December 2007 -- Dana McCauley's food blog archive

8 tips to avoid crushing hangovers

I'm sure it's not ladylike to admit that I've had too many hangovers to count but, in this matter (as in all others) I will fulfill my pledge to tell you the truth at all times: gentle readers, I like my tipple!

Over the last several weeks, invitations for holiday parties have been tumbling through my letter slot like snow flakes. I love parties but quite frankly, between work, family and preparing for the holidays, I have no extra time to nurse a pounding noggin if I'm to be prepared for December 25th. Although I could abstain from drinking this holiday season, that idea really doesn't appeal to me. (Besides, not drinking coupled with my expanded winter warmth girth could start pregnancy rumours and I don't want that to happen.) Given these circumstances, I decided it was important to find good advice about avoiding hangovers.

Help came to me in the form of Esther Blum's Eat, Drink and Be Gorgeous: A nutritionist's guide to living well while living it up. Blum has pages of fascinating info about how drinking affects our bodies (I recommend you read it while sipping a glass of organic wine ). Although each of her words is worthy of reading, I'm going to condense her hangover advice into 8 simple tips that, if followed, might help you wake up bright-eyed on New Year's Day.

1. Deck your plate with leaves of green:. Antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and phyotonutrients in green and dark green vegetables can help to keep your liver in tip-top condition and that means it will be able to metabolize booze efficiently.

2. Hit the juice bar: Barley grass, alfalfa sprouts and their ilk are sources of protein as well as chlorophyll which binds to toxins to help prevent long term cellular damage in the body. These greens can also help to calm tummies upset by overindulgences of both the liquid and food variety.

3. Supplement your drinking: Taking Vitamin C coupled with a 200 mg cysteine supplement before each drink and at the end of the night is reported to eliminate hangovers. Just be sure to take the supplements with water and not martinis! Likewise daily does of magnesium can help to prevent hangovers in general.

4. Drink lots of water: If you drink plenty of water both during and after drinking, you'll lessen the burden on your kidneys and liver by flushing out toxins quickly.

5. Eat - it's good for you! Honest, eating before and while you drink will help your body to metabolize alcohol more efficiently.

6. Avoid sugary drinks. Hangovers are generally worse when you drink sweet concoctions not only because you may quaff too fast, but because the sugar carries the alcohol to your cells quickly.

7. Avoid caffeine when drinking. An espresso may energize you while you party but it's effects will come back to haunt you the next day.

8. The best cure: If all else fails and you do end up with a hangover, take ibuprofen instead of acetaminophen based painkillers. Acetaminophen is more stressful for your liver to process and when you have a hang over, that organ needs to be working at peak performance!

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Become a hostess extraordinaire with a signature cocktail

I like to think I have all the answers when it comes to cooking and entertaining but every once in a while one of my friends reminds me that I can always learn, too. Such is the case with my friend Laura. A hostess extraordinaire, she was the first person I knew to have a signature cocktail at all gatherings and the only person I know who presents her signature cocktail with consistent style.

"Having a special drink for guests as they arrive (even if it's just for a small dinner party) is more than a gimmick; it's a warm welcome that says "we're going to have fun!" --especially when said cocktail is colourful!", notes Laura (pictured above with her signature cocktail for this holiday season). "I display a picture of the cocktail along with the list of ingredients in a frame by the bar so that everyone knows what they're drinking. On top of being festive, it's a great conversation starter!," says Laura.

If you'd like to add a signature cocktail to your festive entertaining plans, here are a couple of recipes you can try. One is for the drink Laura will serve at her Christmas party (which reminds me, I still need to get an outfit for that event) and the other is for the cocktail I'll be serving at my Christmas Eve drop-in. Len Fragomeni of the Toronto Institute of Bartending created the espressotini I chose. I first tasted it at one of his fab martini workshops - (they are tons of fun and would make a great Christmas gift BTW!). Or, if you need to have a unique signature cocktail developed for you and you alone, contact Provochic, a Singapore-based company that specializes in creating signature cocktails. Be prepared though, their creations can set you back thousands of dollars according to Reuters UK.


Christmas Eve Espressotini
1 oz (30 mL) Kahlua Especial
1 oz (30 mL) Vodka
1 oz (30 mL) chilled Espresso
1 tbsp (15 mL) Simple Syrup
Chocolate covered espresso beans

Combine kalhua, vodka, expresso and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Fill two-thirds full with ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with chocolate covered espresso beans.


Dana's Hostess Tip: Make a pitcher of the cocktail mixture ahead of the party and then shake individual cocktails with ice as needed.


Laura's Holiday Party Paloma
1 oz (30 mL) Sauza Blanco tequila
3/4 cup (175 mL) sparkling grapefruit soda*
1 Tbsp (15 mL) lime juice
Pinch salt

Measure tequila, lime juice and salt in glass. Add ice and fill with sparkling grapefruit. Stir and serve.

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Stocking your bar for the entertaining season

Many of us, even those who don't host many gatherings at other times of the year, entertain over the holidays. Amidst planning the menu and the guest list, choosing drinks can fall to the wayside. In fact, one of the most commonly asked last-minute, panic questions I hear is ‘how much alcohol do I need and what should I buy?'.

It's always easy for me to answer (I'm a big fan of having lots and lots of everything on hand since I know it will be consumed eventually - just call me Sponge Dana Stretchy Waist Pants!); however for those who have a limited budget, limited space or limited interest in alcohol, you should keep the bar simple by serving beer and wine only. And, although friends often bring wine as a hostess gift, never count on that likelihood as a means of stocking your own bar. Even if your friends do come through, the wine might not compliment your menu or may need chilling before it's ready to serve.

As for what to serve, there are dozens of great resources available. Two trusted advisors that offer 24/7 web help on the subject are Natalie Maclean and Tony Aspler. Likewise, most liquor stores have knowledgeable staff who can recommend wines in a variety of price ranges.

As for determining how much to buy, use this handy chart to ensure you stock an appropriate amount:

• One 750 mL bottle of wine = 5 servings
• 40 oz (1.2L) bottle of liquor = 25 cocktails
• Professional party planners budget one bottle of wine per person for three or more course sit down dinner.
If I'm invited, add an extra bottle or two of red. Consider yourself fore-warned.


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Ring in the season with shrimp

Some holiday appetizers never go out of style. Such is the case with shrimp and cocktail sauce. What started in the 60's as a posh party appetizer borrowed from the steak house repertoire, has morphed into the now ubiquitous thaw and serve shrimp ring, a holiday party stand-by.

The holidays are a great time to remember friends and get together to celebrate. In most long-lasting relationships, there are a least a few quirky little jokes that grow into traditions. Such is the case with my friend Jennifer. She's an enthusiastic hostess but not a confident cook; as a result she often falls back on bought food when she has parties. Although I have no problem with that myself, she's always apologetic when Martin and I arrive and Martin never misses an opportunity to tease her by asking whether she has one of her delicious shrimp rings. We have such fun making fun of Jen's shrimp rings that we've gathered a whole gallery of pictures of Jen's shrimp rings and our own homemade versions.

Despite all of the joking, the shrimp ring is almost always one of the buffet items I notice gets devoured at holiday parties first (including Jennifer's). Its appeal is broad since it fits into low calorie, low fat or low carb diets; shrimp also provides a much-needed ballast for those indulging in holiday tipples.

So, if you're entertaining this winter, don't forget to add a shrimp ring or the ingredients to make your own shrimp cocktail ring to your grocery list.

For my signature cocktail sauce recipe and to see more shrimp ring pictures, pop over to toptentable.com


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One more addition to Book Week

I know Book Week was only supposed to last 5 days, but I've found three more books that you really must know about before the holidays:

Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey: I met Jill O'Connor, the author of this divine dessert book, last spring at the Greenbrier's Symposium for Professional Food Writers. She was a delight and had all of us drooling when she described the premise for this new book. Well, I'm glad to say that Jill's description didn't exaggerate one bit! Her new book is filled with great photos and recipes for desserts that completely fulfill the promise of the title. Beyond being a great recipe writer, Jill is conceptually clever, too. Don't believe me? Check out Cinnamon Donut Bread Pudding - you'll find the proof you need there!

The World in Bite Size: Amy and I spent our lunch break the other day ooh-ing and ahh-ing over this book that brings the small plates restaurant trend home in exciting globally inspired ways!


One Pot Italian Cooking: I included this book in my list of the Top Ten Recently Published Canadian cookbooks, but I like it so well that I want to mention it here as well. In person, Massimo Capra has a wonderful, endearing personality and that essence comes through in his new book, too. Beyond a good read, the recipes are appealing and go well beyond ho-hum spaghetti with marinara sauce.


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