01 Mar

THE Ultimate Food and Wine Festival: Chefs for Farmers

What do you get when you take 30+ of the most talented local Dallas Chefs, from the very best restaurants in Dallas, add in 30+ local Artisans, Farmers and Ranchers, throw in a dash of music, and a little20+ a lot of wine, food, people and fun at Lee Park on Turtle Creek Boulevard?

Chefs for Farmers is a grassroots organization that celebrates all things local. They are a group of volunteers who put on no-fuss events in support of local farmers, as well as the chefs and businesses that participate in the local food movement that donates 100% of the profits to charitable causes. Their goal is to raise awareness for the local locavore movement in Texas connecting chefs with local food resources. Each year the event has grown and has a different theme. This year they’ll be Mixin it Up on the Boulevard on Sunday May 6th, 2012 from 1-5 at Lee Park on Turtle Creek Boulevard!

What You Need to Know:

This will be THE Ultimate Food and Wine Festival because it will feature the very best of the best our local market has to offer, a day of great food, libations, music and a “special” featured guest performance entertainer you will NOT want to miss!!!

  • Amazing Creations By More Than 30 Chefs
  • Vino and Spirits From Over 20 Wineries and Distilleries
  • Mixologists Pouring Potent Libations
  • Farm and Artisan Display
  • Best Dish Competition Sponsored by Artizone
  • Grab a Blanket
  • Bring Your Own Wine Glass to Donate to Café Momentum
  • Tracks spun by local DJ’s

What: Chefs for Farmers – Mixin it up on the Boulevard
When: Sunday, May 6th, 2012  1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Where: Lee Park – Turtle Creek Boulevard
Why: 100% of Proceeds donated to Meals on Wheels & Water for Chizavane
How Much: One / $60 – Two / $110

Buy Tickets: GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY – LESS THAN 100 LEFT!

Categories: Foodie Fun
17 Jan

Top 10 Food Porn Shots of 2011

My Hottest Food Porn Moments

I don’t know what it is about taking tawdry snapshots of tantalizing food and posting pics of it for all the world to see, but I take great pleasure in doing so.  There’s just something about seeing a drop dead gorgeous plate of food that I find tempting and irresistible.  I had such a hard time narrowing this down to just ten images.  I hope you will take pleasure in this peep show of my Top 10 Hottest Food Porn Moments of 2011 as they are published throughout the week.  I’ve saved the best for last, and the rest are in no particular order, so I’ll just start with breakfast.

Where There’s Smoke There’s FirePancakes

If you haven’t ventured over to Smoke Restaurant next door to the Belmont Hotel on Fort Worth Avenue in Oak Cliff for brunch, you need to.  Executive Chef, Tim Byers pulled out all the stops when he planned the brunch menu, and the Ricotta Cheese Pancakes are a perfect example of how he did just that.  Each dish on the brunch menu is unique and, as such, these are no ordinary pancakes.  They are not flat, thin, heavy or slathered in butter, and there is no maple syrup, nor will you even want it.  No, what you will be served when you order this is nothing short of transcendental bliss.

These babies are made with ricotta, which makes for delightfully fluffy mile-high pancakes.  In fact, just one is about the height of an entire pancake stack at most places.  And they are topped with apricots that have been poached in vanilla, fresh blueberries and creme fraiche with just a kiss of powdered sugar on top.  I’ve had the pleasure of eating these many times, and I often share them with others so we can have something savory too.

I’ll continue posting the rest of this throughout the week, so be sure to come back tomorrow to see what’s up next.  I promise to make it worth your while.  The links are below but no cheating, they won’t be “live” until the day the article for each section is released.  Oh, and to show my appreciation for your support and to make it a little more interesting, I’ve arranged for prizes!

Everyone will have a chance to participate, 25 lucky Urban Foodies will win an Urban Epicurious 2011 Food Porn Poster!

How do you earn points?  There are many ways to earn points feel free to do as much or little as you like. There is no limit to the number of points you can earn. Earn 1 point for any of these:

Winners will be selected at random by me, my decision is final, and they will be notified and announced on Wednesday February 1st!|

1 3  |  |  5  Next Page >>

Categories: Food Porn
29 Feb

Love and Hate – Part 2

The inspiration for this “Love and Hate” article came from my friend, Paige, who borrowed the idea from a blog article written by her friend, Lexa (continued).

Things I Love

I love how the simple act of eating can transport me to my “happy place” with just one bite. I love to enjoy a really nice glass of wine while soaking in a long, hot, steamy bubble bath.  I love to keep a secret stash of really good chocolate in the house at all times. I love cooking things the right way, made completely from scratch using the best quality ingredients I can get my hands on.  I love spending all day in the kitchen and how it fills the whole house with a heavenly aroma. I love throwing parties and events that are so over the top that people still talk about them, some even years later.  I SO love it when I whip up an incredible feast where everything comes together flawlessly and is all ready at the same time.  I love the way flickering candles, fresh cut flowers and a few good tunes can create just the right tone for a memorable evening. I love using cloth napkins at home with everyday meals, and pulling out my grandmother’s china on special occasions. I love long lazy brunches and sharing stories from the night before over lots of mimosas with really good friends.  I love that my family raised me to appreciate fine dining as much as a backyard barbeque.  And I love that the memories I hold the most dear from my childhood stem from quality time in the kitchen together, and gathering around the table eating and drinking. I love that my foundation in food has taught me so much about life, love, true happiness and the things I value most today.

I LOVE and treasure artful dining experiences, where the food has been thoughtfully prepared and is presented in such a striking and creative way that you almost hate to eat it because just looks too damn pretty. I love taking pictures of gorgeous food and the anticipation of what it will taste like, even before it touches my lips. I love how much I appreciate food.  I love to savor what I eat, to linger in the moment, and to bask in the afterglow of a truly decadent meal, taking in every little detail and subtle nuance. My favorite game in the whole wide world is “What’s in That Sauce?” where I try to guess the seasonings, spices, and ingredients used in a dish I’m eating.  I love experimenting with food, trying new things, and discovering foods I’ve never tasted before. I love traveling to new places, meeting new people, learning about their families, their traditions and their culture through the food they eat and the stories they tell. I love simple understated elegance.  I love black napkins, and amuse bouche, and high tea, and small plates, and sharing food with friends so we all get to taste of everything on the menu.  I love to dine outside on the patio. I love chef-driven restaurants, and being seated at the Chef’s table, getting to watch all the action happening in the kitchen. I love to order the “Chef’s Surprise” where you sit back, relax, enjoy a glass of wine and eat what is served, with no idea of what is coming next.  I love getting all dressed up to go to a fancy schmancy gourmet restaurant or the latest new place to open in town.  I also love a greasy spoon diner or dive, just as much but for totally different reasons.

I LOVE pie, but seriously, who doesn’t love pie? I love all kinds of different types of food.  I love how eating a balanced healthy meals on a regular basis makes me feel so alive and energetic.  I love that I have FINALLY figured out how to effectively manage my weight by eating the right combinations of food for my body.  I love discovering healthy foods that taste great, like kale, cauliflower, quinoa and black garlic.  I love that I am accepting responsibility for my health and well being through the fuel I feed my body. I love discovering new sources for buying great food that’s locally sourced or produced organically, like Greenling, Artizone, or My Fit Foods.  I love spending my hard earned cash on high quality food.  I love eating perfectly ripe organic fruits and veggies at the height of their season. I love knowing the money I spend with local merchants supports people who live in my community who are bring quality goods to market.  I like knowing my local cheese monger at Scardello.  I love knowing that every dollar I spend is essentially a “vote” for the kinds of things I want to see more of when I go to shopping or to a restaurant.  I love that the internet has done so much to facilitate education about local food, organics, sustainable farming and green living.   I love that Netflix and Hulu have such an enormous library of food documentaries, like Food, Inc., King Corn and so many others that have helped me make better decisions about the food I eat and businesses I support. I love the Slow Food movement.  I love the people I am meeting through my adventures in food. I love that my curiosity and passion for food inspires my creative endeavors and how they’re leading me on an amazing culinary journey. I love that I am a sentimental girl who takes time to stop and smell the bread baking, and I love the person who I have become today.

I admit it, I am in love with food.

Categories: Ooh Squirrel
27 Feb

Love and Hate – Part 1

The inspiration for this “Love and Hate” article came from my friend, Paige, who borrowed the idea from a blog article written by her friend, Lexa.

Things I Hate

I hate that I get really grumpy and sometimes turn into a raving lunatic when I’m really, really hungry! I hate that I can’t live on just cheese, bread, wine and chocolate alone. I hate that I don’t drink enough water, which causes me to make kidney stones periodically. I hate it when I forget to buy an ingredient I need for a recipe. And I really hate it when you want to make something that calls for milk, you go to the fridge and you have some, but it’s expired, or the date on the carton doesn’t say it’s expired, but the milk smells like it is. I hate it when I burn my left over Cane Rosso pizza that I was soo looking forward to eating because I put it in the skillet and turned on the stove, but forgot to keep an eye on it when I got sucked into something on the internet.  I hate it when I want a glass of wine after work and I go to pour a glass from the bottle I opened just last night, but it already tastes like vinegar. I hate that I’m not the most graceful girl you’ll ever meet, and that somehow, I can manage to soil a perfectly lovely outfit and have to wear the “stain of shame” for the rest of the day because I don’t have time to run home to change, or when I accidentally knock over my champagne flute and it shatters on the ground in the middle of a great party right in front of everyone (including my “ex”), and I’m completely sober. =/

I hate it when I get all excited to check out a new restaurant, and I go there, only to discover it’s not open on that particular day, or that it’s not open for lunch, or it’s just open for dinner because they haven’t ramped up to their full retail schedule quite yet.  Or being asked by a popular taco place at 1:30 p.m. on a Saturday “I’m sorry, we’re not open yet, can you come back at 4?” I hate it when you order a burger medium rare and there is not even a hint of pink in it.  I hate having to wait for something I asked for when I ordered my food because they didn’t bring it out with the rest of my order, especially when it’s something I actually need to eat my meal, like silverware.  I hate having to ask someone to bring the check after the plates have already been cleared from the table, and then having to wait even longer for my credit card to be brought back, for what seems like forever, so I can sign my tab before I leave.

I hate bean sprouts because they taste like dirt. I hate celery in tuna salad.  I hate the taste and crunch of raw carrots, raw celery, raw onions and fresh peppers, even though I like the flavor of those ingredients when they’re cooked.  I like the smell, but hate the taste of coffee.  I also hate green tea and jasmine tea.  I hate lettuce on things that are supposed to be hot, like hamburgers or tacos. I hate yellow mustard as a condiment to anything – ICK!  I’m not particularly fond of parsley, frisee, arugula, fennel, tarragon, dill, pickles, or anything that has been pickled, I can tolerate them when the bitterness is balanced with other ingredients so the flavor isn’t too prominent, but I generally don’t use those ingredients when I’m cooking at home if I can help it.  On that bitter note, I seriously HATE licorice and anything that remotely tastes like it, those terrible little candies with the dots on them, black jelly beans, star anise, five spice, Absinthe, Jagermeister, and NyQuil.  I also detest mint when it is used as an ingredient of a savory dish.

I hate processed food, fast food and most chain restaurants.  I hate knowing that 95% of food sold in U.S. grocery stores contains one or more of the following: genetically modified corn, high fructose corn syrup (which is made from genetically modified corn), trans fats, growth hormones, antibiotics, preservatives and/or chemical ingredients that and are not healthy for human consumption.  I hate that the food system in our country has dramatically changed over the past 10-20 years for the worst to one today that is practically a monopoly driven by corruption, politics and greed. I hate that so many people are ignorant when it comes to knowing where their food comes from, and that it has become so confusing for people to understand how to be healthy any more, much less eat right because the general populous doesn’t know very much about of how food the food we buy,  eat and feed our loved ones is produced. I hate that even though I know better, there are still some processed foods I will eat, and that it’s so difficult to break myself from such a bad habit even after everything I have learned.

I hate haters and I hate writing about hate.

 

Categories: Ooh Squirrel
21 Jan

Top 10 Hottest Food Porn Shots of 2011

Posted by 1 comment

My Hottest Food Porn Moments

(Continued)

Tre Wilcox & The Chocolate Factory

Chef Tre Wilcox has a flair for the dramatic, or perhaps he’s just a mad culinary genius.  If you didn’t catch him on Season 3 of Bravo’s Top Chef, don’t worry.  You can still see him in action if you ask to sit near the kitchen at Marquee Bar & Grill in the renovated space next to the Highland Park Village Movie Theater that opened last summer.  I’ve been several times and have tried many things on the menu, but this caused quite a scene as it was delivered to our table.  My initial reaction was a resounding “WHAT!?!” out loud in the middle of the trendy restaurant, followed by “My God, are you kidding me?”  This was a head-turner, and I have to say it was THE most memorable food porn moment I had last year, with good reason.

This one takes the prize for my #1 Hottest Food Porn Moment of 2011 because, well let’s just be honest here, the presentation was risque, practically obscene and it’s a vision I’ll not soon forget.  Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not a shy girl, and it takes a lot to make me blush.  My gastronomic obsession with writing about, photographing, and eating exceptional food is on a level that some may think is not quite right.  But as a food connoisseur, I find it gratifying to the senses and I take a lot of pride in the quality of the content I produce.  However, this was over-the-top, even by my standards.

This last gratuitous food porn visual is none other than the signature Marquee Chocolate Tart with Caramel Popcorn and Salted Butter Ice Cream.  It made quite a statement just sitting there on the plate looking up at me like (queue music… bow chicky wow wow), “Hey there, you come here often?  I know I’m tall, dark and handsome, and you wanna taste my forbidden chocolatey decadence, but are you sure you can you handle this?”  At least that’s what it said to me, but with that, I’m curious to ask, if a picture is worth a thousand words, what words come to mind when you see this?

 

So there you have it!  These were my Top 10 Hottest Food Porn Moments of 2011, but that’s just a little foreplay to get you warmed up.  If you like these, there’s plenty more where that came from in the Urban Food Porn Portfolio.  And since no self respecting Urban Foodie can resist graphic imagery that stimulates their unquenchable thirst for more, go ahead and like the Urban Epicurious Facebook Fan Page and follow me on Twitter @UrbanEpicurious, and I’ll promise to keep these coming!

Keep those tweets, shares and comments coming and you could be the lucky winner!

Everyone has a chance to earn prizes based on points (see below), 25 lucky Urban Foodies will win an Urban Epicurious 2011 Food Porn Poster so here’s what you need to know to win:

How do you earn points?  There are many ways to earn points feel free to do as much or little as you like. There is no limit to the number of points you can earn. Earn 1 point for any of these:

Winners will be selected at random by me, and announced on Wednesday February 1st!

<< Previous Page   1  |  3  |  5  | 

 

 

 

Categories: Food Porn
20 Jan

Top 10 Hottest Food Porn Shots of 2011

My Hottest Food Porn Moments

(Continued)

Tease Me, Please Me

Chef John Tesar’s farm-to-table menu at The Commissary in One Arts Plaza, features an array of imaginative dishes and a unique gourmet burgers in a casual upscale setting.  There are about a dozen delectable burgers to choose from, each accentuating unique local and exotic ingredients.  This Farmer Burger hit the spot one night with it’s perfectly cooked, juicy pink, medium rare center, of grass fed all natural beef, accompanied by a fried duck egg, speck and white Vermont cheddar on a brioche bun brushed with Eschire butter.  This over-the-top hunky burger was served along side a fantastic stack of onion rings.  It is the kind of burger one fantasizes about and would expect from a “Rock Star Chef” like Tesar. As you can clearly see, this burger is not for amateurs, it’s hard core all the way.

Got Wood?

Sometimes you just crave something that’s nice, big, thick, juicy, smoky, and satisfying.  And when you do, the nice folks at Lockhart Smoke House in Bishop Arts have just the thing – meat, and lots of it.  This quaint neighborhood shop isn’t pretentious or fancy. When you walk in you’ll order at the butcher counter in the back, pay for your food and take it to your table.  There are no forks, there is no sauce, their ribs are dry rubbed, smoked, served on butcher paper and sold by the 1/2 pound.  This place is veritable sausagefest.  No really, they proudly sell authentic German Kreuz sausages which originate back to Charles Kreuz in the 1900′s, and the famous Kreuz Market that’s still open today in Lockhart, Texas, (where this BBQ joint gets it’s name).  They use the same time-honored traditions people have enjoyed for more than 100 years.  The ownership has been passed down through the generations and changed hands a couple times over the years, but not much else has changed.  This market-style eatery still sells quality smoked meats, and good old fashioned sides like deviled eggs, baked beans, mac-n-cheese, coleslaw, potato salad and so much more.  Looks pretty tempting, no?

The Big Oh!

I have to admit, I work myself into a frenzy and get weak in the knees when I know I’m going to have dessert.  Like a crack whore in a crack den, I’m hopelessly addicted, and I’m completely powerless to resist basking in the afterglow of a decadent meal by indulging in something sweet and sublime.  I eat dessert pretty much every time I get a chance (way more often than I should), because a really good one makes me swoon.

This Italian Meringue Shortcake with Berry Compote by Executive Chef/Partner Chris Ward of The Mercury in the Preston Forest Shopping Center is a confectionery work of art that is as arousing and opulent as it looks.   Visions of sugarplums dance in my head at the very thought of it.  The sponge cake was incredibly fresh and moist.  The plump, voluptuous berries had a luxurious mouthfeel as they erupted with exuberant intensity.  Their ambrosia was undeniably enhanced by the mellow meringue and subtle softness of the fresh whipped cream.  The entire dessert menu at The Mercury was taunting and tempting, it doesn’t get much better than this, but I think I must go back to experience the Chocolate Fantasmagoria with fresh fruit compote next time.

But just you wait, I have saved the best for last.  Tomorrow I’ll announce the winner of my VERY Hottest Food Porn Moment of 2011, and your mouth will drop to the ground if it hasn’t already.

Keep those tweets, shares and comments coming and you could be the lucky winner! Everyone has a chance to earn prizes based on points (see below). 25 lucky Urban Foodies will win an Urban Epicurious 2011 Food Porn Poster.

How do you earn points?  There are many ways to earn points feel free to do as much or little as you like. There is no limit to the number of points you can earn. Earn 1 point for any of these:

Winners will be selected at random by me, and announced on Wednesday February 1st!

<< Previous Page   1  |  3  |  |  Next Page

 

Categories: Food Porn
19 Jan

Top 10 Hottest Food Porn Shots of 2011

Hottest Food Porn Moments

(Continued)

Afternoon Delight

Another equally seductive sandwich, but for totally different reasons, is the Sweet Italian from Scardello Artisan Cheese near the corner of Lemmon and Oaklawn in Dallas.  I stopped in for a quickie and grabbed this to go one day while out running errands at lunch.  It’s lusciousness swept off my feet as I indulged in it’s niceties.  The bread was a not too crusty, it was a fresh baked French baguette, inside was a very thinly sliced prosciutto and buratta (fresh mozzarella cheese), but what will make you beg for more is the fig confit.  The combination of the fresh baked bread with the saltiness of the ham, the sweetness of the fig and the gooey melted cheese will put a smile on your face that will last for the rest of the day.  The fresh spinach salad with dried cranberries and vinaigrette was an enticing side note to the sandwich, and I appreciate that it didn’t come with the same old a boring bag of chips.

Local Flavor You Will Savor

This next dish comes from Local in Deep Ellum. Local is a modern American restaurant in the renovated Boyd Hotel, built in 1908.  This quiet intimate neighborhood spot features many original architectural elements, and is land marked as the oldest standing hotel in Dallas.  Local is a truly amazing hidden gem in the Dallas culinary landscape.  The restaurant, owned by Chef Tracy Miller, features dishes whose main ingredients are grown locally, as the name implies, using the highest quality, freshest ingredients available from the local market year-round.  This makes for a provocative seasonal menu because, no matter when you visit, or what you eat, you’ll know you can just sit back, relax, and take pleasure in the experience of artful dining.

This Lemley’s Peach Salad was both beautiful and decadent, beyond what words can describe.  The peaches came from Shed 2 (the local produce shed) of the Dallas Farmer’s Market.  It was served at the height of peach season, with a subtle, slightly creamy blue cheese and balsamic dressing.  The flavors were so simple, but each shined with natural beauty as I ate every bite, tasted the last drop of balsamic nectar with my index finger, and lingered in the moment while I wished there was more after it was gone.

You Had Me at Gazpacho

It’s exciting when a talented chef reinvents a dish and you get to experience it in a whole new way, like the very first time, only even better.  This Crab Gazpacho from Nosh Euro Bistro, was lasciviously prepared and presented to me by Chef/Partner Jon Stephens as I sat, front and center, at the kitchen theatre chef’s table.   This reconstructed dish, had a mouthwatering light and creamy avocado citrus broth, brunoise style vegetables in every color of the rainbow, and it was gratuitously crowned with sweet, succulent, jumbo lump crab meat.  The flavors were flirtatiously fresh, bright and melodious, the kind of taste that greets you like an old flame who says “Hello Lover” as it leans in for a kiss on the lips.

So, you know the drill – I’ll continue posting the rest of the article throughout the week, so be sure to come back tomorrow.  The links below won’t be “live” until the article for each section is released.

Remember, I’ll continue posting the rest of the article throughout the week, so be sure to come back tomorrow.  The links below won’t be “live” until the article for each section is released.

Everyone has a chance to earn prizes based on points (see below). 25 lucky Urban Foodies will win an Urban Epicurious 2011 Food Porn Poster!

How do you earn points?  There are many ways to earn points feel free to do as much or little as you like. There is no limit to the number of points you can earn. Earn 1 point for any of these:

Winners will be selected at random by me, and announced on Wednesday February 1st!

<< Previous Page   1  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  Next Page

Categories: Food Porn
18 Jan

Top 10 Hottest Food Porn Shots of 2011

Hottest Food Porn Moments

(Continued)

Sunday Ben-Addiction

Speaking of brunch, “Sunday Funday” wouldn’t be complete without eggs benedict.  No matter where I go, if eggs benedict is on the menu, I’m gonna get some.  This next sultry food porn moment happened one such Sunday at The Meridian Room in Exposition Park.  These eggs benedict were prepared Florentine style (with spinach), thinly glazed with Hollandaise, and sat high atop Canadian bacon on a toasted English muffin.  The piquant eggs were poached to perfection.  It’s warm, silky, insides drizzled down onto the plate as I poked it with my fork to taste it’s golden yolk.  It was sublime.

An Italian Affair to Remember

Since breakfast is quite possibly the most important meal of the day, I had to mention the Breakfast Panini at Il Cane Rosso in Deep Ellum.  But this is no ordinary breakfast sandwich, it is very well endowed. You probably won’t be able to eat it all at once, even if you bring a friend along and share it.  The ingredients are harmonious.  Each playing an important part in the symphony of flavor that will explode in your mouth, starting with the bread.  This amazing yeast bread is reverently baked in-house in a big red authentic Italian wood-fired oven.  This stupendous loaf of toasty deliciousness is anointed with just the right amount of house-made calabrian chile aioli.  The whole thing is then stuffed full of prosciutto cotto, fontina, scrambled eggs, tomatoes and peppery arugula.  I often pop in on a Saturday (they aren’t open on Sunday) to pick up one of these bad boys.  I take it home with me, slice it into six or eight pieces, and nibble on it all week long for breakfast.  It is a great way to start your day.

Remember, I’ll continue posting the rest of the article throughout the week, so be sure to come back tomorrow.  The links below won’t be “live” until the article for each section is released.

Everyone has a chance to earn prizes based on points (see below). 25 lucky Urban Foodies will win an Urban Epicurious 2011 Food Porn Poster!

How do you earn points?  There are many ways to earn points feel free to do as much or little as you like. There is no limit to the number of points you can earn. Earn 1 point for any of these:

Winners will be selected at random by me, and announced on Wednesday February 1st!

<< Previous Page   1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  Next Page

Categories: Food Porn
15 Dec

Homemade Holiday Gift Idea


Unique Gifts Show You Give a S***!

Bottles

8.5 oz Sfaccettata Hermetic Bottle ...say that ten times fast.

Ah, the holidays, it’s the perfect time to celebrate and enjoy festivities with libations a.k.a. “shots” — at least that’s how we do it in my family. I do not like fighting with crowds and traffic in the name of consumerism, so I tend to get creative with my Christmas gift-giving. Here’s an easy homemade holiday gift idea: make liqueur for your friends and family. It’s not very difficult, and it produces delicious results.

Bärenjäger is by far my favorite liqueur, shots of it, year ’round. This honey infused vodka based libation originated with bear hunters (bärenjäger) in Germany, and is also commonly known as bärenfäng (bear trap). A quick search led me to very few recipes, but the basic idea boils down to a few key ingredients, with no boiling actually required — all you need is time and honey.

Don’t worry, the process is painless, so bear with me. Did I really just write that? I’m really, really sorry (nah, I’m not sorry).

How to Make Easy Last Minute Christmas Gifts

There’s a little more to this than just mixing some crap together and putting it in a sippy cup. If you’re going to make a gift, you’ll need to pick up some containers. I found these handy little glass bottles that are perfect to hold about 4 shots worth of any homemade concoction. (These are from The Container Store.) They’re also slightly classier than those disposable plastic deals.  Small mason jars would also do the job quite nicely.

Bottle it.

Eleventy bottles of 'Badger' on the wall...

I’d also recommend thinking of a clever name; this will prevent people from thinking you’re repackaging booze as a means of hiding the fact that you’re being a lazy last-minute gifter. Many of my friends have made a habit of ordering my shot of choice, affectionately nicknamed “The Honey Badger,” after everybody’s favorite internet animal meme. Good enough for me!

Once you’ve got your packaging settled on, it’s time to gather the ingredients. This recipe is enough to make eight bottles holding 8 ounces each. If you’re counting, that’s around a half gallon of honey infused vodka so far.

Bad Ass Honey Badger Drink Recipe
5.0 from 4 reviews
Print
Recipe Type: Liqueur
Author: Will Nadeau
Prep Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Serves: 32 shots
Ingredients
  • 1.75 L Vodka
  • 32 oz (2 cups) Honey
  • 1 Vanilla Bean
  • 6-8 Whole Cloves
  • 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
Instructions
  1. Split the vanilla bean in half length-wise
  2. Rough chop the cloves
  3. Add Vanilla Beans & Spices to Vodka.
  4. Shake well, store in a cool, dark place a minimum of 24 hours (the longer the better).
  5. Strain the Vodka using a cheesecloth or coffee filter through a sieve.
  6. Whisk in Honey into Vodka in a slow steady stream until it is completely incorporated into the infused Vodka.
  7. Pour into individual bottles using a funnel.
  8. Chill before serving.
Notes

Add more or less honey depending on your preference and how thick you want the liqueur to be. 2 cups of honey puts it right on the mark for me, but commercial Bärenjäger is slightly thicker in consistency.

Adjust spices and infusion time to your tastes.

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Let me caution you here: if you care about your friends, do NOT buy cheap-ass vodka. I know that plastic bottle with the Cyrillic letters on it is only $10, but you’ll be giving the gift of headaches. I recommend Svedka, and at around $22 for a 1.75L bottle, it’s a good value for a good tasting vodka. If you’re all moneybags and sh*t, go ahead and spring for the Grey Goose.

For this batch, I picked up a bottle of honey from North Dallas Honey Company. While slightly more expensive, they say local honey is better for you and can reduce seasonal allergies. Not sure if the alcohol has any effect on this, but it can’t hurt and it’s also nice to buy local.  Feel free to be creative with the recipe. You have the ability customize this based on your taste – cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, and anything else that generally reminds you of “home for the holidays.”

Once you’ve infused the vodka, you have one grueling task left to complete your bärenfäng, creative gift packaging.  You can certainly make your own, but if you’re not the creative type, we’ve got ‘cha covered, just download the Honey Badger Drink Gift Card (contains bad words!), print in color on any ink jet business card paper or card stock of your choice. That’s it! Just put a bow on top and get ready to give the gift of sweet, sweet intoxication. Be sure to tell everyone that they shouldn’t just pop it open right away and swig – this stuff is best enjoyed cold. In other words, put it in the freezer, stupid.

Honey Badger

"Thanks for the shots, stupid."

Feel free to leave comments below or tweet Will at @willdogs — send him a message and he MIGHT just put in a good word for you with Santa.  Remember to always drink responsibly, and I hope you have happy holidays!

Categories: Eating & Drinking
12 Dec

On The Border Catering

Posted by 1 comment
The holidays are always such a whirlwind, there’s so much to do, and never enough time to get everything done.  The next thing you know, you’re grabbing food on the go, eating at odd times, and consuming plenty of surplus calories from all the sugary snacks, and tasty treats that seem to be everywhere you look.

At my office, things get pretty hectic, so much so, that we order lunch in for everyone in the office every single day for the entire month of December.  So, when I was asked to participate in a blogger outreach program for On The Border Catering, I thought this might be a good option for the office.  We were given $150 to spend, and asked to write about the experience.

How to Make 18 Picky Eaters Happy

Ordering food for a group of people can be a little tricky, and it is, especially for our group.  One person has celiac disease, another eats a strict gluten free diet and is lactose intolerant, we have a handful of Jewish people who don’t eat pork, while others (like me) are just picky about the quality of the food they eat.

However, I’m pleased to report, this was a gift that was well received.

The team at On The Border Catering was great to work with, and they didn’t know I was a “secret shopper.”  They delivered our food right on time, set everything up, brought all the serving utensils, plates napkins and made sure we had everything we needed before they left.  We ordered steak and chicken fajitas, as well as crunchy tacos that came with rice, beans and everything else we needed (corn & flour tortillas, chips, salsa, lettuce, tomato, pico, cheese, sour cream, guacamole) and we ordered a large queso.  This worked out really well because everyone got to have exactly what they wanted (without the need for special orders). The food was good, and there was so much of it, we had enough to eat two days in a row.

Holy Fresh Guacamole!

I mentioned before that I’m picky about the quality of the food I eat.  I like to eat healthy food, and I have to admit, I was skeptical about On The Border, because I’m not a fan of most chain restaurants.  But, what I learned about On The Border really did impress me.

I was surprised to discover that they prepare all of their food fresh, in-house at their restaurants every single day.  I loved that they use fresh locally sourced produce and ingredients whenever possible.  The nutritional information about their food can be found on their website and they even have options for many people with allergies and special dietary requirements.

They make their signature red chile and roasted tomatillo salsa fresh each day by deep roasting tomatillos, tomatoes, and onions on mesquite grills and toasting arbol chile peppers right there in each kitchen at every location every day.  The guacamole is also prepared fresh, and is made every four hours with fresh Haas avocados, lime juice, salt and cilantro. They mesquite smoke their own chicken and fajita steak in-house, right there in the kitchen at each location. And they use only the best outside skirt fajita steak meat, that has been dry rubbed and mesquite grilled (they don’t use meat substitutes, phosphate or marinades).

On The Border Fresh Salsa Recipe
Print
Recipe Type: Condiment
Author: On The Border
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 10 mins
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 2 (2 Cups) Large Roma Tomatoes (Coarsely Chopped)
  • 5 (4 Cups) Diced Fresh Tomatoes
  • 2 Fresh Jalapeños (Seeded & Coarsely Chopped)
  • 2 Teaspoon Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1 Teaspoon Cumin
  • 1 Large Vidalia Onion (Coarsely Chopped)
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1/3 Cup Fresh Chopped Cilantro
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients in food processor and pulse blend to desired consistency, refrigerate overnight and serve.
WordPress Recipe Plugin and Microformatting by EasyRecipe

Overall the food was a big hit. We’ve ordered it three or four times now, and everyone has been happy with the choice.  I liked knowing that everything was prepared fresh from scratch, and that it fed a lot of people for only about $10 per person.  The service was great, they have consistently gone out of their way to make sure they took care of us, and I am grateful for their hospitality.

Categories: Eating & Drinking
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