Two New Discoveries

I love gin.

In the summer it tastes like linen.

In the winter, pine needles.

Hand me a gin & tonic or a French 75 at any party or happy hour, and you'll find a very happy girl.

Determined to find a GF gin, I went on a woman-hunt and found Watershed Distillery's Gin made from corn. Of course, I found it at the end of the month when I couldn't justify paying for booze over food. And when we got paid, I didn't see it again for at least three months.

On a recent shopping trip to Rossford, I stopped in my favorite liquor store Corks, hoping I might find it again. And there it was, saying, "Manda, you just got paid and I'm perfect for French 75's." As my friend G would say, "Sign me up!"

Seriously, if you are a gin lover, other gins are untouchable. Watershed's Gin is perfectly tart and zesty. Perfect for mixing or for a straight martini. And even better it's distilled with corn. Score for GF! And even better better? It's made in Columbus, Ohio. Score for locavore!

The juniper berries are so pronounced and lovely, I keep imaging what it would taste like with venison. Jamie Oliver's venison tenderloin with juniper berries. Maybe overkill to some, but a match made in heaven to me.

::Sigh::

The only other person I know who loves gin as much as me is my good friend and Spatula co-star Sarah.

Which leads me to my other new obsession: Chicken Pate with Cashews and Basil.

This weekend I lent a helping hand to prep for Sarah's hubby's bday celebration. Part of tradition is to homemake pretzels dipped in lye (sp?). (That all whole situation is for a different blog post, which I had every intention of blogging about that until I tasted the pate.)

For one of the spreads for the pretzels or an app, Sarah asked if I would take charge of the chicken pate. Sure, easy, whatever.

Little did I know I was getting my first taste of a whole new food addiction. (Seriously, are Candy and Jeff coming for me?)

Sarah put me in charge of the pate. I began by browning chicken breasts in butter. And by brown, I meant brown. Each piece was crisp, after a full 1/2 hour and 1/4 gin and soda. Then I added the cashews and garlic and let them cook until the garlic was just about brown. We were worried about time, so we stuck the browned chicken chunks, cooked garlic, and cashews in a freezer-safe bowl for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, I put the mixture into Sarah's awesome food processor, gave it a whiz, added the mayo, cheese, and hot pepper sauce, and then processed it again. It was a little thick, so we added about a teaspoon of chicken stock and gave it a whiz again. At last I sprinkled in the basil and stirred it.

Let's stop talking about it. I'm hungry.

I will say, though, give me a French 75 and Chicken Pate on Nut Thins and I'm golden. So much umami equals so much happiness. If only there were three more meals in a day...

The 67th Golden Globes

In honor of a tradition that stems from a good friend from grad school, I hosted a Golden Globe party last night. Guests were required to fill out ballots and a grand prize was awarded to the one who guessed the most wins. In addition to this healthy competition I upped the ante and help a "best appetizer" contest as well that had a nice grand prize too!

There's nothing like opening the door to guests with elaborate dishes and determined game faces.

While being a hostess is in itself very rewarding, I didn't have a chance to take a picture of each app. However, I'm going to do my best to recount each dish.

The grand prize winner: bacon-wrapped dates. A date wrapped in bacon is a perfect date for the Golden Globes. (Horrible pun intended.)

Also on the menu: bite-sized Caesar salad phillo cups; fresh from Sarah L.'s backyard hens deviled eggs with homemade mayo, caviar, and chives; red curry salmon bites; prosciutto bites with basil and cream cheese; mini Oreo crust cheesecakes; cranberry and sauerkraut meatballs, chocolate mascarpone toffee squares; and tomato swiss canapes.

I omitted myself from the competition, but I made chile-corn custard squares, spice crispies, and pimento cheese. (Please visit links for recipes.) The pimento cheese seemed to be the biggest hit of the apps I prepared, and it was definitely the easiest to prepare. I liked the spice crispies a lot. And the chile-corn custard squares were good but a little greasy; I don't think I'd oil the non-stick pan before baking.

And where there is good food there is always good company! I have to thank all of our guests for their generous and adventurous spirits. Seriously, it was the first party I've ever hosted where I left everyone gel and become a community of common folk. It was divine. I'm lucky to have such fabulous friends.

Congrats to Sarah L.--the app AND Golden Globes winner! She swept all the categories. In true Hollywood style.

Now, if only I could feel content that Sandra Bullock won best actress in a drama...

A Must-Have iPhone/iTouch App for Home Cooks

My dream has (almost) come true.

On my iPhone, not only can I watch Twilight as much as I want, but also I can now watch Jamie Oliver as much as I want.

Ah, the simple joys in life.

For $7.99, you too can download Jamie Oliver's 20 Minute Meals.

That seems pricey, doesn't it? I don't normally buy apps that aren't labeled as free. But this one is well worth the cash.

Not only does Jamie provide recipes, 50 of which are new--meaning, not found in his cookbooks or website--but also he has included an overview of each recipe, the shopping list for each recipe (which you can use to create your interactive grocery list, complete with being able to mark off the items in your cart), a photo step-by-step breakdown of the recipe (many of which include audio tips from Jamie), AND helpful hint videos on topics such as knife skills and pestle and mortar skills.

What's so fantastic about Jamie is, he isn't belittling or cocky in his how-to videos. He's just a dude who wants to help you enjoy cooking efficiently and intelligently. *Sigh*

I bought the app yesterday and already have next week's meals planned with my shopping list created! And I've watched almost every hour and half's worth of videos, which I found entertaining and informative. The app is simple, easy-to-use, and visually appealing.

Additionally, I get the impression from the app's description and Jamie's videos, too, that the app will be updated with new recipes and videos periodically. Cool?

Now, Michael Symon needs to create an app, and all my iPhone fantasies will be fulfilled.

App: Amuse Goose

Amuse Goose created by FD:

Grilled & Seasoned Wild Goose Breast from FD's collection

Bacon

Organic Whole Wheat cracker

Fresh Blue Basil

Fresh Orange Mint

Bleu Cheese

= Mind blowing party in my mouth