HOW-TO

Made of simple ingredients, ceviche is a traditional South American dish that is easily prepared even by home chefs who don’t have the same international credentials as newly appointed Executive Chef of Rayuela, Alex Ureña. Chef Ureña has been an outstanding addition to Rayuela, a “freestyle latino” restaurant located on the LES, and brings to the table an eclectic international culinary background and diverse flavor profiles while maintaining the restaurant’s existing traditions. Diners at Rayuela will sample a menu inspired by ingredients and cooking traditions of Chef’s native Dominican Republic and around the Latin world.

It’s hard to believe that Memorial Day Weekend is here already since the weather in NYC doesn’t seem to match up with the appropriate seasons anymore. With Memorial Day comes barbeques, festivals and fairs, and hopefully some beach-worthy sunshine and what better way to enjoy these summertime staples than a nice, cold summer-inspired cocktail? Below you’ll find cocktail recipes mixed with all your summertime favorites like iced tea, lemonade, fruit punch, fresh fruit, and even a red velvet strawberry shortcake. One sip of these cocktails and you’ll be singing ‘summertime and the livings’ easy’ faster than it takes to step into your favorite pair of flip flops.

With Easter shortly behind us and the weather getting warmer, our minds are brimming with excitement at all the new seasonal food possibilities. Fresh fruits, vegetables and, oh, ice cream.

Whilst ice cream can be a bit daunting to make at home, self-taught cook Ryan McBride Mellinger, a line chef and general all-rounder at Mulberry Street hotspot Balaboosta, is here to shatter the myth and share with us her fool-hardy recipe for an ice cream and brittle duo that is sweet, warming, and refreshing all at the same time.

With V-Day sneaking upon us it's only right that we share with you all our romancing secrets. The key to anyone's heart is through their belly and Kathleen King, founder and owner of Tate's Bake Shop, is sharing with us a great recipe from her latest cookbook, Baking for Friends. These Linzer Heart Cookies not only look the part, but taste the part, as well. Additionally, Tate's in celebrating Valentine's Day by offering 50% off a Valentine's Cookie Cube & Cookbook combo, along with 20% off any web store purchase with the code BLOG213.

The best cure for the iciest of winter days is curling up by the fireplace with a glass of gluhwein and a heaping portion of baked mac 'n cheese. Here's a recipe for the latter from one of Chicago's cheese experts, Executive Chef Leonard Hollander of Marion Street Cheese Market. Chef Hollander was just awarded a Bib Gourmand award from the Michelin Guide, recognizing the bistro as an excellent option for diners on a budget.

Bloody mary concentrate makers, Stu Waters and Rudi Schmidt, share a Christmas twist on this traditional brunch cocktail.

Bloody Merry

Ingredients

• 2 oz stu's…this is Bloody Mary Concentrate
• 6 oz tomato juice
• 3 strips of preferably hickory smoked bacon
• 1 full sprig of fresh rosemary
• 1 oz aquavit (a Scandinavian spirit)

To be served over ice in a pint glass – garnish with rosemary sprig because it looks like a pine tree!

Marisa Churchill, contestant on Top Chef, is all about nutrition. In her cookbook, Sweet & Skinny ($24), she has a plethora of sweet treats that won't leave you with a stomachache. So nix those sugary Halloween candies and whip up a batch of these scrumptious PB&J Cookies instead!

PB&J Cookies - Makes 16 cookies

Per cookie: 130 calories, 6 grams of fat

Avocado is a creamy, heart-healthy choice for salads, sandwiches and the ever-popular Mexican dip guacamole – but have you ever thought about having this luscious green fruit for dessert? Avocado’s natural smooth texture and mild taste makes it a perfect match for your meal’s final course. From smoothies to pudding and more, this fruit can be used to create uber-tasty and protein-packed concoctions for dessert or a sweet afternoon snack any time of year.

I screamed so loud I could barely hear myself think! The Festival of Souls Demon Mansion Haunted House is sure to leave you just as terrified and in a daze as you tremble from room to room. Located in the Village at Gulfstream Park and running until Halloween night, the seasonal attraction features a 17 room, 8,000 sq ft labyrinth with several themed areas that include hell's kitchen, an exploding bathroom, the howling woman, and the spider room, among others. In addtion to the Haunted Manson, Gulfstream Park is offering something totally unique to Halloween attractions in South Florida this year. The zombie safari paintball hayride promises to be so realistically terrifying that one will feel convinced that the zombie apocolypse is upon us, and we must prepare for the invasion! Guests will take a trailer safari trip through 50,000 sq ft of "ruins" made to look like the aftermath of a post-apocalyptic city and shoot ultraviolet paintballs at the impending zombie ambush.

For the largest minority in the United States, October is a month in which to celebrate Hispanic and Latino culture and the contributions that Hispanics and Latinos have made to this country. Perhaps our greatest gift to American culture is that sazón that we have injected into the national palate. Many Americans have become enamored with Latin American dishes and ingredients, and it makes many Latinos and Hispanics proud to see people from other cultures serving our traditional dishes at restaurants and out of food trucks. In addition to being Hispanic Heritage Month, October is also the time of year when the temperature drops, leading chefs and home cooks to think about warming comfort foods, and nothing says comfort food to a hungry Latino like a plate of arroz con pollo.