Savoury Cheese Truffles
Ingredients
Serves 25
1 x 8 oz package (227 g) cream cheese, room temperature
1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup (125 ml) crumbled feta cheese
2 green onions, trimmed and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1½ tsp (7 ml) finely chopped fresh dill
1 tsp (5 ml) dried oregano
¼ tsp (1 ml) smoked paprika
⅛ tsp (0.5 ml) freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup (175 ml) black sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a large bowl, with a handheld beater fitted with whisk attachments, beat together cream cheese and olive oil. Add feta, green onion, garlic, dill, oregano, smoked paprika and black pepper and stir together with a wooden spoon. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Pour black sesame seeds onto a plate and shake until seeds are in an even layer. Scoop about 1-in (2.5 cm) rounds of cheese mixture into your hands and roll into a ball before placing onto seeds and rolling to coat. Place cheese truffles on a serving plate and refrigerate until ready to enjoy.
Drink Pairings
Margarita
Ingredients
Serves 1
coarse kosher salt, for garnish
1 lime wedge
1½ oz (45 ml) Patrón Silver Tequila
1 oz (30 ml) Cointreau
1 oz (30 ml) lime juice
lime wheel, for garnish
Instructions
- Sprinkle a handful of coarse salt on a plate. Moisten the outer rim of a Margarita glass with a lime wedge and dip into salt. In a cocktail shaker with cubed ice, combine tequila, Cointreau and lime juice. Shake vigorously and pour entire contents into prepared glass, then garnish with a lime wheel.
Featuring
Aperol Spritz
Ingredients
Serves 1
3 oz (90 ml) Riondo Prosecco
2 oz (60 ml) Aperol Aperitivo
1 oz (30 ml) soda water
orange slice, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large wine glass half filled with cubed ice, combine Prosecco, Aperol and soda water. Gently stir to combine and garnish with an orange slice.
Featuring
Roasted Peach & Campari Cocktail
Ingredients
Serves 4
2 medium ripe peaches, peeled, halved and pitted
1½ cups (375 ml) Campari
¼ cup (60 ml) sweet white vermouth
¼ cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp (30 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp (15 ml) syrup from Amarena cherries*
soda water and ice, to serve
4 Amarena cherries, for garnish*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Slice each peach half into 4 pieces, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, pitted-sides up. Roast until lightly caramelized, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
- In a large glass container, combine Campari and roasted peaches. Cover and let peaches infuse into Campari for 4 to 6 hours at room temperature, or overnight in refrigerator. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a jug, reserving peaches.
- To infused Campari, add vermouth, lime juice, orange juice and cherry syrup. Stir well to combine. Divide between 4 ice-filled cocktail glasses. Add a peach slice to each glass, top with soda water and garnish with an Amarena cherry. Serve immediately.
- *Available at specialty stores or online.
Featuring
Green Gold
Ingredients
Serves 1
black salt, for garnish (optional)
1½ oz (45 ml) Los Siete Misterios Doba-yej Mezcal
¾ oz (22 ml) lime juice
½ oz (15 ml) Chartreuse Green Liqueur
¼ oz (7 ml) agave nectar
¾ tsp (4 ml) yuzu kosho*
1 dash Bittered Sling Cascade Celery Bitters
shiso leaf, for garnish
Instructions
- Rim a rocks glass with salt, if using: sprinkle a handful of black salt on a small plate. Moisten rim of glass and dip into salt. Combine remaining ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice and shake. Fine strain through a mesh strainer into prepared glass, fill with ice and garnish with a shiso leaf.
- *A type of citrusy Japanese chili paste. Available at most Asian grocery stores.
Drink Pairings
Que Padre
Ingredients
Serves 1
1 oz (30 ml) cranberry-infused Don Julio Blanco Tequila*
¾ oz (22 ml) Aperol Aperitivo
¾ oz (22 ml) Martini Bianco Vermouth
2 dashes orange blossom water
grapefruit zest, for garnish
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice, and stir until chilled and diluted. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with an expressed grapefruit zest.
- *Combine 1 cup (250 ml) Don Julio Blanco Tequila and a heaping 1/3 cup (about 75 ml) cranberries in a non-reactive container. Break up cranberries using a muddler or spoon. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours, then strain out cranberries. Store in refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 1 year.
Featuring
Meadowland Tonic
Ingredients
Serves 1
1½ oz (45 ml) Noilly Prat Extra Dry Vermouth
½ oz (15 ml) St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
¼ oz (7 ml) cherry blossom tea syrup*
2½ oz (75 ml) craft tonic water, such as Fever Tree
rose water and lemon wheel, for garnish
thyme sprigs, for garnish
Instructions
- Combine vermouth, St-Germain and tea syrup in a wine glass, add ice and stir to combine. Add tonic and garnish with a spray or drop of rose water, a lemon wheel and thyme sprigs.
- *In a saucepan, heat 1 cup (250 ml) water almost to a boil and add 1 cherry blossom green tea bag. Keep over heat for 20 minutes, being sure not to let it come to a boil. Add 2 cups (500 ml) sugar and stir well to fully dissolve. Remove tea bag and transfer syrup to a sealed container. Syrup will keep, refrigerated, for up to 6 weeks.
Featuring
Berry Cassis Pops
Ingredients
Serves 10
2½ cups (625 ml) vanilla Greek yogurt
¼ cup (60 ml) honey
1 lemon, zest only
1 cup (250 ml) frozen raspberries, thawed, with their liquid
1 cup (250 ml) frozen blackberries, thawed, with their liquid
½ cup (125 ml) crème de cassis
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together yogurt, honey and lemon zest. Transfer to a large zip-top bag and set aside.
- In a large blender, blend berries and crème de cassis for 1 minute, or until smooth. Transfer to another large zip-top bag.
- Cut one of the bottom corners off the berry mixture bag to create a piping bag. Divide berry mixture between popsicle moulds, piping to about ¼ of the way up each mould. Repeat with yogurt mixture, filling each mould to the top.
- Using a wooden skewer, gently stir each popsicle mould 3 to 4 times to swirl the mixtures together; do not mix together completely. Place sticks in moulds and freeze for at least 8 hours.
Drink Pairings
Paloma Pops
Ingredients
Serves 10
½ cup (125 ml) tequila
¼ cup (60 ml) triple sec
3 cups (750 ml) grapefruit juice (no pulp)
½ cup (125 ml) lime juice (about 3 to 4 limes)
2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped fresh mint leaves*
1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 ml) sugar dissolved in 1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 ml) warm water, as needed
Instructions
- In a large, spouted jug, stir together tequila, triple sec, grapefruit juice, lime juice and mint. Taste for sweetness and stir in dissolved sugar to taste, if desired.
- Pour into popsicle moulds, place sticks in moulds and freeze for at least 8 hours.
Drink Pairings
Sangria Pops
Ingredients
Serves 10
2 cups (500 ml) red wine
1 cup (250 ml) lemon-lime soda
1 cup (250 ml) orange juice (no pulp)
Instructions
- In a large, spouted jug, stir together all ingredients. Pour into popsicle moulds, place sticks in moulds and freeze for at least 8 hours.