drinks

Taliesin West ~ Frank Lloyd Wright's Winter Home ~ Arizona Biltmore by George Geary

Today on the monthly Zoom with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation I was the mixologist. I recreated the Catalina Spritz that I made in honor of Marilyn Monroe and the Catalina Pool found still at the Biltmore (she used to swim in it). You can see the pool, and the recipe below. If you are interested in the Winter Home of Frank Lloyd Wright and tours in Phoenix, check it out here: www.franklloydwright.org

Arizona Biltmore (1927) www.arizonabiltmore.com

Arizona Biltmore (1927) www.arizonabiltmore.com

The Catalina Pool (One of Seven). I feel the best and more serine.

The Catalina Pool (One of Seven). I feel the best and more serine.

The Biltmore Blocks! Here are the ones that the breeze can go through.

The Biltmore Blocks! Here are the ones that the breeze can go through.

Friday July 10th, 2020 WTF Day: What The Food Day! Piña Colada's and Island Beef Stir Fry by George Geary

As we finish our week off it is yet another WTF Day! Piña Colada’s! Loved sitting on the aft deck of the ms. Amsterdam on my many world cruises I sailed, sipping a freeze Piña drink while the world passed us by. We have an island stir fry that is sweet yet savory yet a little salty. You will love it..

CBS8 San Diego! Watermelon Day.. for 4th of July 🍉🇺🇸 by George Geary

Today’s show was focused on Watermelons! I sure wish you could find seeded watermelons.. When consumers say they do not want any GMO food products than it also means they have not eaten a watermelon for years. The industry modified watermelons to be seed free. I think the seeded varieties are much more flavorful. Back in about 1990, when I worked at Disney they wanted to put in a fresh fruit cart on Main Street. Lots of fresh produce…The former CEO Michael Eisner had his family farm’s apples shipped (nobody bought them). We had watermelon wedges, they only lasted a weekend as kids realized they could take them up on the sky buckets and spit the seeds on the guests below.. The sky buckets are gone and so are the seeds… Asia watermelons are grown in glass square boxes so they grow into squares. This makes it easier to store and display in the store. Here are some facts on the melon!

5 Watermelon Facts:

  1. California is one the top state watermelon producers

  2. High in Fiber and Vitamins A & C

  3. By Weight: 92% water, 6% sugar

  4. Over 1200 varieties: Red Orange, Yellow and white fleshed :

  5. Largest Melon grown was 350 pounds  

If you would like to get professional looking pops, you need to purchase a Pop Mold. Here is a link on Amazon with the exact one I used. LINK.. Check the recipes…

If you would like to watch the segment you can click here: The Watermelon Show

Here are the recipe for the show.

Pops:. Recipe

Red, White and Blue Salad

Watermelon Hibiscus Spritzer 

Watermelon Cookies

Watermelon Gazpacho

Himalayan Watermelon Skewers

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Watermelon... Is it a Fruit or a Vegetable? by George Geary

Watermelon.. Is it a Fruit or a Vegetable? 
Watermelon is a Fruit.
 It depends on where you get your information and which you believe. Watermelon is the fruit of a plant originally from a vine of southern Africa. The watermelon fruit, loosely considered a type of melon, has a smooth exterior rind and a juicy, sweet, usually red interior flesh. 

Like the pepper, tomato, and pumpkin, watermelon is botanically a fruit. According to Webster’s dictionary and Wikipedia, a fruit is the ripened ovary of a seed plant and its contents, and a watermelon is a large oblong roundish fruit.

Consumers use watermelon primarily as a fruit because of its sweet flavor and refreshing qualities.

 

Watermelon is Also a Vegetable

According to Webster’s dictionary a vegetable is anything made or obtained from plants. Watermelon is a member of the cucurbitaceae plant family of gourds, related to the cucumber, squash, and pumpkin. It is planted from seeds or seedlings, harvested, and then cleared from the field like other vegetables. Since watermelon is grown as a vegetable crop using vegetable production systems, watermelon is considered a vegetable.

Watermelon is used as a Fruit or a Vegetable

Watermelon is popularly used as a fruit, to be a sweet enhancer or fun accompaniment to our everyday meals.  The watermelon is often cut into bite-sized squares or balled, or very often simply sliced and enjoyed.  It’s also used in the types of recipes that are created using fruit.

However, the whole watermelon is edible, even the rind.  In places like China, the watermelon is stir-fried, stewed and often pickled.  In this case, the watermelon is being used as a vegetable.  Pickled watermelon rind is also widespread in Russia.

I personally like to use seeded melon as I feel that it much more flavorful. 

Here is a great drink recipe: Watermelon Rum Punch. Try it on one of these hot summer days! 

 

France 2015! 

3 spots left on Food, Photography and France Tour! Here is the brochure

 

SD Living... April 23rd, 2014.. by George Geary

I just returned from Africa and Europe... Today's show will focus on sweets to make ahead for a "Girl's Night Out/In". 

Here are the recipes and I will post the complete show when it is aired. 

Blood Orange Sangria

Sinful Kahlua Brownies

Banana Creme Cupcakes 

Next week I am heading to the South of France for my 19th season of tours! Ihave already started the prebooking for 2015. It will be a week in May.. If interested email me here: ggeary@aol.com. I am already 1/3 sold out! 

Happy New Year! Jarlsberg Cheese on SD Living! by George Geary

Happy New Year! In a few days we will ring in a new year. Tomorrow I will be doing my New Years Eve Segment on Jarlsberg Cheese and also Hibiscus Flowers. Here are the links to the recipes. Pictures will follow after the show.

If you are in the San Diego area. The show is on the CW6 SD Living at 9am.

White Chocolate Hibiscus Mist Drink 

Roasted Garlic and Onion Jarlsberg Cheese Dip

Caramelized Onion Jarlberg Bruschetta

Jarlsberg Cheese Red Pepper Salsa

 

 

Day 7: The Flavors of Christmas... Butter by George Geary

Butter.

Yes... a flavor! I have created a Hot Butter Rum Drink and also a French Butter Cookie that is so light! Enjoy! I think you will love these recipes. 

Salt vs Unsalted butter. First I kid and say I used unsalted because I am worried about your health. Really do you know how much salt is in butter? I don't either.. So I use unsalted so I can use the amount of salt I feel is best. Also, salted butter last longer so grocery stores can keep it on the shelve longer. 

Hot Buttered Rum

French Butter Cookies. 

Day 5: The Favors of Christmas… Hibiscus! & SD Living in the AM by George Geary

Holidays are all about the color red and green! Looking at this festive drink it just puts you into the mood!

Tuesday morning I will be doing my Holiday segment for SD Living. I know some of you are outside the area so after the broadcast I will put the show up here on the blog. 

The Favor is Hibiscus! Red Ruby Hibiscus flowers make up this Hibiscus Cranberry Margarita that the glass was rimmed with Hibiscus salts.

The second recipe is Hibiscus Pots De Creme.

 

If you do not have a BevMo close by, here is a link for the flowers.. I also will highlight a New Years Eve Drink on SD Living the 27th using the flowers.

 

Contest! Ok.. How would you like to win a bag of the salt and a jar of the flowers? The tenth person to email me at ggeary@aol.com with the correct answer. What country are the flowers from? Wins!

Tomorrows Flavor is: Vanilla!

Also, anyone needing any personalized cookbooks.. Get your order in NOW so you get them for Christmas! STORE    

Day 1: Holiday Time!!! Chocolate is the Word! by George Geary

It's time for the Twelve Days of Holiday Sweetness! This year I am doing a few things different. 1. I am also going to be highlighting a product that I feel is the BEST to use for the recipe. 2. Every day of the twelve days are "themed". Today's theme is Chocolate! 3. I am adding a drink recipe! All drink recipes there will be two versions. Adult and Kid-Friendly! .. And we will have a few contests during the run! 

Day 1: Chocolate

Recipes:

Hot Truffle Chocolate

Chocolate Fudge Butter Cookies  (revised)  Tomorrow... Cinnamon! 

 

Half "Bun" Baking Sheets.. First the origin of the name.. A full sheet is standard for bakeries. These pans are mainly to make yeast buns and these are half the size.. thus.. Half Bun Pans! If you have been at one of my classes you will always see me use these trays for prepping and also for baking cookies. Sheets of Parchment Paper ft perfectly. They will not warp, they are affordable to order at least 6! So you can have your cookies cool completely on the cookie trays. Many cookie cookbook authors only like sheets with two sides that are flat like the sheet. Its been told that the air-flow of the oven will not be even with all four sides like these cookie trays.. I say.. Bologna! If the heat in your oven can not go over 1/2-inch then you have more problems with regulation then with baking of your cookies. 

SD Living July 10th, 2013.. Pina Colada Day! by George Geary

Today's set was fun and full of laughter.. I started the show off with blended Pina Coladas since its National PC Day! Did you know its the national drink of Puerto Rico...

 

Here is the recipe for the cake, cupcakes and also a drink..

Pina Colada Day Recipes 

Make sure you are on my mailing list and also a "Like" on my Facebook so you will keep up with my newsletter and info on my tours..

This Saturday (so sorry sold out) is my LA Food Tour.. From Tamales to Coffee Beans.. It will be great! Remember.. France is in May! 

Lemons.. Limonchello by George Geary

I have posted this recipe before. But I have had so many requests this week. The past holiday week I was the opening act/speaker  for Camp Blogaway.. It's a two day fast intensive camp on blogging and writing. I spoke about cookbooks with my publicist Trina Kay. Saturday night I broke out the two bottles of "chello" Cara Cara Orange and Lemon..  I like to use it in drinks (re: Lemon Drops, Just a little in a shot glass, etc) or as part of my Lemon Triffle.

Here it is.. and make sure you make a double batch!

Limonchello Recipe

Also here is my award winning France Tour information: Brochure 

See you on the TV, a class or a Culinary Tour soon! 

Make sure you "Like" my Facebook page: Facebook

Italian Limonchello by George Geary

Here in Southern California it seems most homeowners have a citrus tree of sorts. I have 5! When my lemon tree is packed with fresh lemons I love to zest, juice and save the bounty. This year I decided to make a recipe that I got from my former tour guide that used to work with me in Italy. Maria Teresa... She was a very special lady!

One warm night in Rome a group of us sat at a family owned trattoria.. After the feast of roasted vegetables, pastas and the like the son brought a bottle that had been in a block of ice to the table with little glasses for each of us. Limonchello. I was hooked. You can only take a small bit, but refreshing it is! I created a lemon cake that we soak in the lemonchello and serve with fresh berries.

The Recipe: Italian Limonchello