You may be *this* close to straight-up sticking an IV in your arm to transfuse the spirit of your choice. This infusion might be safer. Our friends at Burntwood Tavern are giving up their recipe for their signature cocktail, the Jack & Jill.
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Ingredients:
2 ½ ounces blueberry infused vodka (recipe below)
½ ounce simple syrup
½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
8 fresh blueberries

Directions:
To make simple syrup, bring 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar and 1 ¼ water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, three minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool for 15 minutes.
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Muddle six of the blueberries, lemon juice and syrup in the bottom of a rocks glass. Fill glass with ice. Add vodka. Box and shake. Pour contents into glass and garnish with two blueberries.

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 ½- 3 cups vodka

Directions:
Add fruit to a clean 1-quart canning jar. Fill jar with vodka until the fruit is completely covered. Seal the jar tightly and allow to infuse for 3-5 days on the counter, out of direct sunlight. When ready, use a fine mess strainer to strain the infused vodka, discarding fruit and seeds. Using a funnel, fill a sealable glass jar or bottle with the infused vodka. Store at room temperature away from direct sunlight or in the refrigerator. 

Our cheese buddy, Crave Brothers, got some props for their awesome Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese Curds. They won First Place at the 2020 World Championship Cheese Contest.
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Let’s celebrate with this recipe using those winning curds.

Ingredients:
4 pounds russet potatoes (skin-on, washed and dried)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
1 shallot (minced)
1 clove garlic (minced)
4 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon green peppercorns (whole)
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
ground black pepper
kosher salt
canola oil (for frying)
2 cups Crave Brothers Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese Curds

Directions:
Cut potatoes into lengths of about 1⁄4" x 1⁄4" x 4". Place in a large bowl, cover with cold water, and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, heat butter in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour, and cook, stirring, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add shallot and garlic, and cook, until soft, about 2 minutes. Add stock, ketchup, vinegar, peppercorns, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper, and bring to a boil; cook, stirring, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat, and keep gravy warm. 

Pour oil to a depth of 3" in a 6-qt. Dutch oven, and heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 325°. Drain potatoes, and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Working in small batches, add potatoes and fry, tossing occasionally, until tender and slightly crisp, about 4 minutes.

Drain on paper towels, and let cool for 20 minutes. Increase temperature to medium-high, and heat oil until it reads 375°. Working in small batches, return potatoes to oil, and fry, tossing occasionally, until crisp and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer fries to paper towels to drain briefly, and then divide among serving bowls. Pour gravy over each serving of fries, and top with jalapeno cheese curds; serve immediately.

If you’re going to stuff your face full of Little Debbie snacks while on quarantine (raises hand), can you try to work a healthy meal in every three snacks?

According to our friends at Quartz, “Shakshuka is easy-to-make, healthy dish that can fit any meal of the day, though it's popular at breakfast. In this version, we suggest not adding eggs to the red sauce right away, as that red sauce can be saved and used for other dishes.”
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Ready to get Shakshuka-d?
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​Ingredients:
1 yellow onion (chopped)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red bell pepper (chopped)
¼ tsp salt
1 28 oz. can plum tomatoes
3 garlic cloves (chopped)
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
Eggs
 
Directions:
Warm the oil in a large, oven-safe skillet (preferably stainless steel) over medium heat. Also pre-heat oven to 375-degrees Fahrenheit. Add onion, bell pepper, and salt. Stir often, until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, spices, and red pepper flakes. Stir until nice and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Pour in plum tomatoes and let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes, breaking apart plum tomatoes with a spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Crack 5-6 eggs onto the top of the red sauce. Transfer skillet to the oven and bake for 8 to 12 minutes, checking often. It's done when the egg whites are an opaque white and the yolks have risen a bit but are still soft. Serve hot!

​There’s barbecue sauce. And then there’s barbecue sauce. Are we right? Many are experts and have very picky tastebuds. We feel ya.

See if Bachan’s Japanse Barbecue moves you. If the Japanese can make us gaga for Yum Yum sauce, then…

​This sauce is cold-filled and small batch crafted in California from an heirloom family recipe. All 10 ingredients are non-GMO and mostly organic.

So this is a health food, right?
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Here’s a Bachan recipe to try:
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Ingredients:
1 lb Ground Chicken
¼ cup + 2 tbsp Bachan's Japanese Barbecue Sauce
½ cup Panko Bread Crumb
1 tbsp Fresh Grated Ginger
1 Egg
2 tsp. Chinese Five Spice
1 tsp Salt
¼ cup + 2 tbsp Cilantro
2 Green Onions 2 tbsp Sesame Oi Sesame Seeds (garnish)

Directions:
1. In a mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, 2 tbsp Bachan's Japanese Barbecue Sauce, panko bread crumbs, grated ginger, egg, Chinese five spice, salt and ¼ cup cilantro.

2. Combine until well mixed. Take mixture and form into meatballs.

3. In a skillet, add sesame oil and fry meatballs until golden brown and cooked through.

4. Add ¼ cup of Bachan's Japanese Barbecue Sauce to skillet and toss over meatballs.
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5. Garnish with additional cilantro and sesame seeds.

The first Asian-American snack brand, Dang, has new packaging, a new logo, and new eats.
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Dang!

​Tropical Mango Coconut Chips: Using mature Thai coconuts, this new addition brings the tropical mango flavor without any added sugar. MSRP: $4.99

Toasted Sesame Thai Rice Chips: A savory on-the-go-snack inspired by Northern Thai street food and made with crunchy Thai rice grains. MSRP: $3.99

Peanut Butter Dang Bar: Made with healthy plant-based fats from coconut, cocoa butter, peanuts, and almond butter, this new flavor joins Dang’s award-winning keto-certified line of snack bars. MSRP: $2.49
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Founded in 2012, Dang Foods is owned and operated by two Thai brothers who grew up living between New York City and Bangkok. In New York City, they were used to being teased and feeling like they didn’t fit in at school because of the food they ate. Now, through Dang, they are able to generate long-overdue awareness at scale for the Asian-American snack culture that is predominantly healthy, plant-based, and full of bold flavors and whole food ingredients. So, there.

Find all these Dang products at Kroger, Target, Whole Foods and any place else that dares to Dang.

We could go on with this Dang puns all Dang day…

P.S. So grateful that the name of this company isn't Dong, because... 

Perfect for the beer connoisseur in your life: Brewferm. The name ain't sexy, but in a blink of a buzzed eye you or your buds will be making craft Belgium suds. Each kit comes with everything you need to clean, ferment, and cap your pints, as well as all the necessary ingredients-- all carefully ore-measured and ready to brew. Simply add sugar and water, and then follow the instructions. In a couple of weeks, you'll be sampling:

Tripel Terror -- A strong and malty beer that’s slightly spiced
Flemish Fiend -- An aromatic beer with lingering licorice notes
Belgian 1774 -- A brown ale with light sourness and a sweet aftertaste   
Dubbel Damme -- A Belgian Dubbel that’s dark, chocolatey, and rich
Divine Deliverance -- A Belgian IPA  with that signature herbal, bitter aftertaste
Pious Pilsner -- A refreshing Pilsner with a slight bitterness and hop aroma
Beastly Belge -- A true Belgian ale with malt undertones and a soft finish
Bighorn Blonde -- A full-bodied yet balanced beer with high alcohol content
Sinister Stout -- A dark smooth beer with hints of chocolate and coffee
Sacred Saison -- A richly golden beer with flavors of herbs, spices, and fruit
Wicked Wheat -- A cloudy, complex, tart yet fresh brew

That's great. But let's kick this up to the next level. Your own beer cheese sauce!!!
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Ingredients:
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup lager beer
1 cup whole milk (half and half or heavy cream may be substituted)
1 tsp grainy dijon mustard (or regular dijon)
1/2 - 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
pinch of dried parsley (optional)
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or your favorite cheese) (about 12 oz) 

Instructions:
In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until combined.  Cook 30 seconds, while whisking occasionally. Add beer, whisking continuously as you pour, eliminating any lumps from the flour mixture. Slowly add in milk, whisking as you pour. Cook over medium heat, whisking often, for several minutes, until mixture has thickened. Stir in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Add cheese, a handful at a time, and stir until completely melted.  Serve warm.

*recipe courtesy of www.thechunkychef.com

You can get sauced. Or you can get souped. (Some do both, but we won't judge...) Nothing takes the edge off the bitter cold than a nice bowl of soup. And since we are perpetual cheese lovers, this hits the spot. Easy to make. Easier to devour. Thanks, Crave Brothers-- for making us run another 10 minutes on the treadmill.
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​Ingredients:
5 T. butter
1 bunch green onions, chopped (use some green part)
2 lbs. assorted wild mushrooms (shiitake, portabella, cremini, white button), leave some whole for garnish, slice remainder
5 cups chicken broth
¾ cup port
¼ t. dried thyme
1½ cups heavy cream
2 T. lemon juice
1/8 t. ground black pepper
8 oz. Crave Brothers Farmstead Classics Mascarpone
Crusty bread or breadsticks
 
Directions:
Put butter in 5-quart saucepan; melt. Add onion; sauté. Cook about 5 minutes until soft, stirring frequently. Stir in mushrooms; cook about 8 minutes until tender. Add chicken broth, port and thyme; heat to boiling. Reduce heat. Ladle mushroom/broth mixture into blender; blend until puréed. Pour into large bowl. When all mixture puréed, return to saucepan. Add cream, lemon juice, black pepper and mascarpone. Heat soup over low heat just until heated through. Ladle into soup bowls; garnish with whole mushrooms. Serve with crusty bread or breadsticks.