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Spiked/Spiced/ Sloshed/Sloppy Cider

29 Nov

A hit at fall parties has always been a special hot cider recipe.  It is easy to make for a large group of people and is always a crowd pleaser.  The recipe below is for about 10 people and you can just increase the amount from there.  We usually make it in a big lobster pot and let it boil away. Added bonus: It always makes the house smell AMAZING!

If you have kids, a fun project is putting cloves in the apples so they look like medieval torture devices.

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Ingredients:
  • 1 gallon of apple cider
  • 2 apples (you want something firm… I usually use granny smith but anything works as long as it’s not super soft)
  • 1 orange, sliced thin
  • 2 tablespoons of whole cloves
  • 1/2 cup of brown sugar
  • ~4 tablespoons of cinnamon (I do this to taste since it depends on how strong the cinnamon is and if they added cinnamon to the cider you bought)
  • 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg (or more to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon allspice (or more to taste)
  • Spiced Rum
Directions:
  1. Pour cider into a big pot and bring to a simmer
  2. While it is heating, poke cloves into the apples
  3. Add the cloved apples and the sliced oranges to the pot (it doesn’t have to be simmering yet, just add it whenever you are done slicing and assembling)
  4. Add the brown sugar and spices
  5. Let it simmer for at least 1 hour (the longer it simmers, the better it is)
  6. Taste it along the way and spice it up as you like it. If it’s not sweet enough, add more brown sugar.
  7. When you are ready to serve it, pour it into a hot cup and then add as much rum as you would like (don’t add it until right before drinking or else all the alcohol burns off… and what’s the fun in that?)

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Pork Bone Soup: If you are easily grossed out by gross things, SKIP THIS POST

3 Nov

I will start with the finished product. Why? Because the process is absolutely gross to look at… so if you do not like knowing what your food looks like before it shows up on your plate, skip this post.

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Ok… you have been warned!

Mike threw me an awesome birthday party at Albert Hall Tavern.  (You can see pictures of the party on my sister’s Facebook album)

The party consisted of a sampling of food and drinks and peaked with a suckling pig roast.  It was fantastic, delicious, and fun. We had the private room in the back and Chef Bill treated me and my guests to a night to remember.  (Ok… maybe I don’t remember ALL of it… but I will say that the beer was flowing and I MAY have eaten an eyeball AND a snout… but I’m not copping to anything)

Chef Bill was nice enough to send me home with all the pork bones to make pork bone soup.  I diligently picked off the meat, broke up the bones, and set it in a pot with spices, herbs, and vegetables to boil. And boil. And boil. And boil.

When you are making soup from bones, it is variable as to how much flavor will come out and how much fat. So you boil it for flavor then put it in the fridge to let the fat rise to the top. Then you skim off the fat and reboil it.  Repeat until desired flavor/fattiness.

The first time I boiled the pork bones, I decided it wasn’t quite enough flavor so I put it in the fridge and readied it to be boiled the next day.  What I didn’t anticipate, however, was what would rise to the top…

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Well hello piggy!

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I’m not going to lie… the science nerd in me thought this was SUPER cool.  So cool in fact that we actually tried to preserve the skull, however, it wound up disintegrating when we left it in detergent for too long. OH WELL.

After I got it to the desired flavor, I drained out the bones and refrigerated. Skimmed off the fat (which I froze to use to make bread at a future date) and then at the soup with rice and bok choy.

And it was good!

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Artichokes and Truffles Sauce: Gilt Taste

1 Aug

 

 

I have been shopping with Gilt for a while.  They have some great (and some not so great) deals on fashion and home goods.  They used to be a bit too pricey all the time, however, they have lowered prices and now have designers making (sometimes less quality) goods right for them.  You need to be smart in what you buy and do your research to make sure you’re really getting a good deal, but I have found some EXCELLENT items.

I was excited when they announced a new division: Gilt Taste.  It’s goal was to focus on foodie type items.  It reminds me of an upscale food market.  I love browsing through it, but I can’t say that many things have caught my eye to say “I need to buy this now!”  Impulse shopping for food items is not something I do in the same way that I do for, say, shoes.  (I will definitely be shopping there for my next dinner party, however!) But right in the beginning, one thing caught my eye.  I didn’t say anything, so imagine my surprise when Mike said he had a surprise for me and placed in my hand, this…

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Artichokes and Truffles sauce!  Two of my very favorite things, in one can.

We decided to make a scampi type dish with is with fresh pasta, scallops, and shrimp.

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It was delicious!   I was hoping for a bit more pop of truffle flavor, but it was delicious and such an easy way to make a gourmet style  meal.

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YUM!

If you want to sign up for Gilt Taste, check out this link.  I’m currently eyeing a cured meats sampler and a gourmet sea salt!

 

 

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