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July 27, 2015
At Home with Friends

4 comments

Mexican Fish Sliders with Jalapeño Sour Cream & Guacamole

This was the first time I made these. It was an experiment that was wildly successful. I had 12 guests, including 2 vegetarians. I made 40 sliders and they were all gone in a flash. There was something about these 2-bite mini sandwiches on sweet Hawaiian rolls with spicy guacamole and jalapeño laced sour cream that […]

July 23, 2015
At Home with Friends

3 comments

Lemon & Sesame Seed Cookies

You know by now I am a cookie lover. These started out as a lemon poppy seed cookie: crunchy, lemony and addictive. I originally made them to be used as a sandwich cookie with a cream cheese lemon filling. They never made it to that stage as I watched people sitting in my kitchen, unable […]

July 20, 2015
At Home with Friends

4 comments

Ginger Mascarpone Cheesecake

There are a lot of no-bake cheesecake recipes out there, but I haven’t found any this good, and in the interest of research, I’ve tried lots and lots. This one has an unusual blend of cream cheese, low fat yoghurt, mascarpone and heavy cream. Yes, there is sugar in the cookie crust as well as […]

July 16, 2015
At Home with Friends

2 comments

Giant Cornmeal Anise Cookie

No matter what our parents told us, we all know it’s fun to play with food. Maybe not a food fight (at least in my house) but fun to play. What better time than Game Night to have food to play with? So I made a giant cookie that my friends got to pass around […]

July 13, 2015
At Home with Friends

2 comments

Turkish Salad

I wanted something crunchy and refreshing as a side salad to compliment the Fish Sliders and Pulled Lamb Sandwiches. I found a recipe from an out-of-print Turkish cookbook and was intrigued. The combination of apples and zucchini with a yoghurt hazelnut dressing was something I had never eaten. The original recipe called for raw garlic […]

July 9, 2015
At Home with Friends

2 comments

Spicy Walnut, Beet & Carrot Salad

This menu has so many assertive flavors that I wanted a salad that was equally assertive and also fresh and delicious. This salad is really all about the dressing. My tasters were asking if they could just eat it right out of the bowl on crackers. The flavors are a bit exotic and seductive. Maybe […]

July 6, 2015
At Home with Friends

3 comments

Chocolate Prune Cake with Salted Butter Caramel Sauce

My Chocolate Prune Cardamom Cookies and the combination was so scrumptious I went in search of other chocolate prune recipes. I found David Lebovitz’s Chocolate Prune Cake that he took to a dinner party in Paris. I figured if it was good enough for a dinner party in Paris, it was fine for Game Night […]

July 2, 2015
At Home with Friends

3 comments

Fried Ravioli with Tomato Dipping Sauce

Are you afraid of deep frying food? I was. When I was a kid, my Mother didn’t fry much. Eggs were poached, potatoes were baked; and on the one or two occasions she made fried chicken, I was banned from the kitchen. I had this irrational fear of frying. The kitchen could be set on […]

July 2, 2015
At Home with Friends

1 comment

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Ingredients 3 cloves of garlic, crushed 6 tablespoons olive oil One 2-lbs can Italian tomatoes, coarsely chopped or crushed * 1 tablespoon fresh basil Salt and pepper to taste Directions In a medium sauce pan, over low heat, cook the garlic until translucent. Don’t overcook or burn the garlic. Add the canned tomatoes with their […]

GAME PLAN: GAME NIGHT

Saturday Night

4 Weeks Before

  • Invite guests
  • Think about Menu
  • Decide logistics such as where to set up bar, buffet, etc.

 

3 Weeks Before

 

2 Weeks Before

  • Review menu
  • Book support staff if needed
  • Organize all dishes and glasses and serving platters
  • Buy all beverages including alcohol
  • Make Salted Caramel Sauce

 

1 Week Before

  • Finalize menu and confirm guest list
  • Buy and store ice

 

Monday

  • Set-up table, dishes, glasses, silverware, serving platters and utensils

 

Tuesday

  • Do all grocery shopping except lamb, fish and shrimp
  • Wash all vegetables.

 

Wednesday

 

Thursday

 

Friday

 

Saturday

 

MORNING:

  • Buy shrimp and tilapia
  • Take all prepared food out of refrigerator to come to room temperature

 

AFTERNOON:

 

 

June 29, 2015