March 8th, 2010 § 0
I am not sure I can wait until St Patrick’s Day to try this spiked shake. It looks so refreshing and decadent!
Shamrock Shake via Food2
Ingredients
1 cup whole milk
1 pint mint chocolate chip ice cream
1 teaspoon pure mint extract
3 tablespoons dark rum
Directions
1) Put milk, ice cream, mint extract and rum into a blender. Mix until smooth.
2) Pour into chilled glasses and garnish with a sprig of mint.
3) Optional: Drop the rum and you’ve almost got a Shamrock Shake
recipe from Food2
February 27th, 2010 § 0
I adore these linen placemats from Simrin, available at Burke Decor or Velocity. A set of four includes a silk-screened pig, hen, cow, and sheep. Placed on a farmhouse or bare wood table, these would look so natural and lovely. And I know passing by the table each day, I couldn’t help but chuckle at them. They are adorable!
Simrin pig placemat
Farmhouse placemats
February 22nd, 2010 § 0
With my grandparents on the occasion of my first communion (after which I am sure we ate very well!)
My Nana would have been 97 years old today. She died two years ago just shy of her 95th birthday.
She was the matriarch of our large Italian family. Growing up on the North Shore of Massachusetts, our house was right next door to my Nana and Grampy’s. After school was often spent on my Nana’s porch, being fed cheese and crackers…. or cream cheese and jam sandwiches… or some sort of weird tuna and pickle sandwich combination or…. spumoni ice cream. (No mystery which treat was my favorite.) I didn’t always love what she was feeding me, but I never left hungry. “Eat! Eat!” Isn’t that every Italian grandmother’s refrain?
My Nana’s home was the gathering place for every family event — birthdays, anniversaries, holidays — and those occasions always included lots and lots of food. In fact, my Nana had not one but two kitchens for preparing these feasts. The main kitchen was for everyday cooking and the downstairs kitchen was for making homemade pasta and traditional Italian desserts, like cannoli.
I attribute my undying affection for cannoli to my Nana’s baking skills. A trip home to Boston is not complete without picking up some authentic cannoli from Modern in the North End. Locally, I am always content with cannoli from The Italian Store in Arlington.
Nana’s two-kitchen household spoke to the primacy of food in our family. We were always well-fed at family dinners. Lasagna, baked ziti, spaghetti and homemade meatballs, eggplant parmesan… the list goes on. And I think, for my Nana, hospitality meant good food and lots of it. Her table settings were always lovely. She managed — despite us messy kids — to always keep her linens white-white-white. But I think, for her, hospitality meant that no one left the table hungry. The highest praise to my Nana was going back for seconds and thirds and leaving a clean plate every time.
While I believe I inherited that view of hospitality — feed them well — I know that food is not the only way to make guests feel welcome in one’s home. Good conversation, comfortable spaces, casual elegance all go a long way in showing gracious hospitality to your guests. OK, I guess lasagna and cannoli can’t hurt either!
Happy Birthday, Nana!
February 15th, 2010 § 0
My husband and I are not big fans of Valentine’s Day. It’s a little too commercial for our taste. So from the start, we vowed not to make a fuss of the holiday. Instead, we created our own tradition: staying home and cooking lobsters — one of our favorite meals.
This year, our lobster feast was fairly low key. We had spiced shrimp with cocktail sauce to start, a mixed greens salad, lobsters, all followed by strawberry shortcake for dessert.
I often blog about the presentation of a meal — the place setting, the tablescape — the little details that make the event special. While those things are important, the practical work of preparing and cleaning up after the meal should also not be overlooked. Here are a few practical matters we ran across when preparing our Valentine’s Day lobster feast:
serveware and lobster tools
Our lobster platters aren’t used everyday so we keep them stored in a sideboard rather than in the kitchen. Items you don’t use regularly need not be crammed into your kitchen cabinets. Make sure they are clean before you store them and set them in a sideboard or your storage room. If the item is decorative, you might wish to display it in a hutch or elsewhere in the dining room.
The lobster tools were on our registry. Knowing we loved lobster, we knew they would be useful to have on hand. We only registered for a set of 4 tools, realizing we probably wouldn’t be having large lobster dinners at our home. And in the case of lobster and crabs, not everyone always needs their own set of tools. When registering for or buying speciality kitchen items, linens, or serveware, consider how you will use them and only buy what you need.
lobster rolls
We decided to cook four lobsters and eat two for Valentine’s Day and prepare the meat from the other two for lobster rolls — another all-time favorite of ours. I always buy Pepperidge Farm top split buns for the rolls — the sides of the buns are perfect for buttering and toasting. Fill them with some lobster meat mixed with chopped celery, a little mayonnaise, salt & pepper and voila! Decadence!
lobster shells
After cleaning all of the lobsters we were left with a mountain of shells. My husband suggested we make lobster stock. Brilliant! We added the shells to water, chopped onion, celery, and carrots, and a little white wine and let it simmer for a couple of hours. Now, we’ll have homemade stock on hand when we need it.
freezer label for lobster stock
We often end up with a ton of things in our freezer and sometimes it’s hard to tell how long something has been in there. (Scary!) So I’ve started using freezer labels to mark the date on each item. Martha Stewart’s template for freezer labels came in very handy. I printed the template onto full-size label sheets and cut them with paper cutter. I keep a stash in my drawer near my freezer for when I need them. No more guessing how long something has been in the freezer!
Simple things like properly storing serving pieces, making full use of every food item in your kitchen, and keeping food organized and well-stored can make the behind-the-scenes preparations of any party much more enjoyable.
January 20th, 2010 § 2
My husband and are huge sparkling water fans. When posed with the “still or sparkling” question at restaurants, we opt for the fizzy. We stock up on Perrier and San Pellegrino at Costco — well, until now. No more lugging cases of water into the house. No more bottles to recycle. We are proud owners of a shiny new SodaStream!!
Seltzer Starter Kit from SodaStream
I admit, I was a little skeptical when my husband told me he wanted to buy this crazy contraption. When he bought it home, however, I became a believer.
Fill bottle with water. Attach the bottle to the machine. Pump the lever three times. Detach the bottle. Voila! Carbonated Water!
Lest I start to sound like an infomercial, here’s why I think the SodaStream has staying power.
1) It’s eco-friendly.
While recycling may have become second nature to us, the best scenario is not having to recycle bottles at all. Sodastream comes with reusable bottles so you never have to toss empties in the recycle bin.
2) It’s custom.
You can determine how fizzy you want your water to be, something you can’t do with bottled water. A variety of flavors are also available to add to your water (there’s the “soda” part) should you wish.
3) It’s fresh.
Fizzy water on demand. Say goodbye to sparkling water gone flat.
4) It’s recession-chic.
Though the initial investment is a little steep, over time the machine will more than pay for itself.
Cheers!
January 14th, 2010 § 1
Whoopie pies (image via Williams-Sonoma)
A few friends recently shared with me that Williams-Sonoma is now carrying whoopie pie pans. If this isn’t a sign that whoopie pies are trying to go mainstream, I don’t know what is!
Whoopie pies are just one in line of many recent nostalgic treats to make a comeback. We all know about the cupcake craze. Marshmallows are another one. Returning to the simple treats of our childhood reminds us that food and entertaining need never be complicated. Simple things can be luxuriously good.
If you want to make your own whoopie pies, the Williams-Sonoma pan will certainly make it easy (there is also a whoopie pie mix should you want to go the box route.
Williams-Sonoma Whoopie Pie pan
Beloved Gourmet magazine has what looks by all accounts to be a wonderful recipe for the classic whoopie pie.
Gourmet magazine recipe for Whoopie pies yields the classic version of the treat
Martha Stewart has a similarly classic recipe.
Martha Stewart's version of the classic whoopie pie
Locally, you can purchase whoopie pies at an increasing number of places, including at Corner Bakery!
B. Hall Baker, based in DC, specializes exclusively in whoopie pies, including fabulous flavors like dulce de leche, and ships them around the country.
Finally, for more on the history of the whoopie pie and its current resurgence, check out this New York Times article.
Enjoy this delicious trend!
January 7th, 2010 § 3
I am so excited to be a guest blogger on the fabulous new blog, DC Ladies, which covers wedding trends to restaurant reviews to interior design all from DC bloggers. My first guest post on the site deals with the top five trends in entertaining for 2010. I’ve posted it here also. Be sure to visit DC Ladies often!
Casual entertaining takes center stage in 2010.
This year I’ve heard from many people that their New Year’s resolution is to entertain more. Opening up one’s home is not only a gesture of hospitality and graciousness, but it also provokes an intimacy that can’t be had at a noisy, crowded bar or restaurant. Around the table, we have real conversations and authentic community –- things that everyone seems to be craving right about now.
At-home entertaining doesn’t need to be daunting or overwhelming. Simple food and casual presentations are all it takes to create a comfortable, chic atmosphere. As we look at entertaining in 2010, one of the most commonly cited and important trends is locally-sourced and sustainable foods. Here are five more trends I’m seeing for the year ahead:
1.) Micro courses.
Outlandish portions are out the window. Smaller, more manageable plates allow guests to savor the ingredients and enjoy the taste and flavor of each dish. Courses need not be complicated (think mac-n-cheese served in a demitasse cup); a series of several simple offerings creates variety and livens the mood. Finish the meal with a sampling of bite-sized desserts.
2.) More sweet treats.
Dare I say it? Cupcakes are so 2009. Move on to the new trends in satisfying sweets: whoopie pies (gooey marshmallow sandwiched between chocolate cakelike cookies) and homemade marshmallows in every possible flavor.
3.) Potluck dinners.
They’re certainly economical, but potluck dinners can also be stylish, sophisticated, and fun. Ask each guest to prepare a dish featuring the same ingredient a la Iron Chef. Or have everyone cook a dish from the same cookbook (Thomas Keller’s new Ad Hoc at Home cookbook would be perfect) and compare notes on the preparation.
4.) Culinary cocktails featuring fresh ingredients.
We’re done with crazy, over-the-top cocktail concoctions. And energy drinks? Those should not come within fifty feet of a highball glass. A well-stocked bar in 2010 will include classic spirits and fresh, natural ingredients — things like organic agave nectar, freshly-squeezed Meyer lemon juice, or homemade grenadine (recipe via cocktail expert Jeffrey Morgenthaler.). Cheers!
5.) Casual chic wins over stuffy and formal.
Put away your Haviland china. Formal entertaining is out in 2010. Instead, think no-iron organic cotton napkins and bright white dinner plates. Casual is in.
All these trends speak to an appetite for simplicity and community in 2010 and a desire to shift our investments toward things that last -– like spending time at home with friends and family.
Wishing you a year full of fabulous parties!
December 22nd, 2009 § 0
New Year’s Eve is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate with friends than by hosting a fabulous cocktail party featuring desserts and cocktails?! Yesterday, we covered decadent desserts, the cornerstone of party’s menu. Today, we’re suggesting some spirited beverages to serve to guests.
Nothing says New Year’s Eve like champagne, so regardless, stock up on a sufficient supply of bubbly for the party. Rosé champagne (Veuve Clicquot Brut Rosé is a personal favorite) is particularly festive. I am also a huge fan of prosecco, a nice alternative to champagne.
Veuve Clicquot Brut Rosé
It’s no secret that Rex & Regina is a huge fan of punches. New Year’s is the perfect time to break out the punch set for not one but two punch-bowl-worthy beverages: sparkling pomegranate punch and eggnog.
Sparkling Pomegranate Punch
recipe from Food & Wine
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup pomegranate juice
Two 750-milliliter bottles sparkling wine, chilled
3/4 cup late-harvest white wine, such as late-harvest Riesling, chilled
2 oranges, thinly sliced crosswise
1 cup diced fresh pineapple (1/2 inch)
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
Ice cubes, for serving
DIRECTIONS
In a punch bowl, dissolve the sugar in the pomegranate juice, stirring vigorously. Add the sparkling wine and late-harvest white wine, then add the orange slices, diced pineapple and pomegranate seeds. Serve the sparkling pomegranate punch over ice cubes.
Yield: 10-12 servings
sparkling pomegranate punch
Eggnog
Recipe from Food Network’s Alton Brown
INGREDIENTS
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pint whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3 ounces bourbon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 egg whites*
DIRECTIONS
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Add the milk, cream, bourbon and nutmeg and stir to combine. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat to soft peaks. With the mixer still running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Whisk the egg whites into the mixture. Chill and serve.
Cook’s Note: For cooked eggnog, follow procedure below.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Set aside. In a medium saucepan, over high heat, combine the milk, heavy cream and nutmeg and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and gradually temper the hot mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Then return everything to the pot and cook until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from the heat, stir in the bourbon, pour into a medium mixing bowl, and set in the refrigerator to chill. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. With the mixer running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Whisk the egg whites into the chilled mixture.
If punches aren’t your thing, mix up a pitcher of a classic cocktail instead. Or better yet, gather the ingredients for a few different cocktails and post a menu of the choices for guests to peruse.
post a "drink menu" to share what specialty cocktails are on the menu
French 75 is my cocktail of choice these days. Sidecars and Manhattans are other classics both of which have surged in popularity in recent years.
French 75
recipe from Food & Wine
INGREDIENTS
Ice
2 ounces Cognac
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Simple Syrup
2 ounces chilled Champagne
1 lemon twist
DIRECTIONS
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the Cognac, lemon juice and Simple Syrup and shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass, top with the Champagne and garnish with the lemon twist.
Yield: 1 serving
Mexican Sidecar
This twist on the original comes via Jeffrey Morgenthaler
1.5 oz El Presidente brandy
1.5 oz Citronge orange liqueur
1.5 oz lemon juice
.5 oz simple syrup
Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass with sugared rim. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Perfect Bourbon Manhattan
Recipe from Epicurious
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with cracked ice, then add all ingredients and shake or stir well. Strain into 2 chilled Martini glasses.
Stay tuned for more tips and ideas on hosting the perfect New Year’s Eve dessert and cocktail party, including decor inspiration.
December 17th, 2009 § 0
Punches are super chic right now and are a great way to entertain a crowd — especially during the holidays. I love this one from Food & Wine that features pomegranates — a “wonderfully winter” fruit. I think we’ve found another reason to break out that punch set we never use…
For more festive punch recipes, check out this previous post. Cheers!
sparkling pomegranate punch via Food & Wine
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup pomegranate juice
Two 750-milliliter bottles sparkling wine, chilled
3/4 cup late-harvest white wine, such as late-harvest Riesling, chilled
2 oranges, thinly sliced crosswise
1 cup diced fresh pineapple (1/2 inch)
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
Ice cubes, for serving
DIRECTIONS
In a punch bowl, dissolve the sugar in the pomegranate juice, stirring vigorously. Add the sparkling wine and late-harvest white wine, then add the orange slices, diced pineapple and pomegranate seeds. Serve the sparkling pomegranate punch over ice cubes.
Yield: 10-12 servings
December 10th, 2009 § 0
I subscribe to a lot of e-newsletters, feeds, e-zines… you name it. One of the ones I always look forward to seeing pop in my inbox is GOOP, actress Gwyneth Paltrow’s digital collection of food, beauty, and lifestyle tips and trends. The posts are always novel, pleasantly practical, and generally inspiring. Today’s post particularly caught my eye as it featured amazing winter recipes from Big Little Get Together, a chef service in NYC. All I can say is,
What.
Could.
Be.
Better.
Than.
Eggnog.
Popsicles????
I can’t wait to try them!
eggnog popsicles (via GOOP, recipe from Big Little Get Together)
Eggnog Popsicles
Yield: a dozen popsicles
½ pound cream cheese
1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons nutmeg
1 cup sugar
pinch of kosher salt
2 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons bourbon
2 cups heavy cream whipped until just stiff
Beat the cream cheese in a standing mixer or with a whisk until completely smooth. Thoroughly stir in all of the remaining ingredients except for the whipped cream. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Fill popsicle molds with the mixture and allow to set and freeze for at least two hours (if you don’t have popsicle molds, you can use paper cups and popsicle sticks). The texture will be semifreddo-ish.
November 25th, 2009 § 1
The holidays are upon us and that means our calendars are full with lots and lots of parties. Just as a gracious host is always prepared to entertain his or her guests, a good guest never shows up empty-handed to a soiree.
Should you opt for bringing wine (a perfectly lovely hostess gift) to one or more of the holiday parties you attend this year, there are a few things you should keep in mind:
1) Don’t expect them to serve it.
A host is not required to open a bottle that a guest brings as a gift to a party — especially if they have already gone to great lengths to pair wine to their menu. A guest should never be upset if the wine is not served right away.
I did get a chuckle out of Lettie Teague’s column in the December issue of Food & Wine (her columns are always so fun to read), in which she says she is generally disappointed when hosts don’t open the bottles she brings. (Note: If Lettie Teague ever brought a bottle of wine to my house, you can be darn sure I’d open it on the spot!)
Ms. Teague came up a with a few clever wine-giving strategies, some of which she specifically designed to help ensure the hosts opens the bottle:
2) Transport it carefully
Keep the wine at the proper temperature and protect it from breaking when you transport it by carrying it in an insulated wine tote. I like this one:
Built NY Double Wine Bottle Carrier, available from WineStuff.com
3) Presentation is key
It’s a gift right? So why not make it pretty?!
There are so many fabulous wine gift bags out there these days, you may just want to stock up on a few and keep them on hand for gift giving.
"Cheers" wine gift bag, available from The Craft Pantry on Etsy
Solo Felt Wine Bag, available at www.bambeco.com
organza wine bags from Gumps
Built NY Fishnet One-Bottle Wine Tote available from Ecobags
Modern Red Dot Wine Bag from Etsy's Space Moderne
