amanda mcclements

I had a blast hosting a Holiday Cocktail Lab recently at Rent the Runway 's beautiful Georgetown shop. Getting to wear a fabulous Missoni for the evening was icing on the cake. Scroll on for a few photos, and of course, the recipes, including the classic Adonis, my spin on a Jack Rose, and a punch from my friend Dan Searing.

District Doughnut 's brown butter doughnut at Union Market,  with a little urban astroturf pumpkin patch in the background. Where did October go? I was just beginning to embrace these crisp, cool days dotted with pumpkin sightings and now the calendar rolls over into November. But I'll be keeping the pumpkins around post jack o' lantern with favorite fall recipes from the archives (plus a few other goodies you should be making now): • Cream of Pumpkin Soup : From master chef Alain Ducasse but super simple. • Pumpkin Spice Pancakes : An October favorite. • Rustic Fig Crostata : An elegant and not too sweet finish to a meal. • Pumpkin Pecan Crunch Muffins • Hot Buttered Apple Cider with Rum : A delightful mash-up of hot buttered rum and cider. • Aperol Bourbon Sour : The perfect cocktail to bridge summer and fall.

This simple stew, inspired by cioppino, is one of my favorite summer seafood recipes. It's a go-to on family beach trips, when I feel the need to pack in as much seafood as possible, as if I'll never have access to it again. To the contrary, I eat seafood wherever I am, but there's something about the salty humid air of the coast that I swear makes it taste even better. And when you're city-bound, a bowl nearly conjures that same seaside vibe. Many recipes for fish stew call for a long ingredient list of pricey seafood and homemade fish stock. But you can coax a lot of flavor out of a few ingredients in little time. And what seafood you toss in is really up to you. Crab legs, scallops and mussels are all great additions not included here. (We tossed in mussels last time, pictured above!) Serve as a light supper with a salad and French bread, or as a first course for a dinner party. Simple Seafood Stew serves 6 1/4 cup olive oil 2 large onions, sliced 6 g...

DC is finally showing off her full spring glory, and the farmers markets are gearing up with appearances from the season's superstar vegetables and fruits. This video from an appearance on News Channel 8's Let's Talk Live  is a few years old, but I refer to it as "That time I chewed a pickled ramp through an entire live TV segment." So I figured it's worth recycling. Give it a watch and read on for tasty ideas for how to best use spring's produce: ASPARAGUS The freshly picked tender spears of spring are a far cry from the woody stalks you find in the off season. Look for them to make their first appearance in the next few weeks at the markets. Make:   Asparagus Benedict on quinoa nettle cakes ;  Penne with asparagus, sage and peas ; or simply grill it RAMPS Stinky, musky goodness is how I think of these wild onions. Make:   Ramp pickles , Buttermilk ramp biscuits MICRO MUSTARD GREENS Endless Summer Harvest specializes in these adorable ...

The cold shows no sign of surrender here in DC, and my kitchen pipes just burst. While we wait for water to return and snow to melt, I'm taking a cue from the folks celebrating Mardi Gras today and mixing an updated version of a New Orleans classic — the Hurricane. Drawing from Salt & Sundry 's bar section, I've subbed P&H Soda Co. 's delicious hibiscus syrup for the traditional passion fruit. Match that with Jack Rudy 's grenadine and fresh citrus, and you have a little tropical escape in a glass. For another accessible tropical escape, head to the wonderfully humid US Botanic Garden jungle (pictured below). It may be the best place to ride out the cold snap in DC. If only they had a tiki bar ... Snow Day Hurricane 2 oz dark rum 1/2 oz fresh orange juice 3/4 oz fresh lime juice 1/2 oz P&H Soda Co. Hibiscus Syrup 1/4 oz Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. Grenadine Shake and strain into a glass with ice. Garnish with fruit and a paper umbrella. Ada...

After stocking their excellent cocktail mixers at Salt & Sundry for some time, I finally had the chance to meet the delightful creators of Bittermilk when they made the trip from SC to DC for Emporiyum . They're one of those impressive pairs who make you wonder if they have more than 24 hours in the day. Between running a popular Charleston bar , raising kids and selling their growing Bittermilk line, husband-and-wife team Joe and MariElena Raya are still cooking up new flavors. The latest is the Bittermilk No. 6 Oaxacan Old Fashioned. In the dead of winter, it delivers a welcome dose of spicy warmth. Inspired by the flavors of Mexico and mezcal, this craft mixer blends dried Mexican chilies, cocoa nibs and spices. It's sweetened with raisins and — you know I love an NC connection — aged with cocoa husks from French Broad Chocolates in Asheville. Mixing one up couldn't be easier, as Joe demonstrates below: Stir 1 part mixer with 4 parts mezcal and ice. G...

Stop reading if you're a friend or family member because you'll ruin your holiday gift surprise. ... For the rest of you, this spiced vodka infusion is a perfect DIY gift. I fell for this during  Salt & Sundry 's most recent  Drink Lab  class, hosted with our Union Market neighbors Cordial Fine Wine & Spirits . Barman Dan Searing, who's graciously hosting the series, provided the recipe. Make a few batches and divide into small bottles. Or create a spice kit for your friends and give it with instructions and a bottle of good vodka. The infusion is delicious in cocktails or to spike hot cider.   Warm Spiced Cocktail Infusion makes 1 750 ml bottle adapted from Boyd & Blair Vodka 375 ml high-proof vodka, such as Boyd & Blair 151 from PA 1 whole nutmeg, crushed into several pieces 1 cinnamon stick 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise 2 whole cloves 2 whole cardamom pods 4 black peppercorns 1 star anise 3 allspice berries peel of 1 ora...

October has to be my favorite month, and this year, it's shaping up to be an exciting one. I'm looking forward to ... • Opening the second  Salt & Sundry  (fingers crossed)! • Making pumpkin pancakes  • Finding time for apple picking • Warming up with hot buttered apple cider spiked with rum

The fine folks over at Mutiny  recently whipped up a few summer-perfect spins on the Rickey ( the official cocktail of DC ), styled up with some pretty pieces from Salt & Sundry . Here are the gorgeous photos by Justin Gellerson to inspire your weekend drinking. Check out Mutiny's full post for drink recipes and a little Rickey lore . Bourbon Rickey with Mint Gin Rickey with Royal Rose Strawberry Fennel Syrup

Tis the season to trot out one of my favorite summer recipes — and a mighty delicious way to turn trash into treasure. Every now and then, I'll grant some watermelon rinds a reprieve from my Compost Cab bin and put it to good use. Meet the pungent, sweet, tangy deliciousness that is spicy pickled watermelon rind. I think it was the ginger that really hooked me the first time I made it. No surprise there. Have I mentioned I like ginger ? And the rind turns the most beautiful color, like amber jewels with a glowing translucency. This is a quick pickle — no need for jar sterilizing and all that. Just eat it up in a few weeks and keep it covered in the fridge. I like it as a condiment on a cheese plate, with seafood, and grilled pork or chicken. You could even mince it up finer and use as a relish on sandwiches. Spicy Pickled Watermelon Rind adapted from Gourmet 1 medium to large watermelon 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar 1 1/2 cups water 2 cups sugar 4-5 strips of lemon...

Last week, the Salt & Sundry team joined author Phil Greene and our friends at Mockingbird Hill to toast Ernest Hemingway's 115th birthday. Phil signed copies of his Hemingway cocktail companion " To Have and Have Another ," and we sipped classic daiquiris. Mix one up this weekend:  Hemingway Daiquiri  courtesy of Phil Greene  1 1/2 oz white rum  1/2 oz lime juice  1/3 oz grapefruit juice  1 teaspoon maraschino liqueur  Shake with ice and strain into a glass. 

Here's a little hors d'oeuvre my husband made last night that was deliciously worth sharing. Think of it as an Asian spin on clams casino. 2 dozen clams 3 tablespoons ginger, minced 3 tablespoons garlic, minced 1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, minced 2 tablespoons Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce bread crumbs melted butter cilantro lemon juice Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the ginger, garlic, pepper and sweet chili sauce in a small bowl and set aside.  Place the clams on a baking sheet and bake for about 2 minutes, or until they begin to open. Take them out of the oven and shuck them by removing the top shell and leaving the meat in the bottom shell. Spoon a small amount of the ginger mixture on top of each clam. Top with bread crumbs, chopped cilantro and drizzle with butter. Turn the oven up to broil and cook the clams until the breadcrumbs begin to brown and the clams are cooked, about 5-7 minutes (depending on your broiler). Top with a squeeze...

With bright, tart flavor and a Vitamin C boost, there's no better way to beat the winter blues in the kitchen than with heaps of winter citrus fruit. And the kumquat may be the cutest of them all. After getting my friend's daughter hooked on kumquats at the tender age of 2 (hi Charlotte!), I keep them around whenever I can so she won't be disappointed when she (now 4!) pops in for a visit. As good as candy, right? The rind on kumquats is sweet, so eat them whole. Thinly sliced they make a great addition to salads. Here's a simple favorite I make every winter. Fennel Kumquat Salad serves 4 2 fennel bulbs, core removed and thinly sliced (also use some of the green fronds) 1 1/2 cups of kumquats, sliced with the rind left on and seeds removed 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons white wine or rice vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard salt and pepper to taste In a jar or small bowl, combine the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil...

Each year around the holidays, my mother-in-law makes a big batch of gorgeous candied grapefruit peels. And I lose all restraint. I challenge myself when passing her kitchen not to dip my hand into the tin and fish out a few sugar-crusted peels to pop in my mouth. I literally eat handfuls of the stuff. I love the bitter citrus flavor, tempered by the preserving process and a generous coating of sugar. One year, I gave it a shot myself. So I could start eating copious amounts of grapefruit peels even earlier. I combined her recipe with this  Jacques Torres version . They make a great gift and a perfect cocktail garnish (try a Negroni or pop one into a glass of sparkling wine). Candied Grapefruit Peel 4 large grapefruits with thick skin 3 cups of sugar, plus more for coating water Cut the grapefruits into quarters, lengthwise from pole to pole. Remove the segments from the peel, leaving the white pith attached to the peel. Reserve the fruit for juice or another use. ...

I made vanilla extract for the first time a few years ago and now keep a jar going at home. It's super simple and just takes a bit of resting time — about six weeks. If you start now, your vanilla will be ready to gift this holiday season. A little jar also makes a great host gift. The process is simple: take good quality vanilla beans, split them and soak them in a base spirit. Vodka is the most neutral but brandy and rum also make incredible extracts with different flavor profiles. Vanilla Extract makes about 4 cups 4 cups of vodka 12 or more vanilla beans, split lengthwise 1 32 ounce jar with a lid Place the beans in the jar and pour the vodka over them to cover. Cover with the lid and store in a dark place for about six weeks, shaking from time to time to encourage the extraction. For gifting, check the Container Store for small bottles. The hang tag above is from Austin Press. I stock similar Austin Press tags at Salt & Sundry .

photos courtesy of Weekly Greens Washington, DC is experiencing a renaissance of small-batch food producers, and one of my favorite products to launch recently is Growl Iced Coffee Concentrate , created by Matthew Snyder.  We stock it at Salt & Sundry , and you can now order it from our online shop (which finally launched!). Thanks to the cold brew method, Growl is never heated, resulting in less acidity and a smooth, nutty flavor. It makes the most delicious iced coffee — simply pour over ice and add equal parts water or milk. But that's not all you can do with it.  My always-inspiring friend Alicia Sokol (I mean, really, I would be happy if she fed me daily) has come up with an incredible smoothie recipe using Growl. You get your caffeine kick with a whole lot of other healthy goodness like bananas and almond butter. Now that's a way to start the day. Check out Alicia's  Iced Coffee Smoothie   on Weekly Greens.

A favorite from last fall for bridging the seasons, click here for the recipe and full post .

Clinging to the last bits of summer, I've been regularly mixing up this cocktail, a spin on a classic drink from the Hotel Nacional de Cuba. This recipe, from  Small Hand Foods  creator Jennifer Colliau, mixes her pineapple gum syrup with rum, apricot brandy and lime for a well-balanced tropical tribute. We started stocking Small Hands' incredible bar syrups at Salt & Sundry after a customer recommended them. (Don't miss the orgeat, either.) I'll probably turn to this cocktail again come January, when Caribbean climes are right where I want my mind to be ... if not my body. Hotel Nacional Speciale Adapted by Small Hand Foods' Jennifer Colliau from the Hotel Nacional, Havana, Cuba 1.5 oz rum (white or aged) .75 oz fresh lime juice .75 oz Small Hand Foods Pineapple Gum Syrup .5 oz apricot brandy Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a lime twist.

An odd little snack by way of Southern roadside stands, the boiled peanut has become a regular resident in my refrigerator. Credit goes to my adventurous husband who first declared a few summers ago that he was going to make boiled peanuts. My response was, you don't make boiled peanuts. You buy them from a guy on the side of the road. I assumed it was an arduous process to render the peanuts soft and swollen with salt water. Turns out, it's not so complicated. To make boiled peanuts, you start with green or raw peanuts in the shell. Almaala Farms' stall inside Union Market has been supplying us with a regular stock of green peanuts, which cook quicker than the raw peanuts you can buy online (which have dried out some but are not roasted). Like so many Southern recipes, opinions vary widely on technique — in this case how long to boil and in how much salt. Bill Neal, the late chef and author of one of my go-to cookbooks, "Bill Neal's Southern Cooking,...

These tiny jewels were beckoning to me from a stall the new FreshFarm Market at Union Market this Sunday. Fresh currants are now in season, and I'm brainstorming ways to use them. They'd look stunning on a cheese plate, and they're deliciously tart alone (notice the empty stems above from my snacking). Here's what else I'm eying: • Red currant Champagne cocktail , Martha Stewart • Sugar plum and currant crumb tart , Canelle et Vanillle • Strawberry pie with currant glaze , Bon Appetit • Red currant jam , David Lebovitz • Red Riding Hood cocktail , Saveur