Shoes & Cocktails

Favorite flats

Posted on January 8, 2010 by msshoescocktails | 1 comment

Ms. S&C has been busy, busy, busy getting ready for her biggest work event of the year. It is one of those all-consuming — yet somewhat exhilarating — work periods. I’m reminding myself about work things in the shower. I’m thinking about new ideas walking home from work. I’m working late. And working more means blogging less.

Ms. S&C has made time for a few other activities to help keep her sanity. Yes, there’s a weekly yoga class. But there’s, of course, the no-fail retail therapy. One recent purchase (100% work-related) included a new pair of flats. Plain black flats. Exciting shoes, right? They’ll compliment my black rolling suitcase nicely.

Except. I am excited. I think fashionable flats are so hard to come by (and I’m not the only one). These plain black flats from BCBGeneration, found over at Zappos, may be my favorite flats yet. The pointy style is dressy, the off-center rosette is whimsical, the short heel is comfortable. And they’re perfect shoes for my upcoming (work) occasion.P.S. It is New York City I’m going to. Even for work, even when it’s cold, New York City is New York City, and it’s something to look forward to.

posted by Ms. S&C

1 Comment

Posted in shoes

Tagged flats, good cocktails in NYC, S&C on the road

Getting Experimental

Posted on January 7, 2010 by missmojito | 1 comment

Miss Mojito isn’t big on New Year’s resolutions, but for cocktail concocting, she’ll make an exception. Over the next 12 months, I’m resolved to live out a new goal in my personal mixology: get experimental. I love following a good recipe for sure-fire results, but 2010 is the year I get creative in my home bar. Afterall, I ad-lib in the kitchen on a regular basis, so why not apply the same principles of improvisation to my drink mixing?

To make this resolution a reality, I think a three-pronged approach is in order.

1. Mix different alcohols together. Back in 2009 I was pleased as punch to discover that tequila and bourbon could make a pleasing cocktail marriage when paired with grenadine, lime juice and agave nectar in the Lady Astor. The combo possibilities are endless! Who knows what kind flavor surprises await when I start mixing gin with vodka, rum with tequila or brandy with cognac? Sure, the results might be questionable, but I’ll never know until I give it a shot.

2. Try new spirits. Too often, I limit myself to my favorite staples and mixers: gin, bourbon, lime, grapefruit. Where’s the excitement in that? I’m determined to integrate new-to-me flavor profiles into my bar. This might include some new liqueurs–I’ve been itching to try the herb-infused Benedictine–or even just upgrading the brands of some of my regular go-to spirits.

3. Adopt a truly fearless resolve in my mixology. Everyone knows that the key to success is being unafraid to fail a few times. I must be steadfast in my experimentation. Cocktail making can be a delicate art and a time-consuming task when done right – but it’s certainly one part of my resolution that I’ll enjoy.

For additional inspiration in 2010, I’m turning to the experts for some recommendations. Jason Wilson, spirits guru for the Washington Post, predicts pisco, cachaca and rum will be big players on the cocktail horizon, in addition to the party-friendly punch. Over at the Atlantic Food Channel, Derek Brown had identified cocktail and food pairings, monk-made liqueurs, a plethora of vermouths and ice as key trends in this year’s cocktail forecast.

Miss Mojito wants to know: What trends and resolutions do you predict will make their way into your cocktail repertoire this year?

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Posted in cocktail-related

Tagged resolutions

Best of S&C in 2009

Posted on December 31, 2009 by msshoescocktails | Leave a comment

Happy New Year! As we say goodbye, au revoir, arrivederci to 2009, we’ll leave you with a little recap of Shoes & Cocktails during the past year. According to WordPress’ snazzy blog stats feature, here are our most popular blog posts. Thanks for reading (and Google searching random things)!

Cake and punch — By far the most viewed blog post of the year. I’d like to think it was because of my bright, cheerful, sparkling Pomegranate Champagne Punch, but I think it was because of the colorful and festive rainbow cake.

Mojitos, Mo’ Problems — In 2009, we welcomed Miss Mojito to S&C! And, her tips for making a perfect mojito.

S&C spotted–Keds comeback — I can’t say for sure that Keds are replacing Chucks as the new hipster shoe of choice, but this blog post got a lot of hits.

The Brothers Voltaggio — I think my favorite Google search phrase is: “Is Michael Voltaggio married?” While S&C doesn’t have the answer to that question, you can read a lot about the Voltaggio Brothers in our Top Chef recaps and drink pairings.

One fine muddle — People like muddled cocktails, evidenced by the number of visits to our mojito and caipirinha blog posts.

P.S. We didn’t do a “Best of S&C” in 2008, but we did do a “Year in Review,” in case you’re curious.

Wishing you all the best in 2010!

posted by Ms. S&C

T’is the season–for clementines

Posted on December 30, 2009 by msshoescocktails | 2 comments

Ms. S&C thinks there’s a lot to love about clementines. Those perfectly small, round citrus, with a deep orange color, pack a lot of flavor. (Not to mention they are so easy to peel and seedless.) And, how irresistible are those boxes at the grocery store this time of the year? But, when you’re a family of two, how do you make use of them all? Ms. S&C is here with a few cocktail suggestions so those beauties don’t go to waste. Think of today as a two-for-one special!

That delicious box of clementines can be used for a number
of delicious cocktails

Cocktail Number One: Ms. S&C came across an inviting recipe for an Old Fashioned over at Metrocurean. She tested a few batches, made a few minor modifications, and couldn’t have been happier with the end result. The infused simple syrup is pretty fantastic, and all the flavors mesh perfectly with bourbon. To conclude, this is an awesome cocktail.

Clementina Old Fashioned
adapted from Jaleo, makes 1 drink

For cinnamon apricot syrup:
(make one day in advance, preferably)

dried apricots (approx. 6)
4 cinnamon sticks
Peel from one clementine
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups water

Combine sugar and water in a sauce pan and bring to boil. Simmer until sugar is dissolved. Add cinnamon sticks, apricots (1 apricot for each drink you plan to make) and clementine peel. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Let cool and stand for several hours, or overnight (recommended). Use any leftover syrup to sweeten tea, or for other cocktails.

For the cocktail:

1 clementine, segmented
1 1/2 ounces Maker’s Mark bourbon
1 tablespoon of apricot cinnamon simple syrup
zest of 1 clementine
A few dashes orange bitters

In a cocktail shaker, muddle apricot (from syrup) and clementine. Add bourbon, cinnamon apricot syrup, orange bitters and enough ice to fill a rocks glass. Shake well. Pour into a rocks glass and finish with a generous amount of clementine zest.

—————————————————

Cocktail Number Two: Naturally, Ms. S&C has offered to make punch for New Year’s Eve festivities. Last year she whipped up a sparkling cherry sensation that was quite good. This year she plans to adapt a citrusy champagne punch from Epicurious. And, for Ms. S&C’s party purposes, this recipe will likely be tripled.

Sparkling Citrus Punch
makes eight servings

Ingredients:

1 cup white grape juice
1 1/2 cups fresh grapefruit juice (preferably pink or ruby red)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup Cointreau, triple sec, or other orange-flavored liqueur
1/4 cup Cognac or other brandy
1/2 cup packed mint leaves
2 clementines, segmented
1 lime, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 lemon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 bottle Champagne or other sparkling white wine, chilled

Stir together juices, wine, triple sec, Cognac, mint, fruit, and cooled syrup in a large pitcher. Chill, covered, until cold, about 1 hour. Stir in Champagne. Garnish with clementine, lime and lemon pieces.

Happy New Year from S&C!

posted by Ms. S&C

2 Comments

Posted in bourbon, cointreau, fall/winter cocktails, wine

Tagged clementines, infused simple syrup, old fashioned, punch, S&C test kitchen

Quick Roundup of Christmas Picks

Posted on December 22, 2009 by missmojito | Leave a comment

Some seasonal cocktails practically scream “Christmas.” Eggnog, for example, is essentially synonymous with the holiday season, and for good reason. Other cocktails meet the “festively seasonal” criteria in a manner a bit more subtle. Today, we’re exploring a few cocktails that fall under the latter category.

The folks over at the Atlantic Food Channel (a fantastic, must-read blog) have a great recipe for a drink for a crowd: their champagne cocktail mixes bitters and pomegranate seeds with bubbly.

For those sweet-of-tooth, Jonathan Miles of the New York Times recommends the posset, a creamy concoction which Mr. Miles describes as a precursor to eggnog.

Many people detect prominent notes of pine in gin. At Christmas, the pine flavor takes on a whole new meaning. Put gin to holiday use in a brightly colored and super-flavorful cherry gin-gria from Foodnetwork.com.

Also from the Foodnetwork.com is Emeril’s ruby-red rocket cocktail, which uses plenty of seasonal citrus, brown sugar and cassis or raspberry liqueur.

What shoes will Miss Mojito wear during this seasonal sipping celebration? I’m a big fan of traditional, romantic velvet used in untraditional ways during the holidays. And while these AMAZING Christian Louboutin pumps with an audacious velvet bow (left) might be a smidge out of my price range, these feisty purple velvet platforms by Poetic License (right) inch much closer to my budget.

Posted by Miss Mojito.

Ms. S&C’s holiday wish list–part 3

Posted on December 18, 2009 by msshoescocktails | 3 comments

Ms. S&C’s holiday wish list continues… Not all of Ms. S&C’s gift items have to be one-of-a-kind vintage-y cocktail ware, or shoes that would break any normal person’s budget. Sometimes, a simple mug of hot chocolate will do just fine.

When Ms. S&C visited Chicago a few months ago, she tried hot chocolate (at Rick Bayless’ XOCO) that changed her life. (You can read about it in one of her Top Chef blog posts).

Now, she is spotting specialty hot chocolate on menus everywhere, including in her own neighborhood. Artfully Chocolate, a funky little chocolate boutique in Del Ray, Alexandria, has quite the hot cocoa menu and mixes. And, they are a perfect accompaniment to their already incredible selection of gourmet truffles — in delectable flavors such as chipotle cinnamon and toasted coconut. The gift box of 4, 6, or 12 pieces is a perfect, perfect gift for your chocolate-lover!

Happy Holidays from S&C!

posted by Ms. S&C

3 Comments

Posted in fall/winter cocktails

Tagged gift ideas, holidays, hot chocolate

Ms. S&C’s holiday wish list–part 2

Posted on December 16, 2009 by msshoescocktails | 1 comment

The special occasion shoe. Ms. S&C can’t think of a better category of shoes to be on her wish list. The special occasion shoe is the polar opposite of Miss Mojito’s staple shoe, as these shoes are typically more unique, not so versatile, and not one where comfort is expected. And, they’re probably overpriced. Despite these underwhelming selling points, they are so much fun — and, usually worn at fun occasions, no?

Ms. S&C currently has an affection for gold shoes, especially when they’re contrasted with black tights (it can be quite a contrast, but a spectacular one). Here are a few of her personal faves for upcoming holiday parties, New Year’s Eve, or any festive event.

There’s a reason why the Kate Spade (left) special occasion sandal is named “Glamour.” This suede sandal, detailed with a patent trim and a gorgeous, grosgrain ribbon laced through the gold chain-link t-strap, is so feminine and so lovely.

Jessica Simpson (center) has a simple, yet eye-catching, cracked metallic d’Orsay pump with a mary jane strap. This is the most versatile pair of the three picks, and more importantly, the most affordable.

And finally, who could resist this other brilliant Kate Spade (right) peep-toe? The metallic sequins and the oversized, sculpted bow on the slingback make it sexy, glamorous, and almost fairy tale-esque.

Ms. S&C wants to know: what special occasion shoes will you wear for holiday festivities? Or, what shoes are on your holiday wish list? Share in the comments below!

posted by Ms. S&C

1 Comment

Posted in shoes

Tagged holidays, jessica simpson, kate spade, metallic, S&C wish list, slingbacks, special occasion shoes, t-straps

Go-To Footwear: Exploring the Staple Shoe

Posted on December 11, 2009 by missmojito | 2 comments

Last week, we explored go-to cocktails: those superlative beverages that are full of flavor, come together in a flash and are perfect entertaining staples. This week, we’re applying the same concept to our footwear, and taking a look at staple shoes.

So what makes a shoe a staple?

The most obvious requirement for a staple shoe is versatility. You can wear it to work, you can wear it out on the weekends, you can wear it shopping. Heck, you could even wear it sleeping, were you to nod off for a bit of nap whilst wearing said shoes.
Staple shoes have some element of the classic about them. That doesn’t mean that they can’t have a unique detail. One of my favorite staple shoes, for example, is a classic black kitten heel with a very non-classic studded star pattern. But these aren’t trendy shoes – they can return to your wardrobe season after season, with a little help from your friendly cobbler.
I hate to say it, but a shoe won’t work it’s way into my staple wardrobe unless it’s reasonably comfortable. Obviously, this rules out some fantastic and much-loved four-inch heels.

The latest acquisition to my staple shoe collection is a fantastic charcoal riding boot. The riding boot is my winter go-to shoe thanks to its fashionable warmth. This particular version comes from Nine West’s Vintage America collection. I love the rough-cut edge at the top of the boot, and the brass detailing adds a nice touch to this wardrobe classic. You’ll find me in this staple boot at least several times a week this winter. (And check out the awesome discount over at NineWest.com!)

Miss Mojito wants to know: what constitutes a staple shoe in your wardrobe?

Posted by Miss Mojito.

2 Comments

Posted in shoes

Tagged boots, nine west, staple shoes

Top Chef Finale: Part 2

Posted on December 10, 2009 by msshoescocktails | 1 comment

We’re live and blogging the showdown between the Voltaggio brothers and Kevin, for the next Top Chef!

Top Chef’s best season yet, with finalists:
Michael Voltaggio, Kevin Gillespie, and Bryan Voltaggio

I just realized that Kevin is 26 years old. 26!!! Pretty effing incredible. But, I think it was the early balding that threw me off.

Tom and Padma introduce the three four course meal challenge [updated]:

First course – cook a favorite childhood memory
Second course – must use identical ingredients from a mystery box
Third course – cook anything, with any ingredient
Fourth course – must cook dessert

Jennifer’s back! And, Bryan gets her. Bryan has a superstar chef team.

Poor Kevin. Looks like he gets stuck with some duds (read: Preeti).

Michael V says he is a risk-taker and Bryan plays it safe. Bryan says he plays it smart.

The chefs’ moms visit! Sweet, but what’s this about? Highlight the sibling rivalry?

Nope. Tom throws them a curve ball. Chefs have to cook an extra course — they’re favorite childhood food memory.

Kevin has bacon in his dessert. Says he should get an award from the bacon council. Pork belly is also his main course.

Looks to me like Kevin takes the first round, with his down-home fried chicken inspired dish.

Michael V is the favorite for the second course/mystery box, with his sweet and sour dish.

Here comes the most critical course. This “original” dish should be the most representative of what these chefs would have on their menus. And, it looks like Bryan comes out on top.

The dessert course looks to be a toss-up between the Voltaggio brothers.

Usually these sentimental moments make me uncomfortable, but I loved hearing why these chefs think they should be Top Chef.

[Update] For a complete breakdown of each chef’s course, read Tom Colicchio’s blog post. It was impossible for me to keep up with each dish and the many, many ingredients. In the end, Tom says Michael won two of the four courses. His second course of Dashi-Glazed Rockfish, Sweet and Sour Crab Salad with Squash and Meyer Lemon, and his main course of Fennel-Scented Squab Breast, Pistachio Cassoulet and Textures of Mushrooms, were the best.

Michael Voltaggio’s main course of Fennel-Scented Squab Breast,
Pistachio Cassoulet and Textures of Mushrooms