Celebrate the New Year with Yvette!

As I prepare for a retro New Year's Eve celebration, with Rumaki, a mountain of crab legs, and Seven Layer Jello, I wanted to share some ideas to spruce up your cocktails! You can always pick up a bottle of the delicious French raspberry liqueur Chambord and mix 1/2 ounce with 4 ounces of your favorite Champagne, garnish with raspberries or a lemon twist for a "Kir Royale," or as I prefer to call it, a "Cham-Cham!" Or, you can go ultra-retro by picking up a bottle of once defunct Creme Yvette to make "The Stratosphere!" 

Creme Yvette is a berry and violet liqueur that was originally produced in the late 19th century in Connecticut by the Sheffield Company. Over time, it's popularity dwindled and was taken out of production in 1969. It was the base for such classic cocktails like the Aviation and Blue Moon. However, after an onslaught of requests from cocktail experts, Charles Jacquin et Cie bought the recipe and re-released it in 2009. The original Creme Yvette supposedly had a more purple color, while the new version (made in France with dried violet petals from Provence and berries from Burgundy) has a more reddish hue. So I'm not so sure how blue your Blue Moon would be? Maybe pink? Anyway, whether you are hosting or attending a New Year soiree, why not pick up a bottle that is guaranteed to impress even your most savvy cocktail-loving friends! Only one question remains, who was Yvette? Bonne Annee!

The Stratosphere

Serves 1

Ingredients:

Glass of Champagne

3/4 ounce Creme Yvette

Lemon twist (I prefer raspberries!)

Directions:

In a chilled champagne flute, add the Creme Yvette and top with Champagne. Garnish as desired and serve! Fantastique!

French Pear Cake

I adore this recipe for "French Pear Cake," also known as Gateau Fondant Aux Poires! I have been making it for years, but somehow has never been added to my site? Today's the day! This is a lovely cake that is ideal for dessert, gifts, afternoon tea, or even breakfast! This recipe is French, although; there is an Italian version called Torta di Pere. So maybe a little of both?

This wonderful cake is perfect for those ugly, overripe pears. I use D'Anjou pears. The batter is fairly thick so don't let that scare you. Make sure the butter and eggs are at room temperature before starting. Also, you will need a 9 1/2" springform pan. This easy cake is also enhanced with the addition of vanilla extract and lemon zest! Yum! Try it! You can thank me later!

French Pear Cake (Gateau Fondant Aux Poires)

Ingredients:

3-4 small ripe pears, peeled and quartered or cubed (I use 2-3 D'Anjou and it is plenty, cubed.)

1 cup plus 1 1/2 Tbl (250 g) butter, at room temperature (I just use 2 sticks unsalted butter with good results.)

Zest of 1 lemon

1 1/4 cup (250 g) sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 eggs, at room temperature

2 cups plus 1 1/2 Tablespoons flour (I use 2 cups with good results.)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 24 cm (9 1/2") springform pan.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until very fluffy and white. Mix in the eggs slowly, one egg at a time. Add vanilla and lemon zest.

In another bowl sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder. (I just whisk together.) Add the flour mixture slowly to the egg mixture. Don't over mix.

Pour (or spoon) half the batter into the springform pan. Place the pears on top. Pour (or spoon) the rest of the batter in the pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

I also recommend refrigerating any leftover cake because of the fruit content.

Recipe from mykitchenintherockies.com.

Devilishly Good Chicken!

Foods that are highly seasoned (e.g., mustard, chilies, etc.) or sinfully rich (e.g., chocolate cake) have been referred to as "deviled" since the 18th century. In 1868, The William Underwood Company began selling a mixture of ground ham with seasonings which they named "deviled ham." In fact, their devil logo is one of the oldest trademarked logo still in use today. While I love highly seasoned food, canned ham is not my kind of thing. Trust me. I used to audit food processing plants (like Ballpark Franks), haven't eaten one since!

The original Underwood Deviled Ham logo.

With Halloween almost here, I want to share this wickedly addictive recipe from Williams-Sonoma for "Chicken Thighs Diavolo." Diavolo means devil in Italian, but only dishes invented by Italian-Americans use the term. In Italy, they would refer to a spicy dish as all-arrabiata meaning "angry-style." I digress. Anyway, these chicken thighs are marinated in a wonderful blend of cider vinegar and five different chili spices, then grilled to juicy perfection. Delicious! I love this marinade so much! In addition, you could use it on practically any cut of chicken or even pork. I don't know who created this spice blend, but they must have sold their soul to the devil to create it!

Chicken Thighs Diavolo

Serves 6

Ingredients:

For the marinade

1/4 cup cider vinegar

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

1 tablespoon coarse salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon Thai chili paste or red pepper flakes (I use Chili Garlic Sauce by Huy Fung Foods, Inc.)

1 teaspoon hot-pepper sauce (I use Cholula.)

1/2 cup water

For the Chicken Thighs

3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed of any excess skin and fat

1 or 2 handfuls wood chips, soaked in water for 30 minutes. (I use mesquite.)

1 large disposable aluminum roasting pan

Directions:

In a bowl, combine marinade ingredients and whisk until the salt and granulated garlic dissolve. Taste and adjust the seasonings; the sauce should be bright red and very spicy. Pour half the sauce into a small serving bowl and set aside.

Rinse the chicken under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, score the chicken to the bone in several places to expose the flesh. Place the chicken in a large disposable aluminum roasting pan, pour the remaining sauce over the top and turn to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 10 minutes before grilling.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for indirect grilling over medium heat.

For a charcoal grill: Sprinkle the wood chips over the coals. Place the pan with the thighs on the cooler side of the grill, cover and cook until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Transfer the thighs to the grate directly over the coals, brush with the marinade from the pan and grill, turning often, until nicely charred on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes more.

For a gas grill: Increase a burner to high. Heat a smoker box half full of chips until smoking, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Place the pan with the thighs over unlit burners, cover and cook until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Transfer the thighs to the grate directly over the heat, brush with the marinade from the pan and grill, turning often, until nicely charred on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes more.

Transfer the chicken to a platter. Serve immediately and pass the reserved sauce alongside.