Sparkling Indecision

OK, if I’m going to celebrate more this year, I guess I need to share all the fun drinks we made for our 1920s cocktail party at the end of last year. And maybe explain what these cooking collabs are all about.

An Instagram foodie friend, Dora, introduced me to a group that all cooks or bakes or bartends their way around a theme and posts using the same hashtag. It’s a fun way to connect with likeminded folks from around the world, and I really appreciate the opportunity to learn from others and be pushed out of my comfort zone — besides our silly chats.

To celebrate the start of the ’20s, Stella hosted a Prohibition-era cocktail collab. I couldn’t decide which one I wanted to make, so Hampton and I stocked the bar and invited some girlfriends over to test them out.

Here is what we made:

• Clover Club Cocktail – I was very excited to do a drink with an egg foam. This is when I learned that I didn’t know what amounts the jigger actually measures. And that we need a new shaker. But planning ahead to make raspberry syrup made me feel fancy.

• Southside – We life in Sunnyside and our neighborhood bar is the Southside Beer Garden. Couldn’t not.

• Scofflaw – Hampton and Suzanne don’t do gin. Even of the non-bathtub variety.

• Elderflower Sidecar – everyone loved this one! Perhaps it will be our house cocktail.

• Champagne Julep – so easy and such a nice twist on two delightful drinks.

And because you can’t have an afternoon of cocktails without plenty of carbs:

• Mac and Cheese Ring – my new thing, apparently. I have made it twice since my first cooking collab “Bundts Gone Wild”. I used this recipe base but mixed up the cheese blend and added Doritos to the panko breading. Because Doritos.

• Bourbon BBQ Meatballs – apparently, we are out of ketchup.  And had about two tablespoons left of our regular BBQ sauce. I frankensteined this up with some gifted honey habanero sauce that had been in the pantry for a while and Bloody Mary mix. It worked.

• Burrata with Lemon Pepper Salami Bites – a new party fave from one of my favorite food bloggers.

Here’s to living that ’20s life thanks to a random closet of vintage wear, the best red lipstick ever, five-minute faux bobs — and Pinterest.