Spice Up Fall with a Little Punt e Mes

September 27, 2020 / theblindpig11 / 1 Comment

How is your fall treating you? We’ve managed to get in our first high school football game… okay we were working the parking lot with the hockey parents, but technically we were AT the game. 🙂 Rhonda purchased her first pumpkins of the season and is making plans for Halloween decorations. So I guess you could say that fall has begun at the Blind Pig household.

Did you try out our Caramel Apple Cider recipe from last week? We have another easy-peasy fall drink for you this week: Punt e Mes and Soda. There is nothing fancy about the name, but this drink is a spectacular drink for fall and winter. We have been waiting to share this with you until the calendar switched. It’s spicy flavor is often associated with cooler weather. Taking a sip makes us smell fall leaves and pumpkin pie.

So what is this Punt e Mes that we speak of? Punt e Mes (pronounced poont-eh-mess) is a vermouth from the Carpano family that means point and a half. As with many of the Fernet Branca/Carpano brands, there is a story behind this spicy vermouth and its name. The story goes that in April 1870 , an Italian stockbroker, caught up in a discussion with colleagues while in the Carpano wine shop about the increase in share prices on that day – one and a half points – ordered his usual Carpano vermouth but asked for the barman to add half a measure of bitter, using the regional expression “Punt e Mes”. The drink immediately became popular as an aperitif before lunch, as recalled by the barman of the time. So Punt e Mes became a popular vermouth that has an extra punch of spicy bitter. This vermouth can be enjoyed neat or mixed with some of your go-to mixers.

Where do you find Punt e Mes? It can be found in most liquor stores on the vermouth aisle. If your local store does not carry it, don’t be afraid to ask for it. Many stores want to bring in products that they know their customers are looking for. We will be featuring more fall Punt e Mes recipes soon.

As you may know, to make Punt e Mes and Soda all you need is — Punt e Mes and soda! Rhonda enjoyed her Punt e Mes and soda garnished with an orange wedge with a side of a warm slice of Angry Orchard Bread. It was a wonderful fall treat on a beautiful fall day. If you are reading this post via email, visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a complete recipe for Punt e Mes and Soda.

Try Punt e Mes and Soda today. We promise you won’t be disappointed. It is not too alcohol forward and pairs nicely with an afternoon snack or a light dinner. We will be sipping ours in the evening by a cozy chimenea fire with some s’mores. Enjoy the rest of your beautiful fall weekend.

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Turn to Fall with a Caramel Apple Cider

September 20, 2020 / theblindpig11 / 1 Comment

The days have finally cooled down in Dallas and we can see that summer is slowly turning to fall. We have cooler mornings and the sun is setting earlier in the evening. We love fall. Rhonda is pulling out the fall decor in house and planting mums in the flower beds. Fall conjures up images of cozy evenings around the patio fire, spicy smells and rich bold tastes. We like to cook, bake, and mix with darker liquors that have a bold flavor and warming sensation at this time of year. Since we still have daily temperatures close to 90 degrees during September in Texas, we need to transition slowly. This week we are sharing a sweet drink with you — Caramel Apple Cider.

Who doesn’t love the taste of caramel and apples in the fall? The sweetness of caramel with fall’s harvest of fresh apples creates a pleasing combination. This drink has a buttery warm sensation as it touches your lips and taste buds. It is the perfect drink to sip while sitting on your patio on a beautiful fall afternoon.

To make the Caramel Apple Cider you need only a few easy ingredients: Hard Apple Cider (We used Angry Orchard.), fresh lemon juice, and Monin Caramel Apple Butter syrup. You can purchase Monin syrups at many liquor stores. Our local Total Wine has Monin syrups available. You can also find flavored syrups in your grocery story next to the coffee. If you can’t find the Monin Caramel Apple Butter syrup, use a caramel syrup instead.

If you are viewing this post via email, visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a complete recipe for Caramel Apple Cider.

We are looking forward to our line up of fall cocktails and baking that we have in store for you over the next three months! Make sure to check back with our site often.

We would be completely remiss if we didn’t mention that our favorite hockey team the Dallas Stars are in the finals for the Stanley Cup! This is not usually in our fall line up, but when your team is in the finals, it’s always a good time of year!!!

Craig is taking Blind Piglet #3 on a college visit to the University of Arkansas this afternoon. They are looking forward to the beautiful drive and campus. Rhonda is off to buy mums and pumpkins. What are your favorite fall activities?

Disclaimer: Beverages on this site are meant for adults 21 years of age and older. We do not condone underage drinking. Drink responsibly.

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Fire Up with Carne al Tequila

September 14, 2020 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

We have been fascinated with flambéed desserts and dishes for some time. Having a little fireworks in one’s life can always be a little exciting, and during these times, who doesn’t want dinner and a show? We have scanned through various recipes trying to find just the right flambe’ to try. Most looked enticing, but were a little high maintenance. (Craig is biting his tongue right about now. ;)) During the COVID lock down, this recipe came across our laps in the Dallas Morning News. We made some minor adjustments to the recipe. Some of the ingredients listed in the original were very difficult to find. Our version was delicious. We hope that this recipe will ignite your curiosity and you will give it a try.

The most important part of this recipe is to purchase the right steak. The recipe calls for tenderloin, skirt steak or flank steak. We used tenderloin. It was a little more pricey, but it paid off because the cooked meat was very tender. Other steak cuts can sometimes get a little over cooked and tough.

Other ingredients you will need are olive oil, garlic cloves, lime juice, reposado or anejo tequila, vegetable oil, paprika, white vinegar, oregano, ground cumin, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce.

To start you will make a garlic/oil mixture by placing olive oil and garlic in a blender processing until garlic is liquified. Slice the tenderloin across the grain in thin slices. Place the steak in between wax paper and tenderize with a wooden mallet or rolling pin until about 1/2 inch thick. Place steaks in a baking dish and brush with the garlic mixture. Set aside.

Next place the other ingredients in a blender and blend until liquified. Pour the marinade over the steak and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Heat the tequila to warm. We placed ours in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Heat oil in a large skillet. Remove the meat from the marinade. Saute’ the meat over medium high heat turning once- about 2 to 3 minutes per side. You want the meat cooked medium rare.

Are you ready for the fun part? Pour the tequila into the pan and carefully ignite it. Rhonda was scared to do this part, so she got some extra help from Blind Piglet #2. Wait 5 seconds and then shake the skillet gently until the flames die out.

Add some fresh sliced peppers and onions to the pan for a few minutes to create fajitas.

We served our Carne Al Tequila on tortillas with some pico and cheese with a side of rice and some fruit salsa. Wash it down with one of The Blind Pig’s margaritas — so satisfying. The piglets loved this dinner, so we will be making it again soon, not to mention the flambe’ was fun entertainment for all!

If you are viewing this post via email, make sure to visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a complete recipe of Carne Al Tequila.

Now that we have ignited your curiosity, perhaps we will try a flambe’ cocktail or dessert next. What lights your fire? Try out this recipe and let us know what you think!

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A Look Back At Summer

September 5, 2020 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

This post is very difficult for us to write. We start celebrating summer around Cinco de Mayo in The Blind Pig house, and we enjoy every stinking hot, muggy minute of it. What can we say? We are summer people. We like backyard barbecues, sipping cute cocktails with little umbrellas, taking a dip in the pool and the smell of sunscreen. As we bid Summer farewell, we thought we would rewind and replay the tape of some of our summer recipes and the memories we shared with you this summer. Let’s take a look shall we?

We kicked off our summer season with Cinco de Mayo and the Raspberry Margarita.

Then we celebrated Memorial Day with the Toffee Surprise.

We had so much fun sitting by the pool with the Just Peachy Popsicle.

June was enjoyable relaxing on the deck with the Mint Highball and our unofficial drink of summer the Fernet Branca Collins. Craig even traveled with the recipe on a piece of paper and ordered it when we dined al fresco at restaurants around Big D.

Who can forget the surprise pie hit of the summer? Butterfinger Bourbon Pie! It melted our hearts almost as much as the summer heat was melting us.

July was a firecracker with the Red, White and Blue Smash and some flower power with the Hibiscus Spritz.

August was in full bloom with the Hibiscus Mule and Hibiscus Margarita.

The Mint Brownie Ice Cream Dessert made a spectacular summer splash.

You can’t forget about keeping our cool with the two amazing ice creams of 2020– Boozy Berry Ice Cream and Caffe’ Toffee Ice Cream.

If you missed out on one of these amazing treats this summer, don’t worry. You still have time to try them out. Summer 2020 was a delicious and “unprecedented” summer. We can’t wait to see what the fall will bring.

Before we sign off, we can’t resist raising our glasses to the Dallas Stars! They pulled off a win against the Colorado Avalanche last night in a game 7 win. The Blind Pig household is happy (at least until the next series starts).