Thursday, September 24, 2009

Early Autumn Celebration: a casual dinner party

My parents are hosting a "thank you" dinner party this Sunday evening for a committee from our church that has put in a lot of volunteer hours over the past 18 months. My dad asked for my help on the planning, cooking, executition side of things. Believe it or not, my dad had a general "vision" for what type of party they wanted to throw (casual atmosphere with an autumnal theme, buffet dinner with delicious food) and my mom is a master party planner herself, but I guess they just wanted some additional input and an extra set of hands -- hence my involvement!

First step, they set a date for the party and sent out an invitation.  Then once they had a general idea of how many people were coming, we started talking about the menu.  As I have expressed before, my dad is a Killer Griller, so it was only natural to include one of his grilled specialties on our menu -- rack of lamb.  Yum.

Here's the menu that I came up with for this Early Autumn Dinner Party
(click to enlarge image)


                               
I am also helping out by making several floral arrangements.  I haven't decided 100% what colors I will use, but I will probably lean towards flowers in deep pinks, oranges, purples and reds.  More to come on those arrangements. 

Here's a teaser of one of the recipes I've chosen for the party.  I thought it fit the bill for an autumnal menu.


Baked Brie with Spiced Cranberry Sauce
I learned this recipe in college from my friend Rodes.  It's always a hit at parties.
(Printable Recipe)
1 - large round Brie
1- 16 oz can whole-berry cranberry sauce
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Trim rind from top of Brie then place on a baking sheet.  Stir together cranberry sauce and next 3 ingredients; spread mixture evenly over top of Brie. Sprinkle with pecans.

Bake Brie at 500° for 5 minutes. Watch carefully while in the oven.  Serve on a footed cake plate with assorted crackers and apple slices.
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Posted by AnnieB at 7:30 AM 0 comments
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Monday, September 14, 2009

Food buzz: mixing bowl.com, cookbook season, and more

Here are a couple random bites of food for thought.  I'm always looking for new websites and resources related to cooking, entertaining, decorating etc. so I thought I would share a couple of my new finds. 

I just discovered Mixingbowl.com, a free online recipe community where readers can upload recipes and view other readers feedback. While there are other online resources like Foodnetwork.com, Epicurious.com, myrecipes.com, I like the interactive aspect of this site. Readers are encouraged to join groups based on their taste preference (i.e, I like to cook but I LOVE to bake so I joined a group named "Bake Sale Favorites). Readers can upload their favorite recipes and rate other recipes on the site.  They also have recipe competitions with cash prizes for the winners.  This site is definitely worth a visit.
I have talked about Garden and Gun, one of my favorite Southern-inspired magazines, in previous posts.  In the most recent G&G newsletter there is a great article on soon-to-be-released cookbooks.  I love reading a good cookbook, especially when it comes highly recommended by someone whose "taste" I admire.
Another one of my new favorite recipe resources is Relishmag.com.  This is the online presence of Relish magazine, "America's first food magazine distributed in your local paper the first of every month."  Relish has an interesting mix of food-related articles, glossary of food terms, recipe archive etc. 
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Posted by AnnieB at 7:30 AM 0 comments
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Thursday, September 10, 2009

Tailgating Time in Tennessee

Ladies and gentlemen, it's FOOTBALL season once again! That means it's time for tailgating. Sports fans from coast to coast are lighting up their grills and packing their coolers for the pre-game parties.

For a mid-day game, with a noon kickoff, you could prepare a breakfast/brunch spread...think kegs + eggs. However, I will save that topic for another day. As far as I'm concerned, tailgating is about going as far out as possible, without too much effort or fuss. I realize that concept sounds like a bit of an oxymoron, but the best tailgates I've experienced encompass this spirit.

While I was searching for inspiring images and ideas on tailgating, I came across a picture of the King and Queen of tailgating, my friend, Mary Allyn's parents! They are huge Ole Miss fans, and since the Grove is one of the most amazing tailgating experiences in college football it was no surprise to find the King and Queen of tailgating's pic on tailgating.com (see the picture below in bottom left corner).



Photo credits (clockwise from top left corner): deviled eggs from Southern Living, UGA chip dip tray from Cabell's Pottery, Alabama ceramic tray from Cabell's Pottery, Titans tailgate table from Sports Authority, Cruzin Coolers from Amazon, Sterilite Deviled Egg Carrier from Chef's Tools.


In honor of the King and Queen of Tailgating, first off I am going to share one of "Aunt Allyn's" delicious recipes with you.

Corn Dip
(Printable Recipe)
1 C. mayonnaise
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1 C. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
4 oz. can chopped green chiles
16 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
4 oz. can sliced ripe olives
Combine all ingredients. Spoon mixture into casserole dish. Bake at 325 for 25-30 mins. Serve immediately.
Here are a few more recipes that would be great for a tailgate. I like to serve dishes that can be prepared in advance and taste JUST as good the next day. I feel confident that the recipes below would meet those standards.

Caramelized Onion Dip
(Printable Recipe)
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium-size yellow onions, chopped
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1 (16-oz.) container sour cream (light sour cream can be used)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Bag of regular Potato chips

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes or until browned and tender. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Remove from heat, and let stand 30 minutes.

Stir together onions, sour cream, and chives in a medium bowl. Stir in remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and remaining 1/4 tsp. pepper. Cover and chill 30 minutes or up to 2 days. Serve with potato chips.


White Bean and Chicken Chili
(Printable Recipe)
recipe by Giada De Laurentiis
Prep Time: 8 min Cook Time: 1 hr 15 min
Serves: 4 to 6 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds ground chicken
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons chili powder
3 tablespoons flour
2 (15-ounce cans) cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch (about 1 pound) Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces
11/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the ground chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, and chili powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir the flour into the chicken mixture. Add the beans, Swiss chard, corn, and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 55-60 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened. Add the red pepper flakes and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Ladle the chili into serving bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Pesto Focaccia Sandwich
(Printable Recipe)
recipe from Southern Living
Prep: 10 min., Bake: 10 min.

1 large deli-loaf focaccia or ciabatta bread
1 (3.5-ounce) jar prepared pesto sauce
1/2 pound thinly sliced Black Forest ham
1/2 pound thinly sliced roasted turkey breast
6 provolone cheese slices
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Cut bread in half horizontally using a serrated knife. Spread pesto evenly over cut sides. Layer ham and next 3 ingredients evenly over bottom half. Top with remaining bread half. Wrap in aluminum foil.
Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Cut into 6 wedges.

Yield: Makes 6 servings


Jalapeno Pimento Cheese
(Printable Recipe)
recipe from Southern Living
Prep: 25 min.
Makes 6 1/2 cups

2 (8-oz.) blocks extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 (8-oz.) block mild Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2 (7-oz.) jars diced pimiento, drained
1 (12-oz.) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained
1/2 cup drained pickled jalapeño pepper slices
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Assorted crackers or bread slices

Process first 3 ingredients, in batches, in a food processor 45 seconds or until well blended. Add pimiento and next 4 ingredients, and pulse 5 to 6 times or to desired consistency. Cover and chill up to 1 day. Serve with crackers or bread slices.

UPDATE: I just came across these adorable football themed cupcakes! These would be absolutely perfect to serve at your next tailgate.
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Posted by AnnieB at 7:15 AM 0 comments
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