EAT Goodies!

Craig's catering company, Edible Accolades, will be one and a half years old in July.  Even though he is still building his clientele base I am already dreaming up new side projects I could manage for the business.

One side project that I am excited about is EAT: Edible Accolades Treats.  This will be an online side business where people can order gourmet treats  that will be mailed to them or picked up at the kitchen.  I want to keep it simple and start off with three or four types of cookies. I'm thinking chocolate chip, double chocolate chip, white chocolate with cranberry,  and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.   Then, if things go well I can expand and incorporate other items such as brownies, chocolates, and pies that might ship well. Perhaps some of those other items could be seasonal specials.

Other news on the horizon to look out for is the launch of the Edible Accolades website. I think this should be happening by the end of the month. I saw some proofs of the website and I think they looked fabulous. I can't wait for the website to go live so I can share it with everyone!

Kentucky Ginger

When Craig and I were at The Campbell Apartment after Josephine and Vincent's wedding I ordered a Kentucky Ginger. This was no ordinary bourbon and ginger ale drink though, it was made with homemade ginger ale and it was garnished with fresh rosemary and a piece of candied ginger. It basically tasted awesome.  I have been wanting to have another one ever since Memorial Day weekend. Even though I have found a handful of pretty good cocktails here in Raleigh (like the time I had a really nice martini, at Zely & Ritz, that was made with pickles instead of olives) I know I'm not going to find anything like the Kentucky Ginger I had in NYC here on the home front.

Just when I thought I was going to have to accept that things were different here in Raleigh everything changed. This weekend Craig helped me to re-create the drink at home! First, he made a simple sugar syrup that he infused with fresh ginger. We mixed the simple syrup with some Makers Mark bourbon and club soda. We picked up some fresh rosemary to use as a garnish and  . . . wait for it . . . one of the nice things about having a chef for a husband is that we just happend to have candied ginger laying around!  I couldn't believe how easy it was and now it will be even easier since we have a pretty large stock pile of the simple syrup left over! 

Craig styled and photographed our homemade Kentucky Ginger (above).

You Art What You Eat Food Challenge

Last month I received an honorable mention at our Publication Department's Semi Annual Food Challenge.  The theme of the April Food Challenge was: You Art What You Eat.  For this culinary event we needed to create dishes that were inspired by works of art.

Since I moved to the NC office and the rest of the department is in NYC I was faced with the additional problem of shipping my entry up to NY! After much thought I decided to ship  chocolate & bourbon pecan pies up. Craig and I had made pies like this once to take to my Aunt's house on Thanksgiving a few years ago and I remember that everyone really liked them. This time, I made them alone with a little over the shoulder supervision from Craig.  I followed the recipe for pecan pie that was on the Karo Syrup label and added chocolate chips and some Maker's Mark Bourbon to my taste. We didn't actually have enough Karo Syrup in the pantry so there was a tad less in the pies than  the recipe actually called for.

I decided on the pies because I thought they would ship well, and I could use my favorite Paul Friedrich piece with Dr. Strangegutt contemplating evil or pie.  I stopped at the party supply store to buy boxes and tissue paper and other items that would help with the shipping.  For 24 hours I was really nervous that they would arrive as one big mess.

Actually, they shipped so well that one of my coworkers emailed me to let me know that they were still intact even after the box had been sitting on its side in the reception area! I was happy about that but then I became nervous that they were actually as hard as rocks! After the challenge was over I  received lots of emails letting me know how good the pies were and I was relieved that they were edible. My honorable mention certificate is tacked up on my cubicle wall now, below my employee of the month certificate and next to my 2nd place certificates for the "Hair of the Dog" and the "Picking & Grinning" food challenges.

4 Weddings and a Family Vacation: Wedding #2

This past weekend Craig and I flew up to NYC to  attended our second wedding of the summer.  Josephine Daño and Vincent Zurzolo's Manhattan wedding ranks high on the scale of elegance.  

Since it was a morning wedding, Craig and I left the hotel at about 9:15 a.m. and headed over to the church. At first, we both felt a little out of place on the street, all dressed up so early in the morning. However, when we reached St. Malachy's  Church on West 49th Street between 8th & 9th Avenues, we fit in much better amongst the other wedding guests. 

The 108 year old church was breathtaking.  Josephine and Vincent did not have a traditional Roman Catholic mass, but in addition to several readings, they incorporated two beautiful traditions into their ceremony. They had a veil and lasso ceremony, where a large veil was draped over Josephine's head and over Vincent's shoulders, then a long double rosary made of clear crystal was placed over both of their shoulders. This is a Filipino tradition that symbolizes infinity and everlasting fidelity.  They also had a Latin coin ceremony where Vincent dropped coins into Josephine's hands symbolizing his financial commitment to her and their future children.

Afterwards, while the bridal party took pictures in different parts of the city, guests made their way across town to the Yale Club, on Vanderbilt Avenue, across from Grand Central Station.  There was a cocktail hour in the library with an antipasti buffet with meats, cheeses, pasta salads and mini empanadas as well as numerous pass around appetizers. The cocktail hour was followed by a 3 course dinner in a ball room on the second floor of the club.  The DJ was also a singer who sounded like Frank Sinatra. There was lots of dancing, speeches and fun all around. When I wasn't dancing with craig I was having a lot of fun catching up with old friends I hadn't seen since leaving NY two years ago.

And that is not all! For an after-party, Vincent and Josephine rented the mezzanine at The Campbell Apartment which is a high class lounge located in the corner of Grand Central Station. It provided a more intimate opportunity to talk with Josephine and other wedding guests after the reception --an opportunity I didn't really think I would actually get to have.  Craig and I didn't get back to our hotel until nearly midnight! It was a long but wonderful day.

Photo Journal: Andrew's first time in the pool

Andrew takes his first dip in the pool with his Opa Dad and his Mama Marybeth!  He liked it!