Cinco de Mayo!

I had planned to make a delicious treat for the day but I unexpectedly had to go back to Tulsa for a couple of weeks- my dish will have to come later! In the mean time, mix yourself up a batch of my delicious Strawberry-Basil Margaritas.

Now go knock around a pinata, sip a margarita and enjoy some good quacamole... Have some fun!

Read more »

VeeV Acai Spirit: 3 Delicious Cocktails

Here is a spirit with an exotic appeal- Veev Acai spirit made with antioxidant-rich acai berries straight from the Brazilian rainforest. Blended with acerola cherry and prickly pear, the nutrients in this liqueur are 100% natural. And it tastes great!

Though it's not for sale in the Green Country yet, I was able to try a sample. I opened the bottle and bravely took a whiff, expecting an unpleasant burning sensation- but to my surprise it didn't smell like alcohol at all. It had a fragrant, tropical aroma with out being sweet and tasted unlike anything I have experienced before.

You can use VeeV just like you'd use vodka- on the rocks, with soda and a twist or in your favorite cocktail. They have tons of recipes available on their site for whatever mood strikes you but I decided to be adventurous and try my hand at mixology. There were no fancy tools or glasses involved- just mix it up and pour it down the hatch! See the end of the post for the recipes.

Not experienced in this realm, I played it safe for my first try: the VeeV Bellini.

The complex flavors of the Veev were nicely complemented by the sweet, floral flavor of the peach nectar. A great way to spice up your next brunch or shower!

Getting a little more adventurous: the Veev Guava Fizz.

Exchange the peach for guava nectar and you have a refreshing cocktail that lets the VeeV shine. And it's pretty and bubbly. If you're not familiar with guava- give it a try, you'll love it!

This last cocktail was inspired by a delicious fruit drink made by Hawaiian Sun- passionfruit-orange-guava, or POG. If you haven't guessed from the name, it's not something I can get in Oklahoma so I'm always trying to find something similar. VeeV was the perfect flavor to step in for the passionfruit.

I will call it the VOG:

It was so tasty I almost lost my opportunity to snap a photo!

If you want to try this tasty beverage, visit the brand's site to see if VeeV is available in a store, bar or restaurant near you. If you're in the Tulsa area, you can try VeeV signature cocktails at Ruby Tuesday. I recommend you stop by and try it- you wont find anything else like it!

VeeV Bellini:
1 1/2 oz VeeV
1 1/2 oz peach nectar
2 oz sparkling wine, prosecco or champagne

VeeV Guava Fizz
1 1/2 oz VeeV
1 1/2 oz guava nectar (Jumex brand is inexpensive and delish)
2 oz sparkling wine, prosecco or champagne

VOG- VeeV-Orange-Guava
2 oz VeeV
2oz guava nectar
2oz orange juice

Read more »

Foreign Food: Cardamom Simple Syrup

Last month while I was visiting Colorado, I had the privilege of dining at restaurant Kelly Liken in Vail. Focusing on seasonal American cuisine, this Top Chef season 7 contender wowed our taste buds with a delicious palate of flavors from tender roasted vegetables and sweetbreads to rabbit and potato-crusted trout. The table was constantly passing around its plates so that everyone could try each dish.

Everything at Kelly Liken was spectacular, but there was one course that blew my mind- and it was the palate cleanser! One bite of the juicy grapefruit granita topped with cardamom foam and my taste buds erupted into a standing ovation. So simple yet bursting at the seams with bright, awakening flavors.

Since this dinner, I have been dreaming about this flavor combination and curious about cardamom. Where can you get it? What can you use it in? Then my cousin called wanting to make Italian sodas- cardamom-grapefruit Italian sodas it was! I headed to Spiceology to see if they carried it and easily found a bottle (click here to read about it!).

Cardamom, known as "queen of the spices", is native to India although Guatemala is now the largest producer. You may recognize its flavor from chai tea- these pods, smelling of eucalyptus and lemon, must be picked by hand making it second in price to saffron (1).  The scent is invigorating- I admit to giving the bottle a good sniff every once and a while!

Making simple syrup is, well, simple. Boil some water, dissolve in the sugar...

 ...and add your flavoring ingredient of choice!

After the mixture cools, the pods are removed and you are left with a tasty syrup suitable for flavoring beverages or brushing on to freshly baked cake to keep it moist and add flavor.

For my Italian soda, I mixed some of the cardamom syrup with freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and a splash of club soda for a refreshing spritzer.

For an adult version- throw in some grapefruit flavored vodka! This cardamom syrup would also go well with blood orange juice- the possibilities are endless!

Check back later for some other simple syrup recipes including raspberry and blackberry. No artificial flavorings here!

Want to know what else to do with cardamom? Check out these links:

• Blueberry Lemon Curd Coffee Cake from Good Life Eats with cardamom mixed into the streusel!
• Dark Chocolate and Cardamom Ice Cream from Epicurious- yes, please!
• It's not all about sweets- try Cardamom Honey Chicken from SimplyRecipes.com.
• Spicy Beef Curry from Bon Appétit would make a fabulous dinner.

Cardamom Simple Syrup
1 c sugar
1 c water
5-7 whole cardamom pods

1. Bring water to a boil.
2. Stir in sugar until it dissolves.
3. Remove from the heat and add cardamom pods. Let sit 30 minutes.
4. Remove pods and let syrup completely cool before using. Refrigerate for up to 3-6 months.

Cardamom-Grapefruit Italian Soda
1.5 oz cardamom syrup
1/2 c grapefruit juice
Club soda

1. Combine syrup and juice over ice.
2. Top with splash of club soda.

1- Green, Aliza Starting with Ingredient

Read more »