Photo 9/10
The Brunch That Comes Before the Thanksgiving Dinner Gorging
Pear Bellini
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
2 pears
¾ cup + 1/8 cup water
1 bottle champagne
Cut 1 pear into ½-inch cubes. In a small saucepan, stir together 3/4 cup water and the cubed pear. Boil the mixture over hear for 5 minutes.
Add the mixture to a blender with an additional 1/8 cup water. Blend on high until completely smooth.
Add a small spoonful of pear puree to the bottom of each champagne glass. Slice the remaining pear very thinly, and add a small slice of pear to each glass. Pour chilled champagne on top of the pear puree, and serve with a stirrer.
Excerpted with permission from "Paleo Happy Hour: Appetizers, Small Plates & Drinks"
By Kelly Milton
Victory Belt Publishing Inc., $29.95, www.victorybelt.com
Photography: Photos by Brent Holland
Photo 10/10
The Last-Minute Party You Were Roped Into Throwing
The Rules:
1 part booze + 1 part dairy + 2 parts Polar Seltzer + Garnish
The Ingredients:
Booze: set out Bailey's, spiced rum, Kahlua, schnapps, vanilla vodka, and bourbon
Cream: give guests a choice of milk, almond milk, or whipped cream
Garnish: top off drinks with a sprinkling of nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, or hot chocolate powder
Seltzer: Polar Limited Edition Seltzers, which come in fudge cheesecake, butter rum, champagne strawberry, toasted coconut crème and mint chocolate
One of their favorite concotions?
The Modern 'Nog with Bourbon
Serves One
1 part bourbon
1 part cream
Polar Butter Rum Seltzer
Pour bourbon and cream into a festive glass, top with the Butter Rum seltzer. Garnish with a dash of cinnamon.
Photo courtesy of Polar Seltzer.
I love the holidays, and I love playing hostess. But one place where my enthusiasm wanes is the kitchen. I don't know about you, but sweating off my makeup over a pan of gravy or spending the next day scrubbing turkey gizzard out from under my nails does not say "fun" to me. Course, that doesn't mean the holidays have to be a total party bust.
The solution: a great cocktail.
The cocktail you serve at your next soiree says just as much about you as the of-the-moment midi rings you stack on your fingers.
To get the scoop on the trends in cocktails for fall and winter (because we wouldn't dare suggest you whip up something that is so last season) we chatted with Elayne Duff, the New York-based head mixologist for Diageo Wine and Spirits who divulged the "it" flavors of the season. We also scouted out some swoon-worthy (and easy!) cocktail recipes suitable to serve at your giant family holiday party or the intimate dinner with your significant other.
To get the scoop on the trends in cocktails for fall and winter (because we wouldn't dare suggest you whip up something that is so last season) we chatted with Elayne Duff, the New York-based head mixologist for Diageo Wine and Spirits who divulged the "it" flavors of the season. We also scouted out some swoon-worthy (and easy!) cocktail recipes suitable to serve at your giant family holiday party or the intimate dinner with your significant other.