HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — Chef Patrick Evans-Hylton joins Coast Live with some fun food and drink to add some flavor to your New Year's festvities!
Here's what Chef Patrick has to say about these offerings, courtesy of his blog, "Virginia Eats and Drinks" (virginiaeatsanddrinks.com).
CHEERS TO THE NEW YEAR! CELEBRATE WITH OUR "SORBOSA"
What’s New Year’s Eve without champagne? We love a big glass of bubbly, but we also like fun cocktails made with the effervescent imbibe.
Our Sorbosa is a fun take on a mimosa, where fruit-flavored sorbets take the place of fruit juice.
As the sorbet melts, it flavors the champagne, boosting the flavor, and giving the drink a creamy texture. A shot of flavored vodka, or even liqueur, adds another level of complexity.
Use any sparkling in this drink: champagne, cava, or prosecco are perfect. Our friend Marc Sauter, the super sommelier at Zoes Steak & Seafood in Virginia Beach, offers three suggestions. In addition to being a restaurant, Zoes also offers a wine shop where folks can purchase bottles for home enjoyment. Here are his suggestions:
- Banfi Rosa Regale Sparkling Red, Italy
- Champagne Andre’ Clouet brut, France
- Barboursville Vineyards Cuvee 1814 brut rose’, Virginia
Want to make our Sorbosa at home? Here’s how:
In a champagne flute or white wine glass, add two small scoops (I use a melon baller) or a favorite sorbet, like orange. You could substitute an Italian ice for the sorbet.
Add a splash or two of a flavored vodka, maybe a fruit flavor or even vanilla. Optionally, add few splashes of liqueur, like Grand Mariner.
Fill the glass with sparkling wine and serve.
Sparkling wines come from Zoes Steak & Seafood, www.ZoesVB.com
BON APPETIT TO NEW YEAR’S EVE ENTERTAINING! KICK OFF 2023 WITH A KICK: OUR SALTWATER COWBOY CAVIAR
We love a versatile dish, something delicious that can do double time on our dinner table. We also love it when that dish is quick and easy to come together.
Embellishing the classic Cowboy Caviar, we’ve come up with a dip that echoes some of the flavors of our region.
Our Saltwater Cowboy Caviar is great as a dip for tortilla chips, wonderful on top of sliced, toasted baguettes for bruschetta, spooned on tacos, added on top grilled chicken or fish, as a topping for oysters on the half-shell, filling an omelet, and more.
Here’s how to make it:
Make the Seafood Seasoning Vinaigrette: In a small jar with a lid, add a cup of extra virgin olive oil, 6 tablespoons white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar, 1/2 cup Dijon mustard, and 1 tablespoon seafood seasoning, like Old Bay.
Make the Caviar: In a large bowl, add 2 cans (15-1/2 ounce each) black-eyed peas that have been rinsed and drained, 1 diced medium tomato, 1 finely chopped medium green pepper, and 1 finely chopped small red onion.
In a small bowl, whisk 1/2 cup prepared Seafood Seasoning Vinaigrette, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Pour over the caviar mixture and stir well to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
More at VirginiaEatsAndDrinks.com.
EAT, DRINK + DO: CELEBRATING COASTAL VIRGINIA’S CUISINE SCENE; QUEMAR IN TOP TEN
We had many wonderful meals in 2022, and on our blog at VirginiaEatsAndDrinks.com we’ll share with you our Top Ten restaurants that wowed.
One of the most remarkable meals we enjoyed is at Quemar, a new Latin American eatery located near the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
Here Executive Chef Evan Drake masters the essence of wide-and-varied south of the border cuisine. From the menu, which is split into third: snacks, small plates, and larger plates, we sampled a number of dishes - and drinks.
We started with a ceviche made from locally-caught sheepshead that has to be one of the best examples of this dish I’ve ever enjoyed.
The fish was gorgeous, sliced thin and perfectly cooked in citrus. It was balanced with aji amarillo, a yellow hot pepper sauce and earthy cilantro oil, and garnished with avocado and red onion. Chopped corn nuts added texture.
There were other dishes enjoyed too, like the beautiful vegan Smashed Beets served with grilled mustard greens, red wine vinaigrette, and walnuts. Then we moved onto the the showstopper, Pork Shank, a larger plate.
Pork shank is one of my favorites: the cut comes from the pig’s hind leg where the ham comes from. It’s meaty and muscular and when cooked at length produces an incredibly tender and flavorful dish.
That’s how Drake prepared this offering; the meat easily came off the center bone with gentle application from my fork. Each bite was delicate and delicious.
It was made even better with the thick slathering of mole poblano sauce, which was rich and flavorful with a pleasant bitterness and earthiness and gentle spice. This classic sauce, crafted from the poblano chile, has a host of other ingredients, among them nuts and spices and even a bit of Mexican chocolate.
The pork came atop an addictive base of refried beans, and a sprinkling of nutty queso fresco garnished the dish and accented the flavor profile. It’s finished with a drizzle of crema and sprinkling of sesame seeds.
After a tasting of a trio of tequilas - the restaruant showcases around 100 tequilas and mezcals - I enjoyed the Puesta Del Sol.
Literally translated as “sunset,” the cocktail is a beautiful drink with tequila reposado as the base. There are various grades of tequila based on age, and reposado sits between the least aged, tequila blanco, and the longer aged, tequila anejo.
In the Puesta Del Sol drink, the tequila is mixed with Cointreau, the French orange liqueur and muddled strawberries and jalapeño resulting in a lovely sweet-ish drink with subtle fruit and heat accents.
I originally reported on Quemar in October, 2022 in my Beach Eats column in the Virginia Beach Beacon community tabloid of the Virginian-Pilot newspaper.
More at QuemarCocina.com!
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