From the category archives:

Cocktails

A Recipe for Mexican Hot Chocolate with Rum

January 23, 2010

When you miss a place that’s far away, sometimes the easiest way to go back is to eat something that reminds you of that spot. But what if the taste you long for requires ingredients that are out of season…

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Classic Cocktails Revamped: The Ward 2010

January 4, 2010

I got my start in the restaurant business as a bartender. I wasn’t an arm-garter wearing mixologist with killer technique. I was a girl behind the bar, the person in charge of the party, a smart ass and a fast…

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Cold Cure Cocktail

October 27, 2009

It’s cold season and everyone I know is suffering. The most recent flu bug—a nasty twist on a head cold with a sore throat, congestion, and undeniable exhaustion—is taking down the best of ‘em. Even earnest, hand washing me.

I shouldn’t…

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Art of the Bar

August 31, 2009

I recently stumbled across a full-page spread in the August Bon Appetit devoted to a former friend from my days of bartending in Boston.

from Bon Appetit Magazine

I knew Misty as a hard working, spunky brunette that worked long hours…

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Home Bartending 101

June 16, 2009

I will always be grateful for the skills I’ve picked up while working in restaurants. Being able to clear multiple plates from a table is a great trick. The ability to recall the flavor profile of a wine upon mere…

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Farmers Market Cocktail Recipe

June 15, 2009

I’m one of those people that go to the farmers’ market with nothing more than a handful of dollars and a culinary mind that’s ready for inspiration. A vegetable’s texture and bright color sets my mind racing. A ripe piece…

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Salted Plum Haamonii Shochu Cocktail Recipe

May 18, 2009

It takes a masterful preparation of an ingredient to make a person forget their aversions. Just ask any mom how they get their kids to eat Brussels sprouts or how a great chef can make a fearful diner order the…

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Golden Phelps

August 22, 2008

It’s summer and trees are heavy with stone fruits. Nectarines, freckled with yellow, orange and red, drip with abundant juice. Peaches, heavy and fuzzy like an animal, feel alive in your hand. Plums—purple, ruby and gold—are so ripe they glisten…

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National Rum Day at home

August 16, 2008

Just this week, my friend Pilar–a beautiful brown haired Spaniard (whose picture is featured in my previous post)–scratched her cornea while getting dressed for work. The result: an hour in the emergency room, a quick application of medicated eye drops,…

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