Autumn has officially arrived and I love the idea of a warm, cozy sip that uses locally grown apples with bourbon and smoky mezcal. This one is delicious for a swanky cocktail party but also works just fine in a red solo cup next to a bonfire or on a hayride.
The dog days of summer require something cool, strong, and slightly sweet - this one is just the ticket. Quick and easy to whip up…but impressive as a pre-dinner cocktail or for just sippin’ on the back porch. Feel free to increase the amount of vodka depending on your day -
Something magical happens when goat cheese is paired with summer tomatoes and juicy ripe peaches. This super quick salad works well as a starter course, but also equally impresses as an appetizer when served with our firecrackers or buttery grilled toast. We especially love the bright green nuance of fresh basil and mint from the garden, even though added bits of zesty arugula or watercress would make this the summer salad to end all summer salads….
Nothing on the planet is more delicious than fresh tomatoes steeped in olive oil, basil, and fresh garlic. Our SUMMER TOMATO TOAST is simple, but promises to be the belle of this year’s Fourth of July pool, lake, or river party. The tomatoes gain sweet complexity the longer they sit…so prep about an hour before guest arrival to ensure maximum flavor…and guest adoration.
Shall we have our own Super Bowl of sorts? Yes, let’s devise our own new drinks inspired by classic cocktails from BOTH New England and Los Angeles – I love a cool, refreshing Cape Cod, but let’s ratchet things up a notch by adding heat, complexity by way of ph Alchemy’s Mexican Chili syrup - I promise, once you go HOT, you’ll never go back.
We’re also adding essential Ozark herb to the classic Brown Derby cocktail that will surprise, awe your even your most hard-core whiskey connoisseur at this year’s Super Bowl party.
The final dark happening of the season was by far the most dramatic of all, and even though my role was small in comparison to my sister, it still had a lasting impact on me. It is, after all, the climax of this story, a perpetually more sinister juxtaposition to the image of three boys frightened by a bag of old clothes and a pair of red shoes. When I tell the story, I pull the listener close, regardless of whether it’s an audience of one or ten; as my brow furrows, eyes widen, and normally animated hands become tight and clinched.
