Posts Labeled ‘dinner’

October 1st, 2009

For your next dinner party: Retro Brownie Heaven

Last week my mother e-mailed me. Subject line: Grammie’s Recipes. In the body of the message were two recipes that my grandmother used to make when we were growing up. What a gold mine!

The first was a recipe for sweet and sour chicken, the second was a recipe for heaven. Yes, you heard me. Heaven. Heaven in the form of a chocolate dessert called “Brownie Pudding.”

I warn you, this is an old school recipe. (Where else would you see the term “nutmeats” used?) As I prepared it I wondered if I had misread the instructions, but when it came out of the oven it was divine.

I’ve since made the recipe twice and am about to start a third. (When you eat this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner like I have been doing the last week or so, trust me, you run out quickly.) I wouldn’t recommend having it three times a day, but I WOULD recommend serving this at a kitchy, throw-back, casual dinner party. Invite some close friends over for a pot roast or another very “circa 1950s, Mad Men-esque” meal and finish it off with Brownie Pudding (though I’d call it “Retro Brownie Heaven” — sounds much more appealing!).

I know a picture of the divine dessert would be nice but this gluttonous blogger keeps eating it so there is currently nothing to photograph…

Brownie Pudding

Sift together:
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cups sugar
2 tsp cocoa

Mix together:
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp melted crisco
3/4 cup nutmeats (chopped walnuts work well)

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Lightly grease a baking dish (I used a deep ceramic pie dish). Spoon batter into dish.

MIx together:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa

Sprinkle the mixture on top of the batter. Pour 1 3/4 cups hot water over the batter. Bake for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Serve with fresh whipped cream (homemade whipped cream is a must here) and enjoy!!

August 4th, 2009

Day Two – Celebrating Julia Child: A Countdown to Julie & Julia

Julie and Julia Movie, photo from www.julieandjulia.com

photo from www.julieandjulia.com

I am a planner by nature. To plan my schedule daily, weekly, monthly — oh, let’s face it — to plan anything is just in my blood. So today’s post is all about sharing that neurosis and helping readers plan in advance for this weekend’s opening of Julie and Julia!

Here are a few simple steps for planning the perfect movie night:

1) Choose your companions.

Decide who you should take with you to the movie. Julie & Julia is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, a chic flick. That said, I think its culinary theme may give it broader appeal to foodies male and female alike. And dare I say, it could be a nice date movie.

Meryl Streep is said to masterfully capture Julia Child’s quirky demeanor;  Amy Adams, a bright rising star, is also getting good reviews.

So, you can make it a girls-night-out, a date night, or even a group outing. Just be sure to watch it with someone who has a modicum of interest in food lest you miss out on the pleasures of debriefing about deboning ducks and the proper way to poach eggs.

2) Find a theater.

The location of the theater should be convenient for you and your guests. Check out Fandango for theater times and showings.

3) Figure out where to eat.

Going to a movie about cooking without arranging to partake in some good eats is simply unacceptable! Consider…

  • having guests over for a Julia Child potluck before the movie, asking each person to bring a course for the meal made from a recipe in one of Child’s cookbooks.
  • making a full Julia Child menu yourself, should time and resources permit.
  • letting someone else do the cooking! One fabulous option is the special pre-fixe menu in celebration of Julia Child that Inox in Tysons Corner is offering now through August 31. If you are a city-dweller, yes, it would mean a trip to the suburbs, but trust me, based on my recent dining experiences at Inox, it will be worth it.

4) Celebrate!

After the movie, treat your guests to a special dessert to celebrate Julia Child. You might consider surprising them as you leave the theater with cupcakes or other individual-size treats or, if you want to go all out, go home to enjoy a cake or pastries from Baking with Julia.

For more on how to celebrate Julia Child and the upcoming release of Julie and Julia, check out the first post in the series and stay tuned for more posts throughout the week!

June 9th, 2009

Dinner with the Girls

Tonight a few girlfriends are coming over for dinner and Bible Study. It’s an informal group so the meal does not need to be fancy nor does the tablescape, but I enjoy making each gathering — big or small, formal or informal — comfortable and welcoming for my guests.

I planned the menu this morning. We’ll be having:

The weather is hot today, so I like the idea of serving something lite. To me, citrus flavors are so refreshing and combined with the sparkling wine (this particular bottle I’ve not tried before so we’ll see how it is…) I think it will be a refreshing but satisfying meal.

I set the table earlier today so everything will be ready when my friends arrive.

 

Tonight's table

Tonight's table

 

Floral centerpieces are such an easy way to add color and splash to an informal table. The floral palette in this arrangement is fairly neutral so it both complements and adds to the neutral table set with linen hemstiched napkins and a runner.

So with the table set, the cake made, and the chicken marinating, I think we’re on track to have a great meal tonight. And it can’t come soon enough… I am getting hungry!