Just like back in the Roaring 20's, Harlem is trying to make a cultural comeback by adding some new, hip restaurants to the neighborhood. Having only been open for about two months, the most recent addition to the area is a new Italian restaurant called Lido, located on Frederick Douglas Boulevard. The dinner menu has been created by Executive Chef Stephen A. Putnam, and although there aren't too many traditional pasta favorites (the pasta and secondi are on the same list), Lido has a short, but sophisticated choice of entrees that are delectable due to the freshness of the ingredients and skilled cooking. Like most Italian menus, the ingredients are simple, but they completely speak for themselves. Putnam brings out the most in flavor out of all ingredients he uses. Portions are not huge, everything is moderate in size, just like the North of Italy.
I had the grilled tuna with broccoli rabe over a sweet potato puree in a red wine emulsion. The tuna was cooked to perfection and had lovely coloring and texture. The sweet potato countered the bitter broccoli rabe (which was also perfectly cooked) exquisitely. Overall the dish had a beautiful color array with different textures and tastes that blended beautifully. The Grilled Tuna was a great healthful meal that will definitely make it hard to try something new next time I go to Lido.
Tip: Get the marscarpone ice cream for dessert; you won't want to share!
We all watched as Diana gracefully walked down the aisle to wed Prince Charles, and in just a few short weeks, many of us will once again be doing the same as their son William marries Kate Middleton in another royal ceremony. Royal weddings allow us to watch fantasy come to life, filled with regal charm, prestige and the hope that true love actually exists. This year, whether you're watching from home at your own royal wedding celebration or looking for a special cocktail to serve at your own gathering, try Belvedere Vodka Wedding Punch created by the head of Belvedere Mixology, Claire Smith.
Traditionally Champagne is usually used for celebrations, but Belvedere Vodka Wedding Punch is a unique cocktail that you can make an entire batch of prior to your guests' arrival that will free you from the job of bartender. Unlike many other punches that are too sweet and filled with a variety of concoctions, Wedding Punch has a very natural taste and is primarily made with green tea and lemon juice. Of course you can add your choice of mixed berries and even cucumber and lemon, this drink is a light, refreshing way to say cheers and congrats to William and Kate.
Belvedere Vodka Wedding Punch
Ingredients
5 oz. Belvedere Pure
20 oz. Green Tea
5 oz. Lemon Juice
3 oz. Simple Syrup
1 Bunch of Mint
Preparation
1. Add all ingredients to a punch bowl & stir. Garnish with blueberries, cucumber and slices of lemon.
Tip: If you don't have time to make a simple syrup add some sweet lemonade or even pomegranate juice.
Traditionally, whiskey has always been the beverage of choice for a "real man"; women had always been considered much more delicate, so delicate in fact that in the 1800's a woman's shot glass was actually half the size of a man's! Now that we are living in the 21st Century, most women would be abhorred if they were given a half a shot by their bartender (although sometimes a brutal hangover the next morning could leave you wishing you had). Regardless, not only do "real women" take full size shots, they also drink whiskey. In my case, I was drinking moonshine whiskey recently. Although it's considered lethal by some, I found it to have a really great taste that slowly warmed my insides instead of shocking my palate like other backyard variations can. Legal because of its 80 proof content, Original Moonshine Whiskey from Stillhouse is an actual drinkable version of the moonshine made at so many Southern barbeques. It's actually completely smooth and tastes great by itself or even on the rocks with a lime. Ordering whiskey straight up has never really been my thing, but after sipping on this clear, drinkable version, I have completely changed my mind.
When you find liquor that you really enjoy drinking on its own, there is nothing more tempting than to mix it into one of your favorite cocktails. Created by Shem Blum, the Ambassador of Original Moonshine and a mixologist at the Boom Boom Room, now called Top of the Standard (where I tried it), I was treated to a Bloody Mary, renamed the Bloody Shine (obviously renamed due to using Moonshine Whiskey in place of Vodka). As everyone knows a good Bloody Mary can be heaven, but if the mix is made wrong, there can be nothing worse. The Bloody Shine is a perfect mix of the traditional ingredients used most of the time, and replacing Vodka with Moonshine actually makes it smoother and gives it slightly more vitality. Making the Bloody Shine at home is easy and it makes a great accompaniment to the paper and brunch on a slow weekend morning.
Ingredients:
2 oz Original Moonshine
3 oz tomato juice
1/2 oz fresh lemon
3 dashes worcestershire sauce
2 drops tabasco
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Mix all ingredients and shake. Pour into glass and add ice if you prefer.
Tip: Because moonshine is now synonymous with backyard activities and is a perfect companion to barbeque, make it a staple for your outdoor entertaining. Use it as a replacement vodka and clear rum in many cocktails, or even spice up a sangria by adding it instead of Bourbon or Contreau.
It's not quite Cinco de Mayo, but I know exactly what tequila I'll be drinking when it's time to celebrate: Tequila Partida. Although Cinco de Mayo has become more of an American celebration of Mexican heritage rather than an actual Mexican holiday, there is nothing more Mexican than Tequila Partida. Made in the heart of the historic tequila region of Mexico (a town called Tequila in Jalisco, Mexico), this tequila is made according to tradition from blue agave plants that have been given almost ten years to fully mature, creating a tequila that is smooth but still maintains a rich flavor. Tequila Partida is distilled twice after letting the pina part of the agave plant cook slowly, and maintains the quality that tequila should have when it was first produced more in mass over 200 years ago.
When it comes to tequila, the quality is very important. Like most liquor, a cheaper version (even when a small amount is carefully blended into a cocktail like a Margarita) is extremely detectable. Not only does Tequila Partida mix beautifully into a drink, it can also almost be sipped if taken like a shot because of its smooth taste and even flavor.
Because tequila derives from Mexico, there's no better way to drink it than with a little heat. Adding cucumber and jalapeno is a great way to spice up your tequila and start to usher in the warmer weather.
Southern Heat
Ingredients
1 1/2 oz Partida Blanco Tequila
3/4 oz Cointreau
1 oz Fresh squeezed lime juice
6 slices of cucumber skinned
2 to 3 slices of Jalapeno
1/4 oz of Simple syrup
Preparation
1. In a mixing glass muddle the cucumber, Jalapeno, lime juice and simple syrup. Add the ice, Partida Blanco Tequila & Cointreau.
2. Shake and strain over fresh into an Old-fashioned glass and garnish with cucumber slices fanned out.
Tip: Tequila Blanco means that the tequila is a clear color and was bottled immediately after being distilled. A darker tequila is distilled longer. Like wine, Blanco tequilas are slightly sweeter and easier to drink if you are unfamiliar darker versions like Resposado or Anejo.
Get your salad mixer out, and shake that salad! A salad makes a great lunch and it can also make a great appetizer or side dish for a meal, but nothing is worse than a boring bed of iceberg lettuce with no flavor. Salad shouldn't be dull and it shouldn't be something you eat just to shed a few extra pounds. A delicious salad is bright, colorful, filled with many different tastes and textures. The important thing with making salads at home is to be creative. Think of your lettuce or spinach as a blank page, and decorate it with as many different veggies, fruits, nuts, cheeses, beans and meat that you like.
Distinctively Dole, the all natural Dole Salad Kit is a great way to make a delicious salad. My favorite is Cherry Almond Blue on a bed of spinach. Inside the kit comes fresh spinach with Dole's White Balsamic Vinaigrette, Blue Cheese crumbles, dried cherries, and sliced roasted almonds. Dole suggests enjoying the salad with sweet potatoes and pork tenderloin, but I think it goes great with a white fish like branzino as well.
Tip: Dole makes a variety of different lettuce and salads. Mix some Dole arugula into your salad to add an extra kick to Cherry Almond Bleu.
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