Homemade syrups are easy to make and a great way to include fresh ingredients in tasty treats like ice cream or in a fantastic cocktail, like the pre-prohibition Clover Club cocktail.

This week on Kathy Casey’s Liquid Kitchen™ I make a Clover Thyme Club using a DIY Raspbery Syrup! Using the Vitamix Barboss Advance, I blend fresh raspberries, sugar and water then reduce it down ’til its nice and syruppy. For the cocktail, the fresh syrup plays well with gin, lemon juice, fresh thyme and egg whites for this frothy and herbalacious libation!

Cheers! -Kathy

Seattle is always right on beat with the latest trends in the food world and one of the greatest examples of that is our flourishing food truck culture. These mobile feasts are popping up all over the city, offering up everything from Cuban (Snout & Co.) to donuts (Street Donuts) for the discerning foodie on the go. Food trucks have become so popular that there are websites and mobile apps specifically dedicated to tracking your favorite truck!

If the prospect of finding one that appeals to you seems daunting, don’t worry! The Mobile Food Rodeo is this Saturday, September 17th from 12PM – 7PM at 1600 Armory Way, behind Whole Foods – Interbay! This event will gather food trucks, including some of my favorites like Maximus Minimus, Skillet, Molly Moon and more, from all over the city (and a few from our neighbors in Portland) in one spot… a foodie’s dream. There are tons of different varieties of food represented from Indian, Mexican and everything in between to sweeter treats like ice cream and cupcakes – there is literally something for everyone!

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn will be in attendance to show his support for recent legislations passed that will benefit the food truck community. I’ll be there as a Food Sheriff (complete with a badge and a cowboy hat!) to help judge the Wagon Awards Showdown! Participating food trucks will be competing for top honors – The Wagon Wheel (Best in Show), Most Creative Dish, Best New Dish (Rodeo Exclusive)… just a few of the categories my fellow sheriffs and I will have the pleasure of awarding!

Tickets are for sale online at www.strangertickets.com, or at the door with a portion of all proceeds going directly to Solid Ground, a local organization dedicated to building a strong community.

I hope to see you there! And let me know what some of your favorite food trucks are, too!

-Kathy

Ice cream and milkshakes are delicious  all year round. Same can be said with a fantastic bourbon. Why not combine both into decadent cold treat?

This week on Kathy Casey’s Liquid Kitchen™ I make a Spirited Chocolate Covered Cherry Milkshake! Using the Vitamix Barboss Advance, I blend in chocolate cherry ice cream, brownie bites, Bulleit Bourbon and cherries and top it off with a chocolate sauce, chocolate whipped cream and a bourbon soaked maraschino cherry. Remember, adults only for this treat!

Enjoy! -Kathy

September is here, which means it’s back to school and the question is “what’s for lunch”? For your kids, that is! This school year, hold the bologna and PB & J and put a fun twist on the old favorites in their lunchbox.

To make lunchtime unique for them and easy for you, why not pick up some prepared veggie sushi rolls at the grocery store? Mix a little (not too spicy) sweet chili sauce with some soy for dipping and you have a faboo meal that your kids will love! Pack them some cute plastic chopsticks (or those disposable wooden ones from take-out that we all have in our kitchen drawer!) to make it even more fun.

Next, let’s talk sandwiches – lettuce and tomatoes can get soggy, soggy, soggy! Instead, try some crisp cucumbers, flavorful roasted peppers or even some fresh arugula for tucking in. You can turn ordinary sandwiches into wraps for a fantastic portable lunch and a great way to incorporate leftovers such as roasted chicken.

You can get creative with spreads too; pesto, hummus, almond butter, light mayo mixed with fresh herbs… even artichoke parmesan dip makes a good smear! Just be mindful of your school’s allergy regulations as you send your kids off with their lunch bags.

For a healthy snack alternative, pack up some fresh snow or snap peas – they are super-crunchy, healthy and lots of fun to munch on. If you like sending fruit along, try Cuties Kebabs with Honey Mint Yogurt Dip for a sweet treat. Juicy strawberries, tangy-sweet clemetine segments and fresh mint make a delicious combo and the honey yogurt dip is the perfect accompaniment!

So whatever you pack up for lunch this school year, make it d’lish! -Kathy

Cuties Kebabs with Honey Mint Yogurt Dip
Makes 8 kebabs

4 Cuties clementines
2 large strawberries, quartered, or 8 raspberries
8 fresh mint leaves
8 (6-inch) fun picks or skewers, such as bamboo

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Honey Mint Yogurt Dip (recipe follows)

Peel Cuties then cut in half crosswise. Cut each half into 4 chunks. Thread onto a skewer in order: 2 chunks of Cuties, 1 piece of strawberry, 1 mint leaf and then finish with 2 additional chunks of Cuties. Repeat with remaining skewers. Serve with the dip of your choice.

Honey Mint Yogurt Dip

Makes 1/3 cup

1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp finely chopped fresh mint
3/4 tsp finely minced Cuties zest

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate until needed.

Recipes by Kathy Casey

Whether it’s from the farmers market or a road-side stand, nothing says summer like corn on the cob to me. Personally, I love my corn with just a bit of seasoning – naked is okay too! – but a little smear of butter is the perfect complement to hot corn on the cob. You can get creative with your butter by whipping in a bit of local honey, chili powder, fresh basil, roasted garlic … the combinations are endless!

Traditionally boiled or steamed, corn is also amazing done on the grill – if you’ve already got your grill turned on for a sizzling summer barbeque, why not throw your corn on as well? Leave the stem on for an easy handle and roll it along the grill just enough to heat it through and get some great color on it. Serve it just like that or cut off the kernels and add them to fresh salsa or folded into billowy whipped potatoes. They also add a fantastic pop of color and flavor to Summer Roasted Corn, Pepper and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese Crostini; perfect as a side or the main course!

Speaking of cutting off the kernels, I have a great trick to share with you; if you have a Bundt pan, insert the corn into the center hole and carefully cut downwards as close to the cob as you can without cutting into the cob – the Bundt pan will catch all the kernels for you! If you don’t have one, just hold the corn vertically, making sure the tip is firmly in place and cut downwards.

So go enjoy one of the best tastes of summer while you can – fresh-picked, local corn! – Kathy

Summer Corn, Roasted Pepper, and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese Crostini
Makes 6 servings

1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
3 ears fresh corn, husked
2 tsps Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbsps balsamic vinegar
2 tsps fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
12 thin slices (1/4-inch) of French bread baguette, lightly toasted
6 ounces soft chevre goat cheese
4 to 6 cups tightly packed, washed and torn arugula or baby arugula

Roast peppers over a hot grill or coals or under the broiler, turning often until skin is totally blistered. Peel, seed and thinly slice peppers. Set aside.

Grill corn, turning when each side is marked and lightly roasted. Cut corn from cob, and add to peppers.

In a large bowl, whisk mustard, garlic, vinegar and lemon juice together. Slowly whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper, and toss in basil, roasted peppers, and corn. Set aside.

Meanwhile, spread toasted French bread slices with goat cheese, and place under a broiler for one minute or pop into a hot, 400-degree oven until cheese is warm.

Add arugula to roasted pepper mixture. Toss well. Divide among individual salad plates and garnish with the warm goat cheese crostini.

Copyright ©2004 by Kathy Casey Food Studios®

Infusing waters is a simple, yet very effective way of adding just a bit of flavor to water by adding in market-fresh ingredients. The flavor combinations are endless! Check out this article in the Times-Picayune for more information on how to infuse waters.

Hi Friends!
I need your voting support! No, I’m not running for office … but I’m super excited to be chosen as a Top 20 Finalist for the Tommy Bahama “Rumologist” Search contest! When on my recent vacation to Hawaii (yes, I finally took a vacay!), I dined and drank at the Maui and Big Island Tommy Bahama restaurants on the advice from locals and totally loved their tasty apps and playful cocktails…. so decided I just had to try out!

You can vote once a day, every day on the Tommy Bahama Facebook page. Voting runs until September 8^th, with winners being announced around September 12^th. Winners then move on to the next phase of the search.

I would love your support so please vote for me. If you can help spread the word to family and friends that would be faboo!   Thank you!!!!! XXO Kathy

August is Washington Wine Month, so I thought this would be the perfect time to talk about sangrias!  I love wine by the glass, but for a truly refreshing, light sip, a Summertime White Sangria is the way to go. It is perfect for a big bash (it batches up super-easily!) or a casual summer day on the patio. Local, in-season fruit like peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines mingle so nicely with Stonecap Chardonnay, local honey and a touch of liqueur until you’re ready to serve – then just add some ice and voila! Instant party in a pitcher! If red is more your thing, this sangria is also d’lish made with StoneCap Merlot or Cabernet wine.

For more information or to purchase StoneCap wines, made in the beautiful Columbia Valley, visit www.stonecapwines.com/ or check your neighborhood Fred Meyer or QFC. Happy summertime sipping! – Kathy

Summertime White Sangria
Makes about 6 servings

1 bottle (750 ml) StoneCap Chardonnay
1/4 cup liqueur, such as Tuaca, Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or St. Germain
2 – 3 tablespoons local honey
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 cup cut up local fruit, such as peaches, nectarines, apricots, and plums

In a large pitcher, stir the wine, liqueur and honey together until honey is dissolved. Add the fruits and stir, crushing some of the fruit. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4 hours, to let the flavors marry. Serve over ice, including some of the fruit in each serving.

Recipe created by Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen™