Archive for the ‘appetizers’ Category
Sunday, October 23rd, 2011
I love when the seasons change and new colors appear on leaves and in the produce departments. Summer Salads give way to Beef Stew, and Strawberry Shortcakes yield to Pear and Apple Crisps. By the time the nights get cool, I am already craving crisp, fresh apples, straight from the orchard. I purchased a bushel of “seconds” from a local orchard for $10, and half of them were prime enough to eat right away! The other half have been made into apple bread, apple pie, and applesauce.
Fresh pears are another extravagance of Fall. We all love eating them as Mother Nature intended, and the subtle flavor and inherent sweetness lend themselves to a variety of alterations. A new favorite recipe calls for caramelizing the pears and serving them on a crostini with some brie cheese– fruit and cheese are a classic combo! Another favorite makes a “pear canoe” using endive lettuce, a slice of pear, and a mixture of cream cheese and gorgonzola, and a walnut or pecan for the finishing touch. The sweet pear, crunchy endive, and creamy gorgonzola mixture provides flavor that pops as a satisfying appetizer, or these tasty morsels can be paired (pun intended) with a soup and some biscuits on a cool night.
What are your favorite Fall recipes?
Posted in appetizers, tips | 1 Comment »
Sunday, June 5th, 2011
Home-made sushi! We were all having a craving...
Jack has been craving sushi recently. When the warm weather comes, the kids always ask for something “cold” for dinner. Not wanting them to eat ice cream for dinner EVERY night, we have sushi a few times during the Summer months. Usually one of the kids is available to help me make it. Today, Natalie helped out. Perhaps you can tell by the way the plates are decorated by the fake grass? We made the sticky rice, put our favorite fillings in side, and even personalized a few with spicy sauce for me. Some had crab, some had shrimp tempura, and some were strictly veggie. ALL had avocado. YUM!
Sushi is not hard to make, and like baking bread or making your sauce, it is a great way to take your mind off the stresses of daily life, and just enjoy the process of making great food. I buy most of my ingredients (sushi rice, nori, panko bread crumbs, and toasted sesame seeds) at A Dong on New Britain Ave, but you can certainly find these items in the international section of most larger supermarkets. The “art” of sushi-making is traditionally shared between friends, where one friend shows another how to make it, and provides that friend with the equipment to continue the tradition herself. If any of you want to stop by and learn how to make sushi, just give me a head’s up on a hot Summer’s night. And if you’re lucky, I will share my spicy sauce with you.
Posted in appetizers, close to my heart(h), cool markets, recipes and meal ideas, tips | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, November 16th, 2010
My friend Uwe has spent years perfecting the recipe and method by which he makes the most awesome pretzels. Uwe is German, and some of his research has taken place in Germany, where he tasted pretzels all over the country, while talking to bread and pretzel bakers about their ingredients and techniques. More research took place on the weekends, when he spent his free time making dough, kneading, forming, freezing, thawing, rising, and taste-testing the pretzels until he reached perfection. (And I was so happy to be part of the taste-testing crew at a most recent Octoberfest party at Uwe’s house). Uwe’s pretzels are both tasty and beautiful, and I am honored to have them be a part of my catering menu. These authentic, Bavarian pretzels are delicious on their own, and are served with both a savory butter, in the German tradition, and with mustard, in the American tradition. They are also amazing when they are stuffed with cheeses and meats! Consider having Uwe make you a batch for your next shin-dig. And then invite me over. :)
Posted in "the biz", appetizers, close to my heart(h), holidays, recipes and meal ideas | 1 Comment »
Friday, November 5th, 2010
Basil has got to be one of our most favorite Summer indulgences! I keep barrels and pots of basil and other herbs on my deck in the Summer, and pick from them from June-October, and then before the first frost comes, I pick most of what is left, and go to town! I leave enough leaves on the plants to keep them green so they continue growing, and drag the pots inside. Sitting atop a large piece of plastic in our living room, under the windows, the plants yield parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and basil that I can use throughout the Winter. What I do pick before the frost dries beautifully, and becomes full of life again in stews and soups, but the basil doesn’t have time to dry because it holds a special place in our hearts in the form of pesto! Pulse the basil leaves in the Cuisenart with some pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese, and olive oil, and Nirvana emerges. Toss the pesto with pasta, tuck it underneath some chicken skin before baking, or put it on top of crostini for an easy appetizer! And it freezes beautifully! This year I was pleased to freeze 10 containers; according to my calculations, that means we can enjoy one batch each month before the whole process begins again in June. :)
Posted in appetizers, close to my heart(h), recipes and meal ideas, tips | 2 Comments »
Friday, July 2nd, 2010
These are the Asiago Potato Bites I made for the kiddush luncheon. 1″ potatoes are boiled, cooled, and hollowed out with a melon baller. Then the inside is filled with a mayo, cheese, and basil combo! Trying to fill a 1″ potato can be challenging, so I used the same piping tool that I use for piping frosting. I have talked about piping in previous posts; piping makes it easy to put something gooey in a small place without getting the filling all over the place (as if you were using a spoon). I pipe fillings for deviled eggs, stuffed potatoes, cupcakes, canolis, eclairs, stuffed tomatoes, etc. I also pipe the batter for profiteroles! If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a Ziploc baggie. Just put the filling in the baggie, cut off a corner of the bag and squeeze the zipped baggie, allowing the filling to come out the hole into what you are filling. If you enjoy cooking/baking like I do, treat yourself to a real pastry bag! Michael’s carries them, and you can use a 40% coupon from the paper for your purchase. You can also purchase disposable bags and plastic fittings, and eliminate having to wash the canvas bag. Give it a try, and send me pics of what YOU make!
Posted in appetizers, kitchen "toys", tips | 1 Comment »