I like to think that galettes are like lazy, messy, casual pies. You only sorta have to roll them out. You only sorta have to make them look pretty. But really, the messier the better. It’s about the easy.

I can’t really think of a meal of the day where easy is most welcomed than on a cold, hazy January morning.

Let’s have pie for breakfast. But let’s leave the fruit for the summer. It’s January. So, pie…with runny eggs, lots of cheese and salty bacon.

Too good!

Start it with a non-sweetened pie crust. Basic! Simple!

Roll it out. Spread on some ricotta. Sprinkle on some mozzarella!

Fold over the edges. You can try to make it look all cute. Or not. Who cares.

Brush on a little egg wash and stick it in the oven.

Take it out. (Do you like my step-by-step?) Add the bacon. Add the egg yolks. Back in the oven for a few more minutes, just until the egg yolks set, slightly.

When you take it out, it needs some salt, pepper and basil. Sprinkle on some red crushed pepper (I put it on everything!).

Serve it up with some coffee. Or some juice.

The buttery flakey crust is just too good with all the cheese.

And the salty bacon. Hi breakfast! And the runny eggs. Whoa!

Breakfast Galette

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Crust:

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cubed and cold
1/4 cup water, ice cold

Toppings:

3 tablespoons ricotta cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded
2 slices bacon, cooked and cubed
3 large egg yolks
3 basil leaves
Salt and Pepper

1. In a medium bowl, mix together all-purpose flour and salt. Place flour and unsalted butter in freezer for 5 minutes to chill.

2. Combine flour mixture and butter. Mix until you’re left with what resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, mixing until it just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it’s ready. If the dough doesn’t hold together, add a little more water and mix again.

3. Remove dough from bowl and place in a mound on a clean surface. Gently shape into a discs, being sure to not over-knead. Wrap the disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a floured surface, roll dough to a 10-inch circle with a 1/4-inch thickness. It’s okay if the edges are shaggy and it’s not a perfect circle. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

5. Scoop ricotta onto the center of the dough, spreading out to make a large circle, stopping 1-inch from the edge of the dough. Sprinkle on grated mozzarella cheese. Fold edges of dough over the cheese. Transfer baking sheet to the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

6. Whisk together yolk and water. Brush dough with the egg wash. Bake until crust is lightly golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Take galette out of the oven and gently place yolks atop cheese. Arrange bacon bits to your liking and place back in oven for 2-3 minutes, or until yolks set.

7. Garnish with basil and salt and pepper.

Hi!

I know a few days ago I was totally publicly flirting with Fall, talking about pumpkin this and cuddle that and apple cider whatever…and here I am posting this recipe with slices of heirloom tomatoes and fresh pesto.

I’m sort of all over the place, but that’s what you get during this awkward period between seasons. My brain isn’t sure what’s appropriate. My heart knows to look for cheese for the answers…

When I went to go categorize this post, I realized I don’t really do salads on this blog very often. It isn’t that I don’t like vegetables; there’s plenty of those around.

I think it’s the whole lettuce thing.

Sure, arugula is cool as a topping on pizza, a Caesar salad is always good, and butter lettuce tastes amazing…when drenched in buttermilk ranch dressing or something.

But mainly lettuce, for me, acts as this vessel for something more awesome than itself. So why not skip it all together?!

This salad does just that. Cheese…no, correction: fried cheese, tomatoes and pesto. There’s no catalyst. No middleman!!

Can we just not live in a world where salads have ingredients that are middlemen?!

This salad is pretty straight-forward–no crazy tricks or pro-tips, really. Just some friend cheese.

Oh there is a little info on the cheese I wanted to explain. In order to get that thick crust around the cheese, I dipped the piece of mozzarella in the egg and batter two times. That’s all. No biggie. Nothing major.

And yeah, I know frying stuff kinda sucks, but there’s melty cheese on the other side of this recipe and it’s so SO worth it.

Fried Mozzarella Caprese Salad

Yields 2 servings

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Pesto:
1 cup of basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Handful of walnuts
1/4 cup of Parmesan-Reggiano
1/4 cup of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Fried Mozzarella:
1 tomato
1 quart of canola oil
1 five ounce ball of mozzarella (low moisture, not water packed)
2 large egg, beaten
1 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
Salt

1. In a food processor, add the basil, garlic, pine nuts (or walnuts), Parmesan, and pulse until chopped. With the processor on low, add the olive oil in a slow and steady stream until completely combined. Taste the pesto and adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
2. Slice the tomato in 1/2 inch slices and place on paper towels. This will absorb some of the tomatoes’ moisture.
3. Prep a plate with a few layers of paper towels. Fill a 10″ cast iron pan with 4 inches of oil, about 2 quarts, and heat oil to 350F.
4. While it’s heating up, slice the mozzarella into 1/2 inch slices. Prep bowl with beaten egg. On a plate, combine bread crumbs, crushed red pepper, oregano and salt (if needed). Note: Try your mozzarella. If there’s a lot of salt, chill on the salt. Don’t add any. If the mozzarella has no salt, then add about 1/4 teaspoon to the bread crumb mixture.
5. Double-dip mozzarella by dipping in the beaten eggs, then bread crumbs and repeating the step. This will give you a thick delicious crust.
6. Gently drop the mozzarella into hot oil using a slotted spoon and fry, about 30 seconds, or until golden brown. Turn the mozzarella and allow to fry on the other side for another 30 seconds.
7. Transfer to the paper toweled plate to drain.
8. Grab a plate and stack tomatoes and mozzarella in whatever fashion you like. Top with pesto and a crack of black pepper.

Sometimes I do things I’m not so proud of. This is true.

Like…putting ice cubes in white wine. I’m impatient. I dunno…in the privacy in my own house I like “mom” wine. Gross.

I sometimes buy three bags of groceries and then decide I don’t want to cook and go out to eat instead. Total brat.

I’m also known to back out of Saturday night plans…because sometimes sitting on the couch internet stalking–for some reason–sounds like WAY more fun. Lame. Totally lame.

I’m really bad at returning library books. I found two under my bed. I’m guessing I now owe LA County Library like thousands of dollars for two $10 books from the 70s. I’m also pretty convinced that those fees are going to end up at the DMV. LA doesn’t play.

Sometimes though…sometimes I do really good things.

Like look at my friends dead in their eyes and tell them that I love them. This makes them super awkward and squirm in their seat. And then they usually just tell me to shut up.

I really dig telling strangers “bless you” when they sneeze. They’re always pleasantly surprised.

Whenever a boy, who I don’t know, opens the door for me, I look at them in their face and smile extra hard. And not in a I-like-you-let-me-make-you-eggs-and-bacon kind of way, but in a thank-you-for-being-a-damn-gentlemen way…now let’s get married!! JK.

No, no. I just like saying thank you the proper way, that’s all.

If I’m feeling particularly rich, I’ll put $2 (instead of $1) in my barista’s tip jar. They totally deserve more. Maybe more money and a hug? I’m a handful without coffee.

I can also turn a sandwich into a pizza. I think this qualifies as one of the good things I did recently.

Do you bake your bacon? (That sounds like a personal question, doesn’t it?)

But seriously it’s the only way to go. It’s easy, no mess. In the oven for 15-20 minutes. No bacon grease splattering all over the place–just perfect bacon every time.

I used Peter Reinhart’s pizza dough recipe again. It’s so SO good. It has a slow rise in the fridge.

General rule of thumb: the slower the rise, the more time flavors have to develop.

That’s why this slow rise in the fridge yields such delicious results. If you don’t have the time, I suggest just letting it rise for a few hours in a warm place in your kitchen. It’ll totally be better than most pizza doughs. Trust.

You’ll know when it’s ready to be baked up when it makes that adorable belly-button situation when you stick your finger in the center. If it bounces back, it’s not ready. If it keeps its shape, it’s ready.

Dough knowledge. No biggie.

My brain wanted to really turn this sandwich into a pizza. So I wanted to work the mayonnaise situation into this pizza, too. Since having a base of mayo would be just gross (wait, would it?), I swapped that out with a goat cheese alfredo sauce. Hello! Yum!!

There’s a little roux action, half & half (because we all have that in the fridge) and the goat cheese. Delicious. Rich.

When your pizza dough is all good, stretch it out into an oval or circle or a rectangle. Or the shape of dinosaur. I wanna eat a pizza the shape of a T-Rex.

So whatever shape you’re into is cool.

Spread around the alfredo sauce and stick it in the oven. We’re gonna par-bake this thang for 10 minutes or so.

Since tomatoes release so much water we only want to bake them for a little bit. We want them a little warm. And soft. If we bake them for the full 20 minutes, our pizza will be totally watery. Not cute. Totally not cute.

So 10 minutes in, I opened up the oven and put on the tomato slices, mozzarella and bacon. Baked it for 7-8 more minutes and tadaaaaaa….

That doesn’t look nearly as cute as it should. Let’s rev up the cuteness.

Time for the “L” part (in the BLT)…a.k.a. thinly sliced basil.

Crack some pepper all over it and sprinkle on some salt. Yum.

Sandwich in pizza form. Dooooo it!

Heirloom BLT Pizza

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1 12-ounce pizza dough (I used this recipe, halved!)

Goat Cheese Alfredo sauce:
1 tablespoon of butter
4 teaspoons of flour
3/4 cup of half and half
1 oz. goat cheese
3/4 teaspoon of salt

Heirloom BLT Pizza:
2-3 heirloom tomatoes
3-4 slices of bacon, cooked
4 ounces of mozzarella (not water packed)
3-4 leaves of basil, thinly sliced

1. Prepare the pizza dough.
2. Pre-heat oven to 450F.
3. In a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour in the half and half and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minutes, or until thickened. Take it off the heat and mix in the goat cheese and salt. Set aside.
4. Stretch (or roll) dough into circular shape. Add a thin layer of goat cheese sauce on its surface and bake for 10 minutes.
5. While that’s baking slice up your tomatoes, bacon and mozzarella. And get ready. It’s almost game time.
6. At the 10 minute mark, open the oven and carefully (it’s hot!) arrange the tomatoes, bacon and mozzarella on the dough.
7. Bake for another 7-8 more minutes, or until dough is golden brown and cheese is melted.
8. Remove and top with thinly sliced basil and salt and pepper.
9. And then EAT. That step is obvious.

Some days just don’t go well. I started off Monday by waking up to darkness when I had been used to seeing sunlight. I therefore convinced myself that I was owed a few more minutes of sleep, resulting in me leaving a few minutes too late for work. Not so good.

At work I couldn’t find my cell phone, and assumed it had been left it at home. To be honest, I would have been happier going through the day without clothes rather than my phone. This is a sad, but true, fact.

I trudged through the day, only to accidentally throw my keys into a dumpster, (please don’t ask me how) not realizing this until said dumpster had been locked up for the night. I do these things. It’s something you should know about me.

When I got home I couldn’t find my phone and deduced it had actually been in my car the whole time. That is was, in fact, still in my car. Fail. Epic, epic fail. Seriously, this happened.

There are few remedies to days like this, although, I have found a couple to be effective. One is to watch footage of the recent tsunami and realize that every complaint I have is ridiculously minor compared to what others go through. For real C, stop whining.

This Caprese Salad also makes things better. It makes me remember that life is awesome. And delicious. It’s a good thing.

Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad

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6 roma tomatoes, halved with seeds removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt

Pepper

Sliced fresh mozzarella cheese

Fresh basil leaves

Sliced French bread (optional)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Arrange the tomatoes on a lined baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle the sugar, salt and pepper over them and toss to coat. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tomatoes are shriveled and starting to brown on the edges.

Allow the tomatoes to cool a bit. Arrange on a plate with the sliced mozzarella and basil. You can also layer the ingredients onto french bread to create a variation of bruschetta. All of it tastes good.

Did you see the movie Morning Glory? It’s okay if you didn’t, but let me just tell you there is a lovely scene where Harrison Ford makes a frittata and gives a dissertation on how wonderful they are. I love this. Because I love frittatas and I really, really love Harrison Ford. He can make a frittata for me anytime, even if he is in his 60s. Oh, Han Solo…

Okay, sorry about that. Moving on.

Wanna know why frittatas are awesome? Because you can use them to clean out any vegetables in your fridge that are about to go bad. Because you can cook eggs until they’re brown and tough and they’ll still taste good. Because you can put the frittata between two pieces of bread and call it a sandwich. I did this. True story.

I’m pretty much in love with this combo of ingredients. Sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil and provolone should consider themselves BFFs at my place. But don’t let that scare you away from trying other ingredient combos; frittatas should be for anytime, with any ingredients.

Tomato Basil Frittata Sandwich

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A lot of frittatas call for cooking the eggs in the pan for a few minutes and then transferring them into a hot oven to fully cook the eggs. I prefer this technique of sliding the partially-cooked frittata onto a plate and then inverting it back into the pan, but if you are a little nervous about flipping it over just pop the pan into a 400 degree F oven for about 10 minutes instead.

Makes about 4 sandwiches

1/2 cup chopped basil

2/3 cup mayonnaise

4 extra large eggs

¼ cup half and half

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil

Lettuce

Sliced provolone cheese

Sliced sourdough bread

In small bowl combine the basil and mayonnaise. Set aside. In another bowl whip together the eggs and cream and set aside.

Add the tomatoes to a medium skillet (roughly 8 inches diameter) and turn up to medium heat. Cook until the tomatoes are just starting to darken and crisp up, then pour the egg mixture over them. Reduce the heat a bit and allow to cook, gently scraping the sides of the pan with a spatula occasionally, for about 5-8 minutes, or until the eggs are almost set with just a little runniness on top.

Gently slide the frittata onto a large dinner plate. Using oven mitts, turn the pan over top of the plate and flip everything over to invert the frittata back onto the pan. Cook the other side for about 3-4 minutes more and then transfer onto a plate or cutting board.

To assemble the sandwiches, spread some of the basil mayo onto a slice of bread, then line with some lettuce and finally top with a piece of cheese. Slice the frittata into wedges and layer onto the cheese, and then another slice of bread.

Remember when you were a kid, and on special occasions your mom would make chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast? This of course meant you got to eat chocolate for your main meal and didn’t have to wait for dessert. That was super cool. One time I was actually allowed to eat chocolate chip pancakes for dinner. I thought my little kid head might just explode.

It’s kinda how I feel about this panini. A panini with brie is nothing new to me, but chocolate? Oh my lord does that sound good. And now we’re adding basil? Yeah, I think my adult head just exploded.

Despite the enticing ingredients, I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about this. I mean, chocolate and cheese isn’t something that you normally eat together, however wonderful they are on their own. After eating it, I don’t know why I had any doubts. Rule of thumb: when you take two drool-worthy ingredients and add them together, you’re guaranteed a delicious result. If you add basil, it always makes things better.

Okay…maybe that doesn’t always work 100% of the time, but it did with this sandwich, and that’s all that matters.

Brie and Chocolate Panini

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Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Makes 2 sandwiches

4 slices of bread
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
6 oz Brie cheese, thinly sliced
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
¼ cup basil leaves

Preheat your Panini grill (or in my case, a George Foreman grill) to medium high heat.

Brush both sides of the bread with butter or olive oil. Place 3 oz of cheese on one slice of bread, sprinkle 1/3 cup of chocolate chips over it, and then add a few basil leaves. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients to make two sandwiches.

Grill the sandwiches on the grill until the chocolate and cheese begin to melt and the bread starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the sandwiches from heat and cut into triangles. Enjoy your chocolate meal.

This post is gonna be a bit sentimental. I apologize, but going to weddings does that do me. I’m freshly back from a trip to North Carolina to see Chase’s step-brother get married, and am exhausted and happy from an amazing weekend.

A lot happened in just one day:

I saw my future brother-in-law smile more times than I’ve seen in the 5 years I’ve known him.

I ate more wedding cake than I did actual food. Don’t tell my mother.

I saw my future father-in-law cry. Twice.

I did the Cupid Shuffle. It happens.

I saw two awesome people become one beautiful couple.

Stop rolling your eyes, I told you this was a sentimental post. I tried to warn you.

As long as we’re talking about perfect combinations, lets touch on bruschetta for a second. See, I don’t really like raw tomatoes. And by that I mean that I never eat them. I have finally  reached the point that I don’t freak out when my salad shows up with diced tomatoes on it, but I still have to pick each piece off and place it on a separate plate away from the food I actually want to eat. Basically, I just think raw tomatoes are gross. However, I will eat them by the bucketful if they are marinated in oil, vinegar, basil and parmesan cheese. These ingredients were made for each other, they are the perfect marriage of awesomeness.

It might sound weird to tell someone that their marriage is as perfect as  tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, but I honestly think that it’s one of the highest compliments you can give. I can only hope that my marriage is as successful as that delicious pair.

Fresh Tomato Bruschetta

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I used tomatoes that my neighbor had growing in his garden, but any tomato will work with this recipe, just make sure you have enough to equal the amount that 3 regular tomatoes would be. It is an absolute must that your tomatoes be fresh and ripe since they are the star ingredient. You can toast your bread slices, but grilling is even better if possible.

3 medium size tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 heaping tablespoon minced basil
1 medium garlic clove, minced
Grated parmesan cheese
One French baguette, sliced and toasted

Quarter the tomatoes and remove all the seeds. Dice the tomatoe and mix in a bowl with the olive oil, vinegar, basil and garlic. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes, but a full hour is even better.

Spoon the tomato mixture over the toasted bread, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.Spoon the tomato mixture over the toasted bread, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Don’t think of these as popsicles, think of them as the perfect summer afternoon snack. Here’s my issue with snacks: they totally fill me up. To the point that I’m not hungry at dinnertime. Yeah, sometimes I think it would be a good thing if I still had my mother around to remind me not to spoil my dinner. I’m not so good at it on my own.

Since my mom lives on the East coast, this is my antidote to the spoiled-dinner conundrum. These pops are refreshing and packed with flavor. But when you get right down to it, they’re mostly water, with just a little juice and sugar added. Definitely not enough to ruin your dinner, but enough to keep you full for an hour or so.

Oh yeah, and they are perfect for a hot summer day. Which LA hasn’t had many of this year, but that won’t stop me from eating these every day this weekend.

BTW – I totally squeeze my limes with a lemon juicer. Don’t judge.

Cucumber-Basil Limeade Popsicles

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This recipe is very easy to adjust based on your own taste. Feel free to play around with the amounts of each ingredient.

2 cups water
2 stalks basil (stems & leaves)
¼ cup sugar
2-3 limes
½ English cucumber, seeded

In a saucepan combine the water, basil and sugar and bring to a boil. Stir frequently until the sugar has dissolved and then remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly and then place entire mixture in an air-tight container and chill, at least 2 hours. (overnight is best)

Meanwhile, grate the cucumber and juice the limes. Remove the basil from the chilled syrup, and slowly add in the lime juice, tasting often.

Fill the popsicle molds ¾ of the way and chill uncovered for about an hour, until they become slushy but are not completely frozen. Top each mold with the grated cucumber and use a knife to distribute it evenly throughout the pop. Add in the popsicle stick and freeze the molds completely.

Not sure if you all recall, but a few months ago a reporter asked Kate Moss what one of her favorite quotes was. She replied with: “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.” Umm…isn’t that hilarious…and sorta sad? I mean, I’m grateful for her honesty. Thank heavens she’s not that skinny while scarfing down hamburgers and fries on a daily basis. I’m glad she came clean about depriving herself of all things awesome.

When I’m really super bored, I sometimes dream about what I would feed her. My first instinct is to whip her up some pancakes. Lots of them. But what I really think would make her to cave in are these Baked Portobello Fries with Basil Aioli.  You see, the word “baked” means they’re healthy.  I think she’d dig that. I mean, I did.

I saw them on a menu at this restaurant across town, but didn’t order them since I wasn’t in the mood for something fried. I was kinda feeling like Kate, so I ordered a whole pizza instead.  I couldn’t stop thinking about them after that night, vowing to drive over there just for them, but it never worked out.  That’s when I decided to take my craving/curiosity into my own hands and make them myself. And boy, am I glad I did.

It’s an easy breezy recipe. And since they’re baked, this means you can eat a bunch and not feel guilty. See! it’s a win-win.

Start with a few portobello mushrooms and slice them up. Grab a bowl, crack a few eggs and beat them. Mix together your bread crumb mixture. Dip the mushroom slices in the beaten eggs.

Then transfer the wet mushroom slices to the plate with the bread crumbs, being sure to coat the entire mushroom.

Place them on a baking dish and bake for 10-15 minutes, check on them at 10 minutes and flipping them so they bake evenly.

While they’re in the oven, make some Basil Aioli. It’s the right thing to do. Just don’t screw it up like I did. See the picture below? I found out that I wasn’t supposed to blend the mayo WITH the basil. Ugh. Sometimes kitchen screw-ups are bound to happen.

Mix the basil, garlic, lemon juice and  salt and pepper in a blender for a bit. Then fold in the mayo.

Even though I botched the directions for the mayo, it was still super awesome. And the Portobello Fries were even more awesome. They were crunchy, a little soft inside, and not at all greasy. And I ate, like, 18 to be exact. Take that, Kate!

Portobello Fries with Basil Aioli

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Portobello Fries inspired by Bottega Louie

Basil Aioli recipe from Orangette

For Portobello Fries:

1/2 cup of bread crumbs (store bought or homemade)

2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese or Pecarino

Pinch of red crushed pepper flakes

1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon of oregano

Salt and Pepper

2 portobellos

2 large eggs, beaten

For Basil Aioli:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

¼ cup packed basil leaves

½ tsp. lemon juice

1 medium garlic clove, pressed

Pinch of salt

½ cup mayonnaise, either homemade or commercial

Directions for Portobello Fries:

Preheat oven to 425˙F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray it with cooking spray.  On a plate, mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, red crushed pepper flakes, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper.  In a small to medium bowl, beat the two large eggs.

Cut the portobello mushrooms into 1/8″ slices.  One by one, dip the portobello slices in the beaten eggs and transfer to the place with the bread crumb mixture, being sure to coat the mushrooms thoroughly.  Place the bread crumb covered mushrooms on the baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, checking on them after 10 and flipping them to ensure thorough baking.

Directions for Basil Aioli:

In the jar of a blender (or a small food processor), combine the olive oil, basil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Process until the mixture is smooth like pesto, pausing every now and then to scrape down the side of the blender jar with a small spatula or knife.

Put the mayonnaise in a small bowl. Add the basil mixture, and stir well to mix.

A few months ago Adrianna and I attended a picnic hosted by fellow LA food blogger Joy the Baker. There were a hay bales on a rooftop. There were cupcakes. There were other fun food bloggers. There was Joy in an adorable pink dress. Overall, it was a good time.

So, when Adrianna and I heard that Joy was now part of On The Lamb, and would be popping up all over LA with more fun events, we got a little excited. When we heard the three lovely ladies would be at the fabulous Surfas, cooking up some strawberry recipes, we were salivating. Strawberries? Surfas? Free Samples? Where do we sign up?

I wish I had some photos of the demo to show you, but to be honest, we were a little too engrossed in what they were cooking to think of anything else, including taking photos. That, and we were a bit distracted by the woman next to us who thought it appropriate to talk on her cell phone during the demo. To the woman next to us – you were very nice, but please don’t distract me from the culinary goodness going on next time, okay? It might get ugly.

Despite unavoidable distractions, we still took a lot away from this demo. First off, I learned how to properly remove the top of a strawberry. See, you use a paring knife to simply cut out the white part, leaving all of the juicy red berry behind. I know, right? Simple things just seem like magic to me.

I learned how to make basil syrup. If you never try this drink, you should still make this syrup. It rocks my socks like no other. I put this stuff in my strawberry cocktails, my green iced tea, and in this really cute jar. All of these events brought me immense joy.

And of course, I learned how to make this drink. It’s refreshing, fruity and just barely sweet. Since the event was family friendly the version that we sampled was made with sparkling water, but I swapped that out for Prosecco and oh my lord, is this stuff good. Truly, I have no words. Except, thank you. Thanks On The Lamb, I’m definitely a big fan.

Strawberry Balsamic Basil Cocktail

Adapted from recipe by Whitney Adams of On The Lamb

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This recipe is very easy to customize based on your taste. If you prefer a stronger flavor of strawberry, basil or balsamic vinegar, feel free to play around with the amounts that you use. Also, the original recipe used Agave syrup, and I substituted sugar, so feel free to go either way. I promise, it will still taste good.

1 – 1 ½ cups chopped strawberries
1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
750 ml Prosecco sparkling wine or 3 cups sparkling water

Basil Syrup
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
4-5 basil stems
½ cup minced basil

To make the syrup, combine the sugar, water and basil stems in a small saucepan. Stirring frequently, bring the mixture to a simmer for about a minute, and then remove from heat. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then remove stems and add minced basil. Place in a jar or other airtight container and allow to cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours (overnight is best).

In a food processor combine the strawberries and balsamic vinegar and blend into a puree. In pitcher, combine chilled basil syrup and balsamic puree. Add in Prosecco and stir well before pouring into glasses. Serve over ice (preferably crushed).