wet it with water.  Shake off the excess water and then roll the rosemary in about ½ cup of granulated sugar.  Repeat for the other three glasses and then place each sugarcoated sprig into the wine glass, letting it emerge from the cocktail.  Beautiful!

As always, remember to enjoy responsibly!