Chef Patrick’s “Beergarita” on Coast Live

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. – Chef Patrick Evans-Hylton returns to Coast Live with some fun culinary suggestions to help you celebrate Cinco De Mayo!

CHEERS TO CINCO DE CERVEZA WITH OUR BELLA-LICIOUS BEERGARITA COCKTAIL

We’re right on the cusp of Cinco de Mayo, and folks will have to make an important decision: beer, or margarita… or perhaps both? Our Bella-licious Beergarita is just the thing. The tartness of lime mixes with the sassiness of tequila, and the smoothness of a lager or other lighter beer. Here’s a surprising element: the citrus pop and slushiness of the cocktail comes from the use of a slightly thawed, frozen limeade. You can easily find these in your grocer’s freezers. This recipe makes enough for a Cinco de Mayo party, a Mother’s Day brunch, or any spring and summer gathering with friends. Serve in salt-rimmed glasses over ice.

Here’s how to make it:

• Allow 1 (12 ounce) can of frozen limeade concentrate to slightly thaw at room temperature. 
• In a large glass pitcher, add 72 ounces lager or other lighter beer. We love Peake Lager from Chesapeake’s Big Ugly Brewing. Add the contents of the frozen limeade concentrate can.                                    
• Using the frozen limeade concentrate can, fill with tequila; 12 ounces. Stir contents of pitcher until mixed and serve in ice-filled, salt-rimmed glasses. 

Beer comes from Big Ugly Brewing (BigUglyBrewing.com).

BON APPETIT TO MOTHER’S DAY WITH A CLASSIC QUICHE WITH CREAMY PESTO SAUCE

Quiche is a wonderful dish, rich from both the creamy egg custard base and buttery, flaky pie crust. Wonderful for any time of the day, quiche is especially special at brunch. With Mother’s Day coming up, a lovely homemade quiche would be a wonderful center-of-the-plate dish. Stella Pomianek of Cafe Stella in the Ghent section of Norfolk shares the quiche in today’s segment for us. You can stop by to enjoy a slice, or contact her to order a whole pie. We embellish the quiche with our own creamy pesto sauce, which adds another texture and pop of flavor. You can use commercially-prepared pesto if you’d like; just add 1 part sour cream to 1 part pesto and stir to incorporate.

If you’d like to make pesto from scratch, here’s how to make it:

• Process 3 cups loosely packed fresh basil, stems removed, in the bowl of a food processor or blender until finely chopped, scraping the sides as necessary. 
• Add 3/4 cups toasted pine nuts, 3 peeled garlic cloves, 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, 1/4 cups freshly grated romano cheese, 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, and process until well combined, scraping the sides as necessary.
• Whisk 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil together and slowly drizzle it into the bowl, processing until the mixture is well combined, creamy, and smooth. Add additional oil if needed. Transfer to a medium bowl.                            
• Add 1 cup sour cream, stir to incorporate, cover, and chill until ready to use.

Quiche comes from Cafe Stella in Norfolk’s Ghent (CafeStellaRoasters.com).

If you’d like Cafe Stella’s recipe for quiche, email [email protected] with “Quiche Recipe” as the subject.

EATS, DRINKS + DOS: 14TH ANNUAL SPRING TOWN POINT VIRGINIA WINE FESTIVAL

Cheers to Virginia wine! The 14th annual Spring Town Point Virginia Wine Festival is one of Coastal Virginia’s most anticipated wine festivals. It’s coming up Saturday and Sunday, May 7 and 8, at Town Point Park along the Downtown Norfolk Waterfront. Spend a spring weekend sampling a variety of more than 200 wines from Virginia’s premier wineries. The festival showcases more than 25 of the Commonwealth’s top wineries in a picturesque setting along the Elizabeth River. In addition to the wines, look for gourmet foods, specialty merchants, live music, and more. All wines presented during the festival are available for purchase by the bottle or by the case throughout the day.

If you’d like our Wine Festival Tasting Tips email us at [email protected] with “Wine Festival Tips” as the subject.

For more, visit Festevents.org

FOR MORE VIRGINIA EATS + DRINKS

Get all the information from today’s Virginia Eats + Drinks on Coast Live segment plus more: giveaways, recipes, tips, and tricks on our Facebook group. Join today at facebook.com/groups/VirginiaEatsAndDrinks!