Everyone loves a great margarita – it’s been very popular in the U.S. since the early 1950s, and there are a lot of opinions on what makes a great margarita! With tequila as its base, this refreshing libation has many variations. Here are some of the key factors to making an impressive margarita:

A basic margarita is typically made with the following components: tequila, lime, simple syrup or sweetener, triple sec or orange liqueur. Let’s review our options……

Tequila: made from the fermented and distilled sap of the of the agave plant, has a couple different categories:

Silver or Blanco – unaged and ideal for a fresh lime Margarita or margaritas made with fresh fruits.
Reposado – aged 2 to 11 months in oak or wooden casks; smoother than silver or blanco tequilas 
Añejo –  aged more than 1 year; wonderfully smooth  – best for sippin’ on their own to appreciate the flavor and craftsmanship – but use it in a margarita if you like – or do a float over a simple margarita to add some elegance

Margarita musts:
Use good tequila.
Use fresh lime juice.
Cointreau is my favorite orange liquor to use in a margarita – but Triple Sec is handy if you’re on a budget.
You can make your own simple syrup (see recipe & method below) or agave nectar is a tasty alternative.

Serving preferences:
Margaritas can be shaken with ice & served up, on the rocks or blended. I like them tall and on the rocks.
Some like salt, some do not. I like a half rim of salt – my preference being kosher salt. And of course, there are the “add ins” – a splash of fresh OJ, a touch of cranberry juice, pomegranate, fresh berries … the possibilities are endless. I like a spring of fresh sage shaken in my ‘ritas for a savory note!

Sunset Sage Margarita
Boasting a savory and dry fragrance and flavor, sage especially complements tequila.

Makes 1 drink

1 fresh sage leaf
1 1/2 ounces tequila
1/2 ounce Cointreau, Triple Sec, or Grand Marnier
1/2 ounce cranberry juice cocktail
1/2 ounce Simple Syrup (recipe follows)
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
Fresh sage leaf for garnishing

Crush the sage leaf and drop into a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice, then measure in the remaining liquid ingredients. Cap and shake vigorously until very cold.

Serve on the rocks and add a fresh sage leaf for garnish.

Simple Syrup

Makes 8 cups

4 cups sugar
4 cups water

Combine the ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Bottle and store at room temperature until needed. Keeps indefinitely.

Chef’s Note: Simple syrup is also available at bar supply stores.

Recipe from Kathy Casey’s Northwest Table, Chronicle Books, San Francisco. Copyright © 2006 by Kathy Casey.

With summer just a few sunny days away, it’s time to start incorporating summer fruits and nature’s bounty from the farmers markets into our seasonal dishes and drinks.

One of the first signs of summer is sweet, juicy strawberries appearing at the market! They can make anything taste sweet and refreshing, not to mention they can add some great color to any bland dish or drink! Pile them high on shortcake or dip on chocolate for dessert, throw them in a salad with balsamic for dinner or put them to your cocktail to spruse it up a bit!

I have included two of my favorite recipes for summer. First up is the Strawberry Shag Cocktail from my new book Sips & Apps. The Strawberry Shag teams lightly-sugared fresh strawberries with a tasty partner – fresh basil! Shaken with vodka and fresh lemon juice this refreshing cooler is perfect to start any patio party!

Next up is Strawberry & Spinach Salad with Sweet Onions and Poppy Seed–Ginger Vinaigrette which is one of my favorite salad dressing recipes. If you are tight on time you can make the dressing up to 1 week in advance! Serve this d’lish salad as a starter or top it with sliced grilled chicken breast, paired with some hearty, rustic bread for a main meal.

I hope you enjoy my “first of summer” strawberry recipes and be sure to always remember to “Cook up Some Fun™” in the kitchen!

Strawberry Shag
Fresh basil lends a fun flavor note to the classic combination of strawberries and lemonade. Soda water introduces a lively sparkle.

Makes 1 drink

1 to 2 large sprigs fresh basil
1/4 cup Sugared Strawberries with juice (recipe follows)
1 1/2 ounces vodka
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
3 to 4 ounces chilled soda water

For garnishing: fresh strawberry, small basil leaf

In a cocktail shaker, press the basil and strawberries together with a muddler to release the basil’s flavor. Fill the shaker with ice. Measure in the vodka and lemon juice. Cap and shake vigorously. Pour into a large glass, top with soda water, and stir. Garnish with a strawberry and basil leaf.

Sugared Strawberries
Makes enough for about 6 drinks

1 pint fresh strawberries, stemmed and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Mix the ingredients and let sit for 15 minutes before using.

Recipe from Sips & Apps, Chronicle Books, San Francisco. Copyright © 2009 by Kathy Casey

Strawberry & Spinach Salad
with Sweet Onions and Poppy Seed–Ginger Vinaigrette

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Vinaigrette
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup light olive oil or other salad oil
2 teaspoons poppy seed

Salad
3 cups fresh strawberries, stemmed and quartered
2 bunches spinach, stemmed, washed well, and spun dry
    (or 8 to 10 cups of baby spinach leaves)
1/2 cup thinly sliced sweet white onion, such as a Walla Walla Sweet or Vidalia
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

To make the vinaigrette, whisk the vinegar, ginger, mustard, honey, sugar, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil, emulsifying the vinaigrette. Stir in the poppy seed. Refrigerate for up to one week.

To make the salad, toss the berries, spinach, and onion with the vinaigrette. Sprinkle with almonds.
Recipe adapted from Kathy Casey’s Northwest Table, Chronicle Books, San Francisco. Copyright © 2006 by Kathy Casey.

It is finally here! My new book, Sips & Apps hit stores this week and I could not be more excited! I’ve always had a passion for cocktails and have been applying my culinary knowledge to the bar for years. Sips & Apps has been such a fun book to create from start to finish because it combines two of my deepest passions.

With more than 100 recipes (69 cocktail and 35 appetizer, plus an array of variations, sours, and purees), as well as more than 60 color photographs to guide and inspire, I created this book for all skill levels. For your next dinner party wow your guests with a Tuscan Rosemary Lemon Drop (recipe below) or a Cucumber Elderflower Fizz. Throw a vintage cocktail party and revisit the classics with a Peach 75 or a Dubious Manhattan. Serve an icy pitcher of Berrylicious Sangria at your next poolside barbecue. Tantalizing finger foods such as Croque Monsieur Puffs and Fennel-Roasted Walnuts, expertly paired with just the right cocktail, will make yours the happiest happy hour.

I’ve included a bar-basics section, insider tips and techniques, recipes for infused syrups, original garnishes, and fresh fruit purees, as well as some nifty extras (like a double ribbon marker labeled “sips” and “apps”) to create a great guide for both home cocktail “chefs” and bar professionals alike. I hope you enjoy my new book, Sips & Apps.

Sips & Apps can be purchased at the following locations, as well as signed copies through my website.

Barnes & Noble Seattle locations
Sur La Table
Amazon.com
Metropolitan Market
Drees
Pottery Barn 

Tuscan Rosemary Lemon Drop

I created this cocktail for my dear friends Michelle and Don’s wedding reception in Tuscany. To this day, I can picture everyone standing on the villa lawn enjoying their drinks—heels kicked off, ties loosened, and laughter fading into the Tuscan sunset.

Makes 1 drink

Rosemary Sugar
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 1/2 ounces vodka
1/2 ounce limoncello
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce Simple Syrup

For garnishing
Fresh rosemary sprig

Rim a large martini glass with rosemary sugar, and set aside.

Bend 1 rosemary sprig and drop into a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice. Measure in the vodka, limoncello, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Cap and shake vigorously. Strain into the sugar-rimmed glass. Float a rosemary sprig in the drink for garnish.

Rosemary Sugar

Makes 1 cup

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, coarsely chopped
1 cup superfine or baker’s sugar

Mix the rosemary and sugar together, and spread the mixture on a rimmed baking sheet. Set in a warm dry place for about 4 days, until the rosemary is completely dried. Process in a food processor or spice grinder until finely ground. Store in a tightly sealed container for up to one month at room temperature.

Simple Syrup

This is a bar staple and the most commonly used sweetener. Though you can purchase simple syrup, it is ordinarily sweeter than I prefer, so I highly recommend making your own. Proportions vary but it is easy.
 
Makes 3 cups

2 cups water
2 cups sugar

Mix the water and sugar together in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Let boil 1 minute then immediately remove from the heat. Let cool to room temperature before using. Store in a clean glass bottle or container, at room temperature, for up to 2 weeks or, refrigerated, for up to 3 months.

Tip: If you don’t have limoncello, then increase the lemon juice and simple syrup to 3/4 ounce each.

Recipe from Sips & Apps, © 2009 by Kathy Casey, Photography by Angie Norwood Browne, reprinted by permission of Chronicle Books

2 1/4 oz. Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum
1/2 oz. Clement Creole Shrubb
1/4 oz. Captain Morgan 100
2 dashes Fee Bros. Peach bitters
2 dashes angostura bitters
8-10 mint leaves
1 Demerara Sugar Cube

The King of Cocktails Dale Degroff has just recently published his second book and it is a must-have at any one’s bar. The Essential Cocktail (Clarkson Potter, 2008), covers it all — from Slings to Sidecars. Anyone from professional bartenders to at home drink-makers is sure to take something away from this beautiful book. Eloquently written with gorgeous photography, the book is dedicated to the essentials of all cocktails, classic and modern.  This book highlights the importance for bartenders to understand the essential, classic techniques and skills of drink-making.

The Essential Cocktail is available in stores and through online sources such as Amazon.com.

There are new restaurants popping up everywhere—from Capitol Hill to Ballard to West Seattle! Some very new—and some not so new that have taken me awhile to get to. What with the sagging economy it is important that folks support their local eateries. And it looks like that is happening. Restaurants that I have gone to lately seem to be fairly busy at dinner, and new openings are announced every week. So here’s my list of neighborhood restaurants for you to get out and try … you’ll be happy you did!

New and fairly new places to check out

Anchovies & Olives

Ethan Stowell’s newest gem opened just recently—another tasty addition to the already stellar line up of Capitol Hill restaurants.

“The idea behind the menu,” says Stowell, “is that every dish will have a seafood element. Yes, we will have some meat on the menu, but it will be something like beef Carpaccio with white anchovy, shallots, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.” Highlights include Sea Scallops with Grapefruit and Mint ($12), Hamachi with Blood Orange and Fennel Pollen ($14), Spaghetti with Sea Urchin and Jalapeño ($16), and Branzino with Artichokes and Bottarga.

Anchovies & Olives is located at 1550 15th Ave in the booming Capitol Hill neighborhood known as the Pike Pine Triangle. Dinner is served seven nights a week, 5 pm–Midnight. For more information, call 206-838-8080 or visit anchoviesandolives.com

Barrio
Another Capitol Hill eatery and bar! Barrio features a menu that takes a Northwest approach to Mexican-inspired cuisine. Recently I had dinner seated at the bar with my husband John and friend Michelle and we had a really great meal. The drinks, on the other hand, were fantastic! We loved the creative and expertly made cocktails. My favorite was the Desert Healer, made with American straight gin, orange juice, cherry Heering and ginger beer. Also extraordinary was their Margarita—shaken with reposado tequila, Damiana orange liqueur, lime juice, agave nectar and salt. And this is the place to have small plates—both Duo of Salsas (pick from roasted tomatillo serrano, grape tomato, avocado, fire-roasted tomato habanero, smoky ancho chile) with yucca, plantain and corn chips, and the Guacamole are a must. Other tasty choices include Pork Cheek Tamale and a variety of ceviches. This is a terrific place to meet friends and have a snack and libation at the bar.

Find Barrio at 1420 12th Ave, near Madison and E. Pike. Open 5 pm till Midnight nightly, till 2 am Friday and Saturday. For more information, call 206-588-8105 or visit barriorestaurant.com

Spring Hill

Finally, we got over to West Seattle‘s newest jewel—what took us so long!! Co-owned by Chef Mark Fuller and Marjorie Chang Fuller, this lovely restaurant has everything going for it—contemporary design by Heliotrope Architects (who are our neighbors by the Food Studios in Ballard!), crisp professional service and delicious creative food. I love that they have a section on the menu that lists “Friends”—local producers like the Yoshimura Family – Mutual Fish, Oyster Bill – Taylor Shellfish and Joan Monteille – Monteille Fromagerie … to name a few. The menu features small dishes, seafood, charcuterie and main courses, so there are plenty of ways to make your meal. Be sure to try the Alder Smoked Oysters—in olive oil with roasted peppers. Yum!

Spring Hill is located at 4437 California Ave SW. Dinner is served Tuesday–Sunday, brunch Saturday & Sunday, and supper Monday evenings. For more information, call 206-935-1075 or visit springhillnorthwest.com

Shiku Sushi

Ballard is busting with new sushi places! The first on the block was Shiku Sushi, owned by the charming Rob Kim, who always greets you with a smile. I pop in often for my favorite, the Opiate cocktail made with Tanqueray, absinthe and a touch of Midori. Accompany it with small plates from their Izakaya menu and a few pieces of sushi. Then end the meal with the Bruce Lee Roll: spicy tuna and cucumber topped with albacore, avocado and shrimp tempura mixed with jalapeños and spicy mayo—it’s pretty darn yummy!

Shiku Sushi is located at 5310 Ballard Ave NW. Open 7 days a week starting at 4:30 pm, closing varies. Happy Hour is 4:30–6:30 Monday–Friday; plus they have Friday & Saturday late-night Happy Hour, 11 pm. For more information, call 206-372-7685 or visit shikusushi.com

Moshi Moshi

This is another just-recently-opened sushi restaurant in Ballard. My sous chef Travis Childers has dined there a couple of times in the last few weeks. As you enter you will be awed by the lit-up giant cherry blossom tree—very cool! Travis imbibed a Spice Trade cocktail accompanied with skillfully prepared sushi. I had a chance for just a quick visit this week and am excited to go back soon.

Find Moshi Moshi at 5324 Ballard Ave NW. Happy Hour is 4:30–6 pm Monday–Saturday; plus late-night. Moshi Moshi is closed Sundays. For more information, call 206-971-7424 or email info@moshiseattle.com; they are building their Web site at moshiseattle.com.

Last Saturday night was the Evening of Hope Gala held at Seattle’s Fairmont Hotel….. the theme? ….Pillow Fight Against Homelessness. Put on by the Seattle Hotel Association this event benifited the Plymouth Housing Group.

Evening attire mixed with swanky pajamas and loungewear and a great time was had by all.
Jeffery Ahia and Kent Beech looking faboo!
JJ McKay always Dashing with me sipping a libation.

Sitcking with the theme I created the signiture cocktails for the reception. The Pink Fir Slipper made with Douglas fir infused Cruzan rum, lemon and cranberry.
Pink Fir Slipper (recipe follows)

For those who like their drinks a bit “less pink” we also stirred up Luxuary Lounge Manhattans made with  the newly released (ri)1 rye, Nocello walnut liqueur and red vermouth – garnished with an Italian Amarena cherry.

Pink Fir Slipper
Makes 1 cocktail

1 1/2 ounce Cruzan Light Rum infused with Douglas Fir (recipe follows)
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
3/4 ounce cranberry juice
Garnish: cranberry and a tiny piece of douglas fir

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Measure in the infused Cruzan Rum, lemon juice, simple syrup and cranberry juice. Cap and shake. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a floating cranberry and piece of douglas fir.

Cruzan Light Rum infused with Douglas Fir
1 (5- to 6-inch) sprig fresh-picked Douglas fir branch, rinsed
1 bottle (750 ml) Cruzan Light Rum

Put the fir branch into the rum bottle, cap, and let sit 24 hours. (Do not let it infuse for more than 24 hours.) Remove the branch and discard. The infused rum can be stored at room temperature for up to one year.

Tips: If fresh Douglas fir is not available in your area, then you can substitute a Douglas-fir tea bag available at Dish D’Lish Ballard. If using the tea, add the contents of the tea bag to the gin, let infuse, and then strain the gin through a very fine strainer. The infused gin also makes a good martini. Recipe (c) 2009 Kathy Casey 

Luxury Lounge Manhattan
Makes 1 cocktail

2 oz (rī)1
1/2 oz sweet red vermouth
1/2 oz Nocello liqueur
Garnish: Amarena Italian cherry on a pick

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Measure in the (rī)1, sweet red vermouth and Nocello liqueur. Cap and shake. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with an Amarena Italian cherry on a pick.  Recipe (c) 2009 Kathy Casey

Awaken to bacon and the day just starts off great! There is nothing better than the alluring aroma of bacon frying in a skillet and the smell of fresh coffee wafting through the air. Breakfast offerings just seem incomplete without a little bacon in the mix. 

From breakfast to dinner, bacon is an all-American favorite! Now it’s even the hip trend in cocktails. Yes, that’s right: bacon-infused bourbon is all the rage! At New York’s PDT bar they are serving an Old Fashioned made with bacon-infused bourbon. And it is yummy!!!!

Now if you’re inviting guests for cocktails and don’t want to infuse your booze with bacon, you can always whip up a batch of my Kinda Retro Bacon-Wrapped Ginger Shrimp with Spicy Thai Cocktail Sauce, a modern-day twist on this old-time appy favorite. And then there are those yummy bacon-wrapped dates everyone is taking to parties lately … love those, too.

It seems men especially love bacon—they are always cruising around the kitchen for it and I swear can smell it a mile away!  My husband John, a true bacon’noisseur, was thrilled when he heard I was doing a Dishing item on bacon and was quick to volunteer as a taste-tester. 

But gals love bacon, too. Maybe I don’t sit down to a big stack of bacon very often but, when I do, I want it to be quality.

So, if you want to indulge in some super-sexy, high-end, and darn right fun bacon, there are some exciting options! For the ultimate “eveything bacon,” check out Bacon Freak, where they open up with: Welcome To Bacon Freak’s “Bacon Is Meat Candy” Gourmet Bacon Club Where “Baconism” Is Much More Than A Mere Philosophy, It’s Our Very Way Of Life! I love it! Their products are super-fun and tasty. From the Boss Hog Hickory and Brown Sugar Smoked Bacon to Rocco’s Country Pepper Bacon to Bourbon Street Cajun Country Bacon, Bacon Freak is a bacon lover’s dream—and it’s just a darn right fun site, too!

Kinda Retro Bacon-Wrapped Ginger Shrimp with Spicy Thai Cocktail Sauce
Makes 6 – 8 cocktail appetizer servings

1 pound peeled, deveined, raw large shrimp
Half-slices of regular bacon for wrapping shrimp
—————
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced fresh lemongrass
1 1/2 teaspoons minced lime zest
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon peanut oil or other mild vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Remove tail-section shells from shrimp if necessary. Count the shrimp and cut that many half-strips of bacon. Reserve shrimp and bacon.

Combine remaining ingredients and grind in a blender or mini-processor. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the shrimp, and mix well to coat shrimp thoroughly.

Leaving on as much rub as will stay, wrap each shrimp in a spiral with a half-strip bacon, beginning at the head end of the shrimp and ending at the tail. All or almost all the shrimp should be covered by bacon. Secure the bacon snugly with a bamboo or decorative metal skewer as follows: Thread the skewer first through the bacon at tail end of the shrimp, then into the shrimp body near the tail; then push the skewer out near the head end of the shrimp and through the remaining bacon end.

Lay shrimp out, spaced apart, on an ungreased, low-rimmed baking sheet. (Shrimp can be prepared to this point up to a day in advance. Wrap securely and store refrigerated.)

When ready to cook and serve shrimp: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Bake shrimp in preheated oven 12 – 15 minutes or until bacon is just done to your liking (the shrimp will be done). Accompany with Spicy Thai Cocktail Sauce.

Spicy Thai Cocktail Sauce
Makes about 3/4 cup

1/2 cup tomato-based chili sauce, such as Heinz
1/4 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon minced lime zest

Mix all ingredients well. Can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store refrigerated.
Copyright © 2009 Kathy Casey Food Studios ®