Makes 2 cups Lavender syrup adds a floral note to anything you can think to add it to, including lemonade, iced tea, or especially a tasty gin cocktail. Use the syrup to soak cake layers or to sweeten a fruit sorbet. Look for culinary-grade lavender at specialty markets or online. […]
Lime Agua Fresca with Chia Seeds
Makes 8 servings Chia seeds add an interesting texture to this refreshing agua fresca, but you can leave them out if you don’t have any on hand. Just be sure to add water to make up the difference. Ingredients 1/4 cup (2 oz) chia seeds 1/2 cup sugar 2 quarts […]
Make Hot Chocolate at Home for a Cozy Treat
Whether you call it hot chocolate or hot cocoa, one thing we can all agree on is that it is the best thing about winter! On a cold day, nothing is cozier than a steaming mug of hot chocolate – especially if it’s topped with marshmallows! And especially if it’s […]
Making Limoncello to Preserve the Best of the Winter Season
The Amalfi Coast, rising high above the crystal blue Mediterranean Sea, is without a doubt one of the most beautiful places in Italy. This stunning landscape has been the inspiration of musicians, writers, and poets for hundreds of years. Just the mention of the towns of Amalfi, Positano, Sorrento, Vietri, […]
Mediterranean Cooler
Makes 8 servings Look for bottled pomegranate juice the produce section of well-stocked supermarkets or health food stores. You can substitute other juices for those we recommend here. Grapefruit and cranberry juice makes a Seabreeze. Orange and cranberry makes a Madras. A modest amount of club soda gives the drink […]
Minty Peach Iced Tea
Makes 6 servings In the heart of summer, we’re always looking for ways to use super ripe peaches that may have gotten way from us, and this quick and easy iced tea is one of the most refreshing. Adjust the sweetness depending on the sweetness of your peaches, and don’t […]
Mulled Cider
Makes 8 servings Chefs note: You may be able to find pear cider to use instead of the more widely available apple cider. If possible, buy cider that has not been pasteurized for the freshest, fullest apple or pear flavor.
Opt for Cider this Presidents’ Day
The CIA loves beer so much, we have an outpost of the Brooklyn Brewery right on our campus in Hyde Park, New York! For beer enthusiasts, there is an adventure in every bottle as we search for the qualities that make each beer unique: malt, hops, technique, inclusions of fruit […]
Planter’s Punch
Makes 1 serving Planter’s Punch was first documented in the New York Times in 1908. The drink’s origins are unknown, but they include connections to the Planter’s Hotel in St. Louis and a planter’s wife in Jamaica. Whatever this delicious creation hails from, this drink can be enjoyed in a […]
Stocking Your Home Bar for Entertaining
For many, a well-stocked bar means a lot of space— and money. Rather, a well-stocked bar is not a matter of quantity, but instead has meaningful selections available for those who are using it. Think about the last banquet you attended, even for hundreds of people. The bar had one […]
The Perfect Cup of Tea
We may be a coffee-drinking society, but you can’t underestimate the impact of the millennia-old tradition of drinking tea. And just like coffee, tea can be enjoyed in hundreds (if not thousands!) of ways—yes, even as a latte! All tea comes from the same plant, the Cameliasinensis. The way the […]
Try Hibiscus Soda for a Sparkling Summer
It feels like La Croix has somehow become more popular than beer. And while it seems to be available everywhere you go, those of us participating in the great seltzer resurgence of 2019 are from time to time faced with beverages without bubbles. But you don’t have to be part of […]