So long 2012…and a big hello to 2013!
This year has flown by so quickly! It’s been a whirlwind of a year with lots of d’lish experiences, client trips and new friends. I’m looking forward to the New Year and know it’s going to be great! In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek of what I’ve been up to since my last Newsletter.
Tasty Travels – I LOVE the Philippines!
Maraming salamat po, Philippines! (A very formal way of saying “thank you” in Tagalog)
I recently got back from opening the new Fairmont and Raffles hotels in Makati, Philippines with my Liquid Kitchen associate Dänny Ronen. What a great trip! Lots and lots of hard work but it all pays off to see these amazing hotels open with such a bang. I can’t even describe how amazing the crew was from the fabulous management team to the enthusiastic bar staff.
We trained over 35 people and did the menus for 7 different venues, created d’lish drinks such as the Panutsa Old Fashioned, made with housemade syrup that we crafted from local sugar—dark, rich and formed into coconut halves. Another great favorite was the Pineda Mojito, inspired from Journey’s Arnel Pineda and made with local mandarin, Thai basil, fresh mint and rum. The bars all opened with a bang and were really busy. The Pacquiao Punch is of course very popular, honoring the famous Filipino boxer and using the delicious local Don Papa Makati Rum then topped off at the table with a grating of locally-grown cinnamon sticks. They are HUGE!
The Pineda Mojito and the Pacquiao Punch… I told you the cinnamon sticks were huge!
A quick photo during my meeting with the amazing Food & Beverage team:
Anna Derygo & Joern Schwaiger of Fairmont Makati – Raffles!
The Fresh Bar Display at the Fairmont Lounge
The lemongrass was pretty big and very flavorful;
big enough for Dänny to hide and peek through!
Our eager students at the Raffles Long Bar
Between developing all the beverage menus and setting up the bars for both hotels, we tried to squeeze in some fun… from $8 massages (Yes! Spa junkies take note … and they were open till 4 AM!!) to the most amazing shopping ever at the big market, to attending Savoroso Inc.’s (local Monin Importers) family party—we had a blast! The Filipino people are so hospitable and love to party as well as make new friends!
We even had enough time for a quick stop at the mall for an old fashioned shave and haircut for Dänny while I was off to cruise around and check out the local sips and nibbles. My fave was Happy Lemon—a little drink
kiosk that is found in most of the local malls. They had the weirdest things on
the menu, so of course I had to order the strangest thing I saw…
…Green Tea topped with “Cheese” and Rock Salt and then sprinkled with Matcha powder!
It was really good – I swear!!
Then it was back to work. During my stay, I met some great chefs like the BBQ Chef at the Fairmont. Check out his amazing pre- and post- work:
The BBQ Chef (before and after): a master at suckling pig and crispy duck!
We did squeeze in some visits to local bars too! Here are our new local friends Tina and Brady with us at the Ice Bar. Yes, we had a couple of shots while wearing our parkas in the ice room.
Me, Tina, Brady and Dänny doing ice shots in our fur coats… while it was 85 degrees outside… (with 100% humidity) so, the chill felt great!
The Savoroso team were amazing hosts on our days off; Mel & Sheila Macatulad and their daughter Danica made us feel like family. They invited us over to a family party (which they have every Sunday) and family members all made traditional Filipino foods from a ceviche-like dish made with white fish and coconut milk to lots of pork dishes, and one of my favorites: local ferns lightly sautéed with shrimp! Oh and did I mention the fresh guyabano juice? Yum! They made us feel right at home.
Local ferns with shrimp and fresh squeezed guyabano juice!
Dinner with the Macatulad family and Anna from the Fairmont!
Then it was back to the US…
…to a bit more travel then to finish out the holidays back at home. Stay tuned for my next newsletter all about my delicious holiday trip to Portland!
Serious Sippin’ with the Liquid KitchenTM
During the holiday season and in the spirit of giving, my team and I love to give back to the community when we can. During my far-off travels, my team helped shake up a signature Liquid Kitchen cocktail for the annual Silver Bells Luncheon in November! Proceeds from this event went to help the Providence Senior and Community Services, supporting those in need through healthcare, housing and hospice. It was a fun event, which included a hip fashion show and great prizes!
If you are a cocktail enthusiast then make sure you try my winter-themed cocktails using PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur! The Blinker #3 is a rift on the Golden Era drink: rye whisky, fresh grapefruit juice and traditionally made with grenadine (originally made from pomegranate juice), but I made it with PAMA, a sophisticated full-flavored liqueur. Or how about a Sparkling PAMA’Rita, with a splash of bubbly—it’s a great cocktail for all kinds of celebrations.
My Sparkling PAMA’Rita!
Tasty Reads
Need some extra help with winter entertaining for 2013? Check out my drink recipes in the Kroger Family of Stores’ My Magazine Extras! It’s free to download and works great on most tablet devices (iPad, Android, Kindle Fire). It’s full of easy entertaining ideas, homemade gift tips and of course lots of cocktail recipes. You can also view the online version here.
Here’s a sneak peak of my Manhattan
with Spiced & Spiked Cherries cocktail on the Kroger app!
For even more tips and recipes, check out my recent guest article in the Seattle Times. I shared my tips and recipes for do-ahead appetizers and desserts and also dished them up on a recent segment on New Day Northwest ! How about Lemon Grass Chicken Meatballs With Sassy Peanut Sauce for your next get together? Or treat yourself and your guests to Pumpkin Panna Cotta with Ale Caramel & Sea Salt? For more great ideas, make sure to grab a copy of my Sips & Apps – now available in a digital format!
My Overnight Rosemary Ham & White Cheddar Strata Bites and
Warm Orange & Pistachio Bittersweet Chocolate Cakes ‘In A Jar’ With Orange Cream! YUM!
D’Lish Deviled Eggs – My New Cookbook will be on Shelves Soon!
I’m so excited about my new cookbook D’Lish Deviled Eggs due out in February 2013. This is my 10th cookbook, and it’s all about the time-honored classic appetizer and my d’lish takes on it. I have wanted to write this book for years and am thrilled to finally put my love of deviled eggs into print. Pre-orders can now be made on Amazon. With over 50 recipes, there is sure to be a favorite for everyone in this book!
Top Chef: Seattle!
This season’s episodes of Bravo’s Top Chef are well underway! We were lucky enough to have the Top Chef production team meet with us and scout my Food Studios… but alas their cast and crew are a lot bigger than my space could fit! So we were thrilled when the show producers invited John and I to be guests of the Canlis episode, where John had a fun cameo appearance! For the show premier episode at the EMP, my crew and I had a blast seeing the chef contestants earn their spots to Seattle and it’s been exciting over the weeks to watch farmer friends to chefs show up in the different episodes. I can’t wait to see who the winner will be!
Erwin, John, me, and Jess at the Top Chef: Seattle season premier event!
————————————-
If you love eating and drinking as well as fun dining hot spots and all things D’Lish, be sure to join me at Dishing with Kathy Casey on KOMO News Radio then check my companion blog with all the corresponding recipes and tips.
And if you live in or plan on visiting the Pacific Northwest, make sure to check out Sip Northwest Magazine (available at my Dish D’Lish airport locations).
I hope you enjoyed my quick recap of the last few months. Here’s wishing you all a wonderful new year filled with joy and delicious adventures! –Kathy
————————————-
Follow on Twitter @KathyCaseyChef. Blogging: Dishing with Kathy Casey.
Like on Facebook: Sips & Apps and Kathy Casey’s Liquid Kitchen.
Watch: www.LiquidKitchen.tv.
If you haven’t signed up for my Newsletter, you can sign up here.
