Holiday Pairing Party with DRY Sparkling!

To celebrate the upcoming holiday season, we�re having a virtual Holiday Pairing Party! I gathered up a handful of other bloggers to virtually sip sparkly seasonal drinks and nibble on tasty holiday food pairings with DRY Sparkling�s new limited edition Ginger and Cranberry sodas (in big champagne-sized bottles!)! See below for the full recipe round-up, including my chocolate satsuma truffles and mini blue cheese bacon cheesecakes!



So... let's talk about holiday traditions. Trying to carry on with our holiday traditions after my dad passed away was rough. The first Thanksgiving and Christmas without him were brutal. We tried to do the same things, in the same places, but carrying on with those traditions without him there made the hole feel even bigger. So we�ve been switching it up! Breathing new light and life into our holidays has allowed me to enjoy and embrace happy memories of him, rather than just feeling his absence. This year, we�ll be doing Thanksgiving and Christmas at my sister and her husband�s house, for the first time ever! And on Black Friday, we�ll be going to a musical! I�m super excited, not necessarily to start new traditions, but to buck tradition all together. To do something totally fresh and new.


If you�re also wanting to try something new this holiday season, may I suggest adding a few pretty, holiday-inspired bottles of DRY Sparkling to your table, next to the wine and sparkling cider (and mixed with the gin and bourbon)? DRY Sparkling (a woman-owned biz in Seattle, holla!) creates culinary-inspired sodas made with natural ingredients and just a touch of cane sugar. DRY is great on its own, paired with food or mixed into cocktails. I�ve created two holiday-party recipes that pair with DRY�s slightly floral Cranberry and lightly spiced Ginger.

First up: blue cheese bacon cheesecakes! These are inspired by a bite I had at Cochon555. Sweet graham crust, salty bacon throughout, and savory, creamy blue cheese. It�s like the perfect cheese-board in one bite! I�m pairing these little cheesecakes with Cranberry Dry, which is tart and slightly floral. And then for dessert, I threw all caution to the wind, ignored (almost) everything I read about ginger flavor pairings, and made smooth creamy dark chocolate truffles. I just loved the idea of dark chocolate and spicy ginger together. But, I didn�t want to totally pass on the flavor pairing ideas DRY sent me, so I added tangy Satsuma juice and zest. It�s like those chocolate oranges, but bite-sized! I recommend taking a bite of rich chocolate truffle, a bite of a fresh juicy Satsuma segment, and then a sip of Ginger DRY!

Before we get to my recipes, here are the rest of the Holiday Pairing Party sips and bites! Cheers!

Sips:

Feast + West: Sparkling Cranberry Vanilla Old-Fashioned
The Speckled Palate: Ginger Pomegranate Mule
Cake 'n Knife: Cranberry Ginger Bourbon Fizz
Dunk & Crumble: Gin & Ginger Fizzy Lifter

A Little Saffron: Ginger Bourbon Cooler
Chicano Eats: Grapefruit Mezcal Mule

Bites:

Nommable: Rosemary Parmesan Scones
Wit & Vinegar: Crispy Pork Sesame Slaw Sliders

DailyWaffle: Apple and Caramelized Onion Tartlets

Weeknight Society: Pumpkin Pasta with Toasted Pecans
Appeasing a Food Geek: Sparkling Cranberry Orange Cream Puffs

A Joyfully Mad Kitchen: Pear and Pecan Arugula Salad with Sparkling Cranberry Vinaigrette

Loves Food, Loves to Eat: Chocolate Satsuma Truffles & Blue Cheese Bacon Cheesecakes (below!)

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Giveaway has ended. 
DRY Sparkling Prize Pack Giveaway! You can celebrate with the new holiday flavors, too! Enter to win everything you need to fully enjoy DRY over the holidays, pictured below. To enter, leave a comment below (be sure to provide email address) OR head over to my Instagram, and leave a comment on the photo for this post, telling me about your favorite holiday traditions or fresh new ideas you have for the holidays! 

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And finally, here are my #HolidayPairingParty recipes! Enjoy! 

Mini Blue Cheese Bacon Cheesecakes

Makes 15 mini cheesecakes

Adapted from this recipe

Crust: � cup graham cracker crumbs  1 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons softened butter 1 slice bacon, cooked and finely diced Filling: 5 oz cream cheese, softened � cup crumbled blue cheese 2 slices bacon, cooked and finely diced � teaspoon honey  Fresh thyme (about 1-2 sprigs worth) � cup chopped pecans, optional Sliced fresh cranberries

Line a mini muffin pan with paper liners.  To make crust, mix together crumbs, sugar, butter, and bacon (I threw it all in the food processor) until thoroughly combined. Scoop about 1 packed teaspoon of crumbs into each muffin cup, and then press/pack it down firmly (I used the back of a tablespoon to pack it down). Refrigerate for at least an hour, or freeze for 20 minutes. To make filling, mix together cream cheese, blue cheese, remaining bacon, honey, thyme, and pecans (if using). Scoop a tablespoon of the filling into each chilled cup. Gently press filling (I used the back of the tablespoon again, wiping it down and wetting it lightly between each cheesecake), and then use an offset icing spatula or butter knife to smooth the top. Refrigerate until ready to serve, then top with sliced cranberries, and serve with DRY Sparkling Cranberry soda!

Dark Chocolate Satsuma Truffles

Makes 10-15 truffles (depending on size)

Adapted from this recipe

These can be made a day or two in advance. To store, refrigerate on parchment paper in a sealed container, and let come to room temperature before serving. 

� cup heavy cream Zest of 1 large Satsuma (mandarin orange) 8 oz Bittersweet chocolate (at least 60%),  chopped very fine (even grated or food  processed would be best) � teaspoon vanilla  1.5 teaspoons Satsuma juice � cup cocoa powder  Candied ginger  Fresh Satsuma segments, for serving

In a saucepan, heat heavy cream and zest over low heat (medium low/low), until it just starts to simmer. Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl, and pour cream over it (straining if you don�t want the zest in the truffles). Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 5-10 minutes, until chocolate is melted. Add vanilla and orange juice and, and stir to combine. Let sit to cool (to room temperature). With an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat until chocolate is lighter in color, about 4 minutes. If it�s still too runny/soft to roll into balls, spread in an 8x8 dish and refrigerate until cool enough to scoop but not totally solid (about an hour).  Add cocoa powder to a small bowl. Use a melon baller, small ice cream scoop, or cookie dough scoop to scoop chocolate into balls. Shape with hands if needed, and roll in cocoa powder to coat. Top with a shaving of candied ginger, and serve with Satsuma segments and DRY Sparkling Ginger soda!

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Note: I received free product from DRY Sparkling as part of this post and giveaway.  All opinions and recipes are my own. Visit DRY Sparkling to learn more about where to find the limited edition holiday flavors, as well as their other fun flavors like Fuji Apple and Juniper Berry! 

Tropical Garden Party Cocktail

HI, it�s me! And I come baring refreshing summer cocktails� because it finally sort of feels like summer in Seattle! These are bright and fresh, a little sweet, slightly savory, and super herbaceous, with muddled shiso leaves and cucumbers, gin (I used Hendricks for that extra floral/herbal kick), lemonade and a splash of pineapple juice (though a muddled chunk of fresh pineapple would be the way to go if you have it!), and a sparkly splash of Serrano DRY to finish it off. 


These cocktails are a breeze to mix up, but they do require a couple speciality items: shiso leaves and Serrano DRY. My neighbors pointed out two giant shiso plants in the jungly oasis they planted between our places, so I�ve been trying to come up with lots of things to do with the leaves. They have such a unique scent and flavor, I�m obsessed (and stoked that I can just go pick them whenever I want now!). If you don�t have generous neighbors with green thumbs, you should be able to find fresh shiso leaves at fancy grocery stores or Asian grocers. Serrano Pepper is one of DRY Sparkling�s limited summer flavors, so get it while you can (their website usually lists where you can find it). For straight sipping, I actually prefer their other summer flavor, Malali Watermelon (it seriously smells and tastes like a fresh juicy watermelon, no fake melon flavor at all), but the Serrano is great for cocktails, especially savory sweet ones like these! If you can�t find it, just use plain soda water (but it will change the flavor). If you like an extra kick, you can add a slice of actual Serrano pepper (though spicy cocktails aren�t for me!). Also, crushed ice would have been real cute in these, but when happy hour (i.e.: noon on a Sunday) is calling, ain't nobody got time to crush some ice. 

Note: This post is NOT sponsored, and all opinions are my own, but I did get a free sample of the Serrano DRY from their summer release party last week! 

Tropical Garden Party Cocktail
Makes one 1/2 pint cocktail 

1 large shiso leaf
2 slices of cucumber plus 1 more for garnish
1 ounce Hendricks gin (or more as desired)
Pineapple juice
Lemonade
Serrano DRY Sparkling
Ice

Put shiso leaf and cucumber slices in glass. Muddle together until mashed up and fragrant. Fill glass with ice. Add a splash of pineapple juice, and fill glass 3/4 full with lemonade. Fill remainder of glass with Serrano DRY. Stir, garnish with a cuke slice, and enjoy! 

Feel free to adjust quantities based on your tastes. 

A Dinner with DRY + Lemony Roasted Chicken Legs with Garlic and Rosemary

I did something fun and rad and I've been keeping it a secret! Picture this: a bunch of your favorite people, a sunny warm spring evening, twinkly candles, and vases full of colorful flowers. A record playing lightly in the background, a well-rounded cocktail in one hand, a crostini in the other, and an enormous cheese plate in front of you. This is basically the PERFECT evening for me. You guys, I am SO almost 30. And I love it.


As you may remember, one of my goals for this year was to do more entertaining (and keep my house clean�because I�m almost 30. It�s about time). I had the perfect opportunity (for both) recently when I collaborated with DRY Soda on a spring dinner party! DRY is a local Seattle-based company that makes sparkling beverages worthy of gourmet food pairing and premium mixology. They have ten crisp, fun, unique flavors, �inspired by art, fashion & foodies.� I like art, I wish I had fashion sense, and I love food! Perfect match! So, I invited a bunch of my friends over to help ring in spring! Some folks from DRY joined (including their CEO and founder! AH!), to teach us how to make amazing DRY cocktails (like this one and this one), the talented Brittany Wright captured the event on camera, and I made a menu paired with DRY's fizzy flavors. 

First: For starters, we had a cheese plate and a crostini. For cheese plates, a good rule of thumb is to have at least one aged, one soft, and one firm cheese. And then I like to throw in one blue (Humboldt Fog is my favorite). I really, really like cheese. You can go two routes with a cheese plate: charcuterie, or not charcuterie. I decided to pair this cheese plate with DRY's light floral lavender flavor, so I went the not charcuterie route, which includes fruits (in this case, blackberries and figs), honey, nuts (candied walnuts and marcona almonds), and something herbaceous or floral (Lavender DRY and, fresh rosemary, and rosemary crackers). I could live off that cheese plate. I�m still dreaming about it.

For the crostini, I wanted something bright and springy, so I made a minty pea pesto, similar to this one, and served it with ricotta on little toasty bread rounds. We paired these little bites with Cucumber DRY. Cucumber and mint are such a classic, refreshing combo! This is also a good make ahead option: the pesto keeps in the fridge overnight and you can top the crostini just before serving. Just note that it is the brightest green when it�s fresh.  

Second: Next up, I made a salad with butter lettuce, avocado, red onion, pistachios, chevre, and a citrusy-mustard vinaigrette, which I paired with Blood Orange DRY. I love this type of salad with orange segments mixed in, so this time I just put the oranges in your glass instead of your plate! 

Main: For the entr�e, I made lemony roasted chicken thighs with garlic and rosemary, served with roasted thyme fingerling potatoes and fennel, and paired with my favorite DRY flavor: Juniper Berry! You guys. This chicken! If you can find the full thigh-leg pieces, get those, because they�re super impressive looking. If not, go with thighs and legs/drumsticks. This chicken is so tender and flavorful. My secret is to over-cook it. I�m not even lying. Everyone talks about overcooked, dried out chicken all the time, but I think the biggest mistakes people make with chicken is undercooking (I think it gets weirdly rubbery at that stage) and under-seasoning. This sauce is so juicy that it keeps the chicken moist even at a higher temp for a longer time. Just check often, as my oven might not run as hot as yours! It�s so good!


Dessert: To round out the night, we had the easiest (and most appropriately soda-themed) dinner party dessert ever: an ice cream float bar! I put out vanilla, ginger, coffee and coconut ice cream, to be mixed and matched with Rhubarb and Vanilla DRY. My favorite combo was ginger ice cream + Rhubarb DRY! Tart, sweet, and a little spicy!

Read more about our dinner party over at DRY, and get some of their fun sparkles for your next shin dig� you can do such cool cocktails and food pairings with them, or just sip �em straight up! 

Lemony Roasted Chicken Legs with Garlic and Rosemary
Inspired by this recipe and this recipe

4 full bone-in chicken legs (thigh and drumstick) OR 8 bone-in chicken thighs (or a combo of both)
Salt & Fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
2 lemons (one juiced, one not)
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, removed from stem and chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1.5 large shallot, sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

If the chicken has skin on, I like to remove it, but it�s up to you. Pat the chicken DRY, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken in a baking dish so that the pieces are touching.

Stir together olive oil, juice from one of the lemons, rosemary, garlic, shallot, and about 1.5 teaspoons of salt. Pour over chicken.

Slice 1/2 of the remaining lemon in thin slices (keep the peel on), then cut those into small wedges, and arrange over the top of the chicken. Set the remaining 1/2 aside.

Roast for 25-30 minutes, baste with the juices, then roast another 25-30 minutes, checking every once in a while. Once your chicken is fully cooked through, but not quite falling-off-the-bone tender, baste it one more time (you can even just flip the pieces), and then crank the heat to 425. Roast another 10 to 15 minutes (checking to make sure you�re not burning it). You want the chicken to be crispy on the outside, but tender enough that it practically falls of the bone when you try to lift it out of the dish.

Just before serving, while chicken is hot, douse with juice from remaining lemon half, a sprinkle of flaked sea salt, and fresh black pepper. Serve with a rosemary spring for cuteness.

Note: Beverages and ingredients for this dinner party were provided by DRY, but all opinions are my own. Photos in this post by Brittany Wright, provided by DRY.