Beach Day Mezcal and Seafood Cocktails

I had the pleasure today of attending another (online) class with Susana Trilling of Seasons of My Heart, during which she was joined by Max Monroe of Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal. I’ve taken well over 20 classes with Susana during these pandemic times, and have at least five more on my calendar! I’ve written about them here on my blog and highly encourage folks to take a class or two and see what it’s all about. They’re a bargain and you get to eat some wonderful food! Today was another great example.

Campos de Fresas

Another cooking class with Seasons of My Heart, another lovely cocktail courtesy of Del Maguey Single Village Mezcals. This cocktail, by Max Monroe of Del Maguey is a riff on a mojito featuring their Vida mezcal and a sweet-tart “shrub” syrup made with strawberries, mint, sugar, and vinegar.

Sol de San Luis

Sol de San Luis is another wonderful mezcal cocktail from Misty Kalkofen of Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal. (I can’t say enough about how much I enjoy the Del Maguey Vida mezcal.) I made this lovely cocktail during a class with Susana Trilling of Seasons of My Heart. It sounded weird – coffee and pineapple juice? but the end result is perfectly balanced and delicious. Don’t skip the nutmeg!

Piñas para Xkeban

Piñas para Xkeban – Xkeban’s Pineapples – is another wonderful mezcal cocktail created by Misty Kalkofen of Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal. Misty is a long-time friend of Susana Trilling of Seasons of My Heart. I made this recipe recently during one of Susana’s online classes; I thought the cocktail with pomegranate (Persephone’s Promise) was wonderful, but this one is oh so good as well!

La Promesa de Persephone

La Promesa de Persephone – Persephone’s Promise – is a mezcal cocktail created by Misty Kalkofen of Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal. She is a long-time friend and collaborator of Susana Trilling of Seasons of My Heart. I made this cocktail recently during one of Susana’s online classes. Misty used a mixing mezcal called Del Maguey Vida (which I actually found in Tucson!), made in San Luis del Rio, Oaxaca by Paciano Cruz Nolasco (follow the link above to read more about it). The drink itself is influenced by the Moscow Mule, but focusing on the seductive pomegranate and the connection with Greek myth. The color is marvelously festive.

Chocolate Peppermint Brownies

I make brownies throughout the year, but at Christmas they call out to me to become peppermint brownies – fudgy chocolate brownies with a chocolate-peppermint buttercream frosting and adorned with crushed candy canes. Decadent! I make these and think I’ll give some away (I have a neighbor who is an excellent quality-control tester :-), and then wind up keeping most for myself.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I’ve been making one version or another of these muffins since Christmas 1991, when I was gifted a little “Muffins” cookbook written by Elizabeth Alston. There are 60 recipes in the book, but these are the muffins I make again and again.

Seasons of My Heart

Class in 2008

Back in 2008, on a birding tour in Oaxaca, Mexico with Mark Pretti Nature Tours, we had a wonderful time at a Seasons of My Heart cooking class with Susana Trilling at her Rancho Aurora. For the most part we watched and ate, but we did get to try our hand at making tetelas, bean-stuffed tortillas cooked on a comal. I bought her small cookbook there, My Search for the Seventh Mole, resolving to work on making mole (specifically negro and coloradito) when we got home, as well as other Oaxacan delights. Click here to see my review (in progress)!

DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookies (High-Elevation)

If you’ve ever stayed at a DoubleTree, you’re familiar with the chocolate chip cookies that they give you when you check in. Thick, soft, loaded with chocolate and walnuts, with a touch of cinnamon and some oatmeal. I guess the folks at Hilton were bored enough during the pandemic that they published (they claim for the first time) the recipe – click here. Unfortunately, their version did not quite work in my high-elevation kitchen, so this is my amended version for 5000 ft.

Isolation Sour

A whiskey sour by any other name … I’ll admit I got this recipe from Sam Heughan (that’s James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser to Outlander fans), part of a fundraiser for personal protective equipment (PPE) in Scotland a few months ago on Instagram. His version was a bit strong for me so I have modified it accordingly. If you are a Scot, and/or made of sterner stuff, then, well, feel free to double the whisky. Or more.