Cooking with Milanda

Sean’s Espresso Martini (A Cautionary Tale)

Everyone knows the moment the night truly begins isn’t when the doorbell rings or the wine gets opened.

It’s when Sean reaches for the espresso machine.

Earlier in the evening, he’s all restraint. He drinks lite beer. He clears plates. He listens politely while someone explains their new sourdough starter. But once dinner winds down, once the kids are asleep and the house settles into that soft, humming quiet, Sean’s eyes flick toward the counter.

“Anybody want an espresso martini?” he asks casually.
He already knows the answer.

Sean doesn’t mix drinks—he performs them. Sleeves rolled up, forearms unfairly muscular for someone holding a cocktail shaker, he moves with the calm confidence of a man who has made this drink hundreds of times and will absolutely make it again whether you want one or not.

The grinder whirs. The espresso machine hisses. The blue heeler lifts its head, annoyed by the noise, while the black lab watches like this is the most important moment of the night.

Milanda leans against the counter, pretending she’s not impressed, even though she always is. She’s seen this ritual enough to know what’s coming: vodka measured by feel, coffee liqueur poured with a generous hand, espresso so fresh it’s still steaming when it hits the ice.

“Just one,” someone says.

Sean smiles. That’s the first mistake.

He shakes like he means it. Ice cracking, foam forming, the kind of shake that makes you believe in effort. He strains the drink into a chilled glass, topping it with a thick, velvety crema and three coffee beans placed just right.

Silence follows the first sip.

Then:
“Holy shit.”
“Why is this so smooth?”
“Wait—there’s caffeine in this?”

Sean shrugs, humble in victory. “It’s balanced.”

By the second round, laughter is louder. Stories get longer. Someone brings up something they definitely shouldn’t. By the third, Milanda quietly switches to water, having learned this lesson years ago.

Sean, however, is just getting started.

“Last call,” he announces around midnight. No one believes him. The espresso machine fires up again. The foam is perfect. The guests are wide-eyed and absolutely wired.

By the time they leave, it’s late—too late. Hugs are dramatic. Promises are made. Someone says, “We should do this more often,” even though everyone knows they’ll need three business days to recover.

Milanda wipes down the counter, the smell of coffee and vodka lingering in the air. Sean rinses the shaker, still buzzing, still smiling.

“Too much?” he asks.

She laughs. “Just enough.”

And somewhere between the empty glasses, the exhausted dogs, and the quiet house finally settling back into sleep, Sean’s espresso martini earns its reputation once again—not just as a drink, but as the reason no one ever leaves early.

☕ Sean’s Espresso Martini

Strong arms. Strong opinions. Very strong drink.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Best Served: After the kids are asleep and no one has to drive anywhere

Ingredients (per drink):

• 1 ½ oz good vodka
• 1 oz coffee liqueur (Kahlúa or similar)
• 1 oz freshly pulled espresso (this part matters)
• Ice
• 3 coffee beans, for garnish (non-negotiable)

Instructions:

1. Pull the Espresso
   Brew a fresh shot of espresso. Don’t use old coffee. Don’t ask if drip is fine. Sean will know.
2. Fill the Shaker
   Add vodka, coffee liqueur, and hot espresso to a cocktail shaker. Fill generously with ice.
3. Shake Like You Mean It
   Shake hard for 15–20 seconds. You’re not chilling the drink—you’re building the foam. This is forearm work.
4. Strain & Serve
   Strain into a chilled martini or coupe glass. You should see a thick, creamy foam on top.
5. Garnish
   Place three coffee beans gently on the foam. One for health, one for wealth, one for staying up way too late.

🖤 Sean’s Rules:

• No shortcuts.
• No blender.
• No more than two… unless it’s a good night.
• If someone says, “I don’t usually like espresso martinis,” pour one anyway.

🕛 Milanda’s Warning:

These drinks will:

• Make everyone very chatty
• Extend the night by at least two hours
• Result in texts the next morning asking for “that recipe”

The Great Christmas Eve Dip Incident

By the time she realized something had gone terribly, deliciously wrong, the food processor was already humming like it had a personal vendetta against moderation.

It started innocently enough. A Christmas Eve gathering. A handful of friends. A noble plan to put out “a little vegetable dip” so people could feel virtuous before absolutely demolishing cookies, cheese, and anything wrapped in bacon. Sensible. Wholesome. Responsible.

What she did not realize—what no one warned her about—was that the dip recipe she chose was apparently written for a situation involving troop morale, trench warfare, or at minimum a very hungry battalion.

She followed the recipe exactly. No doubling. No improvising. Just honest, rule-abiding cooking. Yogurt. Sour cream. Herbs. Garlic. Lemon. Salt. Into the food processor it all went, blending into something fresh and bright and immediately addictive.

Then she transferred it to a bowl.

And then another bowl.

And then stood there, spatula in hand, staring at what could only be described as a defensive fortification of dip.

There was enough dip to comfortably bathe a family of carrots.

Still, she pressed on. Vegetables were chopped with confidence. Carrots into sticks. Peppers into strips. Cucumbers into coins. Broccoli broken down like it had personally offended her. The platter grew. The dip situation escalated. At some point, the serving bowl required strategic placement and emotional acceptance.

When guests arrived, they reacted exactly as you’d hope. Compliments. Enthusiastic first scoops. Someone said, “Wow, that’s a lot of dip,” in the reverent tone usually reserved for scenic overlooks and newborn babies. She laughed, waved it off, pretended this was all very normal and intentional.

Reader, everyone went full.

An hour later, the vegetable tray looked like it had been through a small but decisive war. The dip, however, remained. Calm. Expansive. Still three-quarters full, as if quietly daring someone to try again.

People moved on. To wine. To cookies. To cheese. The dip stayed put, a creamy monument to culinary overconfidence and poorly scaled recipes.

At the end of the night, she packed it up. All of it. Containers upon containers. Dip for tomorrow. Dip for the next day. Dip that would reappear in lunches, dinners, and late-night fridge visits like an overly enthusiastic ghost of Christmas Eve.

For a week afterward, every vegetable in her house met the same fate.

And honestly? No regrets.

Because there are worse problems than too much dip. Worse mistakes than trusting a recipe. Worse legacies than being remembered as the person who was exceptionally prepared for vegetables.

Next year, she says, she’ll check the serving size.

She won’t.

Recipe: The Dip That Could Feed an Army

A festive vegetable dip with unrealistic confidence

Yield: Officially “serves 8–10.” Spiritually serves a platoon.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: Absolutely none

Ingredients

• 2 cups plain Greek yogurt (full-fat if you love yourself)
• 1½ cups sour cream
• 3 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced
• ¼ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or more, inevitably)
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, to taste
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Optional but encouraged:
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • A drizzle of olive oil for finishing

Instructions

1. Begin with confidence.
   In a very large bowl (larger than you think you need), combine the yogurt and sour cream. Stir until smooth and unified.
2. Add the aromatics.
   Mix in the garlic, dill, parsley, chives, lemon zest, and lemon juice. At this point, pause briefly to admire how professional you feel.
3. Season generously.
   Add salt and pepper, plus any optional seasonings. Stir well, taste, adjust, taste again, adjust again. This step will take longer than expected.
4. Accept your fate.
   Notice how much dip you have. Resist the urge to panic. This is happening.
5. Chill (optional, unlike you).
   Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld. Or serve immediately if guests are already eyeing the bowl.
6. Finish and serve.
   Drizzle lightly with olive oil if desired. Serve with an aggressively large assortment of vegetables: carrots, cucumbers, peppers, broccoli, snap peas—anything sturdy enough to handle repeated dipping.

Storage

Keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days, assuming you don’t find new excuses to eat it with every meal.

Notes

• This dip improves overnight.
• It pairs well with vegetables, crackers, chips, spoons, and regret-free snacking.
• If you think you made too much, you didn’t. You just made plans.

Happy dipping.

Milanda hadn’t planned on hosting a dinner party. It sort of… happened. One minute she was texting the group chat about how chaotic the week had been (two dentist appointments, a science fair, and the black lab ate a sock), and then next, everyone was replying:
“See you Saturday!”
“I’ll bring wine.”
“Make that bean thing you made once.”

Milanda squinted at her phone. What bean thing?

She scrolled back through her own photos—baked beans? No, too sweet. That garbanzo thing? Nope, that gave Jodie heartburn. Then she found it. A hazy, slightly overexposed picture of a steaming pot—rich red, flecked with green, hearty enough to feed a hockey team.

The vegetarian chili.
Made on a whim last fall when the fridge was empty except for three zucchinis and half a pepper. The kids had all grumbled when they saw no meat, but by the end, even her extremely buff husband had gone back for thirds. He said something wild like: “This slaps.”

So she made it again.

Saturday arrived. The dogs were banished to the yard (for now), the kids were temporarily hypnotized by a holiday movie, and Milanda stood in her kitchen with a wooden spoon and a mission.

Into the pot went:

• Chopped onion and garlic, sizzling in olive oil
• Bell peppers, zucchini, corn, and black beans
• Crushed tomatoes and a secret spoonful of maple syrup
• A spice blend so bold it made her sneeze (twice)

She let it simmer while she cleaned under the couch (why was there a sock in the toaster?) and laid out mismatched bowls because, you know, charm.

By 6:00 p.m., the house smelled like smoky paprika and promise.

Guests trickled in, wine bottles clinking. Someone brought a salad no one would eat. Her neighbor muttered something about “missing the meat,” but then had two bowls. Her friend Daney, a “chili purist,” paused mid-bite and said:

“Wait. This is… actually very good.”

Milanda beamed.
Actually. Very. Good.
The kind of compliment that sounded like surprise, but tasted like victory.

Even the kids, bribed with cornbread and sparkling apple juice, gave her grudging thumbs-up.

By the end of the night, the pot was empty, her heart was full, and someone had written “Chili Queen” on a napkin and taped it to her fridge.

Moral of the story?

Don’t underestimate beans.
Don’t underestimate Milanda.
And never host a dinner party without making extras—someone will ask for a Tupperware to-go.

🫘 Milanda’s “Actually Very Good” Vegetarian Chili

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 6–8 (or 4 with seconds and a lunchbox leftover)

Ingredients:

Base Veggies:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 cup corn (frozen or fresh)

Beans & Tomatoes:

• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste

Seasonings:

• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp cinnamon (trust her)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tsp maple syrup (Milanda’s secret weapon)

Optional Add-ins:

• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo (for smokiness)
• ½ cup vegetable broth (if you like it a bit soupier)
• 1 cup chopped spinach or kale (sneaky greens!)

Instructions:

1. Sauté the Base:
   Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes). Stir in garlic, bell pepper, and zucchini. Cook another 5 minutes, until veggies start to soften.
2. Add Spices:
   Stir in chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, cinnamon, and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute to let the flavors bloom.
3. Add Beans & Tomatoes:
   Pour in crushed tomatoes, beans, corn, and maple syrup. Add broth or water if you want a thinner chili. Stir everything together.
4. Simmer:
   Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning. More salt? More maple syrup? More chili powder? You’re the boss.
5. Serve:
   Ladle into bowls and serve with:
   • Cornbread or crusty bread
   • Sour cream or plant-based yogurt
   • Avocado slices
   • Shredded cheddar or vegan cheese
   • Lime wedges, if you’re feeling fancy

💡 Milanda’s Tips:

• Make ahead: Even better the next day.
• Want it meaty? Add crumbled tempeh or lentils.
• Hosting hack: Serve it from the pot, pretend you’re too humble to accept compliments.