for the bride that demands a fabulous shower or engagement party, this ring-shaped cubes are a unique way to cool a signature cocktail. available on amazon.com for $6.91, i definitely buying multiple trays...these will be a hit.
to prepare for your party, start days in advance freezing, popping them out and storing the hardened cubes in a ziploc bag. for maximum impact, save the cubes for the grande toast of the evening and pray they don't upstage maid of honor's tribute!
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.
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)
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!
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!
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))
i stumbled on these most adorable desserts while reading the washington post a few days ago. the craft-person-ship required makes you regret eating them....or savor them that much more.
like edible snowglobes, these gelatin flowers would make perfect desserts for a baby or bridal shower, summer garden party or a kids birthday party. theyre also portable making for great wedding and party favors. and since i'm planning my favorite event of the year, my nieces 4th birthday party, dont be surprised if i find a way to work them into the event...
to locate them, check out local mexican bakeries. a quick google search turned up a few places that also offer classes in the gel art and a number of online tutorials (the thought of making these even intimidated ME). i'll be heading to canela's bakery in gaithersburg, maryland.
don't even think about not serving wings. even WE don't stare down our noses at the mighty chicken wing. they fit all the criteria for perfect entertaining food...
1) they can be eaten with one hand,
2) they can be made in advance,
3) they can be served in tons of varieties,
4)and nobody will say...'i really dont like wings...'
we do, however, have a few rules to serving wings for a crowd. get big meaty ones. costco has 10lb bags, but market poultry at eastern market in dc have fabulously meaty jumbo chicken wings. serve them hooter's style, separating the drumstick from the other two pieces. we recommend any variety that allows oven roasting. because really, who wants to stand in front of the stove frying chicken all afternoon? (we do break from this rule for buffalo wings...by law, you have to). spend that time painting your face in your team's colors, hanging your fathead graphics on the wall or putting bear on ice. here's fabfete's favorite wing varieties:
hoisin-glazed wings hoisin sauce, honey, garlic, fresh ginger and a drizzle of sesame oil makes a great glaze for oven-roasted wings. toss them in the sauce, and roast the hell out of them to make a great sticky, crispy glaze. sprinkle with sesame seeds, slices of green onions and garnish with orange slices.
buffalo i know...but we don't knock traditions that we REALLY love. we keep it simple with frank's hot sauce mixed with melted butter. and we like to bread and fry our wings first. the breading helps soak up that much more spicy, tangy sauce. and think about making your own buttermilk blue cheese dip.
jerk no not you, the wings. grace's jerk seasong is full of flavor, and body and some green stuff that clings to the wings and makes them fabulous. we marinate ours in the freezer for DAYS, mixing the sauce with a little water and vegetable oil to help them brown when roasted. the mild version is plenty hot enough.
jack daniels bbq sauce fabfete's momma is famous for her bbq'd fried chicken. breading and frying the wings first, toss in sauce and finishing in the oven is soo much better (wait..did we break our rule again?). this recipe is perfect for well-stocked pantries.
sweet chili wings we, the pizza, top chef's spike mendelsohn's pizza joint in dc, has some really good wings with a simple, sweet, spicy glaze of sweet or hot chili sauce, honey or brown sugar, garlic...yum. don't be afraid to make them spicy. that sweet burn is what it's all about...
ok...fine...fry the wings first. skimp on something else. because if everyone loves wings, you'd better make some damn good ones.
