Margaritas
Nola's Original Margarita
Ed's Raspberry Coconut Frozen Margarita
Barbaritas
Tips on making margaritas

Appetizers
Antipasti
Camembert with Cashews and Apples
Cheddar Sausage Balls
Crab Crista
Hot Artichoke Dip Trina
Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

Sauces, Sorbets, Stuffing, Relish…
Cranberry Orange Relish
Hollandaise foodies.com (high fat!)
Hollandaise Queen of Tarts Catering (low fat!)
Joy's Salsa
Pear and Ginger Sorbet
Pumpkin stuffing for poultry
Terry's Fruity Barbeque Sauce

The Martini
Extra dry. The classic 7-1 ratio. When men were decent and women could say "No," unless they'd had one too many.

• 1 3/4 ounce decent gin (vodka, if you must)
• 1/4 ounce decent extra dry vermouth

Pour the gin over ice in a shaker first, then the vermouth. Shake it. Strain it into a decent glass over a pimiento-stuffed olive. Makes one drink.

The Sweet Martini
Give it a shot (pun intended). Drink with salted nuts as an aperitif or biscotti and gingersnaps for dessert.

• 1 ounce gin (or vodka)
• 1 ounce sweet vermouth (Martini & Rossi's Rosso preferred)

Pour the gin over ice in a shaker first, then the vermouth. Shake it. Strain it into a frosted glass. Serve with a twist of orange (rub it first - outer skin side down - on the rim of the glass to extract the oil). Makes one drink.

The Gibson
A dry or extra dry martini with a twist of lemon (rub it first - yellow side down - on the rim of the glass to extract the oil) and 3 tiny pearl onions artfully skewered on a silver toothpick. Make it "dirty" with a splash of the onion juice.

The Awhatini
A kissing cousin of the Cosmo. Makes 2 big drinks.

• 3 ounces Absolut Kurant
• 1 1/2 ounce Cointreau
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• A splash of cranberry juice

Have all the ingredients measured before putting them in the shaker of ice. Serve with a twist of lime or orange.

El Tequini
Ay carrumba! Tequila instead (Cuervo Gold is a foodies favorite). Sink a dried red chile to the bottom of the glass. Float a sprig of cilantro on the surface of the drink. Drape a twist of lime over the rim like a sarape.

Pseudinis:

• The Cosmopolitan (A "Cosmo," if you're hip) - Citron vodka, cranberry juice, Cointreau
• The Citrus- Absolut Citron, Cointreau, lime juice
• The European ("A Euro" to be slick)- Stoli Raspberry, Chambord
• The Vacation- Stoli Vanilla, rum, pineapple juice, Sun Orchard's Sweet & Sour, a splash of 7-Up
• Desert Sunset- Stoli Ohranj, Grand Marnier, OJ, lime juice
• The French- vodka, Chambord, pineapple juice
• The Melon- vodka, Midori, Cointreau, lime juice
• The Hustle- Stoli Vanilla and Coke (Editor's Note: I will never actually try this drink, and I'll try just about anything.)

Orange You Gonna to Kiss Me Martini
Makes one - silly idea given the name, but then sharing it might be the best aphrodisiac of all!

1 1/2 ounces Absolut Vodka
1 ounce white Creme de Caçao
1/2 ounce Cointreau
1 Hershey Kiss (wrapped or UNwrapped, you decide!)
Twist of orange zest
Unsweetened cocoa powder

Dampen just the rim of a martini glass with Cointreau. Turn the glass upside down and carefully dip it into a bowl of cocoa powder to "frost" the rim. Place a Hershey Kiss in the bottom of the glass. In a shaker combine vodka, Creme de Caçao and Cointreau with cracked ice. Shake well and carefully strain into martini glass. Garnish with orange zest.

The Classic Margarita

• 1 1/2 ounces tequila
• 1/2 ounce Cointreau or Triple Sec
• Juice of 1/2 a lime

Stir or shake with crushed ice. Rub the rim of a 3 ounce glass (see Tips) with the rind of lime, dip the rim in kosher salt, pour and serve. It's up to you whether or not to strain the ice.

Nola's Original Margarita
Nola's (R. I. P.) was formerly located in the Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix, Arizona (Margarita Country!).

• 3 parts José Cuervo Tradicional Tequila
• 2 parts Cointreau
• 4 parts sweet and sour mix (Sun Orchard is the best) or margarita mix

This one's served straight up. Pour into a glass with ice and stir. Strain into wine glass with salt-dipped rim. Garnish with lime.

Ed's Raspberry Coconut Frozen Margarita
Ed Garcia was a bartender at the now defunct Nola's in the Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix, Arizona.

• 3 parts tequila (don't use an expensive one for this drink)
• 2 parts Cointreau
• 4 parts sweet and sour mix (Sun Orchard is the best) or margarita mix
• 2 - 3 parts Chambord liqueur
• a spoonful of Coco Lopez to taste

Fill a blender 1/4 full with ice. Pour in liquid mixture and blend until proper consistency (see Tips).

Thanks to foodie Barbara "TexMex" Bushong. Don't reserve these for Cinco de Mayo - great taste, festive color for any celebration.

"Barbaritas"
Two large or 4 average-sized DELICIOUS drinks.

• 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 cup triple sec or Cointreau
• 1 cup Cuervo Gold tequila or other quality tequila
• 1 orange, freshly squeezed.

Mix all ingredients in a pitcher of ice. Rim chilled, wide-mouth glasses with margarita salt, kosher salt or grated orange rind (see Tips. Strain ice cold drink into glasses, or serve over ice.

For additional margarita recipes - classic to frozen - and a variety of appetizers, click the "Misc." button above.

Tips on making margaritas

• ¿ No te gusta la sal? No hay problema. (Don't like the salt? No problem!) Using a fine grater, grate the rind of an unsqueezed orange or lime. Rim the glass as you would with salt. It's festive; it's exciting to the eye and the palette.
• To rim the glass with salt or grated rind, try this trick to make the coating stick. Squeeze a thin layer of citrus juice in a flat plate. Dip the rim first in the juice and then in the coating. You can also do this in Cointreau or Triple Sec, which are, by nature, sticky.
• Not into frozen margaritas but enjoy a cold drink? Chill all the ingredients before hand and you can use less ice. Heck, keep the tequila in the freezer a la vodka. Half an hour before serving, throw all the ingredients into the freezer in Pyrex cups. Freeze the glasses. Now you can strain the ice out altogether before serving. That makes a perfect margarita, from first sip to last.
• If your budget allows, use Cointreau instead of Triple Sec. It's not as sweet and not as syrupy. The citrus flavor is more pronounced and true to the fruit.
• Buy inexpensive kosher salt instead of spendy margarita salt (Now you can splurge on the Cointreau!). Kosher salt is also terrific dusted on tempura, fish fry, and other deep-fried foods.
• If you don't have wide-mouthed margarita glasses, a classic saucer champagne glass will work (plastic champagne glasses are available if it's a large party).
• Put the glasses in the freezer an hour before cocktail time. Remove them at the very moment you're ready to salt the rims and serve the drinks.
• Nola's is located in the Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix, Arizona (Margarita Country!). Nola's bartender, Ed Garcia, divulged his secret for the ultimate frozen margarita: "When you take the lid off the blender and look down into it, you should see a tight funnel." Too thick for a funnel to form? Add a little liquid (you choose the poison!). Too soupy to form a tight funnel? Add ice.

Antipasti
Okay, this part you can buy in a store. Just arrange it artfully.

• marinated mushrooms
• roasted red peppers
• marinated artichoke hearts
• assorted olives
• good, crusty bread

You'll need an attractive platter for this. Arrange with an eye to art. Dribble with extra virgin olive oil if you wish. Serve with small forks and plates, or just toothpicks and napkins. Chat and nibble in the kitchen while she watches you cook.

Camembert with Cashews and Apples

• 8 ounces whole ripe Camembert, with rind
• 1/3 cup chopped cashews
• apple slices
• Carr's Table Water crackers

Place cheese in oven proof serving dish, sprinkle with chopped cashews. Bake at 300° for 15 minutes. Cheese will soften and cashews will brown slightly. Serve with apple slices and crackers.

Crab Crista

• 8 ounce package cream cheese
• 1/4 cup finely minced onion
• lemon juice to taste
• Worcestershire sauce to taste
• 1/2 bottle chili sauce
• small package of Wakefield or other frozen flaky crab
• 2 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
• wheat crackers
• celery sticks

Combine cream cheese, onion, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Spread on small plate (about 8") to 1/4" thickness. Spread with chili sauce. (Can be made a day ahead to this point and refrigerated, tightly covered.) Thaw crab and drain well. Put on top of chili sauce and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with wheat crackers and celery sticks.

Hot Artichoke Dip Trina
Trina Cooper is the foodies sales rep. The chiles ingredient in this recipe is just one of her many inspirations.

• 1 cup mayonnaise (Best Foods or Hellman's preferred)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 can artichoke hearts (NOT the marinated kind)
• One 4 ounce can diced green chiles
• tortilla chips
• fresh baby carrots

Drain the artichoke hearts and fill the can with water. Drain and repeat 2 more times with clear water. Pull out the food processor or a knife. Either chop the artichoke hearts with a knife and mix with the rest of the ingredients or put everything except the chiles into a food processor and pulse several times until artichokes are coarsely chopped. Stir in the chiles. Transfer to a small heat proof dish, cover tightly and refrigerate until party time. Bake in a 350° oven for up to 30 minutes, if refrigerated, or 15 minutes if baked immediately after preparation. Serve with tortilla chips and raw baby carrots.

Cheddar Sausage Balls

• 1 pound hot Italian sausage, loose or removed from casings
• 1/2 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 3 cups Bisquick baking mix

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients and knead with your hands until well incorporated. Form into small (1") balls, place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes or until sausage is cooked and balls are golden brown. Transfer to paper towels for a minute before serving or serve in a basket lined with cloth napkins. Balls can be formed the day before, refrigerated, and baked at serving time. Be prepared to increase baking time an additional 10 minutes if refrigerated.

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
Makes 36 pieces.

• 72 very thin asparagus spears (or 36 average sized spears)
• 4 ounces fresh goat cheese at room temperature (such as Chevre or Montrachet)
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil [Editor: fresh rosemary also works well.]
• 2 1/2 tablespoons salted, toasted pine nuts, chopped
• 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons water
• 5 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 36 5-inch x 1 inch strips
• Salt and pepper

Cut stalks from asparagus, leaving 2 1/2 to 3 inch tips. Cook tips in boiling salted water for 1 minute or until crisp-tender. Drain well and transfer to paper towels.

Mix cheeses, orange peel, lemon juice, basil, pine nuts and water in bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spread thin layer of filling over each proscuitto strip. Place 2 asparagus tips on top of filling at one end of proscuitto. Roll up proscuitto, enclosing base of asparagus. Press to seal. Cover and chill before serving.

Arrange in pinwheel fashion, garnishing with basil leaves and orange peel.

Cranberry Orange Relish
Based on Craig Claiborne's classic from The New York Times Cookbook.

• One pound cranberries, picked over and washed
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons grated orange rind
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds (not blanched)

Combine all the ingredients except the almonds in a saucepan and cook until the cranberries pop, approximately ten minutes. Simmer on low for an additional five minutes, stirring frequently from the bottom.

Cool to room temperature. Stir in the almonds, reserving some for garnish. Chill in a pretty serving dish. Scatter reserved almonds on top of the relish before serving.

Ginger-Pear Sorbet
Yes, it's a tempting dessert, but consider serving it between the first course and the turkey to refresh the palate.

• 6 pears, peeled and halved
• 2 1/2 cups sweet wine
• 1 cup simple syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 quarter sized knobs of ginger, smashed
• 1 1/2-inch orange peel
• 1 1/2-inch lemon peel
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• pinch salt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Place all ingredients in a non-aluminium pot. Heat to a simmer. Simmer covered for 20 minutes or until pears are tender. Remove pears to a plate and continue reducing the liquid until so very slightly syrupy. Remove from heat. When cool, remove ginger knobs, and cinnamon stick. Return pears to syrup, puree and chill. Freeze in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's directions. (Recipe courtesy Chef Hallie Harron)

Terry's Fruity Barbeque Sauce
(Editor's Note:Terry Blonder Golson's inspiring new cookbook, 1,000 Lowfat Recipes, published by Macmillan, includes this tasty twist on the barbeque theme. - Joy)
Makes: 2 cups; serves: 8
This deeply flavored sauce can also be used as a dipping sauce for chicken.

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup tomato juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• one 16 1/2 ounce can plums, drained and pitted
• 1 tablespoon ground chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup water

Heat the oil in a small saucepan and sauté the onions over moderate heat until golden, about 10 minutes. Keep the pan covered between stirrings.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl. When the onions are ready, stir the mixture into the pot. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Let the sauce cool until it can be handled. Puree in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Per Serving: Calories 75; Protein 1g; Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Carbohydrates 18g; Fiber 1g; Sodium 233mg

For the best salsa this side of Tijuana, mix chopped sweet onion, fresh chopped cilantro, and halved grape tomatoes with a little Kosher salt and a squeeze of lime. This is the freshest tasting, most popular salsa I've ever made and it has none of the side effects of salsa made with common onions.

For more about winter sweet onions, visit the site foodies built: Sweet Onion Source