Author Archives: Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide

About Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide

This blog attempts to collect some of the things I try to create with food and booze. Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I fail. My hope is to entertain and maybe help people think a little harder about what they decide to eat and drink.

Mussels and Using Up Leftovers

Posted on 05/24/2013

With spring here so are fresh fava beans. After they are shelled though what to do with all the pods? Normally I make a vegetable stock. Then I thought why not use them like other beans. Of course you can … Continue reading →

Posted in Dinner, Food, Italian, Recipes, Seafood | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Redneck Riviera Sunset

Posted on 05/23/2013

We always like to see what Shaun the Bartender is shaking up over at Your Home with Karie Engels. This drink was inspired by his Caribbean Sunset. We made ours less sweet, replacing the sodas with sparkling water. But it … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Recipes, Spirits | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

Trimming Garlic Scapes and Plucking Flowers

Posted on 05/22/2013

The first of the garlic scapes have begun to sprout out and I cannot wait to cook them up. Scapes are the shoots that come out of the center of a garlic plant signaling the garlic will soon be ready … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden, How to, vegetarian | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

To Shell or Not to Shell

Posted on 05/21/2013

Nothing says spring like fresh fava beans. I love these things so much that this winter they are going to be an addition to the garden. Before I get to the delicious risotto in the photo though there is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Dinner, Food, Garden, Italian, Recipes, Rice/Risotto, vegetarian | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Maple-spiced Strawberry Pancakes

Posted on 05/20/2013

Strawberry week is officially over, but we had one more recipe to get out of our system. This is such a simple way to put a spring spin on pancakes. Strawberry-spiced Pancakes 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup whole wheat … Continue reading →

Posted in Breakfast, Food, Recipes | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

Fresh Strawberry Tart

Posted on 05/19/2013

We’ll be back with Sunday Suppers next week. We wanted to finish out the week with one more strawberry recipe. Fresh Strawberry Tart For Crust 1 cup all-purpose flour 3 tbsp powdered sugar 1/4 tsp salt 8 tbsp chilled butter … Continue reading →

Posted in Dessert, Food, Recipes | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

Strawberry Jam with Rosemary and Balsamic

Posted on 05/18/2013

This year I decided to change up the strawberry jam recipe again by adding rosemary instead of cinnamon. To offset the flavor of the herb and increase the sweetness I added balsamic vinegar. The result turned out very good, with … Continue reading →

Posted in Appetizers, Dessert, Food, Recipes, Things in Jars | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

Strawberries and Booze Part 2

Posted on 05/17/2013

If there’s a part one, a part two should follow… Don’t confuse these with a strawberry mojito, although the leftover juice is good enough to drink. This recipe makes use of our ample supply of fresh mint. Eat these by … Continue reading →

Posted in Dessert, Food, Recipes, Spirits | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Strawberries and Booze Part 1

Posted on 05/16/2013

Hey we do have Spirits in our title and it is Wednesday, so let’s get to it. Strawberry Shooters 1 pint strawberries 1 package gelatin 1/3 cup water 1/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup vanilla vodka 2 ounces Chambord Wash and … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Recipes, Spirits | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Chocolate and Strawberry Combos

Posted on 05/15/2013

The bubbly is optional, dental floss is not. Chocolate-Filled Strawberries 20 medium strawberries 4 ounces dark chocolate 2 tbsp finely chopped almonds 1.5 tbsp butter 1 tbsp Amaretto Wash and hull strawberries. Scoop out about a teaspoon of the top, … Continue reading →

Posted in Appetizers, Dessert, Food, Recipes, vegetarian | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments