Back in April of this year, I was looking around for new food and cocktail podcasts and discovered one for the highly lauded radio show, Dinner Party Download (DPD). DPD is a truly unique show modeled after the traditional phases of a dinner party: ice breaker (a joke), small talk (news), cocktails (history lesson and …
You’ve cook, cleaned, spent the night out shopping, napped, then shopped some more. You successful elbowed your way through the crowds, securing the best deals out there. You are exhausted and in need of a relaxing refresher and a reward for surviving Thanksgiving and Black Friday 2010. So before you haul out the holly and … Continue reading The Black Friday Survivor
As I child, I remember sneaking downstairs at one of my parents holiday parties and grabbing handfuls of the closest food before retreating back upstairs. One of the items I took was smoked almonds which seemed very grown up at the time (I have no idea why). I don’t remember the other foods, but the … Continue reading Toasted Red Highlander
So far, the concoctions we’ve shared have been inspired by traditional holiday desserts. However, traditions have been changing and the Thanksgiving dishes being served have modified over the years to reflect the influence of other cultures. Just today I hear a story about a turkey that was prepared in the style of Peking duck with … Continue reading Relish A Cranberry Pisco Sour
When I was diagnosed in 2008 as celiac (gluten intolerant) it was only a few days before Thanksgiving. I was devastated that I would have to give up all of my Thanksgiving favorites. I have been gluten-free for two years now, and I have found several ways to enjoy all the flavors of Thanksgiving without … Continue reading Have your pie and drink it too!
Each Thanksgiving I carefully and lovingly fill my turkey with chopped apples, butter, and rosemary, pour a bottle of white wine over it, then wrap it and put it on the grill. Over the next three or four hours I go through another three bottles of wine and sometimes a pint of whiskey basting the … Continue reading Baby’s at the Punch Bowl
In my memories of the holiday season, the smell of baking apples with cinnamon, clove, and other warm tone spices stand above all others. So when Katruska and I started working on a series of holiday cocktails, I knew I wanted us to create a beverage that reflects the warmth of those memories. With that … Continue reading Tarte aux Pommes Epicée (Spiced Apple Pie)
Last night after an incredible concert by The Punch Brothers, Katruska and I stopped by Octane (the Howell Mill Road location) to wind down before heading home. This cool coffeehouse is known for it’s excellent coffee, but it’s quickly making a name for itself with cocktails. They have a small, but well-crafted collection of libations … Continue reading First Taste of Octane
Nicky and I skipped out early on a Macallan’s tasting the other night and headed over to Ecco (part of Fifth Group) for some much needed Libatious Nature “research.” I’m always amazed at the seemly simplistic cocktail recipes at Ecco and how they yield surprisingly complex and unique results. I love seeing what new things … Continue reading Awakening my inner gladiator at Ecco
The weekend of the Decatur Wine Festival, Katruska, The Piper, and I decided to stop by Leon’s Full Service before catching a show. I arrived before my cohorts and wound my way carefully through the standing room only crowd to the bar where I was lucky enough to grab a couple of seats. At this … Continue reading Fillin’ Up at Leon’s
Our Libatious Nature 