wondering what to get your tipple toting friend? how bout a deck of cocktail cards from the great mixology maestro, dale degroff. personally, i hate having an awkward floppy paged book to read off of when i’m trying to follow a recipe. flash cards are the best! not only are they small enough to fit in a stocking, or a yahmika , but they’re inexpensive and easy to use. the writing is informative and helpful as the the king of cocktails provides a history of each drink and explicit directions on how to make them. the recipes are divided into four categories: signature classics, martinis, frozen cocktails and inspired classics.($15)

and for the foodie on your list there is a fascinating collection of fifty cheeses in the CHEESE DECK, by max mccalman & david gibbons. everything you ever wanted to know about cheese, and then some. including the history, when and how to serve them, and with which wines… really interesting stuff. and now i know i’ve been pronouncing Gouda wrong my whole life. correct pronunciation is (HOW-dah)! i’m so embarrassed. ($15)

SWEET TOOTH? there’s a dessert deck for that: SHORT & SWEET by gale gand. divided into the categories of chocolate, fruit, puddings & cremes and inspired classics, i just gained a pound from flipping through the cards. my favorite recipes are the lavender shortbread and the passionfruit mousse. now if only i could find some passion fruit without having to go to brasil to get it.($15)

lastly, for the party-throwing hipster, we have a TAPAS deck by jose andres with richard wolffe. fifty little spanish dishes. if you’ve ever been to spain, you’ll know that their TAPAS is the equivilent of our happy hour-only a zillion times better. it’s like eating horsdeuvres for your entire meal. yummy… horsdeuvres are always better than the entrees!($15)

mint is ruled by none other than the planet of love and kisses, venus. you’ll want to have plenty on hand when she’s in your chart as there’s a strong likelihood you’ll be gettin lucky - keep that breath fresh! such a pleasant & fragrant aroma must belong to the intoxicating & aphrodisiacal planet of venus. VENUS, as in APHRODITE, as in APHRODISIAC.

mint is actually quite jupiterian in nature, as it’s an semi-invasive species. if you do plant mint in your garden and don’t want it to spread, plant it in a large container and bury the container in the ground. that will ensure the root system does not extend beyond the wall of the pot and take over your entire lawn. mint comes in many varieties. i have in my garden, orange flavored mint, chocolate flavored mint, apple flavored mint, and a few others i can’t remember. if you rub the leaves they will literally smell like chocolate, orange, apple, ect. it’s crazy! last week i made a mojito using the chocolate mint and you could definetely taste a subtle cocoa flavor in the drink.

a handy trick with mint is to use it as a deer repellent! yes, it’s true, deer and livestock actually hate mint. puree mint in food processor and add to water. put in spray bottle and spray on plants you wish to keep safe from the hungry mouths. and one last tip… mint (and all herbs) freeze great. throw some leaves in a ziplock in the freezer and have mojitos all winter long.

CHEATER MOJITO: mojitos are easy to make in a pitcher and involve NO MUDDLING! when you’re serving 20 at a time, who’s to know you cut a few corners?

depending on the size of your pitcher, add the following:

3 parts white rum
1 part fresh squeezed lime juice
1 part sugar
5 or so sprigs mint

allow to sit for about three hours, stirring every so often to dissolve sugar. adjust to taste. when guest arrive, simply pour this mixture over ice filled glasses and top with seltzer (and stir).

PAN FRIED TOFU WITH MINT DIPPING SAUCE: my mom used to put her mint sauce over lamb which i was never a huge fan of. it’s actually not bad over pan friend tofu…

this is another easy party dish that can be prepared beforehand and stored in the fridge. it’s always a good idea to have at least one vegan dish on hand in case one of those crazy herbivores shows up.

MINT SAUCE:

20 sprigs mint
2 cups raw organic sugar
1 cup white vinegar

puree 10 handfuls mint leaves in blender with 1/2 sugar. after mint is chopped, add another 1 1/2 cups sugar and puree some more until mint is finely chopped. then add 1 cup white vinegar and puree until mixture is fine. sauce will keep in fridge for months.

PAN FRIED TOFU:
buy organic tofu in any consistancy except silken. extra firm is best. add to pan a blend of 50% olive oil and 50% canola oil. (if you use only olive oil it will burn quickly.) cut tofu into cubes and saute until browned, stirring frequently to avoid sticking to pan. remove to paper towel (MARCAL is awesome) lined plate to absorb oil and arrange on platter. sprinkle with sea salt and store in fridge.

BON APPETIT, A VOTRE SANTE LOVER GIRLS…

thanks to THE LIQUID MUSE for hosting MXMO XX.

amazing what you can do with a jello shot. america’s students have been hard at work turning the humble jello shot into a class project.

here’s a sampling of recipes created by the above said mad scientists:

• Mojito Jell-O Shot
• Peanut Butter and Jell-O shot
• Buttery Nipple Pudding Shot
• Pina Colada Jell-O Shot
• JagerBomb Jell-O Shot

but by far, the best invention was the Cruelty Free Jell-O Shots as per below:

“We didn’t want to leave our vegan and vegetarian friends out of the party, but our attempt at vegetarian Jell-O shots yielded mixed results. Regular gelatin is made from boiled down cow and pig bones and connective tissue, making it unsuitable for folks who don’t eat animals. There are some alternatives, such as agar agar or vegetarian gelatin made from vegetable gums. We used some vegetarian gelatin powder from a vegan natural foods store; it was in bulk, so we don’t know the exact ingredients, but it’s a safe bet there were no cow tendons involved.”

“We used a rounded tablespoon of powder per cup of liquid, which produced a solid, somewhat rubbery shot. The gelatin was dissolved in heated fruit juice, and then the liquor and other ingredients were mixed in. We attempted four different recipes: Fuzzy Navel (orange juice and peach schnapps), Margarita (limeade, tequila and margarita mix), Cosmopolitan (cranberry juice, vodka, and Grand Marnier), and Pina Colada (pineapple juice, Malibu, and coconut cream). While our vegan friends were grateful for the inclusive gesture, the shots themselves left something to be desired. They tasted OK, but most were bland and not sweet enough. The Fuzzy Navel and Margarita were the most successful, probably because of the syrupy schnapps and margarita mix. The brown rice syrup we added to the Cosmopolitan didn’t quite cut it. Regular granulated sugar is processed using charred cow bones and many vegans avoid it for that reason, but corn syrup or organic sugar syrup could be used as a sweeter alternative.”

Vegan Fuzzy Navel Gelatin Shot
2 Tbsp. vegetarian gelatin or agar agar
1 cup boiling orange juice
4 oz. vodka
4 oz. peach schnapps

Vegan Margarita Gelatin Shot
2 Tbsp. vegetarian gelatin or agar agar
1 cup boiling limeade
4 oz. tequila
4 oz. margarita or sweet and sour mix

VIA MY SCIENCE PROJECT

well, i’m in love again… i’ve discovered a place where two of life’s simplest and greatest pleasures collide. no, not the COCKCAKE, but the CUPTAIL.

take bar cheffing to a whole new level - bake your drinks and mix your frosting! pisces is the liquor loving sign. venus rules sweets. cuptails is what happens when pisces, taurus and libra get together!

CUPTAIL’S latest creation is the STRAWBERRY MARG CUPTAIL

For Cake:

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2/3 cup granulated sugar
* 2 eggs (room temperature)
* 3/4 cup unsalted butter
* 1/4 cup of oil
* 2 tablespoons of strawberry flavored Torani syrup
* 1/2 cup milk

For Frosting:

* 6oz fresh strawberries
* 2 tablespoons tequila
* 1 cup heavy whipping cream
* 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
3. Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and give it a quick stir to combine.
4. Place eggs and sugar in a bowl and beat on medium with an electric mixer until light and foamy. About 2 minutes.
5. Melt butter (about 1min in microwave) and pour over eggs and sugar whilst beating.
6. Add oil and Torani syrup to eggs, sugar and butter mixture then turn mixer to low.
7. Add half the dry ingredients to the mixer, then the milk and combine.
8. Add remaining dry ingredients. Continue mixing until remaining dry ingredients are combined (no more than a minute) being careful not to over mix the batter.
9. Immediately divide batter equally among the 12 cupcake liners. I like to use an ice cream scoop to do this. Helps keep each cupcake uniform size.
10. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the middle of the cupcakes comes out clean, with no crumbs.
11. Place on a baking sheet to cool

Remember: Be especially careful not to open the oven during the first 20 minutes of baking as it will increase the chances of your cupcakes falling flat on their butts.

When cupcakes are completely cooled you can begin to make the frosting.

1. Place 1/3 cup of confectioners’ sugar, tequila and heavy cream in a bowl and mix on high until at peak form.
2. With a fork, mash up strawberries on a plate.
3. Fold strawberries into whipped cream.
4. With a small paring knife cut a conical shaped top off each cupcake (see picture below), fill with cream and replace top.
5. Place a final dollop of cream on top and add strawberry upside down!

visit cuptails for explicit directions on applying the frosting.

VIA CUPTAIL

BLOODY MARY SOUP is the answer to your surplus september tomatoes. truly a leoan liquid lunch - enjoy!

VIA KOCHTOPF

1 medium onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2 tb olive oil
250 g fresh tomatoes, peeled
250 ml homemade broth
salt, pepper
Tabasco
1 tb lemon juice
4 tb vodka
Garnish
celery stalks to garnish

In a large pot, sauté onions ad celery and bell pepper in oil.
Add tomato, sauté 1-2 minute.
Add broth and let simmer 10 minutes.
Put all in a food processor and mix until smooth.
Add other ingredients.
Serve either hot or chilled, garnish with celery stalk.