Tonga Punch Cocktail Recipe

Today I've got the recipe for another cocktail from Trader Vic's Tiki Party! - the Tonga Punch. This drink is one of my mom's favorites - it's very citrusy and tasty. 

Ingredients:

• 2 oz silver rum
• 1 1/2 oz orange juice
• 3/4 lemon juice
• 1/2 oz orange curaçao
• 1/4 oz grenadine
• 1/4 lime juice
• 1 cup crushed ice

 Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously.

Serve in a tiki mug or your glass of choice. Enjoy!

Mai Tai Cocktail Recipe

Today I'm sharing the recipe for one of the most classic tropical cocktails - the Mai Tai! Both Victor Bergeron (Trader Vic) and Don the Beachcomber claim to have invented the Mai Tai, and their recipes are different. But neither one is the sweet mix of pineapple juice and grenadine that you find in a lot of bars/restaurants - it's not a drink you want to order unless you know the place you're going makes a good one. I'm sharing the original Trader Vic's recipe from Trader Vic's Tiki Party!. 

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Jamaican rum
• We've used Myers Dark Jamaican rum, which makes a tasty Mai Tai, but our current preferred choice is Appleton Estate's Signature Blend. 
• Juice of one large lime (1 oz)
• 1/2 oz orange curaçao
• 1/2 oz orgeat
• 1/4 oz simple syrup
• 1 cup crushed ice

 Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously.

Serve in a tiki mug or your glass of choice. Enjoy!

Blackened Catfish

I love Cajun-style blackened fish - it is so good! So I was really excited to get to make it myself. We used the recipe for blackened redfish from the Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen cookbook, except we used catfish fillets instead.

It turned out really tasty, and I'm looking forward to making it again.  

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter
• 4 8-10 oz. catfish fillets
• Seasoning Mix:
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 2 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
• 3/4 tsp. white pepper
• 3/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves 

Yield: 4 servings

Melt the butter in a skillet.

Pour 2 tbsp. of melted butter into 4 small cups. Set aside and keep warm.  Reserve the remaining butter in its skillet. 

Thoroughly combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl. 

Dip each fillet in the reserved melted butter so that both sides are well coated.

Sprinkle the seasoning mix generously and evenly on both sides of the fillets, patting it in by hand.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over very high heat until it is beyond the smoking stage and you can see white ash in the skillet bottom (the skillet cannot be too hot), at least 10 minutes. We did this outside on the grill - it can get a lot hotter than our stove and that way we wouldn't have to deal with the smoke in the house. 

Place the fillet in the hot skillet and pour 1 tsp. melted butter on top of each fillet. Be careful since the butter will probably flame up.

Cook, uncovered, over the same high heat until the underside looks charred, about 2 minutes (the time can vary depending on the heat of the skillet and the fillet's thickness).

Turn the fish over, and again pour 1 tsp. melted butter on top and cook until the fish is done (about 2 minutes more).  

Pour the 2 tbsp. of melted butter your set aside in the small cups earlier over the fillets and serve while hot!

Enjoy!

Maple Pecan Cupcakes

I've kind of neglected this blog, but I'm going to try to get back to posting some more recipes - starting tonight with these maple pecan cupcakes. I made these a couple months ago, and they were a big hit.

I used the Mock Maple Nut Cake recipe from Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book and modified the buttercream icing recipe from The Wilton School's Decorating Cakes.

Ingredients:

• Cupcakes
• 2 1/2 tbsp. butter
• 2 1/2 tbsp. shortening 
• 3/4 cup, 3 tbsp. sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 5/8 cup milk
• 1 tsp. maple flavoring
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans 
• Frosting
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tsp. maple flavoring
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 tbsp. milk
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Yield: 12 cupcakes.

To make the cupcakes, cream the butter, shortening, and sugar together until fluffy.

Beat in the egg.

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Mix thoroughly.

Slowly add in the milk and maple flavoring.

Mix in the chopped pecans. 

Place cupcake liners in a muffin tin and pour the batter into them until each liner is about half full.

Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Remove from the muffin tins and allow the cupcakes to cool while you get to work on the frosting.

To make the frosting, cream the butter and shortening in a mixer.  Add the maple flavoring.

Gradually add the confectioner's sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well on medium speed.   

Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl when needed. The icing should appear dry.

Add the milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. 

Now you're ready to frost your cupcakes!

Spread the maple frosting on the cupcakes - use a frosting spatula if you have one or you can even just use a butter knife. 

Now add the chopped pecans to the top of the cupcakes.

And enjoy!

Cream Style Corn

If you know me, you know I'm not a big fan of vegetables. But one vegetable I love is corn (and yes, I know it is a "starch" and not a green vegetable, but it is one of the few veggies of any kind I actually like).

I love that summer means fresh corn. My two favorite ways to eat it are on the cob and making cream style corn, so today I'm sharing how to do that.

Ingredients:

• 8 ears of corn 
• Bacon fat
• Water
• Butter 
• Salt 
• Pepper

Yield: 4 servings

Cut the corn off the ears, scraping the ears with a knife.

Cover a skillet bottom with bacon fat.

Heat to medium heat and add the corn and corn liquid.

When it thickens, add water.

Simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour.

When done, add butter, salt, and pepper to taste.

This makes a delicious side dish - we recently had it with BBQ chicken and it was so good!