Liz Lovely is “baking a difference” with their line of Vegan and Gluten Free artisanal cookies. These cookies are enormous, delicious and made with 100% natural ingredients. Baked in the Green Mountains of Vermont, the company prides itself on their social conscience.  Their “mission is real food, good jobs, and environmentally sustainable business practices.”

See their website for more information!

Eat like Don Draper! In this rich and decadent recipe, beef tenderloin is coated with pâté de foie gras and duxelles then wrapped in puff pastry and baked. Each bite exudes luxurious taste.

Beef Wellington is often prepared as a whole roast, but at Straub’s we prefer the individualized servings. These separately wrapped fillets are beautiful to display on a plate with a side salad and sautéed vegetables. Furthermore, you avoid the risks of destroying the puff pastry. With a totally wrapped roast, the duxelles may cause the bottom crust to become soggy and they can be difficult to cut in a manner that’s aesthetically pleasing. Don’t have time to cook? Just give our chefs 48 hrs notice and they can create this dish for you! Contact chef Fred Youngblood for pricing and minimum order information: 314.725.2121 ext.19

Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

DUXELLES

• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 ½ lbs. medium mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 oz. peeled, minced garlic
• 1 oz. peeled, minced shallots
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 ½ oz. white wine
• kosher salt & ground black pepper to season

BEEF WELLINGTON

• 4 – 8 oz. fillets of beef tenderloin
• 4 oz. pâté de foie gras (optional)
• 4 sheets of Puff Pastry
• 1 large egg
• 1 oz. water

DIRECTIONS

1. Begin preparing the duxelles by melting the butter in a sauce pan on medium heat.
2. Finely chop the mushrooms in a food processor or with a sharp knife. Mince the peeled garlic & shallots and chop the herbs.
3. Add ingredients from step 2 to the melted butter. Let reduce by half on medium heat. Be cautious of any splattering from the mushrooms releasing their water.
4. Add the white wine and just enough kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste. Allow this to reduce until it forms a dry paste. The total process of creating the duxelles should take no longer than 15 minutes.
5. Allow duxelles to cool in the refrigerator while you prepare the fillets.
6. Preheat your oven to 400ºF
7. Heat vegetable or olive oil in a thicker stainless steel* pan on medium heat. Allow oil to become hot before adding the fillets to the pan. Sear fillets for 2 minutes on each side for a medium finish.**
   *Make sure you use a heftier pan that isn’t “non-stick.” Non-stick pans will work, but won’t sear meats as well as traditional pans.
   **To adjust for a more rare or more cooked piece of meat, change the length of time in which you spend searing the fillets. Adjusting oven time will cause the pastry crust to under-/overcook.
   
8. Set fillets aside to cool for a few minutes.
9. Roll puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface. Apply approximately 3 oz. of the duxelles mixture towards the center of each sheet. If desired, add a thin layer (approx. 1 oz. each) of pâté de foie gras.
10. Place a fillet in the center of each topped puff pastry sheet and wrap the ends so that the meat is completely covered. You may use a fork to press the dough until it is firmly sealed.
11. Flip the beef wellingtons so the stuffed side faces upwards.
12. Create an egg wash by beating a large egg with an ounce of water and lightly brush it across the tops of the pastry crusts.
13. Place the beef wellingtons on a baking sheet and place in your preheated oven for 15-18 minutes until the crust turns light brown.
14. Remove from oven and enjoy!

No fooling. We’re crazy for Mad Men! Catch the 2-hour Season 6 Premiere with St. Louis’ Jon Hamm, this Sunday at 8pm on AMC. Enjoy these drinks while you watch…

Manhattan

INGREDIENTS

• 1¾ oz bourbon
• ¾ oz of sweet vermouth
• 1 dash of aromatic bitters
• 1 Maraschino cherry

INSTRUCTIONS
Pour bitters and liquors over ice in mixing glass. Stir and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a Maraschino cherry.

To stir, or not to stir…?

Cocktails are either shaken or stirred, but if you don’t know the difference this rule of thumb may help. When you wish to preserve the clarity or carbonation of a drink, it is best to stir the cocktail as shaking will create a cloudy appearance and destroy bubbles. Cocktails are typically shaken if they include citrus, olive juice or other ingredients that are more difficult to mix.

Try a twenty-first century Manhattan!

With the rise of artisan spirits and mixers, many traditional favorites have evolved to make use of these new and exciting flavors. Our very own Peter Glarner, CSW loves mixing a splash of Big O Ginger Liqueur in his Manhattans, replacing the vermouth: “This adds a touch of sweetness and the boldness of ginger.  I love this concoction.  I’ve made it for friends and have seen really positive reactions.”

Whiskey Sour

INGREDIENTS

• 2 oz whiskey
• ½ oz fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz tsp sugar
• 1 cherry
• ½ lemon slice

INSTRUCTIONS
Shake all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a highball glass. Add lemon slice and cherry to garnish.

Old Fashioned

Mad Martinis

As martinis gained popularity, more variations arose. Feel free to try any suggestions below or experiment and create your own!

• Change up the garnish: Try a twist of orange rind or even cocktail onions!
• Add additional mixers: Like a splash of grenadine or crème de menthe
• Try it with vodka: One of the most popular vodka martini varieties is the Cosmopolitan:

Cosmopolitan Martini

• 1 oz vodka
• 1 oz lime juice
• 1 oz cranberry juice
• 1 oz Triple Sec or Cointreau
• splash of Grand Marnier or grenadine
• 1 lemon wedge

Tom Collins

Whiskey Highball

Gin Rickey (Gin ‘N’ Tonic)

Sidecar

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ oz cognac
• ¾ oz triple sec
• ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 orange slice
• granulated sugar (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
Dip the rim of a snifter in the lemon juice and then in sugar. Add remaining lemon juice to a mixing glass with the cognac and triple sec. Shake briskly with ice. Strain into glass and garnish with orange slice.

Mojito

INGREDIENTS

• 2 oz light rum
• 1 lime
• ½ oz simple syrup
• 8-10 mint leaves
• club soda

INSTRUCTIONS
Mash mint leaves and syrup at the bottom of a tall glass until you can smell the mint. Halve the lime, squeeze both halves into the glass, and leave one in the glass. Add rum, stir, fill with ice, and top with soda. Garnish with a mint sprig.

 Can’t find Simple Syrup? Make your own!

Daiquiri

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ oz light rum
• ¾ oz lime juice
• ¼ oz simple syrup

INSTRUCTIONS
Shake over ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with a lime wheel.

Cuba Libre (Rum & Cola)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 oz light rum
• 1 oz lime juice
• 3 oz cola

INSTRUCTIONS
Pour over ice, in order given, into a highball glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Rum Collins

INGREDIENTS

• 2 oz dark rum
• 2 oz pineapple juice
• 1½ oz coconut cream

INSTRUCTIONS
Shake over ice and strain over ice into chilled collins glass. Garnish with a cherry and pineapple cube.

Moscow Mule

For more cocktail suggestions, visit the official Mad Men Cocktail Guide from AMC!

Back at Straub’s for a short time only: Limited Edition Patric Salty Signature Seventy Chocolate Bars! There will only be 12 bars available at each Straub’s location.

Founder and head chocolate maker, Alan McClure, had this to say:

“On a foundation of our award-winning Signature 70% blend, we have sprinkled Prussian Blue salt for sparkle, and Bali Kechil sea salt for crunch.  The result inspires the taste buds!

We sourced both of these salts with the advice and assistance of The Meadow in NYC, home of the world’s best Selmelier: Mark Bitterman, author of Salted: A Manifesto on the World’s Most Essential Mineral.

This bar is a limited edition release, and when all 800 bars are gone, we won’t be crafting more until 2014.”

Hurry in to try this beauty of a bar before it’s gone!