Sunday Funday

Last Sunday my husband and I had three families over for a relaxing and enjoyable Sunday night dinner.  With Italian fare that was adult and kid-friendly and a group of well-behaved toddlers, the night went off with a hitch ending with a toddler dance party to Mumford & Son's and Skillet Almond Shortbread. (It's quite the combo I have to say).  I can't think of a more perfect (or adorable) way to end the weekend.

Here's what I served:

Kale Caesar Salad

I used green kale and a mixture of two store-bought Caesar dressings.  One that is creamy and the other that is more of a vinaigrette

Brussel Sprout, Caramelized Onion, and Pancetta Pizza:

Be sure to use store-bought pizza dough (like Whole Foods whole wheat version) and don't forget the lemon juice and hot chili oil at the end that really makes this pizza one-of-a-kind.

Sicialian Meatballs

The most wonderful meatballs I've ever had with a special surprise on the inside-pine nuts and currants

Chile Shrimp with Butter Beans, Capers, and Couscous
Hot and spicy yet lemony and buttery-the perfect combo for my health-conscious friends

Roasted Broccoli and Summer Squash
This simple and tasty side dish always does the trick

Skillet Almond Shortbread Cake
The most addictive cake I've ever had. I made it 4x this week for various reasons.

PC: Kale Caesar Salad: Tastingtable, Food & Wine for picture 2, 3, 5, picture 4: Simply Recipes, 6: Food Network

Da Bears Menu

Last Monday my husband and I hosted 15 of our friends for a night of da Bears and chili.  Since one of my friends is pregnant, another is breastfeeding, and another can't eat pork, I made two sets of chili so no one would go hungry. Here's what was served:

7 Layer Dip (by the Pioneer Woman) to start:

Giada's Chicken Chili: 

Beef and Chorizo Chili: 

***I substitute ground round for stew meat

Mac N' Cheese with Pancetta: a true crowd pleaser

(I add a few dashes of nutmeg)

Ina's Corn Muffins: equally delicious

(I add a 1/2 cup of drained sweet yellow corn to the batter)

Dessert: 

Sweet Mandy B's Cupcakes:

Lucky for me, the Bears won and the food was a hit so it was a good night had by all.  

 PC: Pioneerwoman, browniebites, green local living, bon appetit, food network, formerms

Dinner Party!

This past weekend I prepared a feast for my brother and sister-in laws as a thank you for hosting me (and my husband) in the Hamptons for the weekend.  Here is what was served:

The Appetizers:

Grilled Shrimp Cocktail with lots of horseradish in the cocktail sauce:

(Shell and devein shrimp. Season with salt/pepper.  Throw on the grill for 2-3 minutes on one side and about 30 seconds on the other.  Test for doneness.  Serve with cocktail sauce loaded with prepared horseradish)

White Bean and Pancetta Pizza:

Locanda Verde-Style Ricotta and Grilled Country Bread with Honey:

Second course:

Frisee Aux Lardons: (one of my favorite salads ever)

Main Course:

Strip Steaks from Allen Brothers:

Grilled Veggies:

(Throw your favorite veggies on the grill and top with a bit of olive oil and salt/pepper)

Dessert:

Monkey Bread (with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream)

(Pillsbury-style)

The meal was a slam dunk! The homemade margaritas may have affected their judgment, but I'll take it!

PC: smitten kitchen, food & wine, wonggawei's flickr stream, gourmet.com, anotherpintplease, floydthefoodguy.com, preparedpantry.com

Pretty in Pink

My husband and I ended up entertaining this past weekend which turned out to be just fah-boo-less (think Frank  from 'Father of the Bride).  I chose two shades of pink tulips with a berry "collar" as the centerpiece and dressed up the table for Spring which seems to be the reoccuring theme of my parties (that is until Summer). 

The menu was an array healthy(ish) fare since two of our guests are getting married in a few weeks and are watching their waistlines... 

Here's what was served:

Appetizers: fresh crudites with low fat onion dip, assorted cheese with crackers, olives, and heart-healthy nuts. 

First course: tomato and onion salad (Wolfgang Steakhouse style) sprinkled with fresh roquefort cheese and balsamic dressing

Main course: filet mignon, rosemary french fries, and roasted asparagus (my go-to veggie). 

Dessert: mini sugar cookie flowers (on a stick) planted in chocolate mousse layered with low fat cookie crumble "dirt."  I know, cheesy but fun!

The flowers (my flower class sure paid off-I assembled them in about 15 minutes)

The table:

View 2 of the table:

The appetizer table (notice the hydrangea flower candles). I'm also obsessed with the platter on the right.

And dessert:

Spring-like Dinner

On Friday night I made a wonderful meal for my husband and friend visiting from Chicago.  Since I had a gorgeous centerpiece leftover from my flower class, I wanted to dress up the table like Spring with basket-weave placemats, green linen napkins, artichoke salt and pepper shakers (new from Pottery Barn that are very affordable), and my green lotus votive candles. 

The meal:

Drink: Italian Red Wine

Italian plate to start:

Caprese Salad (drizzled with a thick balsamic glaze)

Cantaloupe wrapped in fresh proscuitto

Slices of soppresetta served with Italian breadsticks

Fresh foccacia from Amy's bread

Arugula Salad with Balsamic Onions, Goat Cheese, and Candied Walnuts

"Back Country" Pappardelle Bolognese

Dessert:

Store-bought cupcakes from Billy's Bakery (I ran out of time)

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

Here's a menu to celebrate Fat Tuesday!

The drink: Pat O's Hurricane:

Mix 4 oz of amber or dark rum and 4 oz of Pat O’Brien’s Hurricane. Mix. Fill with crushed ice. Top it off with an orange and a cherry.

 

Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo:

Red Beans & Rice (prepare as packaged)

Shrimp and Oyster Po Boy's:

Cream Cheese Filled King Cake:

Cake:

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast or 1 package instant yeast

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup butter softened (1/2 stick)

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon nutmeg g

rated zest of one lemon (1 tablespoon)

2 1/2 cups flour

Filling:

oz. cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla

Icing:

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla colored sugars (green, purple and yellow)

1. Heat milk to 105-110 degrees in a small saucepan over low heat. Place milk in the bowl of a standing mixer, add yeast and stir to combine. Allow milk mixture to rest for about 10 minutes or until frothy.

2. Beat the egg in a small bowl and add to milk mixture. Then add 2 1/2 cups flour a little at a time, butter, sugar, salt and lemon zest. With the dough hook on low speed, mix until dough comes together. The dough will be slightly sticky, not too wet. If the dough seems very moist you may add up to 1/2 cup additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time. I suggest trying a little less flour as you will work some in while kneading. 3. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes until dough is soft and smooth. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise in a warm and draft-free place for about an hour, or until doubled in size.

4. Make filling by beating the cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar together with a mixer until fluffy then set aside. 5. Lay dough on lightly floured surface, punch down and roll into a 20" by 10" rectangle. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly on one half of the dough, then fold other half over to cover. Pinch dough together to seal in cream cheese. Make a ring and pinch ends together, the ring can be a circle or oval. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 45 minutes.

6. In 375 degree oven bake king cake for 20 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove from oven and set a side to cool. Add the bean at this point by making a small slit underneath the cake with a paring knife.

7. Mix icing ingredients together and whisk until smooth. Drizzle icing heavily over king cake, and while still wet, sprinkle with colored sugars.

PC: Food & Wine, Southern Living, Culinary Colorado, Hip Hostess, Paula Dean, Duffy's New Orleans

It's the Final Countdown...

Until the Superbowl. Here's another creative idea: dress up your potatoes to match your favorite team (even if they're not playing in the Superbowl).

Like the...

New York Jets: Deli Pastrami Potato Skins

-deli sliced pastrami, russian dressing, and dill pickle slices on cheesy skins

Kansas City Cheifs: KC BBQ Potato

Pulled Pork, bbq sauce and sliced scallions on cheesy skins

New England Patriots: Maple-Bacon Potato Skins

Apple Butter, crisp bacon and maple syrup on cheesy skins

PC: Food Network Magazine

Pizza Dip!

Here's a cute Superbowl idea: Pizza dip with homemade (or store-bought) breadsticks! Use whatever toppings you like on your pizza.

PC: Rachel Ray Mag

My Hanukkah Meal Afterall

So I know I posted a beautiful Hanukkah menu last week, but I took a different route since I was only cooking for two and missed the boat for brisket.  (You really have to start preparing a day before you want to serve it)

The meal:

Celery Root Soup with Apples and Mini Potato Latkes

Bone-in Sirloins (from my favorite butcher Dickson's at Chelsea Market) and Pumpkin Kugel

Meal: A+

Soup:

Entree:

The Kugel:

Celery Root Soup with Apple and Potato Latkes:

Ingredients:

3 medium leeks (3/4 lb) white and pale green parts only

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 lb celery root, peeled with a knife and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Sky's addition: 1/2 cup diced celery

3 cups water

1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 Granny Smith apple

3/4 celery rib, very thinly sliced on a long diagonal (1/2 cup)

1/3 cup inner celery leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Optional: 1/2 cup half-and-half

Preparation:

Halve leeks lengthwise, then coarsely chop. Wash leeks in a bowl of cold water, agitating them, then lift out onto paper towels and pat dry. Add oil to the pan and cook leeks over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add celery root and celery and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add water and broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until celery root is very tender, 35 to 40 minutes. While soup simmers, thinly slice apple lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices with slicer, working around core, then cut slices into 1/8-inch matchsticks with a knife. Gently toss with celery and celery leaves. Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), transferring to a bowl. Return soup to cleaned pot. (If soup is too thick, thin with 1/2 to 3/4 cup water.) Stir in salt, pepper, and half-and-half and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until warm. Season with salt, then divide among 4 bowls and top with apple-celery mixture.

Latkes:

I made about a dozen of mini latkes to go into the soup to serve as croutons:
Ingredients:

1 potato

1/2 cup grated onion

1 large egg (lightly beaten)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

Preparation:

I used my cuisinart to grate the potatoes.  Once grated, I added the onion and wrapped them up in a paper towel and rolled them up jelly-roll style to remove the excess water.  Then you place them back in the bowl and add the egg, salt, and pepper. 

Take a  nonstick skillet and heat over moderately high heat but not smoking. Working in batches of 4 latkes, spoon 2 tbsp potato mixture per latke into the skillet spreading with a fork. Reduce heat to medium and cook until undersides are browned, about five minutes.  Turn latkes over and cook until the other side is browned.  Transfer to paper towels.

Pumpkin Kugel:
Ingredients:

12 ounces whole grain egg noodles (I used no yolk egg noodles-same amount)

4 ounces neufchatel cheese, diced and softened (I used mascarpone cheese-same amount)

1 cup light sour cream

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds, toasted, divided (I did not put them in the kugel and put a few on top)

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup 1% milk (I used skim)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup crushed cornflakes

2 tablespoons melted butter

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 11" x 7" baking dish with cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook per the package directions. Drain and transfer to a bowl.

 Meanwhile, combine the cheese, sour cream, pumpkin puree, 3/4 cup of the pumpkin seeds (I prefer this dish without the nuts inside the kugel), the eggs, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the milk, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add the noodles and toss well to coat. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

 Combine the cornflake crumbs, butter, remaining 3/4 cup pumpkin seeds (optional), and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a bowl. Sprinkle over the noodle mixture and cover with foil that has been coated with cooking spray. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Uncover and bake for 5 minutes longer or until the top is lightly crisped.

Steak:

Bring the steaks to room temperature.  Heat a cast iron skillet on high heat. While heating, cover the steaks with a good amount of salt/pepper (more than you think is enough). After about five minutes, add a little canola oil (do not use olive oil or butter) to the pan and and add the steaks. Let them cook for 5 minutes per side. Do not touch them until you have to flip them. When finished, remove from the pan and place them on a cutting board to cool for about 3-5 minutes. This will seal the juices. 5 minutes per side yields a medium rare steak.

Serve with a slice of kugel and you're set!

PC: Epicurious.com and Rodale.com

My DIY Menorah

The supplies:

Raw Manzanita Branches +

Dried Flowers + silver floral spray (or paint), light blue translucent paper, scissors, candle holders, and a glue gun

The Finished Product:

Schuyler's Silver & Tiffany Blue Menorah

Soooo, here it is, my very own homemade menorah.  It only took about two hours to make outside of running around the city to find the supplies. It was so much fun to make and was worth every minute.

Keep in mind that this doesn't have to be used as a menorah and can serve as a gorgeous candleholder for any table... And depending on your dishes, there is so much you can do to spice it up and make it reflect your style.  For some reason I keep picturing the branch in gold with hot pink flowers paired with Anna Weatherley's dishes.

I personally love silver and tiffany blue (as it matches my china), so I took that route.

I found the manzanita branches at a store in the 20's which apparently does the flower/plant backgrounds for Gossip Girl.  I found the rest of the supplies within NYC except the candle holders which I ordered off a german site per Martha Stewart.

And here it is paired with my China and Challah plate (in the same color) for a party for two. I'm still waiting on my linens, place mats and Tiffany blue napkins.

Notice the touch of blue in the Dransfield & Ross Dragonfly Napkin Holders.

I was so crazy about the blue that I placed an extra flower in my mini-challah (called a snail).