Happy Hour Friday

I have to admit I do love to say "welcome to the weekend".   Especially since Friday plans can be done on the spur of the moment, last minute, go with the flow.  

This week started with a H5k celebration with the H50 team inspired by the 1950's, so why not go out on the same plan.  This could add a nice little twist to our usual Happy Hour twist, don't you think?

A good Happy Hour is fun no matter what period we decide to celebrate in.  What is it that they say, what's old is new again.  Some things may actually seem so familiar you just can't figure out why you know them, but it's all good.







You can always have fun as long as you have your good friends, the good times just seem to follow.  So just your ohana together and have a great time.

Cocktail parties and cocktail drinking seem to really take shape in the 50's, people seemed to relax more.   It also seemed that during this time that the Cocktail Hour was born. The Cocktail Hour just was this attitude, this part of the day when you could kick back and relax with a Martini or a Manhattan after a hard day at the office. The Cocktail party was the popular ways to entertain your friends, the prelude to the current Happy Hour. It was just colorful, glamorous, the drinks were high in alcohol, and then food bite size morsels.   

Classic Martini

1 part Gin
1 part Dry Vermouth

1. Combine in shaker over cracked ice, stir and strain into a cocktail glass. 
2. Optionally, garnish with an olive or two or a twist.

Singapore Sling

 2 parts Gin

1 part Cherry Brandy

1 part Grenadine Syrup

   Soda water

1. Add the ingredients to your cocktail shaker  with cubed ice and shake briskly for about 10 seconds.  
2. Strain and pour into an ice filled Sling glass  and top with Soda Water.

Classic Champagne Cocktail

1 glass champagne 

Dash of Angostura bitters

Dash of Cognac

1 sugarcube (placed in bottom of the glass)

1. Drip Angostura Bitters on the sugar cube and place in the bottom of the glass. 
2. Cover cube with Cognac, then top up with Champagne.

Parmesan-Stuffed Dates Wrapped in Bacon

18 (1- by 1/4-inch) sticks Parmigiano Reggiano 
18 pitted dates 
6 bacon slices, cut crosswise into thirds

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F. 
2. Stuff 1 piece of cheese into each date, then wrap 1 piece of bacon around each date, securing it with a toothpick. Arrange dates 1 inch apart in a shallow baking pan. 
3. Bake 5 minutes, then turn dates over with tongs and bake until bacon is crisp, 5 to 6 minutes more. Drain on a paper bag or parchment. Serve immediately.

Barbecue Pigs in a Blanket

32 cocktail franks
3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup
8 ounces refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

1. Saute wieners in barbecue sauce and maple syrup until heated through. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes. 
2. Separate crescents into triangles. Cut each triangle into 4 wedges, making 4 very thin, long triangles. Wrap one triangle of dough around each coctail weiner and pinch the ends to seal. 
3. Arrange on ungreased baking sheets and bake at 350º until golden, about 10-12 minutes.

Black Olive Spread

1-10 oz can black olives
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1. Place olives, Parmesan cheese, and garlic (if using) in a food processor. 
2. Add olive oil slowly while running. Process until smooth.

EGGPLANT CAVIAR

2 large eggplants
2 onions
1 small can tomato paste (or to taste)
Salt
Vinegar and sugar to taste

1. Take 2 large eggplants, puncture them with a fork in several places so that they will not burst open when baked. 
2. Place them in the oven at 350° and bake until soft. 
3. Then peel and chop. 
4. Chop onions and fry in oil, mix with masked eggplant add tomato paste, salt, a little vinegar and sugar to taste. Cook 10 to 15 minutes. Use as spread.