Thank You 2013!!

2013 has been a fantastic year for Gastronomista!  It's been a year full of boozy adventures, new friendships, and countless cocktails.

This year Gastronomista was nominated for Saveur Best Cocktail Blog, was selected as a Drink Blog of the Day from Foodista, and WON the Best Drinks Blog category from Friends Eat!!!!!

Humbled.

I was featured in Company Magazine's weekly app, Coolhunting, Birch Box, and was able to travel to experience cocktail festivals, distilleries, and some of the best parties on earth. 

I am deeply humbled that so many people love Gastronomista and have taken the time to acknowledge it so publicly.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting Gastronomista.  This website is a labor of love, and it is your support (and lovely emails and messages) that keep me going.

On a personal note, 2013 has been a huge year.  I've completed my first architectural project from start to finish - Gotham West Market opened in Hells Kitchen this fall to rave reviews.

photo via Eater

I was photographed by the legendary Bill Cunningham for the New York Times Style Section, an honor to be photographed by such an incredible and amazing man.

Finally, I walked down the aisle in September and married the most amazing man, who thankfully is willing to taste all of my cocktails during "recipe testing". 

Thank you for reading and supporting Gastronomista.  I'm looking forward to an even more exciting 2014!  Cheers!

xx

emily

New Year's Day - Bloody Marys - More Than Just a Cocktail

The Bloody Mary is one of the most creative cocktails due to the basic fact that pretty much anything can go into a Bloody Mary.  Anything savory, that is.  I've always loved the epic DIY Bloody Mary Bars found in New Orleans with different tomato juice choices, countless bottles of exotic hot sauce, and an array of garnishes from the traditional celery to pickled vegetables to breakfast meats.  A good Bloody Mary does not follow rules, it is an impulse.  Adding, mixing, and adding more flavorful ingredients until the potation is just right.

You, after a rough night such as New Year's Eve need more than a drink, you need a meal damn it!

This year, I'm excited to make these wildly creative variations on the Bloody Mary created by Top Chef alum Dave Martin - jammed packed with spice, grilled veggies, and you know, a lobster claw or two.   After all, sometimes a perfect Bloody Mary needs an extra lobster claw and a few extra drops of hot sauce.  You know, for the electrolytes.

Captain Mary - Extra Lobster Claw Not Pictured

Captain Mary

Yields One 10 oz Highball Glass

2 oz Ultimat Vodka
4 oz of your Favorite Tomato Juice
2 oz Heirloom Tomatoes
½ tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tsp Red Chili Sauce(sambal olek)
¼ tsp Fresh Horseradish
¼ tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/8 tsp Celery Seed
1/8 tsp Celery Salt
1/8 tsp Kosher Salt
1/8 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1/8 tsp Tabasco Sauce

Garnish:  1 Marinated Artichoke Heart; 1 Peppedew Pepper; 1 roasted large shrimp or Lobster Claw

Other suggestions: 1 piece Marinated Bocconcini (stuff this into the center of the peppedew pepper), 1 Roasted Garlic Clove

Blend all ingredients along with ice in a shaker or pitcher and then pour over ice cubes into Highball glass. Serve with skewered garnish resting on glass and serve immediately.

Ultimat Heat - Additional Shrimp Optional

Ultimat Heat
Yields Four 2 oz Shot Glass

2 oz Ultimat Vodka
4 oz Clamato Juice
2 oz Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1 Roasted Garlic Clove
½ tsp Fresh Lime Juice
1/8 tsp Kosher Salt
1/8 tsp Ground Black Pepper
½ tsp Agave

Garnish:  1 each- 5 inch Bamboo Skewer; 1 roasted Large Shrimp; 1 piece Lemon Rind and 1 piece asparagus

Shake all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker and pour into shot glass. Set garnish across the top of the glass and serve.

Gastronomista New Year's Guide: Champagne

As we finish up 2013, and get ready for 2014 I am craving champagne (and I'm sure you are too).  There's no better libation for celebration than champagne, and let's admit it, there's no better reason to celebrate than the New Year.  So break out the ice bucket, it's almost time to pop some bottles!

1.  Keep your champers chilly in a Vintage Pineapple Brass Ice Bucket - looks festive on your bar even when not in use.  $4,700

2.  Pop open a bottle of 2004 Perrier-Jouët Belle-Epoque Brut - and elegant champagne with flavors of candied lemon, white peach, juicy pear, light acidity, and a toasty finish.  $150  If you're not interested in a vintage, a wonderful selection is Perrier-Jouët Champagne Grand Brut, a dry champagne with flavors of honey, candied citrus, fresh pear, and a minerally finish.  $50 

3.  Another fantastic selection is Krug Brut Champagne Grande Cuvée - a blend of different vintages to capture the timeless style of the House of Krug.  Grand Cuvée is a complex champagne with flavors of baking sweet breads, coconut, candied citrus, with undertones of roasted coffee and toasted nuts.  $150

4.  Ring in the New Year with a pair of festive Kate Spade Pop Fizz Earrings $32

5.  Keep your treasures in style with the Kate Spade Champagne Coin Purse $68

6.  Double down on the bubbles with a pair of Effervescent Wanderluster Earrings $95

7.  Yes, you need a sword just for sabering champagne - Laguiole Champagne Saber $300

8.  In the rare occasion that there are bubbles left over, keep them in the bottle with a Gold Champagne Stopper $6

9.  Spoil yourself with Charbonnel et Walker Marc de Champagne Pink Chocolate Truffles $18

10.  Grown Up Gummies infused with Brut and Rosé Champagne $20

11.  If you're out and about this year, and looking for a extra special bottle to ring in the new year, spring for the Limited Edition Moet & Chandon Nectar Rosé Leopard Luxury Edition Methuselah (6L) bottle coated in 22-carat gold leaf etched with leopard spots.  Made in a limited edition of 60 bottles worldwide, this gorgeous bottle is sure to turn heads.  $6,200

12.  For those not interested in a gilded Methuselah, there's a 750 ml of Moet & Chandon Nectar Imperial Rosé NV with the same flavors of sweet rose, bright cherry, ginger, and honey.  $65

13.  Forget the flutes, serve champagne in sophisticated LSA Champagne Saucers - an elevated version of the classic coupe.  $99 for 4

14.  Hang festive Vintage Champagne Posters over one's bar $70 and up

15.  Save Water Drink Champagne Totes $22

16.  2004 Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame, a tête de cuvée made from a highly selected blend of 69% Pinot Noir and 31% Chardonnay that pays homage to Madame Cliquot.  The Grande Dame is a rich and creamy champagne with flavors of crisp grapefruit, brioche, nougat, vanilla and sweet apricot balanced with light chalkiness found in extraordinary champagnes.  $170

Nespresso Irish Coffee

I've recently become obsessed with Irish Coffees after visiting New York's Dead Rabbit on a cold winter's day.  As the sky turned to darkness, we sat at the bar, sipping on the most perfect Irish Coffee I've ever had, made with sweetened coffee, Jameson Irish whiskey, topped with heavy cream and freshly grated nutmeg.  Glorious, I tell you.

Now, to test it out at home.  Armed with a Nespresso Pixie Espresso Maker and a Nespresso Aeroccino I was prepared to try to master the Irish coffee!  The maestros at The Dead Rabbit made it look so simple, effortlessly whipping up tipple after tipple.  I'm convinced that an Irish Coffee is a perfect holiday cocktail: warm, sweet, nostalgic, and of course, strong and concise.  It's a classic cocktail, and is sure to make your holiday tasty and memorable.

While I am an admitted coffee snob, I was pleasantly surprised to how the Nespresso held up in a boozy coffee cocktail, and the ease of the Nespresso machine makes late night libations easy and effortless.  You just turn it on, wait about a minute for the water to heat up, enter your selected cartridge (which come in the most delightful range of flavors and corresponding colors), and press the button to select the strength of coffee.  In the coffee cocktail, I recommend picking the larger, and thereby weaker version.

The Nespresso Frother is equally easy to use, add milk, and it on, and it froths away.  It even turns itself off so you don't have to worry about scalding the milk.  I'm starting to believe that Nespresso has designed its products for late night drinking schemes (and for imbibers a few drinks in), it's just too easy.  Unfortunately, I have not yet mastered the layering art of the perfect Irish Coffee.  But I will, dear readers.  In due time, in due time.

The classic Irish Coffee turned out to be a delightful tipple: sweet, savory, and of course, boozy and strong (just the way we like it).

Nespresso Irish Coffee

2 oz Jameson Whiskey
1 Nespresso cartridge
1 Bar Spoon Simple Syrup
2 oz Steamed Cream
Freshly Grated Nutmeg

Add whiskey to glass and add coffee.  Stir in a barspoon of simple syrup, and top with a layer of steamed cream.  Top with freshly grated nutmeg.

I also tried making an Irish Coffee with Baileys Cinnamon Vanilla liqueur, topped with steamed milk and freshly grated  nutmeg.  After the first sip, I'm pretty much convinced that this is the perfect application of both coffee and Baileys, perhaps the two were made for each other.  Baileys is my personal favorite of the dessert liqueurs on the market, and it's fantastic with Nespresso and cream.  Behold:

Nespresso & Baileys

1.5 oz Baileys Cinnamon Vanilla
1 Nespresso dark roast cartridge
2 oz Steamed Cream
Freshly Grated Nutmeg

Pour Baileys into a cocktail glass, add Nespresso coffee and top with steam cream and freshly grated nutmeg.

                             

Tune in to Gastronomista in the New Year - I have one of these amazingly simple and awesome Nespresso Pixie machines to give away to a very lucky reader!!!  

Gastronomista Gift Guide - Sipping R(h)um

There are so many assumptions made about rum.  1) It is only consumed by pirates and mermaids, and 2) it should only be used in Tiki drinks (which are usually delicious, but not the only way to drink rum).  Wrong you are, dear readers.  Rum, when made right can be addictively delicious: sweet, complex, and almost mysterious.  Rum, is the new whiskey, and is a respectable tipple even for the wildest of characters.  

1.  Angostura makes more than bitters - they make delicious rum too!  Angostura 1919 is a gorgeous blend of rums that are aged from 5 to 10 years in first fill bourbon barrels.  The nose brings aromas of sweet mango and honeysuckle, and when sipped is silky smooth with flavors of coconut, cocoa, banana, oak from the barrel, caramel, and bright citrus notes of lemon.  1919 drinks like a bottle at a much higher price point, and that's something to get very excited about.  $32

2.  Tiki Cocktail Ornaments - Daiquiri, Pina Colada, and Mai Tai.  $17

3.  When the urge for a proper rum cocktail calls, make sure to have the right tools.  Arctic Chill Muddler won't splinter in your drinks.  $14

4.  For any one interested in giving this gastro girl a bottle this year, I will gladly accept a bottle of the gorgeous  Ron Bacardi de Maestros de Ron MMXII made to celebrate the company's 150th anniversary.  There's only 400 bottles of this ambrosia for sale in the entire world.  Bacardi MMXII has been aged in American oak for over 20 years, transferred into 60 year old cognac barrels, and exquisitely presented in a hand blown crystal decanter with a custom leather case.  Swoon.  $2,000

5.  Brooklyn distilling darling Bridget Firtle has been hard at work with Owney's Rum, branching out into a new line of infused rums.  Limited edition rums are infused with mint, rosemary, and vanilla bean - only 400 bottle of each, so move quickly!  $60 for all 3

6.  Sipping rum need not be aged, my friend.  Shellback Silver Rum is a great white rum that is sweet, smooth, and very easy to drink.  It has a strong flavor of vanilla and predominant cream soda, with undertones of banana and tropical fruit.  $16 

7.  There's one thing that goes best with rum, and that's the Caribbean.  Jet Set to the islands for this holiday, and don't forget your sunnies.  Mirrored iridescent purple Illesteva Frieda round frame sunnies for the ladies, and folding Steve McQueen Persols for the gents.  $200 and $240, respectively.

8.  Gent's need new Penguin swim trunks for tropical vacations.  $65

9.  Cynthia Rowley fashionable and floral wetsuits for the ladies.  $330

10.  Get dry with Striped Turkish Towels.  $20

11.  Sip on Brugal 1888 aged for 6-8 years in American Oak and then 2-4 years in Oloroso Sherry casks, previously filled with Macallan single malt.  This is an extremely complex rum that drinks similarly to a bourbon.  Sweet with layers of flavor such as chocolate, coffee, baking spices, and carmelized fruits.  This is a memorable bottle that will impress those that deserve impressing.  $53

12.  Yes, your drink needs a mermaid in it.  $12

13.  Great rums make great punches.  Great punches deserve great punch bowls such as this Towle Sterling Silver Enamel Punch Bowl from 1955.  $8,650

14.  Craving something strong, rummy, with coconut?  So am I.  Mix up your favorite tropical cocktails with Caliche Rum, aged using the solera process with sherry casks.  But it's a white rum!??!.  It's charcoal filtered aged rum, which looks clear, but retains the flavors of the aging process such as caramel, banana, baking spices, and tannins from the oak. $24

15.  One of the big surprises I tasted this year was Captain Morgan Limited Edition Sherry Oak Finish Spiced Rum.  It drinks like a much much more expensive bottle and has a lot of flavor, whist being smooth and complex.  It's got the sweetness one expects from a rum, and then big flavors of cherry and stone fruits that come from the Sherry Casks.  Flavors of black peppercorn, baking spices, dark chocolate, and vanilla come through as well, pairing nicely with the fruit and sweet molasses of the rum.  Drink this bottle neat, and pat your self on the back for a good find.  $25

Gastronomista Gift Guide - Whisk(e)y Lover

Whiskey is a unique and very special spirit.  Those who love whiskey really love whiskey.  They dream about it.  Obsess about it.  Will travel to remote parts of the earth to have a sip of something special and rare.  I've collected some of my favorite whiskey related gifts, all of which I hope your whiskey lover will love just as much as I do.

1.  Drunk Again Whiskey Poster by Kyler Martz, screen printed in its second edition of 50.  $35

2.  I've been a fan of Four Roses since I first tasted it.  It remains one of my favorite bourbons, and so I was extremely excited when I first heard about their acclaimed 125th Anniversary Limited Edition release.  It's a small batch, blended whiskey made from a hand selection of barrels including a 18 year old recipe with characteristics of delicate fruit, spice, and creamy vanilla, a two unique 13 year old recipes that are both spicy and full of flavor.  The end result is a very bright bourbon that is full of spice, vanilla, cherry liqueur, cocoa, tobacco, and stone fruits such as apricots and plums.  It's wonderful with just a few drops of water.  $85

3.  Best to keep one's whiskey readily available at all times, and now you can with a Stone Whiskey Dispenser  $125

4.  I've asked Santa leave a very special bottle under my tree this year.  Macallan M is collaboration between Fabien Baron of Baron and Baron, who designed the bottle's incredibly sexy crystalline decanter, Lalique, who produced said decanter out of hand-blown crystal, and Macallan, who filled this decanter with single malt whiskey aged in 100% Spanish sherry oak casks.  There's only 1,750 available this worldwide, 355 of which are available to the US.  The liquid gold inside is a blend of whiskeys that range from 73 years old to 22 years old.  Don't mind if I do.  $4,500

5.  There's nothing better than sitting in front of a fire drinking whiskey, snuggled up in a man's wool jacket.  At its best, said jacket smells of campfire, pine needles, and man.  This year buy your man (or yourself) a proper Stag Jacket.  You can thank me later.  $225

6. Take your whiskey drinking act to the next level with Alexander Wang Marble Coasters.  They look damn handsome under a dram of peaty scotch.  $170

7.  Dress up your whiskey with Cecil & Merl Cherry Bitters.  I love these bitters because they are quite delicate and simple, and they subtly enhance the vanilla and stone fruit flavors in whiskey.  Hand made in Brooklyn and made in small batches with raw, natural ingredients.  $26

8.  Great whiskey demands great food.  Send tasty treats via Mouth Gift Bags filled with select indie food products that are fantastic for holiday entertaining and general nibbling.  They come in great collections such as Bring Home the Bacon, Pickle Town Taster, The Meat Market, and Cocktail Hour Every Month.  $35 and Up

9.  Good ice is a critical part of the whiskey drinking experience.  Give your whiskey lover pure joy in the form of a Sphere Ice Maker.  $300

10.  Sometimes a great cocktail needs a little time.  These great Bottle Aging Kits will let your whiskey lover "barrel" age cocktails using a charred oak stave.  They take up a whole lot less space than a barrel, and usually only take about a week to age.  $35

11.  As said by a better man, "whiskey is the life of man".  Put handsome Whiskey Posters by Jon Contino  on your wall (or iphone).  $20 and Up

12.  Japanese whisky is a transformative experience, even to the seasoned whisky drinker.  The Japanese have taken lessons learned from Scotland and refined it into incredible liquid gold.  Hakushu 12 is a wonderful winter whisky with flavors of smooth smoke contrasting with bright green freshness of pear and green apple with undertones of honeyed caramel and mint.  Fantastic for curling up in front of the fire on chilly evenings.  $65

13.  For someone who likes the peaty flavors of Islay Scotch, Caol Ila 12 (cull-eela) is a wonderfully smooth smoky pour.  It smells a bit of peppermint and smoky grass, and tastes of seaweed, aromatic grasses with notes of pepper and smoke.  This is a bottle I'm excited to share this holiday season.  $59

14.  Crinkle Whiskey Glasses by Bormiolo Rocco from West Elm for proper pours.  $30

15.  Bowmore Devil's Cask is a bottle for a serious whiskey lover, and is an incredible limited edition release with huge flavor.  It's an intensified version of Bowmore proper with flavors of salt, caramel, vanilla, and smoke.  The Devil's Cask has a firey spicy bite from the tannins up front, and saturated saltiness complimented with the flavors of caramelized orange and a hint of banana cream pie.  $90 

16.  The Devil's Cask paired with a bar of Mast Brothers Sea Salt chocolate, and you're lucky whisky lover will be in pure heaven.  $10 

The Icelandic Martini

Sometimes a girl needs a martini - strong, succinct, and effective.  Martinis vary depending on an individual's taste, from dry to dirty, but I personally like mine with a flavorful base spirit and bone dry.  I've recently fallen for Reyka vodka, made in Iceland and filtered through local lava rocks.

Distilled in one of the world's six Carter-Head copper stills, which allows the master distillers to better control the spirit from beginning to end.  The alcohol vapors are passed through indigenous lava rocks, giving the spirit its earthy and slightly sulfuric flavor.  The spirit is then blended with water from local springs that rest on 4,000 year old lava beds, and then filtered through actual lava rocks, known for their filtration capabilities.  The result is a creamy vodka with subtle flavors of vanilla, hibiscus, pink peppercorn, bright citrus, and flamed orange peel.

The Icelandic Martini pairs Reyka with Brooklyn Hemispherical Bitters' extremely limited edition Icelandic Bitters, which I've somehow scored a bottle of  (thank you Mr. Rowan!).  Inspired by the Icelandic landscape and made with herbs and plants such as cardamom, thyme, moss, and anjelica, these bitters pair flawlessly with the clean taste of Reyka.

I realize you, the home cocktailer may not be able to re-create this amazing and transformative tipple, I can only hope that more Icelandic Bitters will soon be released to the general public.  Until then, you might be forced to harvest your own herbs off the gorgeous isle of Iceland to garnish your martini yourself.  Good Luck.

The Icelandic Martini

3 oz Reyka Vodka
1/4 oz White Vermouth
1/4 Dropper full of Icelandic Bitters

Stir over ice, and strain into a martini glass.  Garnish with a lemon peel.

Cheers!

Gastronomista Gift Guide - Wine

One of my resolutions for 2014 is to learn more about wine, and there is so much to learn.  This gift guide is for people exactly like me, looking to learn more about wine, become an expert, and, well, drink more wine.  Cheers to 2014!

1.  Give your wines some oxygen in style with this Twisting Aerator Decanter $30

2.  Give a wine club membership!  Plonk Wine Club sends affordable and delicious bottles to your doorstep every month!  Hand selected by the ever talented Etty Lewensztain, each bottle is guaranteed to be small batch and sustainably grown.  Could it be any easier?  Nope.  $50 for 2 bottles a month, $90 for 4 bottles a month.

3.  I was recently invited to taste New Zealanad's Brancott Estates highly anticipated Chosen Rows Sauvignon Blanc 2010 made from select vines and hand picked grapes, giving the wine a significantly more complex flavor.  It's an innovative wine because of the use of naturally occurring yeast on the grapes, and and decision to bring out more subtle flavors instead of the tropical flavors traditionally found in a Sauvignon Blanc.  This is a wine I am very excited to share with friends this holiday season.  $59

4.  Handsome corkscrews make great gifts.  I love the minimal and streamlined design of the Alessi Socrates Corkscrew. $185  

5.  Wine is meant to be served with food, and one of the best pairings in the world is cheese.  Give a nice selection of Plymouth Artisan Cheeses, with flavors from smoked, to hot pepper, to garlic peppercorn.  

6.  Another timeless flavor combination is wine and chocolate.  Master chocolatiers at Eclat have brought the two together in perfect harmony with their Shiraz Truffles made with ganache infused with 'Boxer' Shiraz made from Australia's Mollydooker winery. $44 for 20

7.  You Had Me at Merlot Sweatshirt - perfect for wine club.  $33

8.  Handsome Cutting Boards for Cheese Plates $50

9.  Pocket Prism Corkscrews for emergencies.  No more opening bottles on trees.  $20

10.  A Wine Aroma Tasting Set helps people train their noses into smelling particular aromas in their wine.  Take a smell of a sample, and then a smell of your wine.  This kit offers six commonly found aromas in red and white wine, and will soon have your nose trained to find associate similar aromas and flavor profiles.  $40

11.  Keep unwanted guests and air away from precious bottles with a Combination Wine Lock.  Genius, we say!  $13

12.  Elk Cove Pinot Noir 2011 is another favorite bottle I've had lately.  It's an Oregon wine with big fruity flavors of cherry, dark stone fruits, and with low notes of chocolate, cinnamon, cedar, and chicory.  The 2011 year had a late harvest, yielding a better pH and acid balance, and a more concentrated fruit flavor than other years.  $26  

13.  Wine Wars is kind of Trivial Pursuit for wine geeks.  What a fun and entertaining way to learn wine facts, whist drinking wine, obviously.  $14

14.  Aerating Wine Glasses for those too lazy (or rushed) to decant.  $20 for 2

Gastronomista Gift Guide - Hostess Gifts

Some people are impossible to shop for.  They seem to have everything under the sun, and whatever they need, they go out and purchase it.  Gah!  Gastronomista is here to help, gifts for your well-provisioned hostess.  Remember, good guests never arrive empty handed.

1.  Great parties require thoughtful details.  Vintage Knife Rests are a great way to add character and whimsy to a dinner table.  $95 for 6

2.  Games keep fellow party goers occupied (and out of the kitchen).   Pocket Boccee travels well, and is great for gardens and hallways.  $8

3.  Even the most perfect hostess never has enough ice.  Bring a bag of ice and a handsome Ice Bucket, and you'll be a gal's favorite guest.  $40

4.  Bottle Openers one of my favorite hostess gifts - they add so much character to a home.  I love these sphere cuties from Poketo.  $20

5.   Give a gift that takes your hostess out on the town!  A night out at The Spot Dessert Bar in the East Village is a fun and memorable evening.  The Spot serves gorgeous tapas-style desserts developed by Ian Kittichai such as Green Tea Lava Cake, Yuzu Eskimo Ice Cream Bars, Kabocha Creme Brulee, and Smoked Coconut Cheesecake.  $10 and Up

6.  Fashionable Aprons for your chef who will never leave the kitchen.  So cute, it doubles as dinner wear. $30 

7.  Christmas snappers are so last year.  This year give your hostess an Exploding Braquier Chocolate Bomb filled with Almond Dragees and toys.  $100 - $150

8.  Upgrade your hostess' butter dish with a Japanese Beehouse Butter Dish that come in fun colors such as carrot and artichoke $26

9.  Great glassware = great drinks.  These Poodle Low Ball Glasses are memorable and whimsical.  Purchase them from the virtual pop up Joyus, where all proceeds until the end of 2014 go to Women for Women International!  $75 for 6

10.  Upgrade your chef's plastic measuring cups with Nesting Ceramic Measuring Bowls from West Elm.  They are even tapered so you can pour from them!  Genius!  These are some of my favorite tools in the kitchen.  $15 

11.  Nothing says party like a Graphic Cheese Platter!  Handmade in Austin, Texas!  $35

12.  For the pie lover, give Kate Lebo's book A Commonplace Book of Pie, that is filled with poems about making pie, eating pie, and theories on pie, and gorgeous pie porn watercolors.  $14

13.  Spoil your favorite hostess with a pair of Manitobah Muklucks!  No one likes cold feet when out and about provisioning for parties, and these Aboriginal Canadian made boots will make her feel warm and cozy even when charging through the snow.   $200

Note:  I have a pair of these, and I LOVE them.  Obsessed.  Wearing them right now, my heart filled with bliss, and my toes warm and snuggled up.

14.  For the hostess who likes a great cocktail, but doesn't know what to make: a subscription to Julibox, a service that sends your hostess a monthly cocktail kit with all the necessary ingredients!  Recipe cards help your hostess make them for future parties.  $36 / mo

15.  Modern Marble Trivets for Hot Dishes by Fort Standard.  $88

16.  Have you ever noticed that it's always the cheese grater that seems to jam up your utensil drawer, and is always the guilty culprit to cut your hand?  Solve the problem with this Folding Cheese Grater by West Elm that folds all the away around, protecting your hands from its sharp edges.  Again, with the genius design move here.   $30

17.  For the hostess with the inclination towards all things Paleo:  Melissa Joulwan's latest edition of her Well Fed cookbook series filled with healthy, fast, and delicious recipes.  $17

18.  Tiered Cast Aluminum Displays for all things pretty and delicious.  $259

19.  Impress everyone at the party with a Cecil & Merl Cheesecake - handmade in Brooklyn with a graham cracker crust.  Flavors include Dulce de Leche, Lemon Ricotta, and Pumpkin.  Trust me, bringing one of these to any party is a very good move.  They are insanely light, fluffy, and mind-boggling delicious.  $55

Gastronomista Gift Guide - Cocktails

One of my greatest joys is making cocktails at home.  I love experimenting with different recipes, trying new infusions, and of course, drinking the rewards!  The proper bar set up is critical, as I've learned, and my home bar is constantly changing and improving.  New tools come out every year, and I fall in love with vintage ones, but some are just essential.  Without further ado, the Gastronomista Guide for the home bartender in your life:

1.  A good mixing glass will change your life.  It is incredibly rewarding to give a cocktail a proper stir in a handsome vessel for your guests.  I love the Seamless Yarai Mixing Glass from Cocktail Kingdom.  $40  

2.  Proper garnishes are critical.  My go to cherries are the Filthy Black Cherries, perfect for Manhattans or a Bar Drake concoction.  Yes, I know I write about them all the time.  I love them that much.

Step up your game with Sphered Flavor Pearls.  Flavors range from Lemon Pepper, Yuzu, Soy Sauce, Maple Syrup, to Olive Oil.  I'm intrigued.  $35-$55

3.  Whenever people ask me to make cocktails at a party, there's always a mad dash to cram all my tools in some sort of tote bag, which usually ends up in something getting broken or smashed.  Especially at the end of the night.  Keep your tools tight and organized with the Uber Bar Tools Pro Bar Roll. $125

4.  Give your cocktails some character with Vintage Swizzle Sticks sourced from ebay or etsy.  Would love to know some of the stories from those collections...

5.  Good ice is critical to a good cocktail.  Give your crushed ice the due respect it deserves with the Retro Rabbit Ice Crusher.  $40 

6.  Swap out simple syrup for Maple Syrup - I love Old Field Farm Maple Syrup.  $12

7.  A home is not a home without a proper bar - bring yours to the party with a handsome Art Deco Chrome Bar Cart with brass and wood detailing.  Love those over sized chrome wheels!  $1,495

8.  Totes to remind yourself to drink responsibly with a shimmering quote from Dorthy Parker.  $158

9.  A bar is not a bar without a good line up of bitters.  Start with a gift pack from the Bittered Sling with flavors such as Orange & Juniper, Grapefruit & Hops, Lemon Marrakech, Plum & Rootbeer, Moondog, and Denman.  

10.  Cocktail Picks make handsome cocktails.  These Japanese Hamaya Arrow Pins ward off evil.  Perfect.  $10

11.  For when you need to make martinis on the go: the Tumi Ketel One Martini Travel Case, hand crafted by Tumi's artisans in Italy.  Yes please.  $5000

12.  The best cocktail book I read this year is Tony Conigliaro's The Cocktail Lab, which has inspired me to try to expand my mixology skills.  Smoking gun, check.  Next up, Sous Vide Machine.  $23

13.  The holidays have a tendency to inspire over indulgence.  A few drops of Dram Hair of the Dog Bitters in soda water will have you fighting fit in no time.  $18

14.  Protect yourself this season, and for the rest of your drinking days with Drinkwel Multivitamins for Drinkers.  I'm glad someone is looking out for us.  $40

15.  It's not a cocktail party without a stunning cocktail ring.  Every girl needs a sparkling Lanvin Borneo Gunmetal Swarovski Crystal Ring to help her shake the night away!  $495

16.  Sometimes you need the night off.  Thanks to White Whale, you can still have a good cocktail without squeezing, and straining, and infusing with their pre-made mixers.  Look out for their Old Fashioned, The Older Brother, and Their Filthy Liar.  $50 for 3

17.  Proper cocktails deserve proper glassware.  Sip your tipples in style with these hand sculpted Calypso Crystal Tumblers made by Eastern European craftsmen.  $25

The Siren's Call - A Cocktail with Clarified Lime Juice

There's been a bit of experimentation here at Gastronomista HQ, my better half has been testing recipes for clarified lime juice.  It's a simple, yet time consuming process, but the results are quite stunning in cocktail form.  Lime juice usually is a bit cloudy, but by removing all the pulp, it yields a gorgeous and bright green juice.

The process uses Agar Agar powder, a vegetarian gelatin made from seaweed.  The agar binds to the solids of the fruit, and when strained separates from the clear liquid of your juice. It performs very well in cocktails, keeping them bright and transparent, and dangerously seductive.

One might throw themselves upon rocky shores for a taste of The Siren's Call, made with Owney's Rum, Thai Chili Infused Green Chartreuse, and Clarified Lime Juice.  It's a gorgeous cocktail - the bright greens of the lime and the chartreuse seem to glow in the glass.

Godspeed, fellow drinkers.  Godspeed.

The Siren's Call
Created by Gastronomista

1 1/2 oz Owneys White Rum
3/4 oz Thai Chili Infused Green Chartreuse
1/2 oz Clarified Lime Juice

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.

Optional Garnish - A whole Thai Chili

Cheers!

Clarified Lime Juice

20 oz of Fresh Lime Juice, strained
1/2 c Water
2/3 t. Agar Agar Powder
Cheesecloth
Strainer

Instructions:

Bring water to a near boil, and stir in the Agar agar.  Lower heat and let simmer for 2-5 minutes, until the agar is dissolved.  Pour into a metal bowl, and add lime juice, whisking as you pour.  Once the mixture is thoroughly mixed, put in the refrigerator until the gelatin sets.

Line strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth, and pour gelatin onto cheesecloth.  Allow liquid to drip through, and then raise up the cheesecloth, gently squeezing with your hands.  Make sure none of the "curds" come through the straining process.

Behold, clear lime juice!

Golden Entertaining Guide

The holidays are a perfect reason to put on that gorgeous cocktail dress and throw a party!  This year, I'm dreaming of throwing a gilded party, sparing no expense for myself and my loved ones, shimmering into the New Year.  

1.  Light millions of candles with the AERIN Round Match Striker, doubles as a handsome paper weight.  $190

2.  Warm your guests with Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve.  This limited edition whiskey comes in a gorgeous, shiny gold bottle, and is filled with a delicious whiskey that has flavors of citrus, apricot, creamy honey, black pepper, and a touch of smoke.  $74

3.  It's going to be a fun night - you need KRE-AT Beauty 24 Karat Gold Falsies, obviously.  $295

4.  Protect your furniture and wow your guests with these gorgeous Kiel Mead Solid Brass Coasters backed with black leather.  $60 for 2

5.  Deck out your gent in a Gold Tie.  $100

6.  Gold touches to finish his look - lucky is the guy who gets these vintage Cartier Gold Panther Cufflinks with shimmering emerald eyes.  $8500

7.  Vintage cocktail baubles with a sense of humor: a painted red devil pops out of this 14 karat gold cocktail shaker charm.  $200

8.  There's nothing better to get a party started than a glass of bubbly!  Go all out with the Ace of Spades Armand de Brignac Champagne.  $225

9.  Shimmer all night long in L'Wren Scott silk and gold sequined dress.  $2000

10.  Red Lips are a must - Lipstick Queen Velvet Rope $50

11.  Keep your booze where you need it most: on your arm!  Golden Flask Bangle by Cynthia Rowley. $225 

12.  Good guests bring gilded treats.  Vosges White Chocolate Krug Truffles topped with gold leaf flakes.  $29

13.  Dance the night away in Kate Spade Rose Gold Pumps.  $328

14.  Shake up cocktails in style - Gold Shaker from Cocktail Kingdom.  $79

15.  Cast brass bottle opener by Fort Standard  $80

16.  Gold Japanese Cocktail Jigger  $18

17.  Gold Hawthorne Strainer  $20

18.  Gold Trident Cocktail Spoon  $40

19.  Gold Rimmed Cocktail Coupes  $42 for 6

20.  For those with no limits to luxury - Rare and "surreal" first class Oscietra Iranian Golden Almas Caviar  $450 for 10 oz.

21.  Serve gorgeous sweet treats on pretty gilded cake stands.  $96

Aged Cocktails - The Smoky Old Mate

I recently went to a Black Grouse event here in NYC - it was a gorgeous affair with a blazing fire, flickering candles, and bartenders behind the bar mixing with theatrical flair.  Glasses were chilled with dry ice, "smoke" tumbling out of them, glasses were warmed with flaming spirits before scotch tipples were poured into them, wowing us lucky imbibers, and on the other side of the bar were a line of small barrels, each with a different aged cocktail quietly resting inside.  There were so many wonderful cocktails to try!

One of my favorites from the evening was the Smoky Old Mate created by John McCarthy of the Greenwich Project.  It is a bitter and sweet cocktail, with just the right amount of smoke.  This cocktail aged for about 6 weeks in a mini barrel, but it can be easily scaled down to be aged in a glass bottle with a charred oak stave.  The best part?  It rests for only a week - which is better for those of us who are a bit impatient.

Without further ado, the recipe:

The Smoky Old Mate

4.5 oz The Black Grouse
3 oz Cynar
3 oz Carpano Antica (or another sweet vermouth)
3 dashes Grapefruit Bitters (I did not have grapefruit bitters, so I used Bittered Sling - Kensington Dry Aromatic Bitters - a gorgeous smoky and citrus bitter)
Orange Peel for Garnish

Makes 12 oz.  Four cocktails of 3 oz each.

To Bottle:

Combine all ingredients in bottle and insert charred oak stave.  Cocktail will be ready after one week, although the contents will continue to age as long as you leave the stave in the bottle.

To Serve:

Stir 3 oz with ice in a mixing glass, strain into a low ball glass with fresh ice.  Garnish with an Orange Peel.

Equipment:

You'll need a cocktail aging kit - and some patience.  $35

Cheers!