RSVP to Rajeev

Hockey Night in Canada

2011-01-22T07:09:00.000-08:00

Guy offered to make Peanut and me dinner on Friday and I agreed to bring dessert. I then learned that it was Guy's birthday so his husband Larry and I conspired to make a very special birthday cake. See, there's nothing that Guy likes more than hockey and he's got mad pride in his Canadian roots.

Though I could have made things look a bit prettier with colored frosting or candy, I was worried that it would be too sweet - especially for Guy who I knew wasn't the biggest dessert fan. So I decided to decorate the entire thing with fruit. In the center, the red in the Canadiens symbol is a "mosaic" of strawberry pieces.

Larry, Guy's husband, provided figurines to make the cake perfect - representing the Canadiens and Caps, Guy's favorite teams.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GUY!

Simple Sunday Chicken

2011-01-17T06:45:00.001-08:00

This week, I needed a simple roasted chicken recipe- one that I could accomplish after a weekend away in Philly (celebrating Peanut's parents 40th anniversary) followed immediately by a "Sunday Funday" outing with Javier and his friends visiting from NYC. Ina's recipe, which I had made before, would do the trick. It's simple:

1. Melt some butter and baste the chicken (Santa left me the nifty silicone basting brush in my stocking!):

2. Stuff with garlic, lemon, and thyme. Chop up some onions and scatter them around the chicken, then roast for 90 minutes on 425:

3. Make a gravy using chicken stock, flour, and the drippings and enjoy!

A simple recipe, indeed, but one that was still very good. It wasn't as sweet as last week's, and Peanut commented on its rich flavor - a feature, most surely, due to the butter and the onions roasted alongside it. I'm a gravy guy, so I liked this one primarily because of the gravy that was served on top of it.

Is it all about the brine?

2011-01-10T04:43:00.000-08:00

If there's somebody who could probably teach me how to cook lamb, it's Geoffrey Zakarian. His wife is one of my closest childhood friends, and she swears to me that his lamb dishes are out of this world. Fortunately for me, his cookbook has a recipe for Butter Basted Roasted Chicken.

Geoffrey's recipe and technique involves brining the chicken (submerging in water with dissolved sugar and salt) overnight with some star anise, peppercorn, dill seed, corriander seed, and bay leaves. Before cooking, the cavity is seasoned with celery salt, thyme, rosemary, lemon, and garlic and you place some pads of butter under the skin. Like last week, you sear the chicken before cooking. And when cooking, you take it out every 15 minutes (hopefully not burning your hand like I did) to baste it.

The result? Simply amazing. Peanut and I both commented at how flavorful this chicken was. And it tasted delicious when paired with roasted cherry tomatoes and steamed broccoli. Two Sundays down... ~50 to go! And during that time I will hopefully think of some more creative photo options... and how to properly truss a chicken!

Blackjack Dinner

2011-01-09T18:11:00.000-08:00

Attendees: Peanut, Trevor, and Nico

Cocktails: Prosecco

Hors d'oeurves: Crudite

Entree: Rack of Lamb Persillade

Side: Sweet Potato Steak Fries

Dessert: Sabayon with Blueberries

Peanut and I are heading to Las Vegas in a few weeks to celebrate Nico's 40th birthday. In preparation, close-to-professional gambler Trevor came over to teach us how to play blackjack. I reciprocated by providing dinner. IF ONLY I COULD BE PROUD OF WHAT I MADE?!

People, I did not want to post about the meal because it was FAR from the favorite meal I have made. But people (i.e., Peanut) told me that I had a responsibility to post my greatest misses as well as my greatest hits. Ina, my love, I usually love your recipes, but what did I wrong with the rack of lamb? I cooked it for as long as you said, and its internal temperature (I checked) said it was done, by why did it look so raw? And the sweet potato steak fries - well, that was just my fault for not cooking them long enough (I blame it on being too eager for blackjack to start).

But the dessert- my friends, the dessert was DIVINE! I called up LL and used her classic sabayon recipe that involves 6 egg yolks and then such precise measurements as 5 1/2 "shells" of white wine and 1/2 shell of Grand Marnier. Whisked to perfection with a white wine custard served warm with blueberries.

Let's hope for a a greatest hit next time....

Roasted Chicken: A "Perfect" Sunday Night Supper

2011-01-02T19:36:00.000-08:00

I know that I have been on hiatus for a while and to be honest I thought maybe RSVP was dead. But I was amazed over the holidays about how many people (read: two, one of whom was my mother) told me that they were upset that I stopped posting. So, I am back... with Peanut in tow.

Returning to the blog isn't a New Year's Resolution, but I have decided to bring the new year in with a new year's goal. In between writing my novel and learning to play acoustic guitar (resolutions I've had every year since college), starting today my goal is to roast a chicken by a different recipe every Sunday night for the rest of the year. Of course, I'll cook other things that I'll try to remember to photograph, and take pics and make up nicknames of all of our exquisite dinner party guests, but for 2011 it's all about the roasted chicken.

I started it off with a recipe that was a bit on the strange side- chicken in milk. It's Jamie Oliver's recipe, and you essentially brown the chicken on the stovetop in butter and olive oil, then cook it in the oven (375 for 90 minutes) with 2 cups milk, 10 cloves of garlic, the zest of two lemons, some cinnamon, salt, pepper, and sage. I served it with leftover mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli.

In the pot:

On the plate:

My one sentence description: Moist, but a bit boring (but very easy to clean up afterwards).

Peanut's one sentence: Light and citrusy, adding new life to leftover mashed potatoes.

So, stay tuned for more exciting photos & posts this year, and LOTS of roast chicken! If you have a favorite roast chicken recipe, or one that's been passed down in your family for generations, send it to me and I'll try it out!

Whoopie for Girl Scout Cookies!!!

2010-03-01T17:38:00.000-08:00

I supply girl scout cookies to Peanut's entire office, so instead of bringing home 30+ boxes of cookies on the metro (again), I organized a pick up on Sunday with my supplier. In exchange for the cookies (and along with a check) I brought a treat I'd been dying to make for a while: Whoopie Pies (click on the link for a fun history). My recipe was from Zingerman's in Ann Arbor (one of the best things about the summer I spent there).

You know things are serious when I bust out the candy thermometer:

The perfect consistency for the stuffing:

Halfway there:

WHOOPIE!

And the reward (or at least, what we got to keep):

A dinner planned (kind of) for a month

2010-01-24T19:14:00.000-08:00

Attendees: Peanut, Ferris, Domingo
Cocktails: Raspberry Royale
Hors D'Oeurves: Cheese, Crackers, and Salami
Salad: Prosciutto, Fennel, and Pomegranate Salad
Main Course: Braised Short Ribs
Sides: Massed Potatoes and Sauteed Swiss Chard
Dessert: Milk Chocolate Souffle

Dinner on Saturday was actually scheduled about a month ago by Peanut and Ferris. I mean, what is that? I have a hard time planning social activities for tomorrow! Which is probably why the menu wasn't finalized until Friday and nothing was purchased until Saturday morning. Still, Peanut and I managed to pull off an amazing dinner, which started with hors d'oeuvres from our new local market opened by the same owners of one of our favorite restaurants, CORK.

The first course of salad was a bed of arugula with some mint, green onions, and tossed lightly in olive oil. This was topped with thinly sliced fennel, draped in proscuitto, and scattered with pomegranate seeds.

The main course were braised short ribs, care of one of my favorites, Suzanne Goin. The recipe is truly delicious and EASY- it just takes a while: About an hour or so of prepping, three hours of braising, and another 20 minutes of final touches, including sauteing the swiss chard upon which the ribs were served.

And served with a simple sauce made of some horseradish and creme fraiche and alongside some mashed potatoes.

If you really like to cook, there is nothing more rewarding in my experience than successfully making a soufle. There's a certain excitement that occurs when you turn the light on in the oven and see that your soufle has successfully risen. This recipe for milk chocolate soufles was care of this month's Bon Appetit.

And I can't forget the perfect nougat whipped topping (egg white, honey, amaretto, and heavy whipping cream) that accompanied the soufles (be sure to serve extra in a bowl for passing)!

Snow Storm Spaghetti (& Meatballs)!

2009-12-28T14:59:00.000-08:00

The plan was perfected a month ago: a few hours at the spa followed by a fantastic dinner at a restaurant we had wanted to go to since it opened a few years ago - my gift to Peanut for his birthday.

Then, this happened:

16 inches of snow!!! In 24 hours!

Driving was restricted, so both reservations were canceled!

Now, Gourmet magazine folded a month-or-so ago, and my subscription is now replaced with one to bon appetit. The cover, sitting on our coffee table for a few weeks, had a picture of succulent meatballs on its cover. "Can you make it, please?" Peanut asked. Spaghetti and meatballs with bacon tomato sauce: how could I refuse a birthday boy's request?

So while it snowed, and in between shoveling our sidewalk and uncovering our car, I...

Chopped:

Fried:

... and Peanut and I devoured!

And before you call me lame for not cooking a holiday meal, I will tell you- I DID! Birthday dinner for Pit of devil's chicken thighs on braised leeks, a repeat of my meal for Mountie. And for dessert, Suzanne Goin's chocolate cinnamon bread pudding from the same cookbook.

Spanish style.... Tapas at 10!

2009-10-19T16:47:00.000-07:00

Attendees: Javier, Ozzie, and Peanut
Cocktail: Cosmopolitans!
Tapas: (1) Garlic Pan-Fried Bread and Chorizo; (2) Tortilla Espanola; (3) Chicken in Lemon and Garlic (4) Sauteed Garlic Mushrooms; (5) Green Beans with Pine Nuts
Dessert: Root Beer Bundt Cake

When Javier's plans to take Ozzie away for his birthday were delayed, I decided to step in (because that's what friends are for!) and offered to prepare them a celebratory dinner myself. I was then informed that Ozzie wouldn't be available until 8:30 Friday evening, so that "unless I wanted to do it Spanish style..."- inspiration, indeed (not to mention that we didn't sit down to eat until 10 pm)!

And now, in no particular order I present to you the tapas of the evening:

(1) Garlic Pan-Fried Bread and Chorizo.
When making tapas, it's good to have some help in the kitchen. Javier brought over some bread and helped me pan fry it, along with the chorizo. I served this dish informally with toothpicks while we finished preparing the other dishes.

2. Tortilla Espanola
A classic- how could i not at least attempt it? (And I was pretty impressed with the results)!

3. Chicken with lemon and garlic
I HATED the lemon rind that garnished this dish, but everyone else seemed to like it! I guess I'm my own harshest critic.

4. Sauteed garlic mushrooms
I am really developing a deep appreciation and fondness of mushrooms, particularly when they are cooked simply. This was, I think, my favorite dish of the night.

5. Green beans with pine nuts
When I decided that the meal needed something green.

So, Spanish desserts are pretty bad (right?) and I had been dying to try the Root Beer Bundt Cake from BAKED. The cake itself was good and you could DEFINITELY taste the root beer. The chocolate fudge frosting wasn't that good, though, and I can't seem to figure out why, nor can I really decide what type of frosting would taste better. Any suggestions?

Oh yeah, it was also really hard to get a good picture (a fault of the cake, the lighting, or the wine?)

But at least I got one of the birthday boy cutting his birthday cake!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OZZIE!!!

We've Come A Long Way, Baby!

2009-09-20T14:19:00.000-07:00

It seems like forever ago that Shobhaa and I lived in a run-down apartment on Dorchester Avenue where our kitchen was lined with cereal boxes and "cooking" for me involved heating up microwavable chicken wings (Shobhaa was a tad more adventurous with smoothies and, on at least one occassion, potato leek soup). She and Dre surprised Peanut and I with a last minute trip to DC this weekend, and I was more than happy to cook them a lacto-vegetarian (no eggs, but dairy is ok!) meal. Of course, I recruited Shobhaa, who has her own fabulous baking blog, to help:

Attendees: Dre, Shobhaa, and Peanut
Cocktail(s): Fresh margaritas and non-alcoholic peachy-keens
Appetizer: Fresh guacamole
Main Course: Vegetable enchiladas
Side: Jicama and Mango salad with a chili lime dressing/Rice
Dessert: "Boy, you better make her" Almond raspberry swirl!

The night called for two cocktails: One non-alcoholic, and one for Peanut and me. Peanut requested one of his favorites: fresh margaritas. Shobhaa and Dre enjoyed my newly named "Peachy Keens" - a homemade concoction of freshly squeezed orange juice, peach nectar, and a dash of some freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Really, how can you go wrong with homemade guacamole? I ran out of Tobasco, as did Whole Foods, so I used Cholula Chili Garlic Hot Sauce. Consider me converted.

I had been craving enchiladas for some unknown reason, so I spent around an hour Saturday morning looking for the recipe that looked best (and easiest). Like always, when needed, Martha Stewart is there for you. For real, such amazing enchiladas stuffed with corn, black beans, spinach, and cheese with a simple homemade enchilada sauce of tomato paste, vegetable broth and cumin. I liked these so much, in fact, that I have decided to post the recipe after this entry: only the second recipe ever to be posted on RSVP!

The enchiladas were accompanied by a jicama, mango, and cucumber salad with a chili lime dressing.

And you can't have a Mexican-inspired meal without a little bit of rice on the side.

Dinner is served!

I didn't have much time to prepare an eggless dessert, so I decided to try Ina's Almond Raspberry Swirl. Basically, it's greek yogurt with some orange zest, peach nectar, vanilla, and honey swirled with toasted almonds, rasperries, and diced peaches. The crowd seemed to like it, but I think it's more of a breakfast/brunch dish than it is a dessert. It does look somewhat elegant, though!

Martha Stewart's Vegetable Enchiladas

Ingredients
2 T olive oil
2 (ok, i used 3) t cumin
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 can (14.5 oz) vegetable broth
salt and pepper
3 cups grated pepper Jack cheese (I used "Fiesta Blend, which includes pepper Jack")!
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
10 oz frozen corn kernels, thawed
6 scallions, thinly sliced
Tortillas (I used 12- the recipe called for corn tortillas, but i used flour ones instead)

1 . Make Sauce. In medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon (I added 2) cumin, the flour, and tomato paste; cook, whisking, for 1 minute (for me, it formed a ball). Whisk in vegetable broth and 3/4 cup water (it took a while for me to fully incorporate the clumpy ball of flour and spices into the liquid). Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer, and cook slightly until slightly thickened, 5-8 minutes (um.... I kind of got distracted and it went for 10-15 minutes). Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. Make Filling. In large boal, combine 2 cups cheese, spinach, corn, scallion whites, 1 teaspoon cumin, salt, pepper. Mix well.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil two baking dishes (she says to use 8-inch squares, but I used the 9*12 glass ones that I use make lasagna).

4. Stack tortillas on plate and wrap in damp paper towels. Heat on high for 1 minute.

5. Top each tortilla with 1 and 1/2 standard ice cream scoops of filling, roll them up tightly, and arrange (seam side down) in dishes.

6. Sprinkle enchiladas with remaining cup cheese, and top with sauce.

7. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Cool 5 minutes, garnish with green scallions (if you remember) and serve.

Next thing you know, you'll have some pretty happy dinner guests (Dre, Shobhaa, and me)!

Shobhaa & Dre: Come back soon!!!

Dog Sitting Dinner

2009-09-05T07:03:00.000-07:00

Attendees: Peanut, Debbie, & Vixen
Appetizer: Spinach Dip Duo with Pumpernickel
Entree: Tomato and Corn Pie
Side: Mixed greens with Parmesan Crisps
Dessert: Peaches in Sauternes

We suspected that the "adult reception" immediately following the ceremony meant that puppies weren't allowed, so we were pressed to decide what to do with little Bindi for the night? Luckily we've got friends like Vixen, who enthusiastically agreed to spend the night and look after our little girl. To show her the ropes, and offer our thanks, we had her over for a vegetarian feast. And since I was making a veg dinner, I invited Debbie to join our soiree.

You can't, and don't need to, make everything you serve at a dinner party! Peanut bought a pumpernickel loaf from Firehook and two kinds of spinach dip from Whole Foods. I went 70's suburban (my favorite genre) and carved two holes in the loaf to create a fun way to serve.

My very simple salad: mixed greens with red onion and cucumber served on a homemade Parmesan crisp ....

Since I was so busy at work, I was a bit trepidatious about making the tomato corn pie from August's Gourmet. But when Deb said it was easy, I decided "why not?"! Now, I'm a beginner so I did try to do as told and rolled out the biscuit pie crust between two sheets of plastic. The top and bottom plastic wrap stuck to each other, so for the top half of the pie I took Deb's advice and simply rolled it out on a floured surface, which was much easier.

Mine did not look nearly as pretty as Deb's, but I imagine it tasted just as good. YUM!

And given that it was a biscuit pie crust, I thought it best to keep it on the light and juicy side for dessert. I served peaches in Sauternes, one of Peanut's favorites.

Another Summer Birthday Cupcake!

2009-08-05T15:32:00.001-07:00

One thing that I have learned since teaching myself how to cook is that you don't always have to try new things. Experimenting with variations on something you know works is usually a good idea. So when I decided to take cupcakes to Mariah's birthday party, I stuck with what I knew: Ina's chocolate cupcakes topped with Sprinkle's strawberry frosting. I have previously substituted the "strawberry" with "raspberry", though for Mariah it was organic cherry! (Thousands of miles away, it looks like Rosie and I were in the same frame of mind.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARIAH!!!

Fire Island: Part II

2009-07-27T04:50:00.001-07:00

Just to recap: Threebs and Little Bird invited us to spend the weekend on Fire Island!!!

Meal Number Four: Saturday Evening Dinner
Conceived by: Rajeev

I had planned to grill Portabella Mushroom burgers, but to our dismay we discovered that the grill was out of gas by Saturday night. Ever resourceful though a tad disappointed, we decided to just fry up the portabellas 'em. Threebs decided that ketchup was an unworthy condiment so whipped up some homemade aioli.

Which we ate with some oven-roasted potatoes (not shown) and, as an ode to my mother, some Panzanella.

I knew that I didn't want to bake at the beach, so for dessert I served ginger spiced cookies I had baked on Thursday night before we left.

Meal Number Five: Sunday Morning Breakfast
Conceived by: Threebs

Threebs had planned a delicious breakfast plate for Sunday with some protein to counteract the carb-loaded meals in my repertoire. We woke up to enjoy dressed-up scrambled eggs served with a fire-y tomato chutney. OK, fine- we couldn't keep it completely carb-free: we had toast and some leftover potatoes, too.

Oh, yeah.... and that blueberry coffee cake I made. Whoops!

Meal Number Six: Sunday Lunch
Conceived by: Threebs

Threebs made a delicious salad trio: Three bean salad, beat & mint, and tomato & peach. Unfortunately, we were too depressed about leaving Fire Island to remember to take pictures! So we ate as we cleaned, and soon enough we were on the ferry back to the main land.

A weekend with amazing food... not the main point of the weekend away, but definitely an added plus to spending quality time with people (and pets!) you love!!!

Fire Island: Part I

2009-07-27T04:45:00.000-07:00

Threebs and Little Bird invited Peanut and me to spend the weekend with them on Fire Island! We left Friday morning and came back Sunday afternoon... which means, that Threebs and I had to plan out a total of six meals! And not (an affordable) grocery store on the island. So we planned, we prepped, and got ourselves on the ferry!

Meal Number One: Friday Night Dinner
Conceived by: Threebs

She was a bit nervous about grilling pizzas but Threebs is never one to be intimidated by a challenge, especially one that's culinary. Peanut was beside her to offer help or just help boost confidence at the grill.

First up: Manchego, truffle oil, and cremini mushrooms.

Next: Margherita (Tomato, garlic, and mozzarella)

And finally: Caprese with pesto, mozzarella, and her own home-grown tomatoes!!!

She served the pizzas with a fennel and arugula salad, and some sauteed broccolini. A delicious start to the weekend!

Meal Number Two: Saturday Morning Breakfast
Conceived by: Rajeev

Peanut and I overloaded on blueberries at two separate farmer's markets, so I decided to keep it simple and delicious with some homemade blueberry muffins. (Threebs even prepared some blueberry smoothies to accompany them).

And we were off to the beach!

Meal Number Three: Saturday Lunch, on the beach
Conceived by: Rajeev

Light, fresh, and delicious was my inspiration. Add some Bulgar wheat, lemon juice, scallions, mint, parsley, and feta and you have yourself a perfect tabbouleh for lunch, served with pita. (Threebs, of course, had the perfect accompaniment: baby carrots, hummus, and olives).

Saturday Afternoon Cocktail Conceived by: Threebs

The girl can do no wrong! What better way to end the day on the beach then with some fresh cucumber, mint, and lemon to accent the perfect Pimm's Cup. I kid you not: the entire beach was jealous.

Stay Tuned for the remainder of the weekend's fabulous meals!!!

Javier's Birthday Cupcakes

2009-07-12T05:48:00.000-07:00

His request was simple: yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting. But after a late, late night Friday and a full day of hiking in Great Falls on Saturday, I did the unthinkable for Javier's birthday and used cake mix! Hopefully you won't write me off- I did make my own milk chocolate frosting!

Rumor has it he still enjoyed them:

Happy Birthday, Javier!!!

Phew! I'm back

2009-07-09T05:17:00.000-07:00

Mountie was coming over to meet with Peanut to discuss his new kitchen design, Sven was in town from Uganda, and I had just finished two exhausting months at work. In addition, peaches and tomatoes are in season!

Sounds like the right combination to get me back in the kitchen!

Attendees: Sven, Peanut, and Mountie
Cocktail: Vodka martinis
Appetizer: Cheese and crackers
Main Course: Pork loin with tomato and peach compote
Side: Rice with fennel and golden raisins
Dessert: Pitango

I kept drinks simple, this time, with a nice vodka martini.

Patrick's brother got me a subscription to Gourmet for Christmas- I chose the main course, Peanut chose the side. What's better is that I didn't even start cooking until 8 pm, and dinner was literally on the table at 8:45. A testament to my culinary proficiency? Or just an easy recipe?

I'm saving my baking muster for Javier's 32nd birthday cupcakes on Saturday (granted, the request- yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting- shouldn't be too hard to fill ). While Sven went back to his hotel after dinner, Peanut, Mountie and I enjoyed a summer stroll to the overpriced gelateria, Pitango, that recently opened around the corner from us. Thanks, Mountie!

Yabba Dabba Do!

2009-05-05T16:38:00.000-07:00

Attendees: Levi, Christy, Big D, Gregory, and Peanut
Cocktails: Blood Orange Margaritas
Main Course: Braised Lamb Shanks
Side #1: Glazed Pearl Onions and Grapes
Side #2: Swiss Chard Tart with Goat Cheese, Currants, and Pine Nuts
Dessert: Lemon Cake with Candied Fennel

For Christmas, Peanut's brother got me (among other things) a subscription to Gourmet, and I realized in April that I was already at my third issue but that I had yet to make anything from the past two! So, we invited Levi and Christy, and Big D and Gregory, who were all eager to taste my cooking but, more importantly, meet Bindi.

I didn't get everything from Gourmet. I had been dying to try Suzanne Goin's swiss chard tart for a while, mainly because I still have dried currants and pine nuts from a past culinary expedition. The pictures of my tart turned out amazingly awful, but it looked something like this and like most of her recipes, it was delicious.

The problem when making a dish from Gourmet, and then taking a picture of it, is that it will never look quite as good as it does in the magazine. The picture in the magazine of glazed pearl onions and grapes looked simply exquisite and, to be frank, I basically created the entire meal around this side dish. It was good, not great, though I think that had to do more with my preparation and ingredients than the recipe. This is something I will definitely try again.
=

For the main course, it was time to break out Geoffrey Zakarian's cookbook to make his braised lamb shanks. True: they take 3 hours to make; true: you look like Fred Flinstone eating them. But the meat does fall of the bone, and they were quite good.

The meal!

Peanut loves a lemon dessert, and fennel might just be my favorite vegetable, so this dessert was essentially created for us. I LOVED this cake - in my opinion, it's one of the tastiest desserts I have ever made. I served it with some fresh whipped cream on the side. It's also from Gourmet, and I would strongly encourage you to make it TONIGHT.

And now, I am going to sleep, like my girl did the entire time we were eating.

How long ago was Easter, anyway?

2009-04-29T19:56:00.000-07:00

I was about to post pics from our dinner party on Sunday when I turned on my camera and realized that I forgot to post some from Easter! I didn't make any meals, but was invited to a brunch (at Rick and Jack's) and dinner (at Mountie's)- so I made biscuits (for brunch) and Peanut made a Brownie Mocha Torte for Mountie's dinner.

My cheddar buttermilk biscuits...

... which went well with the main course Rick, Jack, and Violet's Friend, prepared.

They even had an Easter Egg hunt, which I totally won (thanks to Peanut)!!!

My prize for winning, which I divided evenly for all guests to take home (but took the portion with the most Peeps).

Sadly, I didn't get a group shot, but did get this super cute one of Peanut with Bindi and Fiona!

A few hours later, while I napped, Peanut got to work in the kitchen and dazzled everyone at Mountie's dinner with a delicious Brownie Mocha Torte!

OK- I'll post Sunday's dinner pics tomorrow... maybe.

THIS is what you call a THROWDOWN!!!

2009-04-07T18:48:00.000-07:00

Attendees: Jack, Motorcycle, Rick, Anni-Frid, Peanut, & our chef: Zero
Appetizer: Lion's Head Meatballs
Salad: Mesclun salad
Main course: Stuffed cod with crab meat, served over whipped garlic mashed potatoes, Green Beans with Caramelized Red Onions, almonds and mushrooms.
Dessert: Mini Mile High Pie & a cup of dirty coffee

Zero had us over for dinner on Sunday night for a very special "Throwdown." As he explained to us at the beginning of dinner, a Throwdown is a family tradition in which a person surprises someone near and dear to him by inviting friends over for a minimum four course meal. The job of the person hosting the Throwdown is to show his/her appreciation by preparing, cooking, serving and even cleaning for that special person in his/her life and their guests. A Throwdown is so exhausting that one never has time to eat during this time period.

So why were we invited? Zero and Anni-Frid were celebrating 12 years of bliss together, and our company was Zero's gift to Anni-Frid!

Zero started the Throwdown by serving Lion's Head Meatballs, made with ground turkey and prepared with coconut milk, curry and soy sauce, garnished with mango and cantaloupe.

Next course was a mesclun salad with feta cheese, watermelon, peanuts and dried cranberries served with balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil

Not the best picture of our main course, which featured baked cod stuffed with crab meat. Peanut doesn't eat seafood, which meant more for Motorcycle!

I, specifically, loved the dirty coffee that came next. Then again, how can you not like coffee served with Bally’s Irish Cream & chocolate?

And for dessert: Mini-Mile High Pie (Amaretto soaked angel food cake, vanilla bean ice cream, and honey oat granola) served with drizzled chocolate and butterscotch.

A tradition where someone cooks for me and my company is considered the gift? I like this Throwdown-thing!

Even Canadians Get Old... er

2009-03-30T04:42:00.001-07:00

Attendees: Peanut, Sparkles, George, Mountie, Cliff, Baker, and Eliza (who took the picture)
Cocktail: Champagne!
Hors d'oeuvre: Olive bar
Appetizer: Cheese Fondue
Main Course: Devil's Chicken Thighs with Mustard
Side: Braised Leeks
Dessert: Chocolate Fondue

When Mountie told me it was his birthday, I was aghast. I can't believe that Canadians get old. Well, I guess it's up to me to make sure they do it gracefully. And what's more graceful than a Sunday night dinner party with a main course from my new favorite, Sunday Suppers at Lucques?

Eliza came over early to help me prepare and with our hors d'oeuvre, an olive bar featuring olives and my new favorite red peppers (this coming from someone who doesn't even like peppers)! But we didn't get a picture! (Coincidentally, K-Dog and her family came over for brunch on Saturday and I forgot to document the entire meal! I guess I was just too excited to see her)!

Back to Mountie's dinner: We did get snapshots of the rest of the meal, beginning with the cheese fondue appetizer. For some reason, I thought it would be something Mountie would enjoy, which he did.

For the main course, I made devil's chicken thighs. To make, one marinates thighs overnight in some vermouth and fresh herbs, pan fries them to brown, rubs them in a mustard and herb base, covers them with fresh bread crumbs, and bakes on top of the braised leeks (below). Peanut told me that they exceeded his expectations. Anyone who knows Peanut knows that that's about as good a complement as you can expect!

My new favorite way to prepare leeks: braised (they don't look pretty but they tasted damn good)!

We all decided that Baker had the prettiest plate:

And to take the meal full circle, I served chocolate fondue for dessert.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOUNTIE!

P.S.: I almost forgot! It was one of my colleagues birthdays on Friday, so I made a dozen of Ina's chocolate ganache cupcakes to help her celebrate!

One Year Younger

2009-03-22T13:24:00.001-07:00

Attendees: Gop, Peach, Belle, Bean, Sheik, Dolly, Beat, Nico, & Peanut
Appetizers: Chips and Dip
Main Course: Lobster Rolls (Hot Dogs/Mac & Cheese for the little ones; Italian Sausage for Peanut!)
Side A: Spicy Sweet Potato & Celery Root Fries
Side B: Old-Fashioned Carrot Salad
Dessert: Birthday Cake (White cake with white chocolate frosting)
Take-Home Dessert: PB&J Bars

My brothers are born one year and a few days apart, so I decided to host them and their families over for an early dinner (to accommodate the little ones)-joint birthday celebration! And what better way to celebrate springtime than a trip to the fish market!

This is DC in the spring, however, which means that every weekend there is some sort of marathon or festival or walk-a-thon that closes roads- and makes chores that should last 30-minutes take an hour and a half. But, I suppose, the lobster rolls I served made it worth the effort!

I've been dying to try celery root, and when I saw Sunny Anderson make spicy celery root and sweet potato fries, I decided that I had to make them, too, and they proved to be a great accompaniment to the rolls.

The scene-stealer, however, was Ina's old fashioned carrot salad, with pepper to add heat and pineapple and golden raisins as fun, sweet surprises!

Some of the guests, however, preferred other options:

I busted out the "Baked" cookbook again because I really like their way to make buttercream. The "White Out" cake is a white cake with white chocolate buttercream. I even used a pastry bag to add some elegant decorative touches.

And so that they had something sweet on Sunday, I sent everyone home with some baked comfort: Ina's PB&J bars!

It was hard to get a picture of everyone, but here is a bunch of us, without Dolly, Bean, and Peanut (who was taking the picture)!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GOP AND SHEIK!

Me with My Ladies

2009-03-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

Attendees: Betty & Vixen
Cocktail: Juice of a few flowers
Appetizer: Stilton & Quince, Crackers & Bread
Entree: Spring Vegetable Risotto
Side: Salad with warm mushrooms
Dessert: Semifredo with Rhubarb Compote

It was high time Vixen took a break from hanging out with those Dogs in Virgina and meet Bindi for herself! I took it upon myself to invite Betty over, too. I met Betty last weekend at our Budokon workshop. When I saw that girl punch through a wooden board, I knew she had to be my new best friend.

Peanut had no idea what these were when i brought them home:

Typically Ina's cocktails rock, but Juice of a Few Flowers was a bit tart for my guests. But I did feel inspired using an edible flower as garnish.

Stilton is a pretty mild bleu cheese, and I thought it would be fun to pair it with quince. But, again, not a huge hit. See, I miss every now and again.

Thank god the rest of the meal was good! Risotto isn't the best idea for a dinner party, unless you don't mind putting your guests to work. I knew Vixen was up for the challenge.

What an awesome way to celebrate spring! (OK, fine, it's not spring yet).

Another Ina showstopper: a bed of arugula, topped with a slice of prosciutto, sauteed mushrooms, sundried tomato, and a chunk of parmesean. This salad is perfect for those vegetarian friends of yours who eat bacon (not that I have any of those... well, except for those two).

For dessert: I splurged the other day and bought for myself Sunday Suppers at Lucques (which, btw, has the prettiest cover for a cookbook ever). I think that Semifredo may be my new favorite dessert- it's essentially whipped cream mixed with custard and then frozen to resemble a cake. I served it with fresh rhubarb compote.

And Vixen took this amazing, iceberg looking shot:

RSVP to Peanut?

2009-03-15T19:09:00.001-07:00

Attendees: George, Cliff, and who is that other beauty in their arms?
Main: A Roast
Side: Salad and oven-baked rosemary french fries
Dessert: LL's Chocolate Chip Bars

So, I joined the ranks of Budokon sensei's last weekend at a 3-day training workshop. I made new friends, saw some fierce folks break boards, and did lots and lots of Budokon! I was surprised, then, when Peanut invited George and Cliff over for dinner on Saturday night. He knew I wasn't going to be there to help out- what did he have up his sleave?

If there's one kitchen appliance Peanut enjoys, it's his mandoline; one of his favorite flavor combinations? Olive oil and rosemary.

If you have ever eaten with me you know that there are only two things I don't care for: olives and raw peppers. But, Peanut likes the latter and since he was in charge, featured some yellow and red bells in his salad.

Ah.... the main course: A perfectly prepared roast!

When I came home from my Budokon workshop, Peanut told me that I was responsible for one thing: dessert. He had the recipe and ingredients for a lemon creme brulee ready for me. And in the middle of making the custard, in my dazed state, I remembered: these will take at least 4-hours to chill. Good thing my mother had sent some homemade chocolate chip bars earlier that week, which were a HIT (and we had the creme brullee the next day)!

And now, for that beauty you saw above? Peanut and I got a puppy! Bindi, who brings so much joy to our lives, our home... and our dinner parties!

HOT

2009-03-08T20:09:00.000-07:00

Oh, to be young again. It's my dear friend Del's 25th birthday on Tuesday, so Javier and some friends had a party this weekend in his honor. My gift was the cake, and he said that the idea of a red velvet cake (w/out the red food coloring) with cinnamon buttercream frosting (care of my new cookbook) sounded appealing.

I decorated it with the suggested cinnamon imperials, using the one word that best describes Del.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEL!

Two Batches from Baked!

2009-02-25T17:05:00.000-08:00

Mom: I have a confession to make. A long time ago you bought butterscotch chips that you put in the kitchen pantry. When you looked for them to make what you had planned, they were nowhere to be found. I confess: I had found them earlier, ate a few handfuls, and then hid the bag so that you wouldn't see what I had done. I just couldn't resist.

So.... is it any surprise that the first thing i made from the Baked cookbook Peanut got me for Valentines was the Baked Bar, when the primary ingredients are butterscotch, white chocolate, and semisweet chocolate chips?

And when these ingredients are baked in a graham cracker crust mixed with toasted coconut?

That pleased the masses at both the Oscar party we went to Sunday night and Anabelle's welcome back office party?

So, Mom: I apologize. And Peanut: Thank you. And to everyone else:
Just wait till you see what's in store!

Working Dinner

2009-02-16T05:38:00.000-08:00

Attendees: Larry, Peanut, Guy, and Miguel
Appetizer: Eggplant, mint, and yogurt dip with flatbread
Main Course: Tourtiere
Side: Frisee salad with onion and dates
Appertif: Ice wine
Dessert: Creme a la Coeur

It's no secret that Peanut's got mad skills, and our friends Guy and Larry definitely took note. When the three of them had to get together for a meeting, Peanut suggested that they come over to our place and that I would make dinner. While I've made dinner for these boys before, it's quite daunting- you see, Guy is a pretty fantastic cook. Since he was coming directly from his hockey game, I was inspired to make this fellow Canuck a main course from his homeland: a tourtiere! To our delight, they brought along our friend Miguel, who was in town from Mexico!

But to start- I was inspired by a recipe by Nigella Lawson that required roasting an eggplant that was then cooked with onions and garlic, mixed with some Greek yogurt and saffron, and topped with mint and toasted pine nuts (served with flatbread).

A tourtiere is a peasant dish from Quebec- a meat pie filled with a mixture of ground pork and beef and seasoned with onions, sage, and ground cloves. I even made my own pastry!

A coworker brought me some dates from her travels in the Middle East that I wanted to incorporate into a salad. I served frisee with a dressing made of a bit of bacon grease, some honey and red wine vinegar, tossed with onions and chopped dates and topped with crumbled goat cheese, walnuts, and bacon bits.

And for dessert- well, it was Valentine's Day on Saturday, so I decided to move the spirit forward a day with a simple, and decadent, Creme a la Coeur, which we served with some Canadian Ice Wine as an appertif.

Battle Berry

2009-02-15T11:51:00.000-08:00

Violet's Friend talks a good talk- she was eager to challenge the winner of BATTLE: CINDY to her own tinfoil chef. Since Rick beat me, I (with Cindy's help) got to choose the secret ingredient. At 11 o'clock AM, Rick and Violet's Friend got a text from me with one word: BERRY. They had 8 hours to shop and make 3 courses.

Rick's signature to a meal is to start things off with a cocktail- for this challenge, he chose a gin blossom martini (passion fruit liquor added to classic gin, distilled from roots, berries, and licorice).

His first course was a wheatberry salad with currant (double berry!), while Violet's friend made a delicious prosciutto & mozzarella bruschetta, topped with a dried cranberry (that I somehow forgot to 'document')!

Next, was Violet's Friends crispy duck breast served with a raspberry glaze on a bed of wilted kale (that was SO good)!

For his main course, Rick made a loin top steak in juniper berry cream sauce and hash browns.

Violet's friend then surprised us with her own cocktail: Raspberry Stoli with a Rose floater (shown here with Jack).

And here's a close-up of that dessert: Violet's Friend made chocolate cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting and a raspberry compote.

Rick, however, brought down the house with his blueberry and orange layer cake with cream cheese frosting.

Final Verdict: Rick- 150 points, Violet's Friend- 145! Rick won... AGAIN! And then HE RETIRED FROM TINFOIL CHEF!!! Here's Violet's Friend re-enacting Giada's face when Rachel Ray beat her in Iron Chef:

Then I decided to start playing with my camera and took these artistic shots:

Who's up next?

Birthdays in the workplace

2009-02-07T07:54:00.000-08:00

It was two of my colleagues' birthdays last week, so I brought in cupcakes to help celebrate! I knew that chocolate raspberry was the way to go, but since I couldn't find a recipe, I had to make one up! The frosting was especially tangy... and delicious!

I also gave the Birthday Girls a few cupcakes to take home, which one shared with her cute daughter!

Finally: A RECIPE!!!

2009-02-01T06:14:00.000-08:00

Attendees: James, Planter, Cliff, Peanut, and George
Cocktail: French martini
Hors D'oeuvre: Gougeres (cheese puffs)
Main Course: Boeuf Bourguignon
Side: Escarole salad with pickled onions
Dessert: Meringues Chantilly

Peanut and I spent a fantastic holiday with LL and Pit in San Miguel, Mexico. Our friends James & Planter frequently go there, and they helped us prepare for the trip. So we had them, and Cliff and George, over for dinner. And though I had initially thought I would take advantage of the $1 avocados at Whole Foods and prepare a Mexican fiesta, it's SO COLD in DC-all I could think of was how badly I wanted some Boeuf Bourguignon!

I think that every family has a staple dish- something that, generally, the entire family enjoys and even finds comfort in. Chili, mac and cheese, gnocchi- these are some possibilities. But growing up with a Canadian mother in cold Buffalo, NY, our family staple was my mother's Boeuf Bourguignon. It's a bit time-consuming to prepare, but totally worth it: and I have decided to heed your requests and give you all our family recipe (see end of post)!

But, let's start at the beginning: french martini. As a lover of most French foods, it was only a matter of time before I had to get the good stuff. Peanut looked at what I had been previously substituting for Chambord (Cassis) and asked: "really?" The cocktail is made with 1-part Chambord, 3-parts vodka, and 4-parts pineapple juice.

I LOVE gougeres, but I have messed these up so bad in the past that I am somewhat afraid to make them. Yesterday, however, was a success!

Deb over at Smitten Kitchen promised me that the escarole salad with pickled red onions was worth it, and it was. Peanut and I pickled the red onions overnight, and the result was very fresh and tasty- a perfect complement to the main course.

Ahhh.... the main course: Boeuf Bourguignon!

And to round out the meal: I woke up early Saturday morning to make meringues nests:

Which I served on a puddle of raspberry sauce, filled with fresh whipped cream, and topped with a raspberry. Really- how could you go wrong?

Always a good sign at the end of a meal: empty plates (and empty wine glasses, too)!

And now I present to you: our family recipe for...
Boeuf Bourguignon! (Adapted from Time Life'sCookings of Provincial France, (C) 1973!)
Step 1: Prepare the onions.
1/2 lb bacon
1 T butter
18-24 pearl onions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Place the onions in boiling water for two minutes, then remove to an ice bath. This makes peeling them easier: cut of the root, then push the onion out (see video depcition here).
3. Dice the bacon as soon as it comes out of the fridge. In a heavy 8-10 inch skillet, melt the butter and fry the bacon pieces until crispy. Remove to a plate covered with a paper towel to drain.
4. Lightly brown the onions in the skillet with the bacon grease over moderate high heat- shake the pan to color the onions as evenly as possible. With a slotted spoon, transfer the onions to a shallow baking dish that will hold them in a single layer, sprinkle with 3 T of the bacon grease, and place in oven for 30 minutes, until barely tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Set aside.

Step 2: Prepare the mushrooms.
3 T butter
3/4 lb mushrooms

1. Rub the mushrooms to clean them with a damp paper towel. Cut into quarters (if large), halves (if medium), or keep whole (if small; I used organic, Pennsylvania-grown cremini mushrooms, which varied in size).
2. In a separate stainless still skillet, melt the butter. When the foam subsides, add the mushrooms, tossing frequently for 2-3 minutes, until slightly soft. Add to the cooked onions and set aside.

Step 3: Prepare the meat.
3 lb lean boneless chuck or rump, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 bouquet garni (4 parsley sprigs and 1 bay leaf, tied together)
2 T chopped shallots
3/4 cup carrots, peeled and sliced thin
3 T flour
1 cup beef stock
2 cups red burgundy
1 T tomato paste
1 t chopped garlic
1 t dried thyme
1 t salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 french baguette
2 T chopped fresh parsley

1. Do yourself a HUGE favor and chop and measure everything out in advance. To save prep bowls, combine shallots and carrots in one bowl; garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper in another bowl.
2. Pour the bacon grease in a bowl, leaving for a thin layer in the pan. Heat over moderately-high heat, until the grease is almost smoking. Carefully begin browning the beef chunks on all sides in the grease (4-5 chunks at a time so as not to crowd the pan, adding more grease as needed). When all sides are browned, remove with tongues to a heavy, flame and oven-proof 4-6 quart casserole. Continue with all the meat, and hide the bouquet garni within the browned beef.
3. Start heating the beef stock in a separate pot.
4. After all the beef is browned, reduce heat to low and add the shallots and carrots to the pan, stirring frequently until they are colored.
5. Add the flour to the carrots & shallots, and stir continuously until the flour browned, but not burned!
6. Take off heat, cool for a moment, add hot/warmed beef stock, blending vigorously with a whisk.
7. Return to heat- blend in wine and tomato paste, continuing to blend continuously with the whisk until the mixture boils (it should thicken when you're doing this)
8. Add garlic, thyme, sauteed bacon bits, salt and pepper
9. Pour entire mixture over beef- it should almost (but not quite) cover the beef- add more beef stock/wine if needed. Bring to a boil.
10. Cover tightly and transfer to the 350-degree oven for 2-3 hours, until beef is tender when pierced (yesterday, 2-hours was all it took)!
11. When done, add mushroom and onion mixture to the beef, mix gently with a large spoon, and return to oven for 15-minutes.
12. Prepare your bowls by placing a slice of french baguette in each:

13. Remove from oven, take out bouquet garni, and ladle into bowls... and enjoy!

Battle Cindy

2009-01-19T05:57:00.001-08:00

After Rick beat Cindy in the last Tinfoil Chef, he was supposed to next go up against Violet's Friend. But then Cindy's man, J.G.G., asked for a surprise birthday tinfoil chef challenge featuring "Cindy's Favorite Things" on Saturday, Violet's friend had to work, so I was roped in to challenge Rick. This was all, of course, much to Peanut's chagrin. I decided that rather than try to remember Cindy's favorite foods, I would go with a thematic approach and prepare dishes that reminded me of her, her past, and her personality. Here were my feature raw ingredients:

Cindy has a very... um... embarrassing? no... vibrant... past, that includes re-enacting the Civil War. So, the first thing I made Saturday morning was some hardtack.

This is a very hard and dry bread that Civil War soldiers ate during battle, and looks like this:

But, that was served only after Peanut and I transported all of our food to Rick and Jack's house, and started the evening off by making Cindy a Flirtini (should be obvious why I chose this drink- it's made with 2 parts champagne, 2 parts pineapple juice, and 1 part vodka- Rick made sangria, but I forgot to take a picture!!!):

For my appetizer, I served Shrimp Bisque. Why does this remind me of Cindy? Well, it was the appetizer she made when she beat me at the first tinfoil chef almost a year ago. I served the hardtack with the bisque.

Rick, on the other hand, started things off with a with his own muffaletta (a sandwich native to New Orleans), with his own homemade muffaletta bread and a small cup of delicious French onion soup!

On her actual birthday, Cindy and I had drinks together at Rick's place of employ where we discussed, among other things, our support for the Palestinians in Gaza. I decided to break out my Axis of Evil Cookbook and make a traditional Palestinian dish: Maqlubeh, which is an upside-down meat and vegetable rice casserole made with lamb, zucchini, peppers, and cauliflower and is quite delicious!

Rick, on the other hand, pulled a true Cindy and made quite an amazing citrus infused pork loin.

Then came dessert. Rick bought special materials and made (i.e., deep-fried!!!) cannoli's.

This is where I begin to suspect foul play- look who helped him fill the cannoli's?

I, on the other hand, took a more... low-key (?) approach and make Cindy a dessert that I thought she would especially enjoy: dirt. This is the famed dish of layered Oreo crumbs and vanilla pudding, with gummy worms throughout, served in a flower pot, and decorated with homemade flowers:

The Result? I lost. Again. BY FIFTY POINTS! And before you think I was shafted because it was hosted at Rick's while I had to transport everything, Jack made it clear that I lost mostly in the taste category. Phew! That was a relief (yes- that was a hint of sarcasm). I didn't get a pic of all of the judges who conspired against me, but please give a hard time to at least the following culprits:

ZERO:

ANNI-FRID & PEANUT:

LADY, EMILY, & EMILY'S PARENTS:

Cupcakes are SO 2008

2009-01-01T07:18:00.000-08:00

Before they become passe, & with Mountie's help, Peanut and I decided to have some folks over to ring in the New Year with cupcakes and cocktails (not that I expect the latter to go out of fashion any time soon). We started making them Tuesday night: Peanut couldn't have been happier:

Javier came over in the afternoon, after we went to the gym, to lend a helping hand. He described putting the glaze on the mini marscapone cupcakes like "painting a doll house, uh..., I mean, toy plane".

I named each of the seven cupcakes after a particularly person, and came up with labels to help describe them. For example, the "Classically Cliff" are chocolate with vanilla frosting. It looked like this:

And so, we had (in NO particular order, though Peanut claims his were the crowd favorite):

1. Peanut's Petit Fours: Marscapone with strawberry glaze

2. Holy Javier!: Banana with maple glaze

3. Classically Cliff: Chocolate with vanilla frosting

4. DJ Double D's Delight: Chocolate Orange with Limoncello frosting:

5. Martin's Missed Maturity: Vanilla cake with fresh strawberry frosting baked in an ice cream cone

6. Jack's Joy: Red velvet with cream cheese frosting

7. Mountie's Maple Mayhem: Pumpkin with maple cream cheese frosting.

I was too slow to get pics of the other folk who brought cupcakes, though think there was a peanut butter theme: Thanks Mountie, Lady & Emily, Billy & Scarlet, and Gregory & Big D!

And then, we popped the bubbly!

PARTY PICS!!!

I can't believe Martin actually posed like this :

So I quickly had to call on Vixen to de-nerdify my camera.

Peanut designated himself as bartender (with Tom with his sexy new stache in the background)

I was happy to be called upon to introduce our international guests to the concept of cupcakes: Jean Claude with Mountie.

Guy with my gym buddy Lou, who's still looking good even though I'm not there to crack the whip!

I was forced to pose like this for this picture to prove that I was wearing JEANS, not TIGHTS.

I was so lucky to have THREE of my yoga teachers in attendance! Anni-Frid with yoga teacher TranquilTim.

Yoga teachers 2 & 3: Billy and Scarlet.

Where's Peanut? Javier and Ozzie.

George and Cliff- sad that I didn't make coconut cupcakes, they found an alternative.

Dancing with Anni-Frid and Agnetha!!!

Cute pic of Lance and Charles:

A riddle: Which of these three people actually has a twin but has been previously confused as MY twin? Emily, Lady, and Zero:

Sparkles couldn't find any Whitney Houston on my iPod to dance to :(

How adorable! Whitey and James:

Peanut sandwiched by Anni-Frid and "wishes he could cook, and dance, better than me" Zero (as in, Zero Mostel).

Larry and Guy leaving:

So, the doorbell rang after everyone had left. I was still happy to see my boys Wesley and Elmer!

May 2009 be filled with many more dinner parties with family and friends!

A week before Christmas, Peanut was born!

2008-12-18T21:15:00.000-08:00

Attendees: Martin, Jake, Athena, Julio, Simon, & Peanut (Gop stopped by to wish Peanut a happy birthday, too)
Cocktail: Manhattan
Hors D'Oeuvres: BLT Dip
Appetizer: French onion soup with Parmesan croutons
Main Course: Rib Eyes with Bearnaise Sauce
Side: Vegetable Tian
Dessert: Baba au Rhum

I can't count how many times Peanut's birthday celebration plans have been thwarted by bars closed for private Christmas parties. Although I may not have had much to worry about this year, I wasn't going to chance it. I would host an extravagant dinner party for him and some of his nearest and dearest!

Gop was in the 'hood and stopped by to wish him a happy birthday, too- and got a cupcake out of it, too!

I was so frazzled, though, that my food pictures aren't that good. Julio and Simon's gal pal Noel had us over for drinks a while back and made a BLT dip that Patrick loved, so I decided to copy her. It's a dip flavored with bacon and sun dried tomatoes, that I even served in a hallowed out iceberg lettuce head, per her suggestion.

He wanted French onion soup as an appetizer, which required that I saute 2 and 1/2 pounds of sliced onions.

Instead of a layer of thick Gruyere and soaked bread, which i typically find too heavy, I served it with finely grated Parmesan...

and some homemade Parmesan croutons:

Mmmmm..........

The side course that was requested was a Vegetable Tian, which is a layer of (more) sliced onions, covered by delicately placed sliced tomatoes, zucchini, and potatoes, and midway through baking, covered with some finely shredded Gruyere. In raw form, it looks something like this:

This is the second time I tried to make Bernaise sauce, one of my favorite ways to eat steak, and I do think that I am getting better. Be forewarned, though: It's somewhat of a cumbersome process and can't really be made too much in advance. I was so tired by this point that all you get is this blurry photo.

But I woke up again when it was time for cake! Patrick and I have really fun memories of enjoying Baba au Rhum when we were in Paris and the waiter brought us the bottle of rum syrup with the cake. I wanted to recreate that, and I did so in four stages of excitement:

First Stage of Excitement: The cake rose (those are rum-soaked currants)!

Second Stage of Excitement: It came out of the kugelhopf mold with ease!

Third Stage of Excitement: Martin artfully displayed the candles (note the whipped cream in the middle)!

Fourth Stage of Excitement: Presentation!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PEANUT!

Grad School Gaggle

2008-12-14T20:37:00.000-08:00

Attendees: [Peanut], Ayopie, DJDoubleD
Cocktails: Pomegranate Cosmos
Appetizers: Pepper and Gorgonzola Bruschetta
Main Course: Dinner Spanakopita
Side: Caramelized Shallots and Salad
Dessert: Pumpkin Roulade with Ginger Buttercream

Thank god a year didn't go by without having Ayopie and DJDoubleD over for dinner. These are some of the coolest cats on the planet: Ayopie helped keep me sane during my grad school stint in Balmer, and DJDoubleD has helped keep me sane in DC ever since I moved back! I love having these two in my life, and what a perfect time to celebrate!

Preparation for tonight's dinner started mid-day with some feta:

That was incorporated into the filling for the spanakopita (a fun main course for a vegetarian dinner party)!

But, I'm getting ahead of myself. We started with a delicious bruschetta (no tomatoes AND gorgonzola? Count me SOLD!)

For a side, I thought I would try something different. The Contessa's caramelized shallots won rave reviews.

I love the taste of pumpkin, but actually don't enjoy the consistency of a pumpkin pie. So, when I saw the Contessa's recipe for a pumpkin roulade, I though: why not? It did NOT disappoint- this should be the new holiday staple! A special shout out to DJDoubleD, who was an integral part of the the presentation.

L.L. sent new place mats to Peanut for his birthday on Thursday (stay tuned)! They were immediately put to use.

An Early Christmas

2008-12-14T20:26:00.001-08:00

Curl-y sent me a cookbook for my birthday in which she SWORE by the recipes on page 94: Banana Cream and Chip Muffins.

So, when my brothers and I decided to celebrate Christmas a few days early, I decided I would give them a shot.

Moist a delicious-- Curly-y was right! Here's a pic of Belle showing off her princess cape (my gift), before I was upstaged by the "Princess Treasure Chest" gifted by Dolly, Sheik and Bean!

Keep Curl-Y in your thoughts and prayers- I'm blogging a special wish for a speedy recovery to one of my favorite people in the world!

Party Favors

2008-12-13T05:44:00.000-08:00

Holiday season means holiday parties, and I like to bring homemade treats to party hosts brave enough to invite Peanut and me. Last year we went a bit overboard and gave a basket filled with homemade granola, butter cookies, a mix CD, and 2 cans of Sophia champagne:

This year, I wanted to give my hosts s'more- literally! L.L. had sent me a recipe for homemade graham crackers a while back from the New York Times magazine:

That were accompanied by homemade vanilla marshmallows, that were surprisingly easy:

And packaged along with some chocolate:

Hotlanta Housewives!

2008-11-26T06:46:00.000-08:00

Attendees: George, Peanut, Cliff (and via satellite, Sheree (yuck!), Lisa, Deshawn, Kim, and NENE!!!)
Cocktail: Water in a wine glass
Appetizer: Homemade pimento cheese spread with crackers
Main Course: Chicken and Sweet Potato Orange Dumplings
Side: Salad
Dessert... was a disaster! I tried Paula Deen's Lady and Sons peach cobbler, which was a complete and utter failure, so we had ice cream sundaes

I was turned onto The Real Housewives of Atlanta a bit late in the season- what a delicious train wreck! Having no shame, and inspired by Anderson Cooper, I started telling other people about my love of this show and to my surprise I found many closeted fans, ranging from gay bartenders to child health policy researchers! When George told me he was a fan at lunch the other day, I knew that he and Cliff had to come over for the reunion special!

I served water in wine glasses, in honor of our favorite housewife, Nene.

I went totally southern, and for an appetizer made homemade pimento cheese spread care of the Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook. This entailed roasting a red pepper in the oven, which is one of my simplest, but most rewarding, culinary experiences.

The stock for the chicken and dumplings was flavored simply with onions, carrots and celery. Instead of potatoes, I again turned to Lee Bros. and used their recipe for sweet potato and orange dumplings, which seemed appropriately seasonal.

There's nothing like the smell that escapes from a pot in which you had just browned chicken when adding wine:

George was really excited to take pictures that I would post. Here is his snapshot of the main course, chicken and dumplings:

My sister-in-law, Peach, is from Georgia and her grandmother always made her chicken and dumplings with creamed corn for her birthday. I decided not to go the creamed corn route (it was a Tuesday! I didn't have time) and kept it simple with a simple salad.

No, here comes the disaster. I tried Paula Deen's "Lady and Sons Peach Cobbler." I made my own self-rising flour by combining baking flour, baking powder, and salt, but it just didn't rise to produce a crust (Peanut had even offered to go buy me the flour, but I thought I'd be economical). It was a disaster that I had to throw away :( Thank god George and Cliff are so forgiving.

Besides, we had ice cream, Hershey's syrup, Reddi Wip, and maraschino cherries. Combine all of the above and Voila!

Now, who do I have to contact to ensure Nene gets her own show? She deserves better than to be stuck with Kim and Sheree in Season Two.

The A-List

2008-11-09T18:05:00.000-08:00

Attendees: Peanut, Violet's Friend, Jack, Cindy, and Rick (3-B and Little Bird surprised me by visiting from NYC, but left before I could take a picture with them the next morning!!!!)
Saturday Dinner: Manhattans, Salad with Phylo-Wrapped Goat Cheese, Pot Roast, Moussaka, Potatoes Au Gratin, and Chocolate-Chocolate Cake (none of which was made by me)
Peanut's Sunday Brunch: Mimosas, Filled Mini Pancakes, Hash Browns, & fresh sausages

I've been friends with this bunch for a very long time and was thrilled that they agreed to a beach weekend slumber party in Stone Harbor! All of them are cooks, and I know when there are too many cooks in the kitchen. So while they made dinner on Saturday night (and brunch on Sunday), I did other stuff like...

... watch a movie, and with my teammate Jack ...

... beat everyone in Scrabble with an amazing 7-letter (50-point bonus) word...

(ok, fine. Jack thought of it). All the while, Cindy was making a pot roast:

... served with potatoes au gratin...

... and goat cheese wrapped in Phylo (shown here on Peanut's beautifully arranged table).

Violet's Friend and Rick were also busy in the kitchen making a coffee cake...

... that amazingly turned into a chocolate birthday cake!

The next morning, we finally got to use the stuffed pancake pan loaned to me by a co-worker. We had two fillings: apple and pumpkin butter!

It was beautiful Sunday, so we got to eat outside:

It was a great weekend- thanks, A-listers, for making it so much fun!!! And now I know what to serve Violet's Friend next time she comes over:

Yes We Can!

2008-11-05T05:28:00.001-08:00

My Tuesday, Nov 4 2008 started here at 7:45 a.m.- in line for only 40 minutes, but a 40 minutes well-spent!

George and Cliff invited us over and made some AMAZING baked ziti... i brought dessert: individualized orange chocolate chunk cake.

George and Cliff live just north of a major and historical intersection in DC: 14th and U Streets, Northwest. At 11 p.m., the noise from the street was calling us outside.

A band, Spaceship Excellent, performing on top of a bus on the street:

and people dancing on top of bus shelters!

The enthusiasm was infectious- being in DC last night was like nothing I had ever experienced before. At midnight, instead of heading home, we made our way to The Duplex Diner where we ran into many friends:

As soon as CNN showed a crowd gathering at the White House, Peanut turned to me and said: we're going. So after saying our hello's to Violet, Violet's Friend, and a few others, at 1:30 a.m. we made our way down 15th street to the White House (sorry- pics are bad, but I had to post something to document it)!

And I'm not even tired!!!

YES WE CAN!!!

Fall=Apples

2008-11-02T19:58:00.001-08:00

After seeing Ina on Wednesday, I had the most brilliant idea ever: I would go apple picking on Saturday! When I asked my coworkers where to go, however, they broke the bad news- apple picking season was over! Luckily, one of my colleagues had some overzealous kids at the apple orchard last weekend, and she offered to bring in a bushel for me:

... and with some additional Granny Smiths....

... some butternut squash and onions...

... and some morels...

... a dinner party was born!

Attendees: James, Charlotte, Flynn, and Peanut
Cocktail: Champagne with Pimm's

... as promised, all the dishes were from Ina's new cookbook: barefoot contessa: back to basics

Hors d'oeuvre: Sausage and Cucumber
Soup: Roasted Butternut Squash with Curry Condiments
Main Course: Wild Mushroom Risotto
Sides: Pan-Roasted Root Vegetables
Dessert: French Apple Tart

James, Charlotte, and little man Flynn ventured all the way over to our place for dinner. I didn't have time to make an appetizer, so I was fortunate that the new book has a page of 10 no-cook things to serve with cocktails. My favorite?

Peanut loves butternut squash soup (who doesn't?) and this recipe, accented with apples and curry and garnished with toasted coconut, scallions, cashews, and banana really caught my eye. It's a bit thick, but perfectly delicious.

While the wild mushroom risotto was very enjoyable, the crowd was most fond of the pan-roasted root vegetables. Parsnips, turnips, carrots, celery, Brussels sprouts, flavored simply with salt and pepper.

I was most happy, however, with the French apple tart. It tastes as good as it looks!

Best Lunchbreak EVER!!!

2008-10-29T15:27:00.001-07:00

OK, it didn't involve actually cooking or eating anything (I was starving during my 1 o'clock conference call), but it's not everyday you get a chance to have a cookbook signed by your culinary idol!!!

Ina was SO NICE!!!

You know where my next meal will be from... see you on Sunday!

Diva Dinner

2008-10-25T21:45:00.000-07:00

Everyone's in town to celebrate Bean's First Birthday and Baptism!!! So Peanut and I invited three divas over for dinner: West Coast Diva (Kim), Mountain Time Diva (Nico), and East Coast Diva (L.L.).

Pit came too.

Attendees: Peanut, Kim, Nico, L.L., Pit
Cocktail: Fresh Whiskey Sours
Appetizer: Wafer Crackers with Stilton
Main Course: Chicken and Waffles!
Side: Brussels Sprouts Lardons
Dessert: Mixed Berry Pavlova

Fresh whiskey sours are my favorite cocktail by far. However, it's somewhat of a laborious process to make them "fresh"- they require 1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice (along with 1.5 cups of whiskey and some sugar syrup, too).

Peanut took a lot of pride in his "tablescape"- he even ironed the napkins!!!

Soon we'll get sick of Stilton, but until we do you will have to continue suffering from pictures like this...

But now for the fun part: Fried Chicken! Can you believe I tried it? Actually, you only fry each piece for around 3-minutes to get the crunchy coating- then you bake it in the oven. Fried chicken is my favorite dish ever, and I even surprised myself with how good it turned out. That said, when we were cleaning up last night, Peanut told me I was only allowed to make it once per year, which is probably good for multiple (e.g., health) reasons.

While some might pair fried chicken with coleslaw or mashed potatoes, I decided to take my cue from Harlem and pair it with waffles, made fresh with the help of Debbie's waffle maker!

Since we were serving the chicken and waffles with maple syrup, we needed something bitter to accompany it. Brussels sprouts lardons was perfect- the bitterness of the brussels sprouts cooked with salt and golden raisins and garnished with pancetta!

The perfect dinner plate!

And for dessert, another one of my favorites: mixed berry pavlova! A disk of merringue smothered in whipped cream with raspberries, blueberries and strawberries tossed in a triple raspberry sauce.

But, let's not forget who's the true diva this weekend....

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, BEAN!!!

Pancake Breakfast

2008-10-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

Attendees: Beet, Peach, Gop, Belle, Sheik, Dolly, Peanut, Bean, Betty, and Chuck
Cocktail: Mimosas
Main Course: Pancakes
Sides: Fruit salad, scrambled eggs, and breakfast sausages

Chuck grew up with Sheik, Gop and me, so when he and his wife were in town for vacation, I invited the whole clan over for a pancake breakfast!

Peanut is a master when it comes to pancakes. Yum....

Breakfast sausages!

I made a special pancake for Belle....

He just gets me!

2008-10-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

I arrived home from a week away for work to the most perfect "bouquet" ever: a centerpiece of Twizzlers! Peanut just gets me!

So, I decided it was worth it to make him a simple Sunday evening dinner:

Appetizer: Duo of bleu
Main Course: Roasted whole chicken
Sides: Mashed potatoes and Caesar salad
Dessert: Root beer floats

We both love bleu cheese, so i decided to compare a Danish Bleu (left) to a Stilton (right). With crackers, we liked the Stilton, but the Danish Bleu would be delicious spread on a baguette!

Don't mess with a classic- Ina Garten's perfect roast chicken (which I finally learned how to carve properly)!

With my mother's version of mashed potatoes.... well, maybe not as much butter as she prefers.

A simple Caesar salad rounded out the meal, with homemade croutons.

It's hard to take a good picture of a root beer float, but it was perfection with Gifford's vanilla... and the perfect drink for watching Mad Men!

We didn't look our best Sunday night, so I just thought I'd throw in a pic from our time in San Francisco with Mary a few weeks ago!

Sweet Surprise

2008-10-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

My colleague has a 12-year old niece who had some pretty serious surgery last week, and I thought "who deserves some homemade sweets more?"

BUT, I'm not used to making food for kids. What would a 12 year-old girl like? They typically hate meringue, right? I decided that sugar cookies were a safe bet (and I found a recipe for my favorite type: crispy on the outside, but gooey in the middle).

They looked boring all by themselves, so I decided to ice them and decorate them simply with some pink crystal sugar.

2-dozen cookies is a lot for one girl. So, I made 4 packages of 1/2 dozen each (so she could share with her sister and cousins, if she wants!). I got Peanut involved, too...

... designing her a special, personalized bag.

You are such a JERK!

2008-09-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

And by jerk, I am of course referring to the most excellent style of Jamaican BBQ, the main culprit of which is the Habanero:

But I digress.

Attendees: Jack, Violet's Friend, J.G.G., Cindy, and Rick
Cocktail: Unexpected Prosecco (Cindy and J.G.G.'s treat!)
Appetizer: Dates stuffed with goat cheese
Main Course: BBQ Jerk Chicken
Sides: Cachoombar
Dessert: Devil Dog Cake

Wouldn't you know that I woke up the morning after Rick's birthday thinking: "did I just agree to host a dinner party Sunday? Did Rick even make me invite Violet's friend?"

I love a date in the fall: for this simple appetizer, I removed the pits, stuffed each with goat cheese, and sprinkled the top with some toasted Di Camillo bread crumbs. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes and you're good to go!

Ugh. I thought I was getting good at taking food photographs. Oh well... this is my version of a delicious recipe for black bean soup care of Geoffrey Zakarian. I substituted bacon for serrano ham (they didn't have the ham at Whole Foods, and I wasn't in the mood to trek all the way up to Vace), walnut oil for hazelnut oil (again, not at Whole Foods), and I also skipped on cutting up the ham hock to use as a garnish (it just seemed gross). Oh, and I used a much cheaper sherry than was recommended (liquor stores aren't open here in DC on Sundays, so I just made do with what I had). Still, it was awesome.

Peanut grilled the jerk chicken to perfection, and I served it with Naan and Cachoombar. The latter is a spicy chopped salad of tomato, red onion and cucumber, with some cilantro, chopped chili pepper, lime juice, and spices (salt & pepper, cumin, cayenne).

A few months ago, Cindy asked that I make her the Devil Dog Cake featured on Smitten Kitchen. I couldn't believe that I remembered her request, but I was more than happy to oblige! The marshmallow frosting is like heaven.

What did I say about cooking healthy, again?

Hey Cupcake!

2008-09-19T04:41:00.000-07:00

Rick's birthday was yesterday, and Violet's Friend convinced me to make him his favorite, carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, and take them to his place of employ.

Of course, he wasn't alone! Cindy, Peanut, Jack, and JT all made a showing (as did Javier, who got stuck taking the picture).

We surprised him, and learned that we couldn't sing "Happy Birthday To You" because it is copyrighted. Oh well, happy birthday, Rick!

Good thinking

2008-09-07T17:40:00.000-07:00

For my regular job, they pay me to think. And while I wish I had all the answers, I am often confronted by the truth: I don't. Not even close. Lucky for me, I work with a bunch of other thinkers, and a few of my friends are thinkers as well. But they're located all over the place, so I can't invite them all for a dinner party!

I recently had a somewhat crazy thought that a triad of of geniuses/colleagues/friends helped me turn into a grant proposal: Beau (located with me here in DC), Kat (located in Los Angeles), and Anabelle (based out of Merida, Mexico). I wanted to do something special to thank them, so I decided to send homemade treats to each.

As soon as I saw the recipe for spicy brownies on smitten kitchen, I knew I had to try them. They were a bit "cake-y" (notice the crumbs on the bottom right) but the chocolate-y flavor enhanced with cardamom, chili pepper, and cinnamon made for a truly special treat.

Since on my last post I promised to be healthy, I also went to the Cooking Light website and found what seemed to be a delicious recipe for honey lemon drops. SO SIMPLE and they won rave reviews from all who tasted them!

And finally, a coworker recently sent me a card with a recipe for "madeleines au citron" from Claire Joyes' cookbook: "Monet's table: the cooking journals of Claude Monet." What better way to test out the recipe on other colleagues? I love the sponge-y texture of a Madeleine- and these were truly a delight.

So to Beau, Anabelle, and Kat....

(above packaging for Beau, based in DC)

Year of the Pig?

2008-09-02T15:38:00.000-07:00

It's actually the Year of the Rat but you wouldn't think so after this summer! On Saturday, Peanut and his siblings threw a labor day picnic at the shore, making it my second pig roast of the summer and, perhaps, the second pig roast of my life. But we'll get to the pig in a second.

They asked me to make a sheet cake, but how does one decorate a labor day cake? I decided to send off summer with an ode to where I enjoy it most: the beach. A chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting for the sand, homemade butter cream for the sky and clouds, blueberries for the ocean, and topped off with candy chocolate shells and a lemon candy sky:

The pig, named after one of Peanut's brother's ex-girlfriends:

Peanut and his siblings talk a good talk, but when it came time to carve the thing, they relied on me and a neighbor.

Good bye summer! It was a blast. But I'm thinking that old age and homemade butter cream may be getting to my waist. So while I put away my Barefoot Contessa and break out the Cooking Light, I leave you with some labor day party pics to bring summer to a close:

Two of my favorite Stone Harbor gals.

Mountie came to the beach with us, and was responsible for blowing up the palm tree.

Mary Kay came up from Orlando (with Peanut)- SO CUTE!

Peanut's youngest brother (and the party bartender) likes his parrot on his left shoulder.

Peanut's other brother gets tackled.

Once a club kid, always a club kid.

The house that made it all possible, and site of many more labor day parties!

Least Complicated

2008-07-18T05:34:00.000-07:00

Javier, Ozzie, Peanut and I had lawn seats at the Brandi Carlile/Indigo Girls concert at Wolftrap. We collaborated to bring a picnic dinner - unfortunately, I had a hard time taking pics outside, in the dark, sitting on a hill, and with a plastic cup of wine in one hand.

Javier and Ozzie started us off with a baguette served with fresh cheeses, dip, and some Greek pine honey. Note Javier's finger, injured when mincing garlic.

Tropical fruit cup!

I stole this one directly from the Contessa- pasta, pesto, and peas, packaged in Chinese take out containers.

I also made my favorite peanut butter chicken with dipping sauce, but the pics did not do it justice. Nonetheless, the star of the night was dessert: fruit loop treats that I individually packaged, drawing the comment "that's so cute... and gay!" from the lesbians sitting behind us.

Good music and a good time... and Javier's got some mad air guitar skills.

We'll bring dessert

2008-07-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

"First you ask if you can be red, knowing that I'm always red."

My aunt and uncle from India were in town, so Dolly, Sheik, and Bean had everyone over to their place for a game of croquet and some dinner afterwards. And though I talk a good game...

... it was my father who beat us all. Who knew he was such a croquet champ?

Anyway, I brought dessert and roped Peanut into making his famous French Potato Salad.

Peanut loves this version because he hates mayo, even though I love mayo so much I typically get a side of mayo with my fries, especially at Stoney's! Nonetheless, his potato salad is delicious.

I decided to make a lemon meringue tart, which was probably not the best dessert to transport via automobile from DC to Falls Church.

Nonetheless, people seemed to enjoy it! Here's Belle with a piece:

And just because this picture is too cute not to share with the world, Peanut getting some love from his new goddaughter:

Independence Day: I SO went there!

2008-07-07T04:07:00.000-07:00

Look Rose! I embraced the pastry bag!

A reunion (with 2 worthy substitutions)

2008-07-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

Attendees: Joshua, Jack, Rick, and Peanut
Cocktail: Rick's in charge!
Appetizers: Radishes with artisan salts; crostini with Parrano
Main Course: Caesar Club Sandwiches
Sides: Insalata Caprese and fresh corn salad
Dessert: Peaches in Sauternes

I moved to Washington, DC in 1999 and some of my fondest memories of my time here involve meeting four amazing guys (Joshua, Rick, Trey, and Mary) for lunch every day (and for darts, drinks, or a spinning class every now and then after work, too!). Well, times change--- Joshua moved to New York, Trey moved to San Francisco, and Mary moved to Chicago. So when Joshua had to come back to DC for work and asked if he could crash with Peanut and me, I saw it as a perfect opportunity to invite Rick over and kick it old school! And while they could never take the places of Trey and Mary, Peanut and Jack were worthy substitutes!!!

I wasn't even going try to come up with a cocktail when Rick told me he could make it for dinner- I knew he could whip up in a moment something that would be a thousand times better than what would take me an hour to prepare!

I love Peanut and I love Joshua, but they are two of the pickiest eaters ever! And I had to prepare the meal on a Monday after a full day of work and a trip to the gym! I was finally able to figure out that they would both enjoy a chicken Caesar club, though Peanut needed his Caesar dressing made without anchovy paste and Joshua wanted his without Pancetta.

I think that Ina Garten's fresh corn salad is my favorite summer salad ever. To prepare: boil 5 ears of shucked corn for 3 minutes, then put them in a bowl of ice water. When cold, cut of the kernels and mix with a small red onion (diced), 3 Tablespoons cider vinegar and 3 Tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. When ready to serve, mix in some fresh basil. Delicious!

And to go with all the starches, a simple Insalata Caprese- who doesn't love that?!

I kept dessert fresh: Peaches in Sauternes! So simple and elegant, and one of Peanut's new favorite desserts!

And after a few drinks at 1 A.M., Joshua convinced me to succumb to the pressure and (finally!) join Facebook! I am such a sell out... but befriend me anyway (I might even make you dinner)!

Por Raul!

2008-06-22T20:48:00.000-07:00

Attendees: Javier, Julio, Simon, my favorite Filipino Martin, and Peanut
Cocktail: Frozen watermelon mojitos
Appetizers: Shellfish watermelon ceviche
Main Course: Filete de Cerdo con Adobo
Side Dishes: Javier's plantains with black beans
Dessert: Mango flan on chocolate

So I spent the past week in Puerto Rico for work, and promised Julio that I would make him a Cuban feast upon my return. What can I say? I was inspired by the view from my hotel:

And the watermelon on sale at Whole Foods:

Patrick even outdid himself in setting the table:

The cocktail had to entail some Puerto Rican white Bicardi! Behold the frozen watermelon mojitos:

One of the highlights of my time in Puerto Rico was scouring Old San Juan with Oscar for a ceviche lunch. We challenged each other to make some of our own upon our return. I think I probably beat him to the punch.... and I've gotta get points for presentation! (Oscar: watermelon ceviche is TO DIE FOR)!

Javier told me that he would take full responsibility for making the savory plantains. He gave me a quick lesson:

... I can't believe I allowed him to fry in my kitchen! But they were TOTALLY worth it!

The Filete de Cerdo con Adobo was also wonderful - a pork loin marinated in a delicious citrus-based marinade and cooked on the stove.

I didn't have high hopes for the dessert when I made it this morning, but it was surprisingly tasty! It kind of looks like a hamburger, but it's actually a flan served on top a very thin chocolate brownie.

I really had SUCH a great time tonight. The food was ok, but dinner parties are really all about the friends that you share the night with! Martin brought over his video camera: here's a sneak peak into the night.

Welcome Summer

2008-06-09T18:20:00.000-07:00

Attendees: Lola, Duke, Carter, Trevor, and Peanut
Cocktail: Pimm's Cup
Appetizer: Crudite
Main Course: Hamburgers on English Muffins
Sides: Coleslaw and corn on the cob
Dessert: S'mores Pie!

So, this pic of Duke, Peanut and me was taken a while back at Lola's birthday. Lola didn't want her pic taken, then she and Carter started talking about privacy and the internet, and the mood to take people pics was lost! Oh well, we love this pic anyway.

REGARDLESS, Lola, Peanut, and I said farewell to the Summer of '07 with a fine meal last year, so I thought it was only appropriate to invite her and her man, Duke, for a welcome to Summer '08! Carter and Trevor also joined for the summer-inspired meal! The night began with delicious and refreshing Pimm's Cups (which, as Carter soon realized, do contain alcohol). DC summers are so uncomfortably hot and humid. I think that a crudite platter is a cool and refreshing appetizer to serve during such weather. We kept the stalks on the organic carrots and radishes for dramatic flair.

In 2 short weeks, Patrick and I will have a sister-in-law whose family runs a farm that grows corn! I can't wait to share pics of us picking our own corn on our way to the shore! Melanie told us that her favorite way to prepare corn is to boil it, so that's what we did!

I love coleslaw. This was a great recipe, with carrots, red, and green cabbage.

Peanut's plate: A perfect combination of corn-on-the-cob, cole slaw, and a burger served on an English Muffin (a delicious idea inspired by renowned chef and friend Geoffrey Zakarian) with melted blue cheese, lettuce, tomato, and carmelized onions! Peanut grilled the burgers... to perfection!

But... the star of the night was (in my humble opinion) the S'mores pie! As soon as I read about this recipe on my favorite food blog, www.smittenkitchen.com (run by my friend's friend's friend, or something like that), I knew that I had to make it (in fact, this was really the excuse for having a dinner party in the first place). First, I made a simple graham cracker crust and a delicious chocolate filling:

The next step was to make my own marshmallow topping. It started with boiling some sugar, corn syrup, and water to 260 degrees on a candy thermometer. Almost there:

Peanut poured the boiling syrup into a bowl of water and gelatin and I whipped for ~ five minutes:

It soon became very thick, and I poured it onto the chocolate pie:

... and chilled it. Minutes before i was ready to serve it, I broiled it for 3-4 minutes, to get that burnt marshmallow topping:

What a way to end of the night, and to welcome us to the torturous conditions that define DC summers. If I don't faint (as many know to be a real possibility), I'll be sure to post more "cool" meals to help get me through it.

Namaste!

2008-06-01T15:19:00.000-07:00

Attendees: Mountie, Eliza, Cliff, George...

Attendees (continued): Bette, Peanut, and Van
Cocktails: Lychee Martinis
Appetizers: Spice mix and Vegetable Samosas (store bought)
Main Course: Nepali Grilled Chicken with fresh jalapeno chutney
Sides: Cucumber salad with hot spiced mustard dressing, naan, basmati rice, and raita
Dessert: Metai (Store bought Indian sweets)

Peanut surprised me on Thursday: he woke up 30 minutes before me (a weekday first!) and by the time I had risen from bed, he had our Saturday menu all picked out! He had picked out 4 dishes from Mangoes and Curry Leaves. I'm not going to lie- I was a bit frightened. I grew up on South Asian cuisine, and I knew that there was something of a magical touch in making it work. But I was willing to give it a shot.

First things first: Indian is all about the right spices, so I made Peanut walk with me after work on Friday to Georgetown, where we went to Dean and Deluca to buy two staple Indian spices:

Indian food is NOT about skipping steps. I got down and dirty with a mortar and pestle, grinding some cumin seeds.

After yoga on Saturday, Peanut and I also drove to Langley Park, where we stopped at Jasmine Bazaar and Udupi Palace, where we procured not only the mustard oil, naan, and metai, but also the vegetable samosas we served as an appetizer.

While I made the marinade for the chicken, I sent Peanut and his brother Van out to grill the chicken.

The chicken was delicious- the best bbq chicken we've ever made! Doesn't it look great?

This was the primary side dish: cucumber salad with hot spiced mustard dressing. I had never had anything like it before, and it made the trip to Langley Park for the 3 tablespoons of mustard oil totally worth it!

We also picked up a selection of metai, or Indian sweets. The orange pretzel-looking things at the bottom left are called jalebi- they are my favorite! I was so happy that Udupi Palace had them! I think I was the only one who liked them. Oh well...

In my opinion, this was one of the best meals I have ever made. Is it Peanut's ability to identify great recipes, or perhaps the Dean and Deluca spices? Or perhaps it's just in my genes!

Dinner and a Show

2008-05-13T20:40:00.001-07:00

Attendees: Betty, Peanut, Pookey
Cocktail: Fresh Whiskey Sours
Appetizer: Cheese and crackers
Main Course: Roasted leek and tomato salad with grilled tuna and a homemade creamy caraway dressing
Dessert: Pear Crostata

Peanut and his coworkers Betty and Pookey are off to the big apple this weekend for a major furniture show. They have multiple events to attend in the evenings, so the ladies came over tonight for dinner and a fashion show, so that Peanut could let them know exactly what he thought of their outfits beforehand.

Dinner was inspired by these fresh leeks I found Sunday at the Dupont Farmer's Market (tough green parts trimmed off).

And since it's summer, I had Peanut grill everything (leeks, tomatoes, and tuna steaks. Are you totally impressed, Violet's Friend? I got Peanut to eat TUNA!).

Now this is my idea of plating: grilled tomatoes, leeks, and tuna on a bed of salad with a homemade creamy caraway dressing.

I was at a conference most of the day, so for dessert, I just told Peanut to go to the store and buy some fruit and I would try to make magic. He came home with New Zealand-grown pears. I decided that I would make up a pear crostata that I made in 15 minutes. Not half-bad... I think I am getting the hang of this cooking thing!

As for my favorite outfits:

Not everyone can pull of horizontal stripes, but Pookey can!

I am in love with Betty in her bubble dress.

And since everyone else was modeling, I thought I would, too. Me in my new favorite tee-shirt, home-stitched for me by my girl Rose!

This little piggie went to a pig roast!

2008-05-11T15:11:00.000-07:00

2 little piggies (Peanut and Rajeev) went to a wedding.
2 other little piggies (Guy and Larry) went to the same one.
These four little piggies were seated at the same (gay) table and became good friends.

Guy and Larry had a pig roast on Saturday! I was so excited- my FIRST pig roast! Peanut went out of town to celebrate Mother's Day with his mom, so I brought Javier who's been salivating about having his own pig roast since the day I met him. Thankfully Javier documented it all on his iPhone- my pics were terrible!

I didn't go empty handed! I made natural strawberry cupcakes with natural strawberry frosting, decorated like little piggies of course! Marshmallow snout (I stuck in 2 chocolate jimmies to make the nostrils), marshmallow ears, and mini M&M eyes. This pic is courtesy of Violet's friend--- Peanut & I surprised her at work on Friday night and gave her one!

I made a bunch. But I got showed up:

Yes, that's a chocolate cake. Everything is edible, including the marzipan mushrooms. I definitely need to haul myself to Chicago to get Rose to teach me a thing or two. And when we were leaving, Javier conveniently said something to the woman who baked and decorated the cake in Spanish that I couldn't understand... probably along the lines of: your cake was awesome and definitely cuter the stupid pig cupcakes and I want to hire you to bake my birthday cake but don't tell the Indian kid.

Whatever, only one of my cupcakes was left.

Still, my first pig roast! I can't wait to break out la cajachina for the next one!

Tres de Mayo!

2008-05-04T06:16:00.000-07:00

Confessions from our Tres de Mayo Party:
1. The margaritas were a bit too strong.
2. There was a lot of butter in the cupcake frosting.
3. I know I'm responsible for three shots, but that doesn't explain the 9 shot glasses I washed last night...
4. I am remembering things from last night as I blog.

It started innocently enough on Thursday night, when I squeezed 36 limes...

And everything was o.k. at 7:00, when Peanut grilled the tequila lime chicken skewers:

And we came up with a beautiful spread:

I made Peanut take some artistic close-ups! These are my favorites:

Tequila lime chicken skewers.

Homemade guacamole, salsa fresca (blue bowl) and dessert in the background.

Dessert! Lemon bars, coconut cupcakes, strawberries with whipped cream.

And then Vixen showed up....

... and seduced me into joining her for a shot of tequila....

... and the countdown had begun.

PARTY PICS!!!!

This must have been early in the evening (Jason, Simon, my favorite Filipino Martin, Julio, and Gregory).

I am remembering Baker, George and Mountie asking me about a coconut.... they must have been referring to the cupcakes...

which were delicious! Me and Javier.

Charles, whose outfit I secretly coveted, and Lance.

Jack and George flanking H. Reuhl who arrived with treats from his store (including the shot glasses, though I am not holding him responsible) and a flower on his lapel...

... that of course ended up in Vixen's hair (with Peanut).

K-dog, Ryan, and Jeff rocking the shocker.

Mountie and Eliza, taking a break from saving the world, with Peanut.

I could not have chosen a more perfect pseudonym (Vixen, Ozzie, Javier, Wentworth, Vixen's roommate and her boyfriend, and Kenny).

But oh lord, do I have to come up with pseudonyms for all of these people? Here goes: K-dog, Ryan, Baker, Jesse, Antonio, Arthur, and the guy in the back who you can't really see anyway.

Definitely later in the evening, when I started taking "artistic" photographs, which in my world involve holding the camera diagonally (Gus, Wentworth, Kenny).

This is perhaps the cutest picture ever: Jesse, Javier, Peanut, and Gus.

I just had to post this one because I really don't get what's going on? Is there a race? Apparently, Vixen's roommate's boyfriend was as confused then as I am now (Vixen, with Ozzie and Javier).

I bet she is trying to get Smith to have a tequila shot, too.

... but she is so over Kenny.

Me, gettin' some lovin' from DJ.

Again, I could not have chosen a more perfect pseudonym (Vixen and Kenny).

And again, I could not have chosen a more perfect pseudonym (Javier, Ozzie, Vixen and Jesse).

And to think, this was only for Tres de Mayo, which makes one question what on earth is going to happen on Monday for Cinco de Mayo? ADIOS AMIGOS!

Big Guy's Day at the Circus

2008-04-21T04:27:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, Peanut, his sister Mary Kay, and I drove up to the shore to celebrate their father's (a.k.a Big Guy) 70th birthday! Big Guy and wife were joined by all 8 of their kids, 5 grandkids, and 5 significant others! And of course, we weren't going to go empty handed.

The request was for a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting.

But would one 8-inch cake feed all 18 people? I made cupcakes, too, which Mary Kay helped frost and decorate.

Big Guy loves the circus, so the cupcakes were decorated with juggling bears...

... while the cake itself became the big top!

Battle Chocolate

2008-04-13T09:57:00.001-07:00

When Rick found out that Cindy beat me in Battle Sambuca, he challenged her to a new tinfoil chef competition. Since I lost last time, I had to host but got to choose the secret ingredient. So when I was at yoga at 11 AM Saturday morning, Peanut texted them both my strategically chosen secret ingredient: Chocolate!

Rick started off strong with an amazing chocolate mint mojito (some claimed he had an "unfair advantage" with the drinks).

For a first course, Rick made bacon-wrapped shrimp with a peanut-chocolate dipping sauce (left). Cindy made chocolate-spiced nuts (in the bowls on the right). Both were tasty.

For a main course, Rick made steak with a chocolate mole sauce, served alongside beet mashed potatoes. He got MAD POINTS from me for making PINK mashed potatoes!!!!!!

Cindy presented pasta with a chocolate-infused bolognese sauce with shaved Parmesan and chocolate. The salad was served with an exceedingly delicious white chocolate raspberry vinaigrette.

A pleased crew: Newcomer Violet, who's only allowed to give you one free refill, Tim & Brad (who hosted last competition) and their friend Joe.

Can it be a cooking competition without a torch? Rick brought it out strong toasting marshmallows...

That were the perfect garnish for his smore-tini's, complete with graham cracker crumb rim.

Rick served those alongside some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

Cindy retaliated with an amazing chocolate bread pudding, served with a chocolate brandy glaze.

The chefs along with their sous-chefs, Jack (for chef Rick) and J.G.G. (for chef Cindy).

While Cindy scored high for originality, Bill announced that it was Rick who would walk away as the new tinfoil chef!

Here's Peanut with Violet's friend.

Welcome Home!

2008-04-06T19:06:00.000-07:00

Cliff and George moved into their new home 5 nights ago, and they invited Peanut, Sparkles and me over for drinks on Sunday to check it out. I couldn't go empty handed, so I decided to take them a homemade fruit tart.

RSVP On the Road: Lewiston Part I

2008-03-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

Attendees: Pit, Lyn, Andre, L.L., Al, and...

Attendees (Cont.): Belle, Gop, Peach, Beet, and...

Attendees: Pulum, Dolly, Bean, Sheik, Curl-y, & J.F.
Cocktail: Drinker's Choice (I missed Peanut, so poured myself a vodka martini)
Appetizer: Shrimp cocktail, baked brie
Main Course: Filet of Beef, Roasted Rosemary Potatoes, Caesar Salad, and Peas
Dessert: Princess Cake, Key Lime Pie, and Custard Puffs

While Peanut stayed in D.C. studying (except when Cliff, George, and Sparkles took him out for dinner Saturday night), I drove up to my hometown of Lewiston, N.Y. with Sheik, Dolly, and Bean to spend the weekend with my parents (Pit and L.L.) and my other brother and his family (Gop, Peach, Belle, and Beet). Since the 10 of us weren't enough, my mother of course invited her cousin Lyn, Lyn's husband Al, and son Andre, for dinner, and Pulum, Curl-y, and J.F. joined us for a very special dessert.

Even though Peanut wasn't there, I think I was able to create a pretty nice ambiance.

Simple, but classic.

The topping is a caramel, cranberry, and walnut mixture that was store-bought, but delicious. I guess you can cut corners every now and then.

I prefer to cook my filets in a 500-degree oven, but the kitchen was getting smoky and I had to compromise. Still, it looks perfect.

The Canadian part of my heritage enjoys their steaks well done. L.L. and I prepared a separate filet for them.

Who eats steak without potatoes?

Belle turns 3 next Saturday, so we celebrated early with a Princess Cake, which was angel food cake that L.L. trimmed, Dolly "constructed", and I decorated! Not quite as fancy as what Rose can create in Chicago over at Simran Bakehouse, but we did pretty good!

And it was a double birthday, since my brother Gop's birthday is tomorrow! We made his favorite: Key Lime Pie.

And to accommodate those who didn't want either, we had Dicamillo's custard puffs on standby (if you aren't from Niagara Falls and haven't had baked goods from DiCamillo's, you just don't know what you are missing).

A great visit home, and I'm already missing Belle, Beet, and Bean, but I am glad to be home again with Peanut (and away from the snow)!

Two in Twenty-Four: Family Easter

2008-03-23T19:15:00.001-07:00

Attendees: Jalal, Chime, Lucy, Little Bird, 3-B, Sheik, Bean, Dolly, & Peanut
Cocktail: Coffee, Orange Juice, and Mimosas
Main Course: Herb-baked eggs, chocolate chip coffee cake, hash browns, fruit salad
Dessert: Frozen key lime pie

So, what's the best thing to do the morning after a dinner party? Invite ten people over for Easter brunch the next morning! That's right: a back-to-back dinner party/brunch combo- 2 parties in 24 hours! Not only are 3-B and I close, but so are our families. So when 3-B invited her brother and his family over, I had to extend the invitation to Sheik and Dolly. But secretly, it was all a ploy for me to see BEAN!

I let Little Bird hold her for a few seconds.

It was Easter, so I decided to use the Easter baskets I made for Bean and Jalal as part of the table decor (which is totally NOT a tablescape). By the time I took this pic, however, Jalal had already gotten to his basket. The one on the table is the one for Bean.

On to the food! The Contessa's herb-baked eggs are perhaps the easiest eggs to prepare for a brunch, and they are SO GOOD!

We tried to find a really good blueberry muffin recipe but had no luck (do you have a good one? Send it to me PLEASE! And make sure it has that sugar crusting on top!). Anyway, 3-B made this totally decadent coffee cake with chocolate chips instead.

Enjoyed by Chime and Jalal (where do you think Chime and Lucy went to college?).

Little Bird was in charge of the fruit salad. I think it looks beautiful.

So, even though the coffee cake had chocolate chips in it, I still had to make some kind of dessert. Cindy was in the Keys a few weeks back and told me she would buy me some key limes. Well, I've been thinking about (and waiting for!) those key limes ever since, so I broke out an old favorite: frozen key lime pie (which are actually not made with key limes).

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Little Bird Has Landed!

2008-03-23T16:28:00.000-07:00

Attendees: Lisa, 3-B, Little Bird, Noncommittal Nancy, Peanut
Cocktail: Drinker's Choice! (some wine, some vodka tonics, and some vodka martinis)
Appetizer: Stuffed Mushrooms
Main Course: Chicken cordon bleu, onion tart, pear & endive salad (with crumbled blue cheese & walnuts), and roasted tomatoes
Dessert: Chocolate Souffles (yeah, you read correctly).

Little Bird flew south from Brooklyn on Friday to see 3-B (and me!) in DC. On Friday, we took her out to a night on the Hill and perhaps partied a bit too hard. Nonetheless, 3-B and I were going to make a meal in her honor that she would never forget. Lisa, who went to high school with 3-B, joined in the festivities and we were finally able to get Noncomittal Nancy to commit! Peanut made it home from the Jersey Shore (I can't wait till summer to host a dinner party on that roof deck!!!) just in time.

I had to pound chicken breasts for the chicken cordon bleu. I don't have a mallet, so I used an empty bottle of wine, which seemed very French. Oh, and the bottle of wine wasn't empty when I was ready to start pounding, so I was justified in having my "chef's glass"!

It's amazing how much you can get done when you've got a co-chef! 3-B and I worked together to create these hearty stuffed mushroom appetizers.

The pear and endive salad with crumbled bleu and walnuts (and a homemade vinaigrette) almost stole the show!

3-B and I also worked together on this one- I made and rolled out the pie crust, she made the onion tart filling. This was a strategic dinner choice that served as the entree for the vegetarians (big piece), and a side for the carnivores (small piece).

I love chicken cordon-bleu, and how pretty is this plate with the roasted cherry tomatoes!

But really, we were all excited about dessert and the promise of chocolate souffles! 3-B and I literally started clapping when we turned on the oven and saw them RISING!!!

Here they are as soon as we took them out...

A big thanks to my good friend Biagio who runs Biagio Fine Chocolates, the most amazing chocolate shop in DC (www.biagiochocolate.com). I was at his store Saturday morning immediately after yoga, where Biagio himself helped me pick out the perfect chocolate for my souffles! They were AMAZING!!!

And since Little Bird didn't help us cook, we forced her to do the dishes. Kidding! (But she is oddly good at them!)

So, partners in crime once again. In elementary school, a teacher once nicknamed 3-B and me Tweedledee (who was probably 3-B) and Tweedledum (probably me). We pulled off an amazing dinner party and I'm really going to miss her when she heads back up to Brooklyn next weekend! But I'll get by (after all, I do have a new pair of fabulous red pants!!!).