It’s National Whiskey Day! We’re celebrating with this modern classic…a Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cocktail. This simple drink is made with 1 part Fireball and 1 part Rumchata. There are other brands of cinnamon whiskey and rum horchata, but these are by far the most popular, and widely available. Finish this drink off with a white/brown sugar and cinnamon rim, and you have one delicious drink!
Try adding in other flavors and make it your own!
Zoe’s Take:
6.5/10
As far as I am concerned, bread pudding is a pretty good dessert when made correctly. I have a fantastic bread pudding recipe that’s basically a dark chocolate dream. For me, this one was just okay. None of the flavors really came forward for me, and the pine nuts were really just a weird addition. I was hoping that the ricotta would have made more of an impact in this recipe, but it didn’t. I guess if you’re a really big pine nut and ricotta fan, this might be for you, but it’s not for me.
Eric’s Take:
8/10
I definitely enjoy a good bread pudding. The Challah I got from my local grocery store was a bit soft and I don’t believe it soaked up as much as it should have. The directions were also somewhat ambiguous. For the bread the instructions were 12 cups of cubed bread. That could vary greatly depending on how large the bread is cut. The pine nuts didn’t add in the crunch I was hoping they would. However, I love ricotta, pine nuts and honey. To Zoe’s point this was definitely for me…so maybe I’m a bit biased. The points were lost on ambiguous directions and taste. Not that this wasn’t really good, it just wasn’t stellar.
Pasta, pasta, pastaaaaa. My favorite food. I am always looking for ways to spice it up (pun definitely intended).
This fusilli is super hot, because red pepper flakes. I actually used way more than I showed on the recipe, and it was HOT. But guess what, I love hot. I love spicy, and if i can mix that with my favorite food, plus my current favorite vegetable (zucchini), even better.
Get the recipe here.
French fries are really tasty and potato wedges are even better. Thick and generally baked with olive oil and a variety and spices, these wedges are delicious.
These wedges are covered in lentil curry and goat cheese, which makes them vegetarian, but these wedges could just as easily be used for poutine, or covered in gravy with bacon. You could easily add ground beef and sour cream and nacho cheese. Basically, they’re a super versatile food group.
You could use these as a main course, a side dish or even as a giant party food platter!
Get the recipe here.
I love popovers. I tend not to make them very often, partially because my oven is finicky. These were a bit well done on the outside, but very light and pillowy on the inside. With Peppers, Onions and Steak inside, what’s not to love about these little pastries. Try them out for an appetizer, first course or weeknight dinner!
Get the recipe HERE!
Zoe’s Take
3/10
I did NOT like these gnocchi at all. While the color was absolutely beautiful, they did not taste good at all. The texture was almost cake like, you could taste the semolina in the dough easily and they just didn’t have any flavor. I had to cover them in cheese in order to eat them. I definitely think that you should stick to regular gnocchi. Do NOT recommend.
Eric’s Take
3/10
This recipe is the perfect example of something that is great in theory, but not in practice. I agreed with Zoe on every point. The taste was overwhelming beet flavored. The texture was very odd, and they desperately needed a sauce, like a beurre blanc or even a gremolata. This would balance out the flavor and lift the overly earthy gnocchi. I’m willing to give the benefit of the doubt that I might not have made them correctly. But both Zoe and I had very similar outcomes. This is at least a problem with the instructions. My dough was very dry, but not knowing what to base it off of, I had to assume correct. Overall, there were too many issues and questions for us to give this more than a 3.
Need a quick and delicious sandwich on the go? Try this one. Sandwiches should be jam packed with flavor and great textures, and this sandwich is both simple and delicious.
If you’re not into tomatoes, substitute for roasted red peppers. If you don’t have arugula, use spinach and add a little cracked black pepper right into the mix. The possibilities are endless!
Get the recipe here.
Zoe’s Take:
8/10
This was a really good drink (and I don’t drink bubbly stuff). Obviously, I would never choose this as a drink, because bubbles hurt my nose. But the taste was very good. Pomegranate juice, sugar, rose water and champagne? Those are the ingredients for a very tasty drink. AND, if you can’t or don’t like alcohol, you could always substitute with seltzer or something to make a non-alcoholic version that would still taste amazing!
Eric’s Take:
7/10
Reading the recipe for this drink I was really excited. It seemed like an expertly crafted beverage. The pomegranate juice is deliciously tart. The rose water adds a subtle floral taste that is unmistakable. It rounds out the pomegranate, and with the sugar cube, the sweetness completes the picture. The sugar also acts as a disruptor causing the champagne to continue to bubble. However, the campaign overpowered the drink and I found it lacking that wow-factor I was hoping for. I’m not sure if it would have tasted better with a different brand or not. The rose was also a bit too subtle. It was there, but hard to find. I think that I may play around with the amounts for this in the future, because it has potential to reach a 10! I also may replace the champagne with soda water, lemon juice and vodka. That combination would likely work just as well.
Ramen. It’s an amazing all purpose dish that can basically be anything you want it to be. This ramen is vegetarian, which is lovely, but can easily be made with meat if that’s what you’re into.
Ramen is also incredibly versatile. You can basically add whatever you want to it and it will still be good. I added full shiitake mushrooms to mine, only giving them a quick saute in a pan.
The moral of the story is, have fun with it.
Get the recipe here.
This martini is perfect for the changing seasons. The fresh tangerine is naturally a bit sweet, and the burnt thyme gives this drink a warm bitterness. I know bitter is not typically a good thing, but trust me. This drink uses a technic of molecular mixology. Torching the thyme releases some oils, while also changing the flavor slightly. A lot of flavors comes from our ability to smell. While drinking, you’ll smell the charred thyme, giving you a multi-sensory experience.
This drink may be mostly a screw-driver on paper…but we hope you try this elevated beverage yourself (Just be careful with torching the Thyme!!!).
Find the recipe HERE!