Cocktail Hour : Royal Sips & Cold Shoulders... Whiskey & Scotch

Prep  Time : 5 Minutes

Vanilla-Lime Infused Royal Sip 

I can't imagine a Friday without a cocktail in hand before 5 pm and by my estimation it's 5 pm somewhere in the world every hour right? This post is a homage not only to the cocktail hour but to two of my favorites, Scotch & Whiskey.

Scotch

Canadian Whiskey 

I discovered Monkey Shoulder Scotch when I was in Dubai and on my way back to Kabul. I was drawn to the bottle and the price point was in my wheel house at $35.00 for a 1 litre bottle. When I got back to Kabul I opened it and my love affair has been ongoing since that day. In the U.S. you might have to ask your liquor store owner to get it in (I did this in Capitol Hill, Wash. D.C.) but trust me it will be well worth it. Some people have issues with both Whiskey and Scotch as they can be harsh and burn as going down but one way to remedy the harshness is by adding a simple syrup. I suggest that you try the drink straight 1st to see what notes are present such as vanilla for Scotch, Whiskey or Bourbon add that to a simple syrup as a base and then get creative by adding something that will contrast or compliment it such as lime juice.

On the Menu Today: Cocktail Hour : Royal Sips & Cold Shoulders....

Cold Shoulder & Royal Sip 

The Cast 

Support Staff

High Ball Glass With 2 inch Lime Ice 

Vanilla Sugar 

Simple Syrup Recipe: Take 2 Cups of Sugar and 1 strand of Vanilla Bean
 split in half, 1 cup of water and 2 Tbs of fresh squeezed
lime juice and 2 slices of lime, cooking
until incorporated. 

Lg Cube Ice Trays can be purchased @ Bed, Bath & Beyond
Williams & Sonoma or like stores. 

 Royal on the Zested Rock Recipe: Place a "Zested" ice cube in a high
ball glass and cover it with Crown Royal as seen below. 

Royal Vanilla -Lime Sip Recipe: 2 Parts Crown Royal, 1/2 Part Vanilla
Lime Simple Syrup, Lime Zest for garnish. Shaken with ice
poured into a Martini glass. 

Cold Shoulder on Herbed Rock with Vanilla Lime Syrup Recipe:
2 Parts Monkey Shoulder, 1/4 part Vanilla Lime Syrup,
1 cube of herbed ice. Garnish with lime
and 1 inch strip of vanilla. 

Grand Vanilla Cold Shoulder Components 

Recipe: 2-3 parts Monkey Shoulder, 1 part Lemon Drop Syrup,
1 part Grand Marnier, 1/2 part Vanilla, Lime Simple Syrup
and place in shaker with ice. Pour into a Vanilla
Sugar Rimmed Martini Glass. Garnish
with a lime slice. 

Royal On The Rocks 

Royal Vanilla-Lime Sip

Cold Shoulder with Vanilla- Lime Syrup on The Rocks

Grand Vanilla Cold Shoulder
To make the sugar rim
wet the edges with
a lime and dip
into sugar. 

* All of these drinks go well with the Asian Wrap Recipe and great conversation.......

Wraps Two Ways. East Meets West. Thai vs. Steak & Cheese Egg Wraps...

Prep  Time : 20 Minutes

Frying Time : 7 Minutes 

Chicken & Pork Thai Wraps 

If quick and easy is something that interests you, then this is a recipe that is right up your alley. The filling takes 3-5 minutes from prep to cooking and can be refrigerated ahead of time to make assembly even easier. I normally make this as a change of pace appetizer for get togethers or as I am working at home.

On the Menu Today: Thai Style Wraps Two Ways (Chicken & Pork) 

The Cast : Salt & Pepper, Chili Flakes, Cilantro, Basil,
Mint, Water, Egg Wraps & Filling

Supporting Role (Sauce) : 1/2 cup Peanut Butter, 1 cup Sweet Chili
 Sauce 3 Tbs Fish Sauce & 2 Tbs Soy Sauce

Ingred: 1 lb Ground Chicken, 1Tbs Basil, 1 Tbs Mint, 1 Tbs Cilantro,
1/4 cup Rice, 1/8 cup Carrots, 2 Tbs Fish Sauce, 2 Tbs Garlic
 1/8 cup Onions, 1 tsp Chili Flakes, 1 tsp Soy Sauce

Recipe For Filling: Add Onions a saute pan with 1 Tbs of Oil and
cook until slightly browned. Next add the garlic, carrots
& herbs cooking until slightly wilted. Finally, add the
pork or chicken, cooking until done (3-5 mins).
*For Pork add 1/2 cup Golden Raisins
for sweetness..

Building Wraps: Lay the wrap down diagonally and wet the corners
with water (this works as an adhesive). Add the filling 1st
and then the herbs before finally seasoning
with salt, pepper & chili flake. 

Wrapping: Take the bottom corner and fold  it up
toward the center of the wrap. 

Wrapping: Take the left & right corners of the wrap and fold
them inward as pictured above.

Wrapping: Finally, roll the bottom to the top as seen above. 

Deep Fry : 350 for 3-5 minutes, allow to dry off in
fryer basket or on paper towel. 

Chili Sauce Recipe: Combine ingredients and cook until throughly
incorporated. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.  

Pork & Chicken Thai Wraps with Peanut-Chili Sauce

 Also On the Menu Today: Steak & Cheese Egg Rolls

Steak & Cheese Egg Rolls

Prep: Freeze the Beef to make it easy to slice.

Prep: I chose to use boneless short ribs for the marbling and the
size, as it is easier to deal with and the marbling
which adds flavor. 

Ingredients: Shaved Steak, Cheddar Cheese, Red Onions, Wrappers,
Salt & Pepper. 

Recipe: Add 1 Tbs Oil to a saute pan to allow to heat, add the onions
and then the beef before seasoning with salt & pepper. 

Recipe: This should take no more than 3 minutes. Remove from
heat and set aside to build your wraps. Build wraps by
adding the beef mixture and then the cheese.
Wrap as you did with the Thai Wraps.
Deep Fry on 350 for 3-5 mins.

Cut on a Bias and plate with edible greenery (parsley).

Carefully Stepping Away From the Winter Blues. Pappardelle, Lemon, Scallops Watercress & Corn.

Tired of heavy Winter meals? Chowders, Stews, Pot Pies and Creamy Pastas are the dishes that not only taste great but just make sense in cold weather. Toward the end of winter and the beginning of Spring there's certainly a need to bridge the gap, sure I want lighter foods but I also know that it just might be cold again tomorrow as winter tries to keeps its stronghold on cities across the country. My remedy for this is to cook a little something that can handle both seasons.

On the Menu Today: Pappardelle, Lemon, Scallops Watercress & Corn... In Lemon Butter Sauce

There's nothing heavy at all about scallops so adding a thick pasta makes the dish a bit heartier and by adding a light butter sauce it perfectly bridges the gap. This to me is the perfect goodbye to Winter, while saying hello to Spring without fully letting go or embracing the change.


For this we will need the following:

• Large Scallops (3 per person)
• Garlic (2 Tbs)
• Lemon Juice (1 Tbs)
• Lemon Zest (1 tsp)
• Pappardelle (16 oz)
• Watercress (2 cups)
• Cherry Tomatoes (1 pint)
• Corn (3 Cobs)
• Lime Leaves (4 each)
• Tamari Soy Sauce (2 Tbs)
• White Wine (1 cup)
• Butter (1/4 stick) small chips
• Chives (As needed)
• Olive Oil (3 Tbs)

Start off by salting your pasta water (should taste like the sea), cooking your pasta, setting it aside and reserving at least 1 cup of the pasta water. Marinate the scallops by adding the 1 Tb of garlic, lemon juice, 2 Tbs of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of olive oil together and placing in a refrigerator for 10-30 minutes. Cut the watercress in half (lengthwise) and take the corn off of the cob as seen in picture below. Next add 1 Tbs of Olive oil to a sauté pan (high heat) and saute the corn for 2-3 minutes, next add the watercress, and then the tomatoes, finally adding the garlic to brown slightly about 2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper for one more quick turn/toss. Take the vegetables out and place in a bowl to sit aside while cooking the Scallops. Add 1 Tb of Olive oil to a heated (high) saute pan and add the Lime leaves, this infuses the oil. Take out the leaves and discard. Now dry off the scallops and place in the heated pan, adding salt & pepper to taste. Resist the temptation to move the pan around or to flip the scallops as this will give you a better sear on the scallops. Remove and allow to rest for 2 minutes. Build the dish by adding the pasta and veggie mixture to the hot sauté pan and adding 1/4 cup of pasta water allowing to cook down (the starch in the pasta and the pasta water will make a sauce. Plate as seen below. Meanwhile add a cup of white wine to a sauce pan to reduce by 3/4 adding chips of butter until the sauce is thickened. Finally pour the sauce over your completed dish as seen below. Add freshly chopped chives as a garnish. 

With Sauce