"Blizzard" Juno

In case you were somehow missed it, the northeast was hit by Blizzard Juno, which some had predicted to be the worst storm since the 1800s to hit NYC.  Well, Blizzard Juno turned out to be more like slightly large snow storm Juno instead.  Nevertheless, I'll take any excuse to get out a couple hours early.  I'd been wanting to try my hand at making cauliflower pizza for a while and, with my recent cauliflower obsession, had some extra in my fridge. I made a personal mini one using a variation of the recipe from Detoxinista. My full recipe follows the amazing pictures.

Start with blending your cauliflower...

Place it on a thin dishtowel...

Microwave in bowl... 

Wring out the water...

Make your "dough"...

Shape into crust...

Bake for 15 minutes....

Add your sauce...

And your toppings...

Just 5 more minutes...

Enjoy!! 

Ingredients

Makes 1 mini pizza crust

1/3 medium head of cauliflower florets

1/2 tsp egg

1/3 slice Monterey Jack cheese

1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grind up the cauliflower florets (I used a Magic Bullet since my large NYC apartment doesn't allow space for me to keep a food processor). Place the mush in to a thin dishtowel and wring out all the water. Place in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 10 seconds. Wring again - yes, it's going to be a little hot. Repeat.  This will make sure you get all the water in the cauliflower out **Detoxinista suggests boiling then straining, but I didn't want to lose any of the little bit of cauliflower I had** Mix in the rest of the ingredients to make the "dough." Shape it into a crust and place it on a sheet of foil sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove and add your sauce and toppings.  I used 1 tablespoon of marinara, a little bit of sausage, and a sprinkle of kale so I can pretend like I'm healthy.  Top with a little more cheese because there isn't such a thing as too much cheese and return to oven.  Bake for 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted. Bon Appétit!

Divisional Championships

I'm going to keep this short - not because I'm so sure about my picks, but because I have the pleasure of being in South Beach this weekend. I will be watching the games outdoors, by the beach, frozen drink in hand at the Clevelander.

Packers vs. Seahawks
The Seahawks can't be stopped right now. Kam Chancellor? Richard Sherman? The entire Seattle defense looked unreal last weekend. With Marshawn Lynch running the ball on the offensive side, how can they not go all the way? This will definitely be a great game, but the Seahawks will edge out the Pack.

Colts vs. Patriots
I'm going with the Patriots on this one. The Colts are hot, but New England is going to be too much to handle. Their offense is going to be too much for the Colts secondary.

Bourbon Shortbread Cookies with Mint Julep Glaze

The Broncos are out. If you say you called that this early on, I'm calling you out. Peyton hasn't looked his best this season, but it was almost merciless to have the future hall-of-famer go out to his former team - yet, somehow fitting at the same time.  If this is the end of Peyton's run, it's almost symbolic that it is initiated by a loss the Colts as if he were giving way to Luck.

In college football news, Urban Meyer won his fourth national championship, makingThe Buckeyes of The Ohio State University the first national champions of the CFP era. Though the Ducks and Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota drew first blood, it was pretty much all downhill from there. Cardale Jones and Ezekiel Elliott did not look like sophomores - and definitely not a third-string QB in the case of Jones - as the Buckeyes scored 42 points against an Oregon defense that looked lost.

Now, for the reason we're here: Whiskey Wednesday. This week, I'm posting one of my easiest, go-to whiskey treat recipes: bourbon shortbread cookies with a mint julep glaze. Made these for my coworkers and they could not believe they weren't home-made.

Ingredients
(makes about 30 cookies depending on how generous you are)

For the cookies:
The wets:
3 sticks unsalted room-temp butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
3 tbsp bourbon, and more for drinking (I used Bulleit Bourbon because I believe in cooking with what you would drink)

The dries:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

For the icing:
15 large mint leaves (I like it really minty)
1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar
3 tbsp bourbon, and more for drinking


In a medium bowl, sift together your wets. In a large(r) bowl, mix your butter and sugars together. Once they're completely combined, add in the vanilla extract and bourbon. Take a shot of the bourbon. Pour in the flour and salt mixture little by little, making sure your incorporating it thoroughly every time. Take another shot. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours - this helps keep the shape of the cookies since the butter is warm.  Throw it in without refrigerating and your cookie will melt right quick. Make an old fashioned - you have a bit to sober up.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Form your cookie. *Tip* I formed them in the shape I wanted them to be as the ball technique doesn't work with these chilled babies. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

While the cookies are baking, make your mint julep icing. Finely dice your mint leaves. Take a shot - see what I did there? Made sure you didn't take the shot before using a knife. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and you have your icing.

Take the cookies out the cookies and let them cool. Take a shot. Ice them when they're ready and enjoy! Let's be real though, you won't really know how delicious they are at this point.

Divisional Playoffs

Now, the playoffs really start. Though less competitive than last year, we're still in for some good football this weekend.

Ravens vs. Patriots

The Ravens took care of business against the Steelers, but that was last week and this is the New England Patriots coming off a bye week playing in the postseason in Foxborough. The Ravens secondary will have to step up against Tom Brady and the Patriots' rushing offense if they want to have a shot. New England's rushing D will also force Flacco to turn to his passing game.  I see a determined Patriots squad and a post-Super Bowl Flacco showing up Saturday.

Panthers vs. Seahawks
Do I even have to say anything? Top defense in the League. Legion of Boom. Beast Mode. Sherman. Moving on.


Cowboys vs. Packers

This really comes down to Rodgers and his injury. If Rodgers is limited, Dallas' defense will be able to hold off the Pack enough for a win. However, with the weather conditions near arctic levels, Romo will have a hard time getting his offense going. DeMarco Murray's running game is going to suffer undoubtedly so the Cowboys will have to look to Jason Witten and their receivers to score.

Colts vs. Broncos

O, the storylines. The veteran QB against the up-and-coming QB. Peyton against the team where the legend started.  Nothing we haven't heard leading up to their Week 1 matchup. And like all the storylines, the result will also be nothing new. The Colts have improved this season, but, when you look at their schedule, they didn't have any noteworthy wins, still losing to tough opponents. The Broncos are going to be at home and want to go all the way to redeem themselves after last year.

Rochelles

I'm dedicating my first Whiskey Wednesday post to my, hands down, favorite whiskey bar in the city: Rochelles in LES. My first visit was last summer after purchasing a deal for a burger, fries, and four whiskey tastings and, since that fateful night, have been in love. I ended up trying 9 new whiskeys, devouring my "bluto" burger, and meeting possibly the most knowledgeable bartenders in the city. They even earned my trust enough to get me to try Hibiki 12 year after I had sworn to never drink Japanese whiskey again.

Rochelles has shelves upon shelves lined with whiskey on its mirrored wall behind the bar. I honestly hear angels sing when I look at it. The bartenders can tell you all the different notes you'll smell and taste from each bottle. They even know the story behind some of the distilleries if you're curious. Don't worry if you're not a purist or a whiskey fan - they've got great mixed drinks as well. You can't go wrong with names like "Daddy Issues" and "Sex in the Streets." The bartender concocted a bespoke cocktail for me one night with Stetson, lavender bitters, chartreuse, and lord knows what else - they really know their stuff.

The drinks aren't the only thing that's great about this place. Their fries are the skinny kind (Helloooooo crispy!) and they come with three amazing sauces - their bourbon ketchup, a sriracha mayo, and a garlic aioli that is just ridiculous. And whiskey wings? Yes, please, and thank you. 

For more on Rochelles, visit www.rochellesnyc.com