Happy New Year's Eve!

Here is my holiday card I sent my friends and family to start the New Year.  I am making The Honey Badger cocktail tonight.  Have a good one!

The Best Thing I Had In My Mouth - The Tippler's Booty Collins

Last Monday, I met a friend at the Tippler for an afterwork drink.  The Tippler is a new watering hole located under The Chelsea Market.  It is a large, dark space with brick archways and an industrial feel.  Besides their amazing drinks mixed by master mixologists (The Tippling Brothers), there is an Afro-Cuban jazz and salsa band (Conjuto Guantanamo) playing every Monday.

Cider and Cheese Pairings

Cidre Bouche Brut Organic, Etienne Dupont and Le Chatelain Camembert.  Photos taken from the Astor Wines and Murray's Cheese

This past August my friends and I took a class at Murray's Cheese called Power Trio: Beer, Cider, and Cheese.  I am finally getting around to posting about it (after shuffling through a stack of papers I remembered I took this class), and I thought there really isn't a better time to have cider than now that it is finally feeling like fall around here.  So I am just going to highlight my three favorite pairings.  You can get the ciders at Astor Wines and the cheese at Murray's Cheese, but I am sure there are other places you can find both.

Mondrian SoHo - Imperial No. Nine

My friend and I stopped by the Mondrian Soho Hotel, while wondering through Soho.  The outside had a rusted iron fence with ivy, and an archway beckoning us to come in.  So we did.  The lobby is something from I don't know where, and I actually would recommend you close your eyes (think a paint bucket of periwinkle blue has been throw all over the room, blue shiny vinyl seats, blue velvet, and a blue feather boa lamp - yuck), and make a u-turn to your left into the Imperial No. Nine restaurant.  It is like the Secret Garden/Alice In Wonderland, so pretty, whimsical, and a perfect place to get a drink with your girlfriends.  There was even a swing we sat in, which made drinking a little precarious, but didn't stop us.  If you are in the area, I would recommend checking it out.

Lemon-Basil Fizz Cocktail

Remember when I made that basil syrup last week?  Well, my friend put it to good use and we had some Lemon-Basil Fizzes last night.

Here are the ingredients for a Lemon-Basil Fizz, serves 1:

-2 ounces basil syrup
-2 ounces gin
-Juice of one lemon
-Soda water
-Basil leaves for garnish

To make the basil syrup, place 2 cups packed basil leaves, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 cup water into a saucepan, and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and cover, let sit for 1 hour.  Pour basil leaves and liquid through a strainer, and store the syrup in the fridge.

To make the cocktail, pour in basil syrup, gin, and lemon in a cocktail glass.  Fill up with a few ice cubes, and then splash the top with some soda water until the cocktail is filled to the top.  Garnish with basil leaves.

We sipped on these as the water boiled for this Summer Zucchini Pasta.  Yum!

The Best Thing I Had In My Mouth - Rosemary Jones

My friend made this Rosemary Jones for me this weekend.  Sweet, refreshing, and sophisticated.  You can make it too, just check out Design Love Fest for the recipe.  Definitely the best thing in my mouth!

The Best Thing In My Mouth - Birch Iced Coffee

Birch Coffee on 27th Street, between 5th and Madison Avenue is selling these growlers of iced coffee, which they call BRRRCH (so cute).  I have been searching for a growler of iced coffee since last year.  At my BFF's wedding it was a staple while we were hanging out at the cabin, so I was quite excited when I realized I could purchase a growler in NYC, and it was so close to my office.  It is $20 for your first growler, and $15 for refills.  A perfect summer-time caffeine buzz, and definitely the best thing I have had in my mouth this week.

Click here to learn about the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden - so much fun.

The Best Thing I Had In My Mouth - Harney & Sons Paris Tea

Maybe I haven't eaten very many delicious treats this last week, or maybe Harney & Sons Paris Tea is really just that good.  On a cold, snowy day, I made myself a cup while working at home.  It truly is my favorite black tea, although some of the Kusmi Teas come in a pretty close second.  I first tried this tea over a year ago at this adorable bed and breakfast in Atchison, Kansas called the Glick Mansion.  If you are ever in Atchison, I would highly recommend this place.  It is so old fashioned and quaint, and the innkeeper Chris is just the sweetest.  She also makes a delicious blueberry pastry :)  I wish I had taken more pictures of the place to share.

Back to the tea - Paris tea is a smooth, strong black tea, but has hints of vanilla, and a slightly fruity flavor.  It's one of those teas you really want to sit and enjoy it while you sip it.  The best part about Harney & Sons is they now have a store in Soho (click here to check out their Soho blog).  I stumbled upon it in December.  They have a wide variety of packaged teas as well as all of their best sellers in loose leaf form.  If you don't live in New York, don't worry, they have an extensive website.  The sad thing is, I just keep getting Paris, because it is so good.  I might have to start branching out though ;)

Photo from the Harney & Sons website.  I love their tins - so pretty.

Last year, I made this awesome Hearty Winter Vegetable Soup with Popovers.  Seriously, it is soooo good.  Or click here for my 99 Miles to Philly review.

Taste of Tea

On Sunday I watched the Japanese movie Taste of Tea.  As I watched the lengthy two hours and twenty minute film, I was so grateful that I had made Matcha Iri Genmaicha tea and green tea ice cream to go along with it.  Those were the only things that kept me from turning off the movie.  Don't get me wrong, there were parts of the movie I liked, but it was a little too slow, like is anything going to happen here?  Do people really lie around this much?  Anyways, below is the Green Tea Ice Cream recipe I made from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop.  If you have never had green tea ice cream, you must try it.  It has such an unusual earthy, creamy flavor.  This particular recipe has a surprisingly strong taste the first few bites, but once you got past those, the flavored mellowed and you could really enjoy the incredibly creamy texture.  I really couldn't get enough.

Ingredients for Green Tea Ice Cream from The Perfect Scoop, makes about 1 quart:

-1 cup whole milk
-3/4 cup granulated sugar
-Pinch of salt
-2 cups heavy cream
-4 teaspoons matcha (green tea powder)
-6 large egg yolks

Matcha (green tea powder).  You can find it at your Asian grocery store, or at House of Cha.

To begin, warm the milk, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan.  Pour the cream into a large bowl and whisk the green tea powder in.  This was much more challenging than I expected.  The powder likes to stay clumpy, so I used a spoon to break the clumps around the side of the bowl.  Don't worry if you still have some clumps, the warm custard will help dissolve the rest.  Place bowl over an ice bath, and place a mesh strainer on top of mixture.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks.  Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape everything back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.  Pour the custard through the strainer and stir into the cream, then whisk it vigorously until the custard is frothy to dissolve the green tea powder.  Stir until cool over the ice bath.

Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight, and then freeze in your ice cream maker according to your manufacturer's instructions.

Matcha Iri Genmaicha is my favorite tea - tastes like popcorn!

Since the Takashimaya sadly closed in NYC (where the Tea Box was located), I would recommend checking out House of Cha in Lawrence, Kansas for your tea needs.  You can order a variety of Chinese and Japanese teas online and they are so sweet when you stop by their shop.

For other drinks, check out my Prometheus Springs review here.

Love: Moon Bowls

These Moon Bowls are just something I have seen around the blogosphere this past week, and I can't get them out of my head.  I keep trying to figure out how to rearrange the contents of my small NYC cabinets so I could have some space to put them!  These are specifically designed for opaque liquids, like unfiltered sake, but they also come in white, so perfect for tea.  As you sip your drink, your cup transitions through all the phases of the moon.  You can buy the black on Amazon or the white right here.

Lime Squash

Last night I made this quick tortilla soup, and some lime squashes from the Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook.  This is my second recipe from the book, only like 200 more to go :)  This drink is very refreshing and so easy to make.  It is just simple syrup, seltzer, and lime, but you could add vodka for an extra kick.  What I love about this recipe is that you can totally imagine other fruity drinks you can make.  Replace the lime with orange, and you have your own Orangina.

Ingredients for Lime Squash from the Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook, serves 2 to 4 (depending on glass size - 2 for beer glass size):

-1/4 cup fresh lime juice
-1/4 cup simple syrup (recipe below)
-Ice
-Seltzer water
-Lime wedge

Simple Syrup recipe:  Bring 2 cups water to boil, add 1 cup sugar and stir until dissolved.  Let cool and keep in refrigerator up to six months.  Easy peasy.

To begin, fill glasses with ice.  Then mix lime juice and simple syrup, and divide the mixture evenly among the glasses.  Fill the rest of the glass with seltzer (and vodka).  Add a slice of lime for garnish.  Enjoy your tangy, slightly sweet bubbly.

Click here to check out Saveur's 100 list from 2010.  It reminded me of all the things I wanted to do, but haven't!

They Draw And Cook

This really fun and inspiring blog called They Draw And Cook had a Holiday Contest I entered and my artwork was posted today.  I didn't win anything, but it is still fun to see my drawing among all these amazing and creative people.  If you haven't checked out their site, please do.  You can click here to see a bigger version of my work.  My drawing is based off my crazy Grandma Dixie's punch recipe that she would make every year for Christmas.

Click here to get the original recipe for my Grandma Dixie's Holiday punch.  It could be a fun alternative to just champagne on New Year's Eve. 

Kusmi Tea

Last year, I became a Kusmi Tea fan just based on their packaging.  I saw the tea online, and just I loved their tiny tea tins with their original ornate printing.  I decided to get them as gifts (The Miniature Russian Collection) for my coworkers and even I ended receiving a whole collection for myself.  It took about a year, but I finally ran out of all my tea.  Luckily, the Kusmi Tea shop opened up this past July in the Upper East Side, which I stopped by at this past Sunday.

The store is one long rectangle, with white shelving lining the walls.  The store is broken up into about five sections, which the perky and adorable sales woman named Kourtney (she seemed like a Kourtney with a "k" type of girl) happily explained to us.  Along the walls were an assortment of teas, black, green, herbal, and their special blends of the season such as Christmas Red.  You can purchase tea bags, large tins filled with loose tea, tea accessories, and even small amounts of loose tea from their huge tea canisters.  In the center of the store, there are tea tins opened so you can feel and smell the tea you are purchasing.  The best part is the back counter where you can sample a cup of their tea, which was Detox that day.  It was truly delicious and refreshing, so much so that I bought a large tin of it.  The detox teas I have had in the past have always also had too many flavors going on, this one was a lovely mixture of mate, green tea, lemon, and lemon grass.  I also bought Samovar, this lightly smoked black tea that is really wonderful too.

If you live in New York, I would definitely recommend stopping by the store.  This is one place I would prefer to go to instead of shopping online.  If you don't live in NYC, have no fear, because you can get everything could want online too.  I think these teas make wonderful gifts.  You can buy sets and divide them up.  Slip a tin in a stocking, or a tea bag in a holiday card :)

Click here to read more about Kusmi, they do a much better job explaining their history (founded in 1867 - whoa), than I ever could.

p.s. I also bought an assortment pack, and I am totally falling in love with their Bouquet of Flowers blend.  Really lovely.  Click here to see last year's Thanksgiving.

Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden

Things are finally starting to settle down again, and hopefully I can get back to posting more frequently.  On Memorial Day weekend, my friends Anna and Marcus were so sweet to wake up early on a Saturday and hop over to Harlem, and carry loads and loads of boxes up loads and loads of stairs (5 flights to be exact AND that isn't counting the stairs from the other apartments).  Thanks to Marcus' crazy brute strength, we completed the task in 5 hours and ended the afternoon with tacos and beers.
The next day we decided to venture out to their neighborhood in Astoria, Queens.  We met up at the Bohemian Hall and Beer Gardens, my absolute favorite spot to hang out on a gorgeous day and throw back a few Czech beers.  The garden is really just a large gravel lined backyard with long picnic tables filling the space.  On the perimeters are spots to purchase food and beer, and there is a center section for bands to play and people to dance.  The inside is lined with booths and is quite small compared to the outside.  There is also a basement with wood panel walls and tables, which is great when it is a little colder.

Prometheus Springs Elixirs

On Friday, I hopped over to Whole Foods to pick up some goodies for work and I was lucky enough to get a couple of samples of Prometheus Springs elixir. Now I don't know if this "elixir" is really a cure-all, but to me that doesn't matter much because the flavors are so delicious. Prometheus Springs comes in three flavors: Pomegranate Black Pepper, Lychee Wasabi, and Lemon Ginger. All of them have spice in common, but I especially loved the Pomegranate Black Pepper and bought myself a bottle to share with friends. Prometheus Springs states they are "the world's first capsaicin spiced elixir." What is capsaicin you may ask? Pronounced (cap-say-sin), it is an active ingredient in chili peppers, which creates the heat in these drinks. At the beginning of your sip, you taste the sweetness of the pomegranate, but by the time you swallow, you feel the heat of the pepper in the back of your throat. Prometheus Springs describes the health benefits of their beverages better than I can, so click here if you want to read up on it. They recommend drinking one of their elixirs to kick your cold or flu, but I think you shouldn't wait to be sick, and just drink it as a special treat or mix it with your favorite spirit for a fancy cocktail. Here are some suggestions here. Enjoy!

Dixie's Punch

Here is a very festive punch, which my grandma Dixie always made during the holidays. It is very simple and delicious. I made it for my coworkers last Friday and it was a hit. But beware, it can be dangerous depending on how much you drink ;)

Here are the ingredients which servers about 10-20 people (depending on how much they drink):

-1 can frozen orange juice, thawed

-1 can frozen lemonade, thawed

-1 can frozen limeade, thawed

-1 large bottle apricot nectar

-3 two-liter bottles of ginger ale - or more if you like

-Vodka, optional (As much as you can handle as my grandma would say)

-Fresh sliced fruit for garnish (I used oranges, lemons, and cranberries)

Pour everything together and stir until mixed well. Throw in fruit as a garnish. Enjoy!

Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Coffee

For me, Starbucks is more of a public bathroom hot spot than a place to get coffee. On Sunday though, while out with friends I found myself forced to get a cup of coffee. Along with the coffee came Starbucks' latest gimmick-the Starbucks VIA Ready Brew. According to their website it is "pretty revolutionary" and "a life-altering concept." I had to laugh a little and then wonder who came up with this nonsense. Starbucks prides themselves on their flavorful instant coffee and the convenience of just adding water. Ummm...has anyone heard of a drip c one ? I know that you have to have coffee grounds, cone, filter, and hot water, instead of just the instant coffee package and hot water, but I have never found that to be difficult. In fact, I think the most challenging thing would be to find hot water. I think the only person who would find this useful would be someone who only has a microwave, otherwise making real coffee seems just as easy.

So after I turned my nose up at even the idea of drinking instant coffee, I decided to give it a try and see if the Starbucks VIA lived up to its high reputation.
The package is small, so it would be convenient to carry with you in your purse or attache case. Basically you heat up water, rip open the package to dump in the minuscule grounds (which reminds me of the iron powder in the Wooly Willy Magnetic Drawing Face), and then stir. It instantly dissolves.
Overall, the taste was alright - maybe it's great compared to other instant coffees, but I have never tried them. It was definitely not any better than a cup of coffee from a pot at work, and it especially didn't compare to my one cup drip cone. The most confusing and unsatisfying part about my cup of Starbucks VIA is that it didn't have any aroma, which is an important quality to a great cup of coffee.

Starbucks VIA cost $9.95 for a 12 pack (that is 83 cents a cup) or $34.95 for a 48 pack (which is 73 cents a cup). You could pay a little more for a real cup of coffee, or better yet - buy your own beans and make some yourself.

BluePrint Cleanse

So for over a year I have been dreaming of doing a juice cleanse through NYC's BluePrint Cleanse, created by raw food enthusiast Zoe Sakoutis and foodie Erica Huss. Unfortunately, the cleanse is definitely not in my budget. For a NYC delivery it is $75 for a one-day cleanse or $65 a day for a 3-5 day cleanse. Fortunately, I convinced my boss to be my guinea pig and she tried a three day cleanse and ended up really enjoying. And then as luck would have it, BluePrint Cleanse accidentally delivered her another batch for a three day cleanse a few months later. After much confusion with the company, my boss ended up giving me a day's worth. I was pumped. I had spent the last week stuffing my face with mediocre cookies and sandwiches from work, a cleanse was much needed - even if it was only going to be a one-day cleanse.

BluePrint Cleanse has a very helpful website which explains which cleanse level you should do (whether you are a rookie or a master). I would elaborate more, but you should just check out their website to get the best explanation. I will tell you that the cleanses are delivered to your door the day before you want to start your cleanse in a cooler tote bag. There are 6 juices per day labeled simply by numbers as well as ingredients within each bottle.
On a side note, I do not fair well with not eating. I love to munch like a squirrel throughout the day, and the last time I tried a cleanse (the Master Cleanse to be exact) I failed within 5 hours. I was caught red-handed by my bff (who was also doing the Master Cleanse) eating a bowl of rice.

Here are my thoughts on the One-Day BluePrint Cleanse:

*A side note: You should drink a 12 ounce glass of water in between juices and you are welcome to drink as much herbal tea as you like. Also, you should keep at least an hour in between juices and have your last juice at least 2 hours before you plan on going to sleep.

7:30 am - Started off with a warm glass of filtered water to get my stomach in motion. Okay, I used tap water - whatevs. You can also add lemon to the water if you fancy it.

9:00 am - Bottle 1-Green Juice. Juice of romaine, celery, green apple, spinach, kale, parsley, and lemon. First off you are suppose to "chew" the juice to activate enzymes that aid in digestive, so it is a bit weird. The first sip I took wasn't very pleasant. I have never been a fan of kale, I prefer to hide it in a quesadilla than eat it on its own. I thought I could get use to the flavors, but the best option was just to swallow my sips as quickly as possible. So I stopped fake chewing on this bottle. I don't want to scare people off, my boss loved this juice, it just wasn't for me.

11:00 am - Bottle 2. Juice of pineapple, apple, and mint. Okay, this was so delicious I had to control myself from drinking it all within 10 minutes. In fact, I could barely stop drinking it to take a picture. The juice combo was light, sweet and refreshing with the hint of mint at the end. My office mate made the good point of what a great cocktail the flavors would make if you just added vodka. Oh wait this is a cleanse!

2:00 pm - Bottle 3-Green Juice. Juice of romaine, celery, green apple, spinach, kale, parsley, and lemon (same as Bottle 1). So I pump myself up to drink this one again. Still, no luck. In fact, it became harder and the slower I drank the juice, the warmer and more disgusting it got to me. But I finished it!

*Coworkers decided to open champagne to celebrate a successful market. I got to sit and stare and drink my juice :( Okay, okay I had one sip - but that was it!

5:30 pm - Bottle 4-Spicy Lemonade. Juice of lemon, agave nectar, and cayenne pepper. Ummm...so good. If this was what my Master Cleanse concoction tasted like then I probably would have lasted longer. I gulped this down because I felt behind schedule.

7:00 pm - Bottle 5-Green Juice. Juice of romaine, celery, green apple, spinach, kale, parsley, and lemon. Okay, I thought I was on the Renovation Cleanse, so I was expecting carrot, apple, lemon, beet, ginger juice. My dreams were crushed when I realized I was actually on the Foundation Cleanse and had to drink the green juice yet AGAIN. I took a few more swigs and then was tempted by the smell of hash browns sizzling in my friend's apartment. Breakfast for dinner - my biggest weakness - ok Mexican actually is. I took one bite of the hash - just to try and then I quit my cleanse. I couldn't take the green stuff - I was doomed from the beginning.

8:00 pm - Bottle 6-Cashew Nut Milk. Cashew nut milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. So I opened this one just to try, my boss said it was a delicious dessert. I think people who go on cleanses can sometimes become delusional. This tasted like sweet chalky milk with cinnamon. I am not a fan with white foods or liquids in general, so I was against it from the start.

9:00 pm - Can 1-Lays Stacks. Original Flavor - stacks of thin potato, salt, and other stuff. Absolutely delicious. I didn't eat all of them - so don't judge. The perfect way to end a cleanse.

Overall, I truly was not hungry one bit and I didn't feel weak at all like the Master Cleanse. Yes, there were things tempting me, and if I hadn't hated the taste of the green juice so much then I probably could have made it through to the end.

Go to BluePrint Cleanse to check it out for yourself, they deliver across the country.

Click here to read about my 3-Day Cleanse.