Deck the Halls and Fa La La

For the past 9 years, I have thrown a Holiday Cocktail party.  It all started sophomore year of college when my roommate and I bought fancy dresses and needed some place to wear them.  We decided to throw an "adult" party.  No beer, only wine and cocktails.  A select group of friends which was by invite only.  Everyone HAD to dress up.  And a spread of food.  We, of course, had a blast! And I discovered how much I love planning parties, especially the food spread.  Since then, with the help of friends, I have thrown the party every year.  And really, the rules haven't changed much. 



My lovely balsam

 
Well, this year, I had 2 friends that helped me with the decorating so I could focus on the food.  I was quite proud of it all. 

AVOCADO, POMEGRANATE, AND ORANGE SALSA from Skinny Dips by Diana Morgan
- I liked this because it was a wintry version of guacamole.  It was both juicy and spicy.

1Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
3 large navel oranges
1 pomegranate
2 large avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and cut into 1/2-in dice
2/3 cup diced red onion
1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, minced
2 green onions, including green tops, cut on the diagonal, into thin slices
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

In a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice, salt and pepper until the salt dissolves.
Working with one orange at a time, cut a slice from the top and bottom to reveal the flesh.  Stand the orange upright and slice away the peel from the sides in wide stripes, cutting downward, following the contour of the fruit, and removing all of the white pith.  Holding the orange over a bowl, use a sharp paring knife to cut along both sides of each segment, releasing the segments and allowing the juice and segments to drop into the bowl.  Discard any seeds.  Drain the juice into a measuring cup and set aside.  Cut the orange segments into 1/2 in pieces and add to the bowls with the lime juice.
Extract seeds from pomegranate (I recommend watching a demo on YouTube) and add the seeds to the bowl with the segments and lime juice.
Add avocado, red onion, jalapeno, green onions, and cilantro to the bowl.  Using a rubber spatula, gently fold  the ingredients together, being careful to not mash the avocado.  Add the reserved orange juice, 1 Tbsp at a time, until salsa is moist but not soupy.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.  Transfer to a serving bowl, cover, and set aside for at least 1 hour.


 
PICKLED MUSHROOMS -- from Chef Francesco Mangano
-I recently went to a cooking class taught by a local chef.  When I saw these on the list of recipes, I was a little scared but they ended up being my favorite item he made.  They are sweet and vinegary with a hint of garlic.  A great accompaniment to a cheese plate or relish tray.

2 lbs wild mushrooms, cleaned and stemmed
20 fl. oz water
20 fl. oz apple cider vinegar
a few sprigs of fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, chives, oregano
a couple cloves of garlic
1 1/2 cups sugar
salt

Bring the water, sugar, vinegar and salt to a bowl in a deep pot.  Drop the mushrooms in, and turn the burner off.  Cover the mushrooms with a towel (the towel actually touches the water/vinegar mixture), and let stand for 12-15 minutes, depending on how sturdy the mushrooms you have on hand are.  Drain the mushrooms and pat them dry gently.  Put them in a container alternated with vegetable oil, the herbs and garlic.  Make sure the oil covers the mushrooms all the way.  Use within a week.

Patting the mushrooms dry

BACON WRAPPED DATES -- from Avec in Chicago
- B and I have recently discovered how amazing stuffed dates are.  Our first experience was the ones from Avec, a restaurant in Chicago.  Luckily I was able to find the recipe online so I could recreate.  I ended up having to go to Whole Foods to get the correct dates.  Also, the recipe calls for Spanish Chorizo.  I found a sausage that was just called chorizo at my grocery store.  Not sure if it was technically Spanish or Mexican but either way it was delicious.

http://timeoutchicago.com/restaurants-bars/62734/avecs-bacon-wrapped-dates


CRANBERRY CHILI MEATBALLS
- Usually I make cocktail wienies which are always hit but I decided to change it up this time and have meatballs.  I wanted something sweet and spicy and maybe just a little different.  Though not many people named it their favorite thing at the party, they were gone before the night was done --Making the recipe a keeper for future parties.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Cranberry-Chili-Meatballs


GRILLED PEAR, BRIE AND HONEY CROSTINI
- Crostinis are my go-to for any cocktail party.  Any easy concept but you can change them up so much.  This year I wanted to include a little fruit so I grilled pears that had been brushed in honey.  Put them on top of pieces of bread with melted brie and sprinkled it all with some fresh rosemary.

http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/grilled-pear-brie-and-honey-crostini-recipe/

VEGETABLES AND RANCH DIP

- Always great at any party.  It is healthy and any picky-eater will enjoy it.  I like making my dip from scratch with fresh herbs so that the platter is refreshing.  Here is my favorite dip recipe.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ranch-Dip-with-Vegetables-109001

SPICED NUTS

- Unbelievably addictive!  I think I am going to make another batch to give away as gifts.

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/12/sugar-and-spice-candied-nuts/

 

MELTING MOMENTS (AKA Butts)

-My mom is the cookie queen each Holiday season.  She makes 11-13 kinds each year and gives them out to friends and neighbors.  Melting Moments is one of our family's favorites.  First of all, because we call them Butts.  I guess when my brother was little he said they looked like butts and the name stuck.  Second, they are a nice bite size cookie that literally melts in your mouth.  And finally, I love them because there is almond extract in the frosting.  Num!

1 cup salted butter

1/3 cup powdered sugar

2 cups sifted flour

Cream butter with sugar.  Blend in flour until satin smooth.  Chill several hours or overnight.  Roll rounded half-teaspoons of dough into marbles.  Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Almond Butter Cream:

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

3 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp cream

¼ tsp almond extract

Blend ingredients until smooth.  Tint half pink and half green with food coloring.  Put between two marbles.



ROLLED GINGERBREAD COOKIES

- Again, this is my mom's recipe.  I like to make my cookies fairly thick so they stay chewy.  I also put red hots on my gingerbread men to make eyes and buttons which I personally think are needed to make the cookies complete but I love red hots.

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark molasses
1 egg

Mix flour, salt, soda, baking powder and spices.  Cream butter, add sugar and molasses gradually and cream until fluffy.  Add egg and mix.  Add sifted ingredients and mix.  Chill thoroughly.  Roll dough about 1/4 inch thick on floured board and cut with desired cutters.  Bake on ungreased baking sheets in a pre-heated 350 degree oven about 10 min.  Let cool on pan For a few minutes before removing.



Cutting out some men



Starting at the bottom going clockwise-- Peppermint Cookies from Lands' End, Gingerbread Men, Melting Moments, Avocado Salsa, Pickled Mushrooms, Bacon Wrapped Dates, Meatballs, Cheese plate, Crostinis, and Veggies with Dip

My pride and joy!

I can't believe that next year will be the 10th year of this party.  I probably need to start planning now to make sure its the party of the year!  HAPPY HOLIDAYS and Cheers!

Gobble Gobble

This year for Thanksgiving we went up to Sheboygan, WI to spend the time with my in-laws. It's always so interesting to compare other's Holidays to your own. Growing up, Thanksgiving was small for us. Just my immediate family. It was always a challenge for my mother since I had one brother that was fully vegetarian and another that would only eat poultry. We would basically watch the Macy's parade, snack on cheese and such and then eat around 5p. Now B's Thanksgiving is quite different. First off, they are huge. He has two celebrations, one for each side of his family, and they both have about 15 people. Also football is the main event, which is fine by me because I love watching it. With so many people and 2 full dinners, it makes it easier and more fun to do something different. I decided this year to introduce some of my favorite dishes into their family.

This salad is easy to please everyone. Reading there recipe, it may seem a little strange but it comes together well.

FALL SALAD

Salad Greens:
1 head red lettuce
1 cup chopper celery
2 green onions with tops, chopped

Dressing:
1/2 tsp salt
Dash pepper
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp vinegar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 Tbsp snipped parsley
Dash Tabasco

Topping:
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp sugar

Other:
1 can Mandarin oranges

Prepare salad dressing and refrigerate.

Cook almond sliced in sugar over low heat until sugar melts and coats the nuts. Place on waxed paper and cool. Break apart.

Combine all salad greens and refrigerate overnight.

Before serving, combine salad greens, salad dressing and Mandarin oranges. Toss. Sprinkle with sugared almonds before serving.




I love my mom's stuffing. It's not some recipe that has been passed down for generations or anything like that. But after not having it one Thanksgiving I realized it is what defines the holiday for me. Waking up that morning I always remember the smell of the onions, celery and sausage cooking.  We halve this recipe and stick it in the oven in a dutch oven instead of the the bird.

CORN BREAD STUFFING

2 pkgs (10-12 oz size) cornbread mix
1 lb sausage meat
4 cups chopped celery
3 cups chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped parsley
1 1/2 tsp rubbed savory
1 1/2 tsp dried sage
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can (13 3/4 oz) chicken broth, undiluted
3 eggs, slightly beaten

Make cornbread mix as package label describes. Cool.
In large skillet, saute sausage meat, stirring, until lightly browned.  Lift out with slotted spoon.  In drippings in skillet saute celery, onion, and parsley until tender, 8-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, crumble cooled cornbread into large bowl.  Add sausage, vegetables, herbs, salt and pepper.  Gradually add broth and eggs, tossing lightly with a fork. 
Baked covered at 350 degrees for 30 -40 minutes or until warm.  Remove cover and bake 10 more minutes.




After raving about turnips to everyone, I decided I needed to bring my signature dish. Here is the recipe again.

TURNIP GRATIN from Epicurious

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 1/2 pounds medium turnips, trimmed and left unpeeled

1 tablespoon chopped thyme

1/2 tablespoon chopped savory

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Rounded 1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (use a Microplane)

Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.

Melt butter in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet, then cool.

Slice turnips paper-thin with slicer, then arrange one third of slices, overlapping tightly, in skillet, keeping remaining slices covered with dampened paper towels. Sprinkle with about a third of thyme, savory, kosher salt, and cayenne. Make 2 more layers.

Cook, covered, over medium heat until underside is browned, about 10 minutes. Add cream and cook, covered, until center is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Sprinkle evenly with cheese, then bake, uncovered, until golden and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Now in to the main event...DEEP FRIED TURKEY!!! Over and over again we have heard how delicious it is. And since we had two meals, B and I wanted to try it at one of them. Luckily we knew someone that had the fryer and I had to buy an obnoxious amount of peanut oil. We started with brining the turkeys in large tubs of water, brown sugar and salt. We let them sit overnight.

Turkey taking a bath in sugar and salt

Around 3p we were ready to start our first turkey. I let the boys be in charge. They heated up the oil and VERY slowly lowered the turkey in. The oil was not very happy about it. Almost instantly the turkey smelled and looked delicious.

Heating up the oil -- FAR away from the house

Lowering the thawed, dried off turkey

The oil was angry

Already it looks delicious



We fried the turkey for close to 40 mi and it came out beautifully! Super juicy on the inside. Crisp and brown on the outside. Now I don't love turkey. It's fine but its not something I usually want to eat often. But this turkey.... THIS turkey I could eat all day. So moist! So flavorful! Salty and sweet. And the skin! It was like bacon. I have now become one of those people who rants and raves about deep fried turkey.  I highly recommend it but please please PLEASE be careful and read all the instructions to make sure you don't start a fire.

Here are the instructions and recipe we used.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/deep-fried-turkey-recipe/index.html

Out of the fryer!

Finally, I brought some delicious pumpkin cookies to snack on all weekend.  Reading the recipe I thought they sounded good, but they were so much better!  Almost like little cakes, they were great to get your fix of something sweet without eating a whole piece of pie.

http://www.marthastewart.com/318741/pumpkin-cookies-with-brown-butter-icing

Well, I know this post is late but I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  And you all aren't freaking out too much about Christmas being 13 days away!