When you daydream about a Caribbean vacation ... what do you envision?  Warm breezes ... swaying palm trees ... blue water ... and an ice cold tasty beverage!  Similar to the picture above, right?  But you're probably thinking, "Where's the paper umbrella?"

The Mai Tai and Pina Colada have certainly earned a reputation for being the preferred poolside drink, but I tend to go for a bit more brisk and refreshing liquid treat, such as a mojito. Which is why I was excited to learn that Hacienda Tres Rios had a signature drink with a unique twist to the typical sweet and minty flavor of my favorite beach beverage.  Replace the rum and mint with the local Native flavor of fresh crushed basil leaves and tequila ... and you have a Tequilajito.

I'm not usually a fan of tequila (bad college-year experiences with the lime and salt), but after a recent weekend retreat in Mexico that included a proper tequila tasting (see @SoloTraveler's article) , an adventurous culinary adventure with bugs (ever try a cricket?), and this tequilajito recipe ... I now really enjoy this blue agave–based spirit ... in moderation, of course.

One morning, Chef Oscar gave us a behind the scenes tour of the kitchen at Hacienda Tres Rios and afterward led us out to his garden where he grows all his own fresh herbs, peppers and spices.  I don't have a green thumb, but I was certainly green with envy.  I wish I had a garden.  But I travel too much and plants don't water themselves.

After taking in the savory scents of fresh rosemary, oregano and basil, we followed Chef Oscar to the grill by the pool where he made us some pre-lunch tequilajitos with the fresh basil I watch him pick with his own hands.  From garden to grill ... eh uhm ... see how I'm trying to justify my alcoholic beverage before noon?  It's 5 o'clock somewhere, right?

So I guess I've outgrown my anit-tequila college days.  When in Mexico ... do as the locals do.  And the locals drink tequila.

Rachelle & Kay with www.LocoGringo.com

Tequilajito

Ingredients

2 1/3 ounces lime juice

8 fresh basil leaves

3 brown sugar packets (about 3 tbsp)

1 1/2 ounces tequila

grapefruit soda

Directions

In a tall glass, add the basil, lime and sugar and crush them together with a spoon or pestle.

Add ice, tequila and grapefruit soda.

Garnish with lime and mint leaves.

Enjoy!

--Rachelle

a.k.a. @TravelBlggr

**Geek Note** I have several video cameras of various size.  A Sony v1u, a Sony SR11 HandyCam, and on this trip, a FlipCam.  What I LOVE about the flip cam is the size and convenience.  The software is a little elementary and the audio is just so-so ... but the flip side (hehehe) of that is how quickly you can edit and upload something.  Mucho gracias to my friend Jim with MacBeth Photo.  I think he let me borrow his FlipCam a year ago  ... and ... uhm ... it's still in my camera bag.  I'm loading it up with some great travel videos though!

<Disclosure>

###

If heaven on earth existed ... in my mouth ... it would be this.  The land of milk and honey.  Sinfully sweet and smelling of roses.  I encountered this delightful desert during a dinner at a trendy Indian restaurant, Nirvana Beverly Hills, with other bloggers ... so they didn't mind at all when I whipped out my phone at the dinner table to tweet that I was having some sort of delicious Oh-My-Gawd experience.    It was like falling in love for the first time and I wanted to proclaim it to the World.  You must be thinking that I'm over-reacting to a simple meal.  I admit, it could have been the sensual atmosphere of Nirvana which is candle-lit and oozing not-so-subtle hints of Kama Sutra with their artwork and menu descriptions.  Appetizers are called "Foreplay."  Entrees ... "Loss of Innocence."  And dessert ... "Sensuous Pleasures, Sin committed, but quickly forgotten."  Whoa.  I have to remember, this is Beverly Hills.

But I do believe that even if I wasn't under the glittery influence of LA, upon savoring this treat I still would have closed my eyes, left the earth and had a moment.  The taste of sweet roses ... not the scent of a flower, but it's flavor.  By the time I regained my senses the menus had already been lifted from the table and I didn't know my new lover's name.  I tweeted that I was having a sweet honey and rose flavored dessert.  Someone immediately responded, "you must be having Gulab Jamun."

I tried saying that out loud, but it sounded like I was trying to speak with a mouthful.  (Try it.  Right now.  Go ahead.  Say ... Guuuulaaaab Jaaamuuun.  See?)   So I just made a mental note of the roses and honey.  Later when I went to post about it again, in my insecurity of the language, I described them as honey rose donut holes.  Big mistake.  HUGE!  My Middle Eastern friends quivered at the comparison.  "Gulab Jamun are not donut holes!" they proclaimed.  But ... uhm ... they certainly look like donut holes?  Fancy rose scented ones at that!  Wikipedia describes them as waffle balls.   I once called them O.M.G. balls.  That didn't quite sound right either.  So let's just learn how to pronounce it correctly.  According to MacMillan Dictionary, it's /ɡʊˌlɑːb ˈjɑːmən/.

And here's how to make them ...

Start with some honey, powdered milk, and roses.

I actually used the roses to make tea.  Nirvana did give me a recipe for making rose water at home (posted below).  But I found it at my local grocer in the spice section as a natural gourmet flavoring ... or perfume?

The dry milk I was a little iffy about.  One of my chef friends suggested using  all whole ingredients (i.e. nothing powdered or dried).  So I looked up other recipes online for gulab jamun and all used powdered milk.  So I decided to stick to the recipe.  Doesn't look appetizing ... but works like a charm!

Add a little baking powder ...

As if the powdered milk wasn't enough ... add to that 2 1/2 cups of heavy cream.  Yeah ... these donuts ...I mean .... gulab jamun, are rich and creamy little cakes.

Mix together with a wooden spoon.  It gets a little sticky.

I was unprepared to have my photo taken ... against the only wall in my kitchen that is unpainted and undecorated.  Hair tossed in a clip and 70's ring-T on.  Ew.  At least the apron is flirty.  I'm actually standing on a stool to gain some leverage on this counter island for mixing.  Increasing my height by 8 inches also helps me channel my inner Julia Child.  But I digress ... back to the recipe ...

Cover your hands in flour and roll dough into 1 inch balls.

Confession: here's where I went wrong the first time around.

I'm a runner, so I don't cook/eat/prepare fried foods.  Ever.  I don't have a deep fryer.  I'm also the kind of cook that sometimes just throws from the hip and says, "let's try it!" without properly researching.

Google is at my fingertips.  I should have looked up "heating" and "boiling points" of oil.

But instead I followed the advice of Julia Child, "The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a 'What the hell?' attitude."

So, "what the heck!"  Let's pour some oil in a pan and turn the temperature up to high!   (By the way, I don't recommend this!)

And the first one goes in ...

(See ... that oil doesn't look hot, does it?)

Pop!  Crack!  Sizzle ...

Insta-Burn!

This happened in all of 3 seconds.  Seriously.  The recipe calls for them to reach a "rich mahogany color."  But somehow I don't think this fits that description.  Especially since it happened so fast that I doubt the inside cooked.  So ... we turned the heat to medium and waited a bit.  Learn from my mistake.

After the oil was at a sufficient "cook-instead-of-burn" temperature , we started getting some golden brown results.  PS ... my whole house now smells like fried gulab jamun from the burn experiment.

Meanwhile ...

The syrup is being made.

This is similar to a simple syrup used in drink making ... only with rose water and honey.  Bring sugar and water to a boil, then add 2 tablespoons of rose water.  I also added two tablespoons of honey after it cooled.

Pour the sugar water over the gulab jamun and let it soak in.

Gulab Jamun

Rose-Flavored Cakes in Sugar Syrup

from the kitchen of Nirvana Beverly Hills

Makes 25-30 Balls

The Sugar Syrup:

2 pounds sugar

2 quarts plus 1 pint water

2 tablespoons rose water***

The Dough:

3 cups dry milk

1 cup flour

3 tablespoons baking powder

2 ½ cups heavy cream

3 pints of oil for deep frying

Make the sugar syrup first: In a heavy saucepan bring the sugar and water to a boil, then let it thicken by cooking over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Add the rose water and keep the syrup warm at a low simmer.

In a large bowl mix the ingredients for the dough thoroughly to make a still batter. Let mixture sit for 10-15 minutes to set. Take a pinch of dough a little smaller than a golf ball and roll it between your palms to round it into a neat ball.

Repeat with the rest of the dough.

In a wok or heavy skillet, heat the oil over high heat until a haze begins to form, just before it begins to smoke. Carefully add the balls until the surface is covered. (If necessary cook the balls in more than one batch.) With a large spoon, start turning the balls just as they begin to take on color. After about 3 minutes, turn the heat down to medium-low, and continue to turn the balls until they acquire a rich mahogany color.

When the sweetmeats have achieved a luscious, deep color, turn the heat up to high for 2-3 minutes to add still more color and to firm the crust. Drain onto paper towels.

When drained, put the balls into a large bowl and pour the sugar syrup over them. Let them rest until the syrup reaches room temperature. They can now be eaten – but they will taste even better if allowed to “tighten” until the next day.

NOTE: Gulab Jamun will keep a week or more, stored in the refrigerator.

***How to make Rose Water:

5 large roses

2 quarts cool (not iced) water

Wash roses thoroughly in cold water. Pick off all the petals, reserving a few for garnish; put the remainder in a large ceramic jar. Pour the cool water over them and set them aside in a dark place (away from any sunshine) for at least 4 hours. Strain the rose water and discard petals.

--Rachelle

a.k.a. @TravelBlggr

###

Rachelle with the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento and Mt Vesuvius in the background.

The Amalfi Coast is often described as breathtaking.  Now, having been there, I could argue that it's not the scenery that takes your breath away, but the insane way that Italians drive while ignoring any form of lane boundaries and taking cliff-side curves at high speeds.  It's enough to turn your hair white.

I arrived in Naples by plane and Sorrento by bus ... and I have to say ... next time, I'll go by boat.  I'll skip the chaos of Alitalia and the "oh-my-gawd-this-bus-is-going-to-tip-off-this-cliff" moments.  In Italy, there really are no road rules. The bigger your vehicle, the more people will get out of your way.  Unless you're in the smallest of vehicles, in which case you'd be a cuckoo kamikaze ridin a Vespa at top speed weaving in and out of

Which way to go?

traffic defying the laws of physic the whole time.  At least the other tourists would get out of your way as they gasped, "are you insane?"  Personally, I'd feel safer arriving to the Amalfi Coast by boat.  But then again, I wouldn't have such fun stories to tell.  After all, it's not an adventure unless your risking your life, right?  So it's no wonder they serve limoncello in Sorrento ... at the end of the ride there you need a little something hard and sweet to calm your nerves.  And I'm not talking about Italian men.  Well, maybe.  Okay, just a little.

Soooo, back to transportation and Italian men.

Stepping out of the airport in Naples and walking to find the bus that would take our group to Sorrento, there was a man whose frame I swear was chiseled right out of a  Roman God statue mold.  Tall and tan, jet black hair slicked back in true Soprano's style with a little curly cue brushing his forehead. He had on a tight pair of designer jeans, white "wife beater" tank top, a gold chain with (you guessed it) a gigantic hunk-of-a gold cross, Italian leather shoes (of course) and big girlie-like Prada sunglasses. This man was our bus driver. Oh lord, help me.  The stereotype in flesh and blood.  I giggled and then hoped that no one noticed.

Grand Entrance

The ride to Sorrento from Naples is about an hour and well worth the car sickness.  I think this little seaside town gets overshadowed by some of the more popular destinations like Naples, Pompeii and Positano.  Sorrento is small and can easily be walked through in a day.  It's full of shops peddling handmade linens and Italian leather goods with little family owned restaurants piping the scents of fresh lemon, basil and seafood to lure you in for a leisurely Italian lunch.

Just a short uphill drive (literally ... and somewhat like an extended version San Fran's Lombard Street) you'll find my other two favorite Italian towns, Santa Agata and Massa Lubrense.  This is where my second adventure began.  First, my goal was to survive hurling while being driven around the Amalfi Coast ... and I don't get car sick.  The second test of my sense of adventure was the entrance to our bed & breakfast.  I have it pictured here, because I know you'd think I was exaggerating.  It was a dirt pathway leading to an unfinished building under construction.  Seriously.  Are you looking at the picture?  The cab had already driven off in a cloud of dust and I'm surrounded by olive groves so there is no where else to go but down this road.

Balcony & View

When you've traveled all day, when you've had nothing to eat but airport food, when you're feeling grimy and craving a clean shower, when you can still taste the vomit in the back of your throat from fear that your life was going to end in a tour bus rolling down a cliff side into the Mediterranean ... this is not the entrance you envision schlepping your luggage through.

I gulped.  Then I tilted my head to the side and said, "for real?!" Then I chuckled.  Then I laughed so hard I wheezed, couldn't breathe, and my gasps for air turned into snorting through my nose ... I do this when things go wrong when traveling.  I'm fun that way.  I put on my best zen-like yoda face and pulled my luggage through the dirt.  Wheels on the bottom of the bag didn't matter since they weren't built for bumpy back roadin.  I deliriously smiled from ear-to-ear thinking, "this is either going to be really interesting or I'm going to have to pick some olives from these trees for dinner."  Thankfully, the house at the end of this dusty road was spectacular!   Italian tile tubs, big kitchen, and a balcony with a view of the coast. Aaaaah.  I like happy surprises.  Pass the limoncello now please.

Other delightful surprises I found in Santa Agata?  Well, for starters, they produce one of the most divine white wines that have ever touched my lips, Mustilli, made with the Falanghina varietal grape.  And I was even more amused that they use a glass cork.  Nifty.

Just down the road a bit from Santa Agata is Massa Lubrense.  This town has a special place in my heart for the 8 course family made Italian meal we enjoyed for about $30 Euros per person.  Two of  the most memorable meals in my life took place at Lo Stuzzichino and Fattoria Terra Nova.  I had the pleasure of celebrating a friend's birthday on this occasion and this particular year ended in a zero so it was a special one.  Lucky for us, he speaks Italian and is major foodie, so we went on quite the gastronomic ride.  He recreates these same mouth-gasmic dishes at his B&B in the States, The Adora Inn.

John with Stuzzichino Chef

.  I may be of French descent, but I  have to give the Italians credit for really knowing how to make dinner a slow food event.  First they start with a antipasto, then pasta, then fish, then beef, then more antipasto, then a cheese plate, then desert, THEN salad, and then ... the limoncello.  Limoncello is actually just one of a variety of after dinner liquors they serve.  Among the choices, I remember one called "rocket" that was a lettuce liquor.  Radicchio.  It was delish.  But I'll stick to making limoncello at home since I'm not too confident in what would happen if I stuck a bunch of lettuce in a liter of vodka.

So, next time you're driving home from a long day and you've done the equivalent of schlepping heavy baggage down bumpy dirt roads ... and then traffic is bumper-to-bumper... and the guy in the lane to the left of you is picking his nose ... and you glance up in the rear view mirror and notice the lady behind you putting on mascara while driving ... and some annoying song that you've heard 100 times is playing on every radio station available ... just think, "I could be in Italy right now and the traffic would be 10 times worse.  Though, there would be the decedents of Roman gods driving vespas shirtless weaving in and out of traffic passing you by as they said, 'ciaoooo bellaaaa.'" And after that thought you get even more ticked.  You let out a sigh.  Then, go home and make some limoncello.

Let us begin ...

The recipe came from a kitchen towel I found at the open air market in Sorrento.  I have it posted at the end in both Italian and in English.

You'll need to peel approximately 8 lemons.  I found it easiest to use a bar tool called a channel knife since it gives you nice long strips of lemon peel.  Still haven't figured out yet how bar tenders get the little curly cue thing with it ... but I tried.  Aim the peel at the opening of the container so that it will catch the oils released.  Be warned ... your hands and nails will be sticky and yellow, but they'll smell citrus clean!

Add your lemon peels to glass containers that can be hermetically sealed.

Okay.  Now imagine me at the liquor store looking at the 50 different options there are for vodka.  Not only are there a bajillion different brand names, but vodka is now available in every flavor under the rainbow!  You name it, they've got it.  Pear vodka. Chocolate vodka.  Raspberry Vodka.  Espresso vodka.  I called at least 2 or 3 of my guy friends (being a little stereotypical there ... as if guys know more about vodka then women, eh?) and asked for some advice on brands and they were all nodding their heads (yes, I could see this over the phone.  Or sense it anyway) that brand does indeed matter.  Apparently the *cheap* stuff will give you a headache.  Not in my life have I ever had enough vodka to analyze the morning after effects.  But what I DID want to experiment with was flavor.  Will the citrus flavored vodka create a limoncello with more zing than a regular plain vodka?  That is the question.  This all of a sudden felt like a 7th grade science fair exhibit sans the 3 paneled poster board, and, well, obviously that I wouldn't be testing vodka in 7th grade.

I labeled each container appropriately so we'd know for sure which is which.   And then I realized my insatiable curiosity created us wonderful reason to plan a  limoncello tasting!

Let the "games" begin.  On this side of the ring we have Absolut Citron.  Smells citrus-y.  Looks clear.

And our next contender is just plain Absolut.  Plain, but strong.  Puts hair on your chest.  That's why I'm adding lemon and sugar because I don't need hair on my chest.

Pour them separately into the appropriately marked containers with lemon peels.

Now ... the not so fun part.  You've got to let it marinate for a couple of days.  What to do while you wait?  Drink wine.

Seal the containers tightly and let it sit in a cool dry place for a minimum of 4 days.  The longer you wait, the stronger the lemon flavor.  Some recipes call for letting it sit for up to 3 months.  I wasn't that patient this time.  On the 4th day ... we made limoncello!  This is where it gets just a little messy ... so stand at your sink.  You want to strain the peels out of the liquid, so we poured them through a fine strainer into a large bowl, and then poured the lemon infused vodka back into their appropriate container and added the sweet simple syrup.  Look how yellow that vodka turned in just 4 days!

Chill.  Serve. Drink.

Pour into fancy bottles and give away as gifts.  Enjoy.

In Italian & English ...

Limoncello

Ingredienti

un litro d' acqua
un litro d' alcool
un chilo di zucchero
otto limoni

Prendere degli 8 limoni solo le bucce tagliandole sottili e mettendole in infusione dentro l' alcool.  Il tuuto in un barattolo ermeticamente chiuso.

Aspettate quattro giorni ed unite l' infuso d' alcool con lo sciroppo che avrete preparato con un Kg di zucchero in un litro d' acqua tiepida.  Mescolate e lasciate riposare il tutto una decina di mimuti, filtrate ed imbottigliate.  Si Serve molto freddo.

Lemon Cello

It's hot enough to sizzle an egg on the roof of my car at the moment.  Summer ... time for a cool dip in the springs, swaying with the waves in the ocean and consuming all things chilled.  I think this quote says it best ...

"Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it." ~Russel Baker

It's the time of year where as much as I love a hot breakfast, sometimes I just want something refreshing and cool to the tongue.  Tom & Wendy Lynde from the Braeside Inn Bed & Breakfast sent me this recipe for a Cranachan Smoothie. It's a Scottish recipe, which I think is appropriate since I'll be working on a video for Scottish themed book by Karen Hawkins next week. Only, after doing some research, I have to ask Tom & Wendy, "where's the whiskey?"

The Braeside Inn is located near Gatlenburg, Tennessee, in the town of Sevierville.  It's an area known for the great outdoors with hiking and white water rafting in the Great Smokey Mountains.  If you have some time to doodle on the the web, their site is pretty fun ... just a friggin huge url ... but still fun ...

InspirationComesEasyIfYouKnowWhereToLook.com

Named a Best of BedandBreakfast.com Award Winner for Best Food, 2009-2010, I was thankful this recipe was simple enough that I could make it at 4:30 am for one of my morning marathon training runs if I needed to.  Here's the scoop ...

You only need four ingredients.  Add them to a blender.  You're done.  Easy peasy, huh?  To demonstrate ... here is a "before" and "after" picture ...

Now, to be truly authentic Cranchan ... it should have raspberries ... and whiskey.

This is a breakfast-ized version (i.e. no alcohol) with berries that were in season at my local grocer.

Cranachan Smoothie

From the Braeside Inn, Sevierville, TN

This traditional Scottish dish makes a wonderful alternative for a first course breakfast fruit. Just a spoonful or so of rolled oats gives substance to this tangy, invigorating starter.

Makes 4 medium glasses:

1 ½ tbsp medium rolled oats

1-cup raspberries or frozen mixed berries

1-2 tsp honey

3 tbsp plain low fat yogurt

1) Place the rolled oats in a heatproof glass cup measure. Add ½ cup boiling water and leave to stand for about 10 minutes.

2) Put the soaked oats in a food processor or blender and add the berries. If using the raspberries reserve several berries per glass for garnish. A slice of Kiwi fruit or sprig of fresh mint can be substituted for the berries.

3) Add the honey and about 2 tbsp of the yogurt to the food processor or blender. Purée the ingredients until smooth, scraping down the side processor or blender midway through if necessary.

4) Pour the smoothie into glasses, swirl in the remaining yogurt and top with garnish.

###

How would you like for me to bring dinner to your home?

Hmm?

I can, and will!  Well ... sort of ...

Bertolli offered to throw me and my friends (and one lucky reader) a wine pairing party. SWEET!  (Read my fancy schmancy disclosure).  MY response of course was, "did someone say wine?  Mmm.  Wiiiiiiiiiiine.  Vino.  Travel to Italy?  Ooooh ... "

It's part of their Into The Heart of Italy webisodes.  (How do I get a gig working on videos like THAT!?!  Italy's calling my name ... Tuscan cowboys?  I'm so there ... ) They made it easy with their wine pairing guide.  The varietals were recommended, but it was my choice in wine.  What fun!  I have to confess ... I picked the wine first ... and THEN paired it with the food.  Pinot noir is my favorite, and Bertolli had two pastas paired with a pinot, so I went with the roasted chicken linguine.  Is it shameful to admit that I picked a wine that cost 3 times as much as dinner?  Naaaaaah!  They just suggested a pinot ... I picked La Crema.  I know it's not Italian, but I took a vine-cation last year where a guy had on a La Crema t-shirt that said "pinot envy."  Yeah ... it's that good.

I'm not usually a white wine kinda girl, but there was a new wine our local grocer was promoting and I got suckered in by the label ... Cupcake. Sweet sounding name, but not a sweet wine.  It was actually crisp and refreshing.  We were all pleasantly surprised by that one.  A lot of ooohs and aaaaahs at the table when we tasted it with the stuffed shells.

Since my friend Beth and I are training to run the NYC marathon and our increased mileage over the summer is going to require more pasta dinners, this was actually really good timing.  Well, it seemed like good timing until I got a call form my agent the very same day about a call back for a commercial where I was also going to need to model my hands.  Which means ...

A) no sharp objects and ...

B) no hot ovens that could burn fingers or wrists.

Darn. Considering just last month I nearly cut off my pinky with a new knife, this was going to be a challenge to cook for my friends, even if it did come pre-made in a bag.  So even though I had emailed my pals and offered to cook them dinner ... I showed up with my super-duper-moisturizer gloves on and a clever plan ...

My friend Beth and I did what any smart woman would do ... we drank the wine and let "the men" cook.

This is where it got real  interesting ...

Meet Jim & Mike.

Two guys that love to photograph food ... but never cook it.  In fact, if you ask either of them what's for dinner, they'll usually answer you with one word ... Guinness.  This was going to be a good lesson for them.

Good thing Beth is a goddess with a wine key and that I pre-made dessert ... 'cause we had to start with the basics.

Like ... how to open a bag.

No, no, Mike ... not with your teeth ...

Or a box cutter ...

There  we go.  They found the scissors.  Now we're getting some where.  And Beth and I are getting hungry ... and tipsy.  Jim is staying hidden from the camera.  He does that often.  Don't believe me ... check out his profile pic. Thank goodness Mike is starting to get it under control.

Or so I thought until I caught him taking at peak at the trash can ... to find the directions ...

I will confess and give the boys break here. I goofed with the wine pairings a bit.   The stuffed shells take about 45 minutes to bake in the oven ... but they were the one's I paired with the white wine which you would traditionally have before red.  The linguine only took 10 minutes ... drat.

No, no Mike.  Not the microwave.  Besides, it's the shells we need to speed up ... but they're already in the oven so we're just gonna roll with it.

Beth and I are sticking with the pinot and directing the action in the kitchen.

Mike burns his tongue.  Tsk. Tsk.

But look at that!  What the guys lack in cooking skills, they certainly make up for with their camera skills.  And thankfully Bertolli saved them too ... because it tastes as good as it looks.  Swear.  If Mac made a scratch and sniff computer screen ... you'd be enveloped by some tomato-y cheesy basil-y goodness right now.

Mike pours more wine.  Smart man.

Voila!  Dinner is served!

At first, Jim said, "not to sound cheesy, but it does taste like it came from a restaurant."  Way to make it sound like a sales pitch Jim.  Like you work in advertising or something.  I made him take another sip and another bite and come up with something more ... sincere.   After a few more sips of wine he confessed, "if I had to make this from scratch, I wouldn't.  I'd spend all day chopping and dicing and I'd probably forget an ingredient."  Now THAT sounded more like it.  Especially coming from a man that drinks Guinness for dinner.  In fact, Guinness, if you're reading ... these two boys would LOVE to do a sample tasting for you.  They take awesome pictures.  Just sayin.

Mike's only response was "Mmmmm."  I think I traumatized him by making him cook.  Give him some kudos in the comments ... I think he did a mighty fine job.

Beth's response was, "the wine and pasta is a party in my mouth."   That's a HUGE compliment, Bertolli.  She's Jersey Italian.  And no one beats her Mom's homemade sauce. No one.  In fact, I think that comment just started a Jersey-licious cold war.

This is me ... after one and a half glasses of wine.  Yeah, I'm a light weight.  And someone said something funny and made me laugh so hard I did the whole not-breathing-shoulder-shake-vein-popping-out-of-my-forehead thing.

Nom. Nom. Nom.

All gone!

So ... I promised I would bring dinner to your home ... and here's how ...

Watch the video below to take a little mini trip to Italy with Marisa and Rocco.  Leave a comment about the video below and answer the episode's clue.  One reader's comment will be randomly selected to receive the same party we had which included the following ...

• VIP coupons for four Bertolli Frozen Meals for two that will transport you to Italy in just 10 minutes
• Two, CB2 Verona Pasta Serving Bowls
• Four, Crate & Barrel Rotate Plates
• Crate & Barrel Marble Wine Chiller
• Crate & Barrel Wine Decanter
• Bertolli Wine Pairing Guide and $50 of gift cards to purchase wines complimentary to your meals

Here's the skinny ...

"In this episode, celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito and actors Marisa Tomei and Dan Cortese explore Italian wine cellars, learn how to taste wine, visit Montepulciano and prepare Chicken Marsala. But you don’t need to search a wine cellar to enjoy the authentic taste of a slow-simmered wine sauce in your Chicken Marsala. With Bertolli Frozen meals you’re just minutes away from a luscious Italian experience in the comfort of your own home."

Watch. Comment. Taste. Mmm.

Deadline for contest is tomorrow night!

I guess I've gotten to the point now, after creating many a recipe (and screwing up a few dishes to boot) where I can take a peak in my fridge, throw together some ingredients and make something good.  Of course, one can never go wrong with bourbon.  It just sounds good.  Even better with a slow southern drawl ... go ahead and try it ... I'll wait ...

buuuuuuh bon.

That's right brath-ah's and sist-ah's ... this is my sweet tooth revival.

This got me thinkin about a good old southern accent.  I used to work with a girl from Alabama that could insult you seven different ways to Sunday, but her tone would have you tricked into thinking she just invited you to her house for coffee.  And then there are guys out there like Matthew Maconahay, that even without his devilish good looks could talk a girl he just met into doin somethin she woudn't wanna write home about.  Just sayin.

Out of sheer curiosity, I Googled "southern drawl" and this is what I found ...

They actually label it "Southern American English" or SAE.  It's characterized by R-dropping, use of the circumfix -in' (as in hootin' and hollerin'), and my favorite ... "yonder."   They also describe gliding vowels as a diphthong.   My thought was, "ah whaaaht?  A dip-a-thong?" I'm just gonna leave that alone.  But we'll make today's post fun by writing in an SAE accent.  It will sound sweeter.  And will probably make you hungry.  Play along with me now y'all and read it aloud.

The weekend of the Kentucky Derby, some friends-o-mine were makin mint juleps an had a gigantic bottle of whiskey on hand.  It was so enormous, that, despite the fact there were at least 10 people at their derby party garage sale coolin off with a mighty minty drink ... I'm sure they'll be plenty left that'll last until next year's derby.  I didn't think they'd mind (or even notice!)  if I stole their normal sized bottle of Jim Beam for some recipe experimentation.

On to the experiment ...

Grab y'all some peaches and a big ole loaf a bread and start layerin it all in a large bakin dish or pie pan. (This reminds me of my former boss and friend that would say "pah" instead of "pie."  She said I pronounced it "pye" instead of the proper "pah."   I do admit though, the way she said "pah" sounded like it had less calories and tasted better than pie.   Potato ... potahto ... )

Then whip togethah about a dozen eggs, a cup of milk, a cap of vanilla, some sug-ah ...

And a splash of bourbon ...

okay ... maybe a little more than a splash ...

Pour the whisked whiskey egg-y mixture over the bread and make sure all the dry ingredients get good and soaked.  You can even make this ahead of time, cover it, and let it sit in the fridge to allow the bread to absorb every last drop of the egg-y mixture.

If you are pressed for time, press the bread down with your finger.  *wink*

Sprinkle with some brown sugar.  Oh, wait ... I meant brown "shug-ah" ...

Bake at 350 for 55 minutes ... let cool ... then serve!

Several friends had texted, Facebooked and tweeted me about entering the Paula Deen recipe contest, and this is one dish that could definitely get better with cream cheese!

See how I made it in the video at the top of the post.

Bourbon Peach Bread Pudding

from Inn The Kitchen

Ingredients

Who would have thought I would find a little French flair in the Midwest?  This fun twist on French toast comes to us from Harbour Ridge Inn located in Osage Beach,  Missouri.   The innkeeper, Sue,  likes to cook with wine and liquors ... and I couldn't agree with her more!  I mean, is there really ever a better morning than one served with Grand Marnier or Chambord?  Well, let me rephrase that.  Drinking it straight up would be a rude awakening.  Coffee is my preferred sin.  But either of these liquors baked into some yummy custard goodness where you get just a hint of citrus or raspberry flavor is a great way to add a smile to your lips when you start the day.

And actually, it's not far off from what was the original recipe for French toast in the 1600's.  According to the Oxford English Dictionary,  back then it was made with day old bread, wine, orange juice and sugar.  Mmm.

So let us begin ...

BAKED CINNAMON FRENCH TOAST

from the Inn at Harbour Ridge, Osage Beach MO

(Serves 6 or more)

12 slices cinnamon swirl or cinnamon raisin bread (Pepperidge Farm)

1/4 cup butter or margarine

9 eggs

1 quart milk, whole milk preferred

2 cups whipping cream

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract

1 TBS Grand Marnier or Chambord

Warmed preserves to compliment liquor

1) Grease 13 by 9 by 2 baking dish.  Then add six slices of bread.

2) Butter remaining bread and place with butter side up over bread in pan.

3) In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and add milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla.  Mix well and pour over bread. Let stand overnight.

4) Place the dish of French toast in a larger baking pan to form a water bath. Pour boiling water into larger pan to a depth of 1".  Bake, uncovered at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

5) Serve with preserves, whipped cream and your favorite coffee.

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Looking to get lucky this Wednesday ...

Where is YOUR mind going with that?  I'm talking about St. Patrick's Day!  If you're the type that pulls out your green sweater and flips through your iPod to find some Celtic music to get into the spirit of things (eh uhm ... I'm not describing myself at all), then this recipe's for you.

Irish Scones.

If you want to be fancy schmancy, you could even pronounce them the way the Irish do, as "SKONS" instead of "SKOANS."  But it's more likely that your family would just look at you kind of funny and think you haven't had enough coffee quite yet.

I researched to see exactly *what* makes them Irish and to be honest I couldn't find anything definite other than the added ingredient of raisins and serving with strawberry jam and whipped cream. It's debatable where scones historically came from, but most agree it was Scotland. Just don't tell the Irish!  If you're interested in reading more about the history of this morning treat or other foods, check out the cutely named website,  The Nibble.

Scones are made with really basic baking ingredients.  I would liken them to a sweet biscuit.  Here's what you'll need ...

Add your dry ingredients to a large bowl and blend together with a whisk ...

The recipe calls for "bread soda" in addition to baking soda.  I coudn't find any at my local supermarket, so I omitted the bread soda from this batch of scones and they turned out just fine!

Add the butter in whole and "chop" it in.  You can do this best with a pastry blender.  If you don't have one, don't sweat it. You can usually find one at your local supermarket.  And who doesn't love a reason to buy a fun new kitchen gadget?

The curved wires of the pastry blender help blend in the butter ... plus it's a good stress relief exercise.  :o)

At this point, it was still a little powdery and not sticky enough to form a dough, so I added about 3 more tablespoons of butter then the recipe called for.

That did the trick!  Now I've got nice clumpy breadcrumbs.

Add a handful of raisins.  Looks like I added about 3 handfuls of raisins.  What can I say, I like my chewy bits.  I'm the type of girl that whips her spoon around to dig all the "cookie" bits out of cookies and cream ice cream and leaves a puddle of melted dairy in the bottom of the bowl.  I know I'm not the only one ... you know who you are!

Pour in enough buttermilk to bind, about a 1/2 cup.  The recipe's measurement was "enough milk" ... so I had a whole cup on hand. Buttermilk is one of those baking wonders.  If you've never baked with it before and now find yourself with a half a carton left in the fridge after making this recipe, click here for a fabulous orange muffin recipe where you can use your left over buttermilk.

Mix together with a wooden spoon.  You can also use your hands ...

... just remember to flour them up!  OOPS!  Guess I got a little zealous with my baking and dove right in without thinking.

Okay, now that my hands are nice and powdering with some all purpose flour ...

mold the dough into a disk ...

You could cut it like a pizza and make scone "wedges" which are a popular way to cut them as I did with the blueberry scones.  However, we wanted to make it a little more fun.  I asked the photographer for a glass ... he could only offer a pint ...

Well, at least it's keeping in the spirit of St. Patrick's day!

Bake your scones at 375 for about 10 to 15 minutes depending on your oven.  They should rise up just a tad.

We were baking enough for an army so I could bring them with me to the Daytime studio to share, so I found it easier to use parchment paper for easy clean up and disposable baking sheets instead of my baking stone.

If you haven't met already, I'm going to introduce you to your new best friend in the kitchen.  A carton of whipping cream.

Do you usually by the canned stuff?  If so, then you're going to squeal with delight at how easy it is to make whipped cream.  Just works out your forearm muscles a little.  And trust me, this little carton can do more than just make your coffee blonde.

With nothing but a whisk and a sprinkle of sugar you can whip it into the softest, creamiest whipped cream you've ever had in your existence.  No more squirt stuff.

Now, I really love my scones with a cup of tea.  But since my friends Jim & Beth only had English tea cups, we thought that would be sacrilige.

They've lived across the pond and swore to me that Guinness for breakfast is not just acceptable, but normal.  So, here's a toast to a real Irish breakfast for St. Patrick's Day.  Cheers!

Theresa's Iron Horse Irish Scones

from the Iron Horse Inn, Granbury, TX USA

Ingredients

12 oz all purpose flour

3 tbs butter

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp bread soda

3 tbs sugar

Handful of raisins

Buttermilk to bind

Directions

1) Combine flour, baking and bread soda’s.

2) Chop butter into flour and work with fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add raisins and enough buttermilk to bind the mixture into a workable dough.

3) Form a ball and knead a couple of times.  Roll out to ½ inch thickness.  Cut with cookie cutter (or a glass) and place on baking sheet.

4) Bake in oven at 375 for 10 -12 minutes. Cool for a short time until they are warm.  Serve with strawberry preserve and whipped cream.

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During busy weeks, sometimes my breakfast is fast and on the go.  I'll tear open a highly processed carbohydrate in a foil wrapper, and, if I plan well,  it will at least accompany an apple or banana.

But this is a much better way to enjoy fruit in the morning. It's kind of like a smoothie, except this is meant for a leisurely morning savored slowly, seated at a breakfast table and sipped with a spoon instead of a straw.

At the Bloomsbury Inn, this is the first course in a three part breakfast.  Yes, their morning includes an appetizer, entree and dessert.  Isn't that divine?  Though this is the first course, it could certainly be dessert for me.

Kathleen, Innkeeper at the Bloomsbury, said that she finds it to be a challenge to find new, exciting, unique fruit options.  (I need to send her a link to my hot pink fruit breakfast!  That one wasn't just unique, it was funky!) Her cold fruit soup recipe is definitely a fun and different way of adding fruit to your morning meal.

Let's get started with cooking.  Or in this case, I should say mixing.  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with how simple this is to put together.

Notice that I picked "fat free" yogurt, "light" whipped cream and "lite" peaches and placed them right next to the "heavy" whipping cream.

Ha!

The recipe Kathleen gave me leaves the option open for choosing the fruit.  From berries to mango and even honeydew.  But I decided to have a peachy morning since it's the state fruit for South Carolina.

Unfortunately, peaches are not in season at the moment, so I used canned.  But you better believe I'm going to try this recipe again in the spring with some fresh peaches.

Next the sugar ... or how my Carolina relatives would say ... "shugah."

Next, a couple of dollops of yogurt.  The recipe calls for 6 ounces.  I had a big 'ole tub of it ... but figured that 6 ounces was equivalent to about 6 spoonfuls.  If you use vanilla bean yogurt, the extract is optional and probably not necessary unless you want a stronger vanilla flavor.

A dash of cinnamon.

Blend. Chill.

Serve and enjoy!

Bloomsbury Cold Fruit Soup

from the Bloomsbury Inn, Camden South Carolina

Total preparation time: 15 minutes, plus chilling time
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

2 cups fruit (peach, cantaloupe, honeydew, mango…any one of these works well…fresh is better, but canned or frozen will work when well drained)

½ cup sugar (sugar to taste depending upon natural sweetness of fruit)

1  (6 oz) vanilla bean yogurt

1 tsp vanilla extract if you use plain yogurt (extract flavor based upon fruit:  vanilla, cinnamon, rum)

¼ cup heavy cream (add cream to determine consistency desired)

1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

If you are using fresh fruit, carefully clean, peal, and place in the blender.  Add all remaining ingredient and blend until smooth. Chill for at least 8 hours.  Garish with whipping cream, candied/sweet-flavored nuts, fresh mint or whole fruit slices.  Serve very cold.

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It is interesting to me to find out what people like to collect when they travel.  All the tourist hot spots are filled with tchotchke shops peddling magnets, spoons, thimbles and snow globes.  Photos are always the best souvenir, and I also like to collect Christmas ornaments so that at the end of the year I can take a nice trip down memory lane reminiscing about all of the places I've been.

But my favorite travel collection has to be my recipes.  From bed and breakfasts to restaurants, I try and get a recipe from everywhere I go ... and sometimes even places that I've never been just so I can savor the flavor!  When ever I make these dishes at home, my senses trick me into thinking I've traveled someplace further than my kitchen.  This recipe is one of those.  Even after I run out of Kermit's Key Lime Marmalade and I just use regular orange flavored, I will still think of Key West each time I make it.

Recently I ran in the Key West Half Marathon, and afterward, no amount of post-race bagels, bananas or beer could satiate the hunger I worked up after trotting along 13 miles around the island.  We stopped by a local healthy eatery, Help Your Self, for some fresh machete cut coconut water.  And while that was an awesome island experience, my friends and I needed some calories.

That's where the Conch Republic comes in.  My Key West Islander friend, Vanessa, recommended them for their excellent sea food, gorgeous view of the water and ultimately their proximity to Kermit's Key Lime Shop for dessert.  We had had our heart set on beer and a burger at Sloppy Joes ... but I'm glad she convinced us otherwise!  The Conch Republic happens to have the best cracked conch on the island, something I've never tried before.

I had to ask, what is the difference between plain ole "conch" and "crack conch."  I've had conch fritters, which are a lot like meaty hush puppies.  But when the dish was brought to the table I quickly discovered this was the real deal.  Big chunks of tender meat deep fried to golden perfection.  I loved it.  This is a recipe I wanted.  But fresh conch is something I would be afraid to tackle at home.  Have you ever seen one?  It's like a big slimy snail that takes some major tenderizing to make it chewable.  Do you remember as a kid, those cheap toys that were water filled flexible rubber tubes (kind of like a big fat worm) and when you squeezed it would shoot out of your hands?  I imagine tenderizing conch would be something like that ... chasing a slimy snail-like sea creature around my kitchen counter with a tenderizing gavel and having it slip out of reach each time.  But when it's prepared the way these guys did, it's delish!  So instead of having a frustrating conch experience at home, I got the recipe for the "secret sauce."

At the Conch Republic, they serve their cracked conch with a simple Orange Horseradish Marmalade Sauce.  You can't get any more "Florida" flavor than with orange marmalade.  I asked our server if the chef would give me me recipe, and moments later the manager walked over with a bar coaster and four basic ingredients scribbled on the back.  PRICELESS!  That is exactly the feeling of Key West ... laid back and not fussy.

Don't believe me about the recipe on a coaster?  Well ... here it is! They always say the best ideas are the ones written on a bar or cafe napkin or coaster.

Later we walked across the street to indulge in some famous Kermit's Frozen Key Lime Pie Dipped In Chocolate On A Stick. Yes, you read that right ... dipped ... in chocolate ... on a stick.  It's divine.  While standing in line to pay for our coffee and pie, I noticed a big fat coffee table book on the counter ... National Geographic's Top 500 Food Journey's of a Lifetime, of which Kermit's was listed.  Bonus.  I now had a new bucket list to complete and only 499 more "food journey's" to go.  We took our coffee, afternoon indulgences along with the book and headed out to Kermit's patio to relax and take in some sunshine.

Want to bring some of that Florida sunshine into your kitchen?  Try this quick and easy sauce recipe below  ...

Orange Horseradish Marmalade Sauce

From the Conch Republic Seafood Company, Key West, FL

1/4 Cup Orange Juice

1/4 Cup Lime Juice

1/2 Cup Orange Marmalade

2 Tbsp Horseradish

Mix all ingredients together and use as a marinade or serve as a dipping sauce with fresh seafood or chicken.

It's actually pretty tastey with eggs in the morning too!

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BONUS:  Do you know all the names of Kermit's Koi?

It may just be on a #TravelTuesday Trivia sometime soon!