Tag: winter

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Cocktail

Fire Cider

one and a half slices immunity recipe healthy flu season gut health
one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Immunity Fire Cider

one and a half slices immunity recipe healthy flu season gut health

I would like to say Happy Holidays this year with a little immunity boost🎄Germs abound in flu season and you can have this simple witch’s brew on hand to combat viruses, bacteria, parasites, and inflammation 🌶️This tonic has got all the goods, so head to the store, grab your ingredients of choice, and whip this up 30 days before deep winter ❄️

In good health,

OneandahalfSlices

what you need

1-2 heads of fresh garlic

1 cup raw honey

2-3 fresh red chili peppers

1 large knob of fresh turmeric

2-3 knobs of fresh ginger

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

6-8 whole cloves

3-4 star anise

Several peppercorns worth of crushed black pepper

5-6 whole cardamom pods

1-2 lemons, washed, cut into quarters 

16oz raw apple cider vinegar

1 small red onion, peeled and cut into quarters 

(optional) 1 orange, washed, cut into quarters 

(optional) any fresh herbs (like rosemary) or flowers (like calendula or lemon balm)

how to make it

**note: fire cider takes about 30 days, so start your winter batch early!

Place all ingredients into an extra large mason jar. Pour in the cup of honey and then add the apple cider vinegar so the liquid covers the top of the ingredients in the jar.

Shake several times lightly and let sit on the counter at room temperature for 30-60 days. 

Give the jar a nice shake when you’re ready to prepare and then strain the liquid into a large jar. 

Take the fire cider 1-2 tablespoons at a time at the first signs of a cold or flu. Or you can take daily if you can stand the extra spicy, extra garlick-y flavor. 

*Note: both honey and apple cider vinegar are astringents. They work to pull the beneficial properties of all the jar’s contents (e.g., fresh turmeric root and ginger), into the liquid. So the remaining liquid basically functions as an anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic immunity shot for general holistic health and wellness. 

If you are looking for such a concoction in a tastier form, you can just make my immunity soup 🙂 

eat like this and you'll live forever
Categories
Cocktail

Butterbeer (hot)

one and a half slices harry potter recipe butterbeer hogwarts winter grog
one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Frothy, Hot Butterbeer

Whether you like your butterbeer hot, iced, boozy, or clean, I’ve finally got the recipe for you. Personally, I see no way to drink it other than hot and boozy.

#youreawizardharry

🪄

what you need

1 bottle of cream soda [My brand of choice is Virgil’s Vanilla Cream]

2 oz butterscotch liquor at room temperature [My brand of choice is Dr. McGillicuddy’s which is, admittedly, quite difficult to find but quite worth the effort of finding it]

*note the use of “liquor” over “schnapps”

1/3 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon sugar

a dash of cinnamon

freshly ground nutmeg for topping

1/2 tablespoon lemon zest

(optional) 2 oz cognac (or dark rum in a pinch)

how to make it

(makes 2 servings)

Whip the cream with the sugar into soft peaks. Just before it comes together, add the cinnamon to incorporate. A very soft whip works best as it allows the cream to infuse the cocktail more readily.

In a small saucepan, heat the cognac and butterscotch liquor over high heat until very hot (but not boiling). Once steaming, add the bottle of cream soda along with the lemon zest. You want to leave the mixture on high heat for no more than 1 minute before killing the heat and letting the residual heat from the pot heat the liquid. 

Once warm, strain through a mesh strainer into two small mugs. Top with two dollops of the softly whipped cream and grate some fresh nutmeg lightly on top. 

Enjoy immediately, preferably while watching Harry Potter or playing Hogwarts Legacy.  

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Omni

Moroccan Tagine

one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Moroccan Tagine

I have been SO excited to release this post!!! Why? Because this is your new weeknight dinner. It will impress your family, fill your stomach, warm your heart, and make your house smell like North African spices. I started making tagine [pronounced tah-jeen with a soft ‘j’] years ago when I first moved to DC and came across a tagine (distinction below) in World Market. I was instantly and aesthetically intrigued, and purchased the thing on the spot not having a clue what I would do with it. Well… figured that one out. A tagine is the OG slow cooker.  And whatever you put inside – lamb, chicken, chickpeas, rabbit, potatoes – you will taste the spicy exoticism. If you don’t have a tagine, no worries. You can make it in a Dutch oven, stovetop or, yes, in a slow cooker. And before you think this is just chicken slow roasted in tomato sauce… keep reading…

For reference, the clay pot pictured above (the vessel) is a tagine. What is pictured below it is the deliciousness you are about to create in said vessel, which also happens to be called tagine. Both the pot AND the dish are called “tagine.” A tagine (the vessel) is a clay or ceramic pot. A tagine (the food) is a stew. Both of these items are native to North Africa (think Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia), but this cooking style is traditionally Berber and has its counterparts in both Cypriot and Ottoman cuisine.  In Cypriot cuisine, it is called the tavas and in Ottoman (present-day Turkish) cuisine, it is called testi.

In the traditional Berber implementation, a fire is made in a hole in the ground, the clay pot nestled inside, buried, and left for many hours. Upon return, the meat and vegetables inside have become a hearty stew and the meat is super tender (see? slow cooker…). In traditional Ottoman cuisine, the clay pot is made and preliminarily fired before the meat and vegetables are added. Then the clay pot is sealed (with more clay) and placed in the fire for several hours like a kiln. To extract the food, the pot is broken (often tableside for showmanship), and its contents poured onto a bed of rice. The streets of Turkey brought me this Ottoman delight in 2014, well after I tasted Moroccan and Algerian flavors in 2011. One of the best meals I have ever had in my life was rabbit plum couscous (made in a tagine) in central Morocco (the blue city, to be precise). While the cooking methods are similar, the tastes can vary drastically due to the spices! An exemplar Moroccan spice blend is pictured below. Cloves, fennel, anise, fenugreek, caraway, cardamom, turmeric, and saffron could just as easily find their way into the mix. As we move further east from the Berber origins, Lebanese (deep red) or Turkish (purple) Sumac may make an appearance. 

This has always been a personal fascination of mine… how culinary traditions jump borders. For example, German schnitzel is Argentinian Milanesa is American Country Fried Steak (well, almost). Similarly, almost every Eastern European country, to include Greece and Turkey, has its own version of borek (baked, fried, cheese-filled, spinach-filled, meat-filled… recipe coming eventually). Borek is not too dissimilar from the Latin empanada (which varies drastically from country to country –  baked, fried, with potatoes/peas/carrots, with egg/olives/raisins, with cheese, without cheese). 

Given the diversity of this dish and its multicultural origins, it is like almost everything I make – flexible. You can make it your own. You can also eat it on Monday with chicken, on Wednesday with lamb, and go vegan on Saturday – versatile. I’ve provided a base ingredient list and a base recipe below, with instructions for how to make it stovetop or in the oven. If you love it as much as I do, a simple tagine isn’t hard to come by. No, it isn’t technically required… but neither are sprinkles. For testing purposes, however, your Dutch oven or a large stovetop pan will suffice. Truth be told, I typically make it stovetop unless it’s for presentation. The quickest, weeknight version is made in the oven. Don’t be alarmed by the length of the ingredients list – it is mostly spices that you already have in your pantry.

You can serve this over rice or over couscous, or even just with the stewed potatoes all mashed up if you wanted to. 

what you need

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (2 cups for the stovetop version; 1 cup for the oven version)

1 cup dry couscous or rice

4 chicken pieces (drumsticks or thighs work best, but breasts cut into chunks work as well). You can also use rabbit meat, chunks of lamb loin, or a can of chickpeas for a vegan option.

fresh cilantro, coriander, or parsley

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground turmeric 

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more if you prefer your tagine super spicy)

2 tablespoons ghee or olive oil

1-2 tablespoons honey

1/2 onion, thickly diced

1 whole, small lemon, washed and cut into wedges with seeds removed

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 can crushed or diced tomatoes

1/4 cup golden raisins or diced dried apricots

1/4 cup sliced almonds, cashews, or pine nuts, roasted

(optional) 1/4 cup green peas

(optional) 1/2 cup green olives, pitted and sliced in half

(optional) 2-3 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

(optional) 1 16oz can of chickpeas

My favorite: I prefer a chicken drumstick tagine made stovetop with golden raisins and lemon wedges, with or without the chickpeas, topped with toasted almonds. The golden raisins, lemon, and almonds are what make the dish. 

how to make it (stovetop method - recommended for best flavor)

Mix the dry spices together and set aside (cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and cayenne pepper).

Prepare the protein. Heat olive oil or ghee over high heat in Dutch oven or large pan on the stove. Brown the chicken on all sides, about three minutes on each side, and sprinkle with salt. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Add onions to the pan and sauté until softened, about 1 minute. Add sliced garlic and grated fresh ginger and cook another 30 seconds, taking care not to burn the garlic. 

Make the tagine. Reduce heat to low and add tomatoes, chicken broth, honey, drained chickpeas (if using), green olives (if using), lemon wedges, and golden raisins to the pan. Stir in the spices and bring to an extremely low simmer. Nestle the chicken back into the stew, cover, and cook on the lowest possible setting for 1 1/2-2 hours, or until chicken becomes extremely tender. Check the stew once every 30 minutes or so, stirring occasionally to ensure there is enough liquid and nothing is burning. If the liquid dissipates, you can add about 1/2 cup of water. About 45 minutes out, throw in the carrots so they stay a bit firmer. You can do this with half of the lemon slices as well if you choose. 

Notes on cooking time: 1 hour is plenty sufficient for chicken breast or rabbit, but this dish is more delicious with bone-in chicken drumsticks or thighs.  These will do better with a 2-3 hour cooking time to ensure it is extremely tender. Lamb will benefit from the 2-3 hour cooking time as well. I will be posting a second rabbit couscous recipe down the road with a different set of ingredients.

Serve. While the tagine is cooking, make the rice or couscous according to instructions on the package, and roast the nuts in the oven as well. When the stew is ready, spoon rice or couscous into a bowl and spoon the tagine over top. Garnish with a lemon wedge, fresh cilantro or parsley leaves, and toasted nuts. 

how to make it (Dutch oven or tagine method - recommended for speed)

Preheat oven to 350 or 200 (see notes below). Mix the dry spices together and set aside (cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and cayenne pepper). 

Make the tagine. Place chunked meat in tagine or Dutch oven and nestle vegetables (carrots, chickpeas (if using), onions, and lemon around the meat). Top with sliced garlic, grated ginger, golden raisins, and green olives (if using). Sprinkle with spice mixture. Pour 1 cup of chicken broth and can of diced tomatoes over the mixture, secure the lid, and place in the oven.

Notes on cooking time: If you are making a quick weeknight meal and are using diced chicken or rabbit breast, you can get away with cooking this on 350 for 1 hour. If you have the time, aim for 2-3 hours on 200, checking once at the 1 1/2 hour mark to ensure there is still enough liquid. 

Serve. While the tagine is cooking, make the rice or couscous according to instructions on the package, and roast the nuts in the oven as well (or quickly under the broiler when the tagine comes out). When the stew is ready, spoon rice or couscous into a bowl and spoon the tagine over top. Garnish with a lemon wedge, fresh cilantro or parsley, and toasted nuts (almonds work especially well).

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Omni

Red Thai Curry

one and a half slices red thai curry soup simple recipe spicy
one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Immunity Spiced Red Thai Curry

one and a half slices red thai curry soup simple recipe spicy

Guys, if there is a punch to be packed, this soup is packing it. This has everything you need to fight wintertime illness and boost your immune system, plus so much spice it’ll make you sweat, cry, and generally celebrate being alive. This is the stuff of morning face ice plunges, heavy weight workouts, and apple cider vinegar shots. But way more delicious. The best part is that it comes together in one pot on any weeknight. Yep, this weeknight meal is here to stay, and it is absolutely perfect to fight that February chill. This is your new chicken noodle soup.

🌶️🌶️🌶️

what you need

1 red bell pepper, cut into small slices

1 small yellow onion, cut into small slices 

1 pound fresh chicken breast, cut into medium-sized chunks

2 tablespoons fresh turmeric root, grated

2 tablespoons fresh ginger root, grated

4 cloves garlic, grated or thinly sliced

3 tablespoons red curry paste (choose a spicy one!)

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon black pepper

the juice from half a fresh lime

5 cups chicken broth (or 4 cups chicken + 1 cup water)

Almost 1 whole can coconut milk (I like the SIMPLE kind without guar gum or other stabilizers)

1 small package (2 servings) rice vermicelli noodles

1 handful fresh Thai basil and/or cilantro

salt to taste

how to make it

Method: stovetop

Utensil: Dutch oven or large cooking pot

Season chicken with salt and pepper, and brown the chicken chunks in the cooking pot over medium heat until golden. Remove from pot and set the chicken aside. 

Throw in some olive oil, coconut oil, or ghee to the bottom of the pan, and add the onion and bell pepper, stirring until they begin to soften, ~2 minutes. Throw in the ginger, turmeric, black pepper, and  curry paste, stirring continually for an additional 1 minute. Before anything burns, deglaze the pot with the chicken stock and add the chicken back in.

Bring mixture to a rolling boil. Add in the coconut milk, fish sauce, and lime juice, and continue to boil softly (may want to reduce the heat a bit, but keep it bubbling). 

After 10 minutes at a soft boil, add the rice vermicelli, pulling it apart in the pot using a fork or chopsticks. Depending on the brand you select, it should take around 5 minutes to soften and cook through. Check for taste and add salt if needed. When it is ready, use tongs to divide the vermicelli between two bowls. Ladle the soup on top of the noodles. 

Top copiously with the Thai basil and/or cilantro, and a squeeze more lime if you prefer.  
you know i love asian food
Categories
Cocktail

The Cranberry’s Gold

one and a half slices holiday cranberry bourbon cocktail
one and a half slices local simple recipes food

The Cranberry's Gold

one and a half slices holiday cranberry bourbon cocktail

Happy Holidays (or Merry Chrismahannusolstikwanzadan) from OneandahalfSlices!

❄️🥂❄️

Consider this your early Holiday present. It’s a good one. If Aperol Spritz set the tone for the summer and Paper Plane became the vibe of the fall, this drink says Holiday in my house. It is quite a bit smoother and more balanced than a Paper Plane. If you’re not a cranberry fan, not to worry – it is not over-cranberry-y. It is tart and smooth and very festive. Truth in advertising, I stole this one from a new food blog friend, The Yankee Cowboy.

☃️

what you need

**1 batch of cranberry simple syrup, ~2 hrs prep time

For syrup:

1 cup honey

1 cup filtered water

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries

 

For cocktail:

2 oz bourbon of choice

1 oz lemon juice

1 oz cranberry simple syrup

how to make it

To make the cranberry simple: combine 1 cup of water and 1 cup of honey in a saucepan over high heat. Heat until it comes to a rolling boil. Add the cranberries then remove from heat, cover, and let stand for two hours. After two hours, strain the liquid into a jar for storage and keep the cranberries for later. Note that the consistency will not be syrup-y but it will be thicker than water. 

To make the cocktail: Combine 1 oz lemon juice, 1 oz cranberry syrup, and 2 oz bourbon of choice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain over a large ice cube. 

To garnish: Roll the cranberries in cane sugar so they become little sweet gems. Stick them on a toothpick and use them as garnish!
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Veggie

Vegetable Stew and Simple Croutons

oneandahalfslices winter root vegetable stew recipe croutons hearty winter
OneandahalfSlices food blog recipes One and a half Slices Virginia eat local

Winter Root Vegetable Stew with Easy Croutons

oneandahalfslices winter root vegetable stew recipe croutons hearty winter

I was today-years-old when I discovered croutons. Obviously, I’ve had a crouton before but I’ve certainly never made one or put them in anything. Well that’s all about to change. Before any of you get intimidated and think that a garnishment like a crouton is far too fancy for you to whip up on a weekday soup night, let me explain exactly how unfussy and zero frills this whole crouton business is. Before I began preparing the stew this afternoon, I took a brief moment of silence for all the two-day-old loaves of bread I have chucked in the past decade. Aside from fantasizing about all the fall of soups in which these croutons are to find themselves in short order, this winter root vegetable stew is precisely the thing your overflowing CSA bag calls for. When you’ve got too many turnips, carrots, potatoes, and a sack full of random winter greens, this is the soup you make. If you need the extra carb, add barley. And if you can’t live without meat, add chicken. Otherwise, enjoy as is… and don’t skip the croutons. I channeled major #fallvibes by serving this up with a batch of my Autumn Sangria. 🍷🍊🍷

what you need

2-3 shallots or 1 yellow onion, crudely diced

3 cloves of garlic, crudely minced

1 tablespoon course sea salt

2 tablespoons thyme

3 tablespoons olive oil 

2-3 potatoes of choice

1 turnip

4-5 carrots

1 bunch swiss chard or kale

(butternut squash, sweet potato, parsnips, celery, and other root vegetables also welcome)

5-6 cups vegetable stock

(optional) 1/2 cup raw barley

For the croutons:

6-7 pieces of old, crusty, hearty bread, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

1/2 cup olive oil

3/4 cup parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons dried rosemary

1 tablespoon salt

how to make it

In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the shallots and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes, careful not to burn the garlic, and add the thyme and salt. You can also throw in some red pepper flakes if you want a little bit of spice. Once the mixture is aromatic, you can add the vegetable stock, stir it well, and bring it to a gentle boil.

Preheat the oven to 350. While waiting for the soup to boil, dice your root vegetables of choice, in this case, potatoes, turnip, and carrots. Add them to the soup, cover, and simmer gently for 30 to 40 minutes. Throw in the barley as well, if using. Pro tip: If you want to add a bit of depth to the flavor, throw in the rind of a block of parmesan cheese. Just don’t forget to take it out before you serve!

While the soup is simmering, cut your winter greens into thin strips. When potatoes are soft, uncover the soup, bump the heat back up to a gentle boil, and add the greens. They will only take 5 to 10 minutes to wilt.

In the meantime, toss your bread with the olive oil, cheese, rosemary, and salt. I find it makes sense to add the olive oil in stages to avoid it being immediately absorbed into the top layer of bread. Once the croutons are prepped, spread them out on a baking pan and bake in the oven on 350 for 15 minutes. Finish the croutons with two to three minutes under the broiler.

Ladle up a bowl, top with croutons, and enjoy the coziest meal you’ll eat this winter. 

Soups Begging for Croutons
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Cocktail

Autumn Sangria

one and a half slices sangria wine recipe cocktail
OneandahalfSlices food blog recipes One and a half Slices Virginia eat local

Autumn Sangria

I am pretty sure we all think of Sangria as a summertime cocktail. Definitely something to be consumed, along with tisana, while wandering the Costa Brava during the summer months. But my food philosophy states that sangria can be consumed any time of the year. In fact, it can even be a bit Christmassy. All you need is to spice it up with a little seasonal flavor.

🍂🎄❄️

Traditional sangria is made by letting fruit marinate in light red wine and fortifying it with brandy. Those who have had this kind of sangria are left disappointed by the boxed red wine + lemon wedges + Sprite situation we so often find here in the United States.

I’ll be honest, when concocting my autumn sangria I may have riffed a little on the Blackberry Farm recipe. It was their idea to take sangria up a notch with… are you ready for it? Beetroot. *gasps*  I promise it isn’t as root-vegetably as it sounds, but it does give the sangria a distinctively earthy quality. For that reason, I believe it pairs exceptionally well with my winter root vegetable soup and simple croutons.

Happy Fall , happy Christmas, happy Saturday!

what you need

Recipe makes 1 pitcher. 

For the sangria: 

1 bottle pinot noir or red wine of choice

1/2 cup citrus juice (blood orange, orange, lemon, blend, all fair game)

1/2 cup brandy or cognac (I used Courvoisier)

1/4 cup citrus liquor such a Grand Marnier or Cointreau (I used Solerno)

1/2 apple sliced thinly

1/2 orange sliced thinly 

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup beetroot simple syrup

 

For the simple syrup:

2 1/2-3 cups water

2-3 small-medium beets, peeled and halved

1 cup sugar

2 sprigs of thyme

two dashes of cardamom 

how to make it

For the simple syrup: Place the water over medium to high heat stovetop and add the beets, sugar, thyme, and cardamom. (Should you need some actual beats for this process, check here 🎶). Bring to a gentle boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the mixture begins to bubble light brown and take on a thicker texture.

Remove the fresh thyme sprigs and discard. Remove the syrup from the heat and let stand in the pot for a few minutes while you deal with the beets. Place the beets in a high speed blender with a little bit of water and blend until very, very smooth. You may need to add more water to play with the consistency until the pureed beets are more or less pourable. Then add the pureed beets tablespoon by tablespoon back to the simple syrup, stirring well until you have a very thick, sticky liquid.

Pro tip: aside from the massive sugar content, I am pretty sure the pureed beets would make great baby food. I do not own a baby, so I would not know. Store the simple syrup in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

The sangria itself is far from difficult but it is best if it sits for at least a couple hours before you serve it. In a serving pitcher or large vessel (candidly, I used a flower vase), place the sliced apples and oranges. Pour the citrus liquor, citrus juice, cognac, and beetroot simple syrup over the fruit. Stir well. Add the wine and the water, and let sit refrigerated for several hours. Garnish with fresh fruit and serve. 

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Pork and Apples

one and a half slices pork and apples simple recipe
OneandahalfSlices food blog recipes One and a half Slices Virginia eat local

Pork and Apples

one and a half slices pork and apples simple recipe

This Pork and Apples recipe is one of my all-time favorites especially for the new year – the month of January in particular (though it is well-suited to anytime Fall through Winter). A good solid pork roast is combined with hearty potatoes, sweet cabbage, and tangy apples for a truly delicious, surprising, filling meal. Trust me, guys, this is super delicious and unique. Many in the Midwest eat pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s Day. I tend to favor a big pot of black eyed peas myself but Pork and Apples always comes sometime between January 1st and 10th. Do go get yourself a pork roast and give it a try. Mine came from Longstone Farm in Lovettesville, VA. For you Northern Virginian-ers, Longstone has a new self-service market open now on Route 9 – check it out!

Happy New Year, everyone!

what you need

1 pork roast (I have used loin, butt, and shoulder)

3-5 small white or red potatoes, halved or quartered

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1/2 head of cabbage (green or purple), cut into wedges

1 yellow onion, cut into chunks

1 1/2 small apples, cored and cut into wedges

1/8 cup apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

3/4 cup water or vegetable bouillon

1 tablespoon honey

 

how to make it

Preheat oven to 325. 

Stovetop, melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or other covered, oven-safe pot. Brown the roast on all sides then set it aside on a plate. Add the sliced garlic and sauté until fragrant, ~1 minute. 

Remove from heat and add the apple cider vinegar scraping any little brown bits up off the bottom to deglaze the pot. Add the honey and water/bouillon and stir. Replace the roast in the liquid sprinkling generously with dried thyme, salt, and pepper. 

Nestle 3/4 of the apple slices and all the onion slices around the roast. Secure the lid and roast in the oven for 2 full hours (note that butt and shoulder roasts will take a little longer than loins as a general rule). 

After 2 hours, remove the roast and add the remaining apple slices, the potatoes (submerging in the liquid if at all possible), and then layer the cabbage wedges over the top. You may need to add a bit of liquid if it’s looking low. Salt and pepper the cabbage generously and return to the oven for another ~45 minutes. 

Check your pork by cutting with knife and fork. It should be very tender and the vegetables should be soft but not destroyed, hence adding them later. Serve and enjoy! 
More Roasts
OneandahalfSlices roasted goose recipe simple holiday

Roasted Goose

Who else has heard of a Christmas Goose? Had the urge to make one? Okay, maybe that’s just a Mel thing, but mostly by accident, I ended up with a locally-sourced, 9-pound Goose to cook this Christmas courtesy of Whiffletree Farms of Warrenton, Virginia. Highly recommend for an elegant, unique holiday meal. It makes for a lovely table. Here it is paired with Citrus Dill Roasted Carrots, Perfect Mashed Potatoes, and Crispy Oven Brussel Sprouts. #Christmasvibes

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December 25, 2021 3 Comments
pot roast recipe one and a half slices whisky pairing

Pot Roast

This is the main course for the Whiskey Pairing Dinner and, my, what a deep, flavorful pot roast this is! Let me start by saying that I sourced a 4.6 pound chuck roast from the Spring House Farm Store to feed the four of us and had no regrets. A simple pot roast is easy enough to pull off especially if you have a slow cooker, but this really takes the flavor profile up a notch to make this velvety, sinful, fall-off-your-fork roast with plenty of fall veggies.

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November 14, 2021 3 Comments
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Cocktail

City of Jewels Sidecar

sidecar recipe jewels blood oranges oneandahalfslices
OneandahalfSlices food blog recipes One and a half Slices Virginia eat local

'City of Jewels' Sidecar

sidecar recipe jewels blood oranges oneandahalfslices

This is a unique, festive twist on a classic Sidecar cocktail, which makes it great for the holidays. We incorporate the lavish blood orange to elevate the flavors. A classic Sidecar contains cognac, orange liquor, and lemon juice. Here, we substitute blood orange juice for lemon juice and use Solerno blood orange liquor instead of Cointreau. 

[ sidenote on the definition of Cognac… Cognac is brandy made in the region of Cognac, France. Brandy – a distilled wine spirit – can be made anywhere. This is similar to Champagne which can only be made in the Champagne region of France. It goes by other names (Cava (Spain), Prosecco (Italy)) when produced elsewhere ]

As we get close to the holidays, we are all looking for the something special to put on the table. For some, it’s a fun side dish. For others, it’s the centerpiece (a Christmas goose or rack of lamb). Still for others, it will be that speakeasy-grade cocktail that people will remember for years to come. This is that cocktail. 

Not to get all Yogic on you guys, but Manipura, the third chakra associated with the fire element, is translated from Sanskrit to mean “City of Jewels.” In Vinyasa yoga classes, it is frequently the chakra associated with the intensity of holding positions, such as planks, to generate ‘burn’ within the workout. I called this Sidecar The City of Jewels because it has that intensity, that sweet, intricate balance of citrus and velvet smooth. Plus, the rim is sparkly.

💎

what you need

1 1/2 oz Brandy or Cognac of choice (Courvoisier will do just fine)

3/4 oz Solerno blood orange liquor

3/4 oz blood orange juice

Garnish: Blood orange wedge, thyme sprig, and/or cinnamon sugar rim

how to make it

If you want to rim your cocktail glass, run the blood orange around the edge then dip it in a cinnamon/sugar mixture. 

Combine all liquids in a cocktail shaker with a thyme sprig, if desired, and shake vigorously with ice.

Pour into cocktail glass, garnish, and serve!
Other Cocktails
one and a half slices harry potter recipe butterbeer hogwarts winter grog

Butterbeer (hot)

Whether you like your butterbeer hot, iced, boozy, or clean, I’ve finally got the recipe for you. Personally, I see no way to drink it other than hot and boozy. #youreawizardharry 🪄

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October 1, 2024 1 Comment
one and a half slices blood and sand classic cocktail recipe scotch whiskey

Blood and Sand

Blood and Sand Whether it is the last of the fall leaves or the #wintervibes, for whatever reason what I woke up craving today was a scotch-based beverage. Not bourbon. Scotch. And yes, when I say I woke up craving it, I mean to say I wanted scotch before coffee. Blood and Sand is a cocktail that’s been around since about 1930. I adjust it slightly to make it more to my liking – less

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November 20, 2022 No Comments
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Whiskey

OneandahalfSlices food blog recipes One and a half Slices Virginia eat local

The Whiskey Post

OneandahalfSlices is starting to go rogue with cocktails. A couple gems await you all in the near future. But one thing is for certain – there will be a lot of whiskey-based beverages. For that reason, I decided to kick off our foray into the vast and captivating world of libations with a What’s On My Whiskey Shelf post to familiarize you all with some of my favorites. Seemed like the perfect thing to post on a Friday night! So pick your favorite and get ready to whip up my signature drink – the Smoked Old Fashioned. For the more adventurous, we’ve also got the Burnt Peach Old Fashioned, the Ginger Peach Smash, and the Paper Plane.

Bourbon

Of the three main whiskey/y varietals (bourbon, scotch, and rye, for our purposes), bourbon is by far my favorite. It is the sweetest and tends to be the smoothest, though ‘smoothness’ typically has more to do with age than anything else. Bourbon, by law, must be distilled in the United States and is native to the Kentucky/Tennessee area. Us Virginians make some passable bourbon but some of my favorites hail from Colorado. Also by law, bourbon has to be >51% derived from corn mash (as opposed to some form of grain mash). For an awesome overview of the process for those Virginia-dwellers, I highly recommend a visit to Copper Fox Distillery in Sperryville (followed by lunch at Penn Druid Brewing expertly concocted by upstart pop-up cook Sumac VA). Now, without further ado, the list…

#1 Jefferson’s Ocean is a unique bourbon – sweet, smooth, and just beautifully drinkable. What most people know from the Jefferson Distillery is Jefferson’s Small Batch, which is also good, but Jefferson’s Ocean is aged at sea!!! Maybe that’s why I like it – my soft spot for the sea… It has to be labeled “blend of straight bourbon whiskeys” even though it isn’t technically blended because the final batch is created from the contents of several different barrels that have spent months – sometimes years – on container ships charting course through the Atlantic. $70-90.

#2 Angel’s Envy is what happened when long-time Woodford Reserve distiller Lincoln Henderson got bored. Woodford is a staple of mine and typically what I use to make cocktails such as an Old Fashioned, a Manhattan, or a Sazerac. Woodford is a robust yet smooth bourbon that is only mildly sweet. But Angel’s… Angel’s is lighter still and while it tastes somehow younger and crisper than the heavier Woodford, it is smooth all the same. It is by far Lincoln’s finest work, evidenced by the fact that it is frequently out of stock on liquor store shelves. $50-60.

#3 Breckenridge (yes, like the brewery, and yes, like the ski resort). Breckenridge makes some heady stuff. Sweet, bold, powerful. I like just about everything Breckenridge makes. Pictured here is the quintessential bourbon and the PX Cask Finish. The Port Cask Finish and the High Proof Blend are also both fantastic. There is also an elusive Breckenridge that I am simply dying to try but haven’t for my unwillingness to spend $400 on an unknown bottle. Once you hear the name you’ll understand the nature of my intrigue – Breckenridge: Dark Arts. Distilled from Malt Mash. So, yes, naturally I want to try it. $30-60.

Honorable Mention. Arguably the best bourbon on this list was introduced to me by the Piemaker – Blanton’s. Blanton’s is easily recognizable by its squat little geometric bottle with a galloping horse on top. It will set you back upwards of $200 but that isn’t really the problem – finding it is the problem. Most liquor stores are restricted to a 1-2 bottle quota per shipment and it will be gone within 10 minutes of delivery. It’s that good. The second honorable mention is likely more elusive still than the first. The Kentucky-born Willet Distillery puts out all kinds of bourbons but one, in particular, caught my taste buds at the DC classic Jack Rose Dining Saloon (with over 2,500 bottle of whiskey on the shelves!). Willet Milk and Cookies Bourbon might as well have been dessert. It was sweet and very complex – slightly spicy and very bold. 

Scotch

Scotch is a different animal – peaty and harsh, scotch tastes like yesterday’s burnt out campfire… in a good way. By law, scotch has to be produced in Scotland, like Champagne has to be produced in the Champagne region of France, Prosecco in Italy, Cava in Spain, Bordeaux wines in Bordeaux, so on and so forth. Some are harsher than others – Laphroaig and Lagavulin (considered “lowland” scotch) hold the reputation for being the peatiest where highland scotch like Oban can be a bit smoother. Then there’s Speyside scotch and Islay scotch… there’s a whole map… it’s a whole thing. Anyway, I’ll typically take a good bourbon over a good scotch any day but these have captured my taste buds and proven themselves to be some of the most expertly distilled spirits I have encountered.

#1 Scapa The Orcadian is distilled on the northernmost Orkney Islands of Scotland and comes in two varietals: Skiren and Glansa. It is considered highland single malt scotch. Skiren is delicate, smooth, and exceptionally creamy, where Glansa is peaty, spicy, and bold. Both Skiren and Glansa are Old Norse terms to describe the skies – skiren the glittering, bright, summer skies and glansa, the tumultuous, stormy-weathered skies over the sea. Skiren is my favorite but pictured here is Glansa. Note that you can only get this in D.C. proper. $80-100.

#2 You’re going to want to write this one down, if for no other reason than you are never going to remember how to spell it, much less pronounce it. Brook-lah-dee comes in an iconic, sea-blue-green bottle inside a same-colored can, and is also best procured inside D.C. city limits. It is probably the most expertly crafted spirit I have ever tasted and is considered an Islay scotch. Light, smooth, and exceptionally drinkable, it makes a lovely nightcap. $60-80.

#3 Finally, if you’re looking for a more traditional scotch, this is my pick. If you haven’t noticed by now, smooth and sweet is my jam. The Lagavulin 16 year is exceptionally smooth and levels out its heavily peated body well. Many will argue that Lagavulin 10 year is one of, if not the best scotch on the market, and it may very well be for the price, but if you find this one on sale, it’s worth it. $70-100.

Rye

As I mentioned, I’m not big on rye. Period. The whole Whistle Pig thing was just lost on me. But here are two noteworthy exceptions. Possibly, the only two exceptions. 😁 

#1 Basil Hayden’s is a good stand-by bourbon for cocktail making and I’ll drink it straight any day of the week. But this Basil Hayden’s is unique. This Caribbean Reserve Rye isn’t just aged in rum barrels, it has rum blended in! It is very sweet and makes for an excellent dessert. $30-50.

On another note, who knew that rum could be just as enjoyable to sip as whiskey? Even more so when sitting on a beach. Don’t believe me? Try a <$30 bottle of Zaya Gran Reserva dark rum. 

#2 Here we have saved the best for last… or certainly the most grandiose. A Midwinter Night’s Dram (hat tip Shakespeare) hails from Park City, Utah and, as of 2021, will no longer be available in retail stores! It is dark, stormy, complex, and beautiful, and will only be available at the distillery. This bottle of Act 8, Scene 1 set me back $475 and will be consumed sparingly, caringly, on cleansed palettes over the next several years.

Are you sure

That we are awake?

It seems to me

That yet we sleep, we dream.

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