Cocktail (Food) Party

As a lover of food, it's always fun for me to gather others lovers and share my recipes, tricks, and tips. The other night I invited a few friends over for a Grown-up Girls Night In. On the menu: a lovely antipasto platter, shrimp scampi, brownie fingers with chocolate ganache, and almond cakes with almond whipped cream. And of course, a nice white wine.

I bought Marcona almonds from Trader Joe's - roasted and flavored with rosemary. They were a perfect nibbly treat to start off the meal. Marcona almonds are kind of pricey, but it's good to splurge on a few ingredients. I also found some great marinated olives at Whole Foods.

For the antipasto plate, I tried to mix color and flavor. I chose to showcase only one cheese: goat cheese, which I knew all my friends loved. I left it plain, but I noticed there are many types available now in the cheese market: honey spiked, blueberry, savory... you could even roll the cheese in fresh chopped herbs or cracked black pepper if you wanted. With my log, I chose to serve it alongside a lemon balm and sour cherry compote. I left the sauce separate so guests could choose to spoon it over if they wanted. For the fruits I got some nice strawberries and green grapes and also served some pepperoni slices.

Shrimp scampi is the easiest dish to make at a party - and something that can be done in front of your guests if you want, because it should be made-to-eat. I was sure to get the water boiling before my guests got here and also defrosted the scrimp in warm water. These are the two longest steps in the dish, can you believe it? To make the shrimp, heat olive oil in a pan until it's hot. Add the shrimp and "sear" on both sides (i.e. wait till they turn light pink). Squeeze in a half lemon, sprinkle in some salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Test your flakes to see how hot they are because mine were pretty spicy. Then add the drained pasta, a hefty spoonful of pesto, and a splash of cream. Serve immediately with a wedge of lemon.

Dessert time! I just made some brownies, cut them into strips, and smothered the tops with a mixture of 3 Tbs room temperature butter and 4 oz of heated, cooled chocolate. For the almond cakes, shown at the top, I used a pound cake recipe and added 1 1/2 tsp almond extract. I baked the cake in a 9x13 Pyrex dish at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes (note this is much LESS time than the recipe would call for). Then I let it cool and cut out rounds using a cookie cutter. I topped these with fresh whipped cream and a strawberry.

Here is the recipe I used:

Mix 1 ½ c flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp baking soda

Add 3 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, and ½ cup melted butter, cooled

½ cup yogurt or sour cream and a little over ¼ cup cream

Finally, add 1 1/2 tsp almond extract

What was really great about this party was that the guests pitched in for the ingredients - this way the burden of high gas prices (and therefore, high grocery costs), wasn't placed on one person (a great strategy for grad students who are penny pinching). I made sure everyone went home with a little goodie bag, too - always a nice give your guests something to extend the night's festivities.

You're Going to Kick Yourself

...for not thinking of this sooner, if you haven't already.

There is a super simple (and I do mean SIMPLE) dinner that I consider my go-to comfort food. It's warm and decadent and basically amazing. The other day I was making it when my roommate said, "Oh where did you get that idea. I've never seen anything like that." And I said, "I thought it up." And that's when I realized, maybe I should post it since it is soooo easy and maybe I could share and you'll fall in love with it too.

Don't blame me if it's so simple you're insulted. Sometimes the easiest things are the most tasty, so here's the recipe I've never posted but always should have. Fair warning, it is catered to my own flavor loves, which I'll explain now:

I love pasta - well cooked pasta. A nice little bite to it. It has to be freshly made (as in boiled, not actually made from scratch), too, not something that's been sitting around in the fridge. That's why I incorporated this stipulation into the recipe: you make enough pasta for the amount of people you are serving (usually one, in my case) and there are no leftovers.

Secondly, I enjoy big flavor. I LIKE giant pieces of garlic to bit into, and I don't care if the sundried tomatoes stand out on their own. So if you do like a bit quieter flavor profile, this might not be for you.

Third, I think spicing pasta should be extremely simple. You have to use salt - it makes pasta better. But just enough to taste. And in lieu of pepper, I usually use red pepper flakes for added kick.

Finally, olive oil is another must. You have to use it in this dish. It acts like a binder (along with my other fav ingredients, dijon mustard), and it creates a sense of luxury on the tongue.

So here, it is...it could change your quick supper recipes for good:

Sheila's Super Simple Pasta

Get a pot of water to a rolling boil, then add enough pasta for one serving.

In the plate you are using to eat on (why use a cutting board), chop one clove of garlic and 4-5 olives, any kind you like. Keep the olive pieces a little bigger than the garlic ones. You may also add 1-2 sliced sun-dried tomatoes (not the salt-cured ones).

Sprinkle over this some salt and red pepper flakes. Squirt over that about 1 Tbs of Dijon mustard. Grate in 1 Tbs pecorino (I like this much better than Parmesan).

Once the pasta is cooked perfectly (about 10 minutes), drain it and make sure there isn't any lingering water. Dump over the season mixture you made on the plate. Measure out a good tablespoon of olive oil and pour it over. Use a spoon and fork to toss everything together.

Serve immediately!

*note: I used to mix everything in a pot with the pasta and then transfer it all to a plate, but I lost a lot of the seasonings this way. By making everything right in the plate you are planning to eat with, you can monitor the toppings to make sure they don't sink to the bottom, etc. If making for more than one (3+), just make it all in the serving platter and note that you'll have to use probably 3 Tbs olive oil, 4 Tbs Dijon, and enough toppings to make sure every portion has some.

photo credit (garlic)

photo credit (pecorino)

30 Minute Dinner Party

I absolutely loooove having friends over for dinner. But I have to admit, when a fellow foodie is on the guest list, I do feel the need to make something a little extra tasty. People say you should never try a new recipe at a dinner party, and normally I'd agree, if the recipe is really involved and uses ingredients you aren't familiar with. But as I learned Monday, sometime recipes you've never made before turn out to be the ones you add to your Easy Entertaining pocketbook.

Chicken with Alfredo and Vegetable Pasta (I know, not a very creative name - send me new suggestions)

For the Chicken

1 mixed bag of chicken: breast, thighs, legs - I take off most of the fat

salt, pepper, garlic powder

olive oil

Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and arrange the chicken on it. Cover evenly with oil, then spice both sides, rubbing everything into the skin and little crevices.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until the juices run clear.

Take out of the over and cover with another sheet of aluminium foil and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

For the Pasta

Make the Veggies:

1 bell pepper, sliced thinly and cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 large onion, chopped

3 scallions chopped, plus another chopped finely and set aside for garnish

3 cloves garlic, chopped

salt, pepper

8-10 slices sundried tomatoes, cut into strips

In a saute pan, brown the onion and garlic. Add the bell pepper and when this is soft, add the scallions and cook until the scallions are just soft enough to mellow out their onion-y flavor (you don't want them turning brown). Then, add the sundried tomatoes and at the very end, a few more pieces of fresh scallion.

Make the Sauce:

1/2 cup pecorino cheese, grated

3 Tbs cream cheese

4 Tbs flour

3 Tbs butter

1 c milk

salt, pepper, garlic powder

Make a rue by melting the butter then adding the flour and cooking the two with a whisk for about 20 seconds. This takes away any gritty flavor of the flour. Over medium-high heat, add the milk and whisk like your life depends on it. This won't thicken up immediately, but it will so be patient. Add the cream cheese, spices, and pecorino and watch as it all comes together. Turn off the heat, cover with a lid, and let sit till your pasta has cooked.

Make the Compote:

1 package baby tomatoes, sliced into quarters

2 Tbs good olive oil

salt, pepper

1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

Throw in 4 leaves of basil, chopped, if you have any

Mix all together and let sit until ready to serve

Make the Pasta:

I use about 3/4 package of spaghetti pasta

Cook it and reserve a little pasta water in case everything is too thick when you're combining the parts.

Finish it up:

Add the veggies to the pasta, then mix in the Alfredo and toss to coat. I drizzle in a little olive oil in addition to the pasta water because it is a little thick as-in. Put on a plate and garnish with the reserved scallions and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes. After guests have served themselves, have them put a little of the Tomato Compote over their pasta - it gives an amazing bite to the dish.

Tips from the Chef:

• Whenever you are using olive oil, know these things: a fruity, flavorful olive oil is good for anything you will taste directly (for instance, salad leaves) while an extra virgin olive oil is useful for sauteing.
• I like using red of yellow bell pepper for cooking, I just think the flavor is sweeter and less harsh than the green variety
• Pair this dish with a wonderful red or white wine
• There is no shame in accepting help. I grew up with a Persian mother who refused to let anyone (excluding family members) bring a dish with them when they came over. I think there's no problem with letting people be a part of the meal, especially if they have a special dish they want to share. Another plus is that by participating in the meal, people are more likely to feel more comfortable eating YOUR meal. Our guest, Kelly, brought an amazing salad and kindly shared the recipe with me, so look forward to seeing that in the near future!