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Category: Party
Just in case the holidays have not exhausted your party spirit (or maybe you have finally recovered and are ready to get back to enjoying the company of others!), tonight’s post is a quick and easy appetizer perfect for either a happy hour type meet-up or a true appetizer for a more formal affair. The concept for this recipe came from Leite’s Culinaria, a wonderful resource filled with interesting dishes. And this recipe called to me on many levels. First, this appetizer is beyond easy. Second, I wanted to try it with different olives and herbs. Lastly, I wanted to try preparing this dish using sous vide. So after a little research, the results are below. I also provided a link to the…
Do you think the spritz is a drink for summer only? Well, here is a holiday cocktail based on sparkling wine from those creative geniuses at America’s Test Kitchen. A friend mentioned I should try this one and well, it is just about perfect as an easy sipper at a holiday party. It pairs well with all those rich, delicious holiday foods from appetizers to dessert. The combination of St. Germain, Aperol, and sweet vermouth with sparkling wine is uncommon, but it really works. Of course, I tweaked my version by substituting Lillet Blanc for the sweet vermouth and increasing the St. Germain by a small amount. The results are outstanding in my opinion. Make it and see for yourself… I think you will definitely…
Nothing says Christmas like the smell and taste of lebkuchen. As a child, I remember my mom baking lebkuchen in November before placing them in a tin in a closet for us to enjoy in December. She always said these cookies are so much better once they have been stored a while. Well, my mom’s lebkuchen recipe was lost quite a while ago… so I went online to find a new recipe to fulfill my Lebkuchen desire. Wow, was I ever surprised at the plethora of recipes! So I bookmarked several to try and possibly adapt/combine into a Cooking-4-One recipe. This recipe is primarily based on the recipe from GoodToKnow.co.uk with some aspects added from the Serious Eats recipe. The…
This week, instead of posting a weekly menu, how about I post several cookie and dessert recipes? Building on the few recipes I posted around the holidays last year, let’s start this year’s cookie baking with a favorite – the chewy oatmeal cookie. I have made these cookies many times before with varying inclusions – raisins, chocolate chips, dried cranberries, etc and they are always a hit. These cookies are warmly spiced and subtly sweet, perfect for any time of the year. When paired with a cup of coffee or tea, it is a wonderful way to give yourself (or a guest) a tasty homemade treat. I like them and I believe you will like them too! Save Print Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies Prep time…
How about another cheesecake recipe, this time perfect for any Fall celebration? Here is a versatile and surprisingly easy cheesecake recipe that will definitely delight your friends and guests. The versatility of this recipe is in the construction – you can layer the pumpkin filling or swirl it throughout if you are feeling especially creative for the marbled effect. As for the ease in preparation, it is as simple as turning on the mixer. Well… sort of. I like this cheesecake recipe for it’s lightness and subtle sweetness. If the recipe looks familiar it is because I based it on the Cheesecake with Smoked Cherries I prepared in August. This base cheesecake combined with pumpkin creates a unique dessert that is slightly sweet and warmly…
Hey everyone, I’m back! I was recently in Las Vegas to spend time with my daughter and son-in-law for the birth of my first grandchild – a boy. Here is the obligatory picture of me with my newborn grandson! While I was there, I cooked for them each night. I had them choose a meal from the blog and these are the ones they picked. Flat Iron Steak Involtini, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Caprese Salad Prawn and Sausage Jambalaya Beef Bourguignon Arroz con Pollo Smoked Salmon Tortellini with Broccoli in a Lemon Cream Sauce I made dessert a couple of times as well. Here is one of them… Mini Angel Cakes with Lemon Blueberry Marscapone Cream and not pictured was Pound Cake with…
Last night I threw a clambake party for some friends – sort of an end of the summer bash with a feast of seafood. In all actuality, the guys were here to help me with a foil packet clambake recipe I was working on… I needed taste testers. The party was a success as my friends devoured the results with everyone completely satisfied with the mixture of clams, prawns, lobster, linguiça, corn, and potatoes slathered in seasoned butter, aromatics, and fresh herbs. Here are the pictures – compliments of one of the guests! A deconstructed Caprese Salad Clambake Close-up Dessert – compliments of one of the guests (and Metropolitan Market) Yalumba Antique Tawny and Brown Butter Pear Tart. I hope to post the recipe at…
Today’s post is not a meal for one, but a party dessert that is certain to please. This cheesecake really rocks, but the topping wins the day. Most of the time I bring a main dish to these parties, but this time I decided to switch things around and bring a dessert. This cheesecake is a variant of the German käsekuchen which uses quark – an ingredient hard to find here in the states. So after doing some research and seeing several suggestions on what to use as a substitute, I opted for sour cream and ricotta cheese. And the results were impressive. The cheesecake won rave reviews but the smoked cherry topping was the overall star. Slightly sweet, slightly smoky and intensely cherry flavored…
Easy, baked donuts? Yes, please! I found this recipe on Jennifer Meyerling’s blog and tweaked it by adding cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. The only challenge is buying a donut baking pan (and waiting patiently for it to arrive). I found mine on Amazon – standard and mini donut sizes. These donuts are perfect for a party because they are so easy to make, so easy to personalize, and let’s face it – so delicious! They are great for satisfying your sweet tooth as well if you cut the recipe into thirds to keep the amount of donuts made to a reasonable number. Wait, is there a reasonable number of donuts? I don’t think so… Either way, you will enjoy this variation…
Today I had an impromptu large lunch and really could not fathom making dinner tonight. So I decided to make an appetizer. Typically this dip is a one I do for parties, but I just wanted a small portion with some baguette slices. This recipe features ingredients from my pantry – which is a double bonus since I did not feel like going shopping either! If you can have breakfast for dinner, why not an appetizer? Save Print Crab and Artichoke Dip Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 25 mins Total time: 35 mins Serves: 2 Ingredients 4 oz cream cheese ½ cup sour cream 6 oz can crab meat, drained 6½ oz marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped 4 oz diced pimientos…