Heather Irwin JUST made my day! Never again while working in downtown Santa Rosa will I say anything about having a case of the "Monday's"
social media, tech, food and wine in a world that takes itself too seriously.
Heather Irwin JUST made my day! Never again while working in downtown Santa Rosa will I say anything about having a case of the "Monday's"
Recipe can be found on biteclubeats.com
Changed Bourbon for Brandy and pecans for toffee crunchies, but that is what makes this recipe so great... Well, that and the fact that you don't have to bake them (which I cannot seem to do without burning them) AND the booze stays in them!!
Currently cooling in the freezer...
I just recently started writing for the Examiner.com as the official Santa Rosa Vegetarian Food Examiner. Please take a minute to visit my first article I wrote and leave a comment if you so wish!
Sonoma County is abundant with local food producers that adhere to a high standard of farming that only comes with a true passion for what they do. Local foodies, both vegetarian and meat-eaters have the opportunity to be surrounded by foods that live up to this standard and love discovering the latest products and sharing them with their friends and family. Here is a list of holiday gifts for any of your vegetarian foodie friends:
Like most people, I am not a fan of the traditional fruitcake, but I do like fired foods & booze! THIS IS THE Cocktail I will be making at my holiday party next weekend! Pictures to come!
INGREDIENTS:
Deep Fried Fruitcake
Vegetable oil, for frying
Small cubes of chilled fruit cake
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup chopped nuts (recommended: walnuts or pecans)
1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) applejack brandy
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) hazelnut liqueur
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) black currant liqueur
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) cherry liqueur
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) cinnamon liqueur
1/2 tablespoon grenadine
Splash cream or Irish cream liqueur, optional
Ice
Special equipment: Colins glass
DIRECTIONS
To deep-fry fruitcake garnish:
Heat 4 cups vegetable oil in a deep-fryer to about 375 degrees F.
In a shallow dish, whisk 1 egg. Place the chopped nuts in another shallow dish. Dip the fruitcake cubes in egg and then roll in nuts. Put the fruitcake on a skewer or place in a small fry basket. Carefully place the fruitcake in the hot oil. Hold it under with a spider strainer to ensure even browning. It should turn golden in 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove the fruitcake to paper towels and let drain. Allow the fruitcake to sit and cool for about 5 minutes.
To make the cocktail:
Combine the applejack brandy, hazelnut liqueur, black currant liqueur, cherry liqueur, cinnamon liqueur, grenadine, and cream in a Colins glass, fill with ice and stir.
Garnish drink with a cherry and a cube of deep fried fruitcake on a cocktail pick.
Recipe courtesy Alie Ward and Georgia Hardstark 2010
Show: Holiday on the Rocks Episode: Holiday on the Rocks
I wonder if someone else has these adorable pillows in TOFU??
My fondness for cheese is a bit extreme... But this is a bit much! :)
Now that it is the first day of December, I am excited for more sweet potatoes and mushrooms! January oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, tangelos, lemons, papayas, cabbages: red, white and green; leeks, broccoli, cauliflower February oranges, tangelos, grapefruit, lemons, papayas, broccoli, cauliflower March pineapples, mangoes, broccoli, lettuce April pineapples, mangoes, zucchini, rhubarb, artichokes, asparagus, spring peas, broccoli, lettuce May cherries, pineapples, apricots, okra, zucchini, rhubarb, artichokes, asparagus, spring peas, broccoli, lettuce June watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, cherries, blueberries, peaches, apricots, corn, lettuce July watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, blueberries, peaches, apricots, kiwi, raspberries, plums, cucumbers, tomatoes, summer squash, corn, green beans, lettuce August watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, blueberries, peaches, apricots, kiwi, raspberries, plums, cucumbers, corn, eggplant, tomatoes, summer squash, green beans, lettuce September grapes, pomegranates, persimmons, eggplants, pumpkins, tomatoes, spinach, lettuce October cranberries, apples, pomegranates, grapes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, winter squash, broccoli, spinach, lettuce November cranberries, oranges, tangerines, pears, pomegranates, persimmons, pumpkins, winter squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach December pears, oranges, tangelos, grape fruit, tangerines, papayas, pomegranates, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower Always a Good Deal bananas, potatoes, celery (http://frugalliving.about.com/od/foodsavings/tp/Cheapest_Produce.htm)
Wholly CRAP! These look like pixie sticks with crack! These are definitely added to my holiday wish list.
The obsession won't ever end, will they? :(
After a nice dinner at zazu Restaurant in Russian River Valley, I came home to instantly plop my butt down in the living room to watch the Cooking Network. This new network is what the Food Network should be...
I was able to get home in time for Food(ography), an amazing show on the culture of food, hosted by Mo Rocca (one of my favorite guys from the Daily Show back in the day). The subject matter: yup.... You guessed it. Cheese. Grilled Cheese sandwiches, American cheese, cheese paired with craft beer and wines, etc. All making my mouth water like it was the hour before Thanksgiving.
One cheese that was brought up when talking about Grilled Cheese was I had never heard of: halloumi.
Halloumi or haloumi (Greek χαλούμι, Turkish hellim, Arabic حلوم ḥallūm) is a traditional Cypriot cheese[1][2][3] that is also popular in the rest of the Middle East[4] and Greece,[5] and is now made the world over. It is made from a mixture of goat's and sheep milk, although some halloumi can be bought that also contains cow's milk.[6] It has a high melting point, and so can easily be fried or grilled. Halloumi is set withrennet, and is unusual in that no acid or acid-producing bacterium is used in its preparation.[7]
A cheese that can be grilled? I NEED this in or around my mouth!
So... of course, being the geek I am, I googled this new cheese. This is my favorite blog post/recipe I found:

Cheese on the BBQ might sound strange, but that's what we are going to explore today - as well as some other ways you might use Halloumi cheese. Halloumi is a cheese indigenous to Cyprus. I think it is traditionally a mix of goat and sheep milk (anyone out there a specialist in Greek Cypriot cheeses?), but the halloumi I normally come across here in San Francisco is made just with sheep's milk. One of the things that makes this cheese so unique is that it can stand up to a tremendous amount of heat. At temperatures where other cheeses are reduced to a melted ooey-gooeyness, halloumi maintains its structure and develops a beautiful golden crust.
There are infinite recipe possibilities using halloumi, let's brainstorm: