Double Cross Vodka Fall Cocktails

 I am always looking for some new cocktail recipes to try out so when I opened up my email and found these fall cocktail recipes using Double Cross Vodka I was intrigued. I have never heard of Double Cross Vodka but love finding out about new drinks to add to my bar collection. Double Cross vodka is a Slovakian vodka made with state grown winter wheat and 100% Tatra mountain spring water. 

You can find it at  your local Total Wine & More store for approximately $24, not a bad price. Now for the recipes...

The 1773

2 oz. Double Cross Vodka
.25 oz. Luxardo Amaro Abano
.75 oz. Earl Gray Tea Syrup
.75 oz. Lemon Juice
1 Egg White

Combine all ingredients and shake with ice. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with black pepper and a lemon twist. This sounds delicious, and it contains Earl Gray tea syrup! My kind of drink!

The Lakeside

1.5 oz. Double Cross Vodka
1 oz. Dubonnet Blanc
1 oz. Blanc Vermouth
1 Dash Orange Bitters

Combine all ingredients and strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with an orange twist. Enjoy!

I am looking forward to purchasing a bottle of Double Cross and trying out these new cocktails when Chris gets home. You can find some more cocktail recipes here. 

These recipes are not my own. They are being shared with permission from the PR agency representing Double Cross vodka. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by  anyone.

Chili Garlic Shrimp Stirfry

 

Chili Garlic Shrimp Stirfry 

2 lb. peeled and deveined Shrimp
2 tbs. Oyster sauce
1 tbs. Honey 
2 tbs. Chili Garlic Sauce, this stuff ---->

3 tbs. Butter

About 10 garlic cloves, minced

1tbs. Rice wine vinegar

3 Green onion, chopped

Handful of cilantro, chopped

Lime cut into wedges

In a small bowl mix oyster sauce, honey and chili garlic and set aside. Heat a large skillet or wok over med high heat and add butter. Add garlic and cook for about a minute, don't let burn. Add shrimp and mix together. Add rice wine and deglaze pan. Pour sauce from bowl and mix everything together well and turn heat off. Toss in chipped green onion and cilantro and serve with lime wedge. You can serve over rice as I did. 

Restaurant Review: Toast

 As someone who enjoys eating out it feels like an eternity since I last enjoyed a meal inside a restaurant. In fact one of the last restaurants I ate inside was Toast in Temecula. The very next day they shut down indoor dining for Riverside county, and they have yet to reopen. Restaurants are still open for outdoor seating, but who wants to sit in 100+ degree weather and eat? That, is not enjoyable. 

Toast  is the sister restaurant of 1909 in old town Temecula. They are open for breakfast and lunch and cocktails, if you like your cocktails before 3pm. I have eaten there several times so I am not sure why I have yet to post about it. Here are some of the tasty creations you can enjoy at Toast:

Avocado Toast with fresh avocado, watermelon radish, quail egg, grape tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts and queso fresco. All on top of squaw bread with a drizzle of sundried tomato oil. Yum!

Lox and Loaded with cured salmon, dill spread, capers, red onion, spinach and tomato and a bagel. The bagel could use a little extra toasting but, delicious.  

Breakfast Fries topped with carnitas, Peruvian sweet peppers, fried onions, béchamel cheese, pico de gallo, cilantro and 2 fried eggs. Indulge! 

Chilaquiles Verdes made with pork chile verde, queso fresco, pickled red onions, line crema and topped with two fried eggs. These are good but could sue a little more green sauce and I like some melted cheesy goodness on my Chilaquiles. 

Ahi Poke Bowl served with avocado, watermelon radish, cucumber, edamame, red onion, shallots, piquillo peppers, jalapeno, cilantro, furikake and Korean sauce. All on top of some steamed white rice. Pretty and appetizing. 

These are just a few of the meals you can enjoy alongside a beer, glass of wine, blood mary, a mimosa flight, signature cocktail or one of their coffee creations. In the mood for a beer at 10am? Why not order a beer and bacon flight? It's okay as long as you are eating some breakfast with it, and besides, I think we have all officially come to the conclusion that due to our current state, alcohol is perfectly acceptable... at any hour.  

Toast is currently open for outdoor dining but go early, they are always packed, and you want to try and avoid the heat. You can also order take out, but let's admit it, it's not the same. As for me I am looking forward to when we are allowed to partake in air conditioned meals again. I've been wanting to try the Radical Stack. 

Toast

31093 Temecula Parkway d6

Temecula, CA 92592

951-252-2500

 

Pepper Relish

 

I was looking through one of my cookbooks the other day and spotted a recipe for Jalapeno Relish. I decided to try a variation of it with what I had on hand. It turned our pretty good! 

Pepper Relish 

6 large Jalapenos, chopped with seeds removed

6 Serrano peppers, chopped with seeds removed

1 Roma tomato, chopped

4 green onions, chopped

3 Garlic cloves, chopped

Small handful of Cilantro, chopped

1/4 tsp. Cumin

1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. lime juice

Salt to taste

Put all ingredients into a food processer until finely minced. Add salt to your liking. Put into a container and store in the refrigerator for approximately a month. I had small half-pint jars and was able to fill three. This would taste great on hotdogs, especially bacon wrapped dogs!

Crawfish Mac and Cheese

 

Crawfish Mac and Cheese

1 lb. Macaroni 

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese'

1 cup Cheddar cheese

6 slices of Pancetta chopped

2 cups Crawfish tails

2 Green onions chopped

1 tbs. Butter

2 tbs. Flour

1 cup Heavy cream

Cajun seasoning

Salt

Boil macaroni until al dente and drain. In a large pot fry the pancetta until just crisped. Add the butter and melt. Add the green onions and cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and mix for 1 minute. Add cream, Cajun seasoning to taste and stir till cream starts to barely thicken up. Add the crawfish tails and stir for about 3 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted and everything has formed into a thick sauce. Add the cooked pasta and half of the bacon. Stir till the pasta is well coated. Put everything in a casserole dish or baking pan and top with remaining pancetta. You can also add some more chopped green onions and cheese to the top if you would like. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes at 425.  

French Bread

Kitchen Aid French Bread

1 Packet Active Dry Yeast
1 Cup of Warm Water
1 1/2 tsp Sugar
2 1/2 Cups of Flour
Egg Wash ( 1 Egg White mixed with a little Water)

Add water, yeast, sugar and salt to your mixing bowl. Using your dough hook stir until yeast is dissolved. Add flour and mix on low for a couple of minutes, increase speed to medium and continue to mix for another 10 minutes or so. Leave dough in bowl and cover for about an hour and a half  letting it rise at room temperature. Flour your working surface and your hands and lay dough out and form into a loaf. (It will look small but will get bigger as it cooks in the oven.) Cut several slits along the top of the loaf with a knife and then brush entire loaf with your egg wash to get that nice color and shine. Make sure you lightly grease your baking pan before putting your loaf on it so that it does not stick. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes until nice and golden brown. Eat warm with butter. Yum!

Naughty Pig

If you live in or around the Temecula area Naughty Pig Butchery & encased Meats is the place to go to for your carnivorous needs. They carry a carefully selected collection coming from vendors known for all natural, no additives, no hormones, and no chemical meats.

They have a variety of house made sausages that are really yummy and perfect for on the grill.

In addition they carry wild caught and sustainable seafood from Santa Monica Seafood.

It's best to get to one of their locations early for more choices. The photos above are from their Murrieta location and were taken quite a bit ago. They also have a location in Temecula and now have an entire selection devoted to house made charcuterie. In addition you can find some gourmet items from local and small purveyors.

You can also grab a sandwich made to order during your visit.

I would opt for the Sonny's Revenge made with Italian meats and cheese with a pesto aioli on a toasted ciabatta bun. Yum! The weathers been nice here in the Inland Valley, time to get the grill out and enjoy some al fresco dining with Naughty Pig.

Naughty Pig Butchery & Encased Meats
25359 Madison Avenue
Murrieta, CA 92562
951-677-1372

28780 Old Town Front St. 
Temecula, CA 92590
951-587-0282