Scary Halloween Cocktails

Hosting a frightful Halloween party? It is often said that "All Hallows' Eve is one of the nights when the veil between the worlds is thin - and whether you believe in such things or not, those roaming spirits probably believe in you, or at least acknowledge your existence, considering that it used to be their own". There is no doubt that the air feels very different on Halloween, Ho-Ha-Ha-Ha. Scared? Don’t be scared, enjoy the thrill and exotic Halloween Party Menu. Hope you loved my last year’s Halloween recipes. Halloween party is incomplete without creepy cocktails. Serve these cool sips and your party would be a deadly success. Halloween gives us an opportunity to be really creative. So show your creativity through these cocktails. Let’s go for Black Magic Martini and Scary Green Jelly Cocktail. When it comes to Halloween party, these two cocktails, as bad as hell, are always ordered among the top drinks.

Black Magic Martini

Ingredients:-

2 ounces Vodka,

1 ounce Blue Curacao,

1/2 ounce Raspberry Liqueur,

Lemon twist for garnish (Optional).

Preparation Method:-

1. Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.

2. Shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Serve chilled!

Scary Green Jelly Cocktail

Ingredients:-

1 quart Hot Water,

2 liters Ginger Ale,

2 cups White Sugar,

4 1/2 cups Cold Water,

1 can Pineapple Juice,

2 cans Orange Juice Concentrate,

3 ounce Green Lime Flavored Jelly Mix.

Preparation Method:-

1. In a large saucepan dissolve the gelatin in 1 quart of hot water.  Allow to cool.

2. When gelatin is cool, pour into a large punch bowl, stir in pineapple juice, orange juice concentrate, sugar and 4 1/2 cups cold water.

3. Pour in ginger ale just before serving. Serve chilled!

Have a Deadly Halloween. Ho ha ha ha!

Cheers with Beer on Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest, the 16 days beer fest is celebrated in Germany annually, for the honor of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig's marriage. The vibrant fest stretches from September 19 to October 4, 2015. Let’s revive some facts and yummz.

• It must not be surprising if I say around 2 million beer gallons is consumed by 6 million people at the fest.
• Different tents offer different kind of beer.
• Capacity a tent can accommodate is 10,000 people.
• The traditional stein costs around $13 (33 Ounces).
• People with hangover can rest on the beds arranged by the Red Cross society.
• Best recipes offered on the fest includes:-

1. Brezn (pretzel)
2. Wurstl (sausages)
3. Haxn (pork knuckle)
4. Hendl (roasted chicken)
5. Weisswurst (white sausage)
6. Kaasspotzn (cheese noodles)
7. Schweinsbraten (roasted pork)
8. Reiberdatschi (potato pancakes)
9. Steckerlfisch (grilled fish on stick)
10. Knodeln (potato/bread dumplings)
11. Obatzda (spicy cheese-butter concoction)
12. Sauerkraut or Rotkraut (pickled red cabbage)

Do try my Fried Chicken recipe with Beer Dip. It would pair very well with following Cocktails.

The Eclipse 

Ingredients:-

Ginger beer,

6 Blueberries,

3 Mint leaves,

4 Strawberries,

1½ oz. Sour Mix,

1½ oz. Tequila.

Preparation Method:-

1. Muddle raspberries, blueberries, and mint leaves in a cocktail shaker.
2. Add tequila and sour mix. Shake vigorously and strain into a glass filled with ice. Top with beer. Enjoy!

El Ayudacal

Ingredients:-

1 Lime zest,

1 bottle Beer,

1½ oz. Lime Juice,

½ oz. Agave Nectar,

Lime wheel for Garnishing.

Preparation Method:-

1. Combine lime juice, agave nectar, and lime zest in a glass.
2. Add beer and stir gently. Garnish with a lime wheel. Enjoy!

Dance with Beer!

Healthy Recipes for Kids Birthday Party

Angela is my neighbor and we spend a lot of quality time together, especially on weekends. Yesterday was her son’s birthday party. Kids await for their birthday party throughout the year. The joy on their face for this special day, makes us forget all the pain and stress in life. Tom turned 11 this year and just as all the birthdays, Angela wanted to make it special for him and so I. Since on weekdays we hardly have anytime, we have to go for quick and easy recipes keeping health into consideration as we all love our children.

Burrito - Kids love to pick this Mexican and Tex-Mex food. Whole wheat rolls with tempting filling such as diced grilled chicken, tomatoes, grated carrots and greens make an excellent healthy snack loved by people of all age groups. You can also stir-fry these veggies. Serve it with your favorite sauce. I usually pair burrito with my fav dip recipe, Vegan Walnut and Red Pepper Dip. You must give it a try as well.

Fruit Salad with Ice cream - Fruit salad with Ice cream is a good way to make your kids eat seasonal fruits. The recipe is quite flexible. Add in diced fruits (seasonal fruits) like watermelon, mango, grapes, bananas, cantaloupe etc. Take scoops of ice-cream and top on the salad. I usually use strawberry and butterscotch flavor. Serve in ice-cream bowls as shown. The bowls will be empty in no time. Kids will go bonkers over it!

Sweet and sour Meatballs - Ah! Here it comes. Do not make this recipe too spicy. You can prepare the meatballs in advance. Prefer baking the balls rather than deep frying them. Also you can fry the paste a day before birthday party. I prefer Italian style of preparing the sauce for meatballs. It consists of onions, carrot, celery, parsley, garlic, tomatoes, basil, black pepper. Enjoy the yummzz!

Strawberry Cake - The classic combination of plain vanilla cake, fresh strawberry and smooth cream never fails. I love bakery products, especially when they are homemade. The aroma of the bake is simply irresistible. Nevertheless, cake can be prepared a day before the birthday to save time, it all depends on our resisting power that we don’t eat it the moment it is cool. Kids love it.

Vegetable Rice Noodles - Rice noodles is a good way to treat yourself instead of the refined flour noodles. It’s an excellent meal for birthday party. It is gluten-free recipe as well. Mix in the seasonal veggies with bit of Vinegar, soya sauce, sweet chili sauce (kids will avoid chili sauce) and tomato sauce. The bowl of noodles will be over in no time for sure.

Happy Birthday!

Interstellar Food - A Meal with the Stars

This is one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Neil Armstrong said this and started jumping around on the moon. Whenever I watch this video, I feel as if in the end, everybody loves ‘space’ to jump around (pun intended!). Let it be on earth or on the moon.

Astronauts stay in space for days and sometimes even months. It’s like a home away from home but just ‘too’ far away. So the question which always grills my mind is - WHAT DO THEY EAT IN SPACE? Though I knew that they used to have those toothpaste like tubes to have the food from times are changing and so is the ‘Interstellar Menu’. To keep the food edible for longer missions, it is dehydrated and packed in a solid form. Imagine taking a ‘bite’ of your chicken stew. All the fluid items like milk, soup etc. are dehydrated too in a powdered form. 

 

Thanks to the NASA scientists, who made it possible to hydrate the food by mixing hot or cold water when in space and make food a ‘bit’ tastier. But no matter what, the mesmerizing aroma of the food drifts away before it can stimulate an astronaut because of almost zero gravity. So the exulting sensation of the food felt by the tongue and the nose is absent. But these men and women, do all this ‘in the name of science’. I respect these guys because if I would have been an astronaut, my kitchen would’ve followed me. Since food is important, astronauts are invited for tasting session where they can recommend the dishes for future missions. Though these days they have freeze dried sausage patties and much more but there is one thing Buzz Aldrin enjoyed in one of the missions - “Shrimp Cocktail”. From the word cocktail, I remember that I am very fond of preparing hot or warm cocktail recipes. He had something to say about it- “they were chosen one by one to make sure they would be tiny enough to squeeze out of the food packet, and they were delicious!” Let’s try this appetizer for our brave astronauts ‘in the name of science”.

SHRIMP COCKTAIL

Ingredients:-

For Court Bouillon:

1 lemon,

2 bay leaves,

1 diced onion,

5 sprigs thyme,

2 diced carrots,

1/2 bunch parsley,

10 cups cold water,

2 diced stalks celery,

5 diced garlic cloves.

For Shrimp:

Cocktail Sauce,

Lemon wedges,

1 pound rinsed shrimp,

1 tablespoon kosher salt.

For Cocktail Sauce:

1 cup ketchup

1 juiced lemon,

Hot sauce to taste,

4 teaspoons prepared horseradish,

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce.

Preparation Method for Shrimp Cocktail:

1. Add water, onion, garlic, lemon, parsley, carrot, celery, thyme and bay leaves in a pot. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Add shrimp into the liquid. Turn off the heat. Cook shrimp. Stir occasionally for 3 minutes. Drain and cool. Peel them. Refrigerate if you are not serving immediately. If refrigerated, bring shrimps to room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
3. To serve put the cocktail sauce in glasses as shown. Loop the shrimp over the edge of the glass. Top the glass with sauce. Garnish with the lemon and serve.

Preparation Method for Cocktail Sauce:

1. Combine ketchup, lemon zest, juice, Worcestershire sauce and horseradish in a bowl.
2. Add hot sauce. Mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!
   
    So do you want to enjoy food in space?

Easter Special - Hot Cross Buns

I was just remembering how I use to rhyme the poem, in my childhood..

Hot-cross buns, Hot-cross buns!

One a penny, two a penny,

Hot-cross buns!

If you have no daughters,

Give them to your sons.

One a penny, two a penny,

Hot-cross buns!

It is often said, "Easter is the only time of the year when it is safe to put all your eggs in one basket". My friends, you already know that no Easter is complete without baking the rich and aromatic, spongy, hot cross buns. This bun, marked with a cross, is eaten since many many years. These are traditionally served on Good Friday and Easter. Nevertheless, lot many myths are related to these hot cross buns. Some people believe that if the buns are baked plus served on Good Friday, they will never spoil during that year. Others use the buns for medicinal use. If an ill person consumes it, he recovers very soon. 

On the other hand, if this bun is shared with a friend, there has to have a strong bond between the two in near future, especially if you say, "half for you and half for me, between us two shall goodwill be". Isn't it interesting? Not only this, if these buns are carried in the ship, during the voyage, the journey is considered to be safe throughout. The hanging bun is also replaced each year in the kitchen and is consider to protect the kitchen against fire. Similar Easter recipes served on the auspicious occasion are Easter Ham and Simnel cakes. I will be sharing my recipe of Simnel cake with you shortly. So let's bake the Hot Cross Buns together on Easter.

For Buns:-

2 Eggs,

200 ml Milk,

50 grams Butter,

½ teaspoon Salt,

7 grams Dry Yeast,

500 grams White Flour,

50 grams Caster Sugar,

2 teaspoon Mixed Spice,

200 grams Mixed Dried Fruits.

For the Cross and Glaze:-

Honey for brushing,

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour.

Preparation Method:-

1. Take a bowl and add flour, salt, mixed spice and sugar, butter, dried fruits and yeast. Beat eggs and pour into this mixture.

2. Mix the ingredients with warm milk to form a moist dough. Leave for 5 minutes. Bring dough out of the bowl and cut the dough into 8 equal pieces.

3. Shape the dough into buns placing on a floured surface. Place in baking sheet. This will take 30 minutes.

4. In the meantime, prepare glaze. Mix the flour with 2 tablespoons of water to make a paste. Pour into a plastic food bag. Make a nick in one of the corners.

5. Take the buns out. Make crosses on top of each bun. Bake for another 15 minutes until risen and golden. Brush buns with honey. Serve!

Happy Easter 2015!

Quick and Easy Recipes on St. Patrick’s Day

Hey friends! Hope you enjoyed my St. Patrick’s Day cocktails. Now it’s time to enjoy some quick and easy green recipes. So here we go!

Green Fritters (Broccoli and Peas Fritters) - These green crispy and quick fritters make a perfect party appetizers for St. Patrick's Day celebration. Broccoli boosts up the immune system and also helps in preventing cancer. It also maintains the cholesterol level. On the other hand, peas help in managing weight and blood sugar level and cholesterol level. It prevents from aging and keeps the heart healthy. I would love pairing these fritters with my all time fav Cheesy Beer Dip. What would you pair it with?

Green Bars (Creamy Lime Bars) - Green lime bars are made up of simple ingredients. This recipe is quite similar to key lime pie, except that I add in few drops of mint syrup to get that green color for St. Patrick's Day. Despite of the creamy texture, I find the recipe refreshing and sweet. The best part is that you can offer green bars to your guests at home and also gift the bars to someone special. I couldn't resist having few bars while preparing the recipe. 

Green Chicken (Mint Sauce Chicken) - Having green chicken on St Patrick's day is definitely a big hit! The idea behind this green chicken is simple. Broil chicken pieces with ginger and garlic paste coated on them. Set aside. Prefer boneless. Prepare a green sauce (this does not require cooking). In the blender, add in coriander, mint leaves, lemon juice, green chillies, salt and pepper. Take a wok and add in broiled pieces. Add the green sauce, toss the pieces and heat for two minutes. Serve at once as bitings on St Patrick's day.

Happy St. Patrick’s day!

Saint Patrick’s Day and Most Wanted Cocktails

Currently where everybody is going gaga over “go green”, there is a place which redefines green, this is Ireland. Long time back Saint Patrick was kidnapped by Irish guys. However he managed to escape just to come back to Ireland (again) and make sure that Christianity prevails out there. Saint Patrick used the three-leaved shamrock to explain Christianity, which eventually became the symbol of Ireland (Green). The three leaves depict-the father, the son and the holy “spirit”. March 17 marks his death and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland leading to an excuse for celebration.

On this day, there is no restriction on drinking, which consequently results in no further restrictions. Over the years, the celebrations spread worldwide. If the fountain at Trafalgar Square in London can go green, Calgary Tower in Canada can turn its light to green (symbol of “Go Green”), Russians can go for a carnival and Opera House in Sydney turns green,  then why don’t you try something green. Since everybody is Irish on March 17, without restrictions on drinks, lets try “go green” drinks. Hope you enjoyed my warm cocktail recipes on Frozen Dead Guys Day. So let’s dance with dizzy fizzy green cocktails.

Minty Green Ice-cream Cocktail

Ingredients:-

3/4 oz. Mint Cream,

3/4 oz. White Cocoa Liquor,

3 scoops Vanilla Ice Cream,

50 grams Dark Mint Chocolate.

Preparation method:-

1. Blend all the ingredients. Pour into party mugs or glasses, as per choice. Place in the refrigerator to cool for 5 minutes.

2. Top with grated mint dark chocolate as shown. Serve cold!

Green Vodka Cocktail

Ingredients:-

Apple Cider,

1 oz Mint Syrup,

1 oz Citrus Vodka,

2 dashes Lime Juice,

Lime Twist for garnishing.

Preparation Method:-

1. Pick a glass of your choice. Add citrus vodka, lime juice, green syrup and fill with apple cider.

2. Garnish with a lime twist.

Dance with the St. Patrick’s Day drinks!

Enjoy Frozen Dead Guys Day with Hot Cocktails

Here comes the Frozen Dead Guys Day! This is one of the most unique, funny and quirky festivals in the town of Netherlands, Colorado. The festival is a lively one because of it's numerous events. Coffin Racing, Costume Polar Plunging, Ice Turkey Bowling, Parade of Hearses, Frozen Salmon Toss, Frozen Dead Poet Slam etc. are the major centre of attraction. The festival encourages participation in many such activities. There is a bunch of activities for the music lovers also. There are over 20 Live bands, Friday The 13th “Superstition” Blue Ball, Theatrical Wu Shu performance etc. to cheer the crowd. 

There is no doubt that the vibrant festival has earned the title of 'Top Five Winter Festivals in the Country'. What my generation prefers (I am not that old) is Montreal Jazz Festival. However, I can’t look at this fest with indifference. This fest is funny in a weird way, which is all good for the young ones. A music fest is nothing without a bit of intoxication. “A bit” is a lot for such fests, which is nice as you need to beat the chill. Where jazz fests are about cocktails and smoothness, this is all about binge drinking. Hope you enjoyed Thandai, which was one of the best among the traditional drink recipes. This blog is a blend of hot cocktails to break the cold!

Mulled wine

Ingredients:-

3 star anise,

1/4 cup honey,

4 whole cloves,

2 cinnamon sticks,

4 cups apple cider,

750 ml bottle red wine,

1 zested and juiced orange.

Preparation Method:-

1. Combine the cider, wine, honey, cinnamon sticks, zest, juice, cloves and star anise in a large saucepan.

2. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Pour into mugs. Enjoy!

Peppermint Patty

Ingredients:-

1 cup Milk,

100 ml Peppermint Schnapps,

1 teaspoon Hot Chocolate Powder.

Preparation Method:-

1. Heat milk in a pan. Pour in a glass when hot. Add powdered chocolate to taste.

2. Add a shot of liqueur and top with whipped cream. Serve!

Enjoy the Fest!