The Lush Chef

Gee, 4th of July must have sucked in 1919, with Prohibition going into effect on July 1.  That's a great way to put a damper on one's Yankee spirit.  Luckily, all of you lushes no longer have to worry about that, and I'm sure all of you will be out and about during this long weekend, celebrating our country's independence (from the British and the Volstead Act) with plenty of delicious eats and libations.  Whether it's a BBQ, cocktail party or beach blanket bingo, I've got you covered.
There's nothing like pairing bourbon with grilled meats, and I now have two standbys for marinades.  Joy the Baker's Bourbon Orange Coriander BBQ Sauce may have a ton of ingredients, but it's simple to make and well worth the time.  Last summer, we lathered this sauce on grilled chicken, burgers, brats — basically any meat we had on the grill got a generous dollop of this sauce.  People were eating it out of the container...My other favorite marinade is this Sugar Steak with Bourbon.  With just three ingredients (brown sugar, red pepper flakes and bourbon), you can whip this up in no time and it's sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Speaking of brown sugar and bourbon...these Bourbon Glazed Peaches on the Grill elicited marriage proposals...from men and women.  My friends couldn't even wait for these to cool down before stuffing these in their faces, and they taste like peach cobbler.  If you want to actually make a peach cobbler, then this recipe for Tyler Florence's Bourbon Peach Cobbler has become my go-to.  Sticking with stone fruits and moving away from bourbon, these Nectarine Crostata use a little bit of vodka in the dough.  It's a great recipe to have in one's arsenal for the year, and the fruit can be changed with the seasons.  This would be killer with berries or any other kind of stone fruit, and the small size of the pastries makes them perfect for transporting to picnics.
Watermelon, that ubiquitous, big crowd-feeding fruit pairs so well with alcohol.  A Mojito Watermelon Salad with rum, mint, lime juice and pinches of cayenne and salt takes on the drink in salad form and is perfect for big family reunions where you need to take the edge off.  Pretty much those same ingredients can be transferred into popsicle form to make some Watermelon & Vodka Popsicles.  You might as well keep the party going by making this Bourbon & Watermelon Cocktail in large batches, preferably in a lined trash can.  People love trash can punches!  
Yes, margaritas are pretty much drunk all year-round in Southern California, but they still smack of summer to me.  These Margarita Cupcakes have tequila in the batter and the frosting.  The lime and touch of salt in the frosting really makes these taste like the real deal.  One of my other favorite desserts to make during the summer, and one that should only be served amongst adults, is this Tres Leches Cake.  I have very fond memories from the first time I served this cake at a dinner party in Topanga Canyon.  Everyone was already a little tipsy from all the wine, and this basically put everyone into happy, drunk mode.  Yes, you can get drunk off of cake...

If you're throwing a big party, you have to have some kind of sangria.  Take advantage of stone fruit season with this White Sangria with Peaches.  I like to add a little bit of basil to mine to give it a slightly herbal flavor.  It also reminds me of one of my favorite summer appetizers with peaches, basil and burrata.  I also toss basil in Spicy Strawberry Margaritas.  It balances really nicely with the strawberries and jalapeño-infused tequila.  And because I apparently crave Mexican-cocktails during the summer, the Paloma is a slight variation on a margarita with grapefruit juice and soda or grapefruit soda, and a Michelada is like if a Bloody Mary and Mexican beer had a baby.
Whether you're looking to batch these cocktails or make them individually, these next few truly take advantage of summer flavors and fruits.  I love libations that have the word "smash" in them.  They're fun to make and if you're not careful, you can get smashed.  This Plum Tarragon Smash contains whiskey, plums, tarragon, lime juice and club soda, and if you're not careful, can go down real fast.  And a Blueberry Smash takes on a patriotic color after you've smashed in blueberries, mint, lemon and lime juice with vodka and St. Germain.  Why make a regular mojito when you can muddle strawberries in them?  Finally, for a twist on a Vodka Lemonade, try using lemon verbena-infused simple syrup.

Today the Lush Chef is doing some much-needed relaxing with her family, and I hope all of you are as well.  But if you're in dire need of some Christmas cocktail recipes, here are a few of my favorites to sip on.  They're all hot cocktails, so hopefully you're in a cold climate, and even if you're not, they're sure to keep that holiday cheer going.

- Eggnog spiked with your favorite cognac, rum, whiskey, bourbon or brandy
- Wassail Punch with bourbon or whiskey
- Mexican Hot Chocolate with tequila
- Hot Apple Toddy with Applejack
- Whiskey Chai with rye whiskey
- Hot Pumpkin Buttered Rum with dark rum

It's been a rainy couple of weeks in LA and sometimes that can put a damper on one's holiday spirit, but nothing beats a warming spiced drink to turn that around.  I came back from the Sunday farmers' market a little damp and chilled, and all I was craving was a warm mug of eggnog.  This recipe comes from Michael Mina, and once you start making it at home, you'll never want to drink the store-bought stuff again.  It's so much creamier than anything you'd get in the store, and it's rich enough to serve for a holiday dessert.  It would probably also make for some killer French toast.  I think I just drooled typing that.  To Lush Chef this up, add your favorite dark spirit.  I used Rémy Martin cognac, but you can add brandy, dark rum, bourbon or whiskey.
Eggnog - serves 4
Ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise & scraped
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup cognac, brandy, rum, bourbon or whiskey (I used Rémy Martin cognac)

- In a large pot over medium heat, add the cream, milk, sugar and salt.
- Add the vanilla bean seeds and pod into the milk mixture.
- Simmer gently until the sugar is dissolved (about 5 minutes).
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks until slightly thick and bright yellow.
- Using a ladle, add about half of the milk mixture a little at a time to temper the egg yolks.  If you do this too quickly, they'll get scrambled...
- Return the tempered eggs back into the large pot and whisk over low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  If you feel like the mixture is too thick, you can add some more milk.
- Run the eggnog through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl.
- Add the nutmeg, cinnamon and your spirit of choice.
- Serve immediately and feel free to top with whipped cream and nutmeg.

For the first time in years, I won't be flying home to be with my family for Thanksgiving.  I'm sad to be missing this traditional meal with them and getting the Christmas tree a couple days later, but I'll still be having a delicious dinner and sharing it with people I care about here in SoCal.  I'm sure many of you have already planned out your Thanksgiving menu in it's entirety, and I typically do as well, but this year, the holiday snuck up on me.  Work kept me busy, but I also knew I would only be in charge of one dish and a cocktail, so I didn't need to plan too far in advance.  For those of you still looking for ideas, I bring you a very Lush Thanksgiving, with old family favorites and new recipes.

Earlier this week, I attended a pie-making class at SoHo House in West Hollywood (no, I'm not a member...sigh) with a friend.  Not only did their delightful pastry chef lead us through a class on how to make a pumpkin pie, but they also served a small group of us Grey Goose Pumpkin Pie Martinis.  Brand Ambassador Ron Patric shook up some tasty libations that smacked of autumn. It was like dessert in a glass and could easily get one quite tipsy if you weren't too careful.


SoHo House's pastry chef mixed up the pumpkin pie purée while we sipped our cocktails.  She exclaimed there would be no healthy substitutions in this recipe.  If you're going to have pie, then you have to go all the way, which means eggs, heavy cream, sugar...and some brandy.  The crust she used was a Speculoos crust, which I unfortunately don't have the recipe for yet (I'm working on it).  If you haven't had Speculoos before, then go find it...like right now.  It's a spiced cookie that hails from the Netherlands and is finally making it's way to the states in cookie, waffle and butter form.  And it's heaven!  Now, I'm normally not the biggest pumpkin pie fan because of the texture, but I loved this recipe - the pureé is really smooth and creamy.  Maybe it was because the chef used fresh pumpkin pureé (she recommends using the white or lighter-skinned pumpkins) and not the stuff from a can.  Either way, this is a great recipe to bust out just in time for Thanksgiving.  Oh, and be sure to make these cocktails while that pie is baking in the oven...

Pumpkin Pie Martini
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz Grey Goose La Poire
• 1/2 oz Allspice Dram
• 1/2 oz Licor 43
• 3/4 oz simple syrup
• 1 heaping tsp of pumpkin butter
• 3/4 oz lemon juice
• Cinnamon sugar & dried apple chip, for garnish

- Dip your finger into the simple syrup and rub along the outside edge of a martini glass.
- Run the top of the glass in the cinnamon sugar.
- Add all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake.
- Strain into the glass and garnish with the apple chip.

Pumpkin Pie - serves 8-10
Ingredients:

• 1 pre-baked and cooled 10" pie shell
• 2 cups pumpkin purée
• 3 whole eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 oz brandy
• 1/2 cup dark Muscovado sugar
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground mace
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt

- Preheat oven to 325.
- Have pie shell ready to be filled.
- Combine the purée, eggs, egg yolk, cream and brandy in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk until smooth.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar, ginger, cinnamon, mace, pepper and salt.
- Whisk the sugar and spice mixture into the pumpkin mixture until smooth.
- Pour into your prepared pie shell.
- Bake for about 50 minutes, or until set and lightly browned around the edges.
- Place on cooking rack to set before slicing in!

Who doesn't love ice cream?  About a year ago, a co-worker of mine had introduced me to Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream, which is based in Ohio.  Her mom would have pints of it shipped to here in California, and I soon understood my co-worker's obsession.  It was strengthened when I went over to my old boss' place and he pulled out a couple pints of homemade ice cream from the freezer.  He had gotten the recipes from Jeni's new cookbook for making ice cream at home.  It was insanely good and I was impressed with my boss for his ice cream making skills.  Now he's a good cook in general, but homemade ice cream?  Isn't that hard?  When he convinced me how easy it was, I had to get the book and an ice cream maker.  Because I have a stand mixer and very little room in my apartment, I opted for the Kitchenaid Ice Cream Attachment, which can be a little unwieldy for my old model mixer, but it works!

Libations used: 1/4 cup brandy, 1/2 cup red wine
Libations left over: Hmm, well you could make a cocktail with brandy or have a glass of red while those tomatoes are stewing.
Thanksgiving is imminent and the Lush Chef will be heading home to cook with her family, but in the days leading up to my trip, I needed something quick and hearty to get me through the next few days.  I had just spent the previous day wine tasting up in Santa Ynez along my favorite trail and didn't have the energy to make anything complicated or source a lot of ingredients.  Plus, aren't we all going to be cooking up a storm on Thursday?  The Lush Chef's dad sent her this recipe from DrinkMichigan.org a while ago and I had been craving tomato soup.  It's not a creamy tomato soup—it has more of a gazpacho-like texture, so it's healthier and packs plenty of flavor with all the herbs.  Their recipe recommends using cherry brandy, but I just used the regular brandy I had on hand and then a fruity Grenache Shiraz.

Red Wine & Brandy Tomato Soup - serves 8
Ingredients:

• 8 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs dried oregano
• 1 Tbs dried thyme
• 1 Tbs dried basil
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1/2 cup red wine
• salt & pepper to taste

- In a dutch oven or large sauce pot over medium heat, add the olive oil and sauté the red onion and garlic for about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, herbs, brandy and wine and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Make yourself a cocktail or drink a glass of wine.
- Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Put the mixture in a blender or food processor and pour through a strainer to get rid of some of those tomato peels.
- If you are craving a little richness, top with a dollop of crème fraiche.

When the Lush Chef is feeling down, she doesn't drink— she bakes.  Yes, that's right.  Drinking in the morning or early afternoon by yourself is not a healthy way to make yourself feel better, kids.  If you're doing that, you may need some therapy or AA.  But baking and sharing your culinary results can put a smile on someone's face or fill your own tummy, and that's a good thing.

So I baked muffins this past weekend so I could share them with my co-workers on a brisk fall morning.  I had tons of over-ripe pears that I needed to use up and this recipe for Spiced Pear Muffins from The Kitchn had been calling me for a couple of weeks.

Being the Lush Chef that I am, of course I found a way to incorporate some libations.  One of my favorite muffins that my mom made for me as a child were "Surprise Muffins," which were just a basic muffin but filled with different jams in the middle.  I did a twist on the surprise by mashing up some pears with a little sugar and brandy to make a chunky pair sauce and layered that in.  While you can't see it very well because of the color of the muffins and baked pears, you do get a an extra burst of pear when you bite into them.  I topped the muffins with a little turbinado sugar and cinnamon, but feel free to experiment with candied ginger, chopped walnuts or extra dashes of nutmeg on top.  And man, smelling these bake in the oven quickly put a smile on my face— so comforting and reminded me of home.

Spiced Pear Muffins with Brandy - serves 12
Ingredients for the muffins:

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 medium-sized pears, unpeeled and diced small
• cinnamon & turbinado sugar for topping

Ingredients for the pear brandy sauce:

• 2 small pears, peeled and diced small
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp brandy

To make the muffins:
- Heat your oven to 425 and place muffin cups in wells of pan.
- Using a mixer on high speed, cream the white and brown sugars and butter for about 1 minute, or until it resembles fluffy frosting.
- Mix in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated.
- Mix in the vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, spices and salt.
- With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by 1/3 of the milk.
- Continue alternating between the flour mixture and milk, mixing until the flour is fully incorporated.  Don't over mix!
- Scrape any remaining flour from the sides of the bowl and stir gently to incorporate.
- Add the pears and fold into the mixture.

To make the pear sauce:
- Add the diced pears, sugar and brandy to a small bowl and mash those suckers with a potato masher until it resembles a slightly chunky applesauce.  It's a great way to release any kind of aggression you may be feeling that day, and you're done!

- Fill the muffin cups about halfway with batter.
- Spoon about a tsp of pear sauce on top of the batter.
- Use the remaining batter to top off and make sure the pear sauce is completely covered.
- Sprinkle some turbinado sugar and cinnamon on top.
- Place the muffin pan in the oven and turn the heat down to 400.
- Bake for 10 minutes and then rotate the pan.
- Bake for another 10-15 minutes until muffins are done— that toothpick should come out clean, and the top will look cracked and toasted.

Libations used: 2 Tbs brandy
Libations left over: Make yourself a cocktail if you feel so inclined.
I'll be heading out to Oak Glen this weekend to pick a couple crates worth of apples (I'm a Michigan girl at heart), but I couldn't resist making an apple pie a couple weekends ago for a Lush Chef family dinner.  My mom makes the most amazing Dutch Apple Pie, but since this was a dinner filled with libations, I had to find a way to sneak something in.  Apples and brandy just work so well together (hello, Applejack!), so I tossed that in with the apple mixture.  The alcohol content burns off in the baking, but the brandy gives it another small depth of flavor.  You can have your cake brandy and eat it too. 

Dutch Apple Brandy Pie - serves 8
Ingredients for the pie crust:

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3-4 Tbs cold water

Ingredients for the pie filling:

• 6-8 cups of apples, peeled and sliced thin (always use 2-3 kinds - I used Granny Smith and McIntosh)
• 1/2-2/3 cups sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbs flour
• 2 Tbs brandy (I used Raynal's French Brandy b/c it's cheap)
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup flour

To make the pie crust:
- Cut shortening into small pieces.
- Add flour and salt.
- Slowly add cold water 1 Tbs at a time and work into mixture until dough comes together.
- Roll out and place in a 9" pie dish.

To make the pie filling:
- Preheat oven to 450.
- Mix apples, sugar, cinnamon, brandy and 2 Tbs flour.
- Pour into a 9" unbaked pie shell.
- Bake pie for 10 minutes at 450.
- Mix butter, brown sugar and 1 cup of flour and use your hands to crumble the mixture.
- Take pie out and drop the temperature down to 300.
- Put edge protectors on pie and sprinkle crumble mixture on top.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes and test for doneness by poking fork through (the apples should be soft and tender).
- Garnish with whip cream (I sprinkled a little cinnamon into it).

Libations used: 1 bottle white wine, 4 oz brandy
Libations left over: None
It's time to hit the pool or the beach.  The Lush Chef has once again picked up an over-abundance of peaches from the farmers market that she will not be able to eat fast enough.  What's a girl to do?  Make sangria, of course.  Living in Southern California, I actually drink sangria all year-round with the Lush Chef Taste Testers, and it's almost always the red kind.  That summer crop of peaches, however, calls for white wine sangria.  Your mother will be proud that you're getting your daily fruit intake too.

There's no real science to making sangria - wine, fruit, some other libation like vodka, gin, brandy, cognac, tequila (whatever you've got!), let it stew for a few hours and you're done.  So this recipe is really just a starting point.  Feel free to experiment, add your favorite fruits, use whatever cheap wine you can find and finish with any libation you desire.  I like to also add fresh herbs to my sangria for added color, so I tossed in some basil.

White Wine Sangria with Peaches - serves 4-6

• 1 bottle white wine - something light, crisp and fruity like a pinot grigio, riesling, sauvignon blanc.  I actually used a moscato I had on hand because I wanted something already sweet and not bother with adding extra sugar.
• 2 yellow peaches, chopped
• 1 medium sized orange,  sliced into small wedges
• 1 small lemon, sliced into small wedges
• 4 oz brandy
• 1/2 cup club soda
• 6-8 large basil leaves - chiffonade

- Combine above ingredients in a pitcher and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
- Serve in a glass over ice.

In preparation for Mardi Gras on Tuesday, I'm bringing you an old New Orleans' classic cocktail - the Vieux Carré (pronounced VO carRAY).  Most people think of the Sazerac when they think of vintage New Orleans libations, but I've never been much of an absinthe/Pernod fan.  This cocktail was first mixed in the Carousel Bar of the Hotel Monteleone by Walter Bergeron in the 1930's.  The name translates to "old square" after the French quarter where the hotel was located.   This is the perfect winter/spring transition drink with all those herbal and spicy notes playing around on your palate.

Vieux Carré - serves 1

• 1 oz rye whiskey
• 1 oz brandy or cognac - whatever you've got
• 1 oz sweet vermouth
• 1 tsp. Bénédictine D.O.M. - you can actually find this at Trader Joe's for a good price
• 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• lemon peel/twist for garnish

Combine all the liquors over ice in an old-fashioned and stir well until glass is chilled.  Garnish with lemon.