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Naked Epicurean

eat. drink. bemerry. repeat.

  • eat
  • drink
  • be merry
    • exploring
    • entertaining
    • joie de vivre
    • the raven’s nest
  • about
  • eat
  • drink
  • be merry
    • exploring
    • entertaining
    • joie de vivre
    • the raven’s nest
  • about
  • appetizers + hors d'oeuvres,  cheese,  dips + spreads,  Greek + Mediterranean

    Warm Goat Cheese + Bruschetta Spread

    2019-07-06 /

    Warm Goat Cheese + Bruschetta Spread is quite possibly the most delectable thing to ever kiss your lips! It’s creamy + piquant + pungent + aaaahhhh! It’s the perfect app for a dinner party, but it’s also perfect for a quiet date night in. And by date I mean me + this cheese dip. I’m okay with that. I am dating food. If you do invite people over, make two of these recipes because you will want one all.to.yourself. Then hide in the closet for your date with this spread to muffle the animalistic noises you’ll make. You wouldn’t want to embarrass yourself in front of guests.   This Warm Goat…

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    Ann Beth Strelec 0 Comments

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    Ooey Gooey Vidalia Onion Dip

    2019-03-11

    Loaded Baked Potato Dip

    2019-01-30

    Creamy Chipotle + Lime Dressing + Dip

    2019-06-14
  • alcoholic,  fruity

    Sparkling Strawberry + Rosé Mojito

    2019-07-06 /

    Pop! Fizz! Clink! Music to my ears. If that isn’t already your summer anthem, it will be once you make these insanely refreshing Sparkling Strawberry + Rosé Mojitos. This mojito recipe varies from a typical mojito because you are subbing sparkling rosé in place of club soda. Just thinking about this cocktail’s effervescence makes me a bit loopy. You will lose your mind over its deliciousness! The key is choosing bubbly rosé for this recipe. Typically, club soda adds the zip to a mojito. So if you are replacing the club soda with rosé, you’ll want to grab the zippy one. Choose carefully: some rosés are still, some are semi-sparkling,…

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    Ann Beth Strelec 0 Comments

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    Sugar-Rimmed Raspberry Gin Smash

    2019-06-30

    Spicy Pineapple + Jalapeño Margarita

    2019-06-12

    Summer Watermelon Mojito

    2019-07-08
  • salad dressing

    Viva la Caesar Vinaigrette Dressing

    2019-07-03 /

    My dear friend CC is passionate about her love of good food and sharing it with friends. I recently sat in an organic cooking class where she made the following announcement:   Ladies, go to Victoria’s Secret and buy some nice lingerie, then buy a pack of cigarettes, because you are about to have a love affair with this food. I felt she was speaking directly to me because I love good food—quality food that has been prepared deliberately + creatively.  I LOVE GOOD FOOD.   That being said, I struggle with bottled salad dressings. One case in point is Caesar salad dressing. I am underwhelmed by what I find on…

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    Ann Beth Strelec 0 Comments

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    Chopped* Greek Salad

    2019-02-25

    Curly Kale + Tandoori Chickpea Salad (and a lecture on massaging the Queen)

    2019-03-29

    Bleu Cheese + BLT Salad

    2019-05-05
  • alcoholic,  fruity

    Sugar-Rimmed Raspberry Gin Smash

    2019-06-30 /

    I’m going to a pool party next weekend and have been put in charge of libations. So when the question is What is cool + light + refreshing + fruity? the answer is Sugar-Rimmed Raspberry Gin Smash.  But what is a smash? A bartender* once explained a smash as a julep but with a choose-your-own-adventure spirit. You add booze (of choice) + herb (of choice) + sweetener (of choice) + seasonal fruit (of choice)—whatever blows your skirt up—to a glass of ice. Give it some swirls and bottoms up!  Or use a straw if you are sassy.  Summer raspberries are bulging with juice, so turning them into a smash makes…

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    Ann Beth Strelec 0 Comments

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    Limoncello

    2019-04-27

    Cool Cucumber + Basil Gimlet

    2019-07-08

    Blueberries + Creme + Lavender Frosé-Merlotsé

    2019-05-12
  • Asian fare,  main course,  paleo,  poultry,  salads

    Tangy + Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad

    2019-06-28 /

    Do you have 30 minutes? Good! That means you have time to throw together this refreshing Tangy + Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad! It’s a rainbow of colors + textures bolstered by a silky peanut dressing—a flavor explosion, I guarantee. I have compiled a scrumptious conglomeration of typical Southeastern Asian ingredients including sesame oil + cilantro + ginger (for flavor) and chopped peanuts + cabbage + carrots (for crunch). You could always add crispy wontons for extra toothsomeness.  I’ve also included a zinger: green papaya. Most Asian markets carry green, or under ripe, papayas either whole or shredded in a bag. Adding green papaya among this salad’s gorgeous vegetables + flavors…

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    Ann Beth Strelec 0 Comments

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    Creamy Coconut + Curry Chickpeas

    2019-04-27

    Seared Pepper Ahi Tuna + Wasabi Vinaigrette

    2019-05-12

    Curried Chicken Wings + Mango Chutney-Yogurt Dipping Sauce

    2019-04-01
  • Asian fare,  main course,  pescetarian

    Easy Spicy Ahi (+ Ebi) Stacks for 2 

    2019-06-27 /

    When I go out to eat, I often have When Harry Met Sally moments.  Let me clarify. I scrutinize what the waiters serve to other patrons as they saunter past my table. And sometimes, without even having an idea of what is on the plate, I will simply say, “I’ll have what she’s having.” The last time I tried that technique was when I saw this glorious tower of crab + rice + tuna + avocado in a saucy puddle, sprinkled with sesame seeds. When it came time to take my order, the Tower of Seafood my heart yearned for was no more. Much to my chagrin, they sold the…

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    Ann Beth Strelec 0 Comments

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    Seared Pepper Ahi Tuna + Wasabi Vinaigrette

    2019-05-12

    Tangy + Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad

    2019-06-28

    Creamy Coconut + Curry Chickpeas

    2019-04-27
  • sugar + spice

    Raspberry Sugar

    2019-06-26 /

    Whether you scatter, sprinkle, or mix it in, this Raspberry Sugar  will add its flavor + crunch magic to whatever needs a little abracadabra!  Imagine  licking the rim of your margarita not greeted by salt but instead Raspberry Sugar. Lip-smacking good! It’s so easy to make this Raspberry Sugar. All it takes is a cup of sugar + frozen raspberries + a little patience. (I used white sugar because a wanted to create this beautiful fuchsia hue, but you may use any granulated sugar.) Mash + strain frozen raspberries to extract their juice. Mix the sugar into the juice and dry in a low temp oven.  Taa-daa! This sugar will…

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    Ann Beth Strelec 1 Comment

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    House Blend Blackening Seasoning

    2019-06-22

    Za’atar Spice Blend

    2018-11-06

    Quick + Easy Blackened Shrimp 

    2019-06-22
  • alcoholic,  infused syrups

    Rosemary + Gin Cocktail

    2019-06-25 /

    What time is it? It’s cocktail o’clock, of course! So bring on the Rosemary + Grapefruit Gin Cocktail! Why this combo?  Because I love gin. Aaaaand my rosemary bush needs a trimming. If you read my post on Rosemary Not-So-Simple Syrup, you may have wondered where I was going with that. Well, my fellow imbibers, here we are. I introduce to you the Rosemary + Grapefruit Gin Cocktail. I recommend you use freshly squeezed juice. Do not misunderstand me–I totally get that sometimes we need shortcuts. And there are plenty of good store-bought options. But if you’re up to it and you have the time, squeeze the citrus yourself.  Ripe…

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    Ann Beth Strelec 0 Comments

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    Summer Watermelon Mojito

    2019-07-08

    Tipsy Watermelon Ice Lollies

    2019-08-03

    Cool Cucumber + Basil Gimlet

    2019-07-08
  • infused syrups

    Rosemary Not-So-Simple Syrup 

    2019-06-24 /

    “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance; pray, love, remember.” Ophelia, Hamlet, Act IV, scene V. Rosemary. Even the most delicate brush against this woody evergreen releases a waft of fragrance. Similar to pine and eucalyptus, it is intensely aromatic, nay potent. So potent that it purportedly increases our memory. Substantiated or not, its tenacious oil refuses to be ignored.  Rosemary’s first culinary uses trace back 2,500 years ago.  The ancient Greeks believed it helped improve memory + concentration + digestion + circulation. It is even alluded to in the Bible.  So how does rosemary’s potency translate into a sweet syrup? Beautifully, I must say, and in various + sundry ways.   Other…

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    Ann Beth Strelec 4 Comments

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    Rosemary + Gin Cocktail

    2019-06-25

    Black Peppercorn Not-So-Simple Syrup 

    2019-05-27

    Dirty Dalmatian

    2019-05-28
  • salads,  soups + stews

    Crunchy + Garlicky Croutons

    2019-06-23 /

    This is an open letter to Mrs. Kitchens, my former neighbor and babysitting employer. Dear Mrs. Kitchens, There was this one occasion when I babysat your kids that I found a container of crunchy bread chunks in the pantry. Those chunks were so savory + buttery that I started eating them–just one or two each time I walked through the kitchen. What harm was there in eating a few toasted pieces of bread? Well, I am not sure what happened next…things are a little foggy…but the next thing I remember was seeing the bottom of the container, unobstructed.  I had eaten ALL the bread. So I write this open letter…

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    Ann Beth Strelec 2 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Vietnamese Shredded Chicken + Noodle Salad

    2019-06-17

    Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad

    2019-08-06

    Bleu Cheese + BLT Salad

    2019-05-05
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2018 Ann Beth Strelec Out of professional courtesy, please contact me if you plan to republish one of my recipes. You can get in touch with me at nakedepicurean@gmail.com
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