Crave – food & drink

Recipe – Persimmon Bread Makes 1 large loaf (5½  x 10½” pan) or 1 regular loaf (5 x 9” pan) plus 6 muffins 1 ½ c. ripe persimmon pulp 1 ¼ c. sugar ½  c. melted unsalted butter 3 large eggs ¼ c. sour cream (or plain yogurt) 2 t. orange … Read Entire Post

Crave – food & drink

Recipe – Bruschetta 8 slices firm, crusty Italian bread 2 cloves garlic, halved 3–4 T. extra virgin olive oil 4 medium, ripe tomatoes ½ c. fresh basil leaves salt and ground black pepper to taste Preheat oven to 400ºF. Core and dice tomatoes. (Note: I grow wild cherry tomatoes, so I sometimes … Read Entire Post

Crave – food & drink

Recipe – Stuffing (includes Vegan option!) 1 lb. firm French or Italian bread (including crusts), cut into ½-inch cubes (I like to use a mix of 6 oz. of French bread, 6 oz. of Italian bread, and 4 oz. of baguette) 8 T. butter (Vegan option: 4 T. extra virgin olive … Read Entire Post

Crave – food & drink

Recipe – Coffee Tequila Liqueur 6 cups sugar 1.5 cups instant coffee [e.g., Folger’s Classic Roast instant coffee crystals] 4 cups (1 quart) silver tequila [e.g., Milagro silver tequila) 1 vanilla bean Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Mix sugar and instant coffee together in a bowl, then … Read Entire Post

Crave – food & drink

Limoncello is crisp, fragrant and the color of sunshine. It’s a great way to get a dash of summer brightness without the UV rays. Serve it after dinner or anytime really. (Or, if you want to make something a bit more wicked, try the Imperial Limoncello.) Recipe – Limoncello 10 … Read Entire Post

Crave – food & drink

Looking for a Limoncello with a kick? Try this recipe! It’s more concentrated so it’s not as sweet as regular Limoncello. Recipe – Imperial Limoncello 10 Meyer lemons* 750 ml vodka (preferably 80 proof; e.g. Skyy Vodka) 3/4 cup sugar Wash the lemons with water and a vegetable brush to … Read Entire Post

Crave – food & drink

Recipe – Blue Crush champagne cocktail Ingredients: 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) Blue Curacao 1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) Chambord (or you can substitute black raspberry liqueur or black currant liqueur) 1 to 2 ounces chilled champagne or sparkling wine ice Directions: Combine Blue Curacao and Chambord in a cocktail shaker with ice. … Read Entire Post

Crave – food & drink

Recipe – Killer Mimosa champagne cocktail Ingredients: 5 or 6 medium-size fresh basil leaves (or 3 large leaves) 1 small sprig fresh rosemary 2 teaspoons sugar (or 1 stevia packet) 1.5 ounces (3 tablespoons) fresh squeezed orange juice 1.5 ounces (3 tablespoons) gin (e.g. Tanqueray) 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) chilled champagne … Read Entire Post

Crave – food & drink

Happy New Year! The Dark Surf Nightly test kitchen has 3 new champagne cocktails to help you ring in the new year. First up is a Limoncello Cooler. Later this month, I’ll share my recipes for my Killer Mimosa and Blue Crush champagne cocktails. Cheers! Recipe – Limoncello Cooler champagne cocktail Ingredients: 1 ounce (2 … Read Entire Post

Crave – food & drink

Here’s another refreshing way to enjoy limoncello—and it’s super-easy! Recipe – Limoncello & Tonic 1 ounce chilled limoncello 1/2 cup tonic water Pour chilled limoncello into a glass (e.g. lowball glass, old fashioned glass, rocks glass, short tumbler). Fill glass with ice. Pour tonic water over ice. Stir. Garnish with a fresh … Read Entire Post