We Need to Take Some Time Off

Alas, not an April Fools’ joke

We’re sad to report that Father of Kitchen Riffs passed away recently. The “oldster,” as we affectionately called him, was 99 and lived a good life. His doctor advised us several weeks ago that the end was coming, but it’s still a shock when it does.

So we’re taking two or three weeks off.

Oh, and the picture that tops this post? It’s the Black Velvet Cocktail, which reportedly was invented to commemorate the passing of Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria.

It’s an appropriate drink for us this week. We lift our glasses to The Oldster.

Summer Cocktail Recipe Roundup

Cape Codder Cocktail

Cool ones for hot days

Summer is here in our part of the world. Now that we’ve celebrated Memorial Day in the US, we’re ready for flip flops and tee shirts. Not to mention tall, cool drinks.

So we’ve decided to kick off the summer season by rounding up some seasonally appropriate cocktail recipes. We’ll race you for the hammock.

Party Snacks and Dips Recipe Roundup

California Clam Dip

For your holiday munching pleasure

We’re deep into holiday season, and you’re probably planning to throw a bash or two.

But what to eat? You’ll need munchies, of course. So we’ve collected some of our favorite past recipes for savory goodies that fit the bill.

We’ll be enjoying these, too. This is our last post of the year (so we’ll have time to party hearty). See you again in 2018.

Unexpected Medical Adventure

So we’re taking off for two weeks

We weren’t planning to take down time on the blog this November, but it turns out we need to. One of us (Kitchen Riffs – a/k/a KR) had a sudden eye problem that required surgery. The prognosis is excellent, but he needs to be a couch potato for a bit. So no goodies coming from our kitchen to you, alas. And we won’t be visiting other blogs for a while.

In the meantime, why not enjoy this 2011 post about Beaujolais Nouveau? Every year on the third Thursday of November – which happens to be tomorrow – the very first Beaujolais of the year is released. This is very fresh wine (the grapes were just picked a few weeks ago) and it doesn’t age well, so it needs to be consumed very soon. But it’s a nice, fresh wine, and we think it pairs particularly well with Thanksgiving dinner. Or sip it all by itself as a predinner treat.

And speaking of Thanksgiving, we hope everyone has a wonderful one! We expect to see you with a new post on the last Wednesday of November.

Autumn Soup and Chili Recipe Roundup

Pumpkin and Pork Chili

Comfort-Food Ideas for Chilly Weather

Autumn is the season for soup – and chili. When the weather turns cooler, they’re our go-tos.

So this week we’re highlighting some of our favorite season-appropriate recipes from blog posts past. There are enough of them to tide you over for a few weeks – while we sneak off for vacation.

For now, soup’s on!

Happy Holidays!

The Milk Punch Cocktail

We’re taking a brief break

We’re taking off for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. So this is our last post of the year. We’ll be back with a new post on Wednesday, January 6, 2016.

If you get bored and need something to read before then, why not browse our index? You’ll find plenty of good stuff there.

We’d like to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season! See you next year.

What To Drink on Income Tax Day?

Why, The Income Tax Cocktail, Of Course! 

Tax day falls on Tuesday, April 17th this year. We get a couple extra days to file because the 15th is a Sunday and the 16th is Patriot’s Day in Massachusetts and Maine. (We’re catching a break, because the IRS doesn’t always grant the Patriot’s Day extension; Wikipedia has an explanation).

So why am I discussing this? Mainly as a shameless way of promoting one of my all-time most popular posts, The Income Tax Cocktail. This post was originally published about a year ago, at a time when readership of Kitchen Riffs was much less than it is today. I’m also pleased to announce that gojee is featuring the Income Tax Cocktail as one of their Gojee Drinks Top 3 this weekend.

So if you missed it last year, now’s a great time to learn about this classic cocktail. And if you read the post when it first appeared (or subsequently found it), now is the perfect time to revisit it. The Income Tax Cocktail is a great drink for celebrating — or consoling yourself  — when your taxes are finally finished.

I’ll be back to my regular programming with a new post this Sunday, about a way to use that leftover Easter ham bone.

Read about the Income Tax Cocktail here.