LADIES HOLIDAY PARTY
Professor Andrew’s Punches:
(single serving amounts in parentheses)
………………………………………………………….
2011
Ginger &
Merry-anne
2 parts vodka
2 parts cranberry juice
1 part fresh Ginger Simple Syrup
Lime juice to taste
Splash club soda
Garnish with skewer of frozen cranberries
2012
Peppermint Patties
1 part Godiva chocolate liqueur
2 parts Vodka
1 tsp Italian Menta syrup
Garnish with crushed candy cane rim, peppermint swizzle
2013
Czech Mate Punch
4 cups (1.5oz) Bourbon/Rye (infused with cloves)
2 cups (3/4oz) Becherovka liqueur
2 cups (3/4oz) Apple cider
1 cup (1/2oz) Lemon juice
Top with Ginger Beer
2014
A partridge in A-perol Tree Punch
4 cups (1.5oz) Gin (infused with pink peppercorns)
2 cups (3/4oz) Aperol
2 cups (3/4oz) Grapefruit Juice
2 cups (3/4oz) Prosecco
Garnish with pink peppercorns
2016
Mother’s Ruin Punch
4 cups (1.5oz) Gin
2 cups (3/4oz) red Vermouth (steeped with Orange spice tea bags)
4 cups (1.5oz) Grapefruit Juice
2 cups (3/4oz) Lemon Juice
3 cups (1oz) Champagne
Garnish with grapefruit rounds
2017
Starry Spice Girls Punch
4 cups (2oz) Bourbon
1 cup (1/2oz) Allspice/Cinnamon infusion:
soak whole allspice berries & cinnamon sticks for at least 1 week in bourbon or rum
1 cup (1/2oz) Amaro
2 cups (1oz) Lemon Juice
top with Champagne or any bubbles
Garnish with star anise and grated nutmeg
2018
Wine-y Bitch Punch
4 cups (2oz) Rye Whiskey
1 cup (1/2oz) Lemon Juice
1 cup (1/2oz) Orange Juice
1 cup (1/2oz) Spiced Syrup:
Steeped with cardamom extract, cinnamon sticks, star anise, bay leaf, cloves, allspice berry, peppercorns
1 bottle (2oz) Red wine (Malbec or Grenache, e.g.)
Mix all ingredients except wine in the punch bowl. For each serving top with ½ oz of wine, poured gently over a spoon.
2019
Sage Advice Punch
1 liter (1 oz) Campari
1 liter (1 oz) Cocchi di Torino (red vermouth)
750 ml (¾ oz) fresh Lemon Juice
750 ml (¾ oz) Sage simple syrup (1 to 1 sugar/water, steep fresh sage leaves)
2 oz (2 dashes) Angostura bitters per serving
Mix the above, and top with 2 liters (2 oz) dry sparkling rosé
Garnish with cherry and sage leaf
Various & Sundry Snacks:
Julie’s Cowboy Caviar
1 can black eyed peas
1 can field peas or black beans
1 can white shoe peg corn
1 cup white onion, chopped
A bunch of chopped cilantro (orig. recipe calls for parsley, but I prefer cilantro)
2 tsp or so fresh basil
2 closes garlic, minced
some chopped Roma or grape tomatoes (optional)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 red wine
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
Frito Corn Chip Scoops or equivalent (nothing else is really strong enough to pick it up!)
Mix ‘dressing’ items (oil— Tabasco): Drain and rinse canned items and mix all ingredients. Refrigerate at least a few hours but overnight is best.
Prof. Spivey’s (embarrassingly easy)
Pistachio Candy
1 lb. white chocolate
1 cup or so dried cranberries
1 cup or so pistachios
Melt the chocolate using either double boiler or microwave. Mix in 1/2 of the cranberries and 1/2 of the pistachios. Pour/spread on a parchment- or silpat-covered pan. Immediately sprinkle remainder of cranberries and pistachios on top and press in slightly. Refrigerate for ~one hour. Take out and break into pieces, Voila!
Eileen’s PICKLED SHRIMP
1 1/4 lbs of shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 tsp. Celery seed
1/4 tsp. Allspice berries (when ground)
1/2 tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. Kosher salt
1 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup packed flat leaf parsley, chopped fine
1/2 of a medium yellow onion, sliced thin, lengthwise
10 bay leaves
1/4 cup capers, drained (or you could probably use the liquid but I didn’t)
Boil the shrimp in the old bay seasoning for 2 minutes or until done; drain and then chill with ice water bath. Drain again. I didn’t let them get super cold.
Grind the celery seed and allspice in a spice grinder if you have one. I used a mortar and pestle. Mix these two spices in a bowl with everything else except the onions and bay leaves.
Layer half the onions and half the bay leaves in the bottom of a casserole or other container; lay in the shrimp and then layer on the rest of the onions and bay leaves. Pour the oil mix over the shrimp. Mix around a little if needed.
Cover and put in the refrigerator to chill. Stir once or twice a day to get an even distribution. (After the first stir, don’t worry about the onions and bay leaves being in layers, just make sure to mix it and keep the shrimp covered or mostly covered in the oil mix. Let it pickle for at least 24 hours (mine was in there for about 30 hours). The Gourmet of the Delta cookbook says leave it in there at least 3 days; word in the world is that if the shrimp is completely covered by oil, it will keep for a week.
Notes:
I used Georgia wild caught shrimp: I had to peel and de-vein in but I would recommend buying it already peeled and de-veined and maybe cook a little bit less. I cut the tails off for y’all because well, who wants to walk around with a shrimp tail when you could be holding a cocktail instead?
You can eat them right out of the container but I drained the oil/lemon juice/vinegar and then put the onions/capers in the bottom of the dish and then layered on the shrimp.
