Winter Vegetable Stew with Farro from Whiskey Alley
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small fennel bulb, diced
- 1 small sweet potato or rutabaga, peeled and cubed
- 1 cup farro, rinsed
- tomato paste and diced tomatoes
- kale or chard
- Parmesan, grated
- 6 cups vegetable (or chicken) stock
Instructions
- For the farro, bring a gallon of salted water to a rolling boil. Add 1 cup of farro and stir to prevent sticking.
- Cooking times: pearled farro (20-25 mins), semi-pearled farro (30-35 mins), whole farro (50-60 mins).
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, parsnips, celery and fennel. Sauté until softened, about 7-8 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, sweet potato or rutabaga, and cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in tomato paste and let it caramelize for 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, thyme, and rosemary.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 35-40 minutes until farro is tender and vegetables are soft. Add farro to the mixture.
- Stir in kale or chard and simmer for 5 more minutes until wilted. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with parsley and top with parmesan.
Amaro Crush from Whiskey Alley
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Averna Amaro or other dark Amaro
- 0.25 oz Italicus Bergamotto Liqueur
- 0.25 oz fresh lemon juice
- 2 bar-spoons strawberry jam
Instructions
- Add ingredients to the cocktail shaker.
- Shake thoroughly with ice.
- Strain into pre-chilled glass.
- Garnish with a strawberry slice.
Creamed Spinach from Prime Steakhouse
Ingredients
- 1 bag of frozen chopped spinach
- ¾ stick of butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 cup garlic, minced
- ½ quart heavy cream
- ½ pound cream cheese
- 1 1/3 cups Parmesan
- dash of nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter in a pot.
- Sweat onions and garlic.
- Add nutmeg and salt and pepper.
- Add heavy cream, cream cheese, and Parmesan. Stir until the cheese is melted.
- Fold in spinach and heat through.
Spiced Pear Old Fashioned from Prime Steakhouse
Ingredients
- 2 oz Bulleit bourbon
- ½ oz cinnamon syrup
- ½ oz spiced pear liqueur
- pecan bitters
- pearl peel
Instructions
- Muddle pear peel with bitters.
- Add cinnamon syrup.
- Top with bourbon.
- Put in a large ice cube.
- Stir and garnish with cinnamon stick and star anise.
Note
- To make cinnamon simple syrup, bring 1 cup of sugar, ½ cup of water and 1 tbsp of cinnamon powder to boil. Once sugar is melted, allow it to cool, and it's ready to serve.
Lobster Tail Risotto with Seared Scallops from The Wildemount
Ingredients
Lobster & Stock
- 4 lobster tails (meat removed, shells reserved)
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 6 cups of water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Risotto
- 1 ½ cups Arborio rice
- 1 small sweet onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 4-5 cups lobster stock from above, kept warm
- 3 tbsp butter (cold, cubed)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Scallops
- 12 large sea scallops
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt
Method
- Prepare lobster stock. Heat olive oil in a medium pot. Add lobster shells, carrot, celery, onion and garlic. Cook until shells turn red and vegetables soften.
- Add 6 cups of water, bring to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes. Strain, discard solids and keep stock warm.
- Cook lobster meat. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add lobster tails and cook 3-4 minutes until just opaque. Remove and cool slightly, and cut meat into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
- Make the risotto. In a large sauté pan, cook diced onion and minced garlic in a little olive oil until translucent.
- Add Arborio rice and toast for 1-2 minutes, stirring to coat.
- Deglaze with white wine, stirring until absorbed.
- Begin adding warm lobster stock ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly. Add more stock as the rice absorbs liquid. Continue until rice is al dente and creamy (about 18-20 minutes).
- Stir in lobster meat, butter and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
- Sear scallops. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until simmering.
- Pat scallops very dry, season with salt, pepper and place in the pan.
- Sear without moving for 1 ½ to 2 minutes per side until golden brown and just cooked through.
- Spoon risotto into warm bowls.
- Top each portion with 3 scallops and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of fresh herbs if desired.
Elderberry Syrup Tiramisu from The Wildemount
Ingredients
Elderberry Espresso Syrup
- ½ cup strong brewed espresso or very strong coffee
- ¼ cup elderberry syrup
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
Mascarpone Cream
- 2 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup mascarpone cheese
- ½ cup heavy cream, chilled
Assembly
- 12-14 ladyfingers (savoiardi)
- Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
Method
- Make the Elderberry Espresso Syrup. In a small saucepan, combine espresso, elderberry syrup and sugar.
- Heat gently, stirring until sugar dissolves. Let cool completely.
- Prepare Mascarpone Cream. Set a heatproof bowl over a simmering pot of water (double boiler), whisk egg yolks with sugar until thickened, pale and slightly warm (3-4 minutes). Remove from heat.
- Fold in mascarpone until smooth. (It helps to lightly whip the mascarpone first- don’t over whip or it will split).
- In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream to soft peaks. Gently fold into mascarpone mixture until fully combined. Chill until ready to use.
- Assemble the Tiramsu. Briefly dip ladyfingers one at a time into the cooled elderberry espresso syrup (do not soak).
- Arrange half of them in the bottom of a small baking dish.
- Spread the mascarpone cream over the ladyfingers.
- Repeat with another layer of the dipped ladyfingers and the remaining cream.
- Smooth the top, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow flavors to meld.
- Dust generously with cocoa powder just before serving.
Vaca Fritz over Tostones from Rhumba
Ingredients
- Flank steak
- Bay leaves
- Lime juice
- Garlic
- Onions
- Salt
- Pepper
- Olive oil
- Green plantains
Instructions
- Add flank steak to a pot of water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low heat for 1 ½ hours.
- Strain beef broth and shred meat with fork or fingers.
- Marinate the meat after cooking it with bay leaves, lime juice, garlic, complete seasoning, onions, and salt and pepper.
- Pan fry meat with oil, press the meat down with a spatula until the meat is crispy. Flip the meat and repeat the same process.
- Using green plantains (as green as possible), peel the plantains and slice them 1 inch thick. They will smash better the thicker you slice them between the first and second fry.
- Take the plantain slice (tostones) and fry them in warm oil until golden brown. Remove the plantain and flatten the bottom of a glass or plate. Return the plantain to the oil until crisp.
- Top plantain with vaca frita (shredded flank stank), spring with salt and enjoy.
Floridita from Rhumba
Ingredients
- 2 oz Bacardi white
- ¼ oz maraschino liqueur
- 1 oz fresh grapefruit juice
- ½ oz fresh lime juice
- ½ oz simple syrup
Instructions
- Shake all ingredients together and serve in a martini glass or coupe.
- Top off cocktail with grapefruit tonic.