Stylish Entertaining Archives - Page 59 of 63

A Holiday Meal Extraordinaire

Our friend Susan hosted this event on the first night of winter. It kicked off our fabulous holiday season and it was also the first night of Hanukkah. Last week I wrote about how we spent the day preparing the food together and shared the recipe for the decadent tartiflette.

Susan’s Christmas decorations and Santa collection are amazing. And her dining table is jaw-dropping gorgeous! It was a pleasure to spend such a lovely evening amidst beautiful surroundings with my family and charming delightful friends, both old and new.

Susan presented Don and Kristy with an elegant Menorah. Here, they recite the blessing in Hebrew. The shamash candle (servant light) is lit, then it is used to light the other candle on this first night of Hanukkah.

The significance of Hanukkah and the Menorah:

The Jews had lost their religious freedom. In a rebellion led by the Maccabees, the Jews regained their freedoms and cleansed and rededicated the Temple around 165 BCE. The Jewish festival of Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, celebrates the Maccabees’ victory and the Temple’s rededication. The Hanukkah Menorah, with its eight candles plus the shamash, is lit to commemorate the one-days-worth of pure oil that miraculously lasted for eight days keeping the Temple lights burning until new oil could be obtained.

Let’s Eat!

Mussels with Pernod and Crème Fraîche

I sautéed sliced leeks and celery in butter, added white wine, thyme and bay then reduced. Later this mixture was transferred to a large pot with more wine, brought to a boil, then 5 lbs. PEI mussels were added. When the mussels open they were removed to the serving bowls and the sauce finished with a 1/2 c. Pernod, 8 oz. of crème fraîche and lots of chopped parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the hot broth over the mussels. Serve with toasted French baguette.

The distinctive flavor of Pernod is created through a combination of star anise, fennel, parsley, chamomile, coriander and several aromatic herbs and plants. Pernod adds another dimension to this mussel broth. I look forward to cooking with it more often, specifically in vegetable and fish dishes.

Chèvre Chaud, Green Salad, Dijon Vinaigrette

Filet Mignon Chausseur

Tarragon Horseradish Crème

Carottes de Bébé avec du Miel

Tartiflette

Vol-au-Vent filled with Vanilla Yogurt

Quince, Pear, and Orange in a Cinnamon Syrup

I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Susan for her friendship, generous hospitality, delicious meals, the laughs and the good times. We look forward to spending more time together in 2009.

I hope you all had wonderful holidays. Wishing you an abundance of love, friendship, peace, health, prosperity and happiness at the New Year and always.

Tartiflette

A wonderful wintery dish!

A tartiflette is made with Reblochon cheese, potatoes, bacon, onions, garlic and cream. A favorite in ski areas and winter wonderlands everywhere for it is a hearty, warm and rich dish. We served it as a side dish in this holiday menu:

Champagne Reception

Veuve Clicquot Rosé

Shrimp Cocktail

Gouréres au Cumin

First Course

Nigl Grüner Veltliner 2007

Moules å la Mariniére

French Baguette

Salad Course

Chèvre Chaud, Green Salad, Dijon Vinaigrette

Main Course

Domaine Henri Jouan Chambolle Musigny 2005

Filet Mignon Chausseur

Tarragon Horseradish Crème

Side Dishes

Tartiflette

Carottes de Bébé avec du Miel

Dessert

Vol-au-Vent with Winter Fruits and Vanilla Yogurt

Coffee & Tea

Chocolate Candies

And while we were in the kitchen prepping our holiday meal, look who came to visit Susan’s back yard. Those are ornamental deer under the arch, and their live counterparts came by to check them out! See the three deer in the right of the photo? Magical!

Reblochon is a raw cow’s milk cheese from the Alps region of Savoie. It is creamy, nutty, with full-flavor (somewhat stinky). In the middle-ages, farmers there were required to pay rent to the landowners in the form of milk and cheese based on production. The crafty farmers would hold back some of the milk until after the tax collector had left, then go back to finish milking the cows. This second-milking produced a richer milk, and was used to make their special Reblochon cheese. Cheese made from unpasteurized milk aged less than 60 days is not legally imported into the US, so we used a substitute cheese, Fromage de Savoie, made in the same manner but with pasteurized milk.

We had a fabulous time visiting Susan in New Jersey. We woke up early, had our coffee and began cooking. Everyone had an assignment which was loads of fun (and I sure appreciated the help)! Here my brother and sister-in-law are working on their projects. Don is making dessert; cooking quince, pears and oranges in a sugar and cinnamon syrup. Kristy is cooking the bacon for the tartiflette, and in the foreground, I am working on leeks and celery for the mussels.

Meanwhile Susan is prepping the goat cheese medallions with egg wash and panko breadcrumbs. It will be refrigerated and ready to fry in peanut oil later on. And a big thanks to Esther (in the back) who is helping everyone keep a clean workspace.

Kristy’s tartiflette turned out great: Sliced waxy potatoes are boiled in water until al dente. A sprig of fresh rosemary adds a nice essence. Sliced onions are sautéed in some of the bacon fat until golden brown, minced garlic is added at the end and cooked for a few more minutes.

Layer potatoes in baking dish, then onions with garlic, then bacon. Season with a little salt and fresh ground pepper.

Repeat. Then about a half cup of cream is poured over the top.

Top with sliced Reblochon/Fromage de Savoie. We recommend leaving the rind on.

The tartiflette was baked at 400°F early in the day. Later we would put it back in the oven to heat right before dinner. I first saw this dish on Fiona Beckett’s blog and knew immediately it would be a big hit around here. For a more detailed recipe and if you are a cheese aficionado, do check our her blog and her excellent book, Cheese: From Fondue to Cheesecake which has inspiring recipes and beautiful photographs.

I was wondering why I hadn’t had this delicious tartiflette before, as I lived and skied in Aspen for 4 years after college. It is supposed to be a favorite of skiers after all? Fiona answers that question for me in her book, apparently tartiflette was invented by the local cheese commission in order to sell more Reblochon cheese, in the 1980’s! Well, that explains it.

Please come back soon to read more about the special dinner later that evening at Susan’s…

Happy Holidays to All!

Tomato Tarte Tatin

Brunch Menu

Tomato Goat Cheese Basil Tarte Tatin

Red Leaf Green Leaf Salad, Dijon Vinaigrette

Comté Cheese Soufflés

Handcut Bacon

Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc

Oh, we had such a delightful brunch! I hope I am able convey the light lovely delicious flavor combinations served here. The menu is straight-forward and uncomplicated, but this brunch menu is a winner by all accounts!

Father Adam is my longtime dear dear friend. He was going to be in town at the same time as my family visiting from Chicago. We determined he had not seen my brother in over 20 years (and therefore had not met my sister-in-law, nor their sons). Father Adam and I cook together often. He is a terrific cook. You may recall reading about some of our dishes, including the one we made for Julia Child’s birthday event, Coq Au Vin.

We thought it would be neat to cook brunch and for everyone to get (re) acquinted. Father Adam arrived around 9 AM and we began prepping the meal. We took a break to shoot some hoops with Stone, and a few hours later the adults were ready to sit down to a very memorable meal with the light streaming in, with the food, family, and friends, what could be better?

We served dry, crisp, complex Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc California Sparkling Wine, a great complement to the meal and how apropos to serve a “local” wine to out-of-town guests here in California.

Tomato Tarte Tatin: Slice Roma tomatoes lengthwise. Squeeze the seeds and juice out of tomatoes and place in baking pan drizzled with olive oil, skin side down. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and Herbs de Provence. Cook at 350°F for about 40 minutes. Pour out any juices left in the pan.

Top the tomatoes with crumbled goat cheese then cover with puff pastry dough. This is my cherished Le Creuset Tarte Tatin Pan. Handcrafted of porcelain enamel cast iron, it is designed for recipes that are started on top of the stove and are finished in the oven. The curved side handles make it easy to flip foods over onto a plate. This is a great pan for making quiche too, if you are a quiche lover, you might enjoy visiting here and here.

Tuck the dough under the edges of the tomatoes. Make holes in the dough to let steam escape and bake in the 350°F oven until the dough is golden. Remove from oven and let rest until ready to serve. Then…

Father Adam demonstrates the Tarte Tatin Flip Over.

Place platter over the pan.

Invert.

Slowly remove pan.

Voilà!

Top with shredded basil. Serve.

Recipe inspired by the charming Chocolate & Zucchini Cookbook. Please stay tuned for the Soufflés post from this special brunch.

HoLiDaY PaRtY TiMe!

Happy Holidays!

It’s holiday party time!

Are you planning a gathering for your work or business?

Perhaps some of these ideas will be useful…

For the second year in a row, we held our party at The Depot Restaurant in Torrance, California. The banquet room is a warm space with red walls decorated with kimonos. Just the right size for 75 – 100 guests, the lighting is flattering and the acoustics generate good energy in the room yet allow for conversation.

Full bar, great wine by the glass, festive non-alcoholic drinks.

Live Music

Barry Anthony Jazz Band playing Christmas favorites as well as snappy jazz tunes.

Jalapeño Cheese Wontons

Reception with passed appetizers to encourage mingling among the guests.

Ahi Tuna Tartare

Neat little bucket to place used spoons.

Chicken Empanadas with Thai Chile BBQ Sauce

Global Flavors!

And Fried Macaroni & Cheese (not shown)

Each place is set with party favors, Holiday Jam and Sugar Plum Jam by Stonewall Kitchen decorated with ribbons and bows and a recipe sheet for the Chef’s cooking demonstration.

Chef Shafer prepares the first course, Smashed Potato Corn Bisque, as a demonstration. Everyone gets a copy of the recipe to recreate at home. We had so much fun at the Depot last year, we came back again this year. Last year Chef Shafer demonstrated a Wilted Baby Spinach Salad with Dates and Bacon, excellent recipe, here.

If you are cooking for A LOT of people, this recipe scale is for you:

Potatoes:

25 Red Skin Potatoes
1/2 c. Canola Oil
2.T. Course Salt
2.T. Course Black Pepper
2 T. Chopped Garlic
1 T. Basil Dried

Soup Preparation:

2 c. Diced Onion
2 c. Diced Carrots
2 c. Corn, Fresh off the Cob
1/4 c. Canola Oil
1/2 gallon Cream
1 gallon Chicken or Vegetable Stock

Toss the potatoes with the list of ingredients above, roast on a baking sheet at 350° F for 35-40 minutes. Let cool then smash the potatoes by hand.

To prepare the soup:

Sauté onions and carrots in oil until soft.

Add cream, heat through.

Add smashed potatoes.

Look at this kitchen equipment, would ya? Oh, I love that pot, and how about that immersion blender!!!

Blend briefly, then add stock and heat through.

Add fresh corn kernels, salt and pepper to taste, then…

Serve

First Course: Smashed Potato Corn Bisque

Wouldn’t it be neat to recreate this demonstration for guests in your home during your next dinner party?

Main Courses:

Curry Roasted Salmon, Cashew Veggies

Roast Sirloin with Mixed Mushrooms and Mashed Potatoes

And Buttermilk Chicken & Fries (not shown)

All Served Family Style

Desserts:

Banana Cream Pie

Berry Cobbler

Pumpkin Trifle

Pumpkin Pie with Strawberries

Some tips I have learned over the years from planning holiday parties for the workplace:

Save the Date. Let guests know the date well in advance of the party.
Plan business party date early in the holiday season so as not to conflict with personal holiday parties.
Choose a convenient location, not too far from place of business.
Have clear communication (in writing) with the Chef regarding food and with the Manager regarding expectations for set up and service.
Encourage employees to bring a guest whether it be a spouse, significant other, family member, or a friend.
A pretty and joyful invitation indicates your intention to throw a special party.
Have specific start and end times (not too late).
Insure safe transportation.
Accommodate special dietary needs.
Full bar, good wines, special seasonal non-alcoholic drinks.
Live music.
Entertainment (We love the cooking demonstration)!
Employer to make a brief speech, welcome guests, share good tidings.
Have unique party favors to take home. (Since we have a cooking demonstration, we give food related gifts).
Festive atmosphere and decorations.
Encourage guests to wear holiday attire.
Pay attention to detail.

If you have holiday party tips for the workplace to share, we’d love to hear them!

Foie Gravy

UPDATE FEBRUARY 2022:

Seared Albacore, Peppercorn Brandy Cream Flambé now posted here!

♦ ♦ ♦

Want to impress your guests? Flambé !!!

Gravy is a key component to Thanksgiving dinner, no? This year, inspired by the fond memories of foie gras , I thought Foie Gravy would be a nice companion to the traditional style gravy. Kinda like giblet gravy but with liver only, lots of liver. I do not expect everyone to be a fan, I know my mother isn’t! But for those who love liver, this is for you!

Note: I am not able to light food on fire and photograph at the same time. This photo credit goes to Lena, our lovely guest from Germany.

Clean and rinse at least a pound of chicken/turkey livers. Sauté in butter until cooked through, then informedly add about 1/4 cup Cognac. Do try this at home, but not before reading flambé tips first, linked from the Caramelized Apples Flambéd with Cognac post. Add fried sage leaves, salt and pepper. Coarsely chop.