Vino Luci Style - A Food and Wine Blog with Easy and Delicious Recipes, Food ideas, Wine Recommendations and Gardening Information for Colorado - Vino Luci Style

Lemon Drop Martini

May 3, 2009

I used to meet a friend of mine for drinks EVERY Friday night at my favorite local restaurant (now I can call is my hangout I guess). He always had a vodka martini and I varied each week. Sometimes wine, sometimes a Cosmopolitan but recently I’ve loved their Lemon Drop Martini. Never happy to HAVE [...]

Cosmopolitan

May 3, 2009

1 oz. Cointreau® 2 oz. Vodka Cranberry & lime juice Shake with ice and strain into a Martini Glass

Double Platinum Champagne Cocktail

May 3, 2009

Ingredients: 2 strawberries (or 1 large strawberry) 0.75 oz lemon juice 1 oz simple syrup 0.5 oz citrus vodka Champagne or Sparkling wine Half a strawberry, for garnish Preparation: In a cocktail shaker, muddle the strawberries with the simple syrup and lemon juice. Add the citrus vodka and top with ice. Shake vigorously and strain [...]

French Toast and Bacon Cupcakes

May 1, 2009

Ingredients: 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), at room temperature 1 cup sugar 1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon fine salt 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg 1 teaspoon cinnamon 3 large eggs, at room temperature, separated [...]

Kahlua Brownies with Browned Butter Kahlua Icing

May 1, 2009

I’ve got an old fashioned recipe for a browned butter cake I was going to use to make a birthday cake for a friend; searching though and I came upon these brownies and made them instead…brown butter AND brownies AND Kahlua; and they taste better than they sound. I would have taken a photo but [...]

Marinated Flank Steak with Ginger, Garlic and Honey

April 30, 2009

Marinade: 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup cooking sherry 3 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 heaping tablespoons minced ginger 3 to 5 cloves minced garlic 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes 1 flank steak Combine all marinade ingredients in a glass or ceramic dish. Remove flank steak from package and give it a quick [...]

Cranberry Champagne Cocktail

April 30, 2009

2 well-chilled 750ML bottles champagne or sparkling cider 1 cup well-chilled cranberry juice cocktail, or to taste 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier In a large pitcher, combine all ingredients; serve in champagne flutes. Makes 7 cups, serving approx 8

German Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Filling

April 30, 2009

I’ve always loved German Chocolate Cake; probably my first choice for a birthday cake as a girl. The truth though is that until some years ago, I admit my efforts were in using a box cake with the matching icing. Before icings all came in cans from the store, the icing used to be a [...]

Planked Salmon with Mustard Dry Rub and Honey/Balsamic glaze

April 30, 2009

A delicious salmon dish for the oven or to cook on the grill outdoors Ingredients: 1 whole side of salmon, or 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets Dry Rub: 1 tablespoon fine sea salt, preferably gray salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard Glaze: 1/2 cup honey 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar Melted butter, [...]

Bananas Foster Banana Bread

April 29, 2009

I love Bananas Foster; the first time I had it was in St. Louis when out to dinner with friends; it was a going away party right before I was moving to North Carolina; so I thought for the longest time it was that one restaurant’s claim to fame. When I found I could make [...]