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This week on Kathy Casey’s Liquid Kitchen, I make an Apple Ginger Puree for my Harvest Dark & Stormy! Using my Vitamix The Quiet One, I puree a d’lish combination of fresh diced apples (I like using Granny Smith for their tart flavor), coarse minced ginger, sugar and water. The mixture compliments the ginger beer and the dark rum (you can also use a spiced rum) for my twist on the classic Dark & Stormy.
Cheers! -Kathy
I LOVE Dim Sum! A traditional Chinese way of preparing food, dim sum items are usually bite or individual-sized portions and typically enjoyed for breakfast or lunch.
Going for dim sum with friends or family is a great outing. If you’re not familiar with this style of food, dim sum dishes are typically wheeled around on carts within the restaurant. Diners can then pick and choose what they would like to try. The portions are small so you can be adventurous!
Tasty dim sum offerings!
(Photo from Seattle Magazine.)
I usually go for the steamed stuff like Shumai: small dumplings filled with pork and shrimp in a thin wheat flour wrapper. My faves are Har Gow shrimp dumplings and Char Sui Bao, which are fluffy steamed buns filled with BBQ pork filling. And then there is the Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce and Salt and Pepper Squid –yum! Oh and there’s also chicken feet – not so much for me, but there is something for all taste adventurers.
Seattle’s International District has a lot of places to choose from. One of my favorites is Sun Ya. On the east side, check out Bellevue’s Noble Court. And for a fun day trip, head north over the border to Richmond, BC, which has an amazing array of places – Sun Sui Wah is a MUST!
Go with friends and have fun at dim sum. And don’t forget to tell me some of your fave places to try. – Kathy
As we head into Fall, it’s time to get your tickets for the 5th annual Taste of Tulalip, held at the beautiful Tulalip Resort Casino. This year the foodie focus is on Native American cuisine, with over 120 wines from around the world being paired with the delicious indigenous dishes by Tulalip’s Executive Chef Perry Mascitti and Sommelier Tommy Thompson.
Held over two days, November 8th and 9th, Taste of Tulalip features special guests Q13 Fox This Morning anchor Bill Wixey, Top Chef Seattle winner Kristen Kish, and Dr. Lois Allen Frank, Native American chef and professor at the Institute of American Indian Arts.
As always, Taste of Tulalip will be filled with exciting events including the Rock-n-Roll Cooking Challenge, the VIP Magnum Party, cooking demos, Q&As and table talks. All of this is, of course, amidst the amazing food and incredible wines that the event has become known for.
Make sure you mark your calendars and buy your tickets fast for Friday, November 8th and Saturday, November 9th!
The varieties of tomatoes available this time of year makes me want to add them to every dish that I make. And here in the Northwest with the sun actually shining this summer, local gardens should be teaming with vine ripe tomatoes.
A quick and super easy appetizer from my book “Sips and Apps” is my Caprese Picks – just skewer up some cherry tomatoes, baby mozzarella balls and fresh basil leaves and serve with my Quick Basil Aioli for dipping.
Photo from Kathy Casey’s Sips & Apps, Chronicle Books – Angie Norwood Browne.
Looking for a twist on a traditional salsa? Try my Orange Ginger Salsa. Combine some orange segments and fresh ginger with diced tomatoes then stir in some Thai sweet chili sauce, a squeeze of lime and fresh cilantro – zing! It’s perfect to serve over grilled chicken or salmon.
Have you ever tried a savory tomato jam? It is SO good to serve alongside roasted meats, prosciutto and cheeses like gorgonzola or aged gouda! If you have lots of tomatoes in your garden, try putting up my savory Tomato Basil Jam.
So get your tomato on and cook up some vine ripen recipes! – Kathy
Piccolo Caprese Picks with Quick Basil Aioli
The beloved Italian salad goes mini-on-a-pick. Be sure to purchase ciliegine mozzarella balls—these are the tiny cherry-sized ones.
Makes 24
Aioli
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup high-quality mayonnaise, such as Best Foods or Hellmann’s
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Caprese
24 cherry tomatoes (about 1 pint)
24 small fresh basil leaves
24 ciliegine mozzarella balls (these are the tiny 1/3-ounce balls), drained well
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
24 short bamboo or other fun picks
To make the aioli: In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, and basil. Whisk in the mayonnaise until smooth. Gradually drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly, until emulsified. Cover and refrigerate until needed. The aioli can be made up to 3 days in advance.
To assemble the caprese: With a paring knife, halve each cherry tomato horizontally, being careful to keep the halves together. Then thread onto a pick in this order: a tomato top, a basil leaf, a mozzarella ball, and the tomato bottom. Be sure the cut sides of the tomato face toward the cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Place on a platter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve with the aioli in a bowl for dipping or drizzling.
Recipe from Kathy Casey Sips & Apps, Chronicle Books
Orange Ginger Salsa
Great over grilled seafood, chicken or pork, I especially love it with Alaska salmon.
Makes 1 1/2 cups
3/4 cup 1/4-inch-diced orange (peeled and seeded)
3/4 cup 1/4-inch-diced ripe tomato (seeds lightly squeezed out)
1 1/2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons 1/4-inch-diced Walla Walla or other sweet white onion
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce
Mix all ingredients together well. Let flavors marry for 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios®.
Tomato Basil Jam
Try making this savory tomato jam to serve with sexy cheeses or for breakfast or brunch on toasted rustic bread with whipped cream cheese or soft goat cheese.
Makes 4 half-pint jars
3 cups peeled (see Chef’s Notes) and chopped tomatoes, about 1 1/2 lb.
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. finely minced lemon zest
2 tsp. finely minced garlic
2 shallots, minced
1/4 tsp. crushed red chili flakes
1 tsp. salt
1 box MCP pectin
3 cups sugar
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
Place tomatoes, vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, shallots, chili flakes and salt in a 6- to 8-quart, heavy-bottom saucepot. Add the pectin and stir in.
Place over high heat and bring to a FULL ROLLING BOIL (a boil you can’t stir down), stirring constantly to prevent scorching. (If mixture starts to scorch, turn down heat a bit.) Stir in the sugar and, as soon as the full rolling boil takes place again, start timing and cook jam for 7 minutes.
Then remove from heat, skim the jam, stir in basil and fill jars per manufacturer’s instructions. Process jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes (with this method, the jam will keep for up to 1 year stored at room temperature).
Or, to make a refrigerated jam – fill jars with hot jam, cool , then cover and keep refrigerate for up to 3 months.
Chef’s Notes: Wash tomatoes in cool running water. Remove skins by dipping in boiling water for 30 – 60 seconds, or until skins split. Dip in ice water, then slip off skins and remove cores.
Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios®.
I know it’s early but be sure to mark your calendars for Saturday, December 14th for the Food Studios Holiday Extravaganza – the holidays will be here in no time! Now back to the summer…
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The summer was wildly busy – from international travels to new concept openings to some great conferences! Read on to find out what the crew and I have been up to since my last recap!
In May, I had a whirlwind trip to New York, where I celebrated my birthday at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic where Small Screen and William Grant hosted a cool fundraiser on the spectacular deck of the Manhattan Andaz Hotel for Share our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign which I helped out at.
Next it was all aboard a quick flight to Boston …where Liquid Kitchen associates Danny Ronen, Keith Waldbauer and I went full-tilt to open an exciting bar program at the new Showcase Cinemas Super Lux concept. Cocktails, snazzy menu and plush lay-back leather chairs with your movie experience? Don’t mind if I do!
Sexy Cocktails at the Showcase Super Lux grand opening party!
Then it was back to Seattle to host the Barilla Academy at my Food Studios. For three culinary-packed days, guest Executive Chefs from all over the US participated in Modern Italian Menu seminars, a bar-chef cocktail competition, and to a day of ingredient shopping at Pike Place then finished with a Pacific NW inspired dinner whipped up by the chefs.
The Barilla Academy attendees!
The Chef Teams hard at work at the Food Studios…but is it really work if it’s so much fun?
But to top it all off was the field trip to Taylor Shellfish Farms in Shelton, to learn all about Pacific Northwest shellfish; with lots of oyster slurping and hands on beach cooking! So fun ..and sunny beach weather too!
Sampling some super-fresh Taylor Shellfish oysters on the beach with Jon Rowley – and sipping some award winning oyster wines!
Barilla Executive Chef Lorenzo Boni and I and Geoducks!! The Demo! … LOL
The Fabulous Crew of Mine! on the Beautiful Taylor Shellfish Beach
Jonas, Antonette, Erwin, Jason, Heather
Then, it was time to pack my bags and head out the door to Peru! This was my first time there and it was an amazing trip; including a tour of the Pisco Porton distillery, and getting a first-hand taste of Peru’s diverse and unique culture – adventuring through a wildlife sanctuary and learning and tasting all about Peruvian Cuisine as well as watching a traditional Peruvian prancing horse show! What a treat! And of course, learning all about Pisco! The food was really amazing – and the ceviche was so fresh. My favorite ceviche was tossed with Peruvian corn and yams.
Winter-time in Peru
Pisco Porton Master Distiller Johnny, giving us a tour
My Favorite Peruvian Things….Coca Pisco Sours and Super Sooooft Llama Slippers!!
Chicago, Tales of the Cocktail & Flavor: I was barely home from that international adventure when it was time to head to Chicago with Associate Chef Cameon Orel for the International Food Technology Expo. It wasn’t all work, though – we got to stop in at the Aviary to visit beverage director Charles Joly and sample some of the most amazing cocktails I’ve ever tasted – and that’s high praise from me! If you have a trip to Chicago planned, be sure to call and get a reservation at the bar to be wowed!
Crazy Fun Cocktails at Aviary
But before I headed back home, I flew down to New Orleans for the 11th Annual Tales of the Cocktail! Check out my special guest post in Seattle Magazine for my quick round-up!
Guest Mixologists shaking up and showing off their creations at Tale of the Cocktail
And to top the summer off was The Flavor Experience, one of my all-time favorite industry conferences. The Liquid Kitchen team presented cocktails for Monin that were all Tiki-themed. We whipped up South Seas Whiskey Jar Punch and Pineapple Agave Mezcal Coolers made with Monin Organic Agave, garnished with ginger-grilled shrimp – yum!
I also presented on the International Trends Panel, discussing global trends that are prime for US menus –( I predict Filipino adobo, pancit, and calamansi citrus-based drinks as well as Peruvian Ají Amarillo Sauce [I love it on everything] and a renewed interest in Pisco Sours).
After the seminar Heather, Jason and I served up Toasted Peruvian Corn with Chili Lime Salt (yes, I schlepped 20 lbs back from Peru in my backpack!) and Passion Fruit Pisco Sours topped with beautiful little baby orchids.
Monin Passion Fruit Pisco Porton Sours with Edible Baby Orchid and toasted Peruvian Corn
I can’t wait for The Flavor Experience’s 10 year anniversary next summer!
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Season 4 of Kathy Casey’s Liquid Kitchen has just started airing! You can catch new episodes sponsored by Vitamix every other Tuesday on Small Screen Network. A recent episode of the Berries & Bubbles cocktail shaken up with Double Cross Vodka was also featured on Huffington Post and AOL! Other new episodes include Sparkling Tradewinds Punch with Bitter Ice Balls – perfect for a large party.
Stay tuned for other libations to toast in the fall like my Grand Salted Caramel Old Fashioned and the Harvest Dark and Stormy, shaken up with a housemade Apple Ginger Puree – perfect to use all those fall apples up in.
My Berries and Bubbles Cocktail and Erwin Guarding the Sparkling Tradewinds Punch
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Traveling a lot? Me too! Whenever I head out of town, I make sure to stop by my Dish D’Lish cafes at Sea-Tac International Airport (both pre- and post- security). Our new Dish D’Lish Chef Amanda Stoddard has just added lots of new exciting new items and we’ve been working on to stock up pre-flight. For AM travelers, we have new in-house baked Whole Grain Muffins in rotating seasonal flavors.
Our New In House Baked Whole Grain Muffins and Cupcakes – Yum!
And we’ve added a whole line up of rotating salad cups like: Broccoli Bacon Slaw, Caprese Salami Salad, Tarragon Chicken Salad Cups, Wasabi Potato Salad and protein packed, vegetarian Mediterranean Quinoa Salad.
And for our gluten free guests, we have a super snack section featuring Bumble Bars, Oregon Fruit Bars and Food Is Good Chips, as well as many of our new salad cups are gluten free too. Oh – and in honor of my new book D’Lish Deviled Eggs we have a rotating weekly flavor of Deviled Eggs, all perfect to carry on your next flight.
Our D’lish Grab-And-Go Salad Cups, Seasonal Savory Roast Beef Sandwich with Bloody Mary Mayo, Roasted Tomatoes and Blue Cheese and, of Course – D’Lish Deviled Eggs!
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I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my summer round up and l look forward to sharing more culinary and cocktail adventures this fall. –Kathy
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This week on Kathy Casey’s Liquid Kitchen, I stir a Grand Salted Caramel Old Fashion! My spin on the classic Old Fashioned cocktail incorporates Templeton Rye Whiskey, an easy to make spiked Salted Caramel (made with Grand Marnier!), and Bitter Truth Orange Bitters. Perfect as an after dinner cocktail or use the Salted Caramel with Grand Marnier as a dessert topping!
Santé! -Kathy
This time of year vegetables are piled high and looking beautiful at the farmers market – perfect to get cooking with for Vegetarian Awareness Week!
Going meatless once a week may help reduce your risk of health problems like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save on precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuels.
Local cookbook author and food writer Kim O’Donnel is known as a champion of the Meatless Mondays movement. Her books “The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook” and “The Meat Lover’s Meatless Celebrations” feature a ton of great recipes for vegetarians and carnivores alike!
One of my favorite hearty recipes teeming with veggies is Roasted Eggplant Caponata – so great to incorporate all those late summer veggies. Made with roasted eggplant, peppers and squash in a garlicky tomato sauce. Serve it with crusty French bread, cous cous or tossed in with whole wheat pasta. I love it scattered with torn basil and goat cheese if you’re so inclined!
So grab those fresh veggies and make your next meal meatless! – Kathy
Roasted Eggplant Caponata
This can be made up to three days ahead: reheat or bring to room temperature right before serving.
Makes 6 cups and serves 10 – 15.
1 medium eggplant (about 14 oz.), trimmed and sliced crosswise 1/2-inch thick
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons coarse (Kosher) salt
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium zucchini
5 medium white mushrooms, diced 1/4-inch
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons dry red wine
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 jar (6 oz.) marinated artichoke hearts, chopped, liquid reserved
1 large tomato, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup finely diced roasted red pepper
1 tablespoon drained capers
2 tablespoons minced Calamata olives or black olives
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Spread the eggplant slices on a baking sheet and drizzle or brush with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool slightly, then chop and set aside.
Meanwhile, slice the yellow squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the squash seed pulp and discard or reserve for another use. Cut the squash into 1/2-inch dice. Repeat with the zucchini. Set aside.
In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over moderately high heat until hot. Add the mushrooms, onions, diced yellow squash and zucchini. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown lightly, about 4 – 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute.
Stir in the red wine, vinegar and artichoke liquid. Add the tomato, crushed red pepper, black pepper and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring until the tomato softens, about 3 – 4 minutes.
Stir in the artichoke hearts, tomato sauce, roasted red pepper, capers, olives, basil, parsley and the reserved eggplant. Reduce heat to moderately low and cook for 3 minutes or until thickened. Serve warm.
Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios®.
