cocktail

Farmhouse Restaurant in Fair Oaks, Indiana

Dining Outside the Home: Farmhouse Restaurant in Fair Oaks, Indiana! The best-kept secret of this rural farmstead is The Pub, situated on what is known as the back forty of the family-owned restaurant. Chrissy serves up a mean Baja Mule with just the right amount of tequila, lime, and ginger beer. It goes down smooth and easy as you nibble on the Cowboy Bites. Never heard of them, you say? It’s a savory appetizer of sweet corn, cream cheese, jalapeños, and bacon nestled in a lightly fried breaded nugget. Dip it in chipotle aioli for added spice. Watch out, these can be addictive. Choose a burger and share it with your partner. The half-pounder dry aged ribeye, topped with fresh arugula and Havarti habanero pepper cheese, will leave you with a mental note to stop over to the Cowfé to snag a pound of this diablo cheese for later on. Take your time. There’s no hurry. This is what country living is all about.

Dining Outside the Home: Kintaro Japanese Restaurant in Kapaa, Kauai

Dining Outside the Home: Kintaro Japanese Restaurant in Kapaa, Kauai! When the locals recommend a place to eat, pay attention, especially if they are making reservations for a private celebration behind shoji screens with tatami mat seating. Kintaro is that good. For others, it’s first-come, first-served whether you are seated at the exotic sushi bar, a table for two in the dining room, or family-style seating around the teppan yaki table grills. For starters a plate of complimentary crispy fried wontons were served by the friendly wait staff. They were so yummy, we ordered more. And because using chop sticks is part of the experience, the filet mignon and lobster tail combo were already cut into bite-sized cubes arranged on the plate. The rest is easy. Sit back, bask in the Asian decor, and enjoy the cuisine.

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Cocktail Shrimp Minis!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Cocktail Shrimp Minis! Being a “grazer” can reap advantageous health benefits, in my opinion. Not only are the portions much smaller, but you get to eat every few hours which keeps hunger pangs under control. The rule of thumb is to choose foods high in nutrients and low in sugar, salt, and fat. The key to successful grazing is to prepare things ahead of time. That way when you open the refrigerator, you are drawn to easy choices. Sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it?

COCKTAIL SHRIMP MINIS

Ingredients:

1 dozen fresh shrimp, precooked

1 cup fresh salad greens

8 ounces Neufchâtel cheese, softened

1/2 cup seafood cocktail sauce

1 tablespoon horseradish

Instructions:

Place salad greens in the bottom of a single serving glass. Divide the block of Neufchâtel cheese into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball. Place one cheese ball in each glass. Combine seafood cocktail sauce with horseradish. Drizzle sauce evenly over each cheese ball. Skewer one shrimp and insert into each glass, piercing the cheese ball. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Garlic Clove Little Smokies!

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Yuletide Favs: Garlic Clove Little Smokies! I know people often wait for the holidays to serve this spicy little appetizer, but I recently discovered its popularity as a lunch box companion. By making it ahead of time and storing it in a jar, it travels well. Add dill pickle chunks, bite-size cheese cubes, vegetable skewers, fresh fruit, chips, salsa, and double chocolate brownies. You’ll have the perfect portable party food for any occasion. Doesn’t everyone love finger foods?

GARLIC CLOVE LITTLE SMOKIES

Ingredients:

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup catsup

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds

14 ounces little smokies cocktail wieners

Fresh chives for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 250°. In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, honey, catsup, soy sauce, garlic, red pepper flakes, and roasted sesame seeds. Mix well. Add cocktail wieners. Coat evenly. Transfer to a covered casserole dish. Bake for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Garnish with roasted sesame seeds and fresh chives before serving.

Dining Outside the Home: St. Elmo Steak House in Indianapolis, Indiana

Dining Outside the Home: St. Elmo Steak House in Indianapolis, Indiana! Known as the oldest steakhouse in its original location, a mere stone’s throw from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument in downtown Indy, is none other than St. Elmo’s. This is a place where people come to satiate their appetite for outstanding steaks, impressive shrimp cocktails, and a superior wine list that promises to complement any occasion. If you’re lucky, the award-winning wine cellar may be available for private dining and celebrations. I know, because I’ve been there. Not only is the atmosphere charmingly romantic being surrounded by thousands of bottles, but the professional waitstaff’s attention to detail is intoxicating. For the ultimate dining experience, choose St. Elmo Steak House.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter J

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail! No matter how often my husband and I entertain, this choice reigns as Number One with our guests. It is so easy to prepare and the presentation awards it center stage. In addition, I place the appetizer on a pedestal serving stand for great eye appeal. For such a tiny food which carries an impressive response, it truly is an oxymoron. 
JUMBO SHRIMP COCKTAIL 
Ingredients:

1 pound Jumbo Shrimp, cooked and deveined with tail on

1/2 heart Romaine lettuce, shredded

1 12-ounce bottle Chili sauce

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish 

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Dash of cracked pepper 
Instructions:

Mix all the sauce ingredients. Blend well. Cover and refrigerate for one hour so flavors can intensify. Meanwhile, fill a chilled glass serving bowl with shredded hearts of romaine. Be sure to leave room for a smaller dish of cocktail sauce to rest in the center of the serving bowl. Rinse the shrimp and pat dry with paper towels. Arrange the shrimp around the rim of the bowl to form an attractive fan. Return bowl to the refrigerator to remain chilled until guests arrive. Serve with wooden picks or olive skewers for dipping shrimp into sauce. The romaine is an excellent accent for nibbling. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter C

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Something to Savor: Cocktail Shrimp Minis! Being a “grazer” can reap advantageous health benefits, in my opinion. Not only are the portions much smaller, but you get to eat every few hours which keeps hunger pangs under control. The rule of thumb is to choose foods high in nutrients and low in sugar, salt, and fat. The key to successful grazing is to prepare things ahead of time. That way when you open the refrigerator, you are drawn to easy choices. Sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it?
COCKTAIL SHRIMP MINIS
Ingredients:

1 dozen fresh shrimp, precooked

1 cup fresh salad greens

8 ounces Neufchâtel cheese, softened

1/2 cup seafood cocktail sauce

1 tablespoon horseradish 
Instructions:

Place salad greens in the bottom of a single serving glass. Divide the block of Neufchâtel cheese into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball. Place one cheese ball in each glass. Combine seafood cocktail sauce with horseradish. Drizzle sauce evenly over each cheese ball. Skewer one shrimp and insert into each glass, piercing the cheese ball. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Dining Outside the Home: Olympic Café in Kapaa, Kauai

Dining Outside the Home: Olympic Café in Kapaa, Kauai!  No matter the time of year, no matter the weather, this open-air restaurant sitting above Main Street Kapaa in the Hee Fat Building is where it’s happening. You may opt for the unlimited Happy Hour Taco Bar or be a little choosy and select a fantastic Shrimp Salad overflowing with organic mixed greens and an abundance of grilled shrimp. It’s a meal in itself. No complaints here. Meat-lovers will appreciate the Big Burger Selection of 100% organic grass fed beef raised on the Garden Isle. Open seven days a week, there’s not a time of day this spacious eatery doesn’t fit the bill. Be hip, be casual, and always be Hawaiian. 

Shortest Day of the Year

Sunlight is so important to a person’s well-being. It can make the difference in a bad mood, one that’s barely tolerable, and an optimistic attitude, in my opinion. Take a moment to think about it. For instance, when you’re away at the beach and the sun is shining in a clear sky, it feels as though there isn’t a care in the world. Even if it’s mid-December and noted as the winter solstice, for those (like me) who live in the Northern Hemisphere. Grown-ups laugh into the ocean breeze. Children frolic in the waves. Co-eds pick up a friendly game of beach volleyball. Others just relax under striped umbrellas and wiggle their toes in the sand. And no one seems to mind wearing a bathing suit, even if you wouldn’t be caught dead doing the same thing back home. No worries. Take a deep breath. Bask in the fleeting sunlight. Sit back and sip on a tropical cocktail or a glass of freshly squeezed lemon-lime iced water. The day will be over before you know it.