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September 3, 2014
At Home with Friends

6 comments

Grilled Lamb Chops

I love lamb chops and always have since I was a kid. People think lamb chops are difficult to make but they are really easy. This is not so much a recipe as basic instructions for preparation. I buy racks of lamb (at Costco) and trim away all the fat, cut them apart, season and […]

September 1, 2014
At Home with Friends

3 comments

Gorgonzola Cherry Bites

This is a recipe I was testing just before the Apps & Alcohol Party. It’s so simple that I decided, at the last minute, to make a small batch and see if people liked them. They disappeared. Friends who called the next day raved about them. This recipe is going into my permanent collection: I […]

August 29, 2014
At Home with Friends

4 comments

Mini Turkey Meatballs with Yoghurt Dipping Sauce

This is one recipe that will surprise your guests. The assertive spices together with the cooling Yoghurt Dipping Sauce made this a hit at my party. They look like ordinary meatballs but the flavor is anything but ordinary. Make them really small. If people like them, they go back for more. If the spices are […]

August 27, 2014
At Home with Friends

4 comments

Chicken Liver Pate

One of my friends does a holiday party every year. She always serves simple appetizers, salami, cheeses and turkey liver pate. Most of her guests are really health conscious, so I am always surprised that the pate totally disappears. I know where she buys the pate and I went and bought some. I made the […]

August 25, 2014
At Home with Friends

3 comments

Caprese Veggie Skewers

A Caprese salad is a simple salad made of sliced mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and fresh basil. Even when I make this with the freshest mozzarella cheese and sweetest tomatoes, I find it a little flat in flavor. I long for the saltiness of good olives and a bite of fresh grilled veggies. So I put […]

August 22, 2014
At Home with Friends

4 comments

Black Bean Empanaditas

    BLACK BEAN EMPANADITAS EVENT: Apps & Alcohol SERVES: 9 Pieces per Sheet of Dough (36 Pieces)   Ingredients 1 can 15-oz. black beans, drained 1 large Russet potato, baked and cooled 3 canned plum tomatoes, crushed 3-4 tablespoons tomato liquid from canned tomatoes 2 pasilla chiles, rehydrated, seeded and chopped 2 tablespoons olive […]

August 20, 2014
At Home with Friends

4 comments

Turkey Empanaditas

Sometimes I get inspired by tasting something wonderful at a restaurant that I want to duplicate, and sometimes I get inspired by bad food. A few months ago I was at a party with a Latin theme. I love theme parties and Latin inspired food. I had been told that they were serving empanadas. I […]

August 18, 2014
At Home with Friends

5 comments

Tequila Cured Gravlax

Many years ago, I had a new acquaintance and we found ourselves talking about — what else? — food. We were amazed to find out that we both were hooked on sesame Ryvita crackers. These are a simple whole grain, healthy cracker that we both loved. We talked about how we like to slather them […]

August 15, 2014
At Home with Friends

9 comments

Kaleakopita

One of my favorite food writers is Melissa Clark of The New York Times. I love her enthusiasm and sense of adventure, and suspect dinner at her house would be especially tasty. This recipe is adapted from her book In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite (available at my Amazon Affiliate Store). Her recipe is […]

APPS & ALCOHOL

GAME PLAN

 

4 Weeks Before

3 Weeks Before

2 Weeks Before

1 Week Before

  • Finalize menu
  • Buy alcohol, beverages, phyllo dough
  • Buy and store ice

 

Monday

  • Set up table
  • Dishes, glasses, etc.

Tuesday

Wednesday

  • Buy and arrange flowers
  • Clean house
  • Set playlist
  • Do major grocery shopping

Thursday

Friday

SATURDAY

Morning:

Thaw:

  •          Empanaditas
  •          Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits
  •          Cookies
  •          Chicken Liver Pate

Next:

Afternoon:

August 13, 2014