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mardi gras special: louisiana jambalaya.

March 8, 2011 — 6 Comments

If you can’t be cramped into the swelling streets of the French Quarter today, making this jambalaya is your next best bet.

I’ve never been to New Orleans, and I’m just about dying to go. Truth be told, Mardi Gras is likely not the time of year I’d choose to visit – I’m just not into the whole Times Square on New Year’s types of crowds. Jazz Fest seems like it would be much more my style.

I do, however, love the theme of Mardi Gras. I’m already planning to do a masquerade party for my 30th birthday (yes, I just had my 26th – and no, I don’t care about any birthday from now until then). What’s more fun than beads, massive Hurricane cocktails, and glittered/feathered/sequin masks as far as the eye can see?

New Orleans is a true foodie city, and that is probably what draws me to it most. And while they’re known for heat and spice, what they’re really all about is explosive flavor.

This jambalaya recipe is a perfect ode to the city and Fat Tuesday – which is today! I’m not sure if I’d ever had jambalaya before, but it reminded me a lot of paella. It takes a little bit of time, but it’s actually incredibly easy. I adapted the recipe I found to include celery, which is traditional in jambalaya, and I also added shrimp at the end. To build more flavor, I also browned the meat first. Just keep in mind – this is spicy! If you want to take it down a notch, feel free to omit some of the jalapeño seeds.

Have any of you been to New Orleans? I’d love to hear about your favorite things to do, see, and eat – of course!

Louisiana Jambalaya

Adapted from Bon Appétit

1 pound andouille sausage or hot Italian sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound ham, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 large onions, chopped
5 green onions, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 jalapeño chili, finely chopped with seeds
1 tablespoon Creole Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4-5 cups chicken broth
1 14.5-ounce can whole tomatoes, diced, with liquid
2 cups long-grain rice
1 pound jumbo shrimp

In two batches, brown sausage and ham in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove meat and set aside. Melt butter in Dutch oven and add onions, 4 green onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, bay leaves, jalapeño, Creole Seasoning, cayenne pepper, and oregano. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Mix in tomato paste. Add sausage, ham, broth, and tomatoes. Bring mixture to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rice and continue to cook for another 30-40 minutes, or until rice is just about cooked through. Add shrimp and cook for another 10 minutes. Garnish with remaining green onion and serve.

In Main Dishes cajun, mardi gras, new orleans, sausage, shrimp, spicy, Theme Lover

a glamorous {oscar-worthy} pizza party.

March 1, 2011 — 2 Comments

I don’t know about you, but I’m dying to see The King’s Speech.

It happens to me every year: I get excited for the Oscars, but never because of the movies. I’m lucky if I’ve seen one or two of the top contenders – this year, I think Inception was about as far as I got (Daniel and I are infamous for never making it to the movie theater when planned).

We all know the real fun lies in the fashion, and the excuse to make a night out of watching it.

And making a night of it, for me, means putting together a fabulous menu of food and drinks. This year’s Oscar viewing party was casual and impromptu – on Saturday, we invited a favorite couple over for a night of Academy Awards and Knicks vs. Heat (yes, this game was a big one in the world of Daniel – and no, it didn’t get much air-time). For the menu, I came up with this mix of comfort/movie-watching food, each with its own glamorous twist. It’s perfect for the Oscars, but I think it would also be a great way to spice up your next Netflix night.

A Pizza Party for the Stars

Lemon Rosé Bellinis

Truffled Popcorn

Three-Cheese Pizza with Assorted Toppings

Vanilla Sparkle Cupcakes

And because we can’t ignore the red carpet, I must give a shout-out to my front-runners of the night: Nicole Richie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Reese Witherspoon, and Jennifer Lawrence. I also loved Scarlett Johansson, Halle Berry, Cate Blanchett, Michelle Williams, and Rhea Durham.

Did you do anything fun to celebrate Oscar night? Who was on your best-dressed list?

xxSAS

In Complete Menus all that glitters, champagne, oscars, pizza, Theme Lover

sangria + tapas.

November 10, 2010 — 7 Comments

Do you ever feel like you have *a ton* of favorite things?

I do.

I tend to get obsessive over the things I love. Instead of saying, “I really enjoy sangria and tapas,” I feel it’s necessary to tell you that sangria and tapas is basically my favorite thing in the world.

And the thing is, I mean it. Don’t you worry about the fact that a good antipasti platter, the perfect margarita, and all things truffle are also my favorite. They still are.

Isn’t there enough love to go around? I don’t want to have just one favorite thing. Especially not when discussing food. Or cocktails.

Because, you know… Food and cocktails are my favorite.

Lucky for me, Daniel shares the same love of tapas and sangria as I do. And while we love going out to our favorite little Spanish restaurant for plate after plate of Spanish meats and cheeses, we’ve since discovered how very easy and perfect it is to create an equally delicious {albeit more simple} spread at home.

And you’ll be amazed at just how simple it is to throw together. Sangria is pretty difficult to screw up, and I think it’s fun because you can customize it according to your tastes, adding your own favorite fruits, and making it as sweet {or brandy-soaked} as you’d like. Remember, the longer you can make it ahead of time the better – that way, the fruit has time to soak up all of the brandy and wine.

The tapas are no more difficult; you can purchase most of your Spanish-themed goodies from the local deli or specialty foods shop. Just grab a block of Manchego, some Serrano ham, a few pre-marinated olives, and a container of Marcona almonds and you’re more than good to go (Whole Foods should carry it all). The marinated chickpea salad is just as easy; you likely have all of the ingredients already in your pantry, give-or-take the fresh herbs and scallions.

Perfect Sangria

A bottle of good Spanish red wine
Brandy {we used Spanish-brand Fundador}
Club soda or sparkling water {we used lime-flavored Pellegrino}
Sugar
Fruit of your choice (we used apples, pears, oranges, lemons, limes, and grapes}

Chop fruit into bite-sized pieces. If you’re using citrus fruits, I recommend peeling some of the oranges and sectioning them so you can eat the fruit as you’re drinking, whereas lemons and limes can simply be sliced with the skin left intact.

Place fruit in a pitcher – I like to use a glass one. Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons {more or less, depending on how sweet you like it} over the fruit, and add a good pour of brandy to the pitcher. No need to overdo it, because you can always add more later. Let the fruit soak up some of that goodness from the brandy and sugar for a few minutes, and give it a nice stir.

Pour bottle of wine and about a cup or so of club soda into the pitcher. Give it a stir and a taste; add more brandy/club soda/sugar as necessary.

Tapas Plate

A nice loaf of country bread
Extra-virgin olive oil
Assorted marinated olives
Marcona almonds
Manchego cheese, broken into chunks
Marinated chickpea salad, recipe below

Marinated Chickpea Salad

Adapted from Real Simple

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 scallions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and black pepper

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Still hungry? Stay tuned for the next piece of this Spanish-themed pie… Paella!

In Cocktails, Dinner Party Worthy, Obsessed, Starters sangria, spanish, specialty cocktails, tapas, Theme Lover

trick or treat.

October 28, 2010 — 7 Comments

I don’t know about you, but I am *super* excited about Halloween this year. Halloween is one of my absolute favorite holidays, and I will never understand the people who choose not to partake in the fun. All of that said, I was feeling that the past couple of years my costumes may have been a little too realistic, and not exactly whimsical or out-there enough (think Rachel Zoe – and yes, Daniel was kind enough to be my Brad). Don’t worry, dolls, because this year that’s about to change. You’ll have to stay tuned to see the final result, but I can assure you it will be worth the wait! Or, you know… At least good for a laugh or two.

And to go along with my renewed obsession with one of my all-time favorite holidays, I’ll be hosting a little pre-party to get the evening going. I happen to live right in the heart of where most of the parties are happening downtown, so it’s a natural place for friends to gather to start the night.

I know what you’re thinking – who am I kidding? We all know the truth: It’s the perfect excuse for me to make lots of fun Halloween eats and treats for all of my faves. Here are some of the greatest Halloween-themed goodies I’ve found around the way this year – some of which I’ll be making this weekend!

Witches’ Brew

{found here}

You know any theme party of mine must start with a signature cocktail for the evening, and this witches’ brew is pure perfection. I found a black plastic witches’ cauldron to serve it in, and one of my besties is even bringing the dry ice! It’ll all go perfectly with my spider-web covered walls. Just don’t forget the vodka.

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

{found here}

I’ve seen a lot of Halloween cupcakes, but these are by far my favorite. Annie of Annie’s Eats did such a fabulous job with the decorating, and most importantly, I know I can trust her recipe to be great. I love the way hers turned out so much that I plan on decorating mine very similarly – though I can’t say for sure they will turn out so perfectly!

Jack-O-Lantern Cheese Ball

{found here}

Because we’ve got to have a little something savory to go with our sweets. I fell in love with this pumpkin the moment I saw it, and I know it’s going to be a hit. Who doesn’t like cheese? The mini pickle for the stem is just brilliant.

Ghost Meringues

{found here}

There’s something so adorable about little white ghosts, and I couldn’t resist these meringues. I’ve still yet to try a meringue recipe but it seems pretty easy, and these are even more special thanks to the chocolate-coating on the bottom and the elegant little silver beads as eyes.

Graveyard Pots de Crème

{found here}

These are basically little chocolate puddings with Oreos made to look like dirt, and Milano cookies serving as tombstones. Die. So adorable. Probably a little too fancy for the type of gathering I’m hosting, but if I were doing a sit-down dinner I would so be making these.

Jack-O-Lantern Cake Pops

{found here}

I realize the jack-o-lantern is making multiple appearances here, but these cake pops are just too cute to leave out. If you’re unfamiliar with Bakerella, then I suggest you familiarize yourself, because everything she makes is just incredible. I’ve been toying with the idea of making her famed cake pops lately, but I’ve decided to go with cupcakes this time because I just couldn’t resist some of the special decorations I found. Maybe I will try them out for another certain favorite holiday?

In Sweets + Treats celebrate, cupcakes, halloween, i love holidays, pumpkin, specialty cocktails, Theme Lover

the most glam housewarming party. ever.

August 20, 2010 — 9 Comments

We all know I love my theme parties by now.

But this – this takes it to another level. What’s the theme you ask? It’s hard to put a name on this one. It’s glamour, meets casual. Black-tie attire, and ping-pong.

We’ll just call it fabulous. That works, doesn’t it?

It’s a housewarming party for a gentleman by the name of Kevin Sharkey, featured in Martha Stewart Living. I found it here, and I fell into a trance. I mean, a shower full of perfect orange Hermès boxes? That’s my kind of decorating. The tub filled with champagne bottles wasn’t too bad of an idea, either. I love how they brought a room to life – the bathroom, no less – that wouldn’t normally be included in the party.

How about a cake made entirely out of Oreo cookies, stacked on top of one another? With sparkler candles shooting out the top, no less. I think it may have been the old-fashioned milk bottles scattered about the table that really sold me here. And we can’t forget about the caviar.

I really don’t think it gets any better than men dressed in tuxedos playing a solid game of table tennis. I’m also a big fan of ladies in fabulous dresses making themselves just a little more comfortable. Shouldn’t we all drink our cocktails and eat our caviar sans shoes, sitting on the kitchen counter? This is living.

Please note how they’re keeping score: lipstick tallies on mirrored walls. But not just any lipstick. A tray of Chanel lipsticks, boys and girls. Does it get any more chic than this?

The woman pictured above and throughout many of the other images is actually the daughter of Martha Stewart. I’m jealous. Can you imagine being the daughter of Martha herself? On one hand, it seems like the most fabulous thing in the world – on the other…well, you know. Those are some big shoes to fill.

Throwing parties like this tells us she’s doing a pretty good job.

So, from my dreams to yours – here it is, dolls. My idea of perhaps the greatest housewarming party ever to exist. Super glamorous, yet still low-key. For me, this is what makes it so grand, so over-the-top special. Anyone can throw a stuffy party with a few {thousand} dollars – but this struck the perfect balance between opulence and good old-fashioned fun.

Understated elegance at its finest, my loves. Happy Friday!

In Fantasy Friday caviar, champagne, entertaining, hostess with the mostess, housewarming, martha stewart, Theme Lover, ultra-glam

theme alert: miami vice.

April 7, 2010 — 2 Comments

Miami may have its share of vices, but food is not one of them.

{The initial inspiration for this came from the Superbowl earlier this year. The game was in Miami, so to play up on this, I decided a Cuban/Latin theme was in order.}

This would be the perfect theme to spice up a dinner party or any other fun occasion. Particularly if you’re not near Miami – even better in that case – because then it’s truly something different than what you’re used to. Not to mention the fact that it’s finally starting to warm up in most of the country – I’m thinking this would be a fabulous way to celebrate incoming bikini season, no?

*Miami Vice* Theme Menu:

Mojitos + Assorted Latin American Beers

Empanadas

Mini Cuban Sandwiches

Croquetas

Fried Tostones

Tres Leches Cupcakes

What to do:

Mojitos are totally easy and so refreshingly delicious. They are a staple down here in South Florida, and definitely one of my favorite go-to specialty cocktails. I’ve had SO many fab varieties: coconut and blackberry versions definitely top the list. Here is a good recipe to get you started, and I promise that I will soon dedicate a day to perfecting my very own recipe (I know, sounds terrible, right?) so that I can share it with you.

You can check out the delicious empanadas I made a few weeks ago here.

Cuban sandwiches are a key component of this menu. And because I think everything is better as a mini, that’s the way I like these. A traditional Cuban sandwich consists of thinly sliced ham and roast pork, Swiss cheese, yellow mustard, and sliced dill pickles, all on buttered Cuban bread. Just head into your local deli, grab these ingredients, cut them into miniature portions and go to town. Yum.

Croquetas (also known as croquettes) are breaded little bits of fried heaven. They are usually filled with some type of meat, fish, or veggie, but my favorites are probably the ham or cheese varieties. To make your life easier, I recommend just buying these at your local grocery store; they can usually be found in the ethnic section of the freezer. But, just in case you’re sick in the head like me and actually like making your life more difficult sometimes, this recipe looks delish.

Oh, how I love fried tostones. There are no words. Probably the Cuban food I miss most – and if you’ve never had them, you simply must try. You’ve likely had plantains, but these are the green ones, not the sweet ones – and they’re basically just sliced, crushed, fried, and salted. Here is a recipe with instructions if you dare.

And to finish it all off, the only logical route seems to be these Tres Leches Cupcakes.

Bienvenido a Miami.

In Uncategorized celebrate, cupcakes, empanadas, miami, mojitos, specialty cocktails, Theme Lover

oscar viewing party.

March 8, 2010 — 6 Comments

Glitz, glamour, and polenta.

Well…it’s really just another excuse to have a theme party.

{Have I told you how much I LOVE theme parties?}

To be honest, I don’t care much for the actual awards. I usually haven’t seen most of the movies who are up, so who am I to judge? I’m much more concerned with the red carpet. Who’s wearing what, best-dressed, worst-dressed, I love it all. This year, my best-dressed vote goes to SJP in Chanel Haute Couture. Yes, a lot of people are hating on it, but I think it’s absolutely stunning. As much as I love all the ruffles and architectural details going on right now – this dress was different, and I found it to be a refreshing change. Also loved Cameron Diaz (as always), and Sandra Bullock looked F-A-B as well. On another note – did anyone notice the strange hair trend going on Sunday night? Yes, messy can be sexy, but some of the looks last night were just plain nest-like. Not a fan!

Since all the fun is really before the awards even begin, we started the festivities at 6pm. This gave us plenty of time to *eat, drink, and be merry* before the pre-show began.

I wanted to create a menu of appetizers that struck a balance between fun and elegant. Some of them were just tried-and-true recipes that popped into my head (the pigs in a blanket, roasted shrimp cocktail), and for the others I was mostly inspired by Oscar party ideas I found on Food Network, Epicurious, etc. A specialty cocktail for the evening was clearly also in order, and after deliberation between “ava-tinis” and “oscar-tinis,” the latter won, as I decided it worked better with the champagne topper – a necessary component. What would the Oscars be without some bubby?

The Menu:

Oscar-tinis

Oscar-tinis = a happy crowd. I didn’t use a recipe here, I just came up with an idea and eyeballed it. I used a pitcher to make life easier (yes, a cocktail shaker makes better drinks, but when you’re serving a crowd it’s so much easier to make big batches).

3 parts vodka
1 part pomegranate juice
Splash of fresh-squeezed lemon juice (or Cointreau if you have on hand)
Champagne
Sugar

Mix all the ingredients in a pitcher with plenty of ice. Pour some sugar onto a small plate. Take a cut lemon and rub it along the rim of the glass (this makes the sugar stick). Then flip the glass and press it into the sugar. Pour the mixture from the pitcher into your glass, leaving a bit of room to top with champagne.

Popcorn with Candied Bacon

This popcorn was the easiest thing I made, and it may have been the most popular. Earlier in the day, make the candied bacon. Set your oven to 400 degrees and place 12-16 slices of bacon (or however many fit) on a rack in a baking pan. Sprinkle liberally with brown sugar (you can also use maple syrup) and bake for 12-15 minutes. That way later you can just pop up a couple bags of popcorn and add the chopped up bacon to it, along with salt and smoked paprika.

Pigs in a Blanket with 3 Dipping Sauces

These are just a classic and I will find any excuse to make them. Do yourself a favor and buy them frozen. They are just as good that way, and will save you time. I made mine using Pillsbury Crescent Rolls and Hebrew’s National Cocktail Wieners. These little dogs were pretty tiny, so they sort of made mini pigs in a blanket. The rolls come 8 in a package, so do your math accordingly. Since my dogs were so small, I was able to cut each piece into about little triangles to roll them up into. I bought 2 packages of the dogs with 30 in each, so a total of 60, and I used a little over 2 packages of the rolls to have enough. They are simple to make; you just roll each little dog into a piece of the dough, wrap it up, and place it on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes (directions come on the package for the Crescent Rolls).

The key here is the dipping sauces. I used honey mustard (if you don’t have you can make your own with honey and whole grain mustard), barbeque ranch (just bbq sauce mixed with ranch dressing), and I also made a cheese sauce. I made the cheese sauce similar to this recipe, and also added some beer in.

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail with Homemade Cocktail Sauce

Here is a classic with a different twist. Everyone loves shrimp cocktail, and this recipe from Ina just makes it even more special. I didn’t even end up making this on Sunday night; everyone who came brought something so we ended up with plenty of food. I just made it the following night and Daniel and I ate it for dinner, along with a green salad drizzled in lemon juice and olive oil, and a few leftover pieces of polenta.

Pan-Fried Rosemary Polenta Cakes

Another amazing recipe from Ina. I saw this as I was watching Barefoot Contessa the other day, and I thought it would be perfect for this party. It was. Everyone LOVED it, asked for seconds, and it’s also a great trick to have in your back pocket for vegetarians. (Note: I did have a heavy hand when adding the rosemary and the crushed red pepper, which kicked it up a notch.)

“Red Carpet” Cupcakes

I have made different variations of red velvet before (layer cake, whoopie pies), but I think this was my first time doing cupcakes. This recipe on Epicurious actually comes from Magnolia Bakery in NYC. The cupcakes were A-MAZING. A lot of people associate red velvet with cream cheese frosting, and that is what I have always done in the past. But traditionally, they say you use a white cooked icing with red velvet cake. Yes, you actually cook flour in milk for a while and then let it cool to room temperature before whipping it with the butter and sugar. The end result is a brighter, creamier, and fluffier frosting than I had ever dreamed of. A little messy to work with but worth it. The key is that you can’t refrigerate the cupcakes afterwards or the icing will harden. I then went on to add a little gold star (with a yellow icing pen, no time for the real thing) on each of the cupcakes to truly make them red-carpet worthy, just like they do every year at Sprinkles.

What do you think, lovelies? Will you give it a try next year?