I love this recipe because it has only three ingredients and it’s delicious!  I just made a large pitcher of the mix on Cinco de Mayo and definitely plan on making more soon!

1-2-3 Margarita Mix

750 ml. Freshly-squeezed lime juice (must be fresh juice!)
750 ml. Tequila (I like Sauza Conmemorativo)
Zest and Juice of 2 Oranges
Simply combine all the ingredients in a large pitcher.  Let the zest steep for about 30 minutes.  Serve over ice on salt-rimmed glasses.

Lambrusco, an Italian red wine that is fizzante (sparkling, in Italian) is a fantastic variety of wine that should not be overlooked. Made from the lambrusco grape and produced mostly in Emilia-Romagna, it’s flavors are that of a bright, juicy red wine. However, it is packed with a punch–in the way of bubbles! Served chilled, it is a great alternative to a regular bottle of red because it can stand up to bolder flavored foods, yet be much more refreshing.  Perfect for a warm weather cookout!

In the 70’s and 80’s, lambrusco was one of the most popular selling imported wines. Here’s hope for a comeback!

While visiting with my best friend’s mother Coco, a fiery little Puerto-Rican homemaker, I was introduced to a delicious drink called coquito that combines the flavors of milk, coconut, cinnamon and rum. Coquito means little coconut in Spanish and it is quite fitting that Coco’s version of this drink is delicious, seeing as she is practically named after the drink! It reminded me of a spiked horchata or an island-inspired eggnog and makes for a perfect punch to be served during the winter months.

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This year my boyfriend turned 30, so I bought him 30 bottles of wine.  Yes, that’s right, 30 bottles of wine.

We often talk about how we wished we knew more about wine, so I decided to buy 30 bottles, each with a different varietal, so we could taste lots of different wines and decide which kinds we like best.

So far, we’ve opened the bottle of prosecco.  It was delicious and a perfect way to celebrate another year…

This year, I’m going a few steps further than the usual on New Year’s Eve.  Instead of spending lots of money on a decent variety of champagne to serve by the flute, I’m going to save a few bucks and go the Italian route—prosecco.  Although prosecco alone is quite lovely, dressed up with a little fruit juice and fancy garnish, this drink will be sure to please my party guests.

Here’s the how-to:

Pomegranate-Ginger Prosecco Cocktail

1 cup Pomegranate juice - chilled
1 tbl. Sugar
1” Slice of fresh ginger – peeled
1/4 cup Freshly-squeezed orange juice
1 tsp. Cointreau
1 tsp. Pama liquour
1 750ml Bottle Prosecco – chilled

Bring the first three ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan.  Lower the heat to a simmer and reduce liquid to a syrup, about a 1/3 of a cup in volume.  Set aside and cool at room temperature.

Once the syrup is at room temperature, whisk in the orange juice, Cointreau and Pama.  Then, divide the mixture amongst four champagne flutes and top with prosecco.

Garnish with a few fresh pomegranate seeds and a finely julienned piece of fresh ginger (optional) and serve immediately.  Happy New Year!

Last night I went out for a burger at a restaurant that prides itself in being something of a modern soda shop. They offer shakes, floats and sodas in a wide-array of flavors and combinations, most of which are pretty uncommon.

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Well, if you are interested, you now can be a part of a new trend—barrel ownership.  City Winery, in New York City, is selling 200 memberships starting at $5000 each for their barrel ownership program.

With the membership, you will have a winemaker help you customize your wine with grapes picked in the U.S. and South America; you can crush, de-stem, press, ferment and bottle the wine yourself (or not); you can design your own labels; you can store your 276 bottles at the facility; and you can even stop in and sample the wines during its aging process as much as you’d like!  City Winery is even going to promote a wine-trading program amongst its members, so you can share your wines with others (276 bottles of the same wine might get kind of old, huh?).

Although it’s a hefty price tag, the first-hand learning about the winemaking process could be invaluable for a serious wine aficionado.  And the price of each bottle comes to about $20, so I guess that’s not too bad.  Or better yet, maybe find a group of wine-loving friends to share the cost of membership…

I never would have thought that the delicate flavor of fresh fig could stand up to bourbon, but indeed I am wrong.

Last week I had a fantastic cocktail at a bourbon-themed bar (300 different varieties of the drink on the menu!). It was made in with crushed ice, a shot of bourbon, fresh fig puree, ginger ale, a splash of club soda, and garnished with a twist of lemon rind. Very fall. Very good. Will be trying this at home.

Here’s my best guess at the how-to:

Fall Fig Cocktail

Make about two cups of simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water; bring to a boil for one minute). Then, take a pint of fresh figs and cut them into quarters. Soak the fig quarters in the warm syrup, letting cool in the refrigerator overnight (or a couple of day if you have time). Then pour the mixture into your blender and puree. Then, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. (Or, if you don’t mind the seeds, don’t bother straining it.) Voila—the fig puree!

Now, in a highball glass filled with ice, combine a two or three of ounces of fig puree and an ounce of bourbon. Top the rest of the glass off with a 50/50 blend of ginger ale and club soda. Give it a good stir and garnish with a lemon twist.

This is a snap to make and tastes better than any bottled chocolate-flavored liqueur I have yet to try, and makes a killer chocolate martini.  The key ingredient to this recipe is the cocoa powder—the higher quality the cocoa powder, the better tasting the liqueur will be.  I would recommend visiting your local gourmet food shop and requesting cocoa powder made by Scharffenberger or Valrhona—two of my favorites.

Chocolate Liqueur

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup vodka (I would choose something moderately priced)

• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the cocoa and boiling water together.  Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and remaining water to a simmer, stirring until the sugar has just dissolved.
• Then, stir the warm sugar water into the cocoa water, and add the vodka last.
• Strain the liqueur through a fine-mesh strainer into a container with a lid.  Store in the refrigerator overnight.
• To serve, stir the liqueur well, as some of the cocoa may settle to the bottom.  And keep in mind, like most homemade flavored liqueurs, the flavor will intensify over time.

Mulled beverages are usually served warm and made from wines, beers or ciders that have been sweetened and spiced.  This afternoon I picked up a gallon of fresh apple cider from my local farmer’s market and decided to mull my own using a variety of dried spices and rum.  I chose to cook all of the alcohol out of the rum to make the cider more flavorful, while keeping it kid-friendly.  But, if you plan on serving your mulled cider to a group of adults, consider adding the rum after you’ve simmered the cider—it makes a great cocktail that is sure to warm you up on a chilly fall evening.

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