Shamwreck Shake

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Ok, so the title is beyond cheesy, I know.  But I developed this recipe for Kin Community a few St. Patty’s ago with the idea of calling it a Boozy Shamrock Shake, on account that the better part of our nation seems to lose their shit over McDonald’s Shamrock Shake this time of year.  There was some concern that we may piss off the Golden Arches so we changed the name and no matter what you call it, this minty alcoholic milkshake ROCKS!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 pint vanilla ice cream

2 ounces green crème de menthe

1 ounce Baileys Irish Cream

1 ounce vodka

Fresh mint leaves

Heavy cream

Green sprinkles

Chocolate mints, chopped

Directions:

Mix the first 5 ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.

Pour the Boozy Shamrock Shake into a glass and top with the whipped cream.  Garnish with sprinkles or chocolates and drink immediately!

 

 

 

Hurricane Cocktail

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Hurricane CocktailFat Tuesday; the day before Lent (if you’re into that sorta thing), is a great excuse to tie one on midweek and there’s no better way to do that than with the Hurricane Cocktail. Transport yourself to one of my favorite cities, New Orleans, and throw on some Preservation Hall Jazz Band, make yourself a pot of gumbo and get this tropical drink flowing.   I would recommend squeezing extras of the fresh juices for the morning after to bring yourself back to life. These puppies can sneak up on ya!

 

Ingredients:

2 oz. dark rum

2 oz. light rum

¾ oz. fresh lime juice

1 oz. passion fruit syrup*

2 oz. fresh orange juice

2 oz. fresh pineapple juice

Dash of Angostura bitters

Fresh fruit and an umbrella for garnish

Directions:

In a shaker filled with ice, add all the ingredients except the fruit garnish and shake well.  Fill a hurricane glass to the top with ice and strain the cocktail over it.  Garnish with fruit and an umbrella.  Cheers!

*Homemade passion fruit syrup is best and and easy to make.

Take 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water and bring to a boil.  Scrape the pulp from 6-8 ripe passion fruit into the syrup or alternatively use 1-2 cups frozen passion fruit pulp and cook 1 minute more.  Immediately chill and strain out the seeds.  This will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or can be frozen for later use.

 

Golden Beet Blue Cheese Dip

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Beets and blue cheese are damn tasty together and they live quite nicely in this dip that is a crowd-pleaser with vegetarians and dirty meat eaters.  Stick a chicken wing in and you’ll know what I mean.  By the way, check out how pretty this ceramic bowl is!  It was made by my friend Tina who runs Little Cat Pottery in the Highland Park neighborhood in Los Angeles.  She also took the photo, so basically all I did was show up and make some dip.
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My Darling Clementhyme

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My Darling Clementhyme IngredientsSimple syrup, a common cocktail ingredient, is nothing more than equal parts water and sugar. Herbs, citrus, and spices can be added to the syrup to liven up holiday drinks. To make a virgin version of this drink, substitute sparkling wine with seltzer.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 11 thyme sprigs, divided
  • 1 bottle sparkling wine, such as Prosecco
  • 6 oz. fresh clementine juice
  • 6 strips clementine zest, for garnish
  • 6 oz. cranberry juice

Preparation

  1. Bring sugar, 5 thyme sprigs, and 1 cup water to a boil in small saucepan. Reduce heat to low, and simmer
    5 minutes. Cool, then strain out solids.
  2. Pour 1 tsp. thyme syrup into bottom of each glass. Fill glass three-quarters full with sparkling wine, then top with 1 oz. clementine juice and 1 oz. cranberry juice. Garnish with clementine zest and 1 thyme sprig.

PER 1-CUP SERVING 129 cal; <1 g prot; <1 g total fat (<1 g sat fat); 14 g carb; 0 mg chol; 9 mg sod; <1 g fiber; 12 g sugars

Bangkok Flip

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Bangkok Flip

This recipe is a fun, tropical substitute for classic eggnog. Tamarind paste is commonly found in Asian and Latin markets, but equal parts lime juice and honey work well as
a replacement. Garnish with a dusting of cinnamon, if desired.

Ingredients:

  • 1 13.5-oz.can full-fat coconut milk, chilled overnight in refrigerator
  • 4 oz. white rum or pineapple juice
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 11/2 Tbs. grated fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp. tamarind paste

Preparation:

Blend all ingredients with 11/2 cups ice in blender 10 seconds, or until frothy. Divide among martini glasses, and serve.

 

Sage Julep

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Sage JulepIn this twist on the Kentucky classic, sage stands in for mint, and Meyer lemons are added for a unique winter cocktail.

Ingredients

  • 36 fresh sage leaves – 30 torn in half (1/2 cup), 6 left whole for garnish
  • 5  Meyer lemons or regular lemons – 3 quartered, 2 sliced for garnish
  • 6  Tbs. light brown sugar
  • 12 oz. bourbon or unsweetened iced tea
  • 6 oz. seltzer water (3/4 cup)

 

Preparation

  1. Chill 6 tumblers in freezer
  2. Make each drink individually by placing 10 sage leaf halves, 2 lemon quarters, and 1 Tbs. brown sugar in shaker. Mash together with muddler or back of spoon 30 seconds, or until aromatic.
  3. Add 4 ice cubes, and top with 2 oz. bourbon and 1 oz. seltzer. Shake well.
  4. Fill chilled tumbler with crushed ice. Strain julep mixture from shaker over ice, and garnish with Meyer lemon slice and sage leaf.

PER 1-CUP SERVING 186 cal; <1 g prot; <1 g total fat (<1 g sat fat); 15g carb; 0mg chol; 5mgs od;<1g fiber; 14g sugars

The Red-Headed Mary

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Red Headed Mary

Fresh carrot juice replaces tomato juice to create a bright, surprising take on the Bloody Mary, perfect for holiday brunch buffets. If you like your drinks spicy, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups fresh carrot juice 12 oz.vodka
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 2 Tbs. fresh or prepared horseradish
  • 2 Tbs.vegetarian Worcestershire sauce

Preparation:

Stir together all ingredients in pitcher, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, if desired. Chill 1 hour before serving.

Serves 6
PER 1-CUP SERVING 195 cal; 2 g prot; <1 g total fat (0 g sat fat); 16 g carb; 0 mg chol; 179 mg sod; <1 g fiber; 13 g sugars

Vegetarian Times

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I’ve been a regular contributor and recipe developer for Vegetarian Times for a few years now. Check out the boozy libations and vegetarian dishes I’ve created for them.

Food Styling for Media: New York

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International Culinary Center

Behind every mouthwatering food image is an accomplished food stylist—and the tricks of the trade are essential to transform ordinary plates into irresistible eye candy.  This course, taught by experienced food stylist Louise Leonard, will help launch your career as you learn to apply what you learn in the kitchen to the field—from building your own styling kit to learning how to style for different media to hands-on styling of an assortment of dishes.

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ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Louise Leonard is a chef, food personality, stylist, beer lover and recipe developer living the bi-coastal life in Los Angeles and New York.  Most recently she was crowned the winner of Season 2 of ABC’s primetime hit, The Taste, proving that not only does her food look beautiful, it is delicious to boot.  Louise specializes in cooking with beer, wine and spirits and is an advocate of supporting local breweries, wineries and distilleries.  Louise is also a contributor with Kin Community, YouTube’s #1 multi-channel for women, as host, recipe developer and stylist.  Other work includes styling for the Emmy award winning show, Top Chef and Top Chef Masters, The Chew, Access Hollywood, Next Food Network Star and recipe development for Vegetarian Times.

Born and raised in Wisconsin, or what Louise refers to as the land of “beer, cheese and brats”, she received degrees in Journalism and Spanish at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studied at Universidad Compultense de Madrid, and eventually earned a Grand Diploma in Culinary Arts at the former French Culinary Institute (now International Culinary Center).  When not working, Louise is usually out scouring for delicious food and drink on her pretty green bike.

ICC NYC Schedule

TUITION INCLUDES

Supplies

Course Times: 

Fri: 4:00pm-9:00pm; Sat: 10:00am-4:00pm

Purchase a gift certificate.

 

Chilaquiles Verdes

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One of my favorite recipes, Chilaquiles is a classic on West and East coast, hailing its tradition from the heavy influence of the Mexican culture. It doesn’t take much effort, and the ingredients are simple and available. Impressive enough to make for breakfast with friends and a Bloody Mary, and simple enough to have on a relaxing day at home by yourself.

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