The Meaty Mary

So a lot has been going on over at the Eat Happy Kitchen…

Check out my BTS video of my experience at the world premiere of Toy Story 5 this past week.

We got some good photos and made great memories…

Plus we’re busy producing (and going to perform in) the 2nd Annual Corkscrew Comedy Festival here where I live in the Santa Ynez Valley June 18-20th…

Aaaaand, finally, I’ve got a new cookbook coming out, and SO MANY of you have pre-ordered it already—THANK YOU!!

This Wednesday 6/17 at 5pm PST (8pm EST), I’m doing a private mixology class that’s just for you early bird pre-orderers.

If you haven’t pre-ordered yours, this is your reason to do it early!

(plus your card isn’t charged until the book drops in October)

Here’s what it is:

1. Pre-order the book.

2. Upload your receipt.

3. I’ll send out a private zoom link the morning of the event.

4. It will be recorded, so if you can’t attend live, I will send out the recording.

What wee will cover in the mixology class: how to stock the bar and fridge for your next party, how to make flavor infusions and infused liquors, and how to remove the sugar from cocktails and mocktails without sacrificing flavor.

UPLOAD YOUR PRE-ORDER RECEIPT HERE to get your goodies (and to get the Zoom link for the mixology class).

OK, Happies.

This recipe for the Meaty Mary is from the new cookbook, and I’m so excited to share it with you.

The Meaty Mary combines some of our favorite things: meat, meat, meat, and vodka (with a soupçon of marinara for tomatoey-ness).

Traditional Bloody Mary recipes use sugar filled mixes, tomato juice, and Clamato. Instead, I’m using my very own Eat Happy Kitchen Marinara (which is elegant, cleanly-sourced perfection, and worth every penny). You can use whatever sauce you want in yours or make your own from scratch. I’ve given you those tools in Eat Happy Italian.

The butter poached shrimp that I use to garnish this cocktail is another recipe in the book…tease that I am, you’ll have to order the book for that recipe. Or just use pre-cooked poached shrimp from the grocery store.

Cheers, my darlings.

XO

THE MEATY MARY

(Yield 1 Cocktail)

Note: you can use a jar of Eat Happy Kitchen Marinara Sauce , choose any brand of clean store-bought, or make your own marinara based on the recipe in Eat Happy Italian.

If you’re making homemade bacon for this drink (and you should), then reserve the bacon grease to help the salt and smoked paprika stick to the rim of the glass. Olive oil will also serve the same purpose.

To rim the glass:

• Sea salt

• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika

• Bacon grease, at room temperature, or olive oil

Cocktail:

• Ice cubes

• 2 ounces vodka

• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) Eat Happy Kitchen Marinara Sauce, or use your favorite brand

• 1 tablespoon pickle brine

• 1/4 teaspoon prepared horseradish

• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1/4 teaspoon no-sugar-added hot sauce

• 1/4 teaspoon celery salt

• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Plain soda water, to float (optional)

Garnishes:

• Pimento-stuffed olives

• Dill pickle spear

• Celery stalk

• 1-2 crispy cooked bacon strips

• 3-4 Butter-Poached Shrimp (see page 159, Eat Happy Cocktail Hour)

If you’d like a seasoned rim, in a shallow dish, combine the sea salt and smoked paprika and stir together. Roll the rim of a highball glass in room-temperature bacon grease or olive oil, then rill in the salt-paprika mix.

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in the vodka, marinara, pickle brine, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, celery salt, smoked paprika, and a few twists of freshly ground pepper. Shake until ice cold, about 30 seconds. Strain into a highball glass and float soda water to fill the glass if desired. Garnish with an extra twist of pepper, plus olives, a pickle, celery, crispy bacon strips, and shrimp.

*Recipe originally published in Eat Happy Cocktail Hour, then republished with permission for Substack newsletter subscribers at annavocino.substack.com.