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Ann & Jason invite you to join them for a Suck-ulent Feast! Bring your best vampire-inspired dish and...
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Eternal Kiss: Heather & Eric
As the sun finished setting, the vampires made their way to Ann & Jason's to gather for their suck-u-lent feast. Heather & Eric arrived, blood thirsty, and ready to make their Eternal Kiss cocktail.
As stated on the recipe website - Wrap your lips around this juicy drink, and enjoy the devil's dark embrace! This ginger liqueur in this drink was amazing and these were sucked down quickly!!!
After several of these, it was time for some blood - so we drank our share of bloody beers - Silver Bullet (aka Coors Light) mixed with Clamato and/or Blood Mary Mix!
Recipe:
http://www.rebelsmarket.com/blog/posts/cocktail-hour-8-vampire-inspired-cocktails
1.5 oz cherry juice
1.5 oz Cachaca
3/4 oz ginger liqueur
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
3/4 oz soda water
Combine Cachaca, ginger liqueur, cherry and lime juice in cocktail shaker. Shake with ice and strain into glass. Float soda water on top and garnish with lime zest!
Heather also took agave nectar and died it red with food coloring to line the inside edges of the glass.
As the sun finished setting, the vampires made their way to Ann & Jason's to gather for their suck-u-lent feast. Heather & Eric arrived, blood thirsty, and ready to make their Eternal Kiss cocktail. 
As stated on the recipe website - Wrap your lips around this juicy drink, and enjoy the devil's dark embrace! This ginger liqueur in this drink was amazing and these were sucked down quickly!!!
After several of these, it was time for some blood - so we drank our share of bloody beers - Silver Bullet (aka Coors Light) mixed with Clamato and/or Blood Mary Mix!
Recipe:
http://www.rebelsmarket.com/blog/posts/cocktail-hour-8-vampire-inspired-cocktails
1.5 oz cherry juice
1.5 oz Cachaca
3/4 oz ginger liqueur
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
3/4 oz soda water
Combine Cachaca, ginger liqueur, cherry and lime juice in cocktail shaker. Shake with ice and strain into glass. Float soda water on top and garnish with lime zest!
Heather also took agave nectar and died it red with food coloring to line the inside edges of the glass.
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Wooden Cross Skewers & Roasted Garlic: Aimee & John
We were lucky enough to meet two new vampires who joined us for Culinary Couples this evening! Aimee and John arrived dressed to impress - but beware - they arrived with wooden cross skewers and roasted garlic! Lucky for us, a little known fact is that when these items are made by vampires for vampires they don't harm you ;)
The wooden cross skewers were loaded with mozzarella, salami, and tomatoes, and covered in a drizzle of balsamic. The roasted garlic was to die for, especially when spread on toasted baguette slices!
If this wasn't the true definition of Love at First Bite, I'm not sure what is!
Recipes:
We were lucky enough to meet two new vampires who joined us for Culinary Couples this evening! Aimee and John arrived dressed to impress - but beware - they arrived with wooden cross skewers and roasted garlic! Lucky for us, a little known fact is that when these items are made by vampires for vampires they don't harm you ;)
The wooden cross skewers were loaded with mozzarella, salami, and tomatoes, and covered in a drizzle of balsamic. The roasted garlic was to die for, especially when spread on toasted baguette slices!
If this wasn't the true definition of Love at First Bite, I'm not sure what is!
Recipes:
Ingredients
Packet of Salami Slices
Mozzarella Cheese Loaf
Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
Balsamic Vinegar
Packet of 12” Shish Kebab Skewers
Wire Cutters
Hot Glue Gun
Directions
Skewers
Making your cross shaped skewers…
1. With your wire cutters, cut your skewers four
inches in from the dull end. You’ll now have one 4” piece and one 8” piece with
a point on it.
2. To make your cross, take your 8” piece and dab
it with hot glue about 2” down from the dull end. Lay the 4” piece down on the
glue at its center. Hold until dry.
3. Repeat steps 1 & 2 until you have 2 to 3
skewers per person.
Food prep...
1. Take your loaf of mozzarella and cut it into
quarter inch slices.
2. Cut each slide into quarters.
4. Fold one of your salami slices into quarters.
Slide onto a skewer.
5. Then slide a piece of mozzarella onto the
skewer.
6. Then slide a tomato onto the skewer.
7. Display assembled skewers on a platter.
8. Drizzle skewers with balsamic vinegar.
Roasted Garlic
Ingredients
Heads of Garlic (1 head per every 2 guests)
Olive Oil
Aluminum Foil
Cookie Sheet with edges.
A Baguette
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Remove as much papery layers from the outside of
the garlic head as you can.
3. Cut the top of the garlic head off (about an
inch).
4. Place garlic head in piece of foil.
5. Drizzle with two tablespoons of olive oil. Make
sure oil soaks into crevices of the garlic a bit.
6. Close foil around garlic head.
7. Place cookie sheet on the bottom rack of your
oven.
8. Place garlic heads wrapped in foil on the middle
rack of your oven.
9. Cook for 40 to 60 minutes. The longer the garlic
cooks for the more tender and caramelized it will be.
10. Slice baguette into 1 inch slices.
11. When the garlic is done, remove it from the
foil, simply spread it on bread and enjoy!
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Wooden Stakes through the Heart Kebabs, Garlic Red Mashed Potatoes, Blood Orange Salad with Sunflower Seeds, & Hot Cross Buns: Ann & Jason
After enjoying our Eternal Kisses and Love at First Bite Appetizers, we gathered in the dining room, where the table was set with vampire fang napkin rings and silver platters.
We sat down to our suck-u-lent feast served by candle light where we found wooden stakes pierced through top sirloin and artichoke hearts, hot cross buns served in mini cast iron skillets, and bowls of blood orange salad and garlic red mashed potatoes. The blood orange sauce was delicious poured not only over the steak kebabs but also a great addition to the garlic mashed potatoes!
Recipes:
Steak Kebabs:
http://www.chefjanetk.com/grilled-beef-kebabs-with-blood-orange-and-vanilla-sauce/
We made the marinade/sauce without the vanilla
Artichoke Kebabs:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/artichoke-eggplant-skewers/print
To stick with the "heart" theme, we skipped the eggplant and tomatoes listed in the recipe
Garlic Red Mashed Potatoes:
http://www.food.com/recipe/mashed-red-potatoes-with-garlic-and-parmesan-34382
Hot Cross Buns:
http://noshon.it/recipes/hot-cross-buns/
We cooked these in small cast iron skillets, 4 buns per skillet
Blood Orange Salad:
Blood Orange Vinaigrette
1/2 cup blood orange juice
1 tbsp chopped shallots
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Olive oil, salt & pepper to taste
Mix the vinaigrette at least a few hours before making the salad to let the flavors marry.
Salad
Arugula
Spinach
Red onion, thinly sliced
Blood orange segments, cut into thirds, if available. If not, substitute Grapefruit and regular Oranges
Pomegranate seeds
Sunflower seeds
Goat cheese
After enjoying our Eternal Kisses and Love at First Bite Appetizers, we gathered in the dining room, where the table was set with vampire fang napkin rings and silver platters.
Recipes:
Steak Kebabs:
http://www.chefjanetk.com/grilled-beef-kebabs-with-blood-orange-and-vanilla-sauce/
We made the marinade/sauce without the vanilla
Artichoke Kebabs:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/artichoke-eggplant-skewers/print
To stick with the "heart" theme, we skipped the eggplant and tomatoes listed in the recipe
Garlic Red Mashed Potatoes:
http://www.food.com/recipe/mashed-red-potatoes-with-garlic-and-parmesan-34382
Hot Cross Buns:
http://noshon.it/recipes/hot-cross-buns/
We cooked these in small cast iron skillets, 4 buns per skillet
Blood Orange Salad:
Blood Orange Vinaigrette
1/2 cup blood orange juice
1 tbsp chopped shallots
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Olive oil, salt & pepper to taste
Mix the vinaigrette at least a few hours before making the salad to let the flavors marry.
Salad
Arugula
Spinach
Red onion, thinly sliced
Blood orange segments, cut into thirds, if available. If not, substitute Grapefruit and regular Oranges
Pomegranate seeds
Sunflower seeds
Goat cheese
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Vampire Milkshake Shots: Ryan & MJ
Ryan and MJ delighted us with individual Vampire Milkshake Shots - a milkshake with fresh strawberry puree and chocolate syrup. We dipped our fangs in and devoured these with a decadent lust!
Recipe:
http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/745225032/bloody-good-vampire-non-alcoholic-milkshake-shots/?locale=en_US
Ryan and MJ delighted us with individual Vampire Milkshake Shots - a milkshake with fresh strawberry puree and chocolate syrup. We dipped our fangs in and devoured these with a decadent lust!
Recipe:
http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/745225032/bloody-good-vampire-non-alcoholic-milkshake-shots/?locale=en_US
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It's back to school time. If you are one of the lucky ones and ended up a wizard instead of a muggle, this means that you are heading to Platform 9 3/4 to catch the Hogwarts Express to start your new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry!
This fall Culinary Couples will share in the magic of Harry Potter at Ryan & MJ's - see you there!
This fall Culinary Couples will share in the magic of Harry Potter at Ryan & MJ's - see you there!
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Sorting Hats, Magic Wands & Gillyweed Dip: Heather & Eric
Upon our arrival at Hogwarts, as is customary for each new incoming class of students, we met for the Opening Banquet where the Sorting Hat would decide our destiny for the next 7 years. Will it be Gryffindor, Slyterin, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff? Please not Slytherin! Please not Slytherin! 
After each student was sorted, the next stop was Diagon Alley to choose our wands, or rather, have our wands choose us!
At this point we were pretty hungry so we had more than our fair share of Gillyweed Dip - we would be all set in the case that any of us needed to breathe under water later in the evening!
Recipes:
The Sorting Hats were black bean dip with black corn tortilla chips.
Magic Wands
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-grissini-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-191541
They shaped them to look like Harry Potter's, Hermione's and the Elder Wand
Gillyweed Dip
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/hot-spinach-and-artichoke-dip-recipe.html
Upon our arrival at Hogwarts, as is customary for each new incoming class of students, we met for the Opening Banquet where the Sorting Hat would decide our destiny for the next 7 years. Will it be Gryffindor, Slyterin, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff? Please not Slytherin! Please not Slytherin! 
After each student was sorted, the next stop was Diagon Alley to choose our wands, or rather, have our wands choose us!
Recipes:
The Sorting Hats were black bean dip with black corn tortilla chips.
Magic Wands
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-grissini-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-191541
They shaped them to look like Harry Potter's, Hermione's and the Elder Wand
Gillyweed Dip
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/hot-spinach-and-artichoke-dip-recipe.html
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Magic Martinis: Ann & Jason
On our first day of classes, we were introduced to our Potions teacher - Professor Elixir and her assistant.
We were tasked with making a potion called the Magic Martini which is known to alter the drinker's senses, drink carefully and in moderation as it has an additive effect!
The ingredients were laid out on a silver tray and included basilisk venom, powdered mandrake root, unicorn milk, gillyweed solution, elderflower essence, dragon eggs, and armadillo bile.
Following our instructions, we added the basilisk venom and powdered mandrake root first, followed by the unicorn milk and gillyweed solution. We then added the remaining ingredients and watched our blue solution turn and bubble to a hot pink martini!
All students got an A in their first experiment except for Jesse who left in the middle of the class without asking for a bathroom pass.....
In addition to our Magic Martinis, we also had Magic Hat's #9 (9 3/4 - thanks Ryan for noticing!!!), Snake Bite, and Lion's Share Variety Pack from Firestone.
Recipe:
1 ounce basilisk venom (cabbage juice - seep 1 leaf red cabbage, chopped, in hot water until water has turned purple, then discard cabbage. Add cabbage water and another leaf of cabbage to a blender and blend to mix).
1 smidgen powdered mandrake root (baking soda)
2 ounces unicorn milk (gin)
1 ounce gillyweed solution (cucumber water - shave the skin of a cucumber into long pieces and add to a mason jar of water, let set in fridge for 24 hours)
3/4 ounce elderflower essence (St. Germain's)
1 dragon egg (dry ice)
3/4 ounce armadillo bile (equal parts fresh lemon juice, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup)
On our first day of classes, we were introduced to our Potions teacher - Professor Elixir and her assistant.
We were tasked with making a potion called the Magic Martini which is known to alter the drinker's senses, drink carefully and in moderation as it has an additive effect!
The ingredients were laid out on a silver tray and included basilisk venom, powdered mandrake root, unicorn milk, gillyweed solution, elderflower essence, dragon eggs, and armadillo bile.
Following our instructions, we added the basilisk venom and powdered mandrake root first, followed by the unicorn milk and gillyweed solution. We then added the remaining ingredients and watched our blue solution turn and bubble to a hot pink martini!
All students got an A in their first experiment except for Jesse who left in the middle of the class without asking for a bathroom pass.....
In addition to our Magic Martinis, we also had Magic Hat's #9 (9 3/4 - thanks Ryan for noticing!!!), Snake Bite, and Lion's Share Variety Pack from Firestone.
Recipe:
1 ounce basilisk venom (cabbage juice - seep 1 leaf red cabbage, chopped, in hot water until water has turned purple, then discard cabbage. Add cabbage water and another leaf of cabbage to a blender and blend to mix).
1 smidgen powdered mandrake root (baking soda)
2 ounces unicorn milk (gin)
1 ounce gillyweed solution (cucumber water - shave the skin of a cucumber into long pieces and add to a mason jar of water, let set in fridge for 24 hours)
3/4 ounce elderflower essence (St. Germain's)
1 dragon egg (dry ice)
3/4 ounce armadillo bile (equal parts fresh lemon juice, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup)
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Quidditch Pie & Butterbeer Biscuits: Ryan & MJ
After our first day of classes, we decided to get outside and have some fun playing our favorite game - Quidditch! Ryan & MJ made us Quidditch Pie which was a magical version of Sheppard's Pie and was great fuel for riding our brooms around the field!
Recipe:
Ask Ryan & MJ :)
After our first day of classes, we decided to get outside and have some fun playing our favorite game - Quidditch! Ryan & MJ made us Quidditch Pie which was a magical version of Sheppard's Pie and was great fuel for riding our brooms around the field!
Recipe:
Ask Ryan & MJ :)
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Butterbeer Ice Cream: Jesse & Rachel
After our Quidditch match we headed straight to the Leaky Cauldron to indulge in some delicious Butterbeer ice cream! We were a bit frightened by the dark mark tattoo we saw on the witch serving us, but decided the ice cream was worth the risk. Luckily, there was no sightings of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and we were able to enjoy our Butterbeer ice cream to the last bite!
We closed the night in by enjoying our magial beers and playing several rounds of Exploding Kittens!
Recipe
Ask Jesse & Rachel :)
After our Quidditch match we headed straight to the Leaky Cauldron to indulge in some delicious Butterbeer ice cream! We were a bit frightened by the dark mark tattoo we saw on the witch serving us, but decided the ice cream was worth the risk. Luckily, there was no sightings of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and we were able to enjoy our Butterbeer ice cream to the last bite!
We closed the night in by enjoying our magial beers and playing several rounds of Exploding Kittens!
Recipe
Ask Jesse & Rachel :)
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It is summer time again and the heat is up! But luckily the heat doesn't have to be limited to the weather...
... Let's get to smokin' this summer with Heather & Eric and see what kinds of smoky flavors we can cook up!
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Mezcal Margaritas: Ryan & MJ
There was no easing our taste buds into our smokin' evening, we hit them straight off the bat with a delicious smoky mezcal! The lightness of the lime juice really allowed the smokey flavor to come through in this refreshing drink. We kept Ryan & MJ busy while we sat on the back patio with requests for seconds, and thirds, and.... :)
Recipe:
http://www.eater.com/drinks/2015/4/24/8490545/ace-patio-drinking-with-this-smoky-mezcal-margarita
Ryan & MJ made these drinks substituting regular margarita salt and spicy cocoa bitters.
There was no easing our taste buds into our smokin' evening, we hit them straight off the bat with a delicious smoky mezcal! The lightness of the lime juice really allowed the smokey flavor to come through in this refreshing drink. We kept Ryan & MJ busy while we sat on the back patio with requests for seconds, and thirds, and.... :)
Recipe:
http://www.eater.com/drinks/2015/4/24/8490545/ace-patio-drinking-with-this-smoky-mezcal-margarita
Ryan & MJ made these drinks substituting regular margarita salt and spicy cocoa bitters.
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Smoked Salmon and Smoked Gouda Cheesecake & Little Smokies: Ann & Jason
I got a few odd looks when I said I was making a cheesecake with salmon in it, but I assured my fellow Culinary Couples that it would be delicious, and it was!
A savory version, it is baked in a water bath just like a standard cheesecake. Due to my "fundamental lack of geometric understanding" per my husband, when I decided to take a recipe that was made in two 4.5" spring-form pans and apply it to fit in my single 9" spring-form pan, I did not realize that the volume was substantially larger, resulting in a flat "tortilla-like" cheesecake. Nonetheless it did not affect the taste, and some even thought it may be preferable to a thicker cheesecake!
And since you can't have a Smokin' themed dinner without Little Smokies, we also brought a crockpot of those bad boys with homemade barbecue sauce.
Recipes:
Smoked Salmon and Smoked Gouda Cheesecake:
http://theviewfromgreatisland.com/savory-smoked-salmon-cheesecake/
To make this healthier, we substituted low-fat cream cheese and greek yogurt for the sour cream
Little Smokies:
http://www.food.com/recipe/barbecued-lil-smokies-32362
I got a few odd looks when I said I was making a cheesecake with salmon in it, but I assured my fellow Culinary Couples that it would be delicious, and it was!
And since you can't have a Smokin' themed dinner without Little Smokies, we also brought a crockpot of those bad boys with homemade barbecue sauce.
Recipes:
Smoked Salmon and Smoked Gouda Cheesecake:
http://theviewfromgreatisland.com/savory-smoked-salmon-cheesecake/
To make this healthier, we substituted low-fat cream cheese and greek yogurt for the sour cream
Little Smokies:
http://www.food.com/recipe/barbecued-lil-smokies-32362
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Smoked Turkey, Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes, and Brussel Sprouts with Hickory Smoked Bacon: Heather and Eric
Heather and Eric brought out all the stops with their beautiful old-fashioned smoker!
And inside of this was an even more beautiful smoked turkey. Talk about Thanksgiving dinner in July - yes please!
After brining the turkey for 2 days, they smoked it for 4 hours and the end result was nothing short of amazing.
To go with the turkey, they made smoked gouda mashed potatoes, well mostly smoked gouda with a few potatoes....
and cooked brussel sprouts in a a pan of delicious hickory smoked bacon! Here's Eric putting the final touches on the brussel sprouts.
Recipes:
Brine Turkey
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/85839/out-of-this-world-turkey-brine/
Smoke Turkey
http://www.butterball.com/how-tos/smoke-a-turkey
Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/smoked-gouda-mashed-potatoes-recipe.html
Brussel Sprouts with Hickory Smoked Bacon
http://www.panningtheglobe.com/2014/04/27/skillet-brussels-sprouts-bacon-sherry/
And inside of this was an even more beautiful smoked turkey. Talk about Thanksgiving dinner in July - yes please!
After brining the turkey for 2 days, they smoked it for 4 hours and the end result was nothing short of amazing.
To go with the turkey, they made smoked gouda mashed potatoes, well mostly smoked gouda with a few potatoes....
and cooked brussel sprouts in a a pan of delicious hickory smoked bacon! Here's Eric putting the final touches on the brussel sprouts.
Dinner is served!
Recipes:
Brine Turkey
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/85839/out-of-this-world-turkey-brine/
Smoke Turkey
http://www.butterball.com/how-tos/smoke-a-turkey
Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/smoked-gouda-mashed-potatoes-recipe.html
Brussel Sprouts with Hickory Smoked Bacon
http://www.panningtheglobe.com/2014/04/27/skillet-brussels-sprouts-bacon-sherry/
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Smoked Blueberry Crumble: Heather & Eric
Since this was our first 6-member Culinary Couples, we had agreed that "well.... I guess we don't need dessert....." However, after we finished dinner, Heather told us that we had a "surprise guest" for the evening - and low and behold - she had made us dessert! Thank goodness!!!! ;)
This dessert took the Smokin' theme to a whole new level - if you have thought about eating a campfire, this was it! Absolutely ridiculous.
Recipe:
http://grillingwithrich.com/blueberry-crumble-done-on-the-smoker/
Since this was our first 6-member Culinary Couples, we had agreed that "well.... I guess we don't need dessert....." However, after we finished dinner, Heather told us that we had a "surprise guest" for the evening - and low and behold - she had made us dessert! Thank goodness!!!! ;)
This dessert took the Smokin' theme to a whole new level - if you have thought about eating a campfire, this was it! Absolutely ridiculous.
Recipe:
http://grillingwithrich.com/blueberry-crumble-done-on-the-smoker/
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It's May, and that means "The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports" is here!
That's right - it's Kentucky Derby time! Don your favorite hat and join us at Ann & Jason's for the 141st Run for the Roses!
Whether you're watching from the infield, or from "Millionaire's Row" bring you betting money and get ready to win part of the $2 million guarantee!
That's right - it's Kentucky Derby time! Don your favorite hat and join us at Ann & Jason's for the 141st Run for the Roses!
Whether you're watching from the infield, or from "Millionaire's Row" bring you betting money and get ready to win part of the $2 million guarantee!
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Mint Juleps: Heather & Eric
What comes to mind when you think of the Kentucky Derby? Nothing other than the classic Mint Julep! These bourbon-based cocktails served in silver cups were just the "ticket"!
It was great to see all the Derby fashions come to life - the men cleaned up quite nicely and the women adorned themselves with great Derby hats!
The Mint Juleps were such a hit - even the Derby horses enjoyed a few!!
Recipe:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/classic-mint-julep-0
Heather & Eric made these Kentucky Derby staples sinfully easy to make by preparing the mint-infused simple syrup ahead of time. That meant all we had to do was shave up some ice, pour in some bourbon, and garnish with a mint sprig - yes, I will have a second!
It was great to see all the Derby fashions come to life - the men cleaned up quite nicely and the women adorned themselves with great Derby hats!
The Mint Juleps were such a hit - even the Derby horses enjoyed a few!!
We also had a great selection of Derby-inspired beers at our fingertips!
Recipe:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/classic-mint-julep-0
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