Cocktail Roulette: The Shiny Moon

Insomuch that we're creating a whole dinner from the ground up for a "One Night Only" event, we thought it'd be nice to share a few of our favorite recipes & cocktails from time to time. So here you go... Cocktail Roulette and Muddled Meals.

From our Rags to Riches dinner - here's the Shiny Moon!

• 1 oz. HUDSON NEW YORK CORN WHISKEY
• 2 oz. fresh apple cider
• 0.5 oz. fresh lemon juice
• 0.25 oz. cherry infused brandy (optional)
• 2 drops Fee Brothers Orange Bitters

Shake over ice and strain into a coupe. Garnish with the peel of a kumquat.

Cloak & Dinner: The Time Machine Invite

ÜBER MORLOCK

We all have our time machines, don't we. Those that take us back are memories... And those that carry us forward, are dreams. 

There's no time like the present, but tonight we tastefully disagree. We've pondered over many a quaint and curious menu of forgotten food to discover the very best this past century had to offer. Cramming for this culinary history lesson has provided us ten decadent decades worth of tantalizing ideas, and we've selected our favorites from every era to create a meal worthy of Doc, Marty, Bill, and Ted. Sit back, relax, and strap your taste buds to their TARDIS because we're time travelling through the tasty twentieth ten years at a time. Let's see if you bastards can do ninety.

~ nicole iizuka | sean brogan | isaac zucca ~

Please join us for the 6th Cloak & Dinner supper club. Details below.

10 Seats || 7 Courses + 4 Cocktail Pairings

$60

Saturday September 24th

6pm

Location will be given out once you have a confirmed spot.

Please visit our event on Gusta to enter the lottery & if you're picked (by Random.org) to attend I will email you further payment instructions by Tuesday September 20th.  You will then have until Thursday September 22nd to pay otherwise your spot will be given away.

https://www.gusta.com/events/51-cloak-dinner-the-time-machine

** if you have any food allergies, let us know. will do our best to accommodate.**

A few other nit-picky notes

please plan to be on-time and for the dinner to last from 3-4 hours

there will be 3-4 paired cocktails, but you are more than welcome to BYO, beer, wine, soda

this dinner will be on a rooftop, so dress appropriately for sundown

Previous Dinners + Photos

Any Colour You Like || 5/30/11

Rookie Blunders || 6/11/11

E Pluribus uNOM || 7/3/11

A Day in the Life || 7/23/11
Rags to Riches || 8/13/11

Any other questions, please check out our FAQ on our website.

Cloak & Dinner: Rags to Riches || 8/13/11

Having recently moved offices (like the big move... building to building) I totally forgot to do my little write-up / photo log of our latest & greatest. So here it is, Cloak & Dinner: Rags to Riches!

It doesn't take a Swiss bank account and a majority share of Microsoft to appreciate a tasty meal, and you'd be remiss to find a foie gras eating, souffle spooning, champagne sipping trillionaire who doesn't long for the simple days of Slim Jims, Twinkies, and Kool-Aid. Be it in dorm or double-wide, school lunch or stadium, we've all come to adore the bounty of salt, sugar, and cellophane that is America's vast extra value menu. Tonight, we've raised the bar on low-brow, bleached the blue collar, and taken classless cuisine to culinary school. Savor the sweet taste of success as some of our favorite down-and-out delicacies finally get a piece of the pie.

This was perhaps our most successful dinner yet... everything running smoothly and (for the most part) on time, thanks to the newest addition to the happy little family, our Captain Matt Portman!  It's always nice to have helpful friends & extra hands :-).  C&D will be taking a mini-break, Labor Day - Vacay whatnot, but follow us on twiter @cloakanddinner to get the scoop on our next invite expected mid-late September!

Also, if you'd like to be added to the mailing list for future C&D dinners, please email rsvp@cloakanddinner.com.

the table is set, the day is gorgeous, we're ready to go!

bread & water || stuffed baguette & cucumber acqua frizzante
this came out quite beautifully, a delicately stuffed baguette with a decadent array of Mediterranean goodies, chilled & then sliced into edible bites. 

~ shiny moon ~
hudson new york corn whiskey, apple cider, lemon, fee brothers orange bitters

fish sticks || sesame encrusted ahi tuna with mango wasabi tartar saucego figure, i scour all the asian markets and find nothing suitable, but lo & behold the awesome pavillions on santa monica had the freshest ahi.

p&bj || truffle mousse pate & blackberry jam
a little polarizing, this is definitely a dish for those who enjoy a heavy helping of pate.  i for one definitely enjoyed the balance of meat & sweet.

~ livin’ the high life ~
domaine de canton ginger liqueur, miller high life, lemon

chef Boyardee || smoked salmon lasagna
this came out freaking amazing.  and we put it in a bed of spicy dill mustard sauce & topped with goat cheese & heirloom tomatoes.  

~ lemonade stand ~
gin, cucumber, lemon, simple syrup.  mason jar.
 

danger dogs || bacon wrapped bison with onions, garlic aioli & curry ketchup
no words can describe.  the lean bison paired with the fatty bacon did wonders to the palate & who doesn't love a nice splattering of garlic anything?

fla-vor-ice || lemon mint granita
let's just call it what it is.  pennsylvania water-ice.  pronounced watah. a super fragrant lemon mint granita on top of a creamy mint soft serve.

~ homemade horchata ~
horchata, rum. made from scratch.

gruel || arroz con leche
topped with what else, disco dust!  who doesn't love eating gold?

cinnabon || duck confit brioche rolls
and finally, the surprise guest of the evening... a take home cinnabon for those midnight munchies.

you can read all about it here: http://www.cakeandheels.com/2011/08/suprise-cloak-dinner-guest-duck-confit.html

Cloak & Dinner: Rags to Riches Invite

RICHARD RICH SR.

Perk up, son. It won't be long before you're having tea and crumpets with the queen!

RICHIE RICH

I'd much rather eat a hot dog at Wrigley Field.

RICHARD RICH SR.

So would I, son. So would I.

It doesn't take a Swiss bank account and a majority share of Microsoft to appreciate a tasty meal, and you'd be remiss to find a foie gras eating, souffle spooning, champagne sipping trillionaire who doesn't long for the simple days of Slim Jims, Twinkies, and Kool-Aid. Be it in dorm or double-wide, school lunch or stadium, we've all come to adore the bounty of salt, sugar, and cellophane that is America's vast extra value menu. Tonight, we've raised the bar on low-brow, bleached the blue collar, and taken classless cuisine to culinary school. Savor the sweet taste of success as some of our favorite down-and-out delicacies finally get a piece of the pie.

~ nicole iizuka | sean brogan | isaac zucca ~

Please join us for the 5th Cloak & Dinner supper club. Details below.

10 Seats

5~6 Courses + Cocktail Pairings

$45

Saturday August 13th

6pm

Location will be given out once you've RSVPd & have a confirmed spot.

Please RSVP to rsvp@cloakanddinner.com. First 10 people to do so (per timestamp) will be confirmed.  We will not accept more than a +1 RSVP.  This will also be the last dinner in which we do the RSVP on a first come first serve basis.  From here on out we're changing it up to a lottery!

*Also, as we are buying ingredients for all of the courses based on the RSVP, once you've said you're in, you're responsible for the $45*

** if you have any food allergies, let us know. will do our best to accommodate.**

A few other nit-picky notes

please be prepared to bring CASH to the event, I can't take credit cards

please plan to be on-time and for the dinner to last from 3-4 hours

there will be 3-4 paired cocktails, but you are more than welcome to BYO, beer, wine, soda

this dinner will be on a rooftop, so dress appropriately for sundown

Previous Dinners + Photos

Any Colour You Like || 5/30/11

Rookie Blunders || 6/11/11

E Pluribus uNOM || 7/3/11

A Day in the Life || 7/23/11

Any other questions, please check out our FAQ on our website.

Cloak & Dinner: A Day in the Life || 7/23/11

Dear Foodbuzz 24 x 24 Challenge ~

Recently I've started an underground supper club with a few friends in which we design to push the boundaries of cuisine & cocktails in an intimate dinner party setting.  I've roped in my good friend Sean Brogan to help with the cooking (and the witty invites) and my wonderful boyfriend Isaac Zucca, a self taught mixologist to design our drink menu.  Together we warp expectations & redefine what one can expect from 3 amateur foodies.

For July, our challenge was this: design a menu which crams twenty-four hours of human sustenance into one hearty dining experience, featuring food and drink from dawn til dusk (and then some.)   So, come join us for a night of bastardizing temporal conventions as we aim to prove that good food doesn't own a watch.

Sincerly,
Cake & Heels

Breakfast

 "Air Toast" filled with Butter & Jam

to make air bread, we rolled out pizza dough until it was incredibly thin & then baked it on high so it puffed up into adorable little pockets of joy.  i added a few smiling strawberry toasts with little chocolate eyes for a flare of fun.

Morning Glory Fizz

 designed to look like a fried egg, this delicate cocktail is refreshingly light, but packs a nice punch with a heavy helping of scotch.

Second Breakfast

 Quail Eggs Royale w/ Caviar

homemade mini english muffins topped with a bit o lox, poached quail eggs, hollandaise and a spoonful of caviar for a nice salty finish.

Spicy Mule

 made with a ginger & chili simple syrup and a touch of ground black pepper on top.

Luncheon

 Grilled Avocado Boats stuffed with Buffalo Chicken

when pondering how to make best use of our barely functioning kitchen with no oven & one burner, firing up the grill is the next best option.  with that as the inspiration, this dish ended up being a slice of genius, the spicy buffalo sauce cooled off by a heavy handful of blue cheese and a creamy melted avocado to finish the flavor.

Mr. Brogan clearing a few empty dishes. 

Snack

 Jicama Chips with Strawberry & Jalapeno Salsa

diced farmers market strawberries tossed with a nice dice of jalapeno, garlic & red onion, the flavors all mixed quite nicely, and we got a chance to use our new mandoline on perhaps one of the largest jicama's we've ever seen.

Barkeep Mr. Zucca serving up cocktails

Vesper Martini

 shaken not stirred

Inspiring Mr. Brogan to slice the steak cutely.

Supper

 Steak Dinner w/ a Taster of Exotic Salts

espresso, garlic, applewood smoked & ghost pepper salts to accompany a nice steak, roasted potatoes and brussels sprouts.

Sangria Flora

 light & fruity, a nice little transition into the succulently sweet...

Midnight Munchies!

 Compost Cookies, Smores, Chocolate Covered Banana Pops & Chocolate Covered Potato Chips

all of my favorite midnight munchies piled high on a plate! 

Cloak & Dinner || A Day in the Life

Thank you Foodbuzz 24x24!

Cloak & Dinner: A Day in the Life

A Day in the Life

Aragorn

Gentlemen, we do not stop 'til nightfall.

Pippin

What about breakfast?

Aragorn

You've already had it.

Pippin

We've had one, yes. What about second breakfast?

Merry

I don't think he knows about second breakfast, Pip.

Pippin

What about elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them, doesn't he?

Merry

I wouldn't count on it.

We've managed to cram twenty-four hours of human sustenance into one hearty dining experience, featuring food and drink from dawn til dusk (and then some.) Join us for a night of bastardizing temporal conventions as we aim to prove that good food doesn't own a watch.

~ nicole iizuka | sean brogan | isaac zucca ~

Please join us for the 4th Cloak & Dinner supper club.  Details below.

10 Seats
5 Courses + Cocktail Pairings
Cost $40

Saturday July 23rd
6pm

Location will be given once you've RSVPd.

Please RSVP to rsvp@cloakanddinner.com.  First 10 people to do so (per timestamp) will be confirmed.  (As we are buying ingredients for all of the courses based on the RSVP, once you've said you're in, you're responsible for the $40)

** if you have any food allergies, please let us know.  we will do our best to accommodate. **

A few other nit-picky notes
please be prepared to bring CASH to the event, I can't take credit cards
please plan to be on-time and for the dinner to last from 3-4 hours
there will be 3-4 paired cocktails, but you are more than welcome to BYO, beer, wine, soda
this dinner will be on a rooftop, so dress appropriately for sundown

Previous Dinners + Photos
Any Colour You Like || 5/30/11
Rookie Blunders || 6/11/11
E Pluribus uNOM || 7/3/11

Cloak & Dinner: E Pluribus uNOM || 7/3/11

In celebration of the 4th of July, Cloak & Dinner kicked it old school with a collection of recipes inspired by America.  

If you'd like to be added to the mailing list for future C&D dinners, please email rsvp@cloakanddinner.com.

 Ramos Gin Fizz

Classic preparation by our lovely mixologist who needed a back rub or two after all the shaking. 

 

 Bread & Herb Butter

What would we do without Jeff Picarello in our lives to bake us delicious bread all the time?

 

 Clams Casino

Baked clam encased in a bubble of delicious herb butter and topped with a crunchy bite of bacon & a melted glob of parmesan. Delicately placed on a "sand" of crumbled oyster crackers.

 Biscuit Brisket Sliders

Taking a cue from one of my favorites, Fig & Olive, we encased these homemade buttermilk biscuits topped with a brisket smothered in a bourbon bbq sauce, in a puff of hickory smoke to awaken all the senses.  And all without a Smoking Gun!  

(Although that may be a future purchase for more smoking goodness...)

 Whiskey Smash

Why the smash?  Well naturally it's because you SMASH the basil leaf before adding it to the drink to release the oils in the leaf for that nice aromatic kick to the finish. 

 

 Pumpkin Cider Soup

All the delicious flavors of fall wrapped into a smooth & creamy soup, served table side.  In the bowl?  A dollop of creme fraiche topped with a fried sage leaf, a sprinkle of chives and a dusting of cinnamon.  And a nice dark rustic bread for dipping.

 LiberTEA

Lemonade, Tea, Basil, ALCOHOL?  Yessir, I'll have another glass.

 

 Cajun Shrimp with Okra & Tomatoes

Obsessed with the gigantic shrimp from Whole Foods, we knew a nice dusting and a quick trip to the barbie would work wonders on the shellfish. As for the Okra... Mr. Brogan did a little digging to find the perfect trip for keeping out the slime. 

 

 Fried Chicken with Cornbread Puree, Spiced Bacon & Grilled Peaches

Because nothing says summer like some good ole fried chicken.  A specialty of Mr. Brogan, these buttermilk suckers came out deliciously tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside. As for the puree, I added in a few of my own special tricks for a sweeter & homier taste.

 

 Strawberry Rhubarb Collins

So frothy & delicious, it was easy to forget that this cocktail packed a punch.  Plus, who doesn't love a touch of Rhubarb in their summer?
 

Apple Pie PopTart
Yep.
 

Cheddar Cheese Ice Cream with Bourbon Laced Caramel
It was like the second coming... the Cheddar melted beautifully into a nice and thick custard, and the lovely alcohol laced caramel did just the trick to offset the tinge of cheese-y savory with a nice note of sweetness to finish the meal. 

  Happy E Pluribus uNOM Eating!