[2] Find many more recipes in the book (photo courtesy Oxmoor House).

Recently we had the opportunity to preview the book What Can I Bring? by Elizabeth Heiskell, which focuses on favorite Southern recipes.

Among numerous tempting choices, we chose this recipe to share with you because of our weakness for frozen Margaritas and other slushy alcoholic drinks.

Elizabeth Heiskell says, “…it will quickly become your most favorite game day or party go-to. It couldn’t be any easier either, plus it freezes beautifully. You can make it months ahead so it’s ready when you are.”

We decided to make it even more festive, topping it with brandied cherries. It turns the drink into a dessert, instead of sorbet.

This recipe is copyright © 2017 Oxmoor House, reprinted with permission from Time Inc. Books, a division of Time Inc. New York, NY. All rights reserved.

June 14th is National Bourbon Day.
 
 
RECIPE: BOURBON SLUSH

Prep time is 10 minutes, plus 8 hours in the freezer and 1 hour to semi-thaw before serving.
 
Ingredients For 10 Servings

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the hot tea and sugar in a heat-proof bowl; stir until the sugar dissolves.

2. ADD the lemonade concentrate and orange juice concentrate; stir until blended. Let stand until cool, about 1 hour.

3. STIR in the bourbon. Pour the mixture into a large, freezer-safe container and freeze until almost firm, about 8 hours or overnight. To serve…

4. LET stand at room temperature until partially thawed, about 1 hour. Spoon into glasses and serve immediately.
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*We used black tea, but you can use green or herbal tea.

RECIPE: BRANDIED CHERRIES

The recipe is adapted from from The Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum.

Brandied cherries can be used with many desserts, from ice cream to pound cake.

Tea drinkers: Try your tea Russian-style, with a spoon full of brandied cherries substituting for the traditional cherry preserves (used to sweeten tea instead of sugar).

If you don’t like brandy, choose a fruit liqueur. Orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier, Triple Sec) always works.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the sugar, cherry juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a low simmer, stirring until sugar is fully dissolved.

2. REMOVE the saucepan from the heat. Add the brandy and stir to combine. Add the cherries and stir until they are coated in syrup.

3. COOL to room temperature and store in a glass jar. Refrigerate overnight before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

The Chinese New Year holiday begins today. It’s also called Lunar New Year, since the date is based on the lunar calendar*; and other Asian countries in addition to China celebrate it.

The celebration lasts for 15 days, and an estimated 1.4 billion people around the world participate.

It’s the Year Of The Dog, one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac. The characteristics of the animal are believed to influence everything that happens during the ensuing 12 months.

Yet, while people universally love dogs, the zodiac isn’t as kind to them. Advice for the Year Of The Dog:

The dog’s vulnerability is procrastinate too long and miss that opportunity so be sharp-eyed this year in order to maximise on his own potential. Here’s [horoscope guidance] for your sign in the Year Of The Dog.

Here’s more about it, plus the traditional good-luck foods for Chinese New Year (potstickers are one of them).

Now, how about some Chinese fare to celebrate?

To us, potstickers, a traditional Chinese dumpling, are always a treat. They can be enjoyed fried (photo #2) or steamed/boiled (photos #1 and #3) with a dipping sauce, typically ponzu sauce; or served in more modern ways. Here are a few of them:

 
 
RECIPE: POTSTICKER DUMPLING SALAD

We loved the idea from Feel Good Foods: dumplings on raw vegetables: Potstickers + colorful salad = dumpling salad!

If you choose vegetable potstickers, it’s sustainable, vegan lunch or first course for Meatless Mondays. If you buy Feel Good Foods’ potstickers, it’s also gluten-free.

You can serve the salad with ponzu sauce or a vinaigrette of rice vinegar and sesame oil (or olive oil).

We created this recipe to match the photo. If you eat gluten-free foods, Feel Good Foods specializes in gluten-free Asian foods: dumplings, egg rolls and mains such as General Tso’s Chicken and Mongolian Beef.

Conventional potstickers are available, frozen, at many food markets. We buy ours at Trader Joe’s.

Ingredients

 
For The Dressing

You can use ponzu sauce or make this Asian-style vinaigrette:

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the vinaigrette. Combine the vinegar, soy and lime juice in a bowl or measuring cup. Slowly whisk in the oil until thoroughly blended; then add the herbs. Taste and add seasonings as desired.

You can make vinaigrette in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Bring to room temperature and shake before using.

2. JULIENNE or otherwise cut the vegetables, and place in three rows across individual plates. Sprinkle the edamame over the salad. (We got artsy and placed them around the rim of the plate, one-by-one.)

3. STEAM the dumplings (fry them if you prefer). Add on top of the salad and serve with the ponzu dipping sauce.

You can lightly drizzle some dressing over plate and serve the extra on the side in a small pitcher or creamer, or simply pass the pitcher.
 
 
HOW POTSTICKERS DIFFER FROM OTHER DUMPLINGS

Potstickers are a crescent-shaped Chinese dumpling with a crimped edge. They are filled with ground meat, seafood or vegetables. In the classic Chinese preparation, they are pan-fried until brown on one side, then turned and simmered in a small amount of broth.

In the U.S. they are fried, boiled in water or broth, or steamed.

[2] Potstickers can be steamed or fried. Here’s the recipe from The Wanderlust Kitchen.

[3] Have a potsticker salad for lunch (photo courtesy Feel Good Foods, which makes gluten-free potstickers). The salad shown here comprises carrots, zucchini and red cabbage, but you can use any colorful vegetables.

[4] Whatever you choose, celebrate the Year Of The Dog (image courtesy Chinese Fortune Calendar).

[5] Want to make dumplings at home? Get this book!

Poststickers are similar in appearance to Japanese gyoza.

 
But…there are so many variations among regions and cooks that the differences can sometimes disappear.
 
 
PASTA TRIVIA

If you know your pasta history, you know that boiled ribbon pasta—spaghetti, linguine, anything cut into strands—was brought to Italy by Arab invaders in the 8th century. (What was brought is believed to have been the flat, linguine style).

But “pillow pasta”—stuffed pasta like ravioli and tortellini—is credited to Marco Polo. Returning to Italy from China at the end of the 13th century, he introduced the concept stuffed pasta—i.e., Chinese dumplings, which had been made as far back as 1700 B.C.E.

Italian cooks then developed their own styles, from the aforementioned to agnolotti, cappelletti, fagottini, mezzelune, pansotti, tortelloni; plus non-pillow styles including including stuffed shells and tube pasta (cannelloni, manicotti, etc.).

 
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*Unlike the Roman calendar, which is fixed, the lunar new year changes based on the cycles of the moon, although it usually falls between January 21st and February 20th. Other calendar systems, such as the Hebrew Calendar, also vary.
  

[2] Use yogurt in different types of sauces. Here, yogurt is blended with cheese as a dipping sauce for Pigs & Blankets, but you could eas easily use it on chicken, grains or pasta.

[3] Use herb-and-spice-flavored yogurt instead of mayonnaise to find chicken salad, potato salad, etc. Here’s the recipe from Chobani.

[4] Baked penne with spinach and sundried tomatoes. Here’s the recipe from Chobani. You can also use a spiced yogurt sauce to top spaghetti and other plain pasta dishes.

[5] Curried grilled salmon topped with raita, a spiced yogurt-cucumber sauce, dip and spread. Here’s the recipe from Chobani.

How much of it is savory, with no added sweetness?

Many of us have made spicy yogurt dips for crudités, from the simple addition of herbs and spices, to substituting yogurt for higher-calorie mayonnaise and sour cream in artichoke or spinach dips.

Why not extend your use of savory yogurt to every meal? Here are some ideas, inspired by Flavor & The Menu, a magazine and website for creative chefs.

Says the article: The acidic (tangy) bite of yogurt is a refreshing ingredient, that naturally lifts the flavors of other ingredients added to it.

At the same time, yogurt has a neutral flavor profile that pairs well with just about anything.

The magazine named spicy yogurt as one of its Top 10 Culinary Trends for 2018.
 
 
USES FOR SAVORY YOGURT

With its tangy dairy notes and creamy mouthfeel, Greek yogurt has long been used to create a variety of savory dishes:

 
Have Some Beet Yogurt Or Carrot Yogurt

One of our favorite techniques is to create containers of vegetable yogurt using purée of beets, carrots, pumpkin and other squash, spring peas and other favorites.

Simply cook and purée the vegetables; then mix them with plain yogurt in proportions to taste.
 
 
HOW TO FLAVOR PLAIN YOGURT

Greek-style yogurt is often turned into dips and spreads with the addition of cucumber, garlic, herbs and/or mint (think raita and tzatziki).

Start with Greek-style yogurt, then use high-impact flavors:

 
It’s almost impossible to make a pairing mistake.
 
 
SAVORY YOGURT AT BRUNCH

Here’s how you can use savory yogurt in just one meal category—brunch—suggests Flavor & The Menu.

Here are four ideas; you can create your own versions or find similar recipes on line:

 
How About Bagels?

An easy creation we like: Greek yogurt blended with garlic, dill and parsley, on a toasted bagel; sliced onions, tomatoes, smoked salmon, cracked black pepper and lemon zest at will (photo #1).

Tip: Mix the spread the night before so the flavors can meld.

Cooking over heat will cause yogurt to separate. To avoid this, let the yogurt come to room temperature and and use one of these techniques:

February 14th—Valentine’s Day—is also National Creme Filled Chocolates Day.

But what’s with creme vs. cream?

“Creme,” pronounced cream, is a misspelled, mispronounced Americanization of the French word for cream, crème (pronounced KREHM). It is used in the U.S. to make chocolates and desserts seem more special; i.e., French, without the correct French pronunciation and accent mark.

So if it isn’t a French dessert or confection—crème brûlée pr crème caramel, for example—why not just use the English-language word cream?

Some users are pretentious, some merely unaware.

More than a few people—both professionals and home cooks—use “creme” in recipes that don’t even contain real cream

Instead, the recipes have creamy fillings made with coconut cream, cream cheese, tofu, various starches and other ingredients (we’ve seen more than a few “creme pie” recipes made with Cool Whip).

For these creamy recipes, why simply use the English-language word creamy?

Just use cream, people (and see more below).
 
> February 15th is National Creme Filled Chocolates Day.

> Check out all the chocolate holidays (all 69 of them).
 
 
WHAT ABOUT CHOCOLATES?

Some chocolates with creamy centers contain no cream; other chocolates are truly cream-filled with whipped cream, although few American chocolatiers make them because of their shorter shelf life. (You can get them from Leonidas Belgian Chocolates).

And some do actually have cream in their centers. ganache is a prime example, as is caramel).

Fruit fruit creams—lemon, orange and raspberry, for example—are appear more in Belgium than France, as are cream liqueur centers. You won’t find a lot of them at French chocolatiers.

Dictionary.com allows for crème or creme, but only as they refer to crème-or-cream liqueur and desserts, e.g. crème brûlée.

In our opinion, spelling chocolates or whatever “creme” but pronouncing them “cream” is just wrong, when cream is a perfectly accurate word.

Our advice: If it’s made with cream, use the word cream. No one will be confused. If it isn’t made with cream but it’s creamy, use the word creamy.

And save crème or creme, both pronounced KREHM, for French foods: coeur à la crème, crème anglaise, crème brûlée, etc. Not everyone is good with French accent marks, but creme/KREHM is an honest attempt.
 
 
We hereby proclaim February 14th National Cream Filled Chocolates Day.
  

[2] Beet juice is an under-used cocktail mixer. It’s also delicious as a straight juice drink (photo courtesy R.W. Knudsen).

For Valentine’s Day, treat yourself to a beet-red cocktail.

A Bloody Mary or Cosmo may be the obvious red drink choice, but we were looking for something new. We like this drink because, on a day loaded with chocolate and other sweets, it’s savory—although not as much as a Bloody Mary, because beet juice has naturally sweetness.

We developed the recipe using gin, but you can use whatever spirit you like. Mezcal gives it a nice smokiness.
 
 
RECIPE: RED BEET COCKTAIL

If you aren’t a juicer, simply buy the beet juice. If your supermarket doesn’t have it, head to the nearest natural foods store. Our favorite brands are Biotta, Love Beets and R.W. Knudsen (photo #2).

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. PREPARE the rim. Combine equal parts of salt and lemon zest. Use a lemon wedge to moisten the rim of the glass, and twist the rim in the salt-zest mixture to coat.

2. COMBINE the ingredients with ice and shake. Strain into a glass.

3. GARNISH as desired.
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*Beet juice is so sweet, that the drink doesn’t need any sweetener. However, the brown sugar adds a note of molasses. Taste the drink first before adding the sugar. To enable the sugar to dissolve, pulse it in the food processor until very fine. Alternatively, mix it with a bit of the juice, heat for 15 seconds in the microwave and stir to dissolve.