Merging My Two Cooking Blogs for Now

I have two cooking blogs - I am not going to delete this one in case I change my mind, but I am going to start posting all of my cooking information at Katherine Cooks from now on. So, just head on over to there to get more information and recipes about one of my biggest passions - cooking!

Italian Dressing Recipe - What to do with old wine

Sometimes wine gets to a certain point - maybe I left it on the counter for too long or lost the cap or something... whatever the reason, it is not quite drinkable but not quite bad either. So what do I do now? Dump it out? Not quite... I found a place for it in the kitchen...

Surprisingly, this kind of wine tastes GREAT in meat marinades, Italian dressing, and even to deglaze the pan. In fact, it is one of my secret weapons in my dressing. I seldom measure, but this recipe is pretty close to something I'd do.

Italian Dressing Recipe

• 1/2 cup cold pressed olive oil
• 1/4 cup old wine
• 1/4 cup vinegar of choice
• 2 tablespoons worth of Italian spices such as basil and oregano or 4 tablespoons fresh
• 1 chopped garlic clove
• salt and pepper

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Adjust the flavoring as you need to after you taste it. You may have a different palate than me.

Rum Swizzle Recipe - A New Favorite Cocktail

My parents went to Bermuda and my dad brought back with him a love of Rum Swizzles. It is the only "fruity" cocktail that he'll drink.

Today, the recipe went AWOL, but we managed to put together the drink anyway. With cocktails, you don't always need to follow the exact recipe and measurements. (Have you ever seen a bartender use a measuring cup?)

Now that the weather is getting hot and humid, this tropical cocktail is a refreshing treat.

Rum Swizzle Recipe

Serves 2

Fill a shaker with ice. Pour into the shaker one small can of pineapple juice, about a cup of orange juice, 4 ounces of dark rum, a dash of grenadine, and eight drops of angostura bitters. Shake and pour into two seperate glasses that are filled with ice.

Note: The original recipe called for a dash of lime juice but we omit that because lime is not a common ingredient in my parent's fridge.

I Have Two Cooking Blogs

I have two cooking blogs. This one is devoted to having some fun with cooking. This is where I share thoughts and foods that are fun and different. My other blog, Katherine Cooks, is reserved for more every day cooking.

So if you want to find information on my cooking experiments, party foods, and things I discover in my travels, this blog is for you.

Spring Vegetables

Much to my delight, asparagus is nearly in season. Here in the U.S., asparagus can be found year round. But asparagus in the fall and winter just doesn't compare to what you can find in the stores in the spring.

My favorite activity is to start visiting the farmer's markets in the spring. Asparagus and strawberries are best eaten when they are fresh out of the ground.

So what is a girl to do with all of this spring goodness? Asparagus cream soup, fresh asparagus salad, and fresh strawberries for dessert... Oh Joy!

Cooking With Cognac

I recently discovered the joys of cooking with Cognac! I tried a variation of something Alton Brown did to make a pan sauce for steak. The thing I did different was I used beef broth instead of chicken broth and I didn't have cream.

If you don't know the technique on making a pan sauce, there is information for it here:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_27523,00.html?rsrc=search

I didn't even come close to following the recipe exact. Once you know the technique, you can play with the amounts and ingredients. But this is a good place to start. I began by following recipes for making sauces like this, and then branched out once the technique became ingrained.

Cooking with Alcohol - Moving Past Convention

I've realized something. Alcohol makes food taste better. But, I usually just reach for the wine. I now know that this is very limiting.

I was watching an episode of Good Eats last night and Alton Brown made a pepper sauce with cognac. I hadn't thought of that.

I also have a recipe for a vodka sauce for pasta. I can't wait to try it. It may also be fun to experiment with vodka infusions in things like desserts and even in savory dishes. I can picture something like mandorin vodka going well with soy based sauces for poultry.

My newest culinary challenge is to move beyond wine and spice up my foods with a little something extra. How about an ouzo butter sauce to compliment a fennel/leek vegetable toss? You can get really creative if you think a little unconventionally.