Tag: happy hour

Devil’s Advocate

Deviled eggs are the ultimate in classy party food. With the air of high society and the accessibility of middle class, they’re just fancy enough to pass through both worlds with equal esteem. Popularized in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they possess a certain retro chic while remaining a timeless staple. Hosts so well equipped as to own designated deviled egg trays, dimpled with indents specifically designed to cradle the elegant halves, clearly have it together.

The Devil That You Know

For all their enduring charm, deviled eggs are ripe for reinvention. This holiday season, I’d invite you to go one step further than crafting a vegan version. Lean into vintage cocktail kitsch and a healthy dose of playful absurdity with Deviled Eggnog Jello Shots; a boozy, bite-sized tribute to tradition with a twist. Surprisingly sweet for their savory appearance, they’re the kind of festive fun that keeps guests talking long after the last toast.

Sweet, Spiked, and Surprisingly Light

Much lighter than the conventional mug of heavy cream and whole eggs, these delicate, jiggly bites could be considered a smart approach to portion control, not to mention a far healthier alternative to the former cholesterol bomb. Airy egg whites made from vegan nog, spiked with light rum for a gentle buzz, become the convincing cushion to golden turmeric-infused coconut whipped cream. The effect is complete, and completely convincing, especially when sprinkled with a touch of ground nutmeg to garnish.

Achieving Egg-celence

Before you ask, yes, it’s worth investing in an egg-shaped silicone mold. If not for this treat, consider all the other egg-centric events when it will come in handy. Sure, you can use regular old plastic shot cups, but how many opportunities do you have to go all-out? Celebrate Christmas to the fullest, treat your friends and family to a slightly eccentric sweet surprise, and indulge in a new way to nog!

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Hannah (BitterSweet)6 Comments

Bloody Good Soup

One could argue, without any difficulty, that a classically mixed Bloody Mary is a soup. Sure, the notable addition of vodka may give pause, but who said that soups were defined by their sobriety? Soup is merely defined as a “liquid food,” which also means that perhaps smoothies and milkshakes could be included in the category. A Bloody Mary, though, already has the basic vegetal building blocks of a cozy tomato soup, lightened and lengthened with chilled spirits, like a tipsy gazpacho served in a glass. Honestly, that sounds pretty good, too.

But I digress. We’re talking about the Bloody Mary here; robust and highly seasoned, often spiked with Worcestershire, Tabasco, and plenty of black pepper, at least. It wouldn’t take much at all to make that into a meal. Hell, you could just heat up the foundational mix and call it a day, but we can do better. Taking a page from classic tomato soup, it’s not a radical departure from tradition, which is a large part of its charm. Just layer in some caramelized onions, cook up the celery instead of saving it for a garnish, and add a bit more vegan bacon for that all-important protein, and now it’s looking like a proper bowl of soup.

We can’t leave garnishes out of the picture, though. They’re almost more essential to the Bloody Mary than the vodka itself. On that note, I chose to add my vodka towards the end, rather than let it cook out, because it should live up to the name, right? You could add it earlier on in the cooking process, along with the vegetable stock, to make this more family friendly, if you absolutely had to.

Happy hour and dinnertime often overlap, so why not cut to the chase and make both count? If it’s too hard to get past the idea of Bloody Mary soup being different from the original cocktail, then just think of it like a surprisingly relaxing, mildly intoxicating tomato soup, and you won’t be disappointed.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)10 Comments