Who needs delivery? Quick & Easy Pizza at Home

Inspired by the current incredible deal on a Personalized Bamboo Pizza Board (makes a great gift now just $30) currently available on Lybations.com, we thought we'd share our favorite quick & easy pizza dough recipe you can make anytime. 

What you need:

• 1 package active dry yeast (.25 ounce)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 1/2 to 2 2/3 cups bread flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (EVOO)

Directions:
Combine yeast packet and warm water in a bowl. Let it activate and set for 5-10 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. Let it rest in the bowl for 10-15 minutes and then knead out on a floured surface until smooth and elastic without clumps. Roll out onto well-floured flat surface and with more olive oil, coat the edges for a crispy crust. Add sauce, cheese and anything combination of ingredients you choose. We love a good Greek with spinach, feta, pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes. 

eyeball highball

Halloween is the one time of year when the grotesque, gruesome, and horrifying are worth aspiring to. Take the opportunity to express your holiday spirit with just the sort of drink Dr. Frankenstein might have enjoyed during cocktail hour. With medium-size radishes and olives, you can create creepy ice cubes that appear to contain eyeballs -- ideal for a macabre martini on the rocks or in a ghastly glass of flavored seltzer for your young ghouls-in-training.

Trim the stem and root ends of a radish (make sure it's small enough to fit the individual section of an ice-cube tray), and use a paring knife to scrape off most of the red skin. Leave just enough red to give the radish a veined appearance. Rinse the radish off, and use a small melon baller to cut 1/2-inch-diameter hole into the radish. Fit an olive, cut side out, into the hole, and place the radish in the ice-cube tray. Repeat this process until the tray is full, then pour water over the eyeballs, and freeze.

sultry lavender smoked margarita. check.

 

Smoked Lavender Margaritas

• 4 ounces of silver tequila
• 1 ounce Cointreau
• The juice of two limes and Ice
• 2 pinches of smoked salt
• 2 ounces of lavender syrup

To make the lavender syrup, boil a cup of water with a cup of sugar, 3 tablespoons of lavender flowers, and a strip of lemon peel. (The acid in the lemon peel helps preserve the colour of the flowers). Reduce to low heat and simmer for twenty minutes. Taste the syrup, you may want to add more flowers and simmer longer. Strain the flowers out.

To make the Margaritas, nearly fill the pitcher of a blender with ice, add all of the other ingredients, and blend until smooth. Taste for salt, lavender and lime, adding more if necessary to balance the flavours. Pour into chilled glasses rimmed with smoked salt.

Cheers!

tasting notes for the whiskey newbie

Irish whiskey has been increasing in popularity since the late 90’s. If you have never tried a good Irish whiskey there is probably no better time than the next couple of days. Over the weekend there will be several local bars offering ridiculous Irish whiskey specials. To get started we offer some tasting notes on a few of our favorite Irish whiskies.

Clontarf Classic Blend – This blended whiskey is a great place to start. It has a milder flavor up front with just enough bite and body at the end and is generally priced mildly as well.

Redbreast 12 Year Old Pure Pot Still Whiskey – Without a doubt my favorite Irish whiskey at its price point. Redbreast is known for its musky nose, smooth texture and light finish.

Bushmills 10 Year Old Single Malt Whiskey – A delicious flavor for a whiskey on the younger side, Bushmills single malt offers a contrast between bright acidity and sweet barley.  

Jameson 18 Year Old Limited Reserve – Going from 10-year whiskey to 18-year whiskey causes a noticeable jump in price. But also offers a noticeable jump in flavor, incorporating sweet nutty notes with a velvety texture.

In Ireland, whiskies like these are commonly referred to as “moreish”, meaning that one leaves you wanting more. My research has confirmed this. I think that these Irish whiskies are quite a refined group of hooligans, sure to impress your drinking companions, but with just enough bite to keep you on your toes.  Cheers!

DIY custom salt & sugar

We just discovered the easiest way to give your cocktails (or any other beverage) a custom look with either colored salt or sugar. If you like to add either to the rim of the glass, this project couldn't be easier.

What You'll Need

• Sugar or Salt
• Air tight container
• Food Coloring

Simply pour in the amount you think you need into the air tight container. Add a few drops of food coloring, snap on the lid and shake. If you want a richer color just add a few more drops and shake again. Simple and easy way to customize your margaritas or martinis.