During Macy’s Flower Show,
Chef Cat Cora came to Chicago and demoed some of her delicious recipes and a
cocktail.
Pom Kir Royal
Yields 4 drinks
A classic Kir Royal
combines champagne and crème de cassis, but Cat uses pomegranate juice instead
of cassis. POM juice isn’t as sweet, it’s fresher tasting, more lively and it
gives the drink a gorgeous color. Make sure to serve in champagne flutes with a
playful striped straw.
Ingredients
4 sugar cubes or 1 ½
teaspoon sugar
4-8 dashes Angostura
bitters
20 ounces (about 2 ½ cups)
sparkling cider
4 ounces (1/2 cup of
pomegranate juice such as POM
4 lemon peel twists
preparation
Divide the sugar evenly
among the four champagne flutes. Sprinkle 1 or 2 dashes of the biters on top of
the sugar. Pour 5 ounces (about 2/3 cup) champagne into each flute. Gently pour
1 once (2 tablespoons) pomegranate juice into each flute. Drop a lemon peel and
twit into each drink. Serve immediately.
Cat’s note: if you prefer
a sweeter drink, leave out the bitters.
Lavender Shortbread
Yields 24 2x2 inch cookies
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
(baker’s sugar), plus 2 tablespoons for garnish
2 cups of unsalted butter
2 ½ tablespoons dried
lavender flowers, plus ½ tablespoon for garnish
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white rice flour
½ tablespoon salt
parchment paper (optional)
preparation
In a stand mixer or with a
hand held beater, cream sugar, butter, and lavender until light and fluffy. Add
the flours and salt and combine until mixture just starts to come
together.
(The dough should be
crumbly but stuck together when squeezed.)
Line a 12x16 inch pan with
parchment. Place dough into the pan and break up any large clumps, spreading
evenly. Press dough down gently and sprinkle the remaining sugar and lavender
flowers on top.
With a rolling pin or
drinking glass, roll out the dowgh evenly. (Use a little additional sugar if
the dough sticks to the rolling pin)
With a meat tenderizer or fork, press indentations into the top of the
shortbread. (This prevents the shortbread from rising unevenly)
Bake at 350 degrees for
20-25 minutes or until shortbread is golden brown
Cut into squares while
still warm and remove cookies from pan when cool.
Fattoush (Pita Bread)
Salad
Yields 4-6 servings
Ingredients
2 pita rounds cut into 1 ½
inch squares
2 tablespoons extra virgin
olive oil plus ¼ cup
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 ½ cups cucumber, seeded,
peeled, and diced (about 2 large cucumbers)
1 pint cherry tomatoes,
halved
2 scallions, chopped white
and green sections
2 Tablespoons fresh mint,
chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh
flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon
juice
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
8 pepperoni, for ganrish
preparation
Preheat the oven to 375
degrees
Arrange pita squares
evenly on a baking sheet (don’t stress over arranging them) just get them on
the pan in an even layer)
Bake for 5-8 minutes or
until crisp. Take the pan out of the oven before the squares become too brown.
Set the pita aside.
In a small sauté pan, heat
2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the minced garlic and heat for 1 minute.
Take it off the heat before the garlic begins to brown and set the pan aside to
cool.
In a serving bowl, toss
the cucumber, tomatoes, scallion, mint, parsley, lemon juice, and cumin with
the remaining olive oil. Add the garlic and the toasted pita squares, salt and
pepper, and gently toss with your fingers until just mixed, Serve right away.
Cat’s note: You can
stretch this salad to feed more people by adding a half a head of romaine
lettuce, washed and torn into bite sized pieces. Use the tender inside leaves
at the heart and be sure to dry the lettuce well with a clean towel and to add
it at the last second so the pita doesn’t get soggy.
I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere has provided me with compensation for this post; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
