Category Archives: drinks

Apr 17 10 comments
drinks

Southern Gin Cocktail

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A few weeks ago I was invited to Chapel Hill for the launch of the Our State Magazine April issue, an issue that focuses on food in the great state of North Carolina. The party was at Crook’s Corner, the famous Chapel Hill restaurant that is home of one of the best adaptations of Shrimp & Grits around (the recipe that taught me everything I know about loaded grits), and the flagship of Chef Bill Smith’s culinary empire.

southern gin cocktailThe menu was simple and reflected the food showcased in the issue- benne, deviled eggs, house-cured ham on fresh biscuits, and a cocktail that I thoroughly enjoyed- a gin martini made with Cardinal Gin. Cardinal Gin is distilled in Kings Mountain in small batches and has all the intricate and delicate flavors you hope for with a bottle of nice gin. This is not the gin you blend with a heavily flavored mixer- this is a gin that you sip and let speak for itself.

our state magazine

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I’m pretty terrible at cocktail parties, I get anxious and awkward and have to resist the urge to hide in a corner and just watch. This cocktail party was no exception, especially because everyone seemed to know each other and I felt like the odd duck out. But I didn’t drive two hours to sit in a corner so I got out there and mingled, and I’m so glad that I did. I met a ton of great people, made some good connections, and got to talk about one of my favorite things- Southern food- with other enthusiasts.

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This issue is really fantastic. I always love Our State and the stories that it culls from across the state, but this one spoke especially close to home with stories about Morehead City and small community potlucks. It also gave me some ideas for new places to visit (like Yadkin Valley) and recipes to try (benne!).

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The party was also a huge success in that I got to talk to some of the magazine staff about Tasting North Carolina, an opportunity I’d been hoping to have since I dreamed the project up. It just so happens that they loved the idea of the project and wanted to partner, so for the past few weeks we’ve been going back and forth with different ideas. Without further ado I’m excited to say that starting in May Our State will be publishing the entire series on their newly formed blog. The recipes will be posted on both Our State and B&S which means, hopefully, more people reading, more people loving, and more people sending me recipes. Next up in the series? A trip to the North Carolina Pickle Festival in Wayne County.

southern gin cocktail 4Southern Gin Cocktail
Adapted from Crook’s Corner

3 jiggers of gin
1 jigger of triple sec
Splash of bitters
Orange peel for garnish

Combine all three liquors in a tumbler with ice. Shake and strain into a glass, garnishing with orange peel.

Jan 16 0 comments
drinks

Smoothies for Breakfast

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On my sister in law Megan’s recommendation I downloaded Scott Jurek’s Eat and Run for the trip to Orlando. I’m 3/4 of the way through it and frankly, I have mixed feelings. I plan on doing a full review and posting his Minnesota Winter Chili recipe (which is pretty delicious) once I’ve finished and have had time to process my thoughts, but I did want to share one thing that I’ve taken from the book so far. And please, feel free to be all, duh Elena, did you need to read a book to tell you that?

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In the book Jurek spends a long time picking over his food choices throughout his lifetime- attributing meaning to those choices and determining how each food has helped him in his career as an ultramarathoner. After a trist with the raw diet in the late 90′s he started eating a smoothie every day for breakfast and a big salad for lunch. In the past I’ve gone on smoothie kicks (hello, love of mango smoothies) but when my immersion blender broke I pretty much stopped. But after I got off the plane on Sunday all I could think about was a nice, big, smoothie. So on the drive home I stopped and picked up a blender.

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This blender is nothing special, but each morning this week I’ve put together a smoothie that, compared to my mango smoothies, are complex and full of different vitamins and nutrients. Each one has included one apple, a handful of spinach, a little mango juice, some frozen fruit (either berries, pineapple, or mango), a carrot or two, ice, and a dollop of Greek yogurt. And while this idea is not revolutionary, it has been a nice reminder to me that I can make something delicious, SUPER healthy, and filling in less than ten minutes.

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Jan 06 1 comments
drinks

Sparkling Old Fashioned

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Last week while we were all home in Durham for the holidays we threw a bridal shower for my sister, Lauren, who is getting married in May. The shower was held at A Southern Season in Chapel Hill and was a wonderful gathering of friends and family to celebrate Lauren. Not to mention a super fun shower followed by an awesome after party. We know how to entertain in this family, if I do say so myself.

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The theme of the shower was “Bourbon and Barbeque,” a play on the “Wine and Swine” theme that sounded delicious, appropriately Southern, and did not make people think the word “swine” at the same time they were thinking about a bride. We chose A Southern Season because it’s known for it’s impeccable taste, wonderful food, and atmosphere. Their restaurant, Weathervane, was incredibly accommodating and even agreed to make a signature bourbon cocktail for us- Sparkling Old Fashioneds.

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To be honest, this family has become old hats at the whole wedding game. Starting with my shower in May 2009 we’ve had at least one family wedding a year, if not two. We ya-ya’s went into planning Lauren’s shower knowing we wanted it to be something special, different from those we’ve thrown, but with all the flair and sophistication we could muster (and all the knowledge we’ve gained in the past few years). We settled on two activities, the first being a banner decorating station where guests wrote a note to Lauren and her fiance, Bradley, on the back and then decorated the front of letters that spelled out “Lauren & Bradley May 17, 2013.” It turned out beautifully and will hopefully be a momento that they can hang in their home (after we roll it out for a few more wedding events, of course).

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The second activity was a game that MaryCatherine came up with, a shopping game that took advantage of our location. Guests were split randomly into teams and each team had to shop for a present at A Southern Season that fit the theme they were assigned. The themes ranged from “something in the wedding colors” to “a food Bradley has never tried.” I shadowed my sister Genevieve and my Aunt Lori whose theme was “something for the honeymoon.” The above picture is one of my favorites, ever, where the women helping us in the shop realized why we were asking where the chocolate sauce was located. Then, after all the presents were gathered on a table, Lauren guessed which presents went with which theme. She was 10 for 10. It was, I have to say, a great game.

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The food was amazing. Going with the theme we had barbeque sliders on pretzel rolls with cole slaw. They provided three regional sauces- Eastern NC’s vinegar sauce, Western NC’s tomato and vinegar sauce, and SC’s mustard based sauce. We also had vegetarian eggrolls, stuffed tomatoes, fried pimento cheese balls (these were HEAVEN), and a fruit plate. Followed by the amazing chocolate cake and paired with the bourbon cocktails? Incredible. We couldn’t have asked for better food.

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In the end I think we pulled off something really special for Lauren, and I think she was happy and felt loved. I cannot wait for her wedding in May and I am so thrilled to call Bradley my brother.

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Lauren & Bradley’s engagement photos

Sparkling Old Fashioned
Source: Rachel Ray

makes 6 servings

1 cup bourbon

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon whole allspice berries

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 24 ounce bottle  nonalcoholic sparkling apple cider, chilled

6 thin strips lemon peel, plus 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

In a large glass measuring cup, combine the bourbon, cinnamon stick, allspice and nutmeg; let stand overnight or for up to 24 hours. Strain out the spices and discard. Stir in the cider and lemon juice. Garnish with the lemon peel.