Whisky Sour inspired by I Am Legend

It's time for another vampire book and a movie challenge, and this month Kimberly has chosen the book I Am Legend by Richard Matheson and the movie The Omega Man to discuss. Want to know the crazy thing? I didn't even realize that I Am Legend was about vampires. We own the newest movie interpretation (I Am Legend starring Will Smith), but for some reason...and I'm guessing it has a lot to do with the times...I equated it more with the zombie apocalypse. This is just one reason that I'm joining Kimberly on her venture—new perspective.

I also didn't realize that the movie was based on a book by the same name (apparently I was not paying attention to the credits) that was first published in 1954. There were actually two movies based on the book the pre-date the Will Smith version. The first being a 60's film starring Vincent Price called The Last Man on Earth (which I haven't seen yet) and the 70's film starring Charlton Heston called The Omega Man.

Whiskey Caramel Apple Pie inspired by August: Osage County | #FoodnFlix

"My last refuge, my books: simple pleasures, like finding wild onions by the side of the road, or requited love."

August: Osage County is one of those movies I only really wanted to watch once in my life, but wound up watching twice. I saw it when it was first released on DVD. A tragic and heart-wrenching story with moments of humor that soon turned to disgust. The one character that I would have liked to see more of was the one that departed the screen early. I did think that the whole cast was pretty amazing and they played their parts to a T.

In simplest terms, August: Osage County is a drama that hints at dark comedy that is based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name. The story takes place in Oklahoma and centers around the Weston family—the main characters being:

• Violet - mother, wife, pill addict with cancer who runs over with piss, vinegar, and a venomous tongue
• Barbara, Karen, and Ivy - the adult daughters, each with their own distinct personalities, paths, and problems
• Beverly - father, husband, poet, and alcoholic whose death brings them all back together

Grilled Pineapple Whisky Smash

Grilled pineapple lends this whisky smash a distinctive summer twist. Thank you to thebar.com for helping me share this cocktail with you.

Although it may not say it on the calendar, summer seems to have officially set in. Bright, sunny days that beg for lake excursions, pool parties, impromptu sessions around the grill, and often beating a path to the nearest shade tree. What's one thing that can enhance each one of these options? A cold drink, glass sweating right alongside you in the heat.

But do you think whisky when you think summer cocktails? Perhaps not. I'd say it's most often considered a warming drink. I admit to wanting a nip of whisky to warm my bones on a cold day. But it also goes really well over ice, which opens it up and invites a host of flavors to drop by for a summer get-together.

Today I'm sharing a whisky cocktail made using George Dickel NO. 12® Tennessee Whisky. George Dickel chills their whisky before they filter it through sugar-maple charcoal, which filters out oils and acids, because they believe that whisky made in the winter is smoother than whisky made in the summer. No. 12 is aged longer than their Classic No. 8 blend, resulting in richer oak flavors. With subtle hints of vanilla, maple, and smoke, the resulting whisky is somewhat sweet and extremely easy to drink.

Don Draper's Old Fashioned | Mad Men

MAD MEN

A term coined in the late 1950's to describe the advertising executives of Madison Avenue.

They coined it.

Ready or not, the final season of Mad Men kicks off in just over a week. Me? I only have a handful of episodes under my belt. You see, back when Mad Men first started, we were not yet living in the land of cable television. Crazy, right? I don't know what I'd do without it now. They were already into season twp by the time we did finally crawl out from under our rock. And can I just tell you, I hate walking into a show once it's already begun; much like starting a book series at the second or third book—I just can't do it. So, I put it off and put it off and...yeah...I put it off.

I would catch moments here and there, but I'd be sure to flip the channel before I gave myself any spoilers for my future binge-watching sessions. Now that the final season is getting ready to begin, I've finally started watching it. I did the same thing with Breaking Bad. I didn't watch a single episode, but then caught a marathon on a few weeks before the final season was going to begin. I was hooked. Let's just say that Netflix was on my tablet, which I carried with me everywhere I went, until I caught myself up. I did that in approximately four days. I know I probably shouldn't admit that, but it's truth.

So, I started Mad Men a few days ago, competely clueless to the fact that this show has a boat-load of food and drinks in it. Maybe somebody whose mind isn't trained to spot food inspiration at every corner wouldn't even notice, but really—it's almost all that catches my eye. The show itself opens with the handsome Don Draper scribbling on some bar napkins, trying to figure out his next great ad pitch, empty glass next to him. When the waiter asks him if he can get him another drink, he says:

Whiskey Raspberry Glazed Duck Breasts

Silly me, I got married on Valentine's Day, therefore condemning myself to a lifetime of anniversaries with over-booked, over-crowded restaurant dinners. Fortunately, the husband and I are resourceful. Instead of fighting those dinner crowds, we opt instead for eating out for lunch; {knock on wood} we've never once had to brave a crowded restaurant.

It was late morning when we said our vows, and afterwards, all the friends and family who were there (which were not many) headed over to a local Mexican restaurant for a celebratory lunch. It's sort of become a tradition for us to eat at that same restaurant for lunch every year on our anniversary. It's unspoken, but that's where we always end up.

Spiced Pear-Pumpkin Whisky Fizz + Ideas for Hosting a Gift Wrapping Party

Soon the floor will be littered with brightly colored paper, torn hastily from boxes. Trash and recycling bins will be stuffed to the brim. Sounds of new gadgets and devices will be filling every room in the house. As you walk the room, offering a trash bag to anybody who will add to it, you'll remember the care you took putting on all that pretty paper, those shredded bows. Hours to wrap, minutes to destroy. But that's half the fun, don't you think?

Today I'm here to offer some last minute ideas for holding a gift wrapping party! If you can carve out an afternoon or evening with some of your friends the week before Christmas, one of these parties can be a much-needed break from the madness. These are just a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Ideas for Hosting a Gift Wrapping Party

PICK A THEME: You can go as basic or specific as you like. Change it up each year!
Some ideas are snowflakes, Santa Claus, Natural (think raffia and jute, pine cones and sprigs, holly and pointsettias, etc), Snowmen, Christmas Trees, Birds, Jingle Bells, Musical, Nativity, ugly sweater, cartoon. The possibilities are endless!

PICK A COLOR SCHEME: Something that matches the theme. I've included a few ideas to get the juices flowing.

• Snowflakes = blue, silver, and white
• Santa Claus = red, green, and white
• Natural = browns, pine greens, other colors found outdoors
• Birds = golds, reds, yellows

Again, endless possibilities. I'd stick with about 3 colors at the most for most themes.

Winter Waltz cocktail + The North American Whiskey Guide

What's your favorite kind of whiskey? Do you know the difference between a Bourbon Whiskey and a Tennessee Whiskey? Would you be able to pinpoint if a whiskey was made with corn, rye, wheat, barley, or a combination? Not sure which whiskey pairs well with that Arturo Fuento Lost City cigar?

I don't  know many people who have definitive answers to all of those questions. Well, perhaps other than the first one—but I'm willing to bet even that one would be open for debate were hundreds of bottles lining the shelves before you. There are hundreds of North American varieties of whiskey alone. I'm partial to Scottish whisky. I have some Irish recommendations, as well. But you can also find whiskey being made in Australia, Sweden, and even Japan (I have a few on my to-try list right now). So really, I think the quest to find the next greatest whisk(e)y is always on the forefront.

I recently received a copy of The North American Whiskey Guide from Behind the Bar, the newly released book by Chad Berkey and Jeremy LeBlanc (who between the two have over 40 combined years behind). They chose over 250 different varieties of North American Whiskey (the ones most frequently ordered by their patrons) to feature in the book. They asked 4 professional bartenders to join them in blind tastings of each whiskey, and combined their feedback with their own tastings and reviews, and feedback from the patrons in the bar, to offer honest and thoughtful insight on each type in the book.

Chocolate Cheesecake w/ Whisky Toffee Shards

I'll just go ahead and get it out of the way. YES. I meant to have a layer of smoky Single Malt Scotch whisky-infused caramel sitting atop my creamy chocolat cheesecake. YES. I accidentally cooked my caramel too long and it turned to toffee. YES. The cheesecake and flavor profile was too delicious to abandon all together, so I went with it.

Phew. Now you don't have to wonder.

Now, I the toffee would have been easy enough to just pick up (as in, a solid disc easily lifted off), but after tasting it and weighing it against my time constraints, I decided to just go with it. But it is a tad bit intrusive in the grand scheme of things, so you may want to just leave it off and drizzle it with some chocolate or caramel, top it with some whipped cream, or better yet - just succeed in making a good layer of caramel (ba dum bum).

New York Strip with Whisky Herb Butter inspired by Moonstruck

This month's Food 'n Flix pick is an oldie, but a goodie. Moonstruck is another one of those movies that, at first glance, may not be considered a foodie flick. But go back and watch it a second time. The movie centers around an Italian family, and opens to the strains of That's Amore (which can't help but conjur up images of pizza pie and pasta "fazool"). Pay attention to the way the family gathers in the kitchen, and the way food is used as a way to show love and comfort.

One of my favorite lines comes when Loretta comes home late one evening and says to (her) pop "I got news". His reply? "All right, let's go to the kitchen."

So, our main character, Loretta, is a widow in her late-30's who becomes engaged to Johnny  after a salad and Manicotti at the Grand Ticino restaurant.

Rose (Loretta's mom) makes eggs in a nest with some roasted red peppers alongside the morning after Loretta gets engaged. I guarantee you'll wish you had a plate in front of you.