Appetizer

Bridal Luncheon 1 comment

May 22, 2015, posted by Gina -Last weekend several hostesses, including yours truly, gave a bridal luncheon for a very special young lady (see more about the table settings HERE). She requested spaghetti as the main dish but after much thought we decided baked ziti would be a better alternative, if only because it’s a little easier to eat!

We set up a champagne bar with St. Germaine liquor, orange juice and cranberry-raspberry juice, orange slices, fresh raspberries, and sugar cubes (think Moonstruck). The ladies absolutely loved the champagne and being outside on the screened-in porch on such a beautiful spring day.

Fresh baked olive bread and cream cheese topped with an amazing brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and pecan sauce served as the appetizers.

After appetizers everyone gathered inside for a few words of congratulations to the bride and a prayer of thanks before lunch.

The lunch menu:
Crunchy Romaine Salad
Baked Ziti
Sassy Green Beans
Fruit Salad
French bread
Strawberry Cake (the Bride’s favorite)

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Cookbook Club: Cinco de Mayo on the Water

May 6, 2015, posted by Gina – Yesterday, my Cookbook Club met for a Cinco de Mayo lunch. We are currently working our way through the Barefoot Contessa Cookbooks and you’ll find links for each recipe throughout this post. The hostess set up her boat house so that we could enjoy the day right on the water. It was quite a beautiful sunny day, not too hot, with a slight, pleasant breeze. Idyllic!

We started the festivities with margaritas and what I can only describe as the BEST GUACAMOLE I have ever had. For a start, the super fresh avocados and tomatoes had everything to do with setting it apart. It had a bit of a kick from the 8 dashes of Tabasco sauce and lemon juice, rather than lime juice, brightened it up. Combine all that with some minced red onions and garlic and you have the perfect guacamole.

After enjoying the appetizer, we served GAZPACHO topped with homemade parmesean croutons, ROASTED CHICKEN, ORZO with ROASTED VEGETABLES and ZUCCHINI with PARMESEAN. My favorite dish was the orzo with roasted vegetables; the dressing, the feta and the pine nuts married so well with the vegetables.

Gazpacho

Roasted Chicken

For dessert we had FROZEN KEY LIME PIE and CHOCOLATE GANACHE CAKE. The pie had a great flavor although I think I prefer a regular key lime pie. The ganache on the cake was delicious and while the cake was good, there are other chocolate cakes I like better.

Chocolate Ganache Cake with Sugared Flowers

The tables were set with brightly colored plates and napkins and pots of zinnias for centerpieces. The setting, the perfect weather, a delicious lunch and great company made this a very enjoyable day. Do you do anything special for Cinco de Mayo? Maybe you prepare an authentic meal or just head to your favorite Mexican restaurant for margaritas? Do you have a favorite spot on a lake or river where you can get away? We’d like to hear from you, so if you’d like to leave a comment, click on the title of this post and a comment form with unfurl for you at the end of the post.

Bacon Tomato Tartlets and Onion Dip

April 15, 2015, posted by Gina – Recently, I participated in a membership drive for the Ronald McDonald House Red Shoe Society. The event was a Wine & Cheese party but, far from a simple cheese board with fruit and crackers on the side, the table was packed with delicious dishes. I made bacon tomato tartlets and onion dip and I’d like to share these simple recipes with you.

Bacon Tomato Tartlets

1 – 10 oz can Rotel, drained
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 – 3 oz package real bacon bits
3 – 1.9 oz packages mini phyllo shells

Preheat oven to 350°
Combine the Rotel, cheese, mayo and bacon bits. Fill the phyllo shells with the mixture and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

The onion dip is quasi-homemade in that you have to blend two ingredients together. That being said, it’s not entirely whipped up from scratch but neither is it straight from a jar. I ran across a really cute article in Bon Appétit magazine that had four people blind taste test Alton Brown’s French Onion Dip and Lay’s French Onion Dip from a jar. The panel consisted of a Health Nut, a Foodie, a Dude and a Kid. Read the article and see the results HERE.

Onion Dip

8 oz sour cream
1 packet Lipton onion soup mix

Country Ham and Shrimp on Toast

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
12 oz. chopped, cooked, country ham (can use a ham steak)
3 cloves of finely chopped garlic
1 leek bulb, finely chopped
1/2 cup brandy
2 cups whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1 1/2 pounds fresh, small shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
8 slices bread, trimmed, cut into points, toasted

Directions:

Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over high heat. Add the country ham. Saute quickly. Add garlic and leek.

Saute until the leek begins to wilt, remove from heat. Stir in the brandy and return to heat. Stir in whipping cream, cayenne and sage.

Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add the shrimp. Simmer for 2 minutes or until the shrimp turns light pink. Stir in the parsley.

Serve on toast points.