Hey y'all!
The twilight months of the year—October, November and December—are easily the most lit. We spend the rest of the year going months without a good holiday, until BAM, it's Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's, all within two months of each other. It's such a busy, special time of year that my family has come to affectionately call the season HallowThankMasYear.
The most festive months of the year mean one thing: parties out the wazoo. This punch is a favorite of mine—it pairs with everything from light party snacks to a full-blown Thanksgiving dinner, and it's easy to double (or even triple) depending on crowd size.
Cinnamon Sangria
Yields about 30 8-ounce servings
Ingredients:
- 6 Apples
- 2 Oranges
- 750 mL cinnamon whiskey (I use Fireball)
- 750 mL bottle cheap chardonnay, chilled
- 2 liters (about 2 bottles) sparkling apple cider, chilled
- 1 liter club soda, chilled
- Cinnamon sticks (optional)
Directions:
- Chop apples and oranges into 1-inch cube
- Place apples and oranges in 1-gallon container
- Pour cinnamon whiskey over fruit and stir. Let set in refrigerator for 2-4 hours (longer is fine, but be forewarned: it will get strong).
- Add wine, cider and club soda and stir.
- Garnish with cinnamon sticks if desired.
The fruit steeped in cinnamon whisky is delicious (and deadly), so I try to serve in a punch bowl to give easier access to the fruit. If you plan to leave it out all night, freshen it up after a few hours with more cider or club soda to keep it from getting flat.
Forkin’ Around
New Mexico has a Moveable Feast of our own now, thanks to Edible Santa Fe magazine and Thoughtfully Produced, a nonprofit focused on helping small businesses source locally. Not to be confused with Hemingway's Parisian memoirs, this event helps Santa Fe restaurants celebrate New Mexican farms' harvests.
Wednesday-Saturday Oct. 25-28, check out the local $20 prix-fixe lunch at RASA Juice Bar (815-B Early St., 989-1288), nightly specials at Il Piatto (95 W Marcy Ave., 984-1091) or all-day specials at Dulce Bakery and Coffee (1100 Don Diego Ave, 989-9966).
The Fred Harvey Foodie Happening is, well, happening. It’s Saturday at La Fonda on the Plaza (100 E San
Francisco St., 982-5511) as part of Fred Harvey weekend, celebrating the life and history of one the US’s most prolific hoteliers (here’s his Wikipedia page if you need to brush up on your Southwestern history). Tickets will set you back $125 and get you a multi-course meal from some of Santa Fe’s top chefs, a tasting of the new Harvey Girl IPA from Mother Road Brewing, and a gravy boat (yes, really) from a soon-to-be released collection of recreated Fred Havey china.
Also happening this weekend: Estancia's best cheesemakers and Santa Fe Farmers Market Staple Old Windmill Dairy (52 Paso Ranch Road, Estancia, 384-0033) is hosting their last movie and goat-cuddling night of the season. Snuggle up (read: be bitten by) goats while watching Halloween classic Hocus Pocus. Popcorn is included in ticket prices, which range from $10-$26, with s'mores and other snacks available for purchase. Dress warmly; this event is outdoors.
Just what the doctor ordered: Tonic (103 E Water St.) has opened. Stop by for affordable (for Santa Fe) craft cocktails, creative bar snacks and swingin' tunes on the weekends. I highly recommend the Cactus Coke ($11), which features an otherworldly house-made spicy ginger syrup and a healthy serving of tequila.
Y'all already know how I feel about brunch, so I'm super pumped about this next bit of news. Paloma (401 S Guadalupe St., 467-8624) will start serving every white girl's favorite meal this Saturday and Sunday from
11 am-2 pm. No word yet on the full menu, but it's sure to include breakfast tacos on their house-made, locally sourced tortillas.
Halloween's coming up soon, which has set my sweet tooth off. I love a Reese's as much as the next girl, but I feel like I should step up my game some. So I gotta ask: Where has the best candy in Santa Fe?
That's all for this week!
Later,
Eli
