A great spring dinner is lemony chicken piccata with an equally citrusy Sauvignon Blanc. The zest in Matanzas Creek’s Sonoma County SB ($25) is balanced by some lovely white floral notes. Perfect for Earth Day, as Matanzas Creek is certified sustainable and has fields of lavender that attract all kinds of pollinators and insects. Want to be the first to … Continue reading
Fino sherry is super refreshing for summer – light, dry almond skin and served cold (often with a plate of great jamon) – but you can also put it into a cocktail. Make a bare-bones version with just fino sherry and soda water, or you can follow the official recipe: 2 oz Tio Pepe Fino … Continue reading
If you walk through a piazza at apertivo hour in Italy, it’s a sea of orange with this cocktail in seemingly every table. The trend has caught fire stateside too and has even sparked a fierce debate over if it’s good or if it sucks. Grapefriend has been drinking them for years since the slight … Continue reading
Today is Mardi Gras, so make what’s known as the official cocktail of New Orleans! In the 1800s, apothecary owner Antoine Amedie Peychaud used to make his friends brandy toddies with his family’s bitters. (To measure the ingredients, he used a double-ended egg cup called a “coquetier,” which is where the word “cocktail” comes from!) … Continue reading
Who cares if the race itself only lasts two minutes? The hours before (and after) are even more fun because they’re julep-filled. Mint juleps are delicious and so pretty, traditionally served out of these awesome silver cups (I use them for flowers afterwards). They’re really easy to make too: Muddle 1/2 an ounce of simple … Continue reading
Yum to the rum. Just got back from Negril, and when you’re in Jamaica that’s what you drink. My favorite rum cocktail was the Dirty Banana – super refreshing and you’ll never feel guilty if you have it very early in the morning because it’s basically a nutritious shake! So here’s the recipe for 2 cocktails: … Continue reading
I’m sure you heard about the earthquake that hit the small town of Amatrice in Italy. I’ve never been, but I’ve had their signature dish, pasta all’amatriciana. I’d never cooked it before, but there’s a movement for people to either cook it at home to raise awareness and funds for relief in the town, or … Continue reading
Personal stylist. Personal driver. Personal chef. Many celebs partake of such luxuries. But personal mixologist? Now that is grapefriend-worthy. Justin Timberlake has proven his GF status with this one. As it’s his 35th birthday today, he got a special cocktail created just for him. It’s called The Three Five (I like it) and it of course … Continue reading
Check out this excellent halibut I made! Was so easy too! Just butter and loads of black pepper on the halibut, then roast it over tomato slices and basil leaves. Recipe here but definitely add some fresh basil on top once it’s out of the oven! Perfectly paired with some crisp Sauvignon Blanc. This one … Continue reading
I was looking for a good whiskey cocktail and came across a recipe for Raymond Massey cocktails (named after an actor). Those are rye, ginger syrup, champagne, and lemon peel. Well I couldn’t find ginger syrup and my friend has a bad reaction to champagne (tragic) so we improvised! I created these Spring Massey cocktails: … Continue reading
grapefriend 