Head on over to my portfolio page to view more food and beverage photography.
Playska 243 Hampshire Street Inman Square Cambridge, MA 02139 www.playska.com/
Cranberry Ginger Whiskey Smash (and Homemade Ginger Liqueur) {GIVEAWAY}
I wrote the below text shortly before word began to spread about the attacks in Paris. I was about to put my computer away when notifications started popping up on my phone. My first thought: "Please, not again." The next hour was spent compulsively scrolling through feeds, but at a certain point I decided to disconnect. I deleted Facebook and Twitter and kept the news off the TV. Periodically, I'd look at the New York Times for updates, all of them devastating.
That evening, I just wanted to be with Eric. We hadn't seen each other in a few days since I was down in New Jersey visiting my family earlier in the week, and so we curled up on the couch, had dinner and put on some mindless shows. While he did the dishes, I went over to Maki's bed and lay beside her and she gave me a few licks with her tongue. She knew what I needed.
I'm not the DIY type. As a blogger, I feel like I'm in the minority. I've seen the posts featuring cool labels and homemade this and that, stared at them admiringly, Pinned them and thought, "That's so beautiful! I should make those for our next party." But then, when I'm cooking for 20+ people, I quickly forget about all of that and focus on just getting the meal on the table.
If there's anyone who could get me into DIY, it would be Maggie. I've known her for years, not just through her site, Eat Boutique, but on a personal level... she lives a few towns over from us and we try to get together about once a month. Maggie is an inspiration, not just because she's created a wonderful, hugely successful brand, but because she's a lovely person with a beautiful heart. When she first told me about her book, Food Gift Love, I was absolutely ecstatic. I know it was a tremendous amount of work... but the result is pure magic. It's a fabulous resource for recipes to make for family and friends (or, you know, to just treat yo self).
Eric and I have been playing around with homemade liqueurs. We picked up a handle of grain alcohol when we were in New Jersey a few years ago with the mission of making limoncello (at the time, grain alcohol wasn't sold in Massachusetts). The bottle sat in our cabinet for years, untouched. This past summer, I decided to try my hand at some homemade ginger liqueur. If we could, we'd put ginger in every cocktail, so it made sense to make our own. We pulled out our handy dandy sous vide and used that to speed up the process (this allows you to heat the liquid to a temperature where you won't burn off the alcohol).
So, here we are... a recipe for homemade ginger liqueur, a twist on the whiskey smash (perfect for all your holiday parties), AND a giveaway of Food Gift Love. Could it get any better? I don't think so!
Ok, so here's the deal with the giveaway:
To enter: Leave a comment on this post. It can be anything, but I’d love to hear what you're all doing to celebrate the holidays.
Rules: This giveaway will end on Friday, November 27, 2015 at 12:00 PM EST. I’ll pick one (1) winner via random.org and that person will be contacted via e-mail. One (1) entry per person and entrants must have a US mailing address (sorry international friends) and provide a valid email address. Best of luck!
Cranberry-Ginger Whiskey Smash
Yield 1 drink
Ingredients
8-10 fresh cranberries
¾ oz homemade ginger liqueur (see recipe below)
2 oz whiskey (I used bourbon)
1 oz lemon juice
Crushed ice Lemon peel, for garnish
Directions
1. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the cranberries and ginger liqueur. Add the whiskey and lemon juice, cover shaker and give it a couple dry shakes (no ice).
2. Pour drink and muddled cranberries into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice.
For serving: garnish with a lemon peel or with candied ginger and sugared cranberries.
[/print_this]
[print_this]
Homemade Ginger Liqueur
Yield 2 cups
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cups water
3 tablespoons ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 cup vodka or Everclear (grain alcohol)
Directions
1. Add the sugar and water to a pot and set over medium heat. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved into the water. Add ginger and orange zest and bring mixture to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. After this, let the syrup cool to room temperature.
2. Transfer the liquid and all ginger pieces and orange zest to a large sealable jar with vodka or Everclear. Close tightly with a lid and give the mixture a good shake.
3. After 3 days, strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve to get all ginger and orange peel out.
[/print_this]
Sweet Potato, Black Bean, and Quinoa Burger
As a teenager and newbie pescatarian, veggie burgers never did much for me. I consumed them when I first stopped eating red meat and poultry 16 years ago, but only so that I'd feel included while everyone else chomped into hotdogs, hamburgers and grilled chicken. Over the years, I've learned that veggie burgers can be so much more than what I was served back then.
The joy of making them at home is that you can tailor them to your preferences, giving the patties some spice and all the textures you desire. When Negra Modelo reached out about partnering with them on their "Perfect Complement" campaign, there was no doubt that I was going to do a sweet potato burger. Working off the caramel and brown sugar notes in the beer, I roasted the sweet potato to bring out similar flavors. A beer like Negra Modelo goes well with spicy food, so chopped jalapeño and a bit of smoked paprika felt like a natural fit. But, really, it wouldn't be a burger without some messy toppings. While you could easily throw blue cheese on there (and I fully support that), I went with a creamy, zingy avocado spread to brighten things up and purple cabbage slaw for crunch.
Disclaimer: Thank you to Negra Modelo for sponsoring this post. It's a pleasure working with brands who support my style of cooking. All opinions expressed on my site are my own.
Sweet Potato, Black Bean, and Quinoa Burger
Servings Serves 4 (2 patties per person)
Ingredients
For the veggie burgers
3 or 4 sweet potatoes (3/4 lb.), cut in half lengthwise
3/4 cup chopped white onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed and diced
1 15.5 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
¼ cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup cooked quinoa
Olive oil Salt
For the avocado spread
1 avocado, pit removed
1/8 cup cilantro leaves
1 garlic clove, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
For the slaw
1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
2 tablespooons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
4 hamburger buns
Directions
For the veggie burgers
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place sweet potato halves on the baking sheet and drizzle with 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Cook sweet potato for 30 minutes, flipping them once halfway through.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and season with ½ teaspoon salt. Cook for 2 minutes and then reduce heat to low and cook for an additional 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Once the sweet potato is cooked enough that a sharp knife easily cuts into it, remove from the oven. Let cool and then peel the skin away from the sweet potato. Transfer the flesh to a mixing bowl and mash with a fork.
4. Stir in cooked onion and garlic and chopped jalapeno.
5. Gently mix in black beans, followed by the flour, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Once they are completely incorporated into the mixture, mix in the quinoa.
6. Line a plate with parchment paper. Scoop ¼ cup of mixture into your hands and mold into patties. Place on lined plate. Repeat with remaining mixture. Refrigerate patties for 30 minutes.
7. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add burgers and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until brown. Transfer cooked patties to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and cook in the 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes (or longer to dry them out and firm them up), flipping them half way through.
For the avocado spread
1. Using a blender (or an immersion blender), puree the avocado, cilantro, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt and white wine vinegar until smooth.
For the slaw
1. In a bowl, toss the sliced red cabbage with rice wine vinegar, salt and sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes.
How to Build the Burger
Place two veggie burgers on top of the bottom half of the hamburger bun. Top with slaw. Spread avocado mixture on the top half of the bun and place on top of the slaw. Serve with an icy cold Negra Modelo.
