DRINKS: Classic Bloody Mary

My attempt at the Classic Bloody Mary.

One of my favorite drinks is the Classic Bloody Mary. It's not breakfast or brunch without one! But the great thing about a Bloody Mary is that you can have them at any time of the day. At least I do! Whenever I go out to a new restaurant for Brunch, I try to always order a Blood Mary. I want to see just how good each place can craft their drink. Now of course the number one thing I look for in a Bloody Mary is the taste, but I also like to see how each restaurant or bar garnishes their Bloody Marys. For me, the more garnish they can cram on top of my Bloody Mary, the better!

So, even though I already had a Bloody Mary today for Brunch, I wanted to take a stab at making my own Bloody Mary at home. I went with a Classic Bloody Mary recipe. I found the recipe at Liquor.comhttp://liquor.com/, but I changed one of the ingredients and added a little bit more of their suggested amounts. This is a very easy drink to make. The fun part is trying to decide what garnish to use on your drink.

Classic Bloody Mary Ingredients
1 Lemon
1 Lime
2 oz Premium Vodka of your choice
4 oz Tomato Juice
3 dashes of Tapatio Hot Sauce (you can also use Tabasco Sauce)
2 tsp Prepared Horseradish
3 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
2 pinches Celery Salt
2 pinches freshly ground Black Pepper
2 pinches Smoked Paprika

Preparation
First, you want to sprinkle some of the Celery Salt onto a plate. Next, rub a lemon or lime wedge along the rim of the glass to get it wet. Then roll the outer edge of the glass in the Celery Salt to get it well coated. Set the glass aside.

Second, take a cocktail shaker and squeeze one lemon and one lime wedge into the shaker, and then drop both wedges into the shaker. Add the remaining ingredients and fill with ice. Gently shake the ingredients. Fill your pint glass with ice and strain your drink from the shaker into the glass.

Lastly, garnish your Bloody Mary with your garnish of choice and enjoy! For my garnish I used a celery stalk, a cherry tomato, Mezzetta Garlic Stuffed Olive, Mezzetta Imported Golden Greek Peperoncini, Old South Pickled Asparagus, and a wedge of lemon and lime.

Here is a list of some common and not-so-common garnish items courtesy of Demitri's:

Baby Corn
Bacon
Basil Sprig
Beef Jerky
Carrot Stick
Celery
Cherry Tomato
Cheese Cube
Chili Peppers
Cilantro Sprig
Cocktail Onion
Cucumber Spear
Dill Sprig
Edible Flowers
Grapefruit Wedge
Hearts of Palm
Jicama
Kimchi
Lemon Wedge
Lime Wedge
Olives - stuffed with blue cheese, Peppers or Garlic
Parsley Sprig
Pepperoncini
Pepperoni Stick
Peppers - pickled or fresh
Pickle Spear
Pickled Asparagus
Prawns
Radishes
Rosemary Sprig
Scallion
Skewered Steak Bites
Smoked Oysters or Mussels
Thyme Sprig

If you create your own Bloody Mary, take a picture of it and post it to my Facebook page. I would love to see your creations! Cheers!

TRAVEL: New Orleans

Hurricane at Pat O'Brien's

A little while ago I went to New Orleans with some friends for the weekend. I love New Orleans. It's one of my favorite cities. I love the history, the architecture, the food, and their drinks! I can do without the humidity, but that just makes the drinks taste that much more refreshing. It was my best friend's birthday, so we started the celebration by having some drinks at one of our favorite spots, Pat O'Brien's. My favorite drink at Pat O'Brien's is their Hurricane. It tastes just like fruit punch and they go down easy. Almost too easy.

Pat O'Brien's Rainbow and Planters Punch

Some other drinks we had at Pat O'Brien's were the Rainbow and Planters Punch. The Rainbow is a colorful drink of Grenadine, Vodka, Blue Curaçao and Pat O’Brien’s® Sweet & Sour Mix. Pat O'Brien's has a large selection of other great drinks that will quench any thirst on a hot summer evening.

Creole Trio at Desire Bistro and Oyster Bar

For dinner we went to one of our favorite restaurants, Desire Bistro and Oyster Bar at the Royal Sonesta Hotel. I couldn't decide on just one dish, so I ordered the Creole Trio. It's a combination platter of gumbo, jambalaya, and red beans and rice with smoked sausage. It all tasted great!

Andouille Hash at Vacherie

 After a good night of great food and drinks, we had breakfast at Vacherie on Toulouse Street at the corner of Dauphine. I ordered the Andouille Hash. It comes with local Andouille sausage, diced potatoes, diced onions, red peppers, green onions, topped with poached eggs and Hollandaise. I ordered a fresh biscuit on the side. I love Andouille sausage, and this hash tasted like authentic New Orleans.

Beignets at Cafe Du Monde

You can't visit New Orleans without stopping by the famous Cafe Du Monde. You have to try their Beignets. They are square French-style doughnuts. They can be ordered plain, or as most do, covered with heaps of powdered sugar. Be prepared to have your face and most of your clothes covered in powdered sugar! The original Cafe Du Monde coffee stand was established in 1862 in the New Orleans French Market. The Cafe is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Pimm's Cup at Cafe Amelie

Another one of our favorite places in New Orleans is Cafe Amelie. It is located in the historic 150-year-old Princess of Monaco Courtyard and Carriage House on Royal Street. It has a beautiful courtyard for dining, and a great bar that serves a delicious Pimm's Cup. Like the Hurricane, a Pimm's Cup is very refreshing on a hot summer day.

Bloody Mary at Touche Bar

After breakfast, we strolled around the French Quarter and popped into the Touche Bar for a Bloody Mary. The Bloody Mary was tasty with just the right amount of spice. It was the perfect drink before heading back to the airport to catch our flight back to Seattle. If you haven't been to New Orleans, I highly recommend it. The city is rich in history and has a long history of great food. I hope to visit back again to try even more great food!