Rosemary Martini and Black Truffle Parmesan Popcorn

Rural Mom is pleased to bring you Thanksgiving tips, trends & more from chef, celeb-party planner and all-around entertaining expert, Linnea Johansson:

“Serving your guests a few small bites and pairing each with a festive libation is a great way to kick off a Thanksgiving feast,” says Linnea Johansson. Linnea Johansson, who has planned events for a-list celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Kardashian and who has been a food expert for FOX National News and food columnist for ELLE Magazine Europe is very well versed in the idea of cocktail pairings.

Below are a couple of her tips and recipes when it comes to pulling of a thanksgiving pairing that will impress any guest:

Black Truffle & Parmesan Popcorn
1/2 stick of butter
2 tblsp of truffle oil
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese

Preparation: Melt the butter and the truffle oil over low heat or in the microwave. Take of the heat. Drip over popcorn and then ad the parmesan cheese.

Rosemary Moscow Mule
2 oz Russian Standard Vodka
4 oz Ginger Beer
1 oz Rosemary Syrup
Fresh Lime Rosemary as garnish

Preparation: Build in Collins glass and add thyme & fresh squeezed lime; stir, add ice, stir again.

Why should you pair cocktails with food on Thanksgiving?

• Alcohol helps aid with the digestion of foods, and in many, countries they actually have schnapps (a little shot) to drink with a heavy meal.
• Food paired with different cocktails also will give your guest a unique & flavorful experience they are sure to enjoy!

The two ways to go about pairing according to Linnea:

1. The first is to match a flavor in the dish.Keep in mind not to pick up the main flavor of a dish; for example, pumpkin soup paired with a pumpkin cocktail would be too much. o you should rather pick up a smaller flavor and make it come alive with the cocktail, so for pumpkin soup, think about a nutmeg infused cocktail instead to pair, this would work lovely as the cocktail would bring alive the more subtle flavors of the soup.

2. The other is to balance flavors…o In other words if you are serving something rather spicy, pair with something with something sweet or even, slightly a bitter cocktail (like the above cocktail Linnea suggested to pair with dessert).

For more recipes and tips from Linnea, visit linnea-johansson.com