The last time we were in Aspen, Colorado having drinks at the historic Hotel Jerome, we had vodka on the rocks. There was no BLT Cocktail. We’d be desperately trying to schedule a trip back for a sip of this drink, except that mixologist Brent Jones shared his recipe with us.
The unique cocktail, which is causing quite a buzz in Aspen, is created with bacon fat-washed vodka, freshly juiced organic tomatoes and a foamed lettuce topping. Brent creates the components from scratch. This one takes a bit of time, but none of the steps is difficult. Your friends will be dazzled.
Add 4 ounces of slivered almonds to tuna, egg and chicken salads for a crunchy gourmet twist. Use fresh herbs: Snip basil, chives, cilantro, dill or parsley into your salad for more fab flavor with no added calories. Another secret—use a great mayonnaise like Lemonaise, our Top Pick Of The Week from The Ojai Cook. Its delicious Lemonaise Light has half the calories (but you can use half mayonnaise, half fat-free yogurt to cut down on the calories, too).
A beer with roasted malts that have coffee
notes is the perfect pairing with Beehive’s coffee-rubbed cheese, Barely Buzzed.
Beehive Cheese is another wonderful artisan food story. Brothers-in-law working in software and real estate traded fast-paced corporate jobs for green acres, and grinding commutes with briefcases and laptops for quiet mornings turning 500 gallons of farm-fresh milk into cheese. Instead of “make it happen—now!,” they now spend months patiently waiting for their cheeses to ripen.
Learning elementary Cheddar-making at the local agricultural college, they opened a shop that also stocked other artisans’ cheeses, plus coffee beans from one of the owners’ brothers, a roaster in Colorado. One cold January morning, inspiration struck to pat some ground Turkish coffee onto some wheels of their Cheddar. The local hit—dubbed Barely Buzzed by the winner of a naming contest—became the first prize winner at the American Cheese Society Competition in 2007 and 2008 (the 2009 competition takes place this week).
We knew none of this when we stumbled upon Barely Buzzed a few months back at the Winter Fancy Food Show. We only know an eye-opening Cheddar when we taste one. Beehive Cheese Co. makes more than one charming cheese, and the Cheddar champs have proved that Amano Chocolate (founded by another Utah software industry emigré) isn’t the only artisan food from the Beehive State that can compete in the bee-g time.
Read all the buzz about Beehive Cheese in the full review.
Beehive’s coffee-rubbed Cheddar isn‘t the only beer-friendly cheese (it’s great with a beer made with roasted malts that bring out coffee flavors in the beer). Take a look at our beer & wine pairing chart.
Add 4 ounces of slivered almonds to tuna, egg and chicken salads for a crunchy gourmet twist. Use fresh herbs: Snip basil, chives, cilantro, dill or parsley into your salad for more great flavor with no added calories. Another tip—use a great mayonnaise like those from The Ojai Cook, a Top Pick Of The Week. Its delicious Lemonaise is redolent of lemon and gentle spice, which layers more flavor into the salad. Lemonaise Light has half the calories, but you can use half mayonnaise, half fat-free yogurt to cut down on the calories, too.
Check out our review of Lemonaise and its sister products—great to know about.
August is National Peach Month. If you normally enjoy a Mimosa (Champagne and orange juice), try a Bellini instead. It’s white peach purée and Prosecco, a sparkling Italian wine. Many specialty stores sell white peach purée, or you can order it online from Perfect Purée of Napa Valley, a a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week. If you can’t get your hands on the peach purée quickly enough, you can make it. Boil 3/4 pound ripe peaches (preferably white) with 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup lemon juice and 2 teaspoons sugar. Peaches are delicious now!
