Summer's Most Bizarre and Delicious Cocktails

Add a little flavor to your summer!
There's nothing like a refreshing beverage on a hot day. With days reaching 100 degrees and over we wanted to share some of our favorite and most bizarre drinks.
Adam Seger of Chicago's National 27 created the Ham and Cheese cocktail. He soaks high-quality Iberico ham in cognac for two weeks, then mixes it with honey, cinnamon and lime juice, topped by a Manchego cheese tuile. If that is too savory you could tempt your palette with a Grapefruit Mojito, Bazooka Bubblegum Cocktail or even a Smore's Pudding Shot!
Why not be adventurous? It's only the beginning...

Ham and Cheese Cocktail

Grapefruit Mojito

Bazooka Bubblegum Cocktail

Smore's Pudding Shots

Blue Sparkling Star

Click on the links below the pictures for recipes on how to make these fantastic drinks. Post your favorite summer drinks and we'll post some of them on our facebook fan page. 

Happy Summer everyone!

- post by Stacey Larnerd

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Somebody Make Me: THE BEST DAMN PULLED PORK I'VE EVER HAD

On Halloween this year, my friends and I decided to have a laid back night in. We planned on posting up at Paul and Amara's house to pass out candy to the kids, and Marcella would to bring over dinner for us all. I always enjoy a home cooked meal, but I didn't expect to be obsessed with what she brought for us to eat. She "whipped up" pulled pork sandwiches with an apple coleslaw, and a whiskey fig spread. Oh. My. GAWD. I mean, it was so good, it should be illegal. I'm not joking. This isn't funny. I'm being very serious. You NEED these recipes.

Marcella Rose's Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Crisp Apple Coleslaw and Whiskey Fig Spread

 Dry Rub

• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoons coarse salt
• 1 3 lb pork roast, shoulder or butt

In Ashland, we have been recently blessed with one damn fine butcher; Boulton & Son.  This shop is not only stunningly set up with so many delicious items and ultra-local products, but the help is second to none.  The boys behind that counter can’t wait to share their knowledge and know-how, and they'll even let you have a taste or two.  Seriously, if you need meat, this is your place.  For those not in Ashland, take the time to seek out your local butcher; you won’t regret it!

Directions:

Place all items for the run together and mix.  Feel free to add and delete or change items to suit your personal tastes! Take ingredients and get in a get a little friendly with your pork, give it a nice rub down.  For added flavor you can put the pork in the fridge to let it get acquainted with the rub overnight.   If you don’t have time, don’t stress,  place the pork in a roasting pan and throw it in the oven at 300 degrees F for 6 hours.  For an 8 or 9-hour time turn the oven to 250.

Fig Whiskey Spread

Dice one onion and place around pork along with about 20 figs to bake with the pork.  When the pork is done take all the figs and onion and place in a blender along with all the juices from the pork and puree.  Add whiskey (or beef stock) as needed until the ingredients create a thick spread.

Apple Cider Barbecue Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups apple cider
• 1/2 cup brown mustard
• 1/4 cup molasses 
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Let all ingredients simmer together for 10 minutes or until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once the pork is done remove from oven and let cool until you can handle it, then with two forks begin shredding and add to sauce.

 

Crisp Apple Coleslaw

• One head of cabbage shredded
• 2 apples cut into match sticks- see photo

 

Dressing

• The juice on one lemon or lime
• Two tablespoons honey or sugar
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise 
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all together and serve along side the pork with buns and spread! Delish!!

Sounds incredible, right? I'm quite the pulled pork enthusiast, and typically order it if I find it on a menu, and hers is by far the best I've ever had. The spread, the apple slaw, and her pulled pork recipes combined make for a perfect storm of a comfort food experience.

Oh, here's a picture Marcella took of me after I had my first bite:

Marcella not only comes up with incredible food recipes, she is also quite the DIY'er. Check out her blog...it's quite entertaining!

post by Amanda
recipe and pictures by Marcella Rose

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Unique Holiday Cookie Recipes

Plan on baking treats to gift to friends and family this month? It might be time to set aside your famous chocolate chip cookie recipe and give one of these unusual recipes a go...


Black Pepper and Balsamic Cookies

"Eat them with fresh strawberries for a perfect blend of flavors."

 Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

"It's the addition of ground chile that lends it its name -- and moves it into the adult cookie jar."

 Italian Polenta Cookies

"Use imported polenta, which is available in most Italian markets and specialty-food stores."

 Rosemary and Pignoli Cookies

"The cookie dough can be made and formed into logs ahead of time and frozen for up to 2 weeks. Thaw in refrigerator when ready to bake."

Savory Parmesan Shortbread Rounds

"Serving suggestion: with pre-dinner drinks or on a salami platter."

Jalapeno Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

"When you first bite into these, you won't taste the jalapeño, but after a few more bites and after you finish swallowing, you'll feel some heat linger around. It's a pretty neat feeling and taste."

 Dark Chocolate Avocado Cookies (gluten and dairy free!)

"Now if you just can’t stand the idea of chocolate cookies tasting like avocado, don’t worry! You can’t taste it."

 Lemon Cilantro Cookies

"There’s a lot of cilantro in them, but it doesn’t really over power the cookies, it’s very subtle."

 Rosemary Lime Cookies (vegan, gluten & dairy free)

"The rosemary and lime in this cookie are wonderful together. Lime takes center stage and rosemary is just a subtle accent."

Curry Coriander Shorties

"The most intriguing and delicious recipe for cookies I've seen in ages!"

Pretty interesting, right? I'm dying to try some of the more savory recipes like the Parmesan Shortbread Rounds and the Lemon Cilantro cookies. What cookie recipes do you have in your arsenal that never fail to wow?



post by Amanda

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Somebody Make Me: Corn and Cheddar Pudding

You know when you go to some Mexican restaurants and they serve a little scoop of that sweet corn stuff? Well, I think that stuff is AWESOME and I believe that this receipt is that plus cheese on top which equals yum. Yum squared. Halle and I were browsing through recipes and decided that someone should really make this for us. We also decided that that someone should be Halle's boyfriend. (Seriously, Shawn. We're not joking.)

We found this receipt on the Budget Bytes blog.

Corn and Cheddar Pudding

This recipe is a little indulgent with the cream, cheese, and eggs... but every now and then I think you're allowed. It's all about moderation, right? Right.

Corn pudding is another one of those recipes that can go so many different ways. Originally, I wanted to use poblano peppers (my fav) but my local grocery was out. So, instead, I decided to go the honey and cayenne route. It's a little sweet, a little spicy, very rich, and definitely delicious. If you're not all about the spicy stuff, leave out the cayenne and you'll still have a nice contrast between the sweet honey and salty cheddar. You can also try dicing up some regular green and red bell peppers for extra color. There are many possibilities!

Total Recipe cost: $3.57
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Cost per serving: $0.45
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 1 hr. Total: 1 hr. 10 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
3 cups	frozen corn	$0.89
1.5 cups	milk	$0.56
1/2 cup	half & half	$0.36
2 large	eggs	$0.32
1/4 cup	cornmeal	$0.06
2 Tbsp	honey	$0.30
1/2 tsp	cayenne (optional)	$0.03
1 tsp	salt	$0.05
4 oz.	cheddar, shredded	$1.00
TOTAL		$3.57

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Allow the corn to thaw (this is very important). Place the milk and half of the corn into a blender or food processor and puree.

STEP 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the corn/milk mixture, half & half, cornmeal, honey, cayenne, salt, and the rest of the corn kernels. Make sure to whisk really well so that the egg is fully incorporated or else you'll end up with chunks of baked egg in your pudding. If your corn is still frozen, the honey will not dissolve so make sure the corn is no longer cold.

STEP 3: Shred 4 ounces of cheddar cheese. Stir half of it into the corn pudding mixture. Coat a 8x8 (or similar size) baking dish with non-stick spray and pour in the pudding. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.

STEP 4: Bake in the preheated oven for about one hour or until the center of the pudding shakes like a bowl full of jelly. Check the pudding at about 50 minutes by shaking the dish slightly. If the center wiggles like a liquid, let it cook just a little bit longer.

STEP 5: Allow the pudding to rest for about five minutes after baking. Serve warm!


Step By Step Photos



Allow the corn to completely thaw. Puree half of the corn with the milk. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.


Whisk together all of the ingredients except the cheddar. It is probably easiest to whisk together the pureed mixture, eggs, cornmeal, honey, cayenne, and salt first, and then add the whole corn last.


Make sure to whisk well so that the egg is well incorporated or else you'll have pockets of baked egg in the final product.


Shred 4 ounces of cheese (half of a regular sized block). Stir half of that into the corn pudding mixture.

Pour the batter into a baking dish coated with nonstick spray and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.


Bake in the preheated 350 degree oven for about an hour or until the center of the pudding barely wiggles when you shake the dish. If it wiggles and waves like a thick liquid, let it bake longer. I usually check the it at 50 minutes just to be sure. Every oven is different!

Let the pudding rest for about 5 minutes before serving.


It's good. It's REAL good.

OM NOM NOM NOM! (Shawn, we expect this by the end of next week.)


post by Amanda
content courtesy of Budget Bytes

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Somebody Make Me: Almond Joy Chocolate Spread

So, I came across a recipe for Almond Joy Chocolate spread and my jaw dropped. I mean, almond, coconut, and chocolate combined in a way that allows me to spread it on whatever I want? I can dollop some on vanilla ice cream. I can spread it on toast. I can place a scoop of it inside pre-made croissants to bake. I can eat it out of the jar with a spoon! So many possibilities…so many reasons to have this in my life...so many people I would fight, if need be, to get my hands on some of this.

Please, oh please, I’m begging you, make me a massive supply of Almond Joy Chocolate spread.

I found the recipe on TheHealthyFoodie.net which is ran by Sonia from Québec, Canada.

ALMOND JOY CHOCOLATE SPREAD

INGREDIENTS
(Yields 3 half pint jars)

• 4 cups raw almonds
• 200g unsweetened shredded coconut
• ¼ cup unpasteurized honey
• ½ cup extra dark cocoa powder
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Lay the almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast them in a 275F oven for about an hour, then raise the temperature to 350F and give them an extra 8-10 minutes or so, until the almonds get really fragrant and take a nice golden brown color.
2. Take the almonds out of the oven and allow them to cool for at least 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add the coconut to your food processor and process until it turns into a crumbly, thick paste, about 8-10 minutes (you will have to scrape the sides quite frequently). Add the honey and process until well combined. Transfer to a bowl and reserve.
4. Add the almonds to your food processor (no need to clean it, really) and process until smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes.
5. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla, salt and cinnamon and process until well incorporated.
6. Add reserved coconut paste and process again just to combine, no more.
7. Transfer to glass jars and allow to rest for a few days before you dig in.
8. You could keep this in the refrigerator if you wanted to, however, I dont’t believe that it’s really necessary, unless you intend on keeping it for an extended period of time (which I dare you to do!)
   
   

Mmmmm, come to mama!


post by Amanda

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Somebody Make Me: Pumpkin Empanadas

At this point, it’s safe to assume it’s known that I can’t cook. I mean, I can, but I won’t. Every time I cook myself something special, I wind up spending $80 in groceries, and I never eat the leftovers. It doesn’t make sense for me to cook for myself. It makes sense for me to buy Hot Pockets and Kraft Mac & Cheese. Don’t give me that look. It tastes good. The only problem with not cooking for myself is that I come across recipes that look amazing, and that I’d love to try, but I’ll never make them. Because of this, I decided to regularly start posting recipes on this blog in hope that someone out there will take pity on my hungry little soul and make them for me.

PUMPKIN EMPANADAS

Years ago, my friend Monique and I worked together and she made Pumpkin Empanadas to take to our work potluck. I love all sweet things pumpkin. (Read this next sentence like your Bubba from Forrest Gump) “Anyway, like I was sayin', pumpkin is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it.” There’s pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin bread…Monique’s pumpkin empanadas were obviously loved. I’ve been craving pumpkin empanadas for a while now, and I don’t see Monique around anymore, so I’m going to need someone to make some for me.

Here’s the receipt from the Muy Bueno Cookbook’s website:

Makes 24-30 empanadas

Pumpkin Filling

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed firmly

1 cup organic pumpkin, NOT pie filling

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar until it dissolves with the butter. Stir in the pumpkin and the spices. Continue to stir over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Make sure the filling is not too watery; otherwise let it cook for a couple more minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool down. After it’s cooled off for about 15 minutes, put the filling in the refrigerator to help it set for 30 minutes or overnight.

You can make the Empanada Dough while the filling is cooling off.

Empanada Dough

Ingredients

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup shortening

2 eggs

½ cup milk

2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

Mix the first 3 dry ingredients. Cut in the shortening with the dry ingredients. Works better if you use your hands. Add the eggs, milk and sugar. Continue to work in with your hands. Split the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes. Take out one half of the dough and split it into 12-18 balls of dough. Depending on how small you want your empanadas. I prefer one dozen per half of the dough. They also fit nicely on one large cookie sheet.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. You can fill your empanadas with any preserves made ahead of time.

Roll out the dough into small round circles. Add a small dollop of filling on one half of the rolled out dough. Wet the bottom edge of the dough with water to help seal the two halves. Fold over the dough to seal. Seal off the edges with a fork by pressing down along the two edges. This also makes for a pretty pattern when baked.

Brush each empanada with egg whites, sprinkle with sugar and puncture each empanada with a fork to allow steam to escape while baking. Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray, place the empanadas on the cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes on medium rack in the oven. If after 15 minutes you notice the bottoms of the empanadas starting to brown, move the cookie sheet to the top rack and continue to bake for the last 5 minutes.

Looks good, right? Any takers? Please?

Photography by Jeanine Thurston

Post by Amanda

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Halle & Amanda Do Lunch

Working in a store downtown means lots of eating downtown. I, along with most of the other girls I work with are too lazy in the mornings to get up and make a lunch, so we find ourselves eating out a lot. Halle and I decided to list the restaurants we frequent and what our favorite item is from the lunch menu. Halle is a vegetarian, so all of her selections are obviously meatless. Many of the restaurants use local and organic products, which most people in Ashland care about, but I don't, like, not at all. All I really care about when ordering lunch locally is that they're quick about making it. Us Village Shoes employees are running up and down stairs ALL DAY, so by the time lunch rolls around, I'm ravenous with hunger and I really don't have the patience to wait too long. Since I'm walking to pick it up, I typically call in the order in advance so I actually get to lunch on my lunch break, as opposed to waiting for food for the majority of it.

Halle and I think that if you haven't had our lunch picks yet, you're missing out...

Ruby’s:

H- Wendy Burrito

A- Riley’s Cheese Steak

Agave:

H- Verduras Asadas Tacos

A- Carne Asadas Tacos and Ceviche

Pasta Piatti:

H- Ravioli Di Zucca

A- Chicken Parmigiana

Pangea:

H- Gimme The Greek

A- Mushrooms Wild with extra chevre

Sesame:

H- Crispy Eggplant

A- Shaking Beef

Great American Pizza Company:

H- Eggplant Ricotta Pizza

A- Dijon Chicken Pizza

Taroko:

H- Yaki Udon with tofu

A- J Pop (appetizer), and the Mongolian Beef.

Dragonfly:

H-Nuevo Roll Ups

A-Chicken Burrito

Ashland Co-Op:

H- Sesame Tofu/ Garlic Lover’s Pasta Salad/ Sesame Emerald Kale

A- Turkey Feta Spinach Meatloaf/ Enchiladas/ Mac & Cheese/ Fog City

Macaroni Salad

Water Street Café:

H- Café Cup

A- Café Cup, no beans, add chicken

So, Ashlanders, what are your favorite spots to eat? And what can't you live without from their menu?

photo courtesy of Sammo

post by Amanda

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Who's Hungry for a Scanwich?

“I believe that all anyone really wants in this life is to sit in peace and eat a sandwich.” –Liz Lemon, 30 Rock

This is torture. PURE TORTURE. Browsing through Scanwiches has made me so incredibly hungry. I can barely complete a sentence before I’m back on the site, scrolling through the sandwiches...drooling on the keyboard. Okay, wait. I’m going to go eat lunch and then I’ll write this thing…

Okay. Much better.

So, the creator of this website, Jon Chonko, lives in NYC and has access to tons of amazing sandwiches. Apparently the word ‘scanwiches’ popped into his head first, and then he decided to give it a go using an old scanner that his girlfriend gave him, and it took off from there. Aesthetically, the website’s design is minimal, giving it a clean look where nothing detracts from the sandwiches, which makes it pretty easy to spend a good hour or so looking them all over without being distracted by ads or whatever. This site is especially useful because he lists the ingredients, so you can recreate them at home if you’d like!

Watch the magic happen!

Here are some of my favorites:

November 28th: Softened ramen noodles, ham, and american cheese.

May 22nd: Eggplant parmesan on a toasted hero.

May 5th: Sliced grilled steak, onion, peppers, and chipotle mayo on a hero.

June 15th: Hot steamed lobster, drawn butter, on a hot dug bun

Which scanwiches are your favorite?

Oh, and another fun food site is thisiswhyyourefat.tumblr.com!

photos courtesy of scanwiches.com and gizmodo.com

post by Amanda

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