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Chicken Spring Rolls {a movie}

Jill Chen — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:38:06 +0000

Superbowl Sunday is imminent and if your menu needs a little something crunchy and fun, these Chicken Spring Rolls from Jill will hit the spot. She even created a quick dipping sauce and a wonderful how to motion photograph to take you through each step. Thank you, Jill and Jill’s hubby, for showing us the basics behind the elusive spring roll! -Maggie

Hubby and I have been working on projects lately where we could show “how to’s” using a bit of motion. When Maggie said that spring rolls were perfect for Superbowl Sunday, we jumped at the chance to make them and this motion picture. This is me rolling spring rolls. Using your mouse, swipe sideways or click and drag to move me forward or backward; you’ll see each step and the roll will come together in a breeze.

This is a basic recipe using ground chicken, Napa cabbage and shredded carrots. The possibilities are endless, so use whatever turns your crank. Try ground beef, pork, shrimp, shitake mushrooms or savoy cabbage. Keep in mind that it can’t be wet, or you will have a spring roll that falls apart making it impossible for frying.

For the filling chop up your vegetables, thinly slice half a Napa cabbage.

Shred or grate one large carrot, and chop up one green onion.

Set your vegetables aside while you cook your chicken mixture. Once the chicken is opaque, add your veggies, water and soy sauce. Cover and simmer for a few minutes until cabbage is tender.

Let it cool in a pan. Place a tea towel underneath one side of the pan to let the juices drain down toward the other.

The spring roll wrappers should be covered with a damp cloth or paper towel to keep from drying out. One 8×8-inch package makes 50 spring rolls.

Remember to roll tightly, and don’t over-stuff. (I actually used a tad too much in the “How To” motion picture.) Fry in small batches, over medium heat until golden brown, and let drain on paper towel.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. I chose to improvise with a spoonful of chili garlic sauce, a dash of soya sauce, and a glug of Morris Kitchen’s ginger syrup from my Eat Boutique gift box. A no-fail dipping sauce combo: a little spicy, a little savory and a little sweet.

These spring rolls can be made and fried ahead of time, and reheated in the oven.

Chicken Spring Rolls

Ingredients:

1 package of spring roll wrappers
1 pound ground chicken
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil in pan to cook meat mixture
1/2 nappa cabbage, finely sliced, yields approximately 9 cups
1 large carrot, shredded or grated
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup water

Directions:

Combine chicken, salt, sesame oil and cornstarch in a bowl and set aside to prepare your vegetables.
Slice and shred your cabbage, carrot and green onion.
Add oil to a large non-stick pan, and cook your chicken mixture over medium high heat, breaking up the lumps until the meat becomes opaque in color.
Add your veggies, soy sauce and water. Stir and cover. Simmer on medium heat until cabbage is tender.
Remove from heat, spread out to cool in a shallow cake pan. Elevate one side of pan to drain liquid.
To wrap your spring rolls, separate a sheet carefully and follow the “hot to”. Keep the wraps under a damp cloth to prevent drying out. Be sure to roll tightly and neatly. Filling should be dry and not sopping wet or you will have soggy spring rolls that fall apart when frying.
Fry spring rolls in about an inch of canola oil on medium heat. Remove when golden, and drain on paper towel line platter. Makes approximately 50 spring rolls. Enjoy with favorite dipping sauce.

All photos styled and photographed by Jill Chen.

Eat Boutique is a site + market for food enthusiasts to celebrate the best pure, local and comforting handmade foods. We call it: food that hugs you back. Looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift? Eat Boutique sells gift boxes filled with handmade sweet and savory treats. Send a gift box of handmade food today.

The Silver Palate’s Chili for a Crowd

Shelby Larsson — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:21:49 +0000

Everybody knows that the Super Bowl is really about the food. And catching all those fun, sometimes scandalous and creative advertisements. Oh fine, and football too. More than anything, though, the Super Bowl is a great opportunity to get your friends together for a fun evening of eating like insane people.

Seriously, I think Super Bowl Sunday might be the one night a year when I throw caution to the wind and let myself go crazy trying out all the different “game food” dishes that people bring along to the party. Mini pulled pork sandwiches, homemade stromboli, and various dips on one plate? Don’t mind if I do!

Though the variety at a Super Bowl is quite exciting, I like it the best when there is a fun assortment of appetizers, followed by a cohesive “main” course, like this fantastic chili from the Silver Palate Cookbook. The Silver Palate is one of those mainstay American cookbook classics held in high regard by those who were cooking up a storm in the ‘80s, or those of us who remember their moms doing so. (The most famous recipe to come from these pages was likely the Chicken Marbella, see Denise’s updated version here.) With the publication of the 25^th anniversary edition a few years back, the Silver Palate has earned a new set of fans looking for great food and tips for entertaining a crowd.

I first tasted this chili at a friend’s holiday party a few years back, where he was, in fact, hosting a huge crowd in his beautiful home. Served alongside plenty of different toppings (and next to a big bowl of vegetarian chili), it was clearly a huge hit. Meaty and oh-so-flavorful, I deeply fell in love with this chili, vowing to make it myself the next time I was hosting forty people.

Turns out, I can only fit about 8-10 friends in my small apartment, so I recently quartered the recipe and made Chili for a Small Crowd (I have included those quartered measurements below). Though the recipe calls for such different ingredients than I am accustomed to for chili (Dijon mustard, dill, parsley, lemon juice, sausage?), they all come together to create one of the best bowls of chili I have ever tasted. Try out this great recipe for yourself, and you and your crowd will surely agree!

Chili for a Crowd
Adapted from the Silver Palate Cookbook

Original recipe yields enough chili for 35-40 people (it’s for a CROWD, after all!). Quantities inside parentheses are quartered ingredients, and will serve 8-10 people.

Ingredients:

½ cup best-quality olive oil (1/8 cup)
1 ¾ pounds yellow onions, coarsely chopped (1/2 lb., approx. 2 small onions)
2 pounds sweet Italian sausage meat, removed from casings (1/2 pound)
8 pounds beef chuck, ground (2 pounds)
1 ½ tablespoons freshly ground black pepper (1 teaspoon)
2 cans, 12 ounces each, tomato paste (6 oz. can)
3 tablespoons minced fresh garlic (1 tablespoon, about 2 cloves)
3 ounces ground cumin (2 tablespoons)
4 ounces chili powder (3 tablespoons)
½ cup prepared Dijon-style mustard (1/8 cup)
4 tablespoons salt (1 tablespoon)
4 tablespoons dried basil (1 tablespoon)
4 tablespoons dried oregano (1 tablespoon)
6 cans (32 ounce) Italian plum tomatoes, drained (2 cans)
½ cup red wine (1/8 cup)
¼ cup lemon juice (1 tablespoon)
¼ cup dried dill (1 tablespoon)
½ cup chopped Italian parsley (2 tablespoons)
3 cans, 16 ounces each, dark red kidney beans, drained (1 {16oz} can)
4 cans, 5 ½ ounces each, pitted black olives, drained (1 can)

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a very large, heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven. Add onions and cook over low heat, covered, until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes.
Crumble the sausage meat and ground beef into the pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until meats are well browned. Drain as much excess fat as possible.
Over low heat stir in black pepper, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, chili powder, mustard, salt, basil, oregano and dill.
Add drained tomatoes, red wine, lemon juice, dill, parsley and drained kidney beans. Stir well and simmer, uncovered for another 15 minutes.
With a large wooden spoon, break up the tomatoes into smaller pieces. Taste and correct seasoning. Add olives, simmer for another 5 minutes to heat through, and serve immediately.
Serve with an assortment of toppings, like shredded cheese, avocado, crushed corn chips, sliced green onions, sour cream, jalapenos, and this spicy jalapeno skillet corn bread. Enjoy!

All photos styled and taken by Shelby Larsson.

Eat Boutique is a site + market for food enthusiasts to celebrate the best pure, local and comforting handmade foods. We call it: food that hugs you back. Looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift? Eat Boutique sells gift boxes filled with handmade sweet and savory treats. Send a gift box of handmade food today.

Bourbon Banana Bread Pudding

Shelby Larsson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:49:44 +0000

I made a new baking discovery last weekend. As I sat inside, cozy and warm, watching the snow fall (finally!), I had the urge to whip up something delicious. Looking through my rather bare cabinets, I briefly lamented that the season would not lend itself to a pretty tart brimming with fresh strawberries or blueberries, but I also knew that type of summery dessert would not serve to satisfy my snow day cravings.

Nope, I needed something a bit heartier, and I found the answer: bread pudding, made with bananas and a heavy splash of bourbon. And with that, I think I might have found the perfect mid-winter dessert.

If this recipe looks a bit familiar, it’s because I used the same basic framework from my Blueberry Bread Pudding last summer. As I said then, I thought it would be a great base for future seasonal interpretations, suggesting that it would be fantastic with apples and warming spices in the fall, which I completely forgot to do. (I will NOT make the same mistake next October!) Happily, this winter version popped into my head, and I have been enjoying the fruits of my labor all week long.

Rich, smooth, and studded with banana, this simple dessert was a very welcome treat on a cold and snowy day. I wasn’t the only one who thought so—every time I went to sneak a slice, it was clear that others had been there first.

Did I mention that the recipe includes bourbon?

Try topping it with vanilla ice cream, a bourbon caramel sauce (there I go again), warm maple syrup (a breakfast treat?), or drizzled with hot fudge. Enjoy!

Bourbon Banana Bread Pudding

Yields 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

1 loaf of brioche or challah bread, torn into pieces (about 4-5 cups)
2 cups milk
2 cups cream
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons Bourbon
½ teaspoon cinnamon
3 bananas, sliced
1 tablespoon butter, to coat the dish

Topping Ingredients:

¼ cup raw (turbinado) sugar*
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Gently heat the cream, milk, sugar and salt in a heavy bottomed pot until it is just about to boil. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, mix together the eggs, vanilla, bourbon and ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon in a large bowl.
Slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture, stirring constantly so that the eggs don’t scramble. Add the torn bread pieces and the banana slices to the custard and toss together well.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and butter a large baking dish (mine was about 9 ½ inches round with tall 2 inch sides)**
Pour the bread pudding mixture into the dish. Sprinkle the pudding with the cinnamon and raw sugar mixture. Cover the pudding with foil and bake for 45 minutes, until the center is set.
Remove the foil and cook for another 25-30 minutes, or until the pudding is set in the center. At the very end, put the pudding under the broiler for another 1-2 minutes to crisp up the top. Let the pudding sit for at least a half hour before serving.

* If you only have regular white sugar, that’s fine. The raw sugar creates a better crunchy crust, but it is not a big enough difference to deter you from making this recipe!

** The pudding puffed up a great deal while baking, I would recommend using a large baking dish, and putting a baking sheet underneath to catch any wayward pudding.

All photos styled and taken by Shelby Larsson.

Preserved Lemon Cocktail

Denise Woodward & Laudalino Ferreira — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:31:25 +0000

When Maggie reached out last week to see if we would be interested in sampling a preserved lemon syrup from Morris Kitchen, the polite thing to do was say, YES! I have been dying to get an opportunity to introduce Morris Kitchen to our liquor cabinet, ever since reading about their spicy ginger syrup. Visions of spicy cocktails are still swirling around my head.

Morris Kitchen is the brain child behind brother and sister duo, Tyler and Kari Morris. They believe the same thing we do; the best food is fresh and local. Tyler has been cooking in kitchens, from Sonoma all the way to New Year, for the past thirteen years. Kari has a background in art but is savvy around the restaurant business, as well. Together, they knew what was missing from the foodie scene, a simple syrup made with innovative flavors such as ginger and preserved lemon.

When I read about the hints of cardamon and pink peppercorn that would be in a bottle of preserved lemon syrup, I instantly thought of Mezcal. It did seem a little odd to break out Mezcal in the middle of “winter”, but what the heck, it’s fun to be a little dangerous in the kitchen. I found some gorgeous Mary Ellen limes at the market, and I plucked some Meyer Lemons from our yard, I just knew they would be a great addition, and off I went. As soon as I unscrewed the cap to the syrup, I could smell sunshine. Slightly floral with a hint of the sea. I really enjoyed the subtle taste of salt that lingered on my tongue after the first sample; there would be no need to salt the rims of our glasses. The smoky Mezcal was perfect with salty citrus; slightly tart and slightly salty. It was a perfect marriage: sweet Mary Ellen limes holding hands with smokey Mezcal.

Nice way to spend a lazy Saturday; don’t you agree?

Preserved Lemon Cocktail
Makes two cocktails

Ingredients:

4 ounces of Meyer Lemon Juice
2 ounces of Mary Ellen Lime Juice (or use regular limes)
3 ounces Mezcal
1 ounce Morris Kitchen Preserved Lemon Syrup
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
Ice
Lemon slices, for garnish

Directions:

Juice fresh lemons and limes for this cocktail; makes a huge difference.
In a shaker, filled 1/4 of the way with ice cubes, add all ingredients. Shake like crazy.
Pour over ice in a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon slice.
Serve. Drink.

All photos styled and shot by Denise Woodward.

Eat Boutique is blog + market that celebrates the best pure, local + comforting handmade foods. We call it: food that hugs you back. Looking for the perfect gift? Eat Boutique sells gift boxes filled with handmade sweet and savory treats. Order a gift box of food today.

Winter Salad, Miso & Ginger Dressing

Jill Chen — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:08:15 +0000

KALE is one of the most nutrient-rich leafy green you could ever eat, and we’ve been eating this super food every which way possible, all in an effort to take better care of our body and soul in 2012. When Maggie asked me to do a post on a winter salad, I knew it had to be kale.

Not only is kale a winter-hardy veggie to grow in your backyard (yes! it will survive winter with very little help), we are even growing kale “micro-greens” and sprouts indoors.

Sorry for the slight detour, but it’s so great to be puttering in my “garden” while it’s snowing outside. Who needs to wait till spring to be growing fresh greens again?

Now back to the salad… Cut your kale into bite-size pieces. Be sure to trim off the tough center stem (and feed it to your critters).

Thinly slice a small radicchio and finely chop half of a shallot.

Shred a large carrot and cut up a blood orange. I love citrus in a salad; look at that color! Toss it all in a large salad bowl then make your dressing.

This dressing is creamy, rich and big on flavor. Combine equal parts of tahini, miso paste (I used red, but you can use any kind), and ginger syrup. We’ve been loving the ginger syrup from Eat Boutique’s gift box (thank you, Maggie!). If you don’t have, then substitute with honey and a bit of grated fresh ginger instead.

Add a little water and a squeeze of citrus to thin it down to a thick pourable consistency. Wasabi almonds found in the back of my fridge added a nice crunch to this salad.

This winter salad is heavier than your typical light green summer salad. It is chewy, “meaty” and hearty enough to be a main meal, or a perfect side to grilled salmon or chicken. This would be phenomenal in a fish taco with some fresh cilantro thrown in.

Winter Salad with Miso & Ginger Dressing

Ingredients:

1 small bunch of kale
1 small radicchio
1 small shallot
1 large carrot
1 blood orange
Sprinkle of almonds

Dressing (start off with 1 heaping tablespoon of each):

1 part miso paste
1 part tahini
1 part ginger syrup (or honey with 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger)
Water and squeeze of citrus juice to thin

Directions:

Wash, slice, chop and trim your salad ingredients and place in salad bowl.
In a small bowl, thoroughly mix dressing ingredients together, adding a squeeze or two of citrus juice, and water to thin to a thick pourable consistency. Pour over the salad, toss and serve.

All photos styled and photographed by Jill Chen.

Eat Boutique is an online magazine + market for food enthusiasts to celebrate the best pure, local + comforting handmade foods. We call it: food that hugs you back. Looking for the perfect gift? Eat Boutique sells gift boxes filled with handmade sweet and savory treats. Send a gift box of handmade food today.

Eating Like a Local in Sydney, Australia

Josephine Rozman — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:46:37 +0000

It’s bitterly cold in New England, but not so much in Australia. Photographer Josephine Rozman sent along some beautiful photos that I quite sadly neglected to share last week. Let’s lose ourselves in eating like a local during the Australian holiday season and this absolutely scrumptious Lamb Roast. Thanks, Josephine! – Maggie

I recently took flight back home to Australia to see the family leading up to the festive season. Unfortunately, it rained the entire month that I was in town and consequently I wasn’t able to photograph the typical Australian Christmas. Unlike the northern hemisphere, Australia experiences a hot and sunny Christmas. It is a chance for our entire family to come together over an array of barbequed meats, vibrant salads and delectable desserts. To top things off, this is all carried out in the great outdoors whether it be a backyard, a park or a beach.

Faced with very nontraditional weather, I took the opportunity to portray a different side of Sydney that often gets overlooked. Consider it the lifestyle of a local.

With limited time and great company, I revisited some of my favorite local cafes indulging in mouthwatering comfort foods that eased the summer blues. Each day I set out to a new cafe with a good friend and my camera by my side. The story therefore evolved from being about typical Australian dishes to focusing more so on the enjoyment of eating food and the social aspect of the festive season.

Sydney is the hub for people from many different cultures. Its multiculturalism is celebrated through its food. At Bathers Pavillion Balmoral Beach, we delighted in a breakfast of eggs sunny side up on a bed of organic spelt toast and a side of roast tomato. At Esther’s Café in Annandale, our palettes savoured homemade fig and walnut bread coupled with light ricotta cheese and organic honey. It was at Ricciotti Café Hunters Hill where we snacked on a warm salad and lamb wrap and pancetta panini drizzled in warm pesto. With a disposable film camera, I returned to Balmoral Beach where we ate beef ragu served on a bed of gnocci and dressed with a light layer of parmesan and poached chicken salad with caramelized almonds and green apple at La Repubblica, a quirky Italian restaurant that exploded with personality.

We found immense joy in consuming these delicate dishes. I photographed the half eaten dishes because they epitomized the appreciation of the well-balanced flavors and enticing aromas of these much loved dishes.

Aussies can’t get enough of their lamb. That is why I decided to share this succulent Mediterranean style lamb recipe that I whipped up with my beautiful mother on our pre-Christmas celebration before I headed back to Hong Kong in time for Christmas with my husband. The great thing about this recipe is that it is barbeque friendly for those who desire a crispier style of meat.

Butterfly Lamb Leg Roast

Ingredients:

1 Boneless lamb leg, butterflied
¼ cup dried oregano
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
¼ cup fresh diced red bell peppers
½ cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
½ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper

Garnish:

4 sprigs of rosemary
½ fresh orange sliced thin

Preparing the marinade

Combine oregano, garlic, bell peppers, ½ cup lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Place lamb in bowl and pour marinade over it. Cover bowl and leave the lamb to absorb the flavours of the marinade over night. For even coverage turn lamb from time to time.

Cooking the lamb

Preheat oven to 220 degrees C.

Place marinated lamb on a rack and steam roast it by placing water in the roasting pan.

Let the lamb cook for 1 – 1 ½ hours. Once the lamb has been in the oven for 45 minutes keep an eye on the meat and make sure it doesn’t go dry.

Once the lamb is done (medium rare – medium), remove from oven. Sprinkle the lamb with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, cover loosely with foil and allow the meat to sit for 10 – 15 minutes.

Once ready to serve garnish meat with orange slices and rosemary sprigs.

Bon Appetit!

All photos styled and photographed by Josephine Rozman.

Sparkling Jam Cocktail

Maggie Battista — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 23:18:33 +0000

We’re down to the final hours, 2012 is really just moments away. I’m ringing in the New Year in Portland, Maine. The working port is just outside my apartment window, the ferries chugging back and forth between some of the prettiest islands in all of the States, in my humble opinion. But it’s too cold to be out on the ferry. I far prefer sorting through pretty sparkling cocktail photos and sharing just one last recipe before we officially bid adieu to 2011.

If your fridge hosts a bottle of bubbles and a jar of jam, this drink practically makes itself! I have shelves and shelves full of homemade jams and actually just made a huge batch of three fruit marmalade (packed with grapefruits, lemons, oranges and several ounces of Spanish Cava). I call it my Christmas marmalade because that’s the only day of December when I had the time to make up 16 half-pint jars. Yes, I am totally tired.

You don’t have to use homemade jam, the store bought stuff will do well. Just add a teaspoon to a glass, or in this case, a pretty jam jar, and fill with bubbles. I tend to drink all my beverages in jam jars these days; I love the double duty they perform as simple vessel for liquid refreshment and reliable preserving container.

Whisk or stir gently and your New Year’s Eve celebration cocktail is ready. I love setting out a few jars of jam, glasses, spoons and a whisk, and inviting my guests to make up their desired sparkling drink. I used Prosecco for my creation, but you could opt to use Champagne or even Cava.

Until we meet again in 2012, we wish you a happy happy new year!

Sparkling Jam Cocktail

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon of jam
4 ounces of chilled sparkling wine

Directions:

Add jam to a glass. Pour in sparkling wine. Whisk or stir gently.
Serve and repeat!

All photos styled by Maggie Battista and Heidi Murphy and photographed by Heidi Murphy/White Loft Style.

Cranberry Champagne Cocktail

Denise Woodward & Laudalino Ferreira — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:07:22 +0000

I love using homemade simple syrups in our cocktails. Once I mastered the base recipe for simple syrup, I began experimenting with flavors. You may be wondering, how does one “master” making simple syrup. Isn’t it sugar and water? It may be only made with these two ingredients, but different sugars, as well as the amount that is used, make all the difference. All sugars are not created as equals when it comes to making simple syrups.

The past few times I have been using demerara sugar and am really pleased with the results. Lots of depth, complexity, and not overly sweet. Did I mention the gorgeous amber color? While most recipes call for a 2:1 ratio with ingredients, I added a little more sugar, which I felt was key to taking the recipe over the top. The flavor was richer, and the texture was a bit more syrupy.

For this year’s holiday cocktails, I have been making a cranberry simple syrup, using the same basic ingredients but adding fresh cranberries to the mix. You have to use fresh berries here, frozen are not the same. Most frozen fruit has been processed with some sweeteners as well as some added moisture. The simple syrup does not come out the same using frozen berries. I have put a few bags of fresh cranberries in the freezer but have yet to try using them in this recipe.

This is a lovely champagne cocktail to serve your guests as it is festive as well as seasonal. Happy Holidays!

Cranberry Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons demerara sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh cranberries

Directions:

In a saucepan over low heat add the sugar and the water; stir. Cook until the sugar is dissolved, about 8 minutes. Do not bring to a boil, keep at low heat.
Add the cranberries, stir, and remove from the heat. Let cool. Bottle and then store in refrigerator until ready to use.

Cranberry Champagne Cocktail

Ingredients:

1 oz cranberry simple syrup
Kaffir lime
Champagne
Fresh cranberries for garnish

Directions:

In a champagne flute put the simple syrup and the juice from 1/4 of a kaffir lime.
Using the rind that you just squeezed juice from, lightly rub around the rim of the flute.
Top the simple syrup with Champagne.
Thread some fresh cranberries onto a cocktail stirrer and garnish. Serve. Sip.

All photos styled and shot by Denise Woodward.

Sparkling Cocktail: Violet Ombre

Maggie Battista — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 02:08:14 +0000

We’re in the midst of one of my favorite weeks of the year! The anxiety of Christmas has passed and the peaceful days leading up to the new year are just plain lovely and party-filled. Everyone seems to be in a good mood, perhaps because we’ve bid adieu to family, and my afternoons are filled with long spells in the kitchen and brief naps that rev me up for late nights.

Waiting for the new year to kick in, I’m also just hanging out in the in-between time, not quite ready to start that annual ‘lifestyle change’ but also still in a bit of a food and booze coma. It’s precisely at this time that I skip the heavy liquors in favor of light sparkling cocktails, bubbly and celebratory and touched by some of my favorite flavors.

This first cocktail of my favorite week got its name at the very moment I set it up for my dear friend, Heidi. After fiddling with the pine around the glass, a sprig of pine that’s held in place with a simple double knot of twine, I poured the Cava on top of the Creme de Violette and the ombre hue set in. Fashion and booze collided perfectly.

Made from violet flowers in the Alps, Creme de Violette was introduced to me a few years back by a French friend. It’s a fairly strong cordial that looks like it may be cough syrup revisited but is, in fact, crafted to taste floral and sweet. My French friend likes to sip it on its own. I prefer to place just a bit in the bottom of a flute and pour on the bubbles.

Over the course of the week, we’ll share a bunch of sparkling cocktails. This one is the easiest, just two ingredients poured into the same glass. A bottle of Creme de Violette retails for around $20, the Cava was less than that, and the pine, well, that was foraged from my back yard. Cheers!

Violet Ombre

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon Creme de Violette
4 ounces chilled sparkling wine like a Cava or Prosecco

Directions:

Pour the Creme de Violette into a tall flute.
Slowly and gently, pour in the sparkling wine and serve.

All photos styled by Maggie Battista and Heidi Murphy and photographed by Heidi Murphy/White Loft Style.