1 cup simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water boiled together until sugar melts- cooled!)
8 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
½ cup fresh mint leaves, plus additional 4 sprigs for garnish
8 ounces white rum
4 cups crushed ice
1 lime
Cane sugar (optional)
Chill 4 glasses in freezer (do this at least 20 minutes before serving).
Combine simple syrup, lime juice and mint leaves in a blender and blend until combined.
Add the rum and crushed ice and blend until frothy.
Cut lime in half leaving one half whole and slicing the other half into four even slices.
Place sugar into a shallow bowl/ plate.
Trace rims of each glass with the full lime half; dip each glass into ground cane sugar.
Pour frozen mixture into each glass; garnish by placing a lime wedge on each rim and placing a mint sprig in each glass.
This refreshing minty favorite is sure to be a crowd please at any summer event! But hey, don't leave this for just special occasions. Feel free to whip up a pitcher of this fabulous favorite for yourself anytime.
Note: Kick this recipe up a notch by subbing in 1oz. of 151 for 1oz. of white rum!! Mmmm…I GUSH!
Heat olive oil in a very large skillet or paella pan over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke. Place chicken thighs skin-side down into oil and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes; remove and set aside.
Stir in onion and garlic, and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 2 minutes. Add cayenne, paprika, chorizo, green and red bell peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes more.
Add parsley, cilantro, lemon zest, shrimp, calamari and stir.
Immediately stir in salt, saffron (w/ water), tomatoes, peas, rice, and water until well combined.
Slice and add chicken pieces; simmer for 15 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to make sure rice does not stick.
Stir in shredded lobster and decoratively nestle mussels and clams into rice. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Place the scallops into the paella, recover, and continue simmering until the rice is tender and the scallops firm and opaque, about 5 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges to serve.
This Paella is a perfect summer meal. Its use of fresh summer ingredients makes its flavor even more authentic and delicious. There are many ingredients in this that are optional due to price and availability. This is a great meal for a dinner party, grill out or even a romantic dinner for two. Whatever the occasion this delicacy is sure to please.
Note: Play around with the ingredients! You can use any combination of the proteins in this recipe in different amounts to create your perfect Paella.
I am brimming with excitement! It is my favorite time of year……Grilling Season! It is the only part of the summer that I truly adore! I’m not a huge fan of the heat; give me a snowy night and a fireplace any day! However being from the islands I have grown particularly fond of outdoor and, specifically, beach grilling. As you know I’ve been living in NY this past year, but the time is swiftly approaching where I will be blogging to you from the beautiful shores of The Bahamas! I can already smell the fresh sea air and taste the salty goodness that oozes from the jewels of the sea. I long for the beach days and ice cold coolers, the frothy mixed drinks and the familiar faces of friends. This blog serves as an introduction to my newest installment ‘What’s Grilling?’ in which I will explore the world of grilling, experimenting with both flavor as well as texture, and hopefully be bringing it to you in both video and pictorial form.
And I’m not talking just burgers and hot dogs either; that’s child’s play! The sky is the limit when it comes to grilling. I’m talking everything from steaks and chops to pizzas and Po boys to fish, conch and lobster! Oh yes food fans, this is the season where I pull out all the stops with marinades and glazes o’plenty! This is the season where delectable fresh summer fruits and their natural nectars can be combined with citric acids to create some of the most flavorful marinades, glazes and dipping sauces (not to mention cocktails)recognizable to human taste buds! The season when fresh seafood comes alive in your mouth; Skate, Lobster, Eel, Mackerel, Salmon, Crawfish and Prawns are at their most abundant and flavorful. I can’t wait to get home!
Some of my favorite fruits are in season now as well. These fruits lend themselves nicely as grilling components; nothing is better than fresh grilled fruit to go with a spicy grilled jerk Pork. How about grilled salted Pineapple or Mango mint salsa for example! Star apples, Sapodilla “Dilly”, Guava, Native Orange; so many fruits, so little time! Salsas, salads, marinades and sides- I can’t wait to dish them all!
Join me on this journey; stay tuned for all of my explorations into tropical food and island living. From deep sea fishing to food festivals, this summer is going to be phenomenal!! As I mentioned before I will be posting both video as well as pics from my ventures at home so check back often ;) and STAY TUNED!!
• 6oz slab bacon medium diced • 1 cup chopped onion • 6 cloves garlic, minced • 1lb sweet Italian Sausage • 2/3 cup minced celery • 2/3 cup cubed carrots • 2 cups tomato puree • 1 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes • 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth • 3 cups water • 3 T red wine • 1 teaspoon dried oregano • 1 teaspoon dried basil • salt and pepper to taste • ½ cup chopped zucchini • ½ cup yellow squash • 1 ½ cups spinach, rinsed and sliced • 2/3 cup uncooked ditalini or other small pasta • 1 (15 ounce) can cannelloni beans, drained • 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons chopped parsley
1. In a large stock pot, cook bacon and drain off fat. Set bacon aside. 2. In same pot add onion and carrots. When onions are translucent, add garlic, celery, sausage. 3. When sausage is almost browned, add the bacon, pureed tomatoes, whole tomatoes, broth, water, wine, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. 4. Stir in zucchini, squash, spinach, pasta, cannelloni beans and parsley. Let simmer an additional 15 minutes or until pasta is cooked through. 5. Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese.
For obvious reasons people seem to think that soup should only be eaten in the winter! But I love soup and think that it is the ultimate comfort food! So, on one of those rainy summer evenings, snuggle up with a bowl of this Summer Minestrone, on the comfort of your couch with a blanket (hopefully air-conditioning) and the TV. Tell me this isn’t soup satisfaction at its best! Note: For you vegetarians out there this recipe still works fabulously without the meat!! ;)
2oz Coconut Rum (Ricardo) 1oz White Rum (Bacardi) 1oz Dark Rum (Bacardi) 1oz 151 Rum (Bacardi) Orange Juice Pineapple Juice Splash of Grenadine
1) Mix coconut rum, white rum, dark rum and 151. 2) Add half OJ and half pineapple juice and grenadine to rum into a mixer with ice and shake. 3) Serve over crushed ice with a cherry and orange slice.
Simple, tropical and soooo delicious!
Disclaimer: This too is an authentic Bahamian cocktail and is a serious creeper!!!! Drink at your own discretion, and note that this drink can be made with or without the 151 based on your tolerance.
1(1L) bottle Gin 2L fresh/canned Coconut Water (pulp/ meat included) 1can Condensed Milk 1/4 t. Nutmeg (optional)
1) Empty Gin into 1 gallon jug. 2) Empty can of condensed milk into jug. 3) Add in Coconut Water. 4) Shake and chill well!!!!!
Serve over ice during your favorite Summer activity. Great for BBQ's, gatherings or just a nice warm summer day alone!
Disclaimer: This is a traditional Bahamian cocktail known as the party starter and finisher!!! Even if you don't like Gin, you will still LOVE this drink! Note that more or less Gin can be added to taste. Also note, the easier these drinks go down ....you're next!!!
So, when traveling in London, my sister M and I fell in love with Tapas. I kept hearing about this quaint restaurant here in NYC that if you loved Tapas and fine dining, was apparently the place to go to experience the best of both worlds. So on Saturday, being that M is in town, she and I went to Degustation for a LATE dinner to see what all the hype was about. Well let me start by telling you that Degustation fully lived up to its hype; it was ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!
Upon arriving, our seats were not available; however, the ever so charming Jack Lamb reassured us that it would be only a short wait. Upon being seated, Mr. Lamb personally brought us both complimentary glasses of Cava, assuring us that they were “for the two most beautiful flowers in the room” (….I Gush!!) I knew that it was going to be a great night!
The restaurant space itself was tiny; I believe 16 seats! The dining was sushi bar style seating and the kitchen is literally right in front of you! A staff of 6 ran the show; 1 head chef, 1 sous chef, 1 garde manger, 1 hostess, and 2 runners commanded the space seamlessly. As we ate the harmonious sounds of Buju Banton, Bob Marley and Damien Marley rang pleasantly throughout! I sat back in awe of the simplicity of the space, the casualness of the atmosphere and yet the sophistication that remained in the air!
Instead of opting for a tasting menu of 5 options- 4 savory and 1 sweet, (there was also one of 10, which included some off menu options; tempting, very tempting! But we had a very late reservations and weren’t that hungry!) We decided to order 9 different items and share them; though 1 item was so delicious we had it twice!! So let me start by listing the items that we ordered: Pork Croquetas in sweet red chili sauce (x2), Spanish tortilla w/ quail egg, Crudo of Black bass, Grilled Octopus w/ pork belly, citrus and basil, Carabinero, Chopitos in squid ink risotto w/ garlic aioli and fresh herbs, Wild boar w/ micro greens and citrus vinaigrette, Lamb tenderloin and Oxtail -potato cannelloni!
So while I‘ll say that everything was absolutely amazing, there were certain items that were above and beyond superbly fabulous! The stars of the show were easily the Pork Croquetas which were hot and oozing with sultry pork flavor! The deep fried (panko) encrusted balls of pork and creamy cheese melted in your mouth…literally! Dipped into the creamy sweet red pepper sauce each bite was sinfully phenomenal.
So often the pairing of seafood and meat is so overbearing that portion overrules flavor.The Grilled Octopus w/ pork belly brought a new take on ‘Surf and Turf’ with a light freshness that was much desired. The fine herb oil brought out the flavor of the octopus while the braised pork belly stood valiantly on its own; its succulence and mouth-melting texture was a brilliant contrast to the firm texture of the octopus.
Last is THE LAMB! I say it that way because of all the other things that it was plated with,the lamb stood out alone! It left me speechless. I’ve long been a lover of lamb, but the flavors that came through in this rear offering were sumptuous! I can’t even think of all the different ways I have had lamb: grilled, stewed, curried, braised, fried, baked, and never has it been this… exotic in nature. By exotic I mean unique! The texture was sublime- the way that my teeth made its way through each bite so effortlessly and fluidly was astonishing! Lamb on its best day can prove a little tough to chew, but these cuts seemed bred to please!
**On a side note I must give honorable mention to the Wild Boar! It too was fabulous and one of M's top picks, but due to time and space was not covered in depth!
All in all Degustation met my criteria almost perfectly:
Food:40%
Service:25% (they had beer and wine only)
Ambiance:20%
Price: 10%
Total: 95%
As far as recommendations: I would do so without thought! From attentive owner to well-versed hostess to seasoned executive chef, Degustation was most certainly my moneys worth!!
