Notes On A Party

Saturday night at chez nous saw several scenes of conviviality and cheer at our annual Hanukah bash, but now I am experiencing a gentle bout of post-party depression. You know, the feelings of let-down and loss that directly follow a fete for which you've spent hours, days, and weeks in detailed preparation. It's those zillion little details that make a party feel like like a grand old time. The varied appetizer and hors d'oeuvre menu that I "conceived" went through many edits and modifications, but I stuck to my golden rule of cocktail party fare: "thou shalt forsake all cutlery". The party's theme was "winterrific", and Mother Nature graciously complied by dumping 6-8 inches of snow on us all a few days prior. The drinks menu were suitably girlicious, all served up in to-be-expected martini glasses, even the gents got into the mood and sipped the Pink Flamingo's and Winterbreezes.
So I planned, and coordinated, brainstormed, deliberated, imagined and then actualized. I poured, stirred, measured, chopped, sauteed, baked, cooked. I have the cuts and the burns that will serve as Hanukah Party '08 souvenirs, as well as a pound of fake snow, a dozen tree branches spray painted white, and a bucket full of dreidels. And then it was the party. In my version of 1960's Party Hostess, I wore a tres mod LBD and black go-go boots, I spun into a controlled frenzy of plating, reheating, and arranging. The nibbles and bits came out in waves throughout the evening, it was a success on a purely logistical level. And then it was over. And I was overwhelmed by the amount of disarray that was left after a 4 hour party, we're still trying to set it straight after 2 days! It all seems just a little anti-climactic. So here I am, trying to figure out if it's all worth it. I think it is, because it makes the Holiday season special and exciting. It gives people something to look forward to. And, it's an opportunity to try out a bunch of new and interesting recipes and then foist them onto my nearest and dearest, who for these few days seem to have abandoned all their healthful regimes and skinny schemes.

Party Menu:
dips/spreads
Pizza Dip- well recieved slow cooker hot dip.
Cheddar-Cranberry Cheeseball - unnecessary, will not repeat.
Goat Cheese Terrine: my party standard, always deccimated by party's end.
Pomodori al Forno: first introduced to the book club in Sept., appreciated both occasions- none left both times.
Asiago Cheese Dip- recieved several enthusiastic endorsements for this crock pot hot dip, that had like a dozen complicated ingredients (reconstituted mushrooms etc.)
Horseradish Gouda Dip: I love horseradish so I decided to include this, but it was unnecessary though moderately consumed.
German Dip: It had me at the caraway seeds.
Baked Brie with marmalade and pecans- always a winner.

Dippers
Cheese Straws: a standard that can be frozen for months before or after.
Honey Mustard-Gruyere Palmiers: I find these addictive.
Gougeres: An homage to my Francophilism

Tarts/hors d'oeuvres
Balsamic Shallot & Goat Cheese: Y.U.M. I will definitely do this again. My favorite dish of the night.
Tomato Gruyere: ehhh...OK, nothing to cry over.
Savory Mushroom & Goat Cheese: Gone in like 20 minutes
Tomato Onion Tart: More of a quiche and a bit of a yawn.
Artichoke, Roasted Pepper, Goat Cheese Pizza Galette: If it's pizza it's good.
Pear & Blue Cheese Tart: Interesting and pretty well recieved among the more adventurous.
Onion Bhajees: I made two batches of this fried Indian savory treat...sooo good, I only managed to snag one, before they were gone. Definitely a repeat.

Dessert:
Pecan Praline Fondue: Decadent
Lemon Meringue Fondue: delicious with cheesecake bites or mini meringues.
Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies: a scrumptious chocolate cookie for grown-ups
Peanut BUtter Cup Chunk Bars: what could be bad?
Coconut Chocolate Chunk Blondies: I have a lot of these leftover.

Feeding The Junkster

Do you ever throw caution to the wind and simply say "Screw it!" to healthful and sensible eating? Do you ever give in to the greedy little junkster that resides hungrily inside you, and order the hot fudge sundae with extra hot fudge? The Pizza with extra cheese, the burger with the works. I do, especially at this time of the year. Between marathon chocolate-making and the usual baking and then my blowout Hanukah bash where I give myself permission to make every over-the-top-ridiculously-extravagant recipe that has captured my fancy during the year, moderation is not even in my vocabulary.
Dinner tonight had the potential for being healthy and sensible, I started out with 2 lbs. of fresh sole. But as I was pondering my sole, I was derailed by the greedy little junkster and decided that I would crush a bag of potato chips (reduced fat in my defense) and melt a little butter and make "fish in chips".

Fish in Chips
Crush 2 c. potato chips in food processor to preferred consistency, add 1 tsp. garlic powder- mix. Melt 2-3 tbsp. butter/marg. Coat 4-6 fish fillets in melted butter, cover in crushed chip mixture. Place in oven at 375F, and bake until fish cooked through and the chips are slightly golden.

7 Random Facts

A few weeks ago I was tagged by Lisa at http://www.what-we-eat-blog.blogspot.com/, and like everyone else on the planet at this time of year I've been so flat out busy, it's taken me until now to respond. Hmmmm let's see 7 random things about me....

1. Last night I had the strangest dream, oh boy.... It involved my 3rd grade teacher the Chrysler Building and a whole lotta tomatoes????
2. If I could only eat only one thing for the rest of my life it would probably be pizza- topped to the hilt with all the good stuff
3. I have an irrational aversion to raisins
4. If I could only rescue 1 item from my house in the case of a fire (excluding people of course) it would have to be my band new kick-ass Frye boots
5. If I could invite 3 famous dead people to my dinner table they would be: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dorothy Parker, and Frank Sinatra
6. I cannot watch "It's a Wonderful Life" without bawling...no matter how many times I've seen it- the part where the waterworks begins is when he opens the book Clarence gives him and it says "No man is a failure so long as he has friends..." , and then when Harry toasts George by saying " To George Bailey, the richest man in Bedford Falls..." I'm a goner- a complete blubbering sentimental mess.
7. The last thing I bought was pretzel rods and lots of them....1200 to be exact (I covered them in chocolate and other goodies for a gift basket order).

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I get very sentimental and irony-free on Thanksgiving. I say uncool things like: I'm so grateful for everything little thing in my life. And I'm thankful for living in a country that is made up of such generous and wonderful people. Not being a natural born American, Thanksgiving was something I came to later than sooner, but I have embraced it with the zeal of a convert.
I don't get those people who harrumph about the Holidays, especially Thanksgiving. What's not to like? It's a uniting national holiday that cuts across religious divisions and political orientation. It celebrates the bounty that is in our lives, and asks us to examine the little (and big) blessings that fill our days and often go unnoticed and unappreciated. And there's some really good eating involved- sounds like a winner to me!

Cranberry Chutney
In a med. saucepan combine 1 c. water and 3/4 c. sugar, bring to a boil. Add 2 c. fresh cranberries, 2 cored, peeled, and diced apples, 3/4 c. apple cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ginger, 1/4 tsp. ground cloves, mix and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

A Final Fond Farewell

So I now have proof that we are indeed in the throes of a nasty recession. Forget the graphs, mindnumbing stats, and the stuffed shirt's frantic proclamations on the evening news- my favorite local cafe is closing! A cafe that has been in this area longer than I have. I loved going to this place- it was where I snatched up a few moments of luxury and indulgence, in the middle of the day, after drop off- before pick-up. Sometimes I'd hide behind a book or a magazine, savoring the solitude and freedom over a sandwich. Often times, I'd play the lady-who-lunches routine with a friend or two. We'd trade news and the inevitable kiddie-tales over a couple of crunchilicious salads.
The food was solidly pleasing, the menu was nothing if not reliable. I knew it by heart, as it never changed. I had the 3-4 dishes that I rotated between: If I was in breakfast mode I'd always get the egg-white omelette #3 (sundried toms, cheese, and fresh basil), I turned to the tuna sandwich when I craved protein. My most frequent request was #5- a hearts of romaine salad made stupendous by crisp apple slices, pungent blue cheese crumbles, balsamic sesame vinaigrette, and the spiced cashews were the salad's piece de resistance. When I was feeling downright extravagant I'd get the melted brie and apple sandwich.
This afternoon as a final farewell I met a couple of friends for lunch at our nearly departed cafe. I had my good ol' #5. We tried to identify an alternate locale- I really hope that Burger King isn't our only option after this economic twister wreaks it's full damage.

#5 Salad- as deconstructed by me
Dressing: pour about 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar, 3-4 tbsp. (to taste) honey, and 1/4 c. toasted sesame oil into a jar or cruet-shake well.
Spiced Nuts: In med. sized bowl mix 2-3 tbsp. maple syrup, 1 tbsp. firmly packed brown sugar, a nice pinch of cayenne, a sprinkling of salt, dash of cinnamon. Add 1 c. pecans or walnuts or cashews, mix until maple syrup concoction coats the nuts/ Place on a baking sheet in one layer. Put in oven at 375F- for about 10-15 mins. Cool.

Divide chopped hearts of romaine leaves onto salad plates, place granny smith slices on top of romaine, scatter a handful of crumbled blue cheese, feta, or goat cheese over salad. Then sprinkle spiced nuts over, douse with the balsamic sesame vinaigrette.

The Answer Is Soup

Does your life ever feel like a maelstrom of activities, chores, responsibilities? Maybe that's the definition of life? A tumultuous, disordered, whirlwind of people, events, and commitments. And at the end of the day, if you're very good and a little bit lucky, you get a delicious bowl of hot soup to savor, and unwind over.
This is my kitchen sink soup, I just throw a bunch of things in it, let it simmer for a while, and then enjoy.

Kitchen Sink Soup

Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a saucepan, add 1 chopped yellow onion, saute until soft and translucent. Add 1 qt. veg. or chicken stock, 1 chopped red pepper, 1 can of cannellini beans, 2 cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes, 1 tsp. oregano, 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley, salt and pepper. Raise heat to high, until soup begins to boil. Lower to low, cover, and let simmer for 20 mins. Add a handful or two of small shaped pasta. Cook until pasta is ready.

Cheese 'n Crackers Soup

I'm trying to get the recipes right for this article I'm writing on winter soups that would appeal to the kidfolk. I came up with 2 cutesy-cute ideas: Cheese & Crackers Soup and Spaghetti 'n Meatball Soup. I promised my editor that the recipes would be great- tried, tested, and truly tasty- and that the piece would be print-worthy in about a week. My road to hell is paved not so much in good intentions, but really, a distorted sense of time.
For the past couple of days I tried a few cheddar cheese recipes that were just OK- definitely not great, there was a bitter aftertaste probably due to the copious amount of sharp cheddar. The kiddles are my mini-guineas and they were totally underwhelmed.
This evening experimentation produced a better result- smoother, milder, more kid-friendly. A word of warning: this soup is not for the lactose intolerant and although I used low-fat dairy products it's definitely on the richer end of the spectrum.
Tomorrow night: the Spaghetti 'n Meatball Soup trials begin....

Cheese & Crackers Soup
Melt 3 tbsp. butter over med. heat in a pot, add 1 c. chopped red pepper and stir until pepper softens. Add 1/2 c. flour and mix in until peppers are coated. Pour 2 c. heated milk (I used 2%) and 2 c. heated veg. or chicken stock. Stir until creamy and smooth. Add 1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar and 1 c. shredded mozzarella. Stir until melted in. If necessary thin with stock or milk. To serve: crumble a few saltines (or your favorite type of cracker) on top and season with salt and pepper to taste.