Welcome to the Hotel California

I'm so excited that Elly has decided to make her "Eat to the Beat" blogging event a recurrent event. It is truly one of my favorites. There are few things I like better than music and food!

In terms of music, I am a sucker for guitar. It touches me in a way no other instrument does and I can find myself crying as a guitar gently weeps, or wanting to dance the night away. So it should be no surprise that my favorite bands all feature an exception guitar artist, and my favorite songs are those with guitar solos that go on for years.

The Eagles are one of my favorite bands, because they have not one, but two incredible fabulous guitarist - Joe Walsh and Don Felder. You may not recognize the names, but it takes only a few chords of Hotel California for you to know exactly what I mean. I love the entire song and the haunting quality it imparts, and that is due in large part to that haunting guitars that weave their way through dark desert highways.

Mirrors on the ceiling,
The pink champagne on ice
And she said ’we are all just prisoners here, of our own device’
And in the master’s chambers,
They gathered for the feast
The stab it with their steely knives,
But they just can’t kill the beast.

The pink champagne on ice is an image that has always stuck in my head. Probably because I was listening to this song well before I even knew pink champagne existed, but also the idea of champagne on ice? And the fact that in the verse before when the singer calls up the Captain to ask for his wine, they basically tell him they don't have that kind of stuff. No wine. Just champagne.

I decided to make my own version of pink champagne on ice - pink champagne ice cream!!! This is a cheater because I used Cava instead of champagne. But frankly, I don't have the kind of money to be pouring honest to goodness champagne into my ice cream maker.

This was absolutely fantastic!!!!!!!! I love how you could actually taste the champagne - it felt like a really gourmet dessert, so I can imagine why they serve it at the Hotel California. Thatboy actually felt like it was too rich - someone make a note of this day!!!! Serve it with a strawberry, raspberry, or whatever you would serve with your favorite champagne. And just sit back and relax. Remember, you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave!

Pink Champagne on Ice
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
2 eggs
1/2 cup pink champagne
1/3 Tbsp vanilla

1) In medium saucepan, combine 1 1/4 cups of the whipping cream, sugar, corn syrup and eggs; mix well. Cook over medium heat 12 to 14 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Cool completely.

2) When cool, stir in remaining 3/4 cups whipping cream, champagne and vanilla. Pour into ice cream machine canister and freeze according to ice cream maker instructions.