Cocktail Couture: The Aperol Spritz!

Happy Friday, All! Here is a delicious little cocktail that is sure to quench your thirst in style this weekend. The Aperol Spritz is of Italian origins and is a refreshing combination of Aperol, Prosecco and a splash of club soda, garnished with an orange slice.

What is Aperol, you may ask? Aperol is a bright orange, Italian aperitivo liqueur that was introduced to Italians in 1919 at the International Fair of Padua. Created by the Barbieri brothers, it is an infusion of ingredients including bitter and sweet oranges and a variety of carefully selected herbs and roots. The result is delightful, sweet with a hint of bitterness and enticing herbal notes. Aperol is similar to Campari, but not quite as bitter and makes an excellent alternative in drink recipes if you do, in fact, find Campari to be too bitter (which I often do).

While it can be enjoyed on its own, I love Aperol in the context of the Aperol Spritz which I enjoyed this Summer at South Seas Island Resort on the west coast of Florida, of all places. I was instantly hooked! The drink is light and refreshing (Aperol's alcohol content is only 11%) and perfect for enjoying on a warm Summer day or as an aperitif before dinner. It definitely gets your taste buds firing! 

Interestingly, in the 1930's and ad campaign dedicated to women touted Aperol as the liqueur for the fitness conscious, keeping them lean and fit thanks to its low alcohol content. Aaah, if only that were true! Imagine a world with no more spinning. But I digress, it wasn't until the 1950's that the recipe for the Aperol Spritz was introduced, taking the place of the standard Venetian white wine and soda spritzer and still remains very popular to this day.

While the standard recipe is served over ice in a rocks glass, the Aperol Spritz also makes an elegant presentation in a Champagne flute, minus the ice. There's just something about the feel of a Champagne flute in your hand that signifies the start of a beautiful weekend. I hope you enjoy this cocktail and I wish you all a fabulous weekend.

Cheers,

Our Christmas Eve Menu & An Injury Update!

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Crème Fraîche & Caviar

Every Christmas Eve, my husband and I host dinner for the family at Chez Miskew prior to a fabulous Christmas Day feast at my sister's house. Since being on crutches since late October, getting around the kitchen has been a challenge to say the least. I've had to rely on my husband, friends and family for help with the grocery shopping - a big change after being there just about every other day! In any event, after having to defer doing Thanksgiving dinner this year due to my injury, I was looking forward to hosting Christmas Eve dinner for my family.

Florida Seafood Gratin

Our menu was inspired by "The Feast of the Seven Fishes," a meal that is thought to have originated in Southern Italy and is traditionally held on Christmas Eve. The meal typically consists of seven seafood dishes and is a commemoration of the wait, Vigilia di Natale, for the midnight birth of the baby Jesus. Ok, so the Miskews are not even 1% Italian but we are Catholic and let's face it, the Italians know their way around great food! Our Christmas Eve menu consisted of:

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with
Crème Fraîche & Caviar
Shrimp Cocktail

Rosemary Roasted Cashews

Florida Seafood Gratin

Miskew Family Secret Recipe Crab Cakes

Fennel and Basil Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

The Bubble Room's Red Velvet Cake

Miskew Family Crab Cakes

We served the Champagne Gosset "Brut Excellence" NV with hors d'oeuvres and the Shafer Red Shoulder Ranch Napa Valley Chardonnay 2007 with the more decadent main course. If you are looking for a special recipe to make for guests in the coming weeks, I strongly suggest the Seafood Gratin. I adapted it from Ina Garten's (aka The Barefoot Contessa) recipe and it is seriously amazing! You will look like a superstar when you serve this - I promise! I have included the recipe below - we used Florida lobster, grouper and Gulf shrimp to "keep it local." I also doubled the recipe and it is a good thing if you can purchase the lobster meat already cooked since that saves you from having to boil those suckers yourself!

The Bubble Room Red Velvet Cake

The meal turned out extremely well and The Bubble Room Red Velvet Cake is simply the best I've ever tasted. The Bubble Room is a restaurant in Captiva Island, Florida we went to every Summer during family vacations and their Red Velvet Cake takes me right back to my childhood. The recipe was actually originally published in the Junior League of Ft. Myers Cookbook - so I'm not that far off topic! In fact, we were returning from my first trip to Captiva in over a decade when I tripped up a step and broke the bone in my hip. Unfortunately, it hasn't healed as we hoped it would and I have to have surgery next month to correct it. I do look forward to a "Hip Hip Hooray!" party once I'm all healed and will do my best to keep cooking and blogging in the meantime. Wish me luck!

Bon Appétit,




Florida Seafood Gratin
adapted from Ina Garten's "Barefoot Contessa at Home"
Ingredients

For the sauce:
2 cups clam juice
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup plus 6 tablespoons good dry, white wine, such as Chablis, divided
6 tablespoons tomato puree
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 pound raw Gulf pink shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut in half crosswise
1 pound raw grouper, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 pound cooked Florida lobster meat, cut into 1-inch chunks
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 cups julienned leeks, white and light green parts (4 large)
3 cups julienned carrots (5 carrots)
2 cups panko (Japanese dried bread crumbs)
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
4 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
2 tablespoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the sauce:
Combine the stock, cream, 1 cup of the wine, the tomato puree, and saffron in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and add the shrimp. After 5 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the shrimp to a bowl. Add the grouper to the stock for 5 minutes, until just cooked through, and remove to the same bowl. Add the cooked Florida lobster to the bowl.
Continue to cook the sauce until reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Mash 2 tablespoons of the butter together with the flour. Whisk the butter mixture into the sauce along with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saute pan. Add the leeks and carrots and cook over medium heat for 7-10 minutes, until softened. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons of wine, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook for 7-10 minutes, until tender. Set aside.
Combine the panko, Parmesan, parsley, tarragon, and garlic. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and mix it into the crumbs until they're moistened.
Spoon the seafood evenly over the bottom of a 14 by 9 1/4-inch oval gratin dish or glass baking dish. Strew the vegetables on top of the seafood and pour the sauce evenly over the seafood and vegetables. Spoon the crumbs evenly on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbly. Serve hot.
Serves eight

Easy, Elegant Italian: Zucchini Basil Soup and Tuscan Bread Salad

Looking for an easy, elegant Italian meal to add to your repertoire? These delightful recipes from "Savor the Moment" will definitely fit the bill! Creamy, flavorful Zucchini Basil Soup (pg. 119) is delicious paired with Tuscan Bread Salad (pg. 129) made with ripe, juicy tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, fresh basil and cubes of toasted bread. This is actually a panzanella salad, an Italian dish originating in the regions of Tuscany, Umbria, Marche and Lazio that is very popular in the summer months. It includes sliced bread and fresh tomatoes, flavored with basil, olive oil, and vinegar. Ideally, the bread used should be day- to week-old, saltless Tuscan bread made in a wood oven. I used French bread from Publix and it turned out great!

This delicious duo makes for a great dinner for your family or for entertaining friends. Serve with a light, crisp Pinot Grigio and you have a fabulous, user friendly meal! I have included both recipes in this post in the hopes of inspiring some fabulous readers to purchase copies of "Savor the Moment" for you, your family and friends (well, at least for you)! You will not be disappointed! To purchase "Savor the Moment" please click here - Mangia!

Zucchini Basil Soup (pg. 119)
2 cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 cups chicken broth
14 small zucchini, chopped (about 8 cups)
3 tablespoons uncooked rice
1/3 cup cream cheese
Garnish
basil leaves
cream cheese
Saute the onions, garlic, basil and thyme in the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until the onions are tender. Add the chicken broth and zucchini.
Bring to a boil and stir in the rice. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cream cheese until melted.
Process in batches in a food processor for 30 seconds. Combine the batches in a soup tureen and season with salt. Garnish with a basil leaf and a dollop of cream cheese. Serves twelve.
**I halved the recipe and it turned out great!
**I used 1 teaspoon of chopped, fresh thyme instead of the dried
**Instead if transferring the soup to a food processor, use an immersion blender to conveniently puree in the pot you cooked it in - very convenient!


Tuscan Bread Salad (pg. 129)
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 large yellow or red bell pepper, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/3 cup coarsely chopped basil
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces Italian or French bread
Combine the tomatoes, bell pepper, cheese and basil in a bowl. Whisk the olive oil, vinegar and garlic in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add to the tomato mixture and mix well.
Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. Spread on a baking sheet. Broil for 1 minute or just until the cubes begin to brown, stirring once. Add to the salad and mix gently. Spoon onto serving plates. Serves two.