Coco Penny Launch Party

As long as I'm posting about parties, here is a menu I did last spring for my friends Mary and Marianne. They started a business called Coco Penny and needed some food for their launch party.

These Caprese Skewers were a hit. Mostly because I've recently discovered high end balsamic vinegar. It will transform your dish and (I don't want to be dramatic but...) your life. I get mine at a culinary boutique in Old Town, Alexandria, but I'm sure there are a million places you can find the good stuff. Just make sure the only ingredient listed is grape must.
Ignore my hand here. What am I doing? The top two platters are Herb Gruyere Thumbprints and the bottom platter has Caramelized Onion, Mushroom and Gruyere Tartlets.
And for the sweet tooth, we had Bittersweet Chocolate Truffles rolled in pistachios.

And mini lemon cheesecakes. I substituted lemon for the orange in this recipe, put some lemon curd on top, and then used an animal cracker crust recipe I found on CooksIllustrated.com

And there you go. All these parties, maybe that's why I haven't gotten around to blogging over the past year. I think I'll use that as my excuse anyway :)

Lite Fall Bites

This past weekend I was in charge of the food for a church event. We were supposed to provide "Lite Bites" for 350 women. I had the greatest committee on earth and here's what we came up with...

We set up tables with different breads and spreads. Pumpkin Bread and butter, Challah bread and Cinnamon Honey Butter, Whole Grain Bread and Herb Butter, and French Bread with Goat Cheese rolled in Craisins and Toasted Hazelnuts.

Then we had servers (single men we bribed with leftovers and a chance to meet women) walking around with trays of Cucumber Salami Bites, Apple Slices with Toffee Dip, and Soup Shooters.

The soups may have been the biggest hit. We served Curried Apple Butternut Squash Soup, Fall Harvest Tomato Soup, Black Bean Soup with Lime Crema, and Potato Soup with Bacon Crumbles.

To drink, there was apple cider and for dessert we had bags of caramel popcorn. I'm getting hungry all over again writing about it. I had so much fun doing this with my amigas. I'm so lucky to have friends who love food as much as I do!

Trays ready to be taken out

Black Bean Soup Shooters

Bread and Baskets on the prep table

Goat Cheese rolled in Craisins and Toasted Hazelnuts

Compound Butter (with herbs straight from Kirsten's garden)

Caramel Popcorn

Jessica's amazing pompoms. We hung this on the wall right behind the caramel popcorn table. I wish I had pictures of the awesome centerpieces too. They were mums in carved out pumpkins and then the same thing in miniature with apples and mums. We labeled the spreads by writing their names on little pumpkins. Like I said, best comittee ever.

Cheddar and Jalapeno Spirals

I'm not having a Superbowl party, but if I were, these Cheddar and Jalapeno Spirals, from Kayotic Kitchen, would definitely be on the menu.

What's that? You want to know what else would be on the menu? Well, since you asked, I would serve Superbowl Chili in little miniature bowls, garnished with sour cream and avocado. I'd have chips out and eat it more as a dip, than a full bowl of chili.

I'd also make Frank's Buffalo Chicken Dip (use blue cheese dressing instead of ranch, and use your own shredded chicken instead of the canned chicken the recipe calls for) and serve it with celery sticks.

And then to lighten up the menu a little bit (a little, I said), I'd make Toffee Dip served with granny smith apple slices.

Mmm, maybe it's not too late...

Oh, I almost forgot! In case my guests felt like they had not consumed enough calories after all that dip, I would serve Chocolate Coconut Toffee Delights for dessert.

Empanadas Mendocinas

Last week I went to a little shop in Old Town called La Cuisine. I was browsing and I found a cook book called Seven Fires by Francis Mallmann. I don't want to sound cheesy, but it made me feel like I was back in Argentina. It's a beautiful book.

The best part is that I finally found a recipe for empanada dough that I love. Which means... I am ready to do an empanada post!!! I've been waiting a long time for this people. Ready, set, go!

*You can find lard in the meat department of your grocery store. I know it sounds gross, but trust me.

Filling

Prepare a day in advance and refrigerate

3 T lard

1 lb lean ground beef

1 1/2 lb onions, chopped small

2 T paprika

1 T cumin

1 T salt

1 1/2 t sugar

1 1/2 T oregano

1 t white pepper

1 hard boiled egg

green pitted olives

In a large sauce pan melt lard, add meat and brown lightly. Add chopped onions and spices and mix well. Cook until onions are translucent. Place them in a flat pan. Let cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Dough

2 cups water

1 1/2 T salt

3 1/2 T lard, cut into pieces

6 - 7 cups flour

Bring water and salt to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Add the lard and stir until it melts, then transfer to a large wide bowl. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Using your hand, gradually add 5 1/2 to 6 cups of the flour, about 1 cup at a time, until you can gather the dough into a ball. Sprinkle 1/2 cup flour on a work surface to prevent sticking and knead the dough, adding more flour until it will not absorb any more; you want a stiff, dry dough. Divide the dough in half, shape into disks, and wrap in plastic. Chill for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.

Assemble Empanadas

Split the disks of dough in half. roll out to 1/16 of an inch think (you can use a pasta maker to roll it out if you have one). Cut circles 3-5 inches in diameter.

Set out a cup of water. Place about 2 T of filling in middle of a circle of dough. Top with a slice of hard boiled egg and a green olive. Brush just a little water on the edge of the dough and fold in half pressing with fingers to seal edges. With a fork press gently around edge to have a nice design. Place on a greased (I use vegetable oil) cookie sheet. Before putting in oven give them a egg wash. Bake at 400 until golden brown (the ones in my picture are too light). Serve in a bread basket with cloth napkins to keep them warm at the table.

Guacamole de Frutas

All right Brandi. You want guac, I got your guac right here.

A couple of weeks ago Abram sent me an article from the NY Times about the best restaurant dishes of the year. The article included this recipe from the restaurant Toloache, and let me just say, it will blow your mind.

Guacamole de Frutas

1 tablespoon finely diced sweet onion, like Vidalia

1 teaspoon finely diced seeded jalapeño pepper

1 teaspoon lime juice

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons finely diced peeled Granny Smith apple

2 tablespoons finely diced peeled Asian pear

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

1 teaspoon thinly sliced basil, preferably Thai

2 ripe Haas avocados

1 tablespoon fresh pomegranate seeds.

In a nonreactive mixing bowl, combine onion, jalapeño, lime juice and a pinch salt. Mix well, and add the apple, pear, cranberries and basil. Mix again.

Cut the avocados in half, scoop out the pulp and mash it with the ingredients in the bowl. Adjust salt to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with pomegranate seeds. If desired, serve with warm corn tortillas or chips.

Baked Brie en Croûte with Apple Compote

For Christmas Eve we had appetizers and a sandwich bar. I've made this recipe from Williams-Sonoma a few times before, but it was the big hit of the night.

Salsa

The first person to ever teach me to make salsa was Xochi's Granny. I love her and Grampy. I couldn't figure out why in the world they wanted to stay in a hotel when they came to visit instead of at Melville Manor with us. I love how on Sunday they said, "It's so cute how every one walks to church carrying their little satchels." Granny gave really good hugs. Soft hugs that made you just want to stay there for a while. I'm honored that I got to spend time in the kitchen with her. Even if it was the M2 kitchen with really really really dirty floors.

Since then, I've turned into a bit of a salsa snob. Once I figured out how easy it is to make delicious salsa, I couldn't bring myself to snack on the store brands any more. So here's all you need to know about salsa: it contains 6 ingredients: tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime, salt, and some type of pepper. Once you start making salsa, you can adjust it how you like. Here's a recipe to start from:

Ingredients
1/4 of a red onion, chopped
2 T cilantro, chopped
1 t salt
1-2 limes
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes

Instructions
Pulse the first 5 ingredients in a small food processor (or just blend in a blender, or if you like salsa chunky, you can just chop all of the ingredients). Add tomatoes and pulse until salsa reaches the desired consistency.

I usually use a chipotle pepper (you can find them canned in the grocery store, packed in adobo sauce) in place of a jalapeno pepper. I also sometimes use one minced garlic clove in the salsa.

If you want to make pico de gallo, you use the same recipe, but use fresh chopped tomatoes instead.

Fruit Salsa

I found a new food blog. I can't remember how I got there, but after just a few minutes I found two recipes that I had lined up to post in the near future. So instead of going to the work of making them again, taking pictures and writing about it... I'll let Our Best Bites do the work for me. If you like my blog, I really recommend pursuing their site. I've never found a food blog so similar to my own tastes. Needless to say, I'm a big fan.

Okay, first, Sweet Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips. I got the recipe from my sister-in-law Amy. We used kiwi, apples, blackberries, and strawberries. Then we used 2 Tb white sugar and 1 Tb brown sugar. As for the Cinnamon Chips, they are great. However, if you're in a hurry, just pick up some Stacy's Cinnamon Pita Chips at the grocery store and you're set. They taste great.

Toffee Apple Dip

A quick shout out to Jana S for introducing me to this sinful dip. She has a habit of pushing delicious, fattening recipes my way while she stays a size 2.

This dip is like crack. You just can't stop coming back for more. I recently served this at an event and it was by far the most requested recipe. So for all those requests, here you go:

Ingredients
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 pkg. toffee bits (you can find these by the chocolate chips at the grocery store)

Instructions
Combine cream cheese and sugars. Fold in most of the toffee bits and then sprinkle what's left on top. Serve with apple slices and prepare to be harassed for the recipe all night long!

Artichoke-Prosciutto Gratin

Don't plan on eating more than a few.  These are RICH and delicious and must be served with crusty bread.  Zingerman's Paesano bread is a good choice. 

This recipe come from Bon Appetit, via Epicurious.

Ingredients

2 14-oz cans artichoke hearts, drained, quartered

6 oz thinly sliced prosciutto

1 c whipping cream

1 1/2 c crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

1/2 c pine nuts (about 2 oz), toasted

1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

1 t chopped fresh sage

Instructions

Pat quartered artichoke hearts dry with paper towels.  Cut each prosciutto slice crosswise in half.  Wrap each artichoke heart quarter in halved prosciutto slice.  Place wrapped artichoke hearts in single layer in 13x9x2 inch glass baking dish.  Pour cream over.  Sprinkle with Gorgonzola, pine nuts, Parmesan, and sage.  Bake until gratin is bubbling and sauce thickens, about 25 minutes.  Serve warm with crusty bread for dipping.

Sun Dried Tomato Quiche

I loved when we hung our with our friends the Davises in Virginia, because Jessica always brought the most mouth watering dishes.  Roasted Red Pepper Enchiladas, Squash Tart, Sun Dried Tomato Quiche... almost thou persuadest me to be vegetarian Jessica.  Almost.  

I specifically made this quiche last week so that I could take a picture for today's post, and of course, I forgot.  But I'm sure it won't be too long before I make it again.  I'm telling you, if you're gonna make a quiche, this is the quiche to make.  

Ingredients

3/4 c Swiss cheese, shredded

3/4 c Cheddar cheese, shredded

2/3 c chopped sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil)

2 T finely diced onion

1 t Italian seasonings

1/2 t salt

4 eggs

1 c half and half

3/4 c milk

1 T flour

one 9-inch pie crust (this recipe makes enough for two 8-inch crusts too)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and then bake pie crust for 5 minutes.  in a large bowl, whisk all ingredients together.  Pour mixture into the crust.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.  Slice into wedges and serve.

Guacamole Salad

The first time I hung out with Janie she brought this dish to share.  I knew right away I wanted to be her friend.

By Ina Graten

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved 
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced 
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained 
1/2 cup small diced red onion 
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers) 
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest 
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes) 
1/4 cup good olive oil 
1 teaspoon kosher salt 
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic 
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.

Just before you're ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.