Reviving A Classic - the Bloody Mary

*Bloody Mary*

If you’ve been paying attention - I love my brunches! I love cooking and entertaining! Before I had become a professional Chef, I was a bartender for 10 years, coast to coast. There are many ways and coastal differences of pretty much everything… especially cocktails lenient of preference. With that in mind this one is for the entertainer- Modern, Chic, and Fabulous!

Fantastic for entertaining the masses, just put a bottle of your favorite hot sauce on the table if anyone wants to kick it up, like I do, other wise it’s pretty frickin awesome as is. Don’t forget the garnishes! They’re all part of the whole experience!

Make a vat and you’re good to go!

Per glass

• V8- Spicy
• Pinch finely grated Horseradish (or to taste)
• dash Balsamic vinegar
• ½ tsp Green Olive Brine  (or to taste)
• (optional) Hot Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Pinot noir - or any Leftover Red Wine!
• 2 oz Vodka of Choice CITRUS! - get the lemon flavored

Per Pitcher:

• 1 bottle V8 - Spicy  (2 Qts. = approx 10 cocktails)
• 1 tsp finely grated Horseradish
• 2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Green Olive Brine
• ½ cup Red Wine
• Couple dashes Hot Sauces - plus bottle left out for guest.
• 2 oz Citrus Vodka per glass.

*Make the mixture separate, from Vodka

(note when yielding a large amount, taste, because somethings are not necessary to multiply.)

Rim:

• Bacon - make bacon, dust with Smoked Paprika! When Cool, crush finely
• Coarse Sea Salt.
• Lime Juice

Use a small blender or immersion if you have to get bacon really gritty. It’s going to be moist, mix it with the salt (which will dry it out and flavor the salt.) Keep in a sealed container until use - can last a week fridge!

Assembly:

• Rub lime around rim, dip bacon and salt mixture to coat glass.

(can make several in advance for hosting)

• Celery
• Gently place ice in glass without touching salt rim, this will hold celery in place.
• Vodka
• Bloody Mary mix - don’t fill to top
• Now the rest of the Garnish… Green pimento Olives, Red Onion, Lime Wedge, Straw
• Note- use toothpick for olives, then anchor into celery to hold place.
• Then drape Red onion around for visual effect.

Go Enjoy and Share your Fabulous Bloody Mary!

Brunch above with my favorite Gravlax & Creamiest Scrambled Eggs over Crumpets.

This one is for the entertainer- Modern, Chic, and Fabulous!

#BloodyMary #Brunch #Cocktail #V8 #SpecialtyCocktail #FoodAndWine #BoozyBrunch #ClassicCocktail #RevitalizedClassic #ModernChicCocktail #ChefCaylena

THE CHEESE SOUFFLÉ

The elegant and decadent souffle - the most pretentious and intimidating of haute cuisine.  I make this look easy - and now, so will you!

Most dramatically puffed up right out of the oven, and will deflate rather fast - so be prepared to serve immediately. This is why they are rather complicated to make for the masses, or why restaurants insists you let them know exactly when they are to be served, that, and the glorious fact that they are made to order.

This is a rather magnificent way to inspire awe out of your brunch guests! What they wont know is how incredibly easy and stress free this dish actually is to make!

Shown here with Peaches & Bacon Salad

Difficulty - moderate / somewhat hard (Just pay attention & you got this!)

Time -  40-45 minutes TOTAL

Clean up - Easy, you’re eating straight out of the cooking dish!

*Mandatory:  Electric Mixer & 10 oz-Souffle cups / ramekins.

(you can buy for $2 each or the aluminum one time use ones at grocery stores.)

*Preheat Oven to 400*F

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for ramekins
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese - grated
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup Evaporated Milk (Lactaid, or whole Milk)
• 1 cup grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese
• 2 Tbsp chives - chopped
• Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
• Salt & pepper
• 4 large eggs, room temperature, whites and yolks separated

Procedure

1) Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; stir 1 minute. Add milk, whisking until thickened.    Transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in Gruyere / Swiss cheese, salt & pepper. Then egg yolks & chives. 2) Making the Meringue… *It is very important not to have ANY yolks mixed with the whites, or it simply WILL NOT work. This is a crucial detail. If you think it’s working… wait until you try to get those souffles to rise… nada! Whisk Egg Whites until soft peaks form. Notice how thick you want it to be, before it’s finished. *if you’re using a stand mixer - start at medium until start to foam & thicken, then turn to full speed until finished. This will take a couple of minutes, but don’t go too far. In the meantime... 3)  Smear the butter inside the ramekin entirely. Then coat with the Parmesan.   4) Fold Meringue into cheese mixture in thirds. *Folding literally and gently. You do not want to break the meringue or make runny… you want to incorporate the two with working mixture as little as possible. Divide between ramekins. Bake on a baking sheet 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees. *BE GENTLE around the oven space not to jumble stove, or ground… this is where souffles sink, along with your heart to the pit of your stomach… so be careful! Bake until puffed, about 15 minutes. Now remember to have your dishes, silverware, and whatever else ready because they will fall fast! *You can not stick a toothpick in to check doneness, give it time to cook thru, but keep your eye on them because it all happens (or vanishes) fast! You can do happy dance (with out jumping or shaking the ground!) When they look like this...

Beautiful!!! Congratulations!!! You did it!!! Pull them out and gently put on surface, again they are fragile so don't drop them or you're souffle will too.

These are quite rich and filling so I recommend serving with my Peaches & Bacon Salad with Arugula, shown with. Now go and savor the moment! You’ve earned it!  

#CheeseSouffle #GourmetAtHome #DIY #Souffle #Baking #Brunch #SavorySouffle #FrenchCuisine #KitchenAid #EggSlut #ChefCaylena

Try serving it with my Bloody Mary!

A Savory Quiche! *Mushrooms, Goat Cheese, & Herbs!*

*Time Crunch!*

Mushrooms, Goat Cheese, & Herbs!  

A Savory Quiche!

*Can be Gluten Free & Diabetic Friendly if you bake in dish rather than pie crust!*

Creamy Egg Custard mixed with Portobello Mushrooms, Goat Cheese, and tons of Fresh Herbs, all baked in a rich, flaky, Pastry Crust.  

This gorgeous Savory Quiche is simply a wonderful addition to any breakfast, brunch, lunch, or just because it’s a Sunday, occasion. And Yes -it’s that good, it can stand alone just the same.

Simple as 1,2,3 then bake as you go about your day, it can even be made in advance, and served at room temperature. Another gorgeous addition to the #TimeCrunch series.

Light, Fluffy, Savory, and Delicious… you would never imagine how Good it IS for You! Nature’s Multivitamin and a powerful brain food; whole eggs are amongst some of the healthiest foods on the planet! Nutrients are found in the yolk, while protein in the whites, pair that with the abundance of herbs, and goat cheese - it’s simply sumptuous!  So give your brain and day, not to mention ego, a boost!

Serves easily 8. Difficulty Level: Easy                  Active Time: 20m

Cook Time: 40 min  & Cool Time: 20 min

*Pre-heat Oven 400.

Pre-made Pie / Quiche Crust (thawed if frozen.)

• Poke bottom of pie crust with a fork.
• Drop oven to *350.
• Bake for 8 minutes in it’s container on sheet tray until slightly toasted inside.
• Set aside.

Ingredients:

• 8 Whole Eggs
• ¼ Cup Heavy Cream
• 8 Medium sized Portobello Mushrooms -sliced thin
• 1 Tomato (seasonal) - sliced thin
• ½ Shallot - minced (or sweet onion)
• 1 Cup Goat Cheese (reserve some for garnish)
• ¼ Cup Fresh Parsley - chopped
• 2 Tbsp Fresh Thyme - chopped
• 2 Tbsp Fresh Chives - chopped (reserve some for garnish)
• 2 Tbsp Red Chili Flakes
• Salt & fresh ground Pepper (preferably white)
• Olive Oil - for sautee mushrooms.

Meanwhile:

Mise everything out.

In a Saute Pan, heat Olive Oil over Med- High heat. Saute Mushrooms, with Shallots, Red Chili Flakes, Salt, Pepper, and a pinch of Parsley to Al Dente. Leave it toothsome.

Mix Eggs & Cream.

Then Cheese and Herbs.  

Whisk all together.

Pour in Mushroom blend.

And all together into Pie Shell.

Leave ⅛ to ¼ inch from rim because the custard will rise.

Carefully put sheet tray back in the oven on the 3rd rack. Bake for 30 minutes. -Set timer.

Next lay the Tomatoes out on a paper towel to absorb excess juice, and season well with Salt and Pepper.

After 30 minutes Gently pull pie out. It is not finished so be careful not to spill or break!

Layer tomatoes Reserved Goat Cheese and Chives.
Gently put back in the oven for 7- 10 more minutes! Until looks like this.You’re almost finished!

Let sit for 20 minutes before slicing. You can let this sit until room temperature or serve hot.

Even though the herbs appeared to all float to the top- this egg custard is bursting with the flavor of all the herbs, goat cheese, and mushrooms.

Enjoy knowing this only took a few minutes of your time, while the oven did the rest. I’ve created a #TimeCrunchSeries for you to serve proudly; beautiful, delicious, healthy, and inspired dishes. Enjoy!

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#TimeCrunch #Lunch #Brunch #BreakfastForDinner #Quiche #NaturesMultiVitamin #Superfood #BrainFood #EggSlut #Antioxidants #DiabeticDiet #HealthyEating #WeightLossEating #Protein #LowFat #LowCarb #Mushroom #Portobello #Herbs #Feta #EggCustard #EasyCooking #CheapEats #AntiInflammatoryFood #SavoryQuiche #TimeCrunch