Happy Holidays!

Cosmo, please?

A Cosmopolitan is a cocktail made with vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice, and lime juice. Informally referred to as a Cosmo, the Cosmopolitan is usually served in a cocktail glass. For this reason it is often erroneously categorized as a martini because martinis are also served in cocktail glasses. Some variations call for Rose's lime cordial or sour mix instead of lime juice, and triple sec instead of Cointreau.

The Cosmopolitan first gained noted popularity in the 1990s, and was further popularized among young women by its frequent mention on the the television program "Sex and the City".


* Cosmopolitan Cocktail recipe

1 oz vodka
1/2 oz triple sec
1/2 oz Rose's® lime juice
1/2 oz cranberry juice

Shake vodka, triple sec, lime and cranberry juice vigorously in a shaker with ice. Strain into a martini glass, garnish with a lime wedge on the rim, and serve.


* Strawberry Cosmopolitan recipe

2 - 4 fresh strawberries
1 oz Cointreau® orange liqueur
1/4 oz fresh lime juice
1 1/2 oz citrus vodka

Muddle the cointreau and lime juice with all but one half of the strawberries in the bottom of a mixing glass. Add vodka and ice, shake well, and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with the reserved strawberry half, and serve.


* Tequila Cosmo recipe

1 1/2 oz Nacional® silver tequila
1 oz triple sec
1 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz cranberry juice
1 splash lime juice

Shake tequila, triple sec, fresh lime juice and cranberry juice together with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a whiskey sour glass and squeeze a further wedge of lime on top. Discard lime, and serve.


Night out...better try this fabulous drink. Find more recipes at drinksmixer.com

Thanks carrie bradshaw, drinkmixer and corbis

Let's Salsa

In Spanish or Italian, salsa can refer to any type of sauce, but in English it usually refers to the spicy, often tomato-based sauces typical of Mexican cuisine, particularly those used as dips.


* Fresh Tomato Salsa

2-3 medium sized fresh tomatoes (from 1 lb to 1 1/2 lb), stems removed, finely diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeño chili pepper (stems, ribs, seeds removed), finely diced
1 serano chili pepper (stems, ribs, seeds removed), finely diced
Juice of one lime
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: oregano and or cumin to taste

Start with chopping up 2 medium sized fresh tomatoes. Prepare the chilies. Be very careful while handling these hot peppers. If you can, avoid touching them with your hands. Use a fork to cut up the chilies over a small plate, or use a paper towel to protect your hands. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water after handling and avoid touching your eyes for several hours. Set aside some of the seeds from the peppers. If the salsa isn't hot enough, you can add a few for heat.

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Taste. If the chilies make the salsa too hot, add some more chopped tomato. If not hot enough, carefully add a few of the seeds from the chilies, or add some ground cumin.


* Simple Salsa

1 28-oz can whole tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted (Muir Glen makes an excellent product.)
1 7-oz can green chiles, chopped (or one large 6 inch or two smaller anaheim chiles, roasted under a broiler or directly on a gas stove burner so that the outer skin has completely blackened. Put into a brown paper bag for a few minutes after roasting to loosen the blackened skin. Remove and discard the blackened skin. Remove the stem, seeds, and ribs. Chop.)
1 clove of garlic, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 green onions (scallions), chopped, including the green parts (about 1/3 cup)
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (can supplement with fresh)
1/4 cup of very loosely packed fresh chopped cilantro
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Remove just the tomatoes from the can of whole tomatoes, place in a medium sized non-reactive mixing bowl. Using your fingers, or a fork and a sharp small knife, shred or break up the tomatoes. Mix in chopped green chiles, green onions, garlic (or garlic salt), olive oil and vinegar. Add back in about 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce from the can of whole tomatoes. Sprinkle on about 1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano. Mix in and taste. Adjust if needed. Add cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate when not using. Will keep several days.


* Fruit Salsa

2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
8 ounces raspberries
1 pound strawberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.


* Spicy Fruit Salsa

5 kiwis, peeled and diced
1 quart strawberries, finely chopped
1 pint fresh blackberries, chopped
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and coarsely shredded
2 tablespoons any flavor fruit jelly
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons habanero hot sauce
1 7 ounce can green salsa
1/3 cup lime juice

Place kiwis, strawberries, blackberries, and apples in a bowl. Stir in jelly, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, green salsa, and lime juice. Stir together.


* Avocado, Tomato and Mango Salsa


1 mango - peeled, seeded and diced
1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced
4 medium tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped red onion
3 tablespoons olive oil

In a medium bowl, combine the mango, avocado, tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro, and garlic. Stir in the salt, lime juice, red onion, and olive oil. To blend the flavors, refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving.


* Sour Cherry Salsa

2 ¼ cups fresh or frozen pitted sour cherries (¾ pound)
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion (½ small)
1 large fresh jalapeño chile, finely chopped, including seeds (1 ½ teaspoons)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro
½ teaspoons salt

If using fresh cherries, coarsely chop, then site together with sugar in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. If using frozen cherries, thaw in a small bowl, reserving any juices in bowl, then coarsely chop and stir together with sugar in same bowl. Stir in onion, jalapeño, lime juice, cilantro, and salt and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes for flavors to develop.


Most of the recipes today are going well with grilled dish. Bon Appetite!

Thanks allrecipes, simply recipes, clay's kitchen and corbis