Pomp and Circumstance

This month, we both have graduation events at our houses. Barb has a daughter leaving high school and headed to the University of Arizona (Go Wildcats!) and Sharon has a daughter making the transition from middle school to high school. For each milestone event, we're hosting family gatherings that are before or after the ceremonies, so the meal needs to be easy and light, yet festive.

We had just started brainstorming ideas when the latest issue of Relish magazine came out. It was just the inspiration we needed to create a menu based on some of their ideas. 

Our graduates, Berkley and Madison, at The Magic House years ago.

Grad Party Menu

• roast beef/provolone/creamy horseradish sliders with lettuce, tomato and pickled onion garnish

• baby spinach/strawberry/goat cheese/candied pecan salad with champagne vinaigrette

• Greek couscous salad (see Relish for recipe).  We're adding in feta cheese

• fruit salad

• strawberry lemonade cupcakes (from Barb's favorite local bakery, Mind Over Batter)

• iced tea and lemonade

Thirsty Thursday: It's Getting Warm Out There!

Summertime is coming up on us faster than many of us want (spoken like a Phoenician prepping for five months of triple digits). We asked our buddy, Atlanta food PR maven Melissa Libby to have one of her restaurant clients provide us with a refreshing summer cocktail perfect for Memorial Day cookouts or just sitting by the pool.  Lara Creasy of JCT. Kitchen and Bar shared this fine tasting recipe. And one big bonus, it contains one of our faves -- Herbsaint. In keeping with JCT's farm-to-table mission, this summer-inspired twist on the Tom Collins also calls for Farmer's Organic Gin, in tribute to "our farmers."

Photo credit: McCall Webster/MLA

Farmer Tom's Collins

2 oz. Farmer's Organic Gin

1/2 oz. lemon juice

1/2 oz. simple syrup

1 bar spoon Herbsaint

Fresh herbs for muddling and garnish.

Soda water.

Tear fresh basil, thyme and dill or fennel fronds and muddle in the bottom of a mixing glass. Add Herbsaint, lemon, simple syrup and gin to glass. Add ice, cover with a shaker tin, and shake vigorously to combine. Fill a collins glass with fresh ice and strain cocktail into glass. (I like to allow bits of herb into the glass, so I don't double strain.) Top with soda water. Garnish with a piece or two of fresh herbs.

 ABOUT JCT. KITCHEN & BAR

JCT. Kitchen & Bar is one of Atlanta’s best restaurants located in the charming Westside Urban Market at 1198 Howell Mill Road.  JCT. Kitchen & Bar serves “Southern Farmstead Cooking” daily for lunch and dinner.  Head upstairs to JCT. Bar, voted one of the “Best Bars in America” by Esquire magazine, to keep an eye on the railroad tracks and enjoy the skyline with a drink in hand – it’s the perfect spot to enjoy Chef Ford Fry’s small Southern plates menu along with live music. JCT. Kitchen & Bar has been seen in Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Elle Décor, Atlanta Magazine, PEACH, The Atlantan, Jezebel, Daily Candy, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, John Mariani’s Virtual Gourmet, The Today Show.com and more. To make a reservation, call JCT. Kitchen & Bar at 404-355-2252 or visit www.jctkitchen.com.

Thirsty Thursday: This Saturday -- Tequila or Bourbon? Both!

This Saturday, May 5, is both Cinco de Mayo AND the Kentucky Derby. Each one in and of itself is a drinker's dream, but what do you do if you want to celebrate both?  Well, pace yourself, and make a plan.  Here's ours:

Contrary to public belief, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day, which is September 16, but is the commemoration of the Battle of Puebla. These days, it is celebrated more in the US as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride than it is celebrated in Mexico.

We're going to start the day with some fabulous huevos rancheros, some Mexican pastries and this scrumptious sounding drink from Patron Tequila, the Bloody Mariachi. 

1 1/2 oz : Patrón Reposado
3 oz : sangrita (tomato juice, diced jalapeños, habanero hot sauce, fresh lime and orange juices)
agave syrup
lime or cherry tomato for garnish

METHOD
Rim a highball glass with agave syrup and dip in sea salt. Pour Patrón Reposado and sangrita over ice into the highball glass, and stir.
Garnish with a lime or cherry tomato.


After breakfast, we'll drink a bunch of water and take a walk (or a nap) before the Run for the Roses.  We'll toss on our best hat, make our wagers for our favorite horses, enjoy some Southern fried chicken, some Derby pie, and of course, some Woodford Reserve mint juleps.

As always, drink responsibly and have a designated driver if you're not celebrating at home.

Thirsty Thursday: Need a Recharge?

Our friends at Legendre Herbsaint 

shared this great cocktail recipe for a "Battery Charger." We're needing a bit of a 

recharge this evening, so we'll be enjoying this great spirit with a splash of Grenadine 

and Seltzer.

"Battery Charger"

• One teaspoon of Grenadine
• One Pony of Herbsaint
• One-half glass of cracked ice

Stir slowly and fizz with Seltzer until full.

Thirsty Thursday: Mystery Martini by Guest Writer John Pilate

Pilate's Drink

It's not often I'm asked to share my favorite recipes--probably because I'm happy with a can of beef stew, a grilled cheese with Miracle Whip or--when I'm feeling exotic--conch fritters. That's why I was a little confused when the FeedingFrenzy folks asked me about my favorite recipe. After I realized they wanted to know what my favorite drink recipe is, I felt much more confident and jumped at the chance.

I keep it simple when it comes to drinks. Nothing too fancy. Therefore, at the risk of being boring, here is my favorite drink.

I think it's a killer.

John Pilate's Mystery Martini aka Simon's Stir
Ingredients:
2 ½ oz Vodka of your choice (That's the "mystery." I prefer CLEAR10)
½ oz Lillet (I prefer its slightly sweeter taste--vermouth is boring)
Lemon or orange twist for garnish (an olive won’t be so great with Lillet.)
Preparation:
First, make sure your glass is well-chilled. (I can't abide a warm martini glass. How Hawkeye Pierce, et al. of M*A*S*H* could stand all those warm martinis, I'll never know. Then again, it was war.) You can put your martini glass in the freezer for an hour, or fill it with ice and put it in the freezer for ten minutes--just be sure to dump the ice out before you pour the drink into the glass.
Next, make the ingredients conspire. Pour them into a 20 oz mixing glass half-filled with cracked ice. Stir (sorry Mr. Bond, but stirring is actually better for the overall flavor of the drink. But do what you want--shake it if that's your thing) for 30 seconds (or 20 stirs clockwise, 20 stirs counter clockwise if you want to practice your safecracking skills). Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon or orange twist and serve.

You can imagine the look I got when I tried to order this at the saloon in Cross Township. (You'll have to read the book!)

I hope this solves the mystery of which drink to order. Enjoy!

John Pilate is the author of Murder 101: The Cross College Conspiracy, the story of how he unraveled a 40-year-old mystery and was nearly killed in the process. Pilate has been featured on 60 Minutes, Dateline NBC and in numerous national publications. He is currently promoting the book across the U.S. He pointedly refuses to explain why the drink is also known as "Simon's Stir."*

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*"John Pilate" is actually the lead character in two mystery novels, Pilate's Cross & Pilate's Key by J. Alexander Greenwood. The books are available in paperback and ebook form at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and on order at your local book store.  A third book in the series, Pilate's Ghost, is set for October release. Greenwood also enjoys Pilate's Mystery Martini every Friday at 5 pm.

Easter Brunch: What to Bring if the Party is Not at Your House

We all know that Sharon is the hostess with the mostest. But, some of us (okay, me) aren't crazy about the decorating, flower arranging, etc. We just like to cook and bake and feed people. So, when my buddy Marcia and her family invited us to Easter lunch (it's becoming a tradition I think), I was excited. I didn't have to dream up a main course, or a dessert -- I just had to come up with two yummy sides to go with the grilled salmon.  So, Easter Sunday you'll find me happily whipping up this casserole and tossing this salad and leisurely working my way to Marcia's to enjoy all the fabulous effort she put into the rest of the decorating and food. I love being friends with entertainers!

Cheesy Potatoes 

(big thanks to Gail Klandrud at Mountain View Lutheran Church in Phoenix for this outstanding recipe)

2 lbs. frozen hash browns

1 16 oz. container sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

8 oz. shredded cheddar

Small bag potato chips

One stick butter

Grease a 9 x 13 pan.  Mix ingredients, place in pan and cover with crumbled potato chips.  Slice one stick of butter and place on top.  Bake at 375 for one hour.

Apple-Pear Salad with Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing 

(thanks to Southern Living Magazine for the base recipe that we tweaked a bit.

• 1 (16-oz.) baby spinach, thoroughly washed
• 1 (6-oz.) block Parmesan cheese, shaved
• 1 cup roasted, salted cashews
• 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 1 large apple, thinly sliced (Honeycrisps would be outstanding if available)
• 1 large pear, thinly sliced
• Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing (see below) 
• Toss together first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; serve with Lemon-Poppy Seed Dressing.

courtesy of Southern Living.

Photo: Beth Dreiling; Styling: Tyler Asbury

• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
•  Process vegetable oil, sugar, fresh lemon juice, poppy seeds, finely chopped onion, Dijon mustard, and salt in a blender until smooth. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week; serve at room temperature.