today is st. patrick's day. one of those holidays that pretty much means nothing to you unless you are... 

a. irish
b. a child in school
c. a college student (or those who still drink like college students) who wants an excuse to drink at six in the morning. 

but hey, i'm down for a reason to drink. and i'm definitely down for some jameson in a pretty cocktail glass. not much of a weekend going on over here this week... or the next... or the next... so i'll be getting my sips in where i can fit them in. and i'm starting with an hour or two in the garden tonight with one of my old favorites. 

whiskey smash
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 2 minutes
active time: 1 minute
total time: 3 minutes
ingredients: 2.5 oz whiskey. two small lemon wedges, plus small slice of lemon for garnish. 1 tsp simple syrup. 1 mint sprig. 2 cups crushed ice. serving glass of your choice. strainer. shaker. muddler.

start by dividing your ice between the shaker and the serving glass. set the serving glass aside. 

in the shaker, combine the simple syrup and the juice of the lemons. 

throw the lemon wedges into the glass as well. 

then, pluck all but the pretty top leaves of the mint sprig and add them to the shaker.

muddle the lemon, syrup, ice and mint together. 

then pour in your whiskey. 

shake until well combined. 

strain into your serving glass. 

garnish with small lemon wedge and the mint sprig and serve. 

xo, a

whiskey smash
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 2 minutes
active time: 1 minute
total time: 3 minutes ingredients: 2.5 oz whiskey. two small lemon wedges, plus small slice of lemon for garnish. 1 tsp simple syrup. 1 mint sprig. 2 cups crushed ice. serving glass of your choice. strainer. shaker. muddler.
start by dividing your ice between the shaker and the serving glass. set the serving glass aside. in the shaker, combine the simple syrup and the juice of the lemons. throw the lemon wedges into the glass as well. then, pluck all but the pretty top leaves of the mint sprig and add them to the shaker. muddle the lemon, syrup, ice and mint together. then pour in your whiskey. shake until well combined. strain into your serving glass. garnish with small lemon wedge and the mint sprig and serve. 

it is that time of year. winter has fully set in. even here in sunny southern california, rain has been in the forecast for days and i had to wear four layers to yoga this morning. 

we have come to that special time of year when the only real entertaining you do is indoors. we are headed into a few months of cabin weekends in, super bowl parties and cozy nights in by the fire. so we need cozy, warming snacks on the menu. 

i love to set out crostini platters for guests because it is interactive and people get exactly what they want. it creates a really natural place for all my guests to stand around and chat together. plus, it is easy to set and forget and can be customized to the things you and your guest like. 

for this baked brie, i use a mixed berry jam i had made for the holidays and caramelized onions i had on hand to stuff the brie, but you could use any salty/sweet combination. bacon, salted nuts, or some chopped up pieces of prosciutto to sub for the caramelized onions. instead of the berry jam you could sub any of your favorite preserves, some fresh sliced apples or pears or some tasty honey. get creative with the things YOU love. i always garnish the plate with some greens, fresh fruit and toasted or spiced nuts so people can really experiment with every bite. 

baked brie
serves: 8
prep time: 5 minutes
bake time: 35-40 minutes
rest time: 10 minutes
total time: 50-55 mintues
ingredients: small brie wheel (10-14oz). 1 puff pastry sheet, thawed. 3 tablespoons mixed berry jam. 1 caramelized onion. 1 egg. pastry brush. 2 cups arugula. .5 cup pomegranate seeds. sliced baguette. parchment lined baking sheet. 1 tbs flour for dusting. 

start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees f. 

slice your brie wheel in half. 

on one side of the cheese, spread your jam out in an even layer. top with and even layer of caramelized onions and save the rest for crostini add ons. 

place the other half of the wheel back on top and set it aside. 

lightly flour your work surface and lay down your pasty sheet. gently roll it out so it is flat and even. 

place the brie wheel into the center of the pastry sheet and then fold the edges of the sheet up around the wheel. use your fingers to pinch up any open areas, closing up any holes or rough edges.

whisk your egg till lightly beaten and use the pasty brush to lightly cover the puff pasty with egg wash. 

be sparing so the puff pastry doesn't get soggy. 

the puff pastry should still have a bit of a chill to it, if it has warmed to full room temperature, pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up. 

place the wheel onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake till golden brown. 35-40 minutes. 

once the puff pastry is golden brown, remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes so the cheese has time to harden up a bit. if you cut right into it, the cheese will be too molten and oozy.

serve on a platter with pomegranate, arugula, pistachios, remaining caramelized onions and sliced baguette. 

xo, a

baked brie
serves: 8
prep time: 5 minutes
bake time: 35-40 minutes
rest time: 10 minutes
total time: 50-55 mintues
ingredients: small brie wheel (10-14oz). 1 puff pastry sheet, thawed. 3 tablespoons mixed berry jam. 1 caramelized onion. 1 egg. pastry brush. 2 cups arugula. .5 cup pomegranate seeds. sliced baguette. parchment lined baking sheet. 1 tbs flour for dusting.
start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees f.
slice your brie wheel in half.
on one side of the cheese, spread your jam out in an even layer. top with and even layer of caramelized onions and save the rest for crostini add ons.
place the other half of the wheel back on top and set it aside.
lightly flour your work surface and lay down your pasty sheet. gently roll it out so it is flat and even.
place the brie wheel into the center of the pastry sheet and then fold the edges of the sheet up around the wheel. use your fingers to pinch up any open areas, closing up any holes or rough edges.
whisk your egg till lightly beaten and use the pasty brush to lightly cover the puff pasty with egg wash. be sparing so the puff pastry doesn't get soggy. the puff pastry should still have a bit of a chill to it, if it has warmed to full room temperature, pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up.
place the wheel onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake till golden brown. 35-40 minutes.
once the puff pastry is golden brown, remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes so the cheese has
ime to harden up a bit. if you cut right into it, the cheese will be too molten and oozy.
serve on a platter with pomegranate, arugula, pistachios, remaining caramelized onions and sliced baguette.