Blood Orange Tequila Sunset Cocktail

What you’ll need;
ice
1 1/2 oz GOOD tequila (per person)
4 oz Tangerine Juice (per person)
1/2 oz blood orange syrup (per person)

The syrup is easy to make. You’ll have extra for the next time you’re craving this cocktail.
It stores well in the refrigerator for a few weeks.

Blood Orange Syrup

4 c. fresh squeezed Blood Orange juice
2c. sugar

Combine ingredients in a saucepan, then simmer for about 15 minutes, reducing liquid to half. Set aside & let cool.

The trick to making this beautiful Blood Orange Tequila Sunrise Cocktail is to add the ingredients in a specific order, creating striations of color. First in the glass goes the ice, then the tequila, the tangerine juice, and lastly the blood orange syrup. Slowly drizzle the syrup over the back of a spoon to allow the syrup to make it’s way to the bottom of the glass. Give it a slight stir, and you’re finished-
Garnish with a curl of zest & make a toast!

Serves well with a gaggle of giggling friends, telling stories, creating new ones & watching the Ojai “Pink Moment” “Sunset” disappear together-

enjoy!

Lime-Orange Cupcakes with White Chocolate & Peppercorn Frosting!?!

makes 14-16 cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350•

These cupcakes are unique, delicious & light- This recipe was inspired by the amazing Amalfi white chocolate bar
I recently discovered @ Paradise Pantry in Ventura, CA.

In a bowl mix the dry ingredients then set aside;
1 1/2 c. Swan’s Down Cake Flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
pinch of salt

In a different bowl cream;
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter (@ almost room temperature)

To the sugar & butter add;
1 egg yolk (save the egg white)
1/2 c. milk + 1/4 c. sourcream or 3/4 c. buttermilk
about 11 drops of Orange Oil
1-5 ounce jar “E. Waldo Ward & Son” Lime Marmalade- chopped up

In another bowl;
Beat 3 egg whites until light & fluffy, not dry or stiff

Add the dry ingredients to the wet, then fold in the egg whites gingerly.

Line & fill your cupcake tins.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes.  Ready when toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on rack for about 10 minutes, then take cupcakes from tins & allow to fully cool on rack before frosting.

My favorite new kitchen tool is a “Batter Pen“- it makes filling cupcake tins fast, clean & easy.
I also recommend using cupcake paper liners that are made of special parchment paper, they don’t allow the cupcakes to stick.

White Chocolate-Lime Zest & Pink Peppercorn Frosting

With an electric mixer, cream;
6 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
1/4 c. butter (room temperature)
1 heaping T. sourcream

Then add & mix well;
pinch of salt
about 10 drops “Orange Oil”

Mix in;
3/4 c. powdered sugar
6 ounces +/- white chocolate bar- finely grated
1 t. lime zest
3-7 pink peppercorns- ground

Pipe;
frosting onto cupcakes & decorate with a slight dash of lime zest + a pinch of white chocolate & simply a hint
of pink peppercorn-

enjoy!

Epicurean Knights

Please join us for an afternoon of fine food & wine-

The “Epicurean Cowboy” has put together an amazing menu-
& I’m proud to announce that I’ll be conjuring up a few savory sauces for the event!

When:
Sunday March 24, 2013  1-4 p.m.

Where:
Santa Barbara Carriage & Western Museum
129 Castillo Street
Santa Barbara, CA (near the Harbor)

Cost:
$60 per person
$100 per couple

Click here for more information.

Chronic Cellars, Paso Robles

What a fun place to taste GREAT wines- They even have a pool table in the middle of their tasting room!
Chronic Cellars is on the outskirts of Paso Robles, CA. -on the way to Lake Nacimiento
Their general theme; FUN! Zany! & Dia de los Muertos characters throughout- All wine names are a play-on-words My favorite; “Sofa King Bueno“

Williams-Sonoma Artisans’ Market

Ojai Jalapeño & Habanero Jellies will make an appearance at the Williams-Sonoma Aritisans’ Market tasting event in the La Cumbra Plaza, Santa Barbara. Find us there March 9th from 12:00pm – 4:00pm.

Turkey Chili with White Beans

Serves 10-12 hungry adults (or about 5 teenage boys- just kidding!)
This is easy to prepare ahead of time- the flavors get better & it’s a crowd-pleaser!

You’ll need;
1 large frying pan
1 large crock pot

In the large frying pan;
brown 2 pounds of fresh ground turkey
-no oil needed

Once cooked place turkey in crock pot.

Using the same frying pan;
4-5 T. olive oil
2 brown onions- diced
4-5 cloves fresh garlic- chopped
a splash of beer or dry white wine

Cook onions until translucent
Add onion mixture to the crock pot.

Also add;
1 Jalapeño Pepper- diced
2-28 ounce cans Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce
2 cans Cannellini (white) Beans
Chicken Broth- about 20 ounces
Add Susie’s Seasoning Salt (or salt & pepper) to taste
1 T. red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1 T. ground cumin
1 T. paprika

Turn crock pot on meduim/high & allow mixture to heat through & cook with the lid on.
Cook for about 40 minutes, then turn down or off & serve.

Set up garnish bowls of;
purple onion- chopped
green onion- chopped
sharp cheddar cheese- grated
Monterey Jack cheese- grated
sourcream
avocado- diced
Jalapeño Pepper- chopped
cilantro-chopped
fresh lime wedges
& red pepper flakes

Guest enjoy garnishing their own chili-
Pairs well with cold beer & conversation-

enjoy!

Asparagus Spears wrapped in Prosciutto, drizzled with Habanero-Balsamic Reduction

This is a delicious appetizer- & the first way I tried prosciutto-

I was immediately hooked…

One bunch of organic asparagus spears- ends cut off, washed
About 10 thinly shaved pieces of prosciutto-
Cut each strip into 3 long strips, about 1″ wide

Boil a pot of water then turn off the heat.
Add asparagus & let sit for 2-3 minutes.
Drain & immediately cover with ice to preserve color.
Drain & gently pat dry. Set aside.

In a saucepan over low to medium heat add;
3 T. Ojai Habanero Jelly
1/2 c. Balsamic Vinegar
handful of craisins

Whisk together & stir until thickened, then remove from heat.

Wrap towel-dried asparagus with strips of prosciutto by twisting the asparagus as you hold the prosciutto.
For easy clean up, lay wrapped asparagus side by side on foil, in a baking dish.
Drizzle with balsamic Habanero reduction.

Broil for 5-7 minutes-

Served warm or @ room temperature-

Savory, sweet, salty wonderfulness- & you get your vegetable too!

enjoy!

Valentine’s Day Cake

preheat oven to 350*

I’ve experimented with this RICH yet surprisingly light cake for many years-
It’s my favorite & regardless of friends & families dietary restrictions
they LOVE it too-

No flour, oil or leavening is added-
Rich coffee flavors runs throughout the cake & frosting-

I’ll admit that sometimes I get distracted because I tend to multitask & occasionally forget to add the egg whites-
so it’s less light & more  brownie-like.
With or without the egg whites, this cake is hands down the most rich, decadent, delicious cake I’ve ever had-
It pairs nicely with freshly churned vanilla ice cream & a hot cuppa-

Cake;
1 packet of Starbucks Italian roast “Via” plus 1/3 c. water
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 c. chocolate chips (1- 11 ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips)
1 1/2 t. pure vanilla extract
1/2 c. butter
12 egg yolks (keep egg whites for later)
1 3/4 c. organic walnuts, ground (food processor, ground like coffee grounds)

In a medium size saucepan, over low heat;
Coffee, water & sugar. Mix then add chocolate chips & stir.
Once mixed add vanilla & remove from heat.  Let cool 5-10 minutes.

With an electric mixer;
Cream butter, add egg yolks & mix. Add ground walnuts, then chocolate mixture.

In a separate (metal) mixing bowl;
Beat egg whites until firm but not dry-  Fold whites into the chocolate batter-

Place 3 layers of parchment paper on counter top, draw around the cake pan with a pencil then cut out with scissors- Cut some straight pieces to use for the pan sides. Line pans.

Evenly distribute the batter into cake pans. I add 1 or 2 scoops of cake batter to each cake pan until all three
are evenly filled.

They will look a bit empty- but don’t worry-

Bake @ 350 for 25 minutes (a little less time in a convection oven).

Frosting;

2 c. chocolate chips (1 eleven-ounce bag of semisweet chocolate chips)
1 packet of Starbucks Italian roast instant “Via” plus 1/3 c. water
1 c. + 2. T. butter
4 egg yolks
2 c. powdered sugar + a little for dusting the finished cake plate edges.

In a medium size saucepan, over low heat;
Slowly melt the coffee , water & chocolate chips.
Once smooth & blended; remove from heat.
Cool for about 7-10 minutes.

In a separate bowl;
Cream the butter, add egg yolks, then sprinkle in the powdered sugar.
Once smooth & well mixed, add in the chocolate mixture.

note; make sure when adding something hot to eggs that you don’t cook the eggs-
add a little at a time & keep stirring because you don’t want a lumpy cake-

enjoy!

Suze’s Dutch Babies

Serves 2-3 adults

Put a 10″ French skillet in a cold oven & then heat to 450*

In a blender mix;
3 eggs
1/4 c. all purpose flour
3/4 c. milk
1 t. vanilla extract

Blend for 30 seconds or so, until mixed & frothy.
Scrape down sides as needed.

4 T. butter, melted

Toppings;
2 bacon slices, diced
powdered sugar
1/2 c. maple syrup

When oven is preheated, pour melted butter into the hot skillet & return to oven for a minute or two.

Gently pour batter into the hot skillet.
Bake about 15-17 minutes.
The Dutch Baby will bake & grow up the sides of the skillet. Edges will be browned nicely as it climbs
well above the skillet sides.

On the stove top;
In another 10′ skillet, cook bacon. Drain off grease & chop into bits.

Warm maple syrup & pour over hot Dutch Baby-
Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top,
sprinkle with bacon & dust with powdered sugar-
I also add a little lemon zest to each serving.

enjoy!

Cowboy Cookies

Get in my BELLY!

This cookie is a bit like an energy bar‐
The batter is thick & sticky. This recipe makes a big batch of cookies‐ I use Glad “Press n’ Seal” & it keeps
them fresh & they freeze well.

Ingredients;

2/3 c. butter, melted
1 1/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c. crunchy peanut butter
6 c. oats (old fashioned Quaker Oats)
2 t. baking soda
1 c. chocolate chips (dark semi sweet)
1 c. butterscotch chips

Melt butter.
In a BIG bowl;
Blend melted butter in with sugars, eggs & peanut butter until fully mixed.

Mix in remaining ingredients‐ & as you’re adding the oats gently sprinkle in the baking
soda & mix well-

Using a teaspoon or a tablespoon, form a ball for each cookie, then place on a parchment paper covered cooking sheet.

Bake at 350*
12‐15 minutes

They’ll cook faster in a convection oven; 10‐12 minutes.

enjoy!