Dixie Drinks & Deviled Eggs

This weekend is the Kentucky Derby and I'm so excited because I have a party to go to that requires a proper Kentucky Derby hat!

So what to bring to a Kentucky Derby party, besides a bottle of your favorite bourbon to help keep those mint juleps flowin'? I'm making some deviled eggs. My granny used to make these every time I came to visit her. She used to let me mix up the yolks with mustard and mayo, fill the shells and then lick the bowl (is that gross?).

For this weekend's party, I'm going to attempt to give this dish of Southern goodness a Tex-Mex twist. I hope it turns out good! Here's the recipe, which I got from Southern Cocktails: Dixie Drinks, Party Potions, & Classic Libations (Chronicle Books, 2007):

Devilish Eggs
12 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 T. grated onion
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp. chopped chipolte chile in adobo sauce
2 tsp. adobo sauce from the chiles
1/2 tsp. salt
Garnish: Fresh cilantro leaves and paprika

Halve the eggs, placing the hard-cooked yolks in a small bowl. Using a fork, mash the yolks until smooth. Stir in the sour cream, mayo, onion, cilantro, adobo sauce, and salt.

Using a spoon, add the mixture to the egg halves. Garnish with cilantro leaves and paprika. Store in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight before serving.

And don't forget the sip!
Let's try a Derby Cooler
2 oz. bourbon
1 oz. light rum
2 oz. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Dash of grenadine
Garnish: star fruit or orange slice

Pour all ingredients except the garnish into a cocktail shaker filled with ice; mix vigorously. Strain into two cocktail glasses filled with ice. Add garnish.

A Whole New Look

Well, what do you think? In a effort to recommit myself to this blog, Martini Talk just received a whole new look for its official relaunch into the cocktail blogosphere.

I hope you like. I know I do - don't you just want to take a sip of that juicy martini in the top right corner?

Thank you so much to Designer Blogs for creating our new design. We couldn't be happier.

Cheers!

Best. Cocktail. Ever.

I thought I was over the pear vodka drinks. That is, until I sipped the Peared Sake at Sunda in Chicago the other night. Seriously, this was the best drink I ever had! And apparently, I'm not the only one who thinks so -- the Peared Sake even won Cocktail of the Year on Metromix.com.

Why? Blame it on the stellar ingredients. Think Grey Goose La Poire, Zipang sparkling sake, pineapple juice, ginger syrup, a delicious cinnamon rim, and a chewy dried pear slice for garnish. I can't wait to start shaking these up at my place in NYC.

And since I'm mentioning Sunda, I can't forget about the Toasted Ginger Snap: a decadent blend of Bombay Sapphire, red grapefruit juice, lime juice, egg white, ginger syrup, anise seeds, mint, and a crushed almond and orange honey rum.

Many, Many Margaritas

Ever since the weather broke last week I have been cravin' margaritas. Traditional margaritas, guava and red chili margaritas, pomegranate margaritas - I can't get enough! And they are so easy to make. Just grab your favorite tequila (I'm partial to Patron), some triple sec, fresh lime, and your favorite flavor. Here are a few ones to try as you gear up for summer:

Grand Margarita
1 oz. Grand Marnier
1 1/2 oz. tequila
3/4 oz. fresh, squeezed lime juice

The St-Rita
2 parts tequila blanco
1 part St. Germain
3/4 part fresh-squeezed lime juice

Chambord Margarita
1/2 part Chambord
1 part Don Eduardo tequila
1/2 part Tuaca
3 parts sweet and sour mix

Patron Pomegranate
1 1/4 oz. Patron Silver
1/4 Patron Citronage
1 oz. fresh-squeezed pomegranate juice
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
1/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/4 oz. simple syrup

Don't forget the salt! A word from Grand Marnier:
For an authentic presentation, garnish the rim of the glass with salt. Begin by filling a wide, shallow dish with 2 to 3 mm of fine salt. Cut a lemon in half and rub the cut side around the rim of the glass. Then, holding the glass upside down, dip it delicately into the salt, so that it adheres to the rim to a thickness of 2 or 3 mm. Turn the glass upright and wait a few minutes.

Swanky Bubbles

When I first moved to New York four years ago, I was overwhelmed by the number of restaurants and bars. After all, I knew every restaurant and bar in Philadelphia having lived and worked there all my life. So when I came to NYC, someone said to me, "Make your own Philly in New York. Find 10 restaurants you really love and make them your go-tos." I haven't found ten yet, but I do have a few favorites that I frequent often (Cafe Noir, Sala 19, Snack Taverna). And now, my latest: The Bubble Lounge in TriBeCa. The thing I love about it is that it reminds me of my favorite champagne bar in Philadelphia, Swanky Bubbles (except its missing the great sushi). Here's my favorite cocktail from The Bubble Lounge. Ironically, it's not made with any kind of bubbly, but it's one of their signature sips, and it's so good.

The Calabria: Hennessy VS, gingerale, lemon juice, muddled strawberries

Oh, and my fave from Swanky's? The Blondie: a mix of champagne, Stoli Vanil and pineapple juice

It tastes better than it looks...

The photo of the Grilled Pineapple & Cracked Pepper Martini you see here is courtesy of Bar Solutions, an Australian-based bar consulting firm who pitched in on the cocktail menu at SM23 Lounge in Morristown, New Jersey. The Aussies know their stuff when it comes to cocktails - unfortunately, the bartenders at SM23 couldn't quite get the look right, which could've been why I didn't even think to whip out my trusty new iPhone and snap a shot of the actual drink I was sippin' last weekend.

Nevertheless, the cocktails at SM23 deserve a mention here because of their innovative ingredients and overall deliciousness. If you ever find yourself in Morristown (a really cute town, btw), I highly recommend a round of these pinapple-y potables:

Grilled Pineapple & Cracked Pepper Martini: peppercorn-infused Belvedere vodka, chargrilled pineapple, lemon juice, chamomile syrup, and pineapple juice

Grilled Pineapple & Cardamom Martini: Belevedere vodka, cardamom pods, pineapple juice, chargrilled pineapple, vanilla syrup, lemon juice

Sippin' Sazeracs

When I was in New Orleans earlier this year, I had my very first Sazerac, and I was surprisingly thrilled with the taste. Of course, the fact that I tried one at The Sazerac Bar in the historic Roosevelt Hotel could have had something to do with it -- these folks know a thing or two about mixology. After all, this is where the bar's namesake drink (and some say, America's first cocktail) was invented way back in the late 1800s.

Here's how to make one:
Sazerac
2 oz. rye whiskey
3 dashes Peychaud's bitters
1 splash Herbsaint (a New Orleans-made absinthe substitute)

Evenly coat the inside of a chilled old-fashioned glass with Herbsaint. Shake rye and bitters with cracked ice. Strain into prepared glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Want to learn more? Check out this video from CHOW.com.