This is one of my go-to desserts when I am avoiding sugar.  

Ingredients

• One ripe banana, sliced and frozen
• 1/3 cup raw cashews
• 2 or 3 Tablespoons raw organic Cacao nibs
• 1 cup filtered water

I store individually sliced bananas in my freezer.  Wait until they are nice and ripe.  Peel and slice into half inch discs and place each banana in a snack size zip lock bag. They can be stored in the freezer for several weeks. When you are ready, just grab a zip lock bag from your freezer, add the contents and the other ingredients above to your favorite blender and blend until smooth.  Add more or less water to adjust the thickness of your smoothie to your liking.  Poor into a juice glass and sprinkle a few nibs on top for garnish.  A refreshing, yummy, sugar-free, and nutritious alternative for dessert.  Enjoy!

What's the saying....Mom knows best....?  I've been the "kale queen" for the past six years, religiously making and drinking blended green smoothies full of kale and fruit every day. My health did improve a lot during this time. I was convinced that kale was the answer for me and everyone else. (BTW, I neglected to mention it took my stomach 3 months to adjust to the raw greens, unlike the normal two weeks that rawbees preach.)
My nutritionist warned me against eating such a large quantity of raw kale; and no matter how I phrased it my mother was adamant that kale was not for her. Well, would you believe that kale is actually not that great for me (and my mom), personally? After starting a program I learned about in September, ph360.me, I discovered that it can be hard on my personal digestive tract based on my ancestry, genetic make-up, and physical features.  I have since replaced my kale smoothies with spinach.  Check out Recipes to make your own spinach smoothies.
Here's a great article that talks about why some wholesome, organic foods may not be good for everyone:  Is your healthy Food Poisoning You?  So, I guess I must admit....Mom, you were right. 

In the past, I was never a big fan of rum.  I've always associated it with the overly sweet Piña coladas coming out of slush machines in the 1990s made with artificial colors and flavorings.  It wasn't until I was re-introduced to rum with the reemergence of Ernest Hemingway's favorite drink, the mojito and then more recently via the craft distillery, that I started to get excited about rum. Small batch rums can be as complex and flavorful as some of the best Cognac and Whiskey, but with a little exotic nuance.   According to the LSU AG Center's website: "Today, Louisiana sugarcane yields range from 30 to 50 tons per acre, with recoveries ranging from 180 to 240 pounds of sugar produced from each ton of cane."  And where there is sugarcane, there is rum.  One of my two favorite small batch Louisiana rum producers is now available in Washington DC, Bayou Rum.  I had a chance tasting of Bayou Rum in the Fall of 2013 at a retail store in New Orleans, LA.  In NOLA, they know how to do a free tasting!  We had the opportunity to try both the silver and spiced rums poured neat, as well as mixed in a the delicious real fruit punch.  I became a fan immediately.  You can now pick up bottle from Cordial Fine Wine and Spirits located in Union Market.  Below is a simple, but delicious way to enjoy your newly acquired rum or any good small batch rum for that matter.  Recipe from the Bayou Rum website:

Bayou Daiquiri1 1/2 oz. Bayou Rum Silver

3/4 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

3/4 oz. Simple Syrup

Garnish with lime wheel

This is a really simple way to enjoy Silver Bayou Rum.  Put all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake for 30 seconds and strain into a martini glass (sugar rim optional).  The trick is to find a perfect balance between rum, sweet and sour.  If your drink is a too sweet, then add some lime.  If too sour, then add some sugar.  When it is just right…watch out, you’ll have another!

By the way, my other favorite Louisiana rum producer is Old New Orleans Rum Distillery.  Currently, not available for purchase in the Washington, DC area, you can have a bottled shipped to your home or better yet...why not hop on down to the Big Easy and take a tour? The distillery is located in the city of New Orleans about 10 minutes from the French Quarter.   

'reOne of my early fascinations with France, and Paris to be more specific, centered around La Moulin Rouge and Le Chat Noir, two iconic Montmatre "clubs" where many famous artists and writers passed through from the late 1800s to the early 1900s.  How romantic it would be to sit a a bar stool between F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway!  A popular drink in the early hey days of Montmarte was Absinthe.  The strong, green drink of choice for many artists, was said to cause hallucinations.  Made from wormwood, green anise, sweet fennel, and other herbs, it's the perfect digestive in my opinion. In historical literature it was commonly referred to as "la fée verte" (the green fairy), for it's temptatious, addicting properties.  Traditionally Absinthe was served in a small cordial glass with a special slotted spoon resting above the rim, where a charred sugar cube slowly dissolved under the drip of ice water.
 When I am in France and don't feel like drinking wine, my go-to drink is a Pastis, a simple mixture of Absinth, water, and sugar, creating a quick yummy version of the traditional drink.  If you're in Washington, D.C. a great place to try more than one good Absinthe is Libertine in Adams Morgan.  They have more than 20 different versions of the green spirits. Recently, I discovered a refreshing summer cocktail made with Pernod Aux Plantes D'Absinthe Superieure, although it works with the Absinthe of your choice:

The Green Beast (I think Fairy fits better here as well)
1 Part Absinthe
1 part Fresh lime juice
1 part simple syrup
4 parts water
Thinly sliced cucumber wheels

Add ingredients in a Collins glass or a punch bowel over ice.  Garnish with cucumber slices.  For a more herbaceous drink, muddle a cucumber wheel in the bottom of the glass before serving.

Absinthe is also a main ingredient in one of my favorite New Orleans cocktail, the Sazerac. 

What's better then a cool fan on a hot, muggy July day?  A crisp Ginger Shandy cocktail.  We were offered both at Tales of the Cocktail earlier this month in New Orleans.  Domain de Canton ginger liqueur was inspired by the French tradition of fortifying sweet and fresh elixirs with fine eaux de vie and cognac. Spicy and aromatic drinks became popular with the French during the time of colonial Indochine. Domaine de Canton is inspired by the subtle spiciness of the baby ginger grown locally in modern day Indochine. The result is a recipe which evokes an era of tropical romance and continental sophistication that is both elegant and timeless.  I first learned about this liqueur a few years ago participating in an outstanding spirit dinner at Eric Repert's Restaurant Le Bernadine in New York.  If you love fresh fish, you really need to plan a trip to dine there.  Each course was meticulously prepared and perfectly cooked and paired with a Dom de Canton cocktail.  Here is a yummy cocktail recipe using Domain de Canton and Cognac, two fine products from France.  Enjoy!

Canton Shandy

• 1 oz Domain de Canton
• 1 oz Cognac
• 1 oz simple syrup
• 1oz fresh squeezes lemon juice
• 2 oz ginger beer of your choice
  
  Combine Dom de Canton, Cognac, simple syrup, and lemon juice over ice in a shaker. Shake until well chilled.  Strain into a cocktail glass and top with ginger beer.  Garnish with a lemon wedge or wheel.
  

Did you know that the agave plant is actually a lily and that the plant is sacrificed when harvested for Mezcal? It is poisonous in its raw form and requires cooking before human consumption.  The roasting process provides that yummy smokiness that characterizes the spirit.  Check out the Francophile Favs tab for a few of my favorite Mezcals available in the US.
Notice anything unusual about the picture to the right? When agave are replanted, they are usually planted in rows, very much light grape vines for making wine.  Like wine, agave harvested from highlands differs from agave harvested from lowlands. Typically Mezcal distilled from highland agave are more floral and herbal in smell and taste, while lowland Mezcal has a tendency to be more masculine.

In addition to educational seminars, we had the opportunity to attend the Time in a Glass: Featuring Grand Marnier spirited dinner at La Petite Grocery Restaurant and Bar.  The menu included succulent fried oysters, some of the largest, juiciest shrimp I have ever seen, oh and ridiculously yummy duck tasso (a play on tasso ham).  Each course was paired with a custom created Grand Marnier cocktail. The evening was capped off with a flight of the Grand Marnier Cuvee Collection pictured to the left. Grand Marnier is a premium blend of French Cognac with wild tropical oranges from the Caribbean.  If you haven't tried any of their premium cognacs, I encourage you to check them out.  If you like Grand Marnier Rouge, you will love some for their specialty spirits.  For more information, check out the House of Marnier Lapostolle website.