Cucina Testa Rossa

It's a QUARANTINE COCKTAIL REUNION!

Welcome to Quarantine Community Cocktail Reunion!

QUARANTINE COCKTAIL IS BACK for a REUNION! I can't believe it's been ONE WHOLE YEAR since the world stopped and our lives changed! Let's all check in, raise a glass and see how and what everyone is doing. I hope you will join us!

Friday, March 19 @ 5pm PT - Quarantine Cocktails: Register

• Cocktail: Manhattan - my favorite and the first one we made together!
• Recipe: Manhattan
• Ingredients: bourbon, sweet vermouth, Angostura or orange bitters, Maraschino cherry
• Special Guests: Manuel Velazquez and more! 
• Cooking: Laura Pauli, Cucina Testa Rossa
  • Recipe: Mediterranean Olives
  • Ingredients: Castelvetrano olives, small chili de arbol or dried cayenne peppers, coriander seeds, bay leaves, chili pepper flakes, black peppercorns, salt, orange, olive oil. 

          
    

So looking forward to seeing everyone who zoomed in last year. The connection and support and love reaching across these zooms on the information superhighway was heartwarming and enduring. xo Laura

COOK. EAT. DANCE. LOVE! Valentine's Day Dinner and Dancing

Valentine's Day Dinner + Dancing  |  Saturday, Feb 13  |  4pm to 6pm PT

Hard to believe that Valetine’s Day is right around the corner! With indoor dining closed, you can still create a romantic, fun evening at home. Grab your galentine, valentine or bestie for a fun evening of sparkling cocktails, delicious dinner, decadent dessert and delightful dancing!

Cocktails, wine pairing and cooking led by Classically-trained chef and Certified Sommelier Laura Pauli. Salsa Dancing led by world renowned, award winning fitness expert and dancer extraordinaire, Manuel Velazquez.

Le Menu

Starter: 
Champagne Cocktail
Dungeness Crab Salad
 

Main Course:
Filet Mignon with Red Wine Blue Cheese Sauce
California Cabernet or Bordeaux Blend
 

Dessert:
Chocolate Grand Marnier Truffles
Sauterne or Moscato d’Asti/Muscat

Dancing:
Salsa, Mambo, Cha Cha and Rumba!

Sign up now to receive:

• Ideas to decorate your table for festive evening
• Detailed recipes
• Shopping list
• Equipment list
• Step-by-step checklist for set-up prior to cooking
• Links to buy wine, equipment and specialty food

Does not include: food, equipment
Live: All classes hosted live on Zoom.us to a limited number of students 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Grab your whisk and your dancing shoes, we'll see you on the interwebs!  

NEED A GIFT? COOKING CLASSES! WINE CLASSES!

please click on this picture to see all the cooking & wine classes >>

Salsa y Salsa v5.0 ~ Our Last Holiday Salsa

This is our last Friday of Salsa y Salsa (y Cocktail!) with Laura y Manuel!

   
 

THIS Friday, Dec 18 @ 5-6pm PT - Salsa y Salsa v5.0: REGISTER

• Cocktail: Laura's Cranberry Martini Explosion (it's actually Pierre's recipe, more on that on the zoom!)
  
  • Ingredients: cranberries, sugar (use *half* the amount in the recipe!), oranges, ginger, vodka
• Salsa: Pomegranate Jalapeño Confetti Salsa
  • Ingredients: pomegranate, cucumber, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice
• Salsa: Manuel Velazquez, award-wining dance instructor & professional dancer will teach us all how to salsa! Ay caramba! 
  
  

We are SO looking forward to salsa-ing all together again on the interwebs very soon! This is our LAST FRIDAY, so please come share some holiday cheer and learn a move or two.  

Besos y un gran embrazo,
Laura y Manuel xo

Salsa y Salsa v4.0 ~ Vodkas y Latkes

Bienvenidos to our weekly Friday Funday, Salsa y Salsa (y Cocktail!) with Laura y Manuel!! Each week, together we will all make a cocktail, a salsa and learn a new Salsa dance. Ay caramba!

This week, though, is a little different. Oy vey, you say?! This week, to celebrate Hanukkah, it's Vodkas y Latkes! We'll be drinking Vodka martinis and making Latkes and learning about this tradition and meaning behind it from my new MEA bestie, Lisa Carmel. So please sign up below! 

      
 

THIS Friday, Dec 4 @ 5-6pm PT - Vodka y Latkes y Salsa y Salsa v4.0: REGISTER

• Cocktail: Vodka Martini
  
  • Ingredients:  vodka :
• Latkes: NYT Latkes or Kitchn Latkes by Lisa Carmel
  • Ingredients:  potato, onion, egg, matzo or breadcrumbs, canola oi
• Salsa: Fresh Apple Salsa (or Applesauce) + Sour Cream
  • Ingredients: tart apple, onion, cilantro, lime, jalapeño, poblano, ginger, simple syrup, walnuts, sour cream
• Salsa: Manuel Velazquez, award-wining dance instructor & professional dancer will teach us all how to salsa! Ay caramba! 

We are SO looking forward to salsa-ing all together again on the interwebs very soon! We'll be hosting these every Friday, so come work of all the holiday cookies and then join us for one last salsa.  

Besos y un gran embrazo,
Laura y Manuel xo

Salsa y Salsa v3.0 ~ Bourbon Cider Cocktail + Winter Salsa

We're Back! Every Friday it's Salsa y Salsa (y Cocktail!) with Laura y Manuel!

     
 

THIS Friday, Dec 4 @ 5-6pm PT - Salsa y Salsa v3.0: REGISTER

• Cocktail: Bourbon Cider Cocktail
  
  • Ingredients:  bourbon, sugar, bitters, hard cider (dry), maraschino cherry, orange  
• Salsa: Winter Salsa with Pomegranate, Chipotle and Orange
  • Ingredients:  pomegranate, onion, orange, chipotle chili in adobo, plum tomatoes, cilantro, cumin, lime, olive oil  
• Salsa: Manuel Velazquez, award-wining dance instructor & professional dancer will teach us all how to salsa! Ay caramba! 

We are SO looking forward to salsa-ing all together again on the interwebs very soon! We'll be hosting these every Friday, so come work of all the holiday cookies and then join us the rest of the year.  

Besos y un gran embrazo,
Laura y Manuel xo

Salsa y Salsa v2.0

We're Back! Every Friday it's Salsa y Salsa (y Cocktail!) with Laura y Manuel!


 

THIS Friday, Nov 27 @ 5-6pm PT - Salsa y Salsa v2.0: REGISTER

• Cocktail: Spiced Persimmon Bourbon Old Fashioned
  
  • Ingredients:  fuyu persimmons, maple syrup, cinnamon stick, star anise, bourbon, lemon juice, orange juice, sparkling water
• Salsa: Pumpkin Seed Salsa
  • Ingredients: pumpkin seeds, tomatoes, habanero, cilantro, chives, salt 
• Salsa: Manuel Velazquez, award-wining dance instructor & professional dancer will teach us all how to salsa! Ay caramba! 

We are SO looking forward to salsa-ing all together again on the interwebs very soon! We'll be hosting these every Friday, so come work of all that stuffing and then join us the rest of the year. I'll be posting the registration and recipes for the rest of the year shortly. 

Besos y un gran embrazo,
Laura y Manuel xo

So wonderful seeing everyone again with a cameo from Mum down under and the awesome team from MEA!



...and here is a picture of Lynne's US Thanksgiving in Australia apple pie! Just beautiful!

Salsa y Salsa v1.0

We're Back! Every Friday it's Salsa y Salsa (y Cocktail!) with Laura y Manuel!

 

 

 

We're kicking it off on Friday, Nov 20 @ 5-6pm PT - Salsa y Salsa v1.0: RECORDING

• Cocktail: Guava Margarita
  
  • Ingredients: Tequila, limes, guava purée or nectar, Cointreau or Triple Sec, salt or Tajin for the rim
• Salsa: Salsa de Cacahuate y Chile de Árbol
  • Ingredients: (Peanut and Arbol Chile Salsa) olive or canola oil, sesame seeds, dried arbol chiles, dried guajillo chile, garlic, onion, apple cider vinegar, dried oregano, roasted unsalted peanuts, salt
  • Here is a very simple version of this recipe: Salsa Macha
• Salsa: Manuel Velazquez, award-wining dance instructor & professional dancer will teach us all how to salsa! Ay caramba! 

We are SO looking forward to salsa-ing all together again on the interwebs very soon! We'll be hosting these every Friday , even the day after Thanksgiving (gotta' work of all that stuffing!) so save the dates. I'll be posting the registration and recipes for the rest of the year shortly. 

Besos y un gran embrazo,
Laura y Manuel xo

PS: Can't wait to the the OG posse back together! 

Quarantine Cocktails v12.0 - Rogue Edition

Quarantine Cocktails is pulling a Jack Bauer and going ROGUE! It's been way too long since we've raised a glass together and I found this delish margarita recipe and Manuel has new fancy tiktok dances and Nina Storey has new songs and I have another trip around the sun so the planets are aligning on FRIDAY, AUGUST 7TH at 5PM PT!

Friday, Aug 7 @ 5pm PT - Quarantine Cocktails & Quarantine Calisthenics & Quarantunes - REGISTER!

• Quarantail: Watermelon Jalapeño Margarita*
  • Recipe: Click here
  • Ingredients: tequila, watermelon, lime juice, grand marnier, agave, jalapeño
• Quaranthenics: Special Guest: Manuel Velazquez, Rancho La Puerta fitness expert
• Quarantunes: the Amazing Nina Storey will be back in the house, well zoom house!
• QuaranCooking: Laura Pauli, Cucina Testa Rossa
  • Recipe: Rancho la Puerta's Aztec Guacmole
  • Ingredients: avocado, peas, lime, tomato, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic, tortillas

     
       
* margarita picture by & recipe adapted from Nutmeg Nelly

SO SO SO looking forward to seeing you all again on the information superhighway this Friday.
Please make sure you register. Can't wait to raise a glass to us all!
xo Laura

from our last zoom in July! 

FORBES: Here’s How To Plan A Perfect Virtual National Tequila Day Celebration by Aly Walansky

Holy Palomas Batman! Thank you so much Aly Walansky for including my Paloma cocktail & margarita truffle recipes and the stories behind them in your fantástico Forbes article! 😊🍸 Salud!

Thank you Manuel Velazquez for introducing me to the Paloma! 




... thank you Peter Van de Velde for including me in
this unforgettable event, complete with red carpet and
a three alarm fire! 



...and thank you Jodie Chase for your brilliant guidance!
Salud y buen brovecho!