What better way to take a breather from the hustle & bustle of the holidays than to sip sparkling wine and champagne at the River and Rail Restaurant in Roanoke Virginia? Relaxing and refreshing! Our first bubbly tasting was Avinyo Petillant 2018 from the Penedès region of Catalonia located just outside of Barcelona. Vibrant and…
‘ Tis The Season for Citrus Cocktails Featuring Clément Créole Shrubb Liqueur d’Orange
Shrubb is well known in the beautiful island of Martinique in the Caribbean. Shrubb from Martinique — with two B’s —is not to be confused with the infused, vinegar-based shrubs that many bartenders use in modern cocktails. Martinique’s Shrubb is an orange liqueur more closely related to Cointreau or Grand Marnier. Large spiral zests of…
Retro Holiday Recipes ~ Cheddar Olive Poppers and Toasted Cheese Dreams
This recipe was originally published in the Roanoker Magazine “Behind the Page” blog. Please visit theroanoker.com for more yummy recipes and bubbly! Remember cheddar olive poppers from the 1950s? Pimiento stuffed olives wrapped in flakey cheddar pastry with a little cayenne pepper sprinkled with cute little sesame seeds? Just the right size to pop in…
12 Cocktails To Celebrate The 12 Days Of Christmas
The 12 days of Christmas begin on Christmas Day and last until the evening of the 5th January – also known as Twelfth Night. Celebrate this special holiday time with these festive flavorful cocktails. Colleen Jeffers is a craft cocktail writer and photographer based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Her book “Bubbly” includes lots of festive cocktails made with…
PROSECCO + JERK CHICKEN TACOS = EUREKA!
During the busy holiday season, in between the big fancy meals, I like to have casual suppers with friends. I find that my crockpot is my best friend during the holidays! So much holiday food is heavy and starchy so I like to serve dishes with fresh fruity flavors to lighten up our palates and…
Chesapeake Bay Spicy Guacamole
Thursday, November 14, 2019 is National Spicy Guacamole Day! Celebrate with my spicy Chesapeake Bay Guacamole…Clark and Hopkins Chesapeake Bay Pepper Sauce + Gunther’s Salsa Fresca (both made in Richmond, Virginia #supportlocal) – give my guacamole a spicy citrusy kick! Chesapeake Bay Guacamole 4 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled 1 shallot, chopped finely 1 TB…
Bordeaux Tasting ~ Domaines Barons de Rothschild
In preparation for holiday celebrations, we shared a very special evening with friends who had just returned from a trip to France. With so many holiday parties to attend and gifts to buy, we will all be on the search for wonderful pairing wines to toast the happy holiday occasions. It was in this spirit…
Spiced Apple Maple Ginger Cocktail
Just in time for Thanksgiving, Spiced Apple Maple Ginger Cocktails! Makes 1 cocktail. 1/2 cup hard apple cider (I used Bold Rock) 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1 1/2 ounce bourbon 6 drops Dashfire Apple Spiced bitters (or more to taste) 1/4 cored Honey Crisp apple, sliced thin 2 splashes ginger beer Place hard apple cider…
Shrimp 3 Ways ~ Flash Wok, Pepper Sauced and Firecracker
Shrimp are so easy and delightfully yummy but unless you live on the coast it can difficult to find fresh tasting shrimp. That was my delemia living in Southwest Virginia, but now I’ve found the solution. Kroger Private Selection Argentinean Raw, Peeled and Deveined, X-large Red Frozen Shrimp. The package say they taste like buttery…
Chesapeake Bay Crab Dip + Neiman Marcus Million $ Dip
This recipe was originally published in the Roanoker Magazine, Behind the Page Blog. Please visit theroanoker.com for more yummy recipes and bubbly! During the busy holiday season, these dips solve the “What can I bring?” dilemma. Easy to make, they are always a party favorite. Chesapeake Bay Crab Dip Serve this dip with The Fine…
