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Parties…I sure had may fair share of mistakes, but I have also learned some valuable lessons. Things like don’t try to be a hero and cook a five-course meal, the most important is to plan ahead and chose dishes that can be cooked in advance. Cook one dish or two and for the rest, buy some goodies that will make a nice spread. Because it’s not fun at all being huffing and puffing while your guests are enjoying themselves. And after all they came to enjoy your company too, right?
I always buy white basic dishes and bowls because at the end of the day, they will complement any type of food you would place on them. Or sometimes I use some fun containers to serve the food. Another thing I find very important is to always mark the guest place on the table, if you have more than 4 guests, be creative, you can even write their names on a pebble. It can get quite awkward trying to find a place to sit when the dinner is ready. I made a homemade jam and wrote their names around it on a simple tag. At the end of the night they can take that home as a gift. I think it’s nice that in the morning they can still feel the love. The decoration …you really don’t need to get all fancy schmancy, I’m allergic to flowers (yep…what a pain) so I made some little vases with herbs, they look pretty and smells amazing. You can also use them as a place set and give to your friends afterwards; candles are also cool non-expensive way to set an ambience. For the food I chose Tapas because I enjoy much more having a variety of little yummy bite size goodies then a two-course meal, and with Tapas you can either go Spanish, Italian, Middle Eastern, Greek… the options are endless.
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Spice Nuts with Rosemary
- 1/2 stick butter
- 1/2-teaspoon sugar
- 1-teaspoon salt
- 1/2-teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 cups mixed nuts
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 spring or two of rosemary
Directions:
Melt the butter slowly in a medium-size saucepan and stir in the spices. Turn the nuts out onto a shallow baking sheet (no need to grease it) and roast the nuts in a preheated 350° oven for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a serving bowl and toss with the coarse salt. Garnish with fresh rosemary.
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Shrimp and olives
- 1 ½ pond of shrimps
- ½ cup of pitted black olives
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions:
Heat a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil, shrimp and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Add the remaining ingredients except for the lemon juice and grill for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice.
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Meatballs:
- 1 small (6-ounce) onion, grated
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/3-cup Italian-style bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
- 8 ounces ground beef
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
Directions
For the meatballs: Position an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the onion, 1/2-cup parsley, 2/3-cup Parmesan, breadcrumbs, egg, ketchup, garlic, red pepper flakes, 1-teaspoon salt, and 1/2-teaspoon pepper. Mix all those ingredients first before you add the beef and pork so you don’t over work the meat. This step is very important to have a light meatball. Using your hands, combine all ingredients gently but thoroughly. Shape the meat mixture into 16 (1 1/2-inch-diameter) meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes until cooked through. Spread the fennel seeds to garnish. And some fennel fronds if you have just for freshness.
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Nectarine and Raspberry Sangria
- Mix together raspberries and nectarine.
- Top with equal parts of white wine and Nectarine Juice.
- Top with ice and soda water.
- Serve chilled.
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New England Potato and Tuna Salad
- New England Potato
- Albacore Tuna
- Green Onions (thinly chopped)
- Celery (Thinly Chopped)
Directions:
In a bowl mix all ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with Olive oil and Lemon Juice.
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Crab and squid salad
Ingredients:
- For the crab salad:
- 1 pound of crab
- 3 green onions chopped
- 3 celery stalks thinly sliced
- 3 radishes
- 1 jalapeño thinly sliced
- ½ pond of squid
For the vinaigrette:
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic minced
- Pinch of saffron treads
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
In a bowl mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, and saffron. Season with salt and pepper. In a bowl mix the crab, celery, green onions, Jalapeno, radishes, add the vinaigrette and toss to combine. In another bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the squid bodies and tentacles, toss to coat. Preheat the grill to high heat. Grill the squid, turning until opaque, slightly golden, and just cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the squid to a cutting board and slice into strips. Slice the tentacles if desired. Let it cool. In a cup or Mason jar arrange the squid in the bottom of the cup, top it with crab salad mix, and repeat the layers starting with squid.
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Persimmon Jam
Ingredients:
- 3 cups Persimmon
- 2 cups sugar
- 1-tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Directions:
Combine 3 cups persimmon pulp and the sugar in heavy medium no corrosive saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and opaque, about 15 minutes; do not boil. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and zest. Pour into sterilized canning jars and seal.
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Olive salad and Cherry tomatoes Salad
- 4 celery stalks sliced thinly
- 1 cup of green olives
- 1 cup of black olives
- 1tablespoon of thyme
- 1teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
- 2-tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup red cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup yellow cherry tomatoes
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions:
Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. In a bowl arrange the olives, the tomatoes and the celery. And pour the vinaigrette.
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Ricota and Red Peppercorn Crostinis
Toast the bread and spread the ricotta and the red pepercorn
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Chorizo And Cantaloup Melon
- 1 small melon cut in squares
- 7oz. chorizo sausage sliced into bite size chunks
- Few springs of tarragon
For the vinaigrette:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of half lemon
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons of chopped tarragon
Arrange the fried chorizo and the melon in a bamboo skewer. And drizzle with the tarragon vinaigrette.