FabFete

savor the last of summer!

the end of summer is nearing and we're in the midst of hitting the street market circuit. while brainstorming for the next market, i remembered one of my favorite summer side dishes. sweet onion slaw is full of tang with a sweet bite thats tempered by giving the onions a quick blanch. think cole slaw with thinly sliced onion standing in for the cabbage. the pan-fried onion dip was such a surprising hit at the last market, i know that this will be a winner too. our favorite enjoy this unconventional slaw is to throw it on top of a grilled brat or burger, or along side some mojo criollo-marinated grilled chicken. 

as always, make this recipe your own. i like to stick with a mix of sweet vidalia and yellow onions to give it a sweetness with a slight kick. using red onions will give it a glorious and vibrant color. sometimes i add shredded carrot for color and sweetness. if anyone looks at you funny, let them taste it. we have been making this slaw for a few summers and each time we get a convert or two.

here's a method of preparation in place of a staid recipe. make it as tart/sweet/wet/dry as you desire. (if you really really need one, i can dig around in my recipe box). treat this recipe as you would any cole slaw. if you like celery seed or scallions, go for it. just remember it's all about the onions!

sweet onion slaw

1. thinly slice 3-4 large onions (your choice of yellow, white, vidalia or red, or a mix)
2. blanche onions in pot of boiling water until slightly limp, but still crisp. rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.
3. in bottom of a large bowl, combine a generous splash of cider vinegar with a few tablespoons of sugar, a squirt of dijon mustard and a dollop of mayonnaise. 
4. throw in onions and toss to coat.
5. refrigerate for several hours for the flavors to combine.
6. serve along side your favorite grilled meats. 

 

and speaking of the grey market...

brightestyoungthings, the ultra cool, ultra hip, ultra know-everything-hot-going-on-in-dc , was at the grey market snapping pics on sunday, july 17th. check out the gallery and get a peek at FabFete's popcorn, including our signature flavor, SweetSalt. 

and a special bonus, below is the super easy recipe for the cocoa popcorn! a little trick we use to keep it not-so-indulgent is to spray the popcorn with butter flavored cooking spray instead of drizzling straight butter (pam and spectrum brands are all natural). it gives the flavoring something to stick to and keeps the popcorn fresh and crunchy. we also use mushroom popcorn kernels. the round balls are ample surface area and are sturdy enough to withhold heavier toppings like caramel.

Cocoa Popcorn
(courtesy of martha stewart...duh)

ingredients:

10c plain unsalted popped popcorn
2tbl sugar
2tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
butter flavored cooking spray

method:

1. place popcorn in a large bowl
2. combine sugar and cocoa powder
3. spritz popcorn with an even coat of butter spray
4. sprinkle with cocoa mixture and toss to combine

photo courtesy of byt.com

quick and easy...and in the neighborhood!

one of the best known (but least used tricks) for easy, yet fabulous entertaining is sourcing really good, prepared foods. throw these into your own stylish platters or bowls and take no shame in being fabulous...and smart. p&c market in the capital hill neighborhood helps the area's residents to sample speciality cheeses, beers and spreads - all of which form the foundation of a great party. what sets the corner store apart is their widely-sourced selection of ready-to-party foods that are sure crowd-pleasers. namely, the vegan pate has drawn attention as the only of its kind available in this area.

the market's blog offers some great suggestions on how to serve it (and fool your meat-eating guests). they can be found in on the west side of lincoln park...or on facebook. not throwing a party, any hostess would appreciate the great gourmet and international finds the store stocks.

(photo courtesy of tbd.com)

event review: leah's 7th dance party

the word may be getting around that i'm a softy when it comes to rules (blame my young parents). i'm most comfortable cooking for and planning events for 50 people or less, but that gets enforced less and less. recently, it was for a 7 year old holding a dance party for her birthday. the 50 people limit only covered the little girls...not the adult family members or parents of the kids. it was an all-out extravaganza! coin-trimmed belly dancing hip-scarves, zumba instructor, fake-tattoo artist, dj derby. i can still hear the sounds of those dozens of skirts running around the house - clinkaclinkaclinka x 50...

the food was kept simple. hot dog bar and fresh-popped poporn were the stars. fortunately, the kitchen was designed with a large, center counter top that helped keep the buffet line flowing. for 30 straight minutes, it was nothing but replenishing until all 80+ had been served. yes...80+

menu:
hot dog bar
    100% beef 1/4 pounders
    hot dog sliders
    chili & cheese
    sauerkraut
    mustard, ketchup, relish, onions
popcorn bar
    white cheddar
    sweetsalty
    caramel cashew
turkey & havarti sandwiches
roast beef & cheddar sandwiches
cheese & pepperoni mini pizzas
caesar salad
fresh fruit platter
FabFete lime agua fresca 

for such a simple menu, the weight was on the presentation to make things fab. with themed signage, use of height and elevations and attractive servingware...i think it all worked out. my favorite part was the many hugs from the momma as she repeatedly expressed her gratitude at not having to THINK about the food. oh and dishing out cake for 3ft-tall sugar addicts...i dont think i ever moved so fast with a knife.

lamb pops with mint pesto

whole foods market recently launched community sites based around area stores with blogs, contests and member submitted and answered food questions. for the rockville version of the site, last week's contest was 'your best spring lamb recipe'. it has always been a dream of mine to prepare  lamb pops with mint pesto for a stylish, high-budget cocktail party. they are well-suited for entertaining. the bone acts as handle for the two-bite portion of meat and slicing before cooking allows you to prepare the lamb to different temperatures. the walnut in the pesto gets a nice toasting in the hot pan bringing a different dimension to the dish. the mint-parsley mix and walnuts replace pesto's traditional basil and pine nuts.

with two minutes before the deadline, i submitted the recipe fully confident i had a winner on my hands. unfortunately, the site's editors were not so informed and chose two others as the finalists. 

it may not have won them over, but it's still a winner.

click here: lamb pops with mint pesto

 

gorgeous little cookies!

i'm already picturing a cocktail party ending in a doily-lined silver plate full of these beauties. this more than exemplifies grandma's adage that 'if food don't look good, it don't taste good'. these are so pretty, i almost don't care what they taste like...

check out the recipe here on purl's blog. yeah, they're sewers and knitters, but clearly they know all things pretty! 

so in love...i can't stop talking about them. i just want to stand around, laughing and holding a flute of champagne while popping several of these back in quick succession!

 

dessert party: pics!!

just a few teasers from the dessert party. i promise to post a full review soon, including menu!

give time, eat pie

greater dc cares, a dc-based volunteer organization is hosting a pie-baking contest at the atlas theater on april 3. reading the poster reminded me of one of my favorite pies that i have never been able to locate or duplicate: german chocolate pie. my father brought one back from a business trip to kansas city when i was a kid. it was a rich, decadent chocolate pudding pie with a pecan-caramel frosting.

for this occasion, i'm thinking a lighter, mousse-based german chocolate pie...perhaps topped with a caramel meringue (if such a thing exists), and sprinkled with pecan toffee bits.

we'll see if i actually do it, but so far, i'm loving the idea!

dessert party: mini cheesecakes

oh my martha! you are killing me, my dear. i'm laying here watching 'martha bakes' and after surviving the cupcake-sized cheesecakes with sour cream topping, and the not-so-mini-but-still-individually-portioned cheesecakes with bing cherry topping, she whips out the ricotta cheesecake.

so now i'm adding miniature ricotta cheesecakes with bing cherry topping to the list! ricotta makes a lighter, fluffier cheesecake than the traditional new york variety. and the cherry topping is made with gelatin so it sits on top with the bing cherries appearing to float.

(i did have to ignore some of the self-aggrandizing....the white, red and pink currants grown in her garden and used to garnish the mini cheesecakes with sour cream...her claim that her new york recipe is perfect....(ok so it WAS perfectly crack-free and gorgeously ungarnished))

dessert party: brain dump

with the invitations done for my niece's upcoming dessert party, its time to start thinking about the menu. after days of googling, brainstorming and notejotting, here's a quick and dirty (but tasty!) list of some things i'm considering...(the categories help me keep things balanced)

design: multi-tiered, symmetrical display flanked by two topiaries of chocolate dipped strawberries. plates and framed mirrors serve as platters. chandelier draped in tulle, cute hanging things from ceiling. MUST block windows on china cabinet with paper? fabric?

food: mix store bought, easy assembled, classic and new. can we do 20 total?

menu ideas: JUST ideas!
cookies & milk
    - mini chocolate chip cookies
    - milk shooters
        strawberry
        chocolate 
        dulce de leche/caramel
everybody's favorites
    - mini donuts
    - three-tiered oreo 'cake'
    - cake pops
    - smores (banana & marshmellow on a stick, dip in chocolate, roll in graham cracker crumbs! brilliant!!)
    - homemade popcorn
        kettle corn
        sweet (caramel?)
thank you costco! (renew membership!!)
    - ferrero rocher 
    - dove chocolates
    - pirouette rolled wafers
you fancy huh?
    - oreo petit fours 
    - gianduia cups (hazelnut spread in chocolate cups )
    - toasted macaroons
    - panna cotta with berries
    - profiteroles with chocolate sauce
    - banana caramel tartlets
mix & match (mini parfaits & trifles)
    - puddings
    - mousses
    - cake
    - whipped cream
    - fruit 
ok, maybe not
    - chocolate covered pretzel sticks 
everybody doesnt want sugar..or dairy..or gluten..or soy..
    - fruit smoothies 
    - something with applesauce

that's all i got. you may now exit my brain.