Healthy happy you.
It may be my obsession with Downton Abbey and the BBC's Sherlock, but lately I've been craving classic English cocktails: gin and tonics, for example. The problem is, tonic water is not diet-friendly. Most store-bought brands contain corn syrup and just as many calories as a sugary soda. This gin and tonic variation substitutes zero-calorie soda water for the tonic, and the splash of Read more
The idea of a cocktail made with canned pumpkin both fascinates and frightens me. But since we love pumpkin around here, this Thanksgiving, I set out to design a cocktail that was easy on the palate and slightly sweet but not dessert-like, with the pumpkin pie flavor I love. After much searching, I stumbled upon a pumpkin pie cocktail that sounded almost perfect, so I made a few tweaks, Read more
San Francisco has seen some of its warmest days this year in the past week. And in what I'd like to call exceptional timing, a rather generous shipment of gelato arrived at my doorstep. It was as though some frozen dessert fairy godmother heeded my call for a bracing heat-quencher. I could've simply dug in with a spoon, but my happy hour spirit got the best of me. I took Ciao Bella's advice and Read more
It's technically been Fall for several weeks now, but weather-wise in the Bay Area, it's still Summer all around. For Northern California dwellers, it's easy to be seasonally confused, staring at pumpkins, Halloween candy, and Thanksgiving newsstand covers while wearing shorts and flip-flops. In this transitional period, I'm a big fan of provisions that delicately toe the line between late Read more
Most of us like a little something sweet after a good meal, whether it's a decadent dessert, a piece of candy, or a glass of dessert wine. I'm a sucker for creamy, sweet after-dinner drinks, like a white russian or a sip of Adult Chocolate Milk. Lately I've been getting creative with my dessert drinks, starting with this honey roasted martini. I tore the recipe out of a Grey Goose ad a while Read more
ABC's Pan Am starts this Sunday, and I can't wait to watch the series premiere to see if it can captivate audiences just like Mad Men! The show will be an interesting glimpse into yesteryear, and if you're just as fascinated by this period, take a peek at Pan American's Complete Round the World Cookbook, which was first published in 1954. With the show's premiere fast approaching, it was time to Read more
We're down to the wire with the countdown on this year's Primetime Emmys, which air tomorrow night. But, given the number of Mad Men nominations this year (a whopping 19!), perhaps the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences ought to think about renaming the show to the Mad Men awards. Whether AMC series sweeps the awards tomorrow or not, there's no denying that this show about advertising in Read more
The best part about living in Northern California this time of year is that while everyone else is mourning the loss of Summer, the Bay Area comes to life with impossibly blue skies, a cornucopia of tomatoes, figs, melon, and late-Summer stone fruit, and — finally! — some warm, sunny afternoons. And then, to top it all off, cocktail week enters the picture, too. San Francisco Cocktail Week Read more
What better way to commemorate Bourbon Heritage Month than with beautiful bourbon cocktails we can't help but love? Whether you're partial to a classic old-fashioned or you'd like to take a twist on tradition, we've got you covered; you'll think you're in Kentucky with these delectable bourbon delights. Here are five recipes to get you started. Read more
When it comes to cocktails, sometimes simplest is best. Don't get me wrong; I love a libation with celery bitters or creole shrubs as much as the next person, but often it's nice to enjoy a drink that's satisfying in a simple, understated way. I have a couple rudimentary bar refreshments up my sleeve: for taco nights, there's the tequila and tonic; for celebrations, the Prosecco cocktail. The Read more
