Food

A Fresh Georgia Peach Moscow Mule

Always a crowd pleaser, the Moscow Mule gets a Refreshing Summertime Twist
June 15, 2016
Story By: Mandy Kellogg Rye
Filed Under > Cocktail Hour

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Peach Moscow Mule recipe, Waiting on Martha WOM|FoodBlog_RusticWhite_008A fresh Georgia peach moscow mule recipe, Waiting on Martha

History shows that the traditional Moscow Mule (vodka + ginger beer + lime juice) has been around since the 1940’s, when it was born in Los Angeles thanks to a desperate marketing campaign by a vodka distributor and ginger beer maker.  And the classic copper mugs?  Apparently a friend of the duo had a stash of mugs that she needed to get rid of.  But don’t all of the best traditions happen as accidents?  And this is an accident I’m happy to repeat again and again.  

I’ve enjoyed my fair share of Mint Moscow Mules, but this summer I decided to give them a refreshing twist with fresh Georgia peaches and Belvedere Peach Nectar vodka.  Naturally, since moving to the South, I’ve adopted the Georgia peach as my very own, and when I heard Belvedere had a vodka capturing the essence of my favorite sweet, juicy summertime fruit, I was itching to stir it into a cocktail. 

While many bartenders have put their own spin on the Moscow Mule over the years (think tequila and even apple cider!), I think I’ll stick to vodka, sweet Georgia peaches and a little mint in mine.  Tell me friends, how do you like your Mules?!  Truly, MKR

P.S. A quick tip about getting the most flavor out of your herb garnish (I always prefer fresh mint, but basil would be divine too): the best way to release the aromatics is to lay the herb flat in your palm and then smash/clap your hands together just once.  People love to muddle and chop up mint, but it’s actually the worst way to release the flavor! 

P.P.S. Social Media Intensive attendees, hope you’re thirsty! We’re whipping up a batch of these mouth-watering cocktails on Thursday thanks to Belvedere Vodka & Fresh Harvest‘s local peaches. 

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Photography, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha | This post is in partnership with Belvedere Vodka, a brand we love and adore.  All opinions are 100% our own. 

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Classic Strawberry Shortcake

A Simple, Old-Fashioned Sweet Treat to Enjoy All Summer Long
June 13, 2016
Story By: Mandy Kellogg Rye
Filed Under > Desserts

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Classic homemade strawberry shortcake recipe Classic strawberry shortcake recipe

Growing up, if you’re like me, summer wasn’t complete without indulging in homemade strawberry shortcake a time or two (or ten).  And it’s no wonder this old-fashioned dessert continues to be loved and cherished over the years. Think buttery, tender shortcakes with generous spoonfuls of fresh strawberries and topped with cool whipped cream. The ingredients are so simple, the flavors so classic, making it really the perfect summertime treat. Our recent team outing to Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit had me thinking nonstop about making my own homemade strawberry shortcake with owner Carrie Morey’s biscuit secrets, and it being National Strawberry Shortcake Day tomorrow and all…well it just seemed like the perfect time to indulge. 

Now, I prefer my strawberry shortcake to have buttermilk biscuits (as opposed to shortcake), simply because that’s how I grew up eating them, and that’s all part of the memory.  And since Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit‘s buttermilk biscuits are the best in the biz, I put my recent learnings to test and made my first batch of homemade buttermilk biscuits.  Carrie’s secrets like ‘you must mix the ingredients by hand, “snapping” each hunk of butter’, and ‘you want to avoid over-rolling the dough before cutting with a biscuit cutter’, really did come into play.  And I’m proud to say my first batch of biscuits turned out very, very well. 

As you’ll see when making this at home, like any true strawberry shortcake recipe, this one is best made with ripe strawberries at the height of the season.  You’ll want to macerate the strawberries with sugar for an even sweeter, almost syrupy consistency (this can be done the day before and refrigerated overnight). I don’t like my strawberries super super sweet, but it’s all up to your preference.  Just remember when macerating any fruit, you can always add more sugar, but you can’t take it away, so start with less.  After an hour or so, you can add more if you want. 

And one last tip, if and when you’re making your homemade whipped cream, try whipping with an immersion blender to get an even smoother texture. (And of course, there’s no shame in a can of whipped cream from Whole Foods too, really).  I personally love my strawberry shortcake to be served with the biscuits warm, topping them with a generous helping of strawberries and whipped cream if not from straight out of the oven itself.  I think you’ll agree that the result is simply heavenly!  Truly, MKR

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Photography, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha

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It’s All Easy’s Zuni Sheet Pan Chicken & Zucchini Cacio E Pepe

Two Must-Try Weeknight Recipes from Gwyneth Paltrow's New Cookbook
June 7, 2016
Story By: Mandy Kellogg Rye
Filed Under > Everyday Dinner

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It's All Easy Zuni Sheet Pan Chicken and Zucchini Noodles recipeZucchini Cacio e Pepe recipe from It's All EasyIt's All Easy pan roasted chicken recipeIt's All Easy cookbook recipes

Two weeks ago, the team was eagerly taking notes and happily trying recipes from GP’s newest (and quite possibly most gorgeous) cookbook, It’s All Easy, in the Williams-Sonoma test kitchen. On the menu? The Zuni Sheet Pan Chicken and Zucchini Cacio e Pepe. 

The entire cookbook is written for the super-busy home cook (I’ll raise my hand to that!).  And it was easy to see the book’s dedication to fresh, rich, simple flavors in the sampling of recipes we experienced.  Both dishes were equally dinner party-worthy, equally easy, and extremely approachable using easy ingredients from the pantry and grocery store.  

The Zuni Sheet Pan Chicken was inspired by San Francisco’s Zuni Cafe (at the top of my list for the next visit!) and its world famous roasted chicken dish.  GP put her own spin on it to become a go-to weeknight meal with roasted garlic, lemons, anchovies, and giant pieces of french bread that caramelize with the juices of the pan and quite possibly make up my favorite crunchy, gooey bite. I was so impressed that this one-pan/one-sheet dish can be finished in under an hour (which is pretty rare in my kitchen when roasting such a large bird), and being made in only one dish it makes cleanup sooo much easier. The beauty of this recipe too is it’s truly a complete meal; a tender roast chicken atop crispy, toasted bread and a bed of fresh, seasonal greens.  I followed the recipe to a tee, adding just a bit more garlic and bread, because in my world you can never get enough garlic and bread.  Ever.

The second recipe we learned while in the WS test kitchen was GP’s Zucchini Cacio E Pepe. It’s almost not even fair to call this a recipe because it’s so, so easy.  If you haven’t used or thought of using a spiralizer, this recipe alone is reason to take the plunge.  Beautifully simple, yet classic made in under 15 minutes which means it can be made in a pinch, any night of the week. Think of it as your new favorite summer pasta dish; healthy with its zucchini noodles and light with a dusting of salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese.  One great tip we learned during the class; when spiralizing make sure to spin about four times and tear the noodles.  If you spiralize the entire zucchini in one go you’ll have one giant zoodle making it more difficult to eat.

Next up for me I plan to make GP’s black bean soup and taquitos, but I’d love to know if you’ve checked out the book and what successes you’ve had with the recipes?  Truly, MKR

P.S. Hop over to yesterday’s post to read about our team’s recent cookbook club experience at Williams-Sonoma and enter to win your own copy of It’s All Easy and GP’s favorite tool, the spiralizer. xo 

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Photography, Rustic White for Waiting on Martha 

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