There were three of us for Steven's birthday celebration, so I kept it light. My food selections for this party were good, so I would do the same offerings again only in larger quantities for a larger crowd.
First up was this wonderful artichoke & spinach dip done in the crock pot. I have not made artichoke dip in the crock pot. I have only made it in a souffle dish in the oven. I make the oven baked version every year at Thanksgiving. I was intrigued by this crock pot recipe and pleasantly surprised at how it tasted. "Yummy" does not do it justice. It has a different texture than the oven baked version, but I liked it very much. I like them both so much that I want to incorporate them into events throughout the year. So I have decided that the crock pot version will be for spring and summer events and the oven baked version will be for fall and winter events.
Finally, a reason to use my new wooden bowls from Crate & Barrel. The cards were made using Microsoft Word and the text box software within Word. I placed the identifying cards next to each bowl to signify what was being served. Crunchy peanuts, Virginia peanuts (always a favorite), and Butter Toffee peanuts. The Crunchy peanuts had a hard, sweet coating similar to the original Ferrara Pan Boston Baked Beans candy, but not as red. They were more of a tan color.
On the larger board, we placed our variety of peanuts, the Saint-Andre cheese, a couple bunches of red table grapes, a bowl of artichoke & spinach dip and two bowls for the caviar; one for the caviar and one for creme fraiche to top the blinis.
I served two caviars at this party. First, this wonderful Russian Osetra, which was extraordinary. This caviar does not have a "fishy" taste at all. Also, some caviar can be extremely salty. Not the case here. This is very smooth. For those who do not like caviar, this would be a good one for you to try. But prepare yourself for the cost. Very expensive. That's why we had a very, very small amount.
I also served a wonderful salmon roe caviar. This is one of my favorites. It is briny and has a very distinct flavor. I like it very much. It is extremely delicious on a blini with a dollop of creme fraiche. Quite delicious.
Here you see the tray with the salmon roe caviar and the creme fraiche. When serving caviar, whether it is expensive or not, always use a mother-of-pearl spoon. The custom is that caviar should not be served with a metal spoon because the metal may impart an undesirable flavor. Some argue that caviar is stored and sold in metal tins, so the idea of the effect of metal on the caviar is a misconception. Others counter that silver is reactive and may affect the flavor. Both of the caviars I served were stored in glass containers. Whether the custom about the metal spoon is true or not, why take the chance. Use a mother-of-pearl spoon to serve your caviar.
Finally it was time for cake. I plated the three little Black Forest cakes and put a candle in the middle of each.
Lea and I gave the best rendition of "Happy Birthday" we could muster. Baxter was more intrigued with the cake and the candle than he was with singing. So we gave it our best and Steven blew out the candles and we all had cake. All except Baxter. No chocolate for Baxter. These little cakes were every bit as good as they look.
The evening was a hit. There was lively conversation mixed with a few cocktails and glasses of white wine. Lea enjoyed a couple glasses of wine. I put stemware in the freezer just before her arrival to allow it to chill. Here, her first glass in a beautiful frosted goblet.
I enjoyed a couple vodka and tonics. You will see that I use Diet Tonic, which is not favored by everyone I know. I suppose I have become used to it. I have used it as a mixer for many years and especially after my diabetes diagnosis. Just prior to that diagnosis I was enjoying what was my favorite drink at the time, apple martinis. Oh, my, my, my, if you have never had an apple martini you know not what you are missing. Simply delicious. Also simply filled with sugar. You can buy the sugar free apple martini mix, but it is really not the same, now is it.
I do like a slice of lemon in my vodka tonic. I found this little container hidden away in the kitchen. It is a Ziploc brand container with a screw on lid. It holds one large lemon, sliced, perfectly. This way you can leave them out in between drinks if you choose, or you can refrigerate them if you prefer them cold. Either way they are protected.
I left them out with the lid on in between mixing.
For dinnerware for the evening, I found these cute harlequin plates and napkins at the Paper Source. A day later when I went back I found their sale rack and they had similar designed plates and napkins for a substantial reduction in price. That did not make me very happy since I paid full-price for these. I try never to pay full-price for anything.
But I did not lose sleep over it. What was done was done, and they looked wonderful on the buffet. There were sixteen napkins and eight plates, so enough to use again for a small gathering.
I must admit, this was a very nice evening. We always enjoy Lea's company. And I enjoy putting together these intimate soirees. I hope I left you with some ideas about your next gathering. Leave me your comments and tell me what you are up to and how it turned out. I love hearing from my loyal readers.
 |
| Artichoke & Spinach Dip from the crock pot. |
We used the new slate board from Crate & Barrel and the smaller slate board inside the wooden frame which was a birthday gift from Bev. The two of them were perfect for this party and complimented each other. Above, the smaller board on the right has garlic & thyme crackers and blinis for caviar. The blinis were flash fried in a skillet over low heat in a little melted butter just until they turned golden brown.
blin·i
ˈblinē,ˈblē-/
noun
- Pancakes made from buckwheat flour and served with sour cream and/or caviar.
I do not care for blinis right out of the package. They are a little too bland for my taste. Flash frying in a little butter really kicks them up.
On the larger board, we placed our variety of peanuts, the Saint-Andre cheese, a couple bunches of red table grapes, a bowl of artichoke & spinach dip and two bowls for the caviar; one for the caviar and one for creme fraiche to top the blinis.
Creme Fraiche is France's version of our sour cream. However, it is less sour and less viscous than American made sour cream. The above, as you can see, was handmade in Vermont in the tradition of the French-style.
I served two caviars at this party. First, this wonderful Russian Osetra, which was extraordinary. This caviar does not have a "fishy" taste at all. Also, some caviar can be extremely salty. Not the case here. This is very smooth. For those who do not like caviar, this would be a good one for you to try. But prepare yourself for the cost. Very expensive. That's why we had a very, very small amount.
I also served a wonderful salmon roe caviar. This is one of my favorites. It is briny and has a very distinct flavor. I like it very much. It is extremely delicious on a blini with a dollop of creme fraiche. Quite delicious.
Here you see the tray with the salmon roe caviar and the creme fraiche. When serving caviar, whether it is expensive or not, always use a mother-of-pearl spoon. The custom is that caviar should not be served with a metal spoon because the metal may impart an undesirable flavor. Some argue that caviar is stored and sold in metal tins, so the idea of the effect of metal on the caviar is a misconception. Others counter that silver is reactive and may affect the flavor. Both of the caviars I served were stored in glass containers. Whether the custom about the metal spoon is true or not, why take the chance. Use a mother-of-pearl spoon to serve your caviar.
Making our way around the table, we have a tray of deviled eggs. Always a hit. Especially during the warm months of spring and summer. The recipe I use is extremely simple and delicious. I did a dozen eggs which gave us two dozen deviled eggs. That was a bit much for three people. But for a group of five to seven, it would have been just the right amount. I did not add anything on top and suggested that we try them with the caviar. A most excellent idea.
A bread bowl. What is a party without a bread bowl. You are always going to serve something that can be put on sliced baguette. The artichoke & spinach dip was divine on this. Or a slice of Saint-Andre.
This was a last minute idea which turned out to be a really good thing. These are baked zucchini sticks. Cut the ends off the zucchini, quarter them, cut in half or in threes, depending on the size. Then mix together several herbs and Parmesan cheese. Dredge the sticks in the Parmesan mixture and then bake for 10 - 15 minutes. I placed them under the broiler after baking to brown them up. Super delicious. Simple. A big hit.
This next item was a test. I did not know if it would work. I thought since it was just the three of us it would be a good time to try this to see if it would work for a larger crowd. So, I bought this "Screamin' Sicilian" frozen pizza. I am not a fan of frozen pizza. I have had many over the course of my life and I have never, ever had one that impressed me. All the directions on the boxes are the same. Put the frozen pizza in the oven at 425 degrees for anywhere between fifteen and twenty minutes. And what do you get at the end of that time? A pizza that is burned. I've tried using convection. Burned. I've tried not using convection. Burned. I've tried turning the heat down and extending the cook time. Burned. I've tried reducing the heat and sticking with the cook time on the package. Top not burned but crust undone. I could go on and on about all the ways I have tried to cook frozen pizza, none of which have ever been to my satisfaction. So, ... I decided we would bake this one on the George Foreman outdoor grill I bought last year.
I set the temperature to high and placed the frozen pizza on the surface and put the top on and went back inside to the party. A little while later, maybe 12 minutes, I checked it and the pizza toppings were not burned but just "done." The crust turned up on the edges but it had the grill marks on the bottom. I put the top back on the grill and let it cook another 10 minutes. I removed it to a pizza board and let it rest. The crust flattened out. Bottom line - dee-li-cious!!!! The best frozen pizza I have ever had. So, the problem is not with the fact that the pizza is frozen. The problem is with how I have been cooking them. No more oven cooking frozen pizza. Only on the grill.
Finally it was time for cake. I plated the three little Black Forest cakes and put a candle in the middle of each.
Lea and I gave the best rendition of "Happy Birthday" we could muster. Baxter was more intrigued with the cake and the candle than he was with singing. So we gave it our best and Steven blew out the candles and we all had cake. All except Baxter. No chocolate for Baxter. These little cakes were every bit as good as they look.
The evening was a hit. There was lively conversation mixed with a few cocktails and glasses of white wine. Lea enjoyed a couple glasses of wine. I put stemware in the freezer just before her arrival to allow it to chill. Here, her first glass in a beautiful frosted goblet.
I enjoyed a couple vodka and tonics. You will see that I use Diet Tonic, which is not favored by everyone I know. I suppose I have become used to it. I have used it as a mixer for many years and especially after my diabetes diagnosis. Just prior to that diagnosis I was enjoying what was my favorite drink at the time, apple martinis. Oh, my, my, my, if you have never had an apple martini you know not what you are missing. Simply delicious. Also simply filled with sugar. You can buy the sugar free apple martini mix, but it is really not the same, now is it.
I do like a slice of lemon in my vodka tonic. I found this little container hidden away in the kitchen. It is a Ziploc brand container with a screw on lid. It holds one large lemon, sliced, perfectly. This way you can leave them out in between drinks if you choose, or you can refrigerate them if you prefer them cold. Either way they are protected.
I left them out with the lid on in between mixing.
For dinnerware for the evening, I found these cute harlequin plates and napkins at the Paper Source. A day later when I went back I found their sale rack and they had similar designed plates and napkins for a substantial reduction in price. That did not make me very happy since I paid full-price for these. I try never to pay full-price for anything.
But I did not lose sleep over it. What was done was done, and they looked wonderful on the buffet. There were sixteen napkins and eight plates, so enough to use again for a small gathering.
I must admit, this was a very nice evening. We always enjoy Lea's company. And I enjoy putting together these intimate soirees. I hope I left you with some ideas about your next gathering. Leave me your comments and tell me what you are up to and how it turned out. I love hearing from my loyal readers.
No comments
Post a Comment