‘Tis the season for coquito! If you’ve never had coquito before, it’s a bit like eggnog.
Coquito means “little coconut,” and gets its flavor from coconut milk, cream of coconut, rum, and spices. For my version, I also used a coconut spiced rum to really up the flavor!
Coquito is a traditional Christmas drink that originated in Puerto Rico, but there are versions of it throughout the Caribbean. It’s absolutely delicious, plus it’s really easy to make!
Ingredients:
1 cup (8 oz) white rum (I used a coconut spiced rum)
Note: I was sent samples and giveaway items in order to write this post. Opinions are my own.
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and is having a great start to the new year! I wanted to share a fun party idea to keep the merriment going throughout these chilly months: a Bravazzi Hard Italian Soda Bar!
Bravazzi (pronounced “brah-VAH-tsee”) is a hard Italian soda brand with yummy flavors like Clementine, Blood Orange, Lemon, and Grapefruit. Inspired by gourmet Italian sodas, Bravazzi excites the senses with its naturally sweet, fizzy essence and fruity aroma. The sodas are gluten free, contain 4.2% ABV, and are made with simple ingredients like cane sugar and real fruit juice.
The name Bravazzi is derived from the Italian word for good, Brava, and Fizzi, which is the perfect way to describe these hard sodas! The flavors are super tasty and are delicious on their own, but are also great for mixing to make cocktails.
Bravazzi sent me some goodies just before New Year’s Eve, so I decided to make a simple Cocktail Bar. All you need to make a few different cocktails is the Bravazzi Variety Pack, some sparkling wine, Aperol, Gin, Elderflower Liqueur, and Bourbon, and you have a Bravazzi Hard Italian Soda Bar!
Plus, I have some items to give away! Details will be at the end of this post.
As I said, these really are fantastic on their own, but if you have extra champagne (or prosecco) lying around, add one part bubbly and one part the Bravazzi of your choice for a fun and easy champagne cocktail!
For the Clementina, which has the fragrant essence of freshly-peeled citrus with a kiss of subtle sweetness, I suggest the Clementina Aperol Spritz – one part Aperol and three parts Bravazzi Clementina poured over ice, for a taste of summer to keep you warm in these colder months.
More of a lemon fan? The Limonata Fizz is calling your name. Bravazzi’s Limonata has the crisp, clean bite of real lemon with a touch of natural sweetness. Add one part Gin to four parts Bravazzi Limonata in a glass filled with ice for a wonderfully refreshing cocktail.
If you love the flavor of grapefruit, Bravazzi’s invigorating blend of tart and tangy grapefruit is refreshingly bittersweet and going to become a favorite choice. Whip up a Bravazzi Cordial by adding one part elderflower liqueur to three parts Bravazzi Grapefruit over ice.
My favorite is the Blood Orange, a burst of distinctly bold yet delightfully sweet citrus flavor. Enjoy the flavors of an Old Fashioned by mixing one part bourbon with four parts Bravazzi Blood Orange in a glass over ice.
There’s a little bit of something for everyone, don’t you think? Bravazzi has more suggestions on different cocktail combinations on the Bravazzi website, so be sure to check them out. You can also find out where Bravazzi is sold near you!
On to the giveaway! Bravazzi provided me with some fun gear to help one lucky winner set up their own Bravazzi Hard Italian Soda Bar!
Enter to win a Bravazzi metal bucket, two Bravazzi tumblers and a Bravazzi T-shirt below. Good luck!
I mentioned in a previous post that I had the opportunity to try a box of Misfits Market, a Philadelphia-based company that rescues produce from regional farms and distributes it throughout the Northeast. (Check out my last post to learn more about them!)
The box came with an assortment of fruits and vegetables: Mushrooms, Pears, Artichokes, Mango, Lettuce, Bell Peppers, Butternut Squash, Spinach, Corn and Cucumbers. I highlighted the artichokes in my recipe for Baked Stuffed Artichokes, so today I want to share a simple recipe using fresh mango.
I absolutely love mangos, and there is nothing quite like a perfectly ripe mango. They are delicious just on their own, but this recipe for Mango Peach Lassi is a simple make ahead recipe that you can enjoy for breakfast on the go!
If you’re looking for some guidance on how to cut a mango, this tutorial from Real Simple is super helpful!
What. Is. With. This. Rain? I feel like it’s never going to stop raining in Philadelphia! It is now mid- to late May and all I want to do is enjoy some warm weather on my deck. Even if the weather isn’t cooperating, I can still pretend it’s summer with the help of David Burtka’s cookbook: Life is a Party.
Chef, actor, and entertaining authority David Burtka knows that every day can be a party. Over a lifetime of throwing epic gatherings, the Cordon Bleu-trained Burtka has perfected the formula for creating easy and perfect get-togethers at home. Now, in the pages of his debut cookbook, he’s sharing all of his secrets and an intimate look into the lives of one of Hollywood’s favorite families. Everything you need to throw a memorable party, or to make a delicious weeknight meal, can be found in the pages of Life is a Party. The cookbook is broken into sixteen party themes – from cozy game nights at home to elegant New Year’s fêtes-are built around doable, show-stopping menus that take the guesswork out of high-impact hosting. Complete with endless and fun ways to mix-and-match dishes, create stunning decor, prep ahead, and get guests involved, David helps you put all the elements in place to make every party a success without ever losing your cool.
The cookbook is broken into seasons to help plan party themes for different holidays and weather. Each party theme is better than the last! But after this weather, I knew I had to make a summer-themed recipe to help me dream of nicer days. I was drawn to a cocktail from the “Sunday Funday” party theme: Mojito Slushies. This yummy spin on the classic cocktail is the perfect refreshing cocktail to cool you down from hot summer days! This recipe is also a great make ahead recipe, with minimal work when you’re ready to serve it.
I also have a copy of Life Is A Party to give away! More details after the recipe.
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups water, divided
1 large bunch fresh mint
2 cups fresh lime juice (12-16 limes),
ice
24 oz white rum (or 24 oz lemonade for a mocktail)
It’s so easy to find food inspiration in Philadelphia. We have so many cool events throughout the year, and I’m lucky enough to be given the opportunity to check out a lot of them! One can’t miss event going on right now is the Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival in Franklin Square – a celebration of light and culture that features magnificent steel-framed and silk-wrapped giant lighted sculptures, created by hand using traditional Chinese methods. The 2019 Festival will illuminate Franklin Square at 6th & Race Streets in Historic Philadelphia from May 1 through June 30 with 29 larger-than-life illuminated displays made of 2,000 individual lanterns and 20,000 LED lights in brilliant colors.
In addition to the gorgeous light installations, festival-goers can witness authentic cultural stage performances, taste Asian cuisine and American favorites, drink a toast at the Dragon Beer Garden (open nightly), and shop for Chinese folk artists’ crafts created on site as well as Festival-themed merchandise. Guests can also play Philly Mini Golf, ride the Parx Liberty Carousel (additional tickets required for both), and enjoy Center City’s best play place!
All of the lanterns are new for the 2019 Festival, including new lighting design techniques. Highlights feature a 200-foot long phoenix, a walk-through dragon tunnel, mythological creatures created from small glass bottles filled with colored water, and a host of interactive installations such as lit swings and a fortune-telling wheel. The lanterns are installed all around the seven-acre Square, and guests stroll under, around, and through the displays each evening.
Photos do not do the lanterns justice, so if you are in Philadelphia now through June 30, grab tickets for this festival if you can! The lanterns are able to be viewed for free (unlit) during daytime, while tickets are required for nighttime entrance after 6 pm (no re-entry). On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, a second entrance at 7th& Race (Lion Gate Entrance) is open for those who
have purchased tickets in advance. Advance tickets are strongly recommended.
There are a bunch of food options for the festival including chicken satay, beef bao, Korean meatballs, shrimp tempura, veggie spring rolls, Hawaii pineapple shrimp, and much more. Square Burger, a staple of Franklin Square Park, is also open during the festival, serving burgers, cheesesteaks, and milkshakes.
After checking out the beautiful lanterns throughout the park, I strolled over to the Dragon Beer Garden for a drink and was able to try this delicious drink dubbed an Eastern Sunrise Cocktail. The recipe is inspired by a Tequila Sunrise, but uses a trio of juices (orange, lychee, and pineapple) and substitutes rum for the tequila. It was so tasty, I wanted to share a homemade version! The Dragon Beer Garden offers multiple draft, bottled, and canned beverages as well as a few themed cocktails, including the Eastern Sunrise.
Ingredients (serves 2)
ice
4 oz white rum
4 oz tangerine (or orange) juice
2 oz lychee juice
2 oz pineapple juice
2 oz grenadine
maraschino cherries and peeled lychees, for garnish (optional)
Note: if you can’t find lychee juice, look for canned peeled lychees in syrup. You can puree ~6 of the lychees in a blender and strain through a strainer which should give you about 2 oz lychee juice. If you prefer your cocktails a little sweeter, you can add some of the syrup to your blender prior to blending.
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen that I had the opportunity to try a featured milkshake at Bassett’s Ice Cream using Tastykake’s new Cookies and Crème Mini Donuts.
The donuts are the first offering from Tastykake Scoop Shop™, an ice cream-inspired line of sweet snacks. Scoop Shop Cookies & Crème Mini Donuts are available everywhere Tastykake is sold for $2.99 per 9.5oz bag or $1.79 for the six-count single serve option.
The Scoop Shop line features fan favorite ice cream flavors in sweet snack form and will be launched in two phases, the first already available, with phase two planned for late April. Leveraging trends in the snacking category, Tastykake Scoop Shop explores the crossover of two sweet snacks by borrowing flavor and forms from different categories. The first Scoop Shop item, Cookies & Crème Mini Donuts, blends one of the brand’s top-selling product types with a proven favorite ice cream flavor. And they really nailed it, the donuts really do taste like cookies and cream! Phase two combines mint chocolate chip ice cream flavor with a creme-filled cookie for the Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich (um, YUM), so be on the look out for those in late April. The new treats create a fun snacking experience that ice cream and sweet snack lovers will appreciate.
To help celebrate the launch in its hometown, Tastykake partnered with another Philadelphia icon and the nation’s oldest ice cream company – Bassetts Ice Cream – a full-service frozen dessert distributor. I was thrilled to try this partnership from two brands with tons of Philadelphia history, more than 250 years of combined history in Philly! I headed over to Reading Terminal Market (fun fact: my husband and I were actually married in Reading Terminal) to try the limited-edition milkshake item. Kirby the Krimpet, the Tastykake mascot, even made an appearance!
The milkshakes are made with Bassetts’ cookies and cream ice cream, chunks of Tastykake’s Cookies & Crème Mini Donuts, and chocolate syrup, topped with whipped cream and garnished with a Cookies & Crème Donut. The shakes are sold at Bassetts’ original retail location in Reading Terminal Market for a limited time.
I swear they made these Donuts and milkshakes just for me, Cookies and Cream is my favorite! So naturally, I wanted to try to make my own version at home, this recipe for Cookies and Cream Donut Milkshakes. I picked up two pints of Bassetts’ cookies and cream ice cream, a bag of Tastykake Cookies & Crème Mini Donuts, milk, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream, and I was ready to go!
I’ve been told I make a pretty darn good Bloody Mary. Although I can’t take much credit for it; I’ve been using my grandpa’s recipe for years now. My “responsibility” at Thanksgiving every year is to keep the pitcher of Bloody Marys full, so I’ve had some practice.
I’m finally sharing my recipe on here to highlight a fun event happening in South Philly this weekend at one of my favorite bars: Moonshine. Chef Christine Hazel, of Hell’s Kitchen and Chopped fame, is hosting a Brunch Cooking Class this Sunday, December 9th, at 11 am. The class includes learnings how to make some brunch dishes, dish samples, and 2 signature cocktails. You can get tickets here. (I’ve already purchased mine, so come hang out with me!)
Source: Christine Hazel
So why not get the brunch cocktail party started now?
Ingredients: (serves 4)
2 cups tomato juice
the juice and zest of 1 lemon
the juice and zest of 1 lime
2 oz Worcestershire sauce (some brands are gluten-free)
10-15 dashes hot sauce (depending on how much heat you’re looking for)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 oz vodka
ice
for garnish (optional): celery stalks, lemon wedges, lime wedges, olives
I’m not going to lie. I’m a bit of a margarita wimp. I prefer my margaritas as fruity as possible. I do have a Grilled Margarita recipe, but my other margarita recipes have pomegranates and blood oranges in them. Yum.
Anywho, I came across this recipe for Blackberry Orange Margaritas in Cooking Light and knew I’d like this one! The original recipe adds spicy serrano tequila, but I decided to keep this one spice-free.
Ingredients:
6 ounces tequila
12 ounces fresh blackberries
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons agave nectar
Add the blackberries, 1 cup orange juice. 1/2 cup lime juice, and 2 tablespoons agave to a blender and process until smooth.
Strain through a sieve, discarding the solids. Use a spoon to press down on the sieve to strain the liquid.
Stir in the tequila. Divided mixture among 4 ice-filled glasses and serve.
Tangy, slightly sweet, and super refreshing. Exactly what I want in a cocktail!
I love the color of this too. The photos don’t really do it justice. Definitely a statement drink that would be perfect for the next time you’re entertaining. You can also make this ahead of time and pour when ready to serve.
I think I’m pretty sure I’m late to the Kefir game here, but at least I’ve finally arrived! Kefir is a culture milk drink that is high in nutrients and probiotics which helps aid in digestion. A 6 ounce serving of Kefir has 6 grams of protein and 20% of your recommended daily calcium, and is actually a more potent source of probiotics than yogurt.
Its tangy flavor works really well in smoothies. So when I saw Cooking Light’s recipe for a Mango Rum Kefir Lassi, I knew I had to try it out. (You can omit the rum to have a really awesome lassi for breakfast as well. But hey, who doesn’t love a cocktail that has some health benefits to it?) A lassi is typically yogurt-based, so Kefir is a really simple substitute.
This Cooking Light recipe is most certainly not a traditional lassi, but it’s really tasty and is packed with good-for-you ingredients: kefir, coconut water, honey, turmeric, cinnamon, mango, and bananas. Yum!
Ingredients (makes 3 servings):
1 cup plain low-fat kefir
1/2 cup coconut water
1/4 cup spiced rum (I used a coconut-spiced rum), if desired
Note: I was sent Northwest Cherries in order to write this post. All opinions are mine alone.
July is peak cherry season, which means I have A TON of cherries in my fridge! I was sent quite a few bags of cherries from Northwest Cherry Growers, and had to dive right in to using them! Fun fact: Northwest Cherry Growers is a group of 2,500+ farms that produce at least three-quarters of the nation’s entire sweet cherry crop.
Source: nwcherries.com
Northwest-grown sweet cherries tend to boast the highest fruit sugar content of any cherries. The naturally high sugar content makes them such a yummy snack on their own, or great in baked goods and other recipes. They are also one of the lowest fruits on the glycemic index. (In case you’re wondering, a general rule of thumb is that the darker the cherry, the sweeter it is.)
Cherries are also a superfruit and have been credited with reducing the risk of some serious diseases. Published research points to the health benefits of sweet cherries, including a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The study discovered consuming sweet cherries can help prevent chronic inflammatory diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis and cancer. These powerful superfruits also contain melatonin, which may increase your quality of sleep and reduce jetlag.
Cherry season is pretty short, from July to mid-August, so I’m excited to have the opportunity to use these beautiful cherries in a bunch of different recipes. Fresh cherries keep for approximately two weeks when refrigerated in a sealed bag or container. If you want to enjoy them year-round, you can also freeze cherries by rinsing, drying, and packing them up in freezer bags.
Source: nwcherries.com
I’m kind of in a canning state of mind after making my Blueberry Chia Seed Jam a few weeks ago, so I wanted to can some of these beautiful cherries. You may have noticed I’m a fan of cocktails, so I just had to make homemade maraschino cherries!
Maraschino cherries are named for the Marasca cherry grown originally in Croatia, which when distilled, produce a liqueur. Whole cherries that are preserved in this liqueur became known as Maraschino Cherries.
These maraschino cherries are not those bright red guys you’ll find in a Shirley Temple. No no, these are the adult, more refined version. There is no artificial coloring, and much less sweetener added. And they are perfect for cocktails and adult ice cream sundaes!
You’ve probably noticed by now that I love to grill. And with that, sometimes I grill some strange things, like this recipe for a Grilled Peach Old Fashioned Cocktail, or this recipe for Grilled Margaritas.
I’ve wanted to make another grilled cocktail since I made the Grilled Old Fashioned. Citrus is always a great option for grilling because the heat helps release the juices of the fruit. So I figured Grilled Margaritas would work great!
I also substituted in Mezcal, which is like tequila, but has a smoky flavor, perfect for grilled margaritas!
This past weekend, my parents threw a surprise birthday party for my sister, and asked that I make a “punch” for the party. I’m not exactly a punch fan, but I love big batch cocktails, especially this recipe for a Rosé Aperol Spritz!
This one is perfect for the warm weather. It’s a play on a traditional Aperol Spritz, which is made with Prosecco, Aperol, and club soda.
This version, adapted from this Bon Appetit recipe, uses sparkling rosé instead of Prosecco, and “waters” it down a bit for easy drinking with some passion fruit juice and blood orange soda.
Aperol is an Italian liqueur made with oranges, gentian, rhubarb, cinchona and other ingredients that has a slightly sweet orange flavor with a touch of balanced bitterness.
Passion fruit juice can be found in the box juice section of your grocery store. Or, feel free to substitute in another juice of your choice.
Before I go into my recipe for a Limoncello Whiskey Sour, I have to tell you about the upcoming event that inspired it!
My favorite outdoor event of the year is nearly here – Flavors on the Avenue! I am such a fan of this event that I even moved to be closer to it! (I’m only half kidding, but I most certainly did move to the Passyunk Square area partially because of the amazing shops and restaurants.)
source: visiteastpassyunk.com
Flavors on the Avenue is inspired by East Passyunk’s former Flavors fundraiser held under a tent each year. In 2017, the event went from under the tent and into the street. Adding to the original food and drink offerings, the event now includes family activities, music and retail sidewalk sales. Flavors on the Avenue will be held this Sunday, April 29th, and covers five blocks, lasting six hours starting at 11am.
source: visiteastpassyunk.com
Craft beer, wine and seasonal sips will be available. Look for drinks to be sold by select restaurants out on the street, plus stop by and visit the new Founders Brewing Co. Tasting Tent. Food will be specially priced between $3.00 and $6.00 (average) and be pay-as-you-go from individual restaurants.
source: visiteastpassyunk.com
Participating restaurants and eateries, along with their menus, include:
Barcelona Wine Bar – Vegetable paella
Bing Bing Dim Sum – Roast pork sandwich, cold noodles
Brigantessa – Sausage with giaroinviera relish with aioli
Cantina Los Caballitos – Pork tacos, ceviche
chhaya – Fried chicken and waffles, iced coffee
El Sarape Restaurant – Tacos al pastor, cemitas, pina coladas and homemade water: Jamaica and horchata
Essen Bakery – Mini za’atar croissant stuffed with labneh cheese.
Filitalia International – Penne with gravy and meat/cheese sandwiches
Fond – TBD
ITV Philly/Laurel – Pork Skin with Sour Cream and Onion
This year, I wanted to highlight one of my favorite new-ish additions to E. Passyunk, Manatawny Still Works, that I’m thrilled is a part of Flavors on the Avenue this year. Manatawny Still Works opened a tasting room on E. Passyunk late last summer and has been a welcome addition to the Avenue.
I am a big fan of their whiskey, specifically their ever-changing small batch options. Their Coffee Whiskey (Batch #16) didn’t last very long in my house at all, and their latest Pennsylvania Whiskey isn’t going to last much longer!
It’s actually one of a few tasting rooms on East Passyunk. There is also a store, Pollyodd, that sells multiple flavors of Limoncello. So I thought it might be fun to make a cocktail using both – a Limoncello Whiskey Sour!
A traditional Whiskey Sour is made with lemon juice, simple syrup, and of course, whiskey.
Limoncello tends to be on the sweeter side, so I thought it would be a perfect substitute.
About this time every year, I start wishing for warmer weather. And yet, this time every year, we tend to get one more winter storm to prove that it’s not quite spring just yet.
So, given that it’s still freezing in Philadelphia, I decided to make a frozen cocktail, a Frozen Mango Daiquiri, that can help me pretend it’s nice and warm outside.
This is a fairly traditional frozen daiquiri, although I added in some cinnamon to complement the mango.
I used frozen mango chunks to make this, so it’s a super easy recipe.
Ingredients (makes 2 servings):
2 cups ice
1 (12 oz) bag frozen mango chunks
4 oz white rum
the juice of 3 limes, plus more if needed
1 tablespoon white sugar, plus more for rimming the glasses
Summer stuck around for a while in Philadelphia; it’s now October and the weather is just starting to feel like fall, so it’s time for some Fall Sangria!
I’ve wanted to make a fall sangria for weeks now, but wanted to wait for cooler weather to truly enjoy it!
