Double Birthday Party

When we found out we were moving into an apartment with a yard, we instantly started to get excited about hosting Evan's upcoming birthday party at home. Originally we hoped to have an afternoon outdoor affair, but our bizarre daytime mosquitos dashed that dream (more on that later) so it turned into a nighttime inside-outside party. It was good motivation to get all unpacked and settled both inside and out within the month of moving, even if it did mean I was throwing up a few posters just before the first guests arrived.

Because we expected a large attendance, we went with a handful of appetizers rather than serving a full dinner. I made my white bean herb dip, which is versatile enough to use whatever herbs you have on hand. In the past I've mostly used rosemary, sage and thyme, but this time it was heavy on the parsley and marjoram because that's what's flourishing in my yard. The dip went out with a bowl of bruschetta topping (diced tomatoes, garlic, basil and olive oil) alongside vegetable crudite, sliced baguette, crackers and a cheese plate. The other birthday boy's wife made lemon ricotta sage butternut squash crostini and delicious mini tarts with feta, tomato, and cucumber (I think).

Like our party back in February, I like to put up a sign next to the bar suggesting cocktail options to make it readily apparent what's available. At this party, in addition to standard bar fare, we had a couple punches that could be enjoyed with or without the addition of alcohol - a cucumber limeade that a friend brought, and a watermelon-lime-mint punch (will share that recipe soon).

For dessert, I made mini flourless chocolate cupcakes - as expected, the miniature size is perfect because they are so rich that even the regular cupcake size is a bit much. I also made peach oatmeal crumble squares (pictured above) by adapting a Smitten Kitchen recipe for blueberry crumb bars. Since I don't have the requisite 9x13 inch pan, I did some math to determine that my 12 inch cast iron pan covers about the same area. I didn't believe that Deb was able to cut hers into 36 squares, until I started cutting mine and realized a little square will go a long way because they are tall and dense, especially so with my addition of a cup of oatmeal to the dough. And then, of course, there was the ice cream cake...

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Ramekin Dreams

It was a certain someone's birthday last weekend. A certain someone who was turning 30 and likes cooking and has often wished for ramekins so that he can bake adorable individual desserts and dishes for guests. I commissioned my friend Andy Boswell to make a set of six as a gift for Evan.

When we were young, my dad took pottery lessons from Andy's dad. Now Andy too is a potter (or utilitarian ceramic artist as he calls himself), who shares his father's studio. His etsy shop is full of beautiful mugs, teapots, and other vessels. It is much nicer to have his unique and meaningful pieces added to our home than generic mass produced items from China.

Evan is happy that his ramekin dreams have come true. We used them for the first time last weekend to make mini frittatas for brunch for overnight guests. I plan on using a few as serving dishes for his big birthday party coming up this weekend. And I see lots of personal apple crisps in our future this fall.

Mini Fritattas

Arrange the ramekins (one per person) on a baking tray in the oven and preheat the oven to 350. Whisk two eggs per person in a bowl. Add whatever extras you would like, such as grated cheddar cheese, sauteed onions and roasted red peppers. Add salt and pepper to taste. Carefully grease the insides of the ramekins with butter. Pour whisked eggs evenly among the ramekins. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, until the eggs puff up and a knife inserted comes out only slightly wet. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

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Tips for Entertaining in Small Spaces

The apartment I'm living in now with my boyfriend is a 400 square foot one bedroom. It may not be as difficult as Erin's life in 250 square feet, but it still requires some creativity to make it work. 

For example, we both love to entertain. I often hear people complain that their apartment is too small to have people over but as I've mentioned before, I don't let that stop me. In this apartment, I've discovered two tips that make it possible to entertain in a small space: 1 - rearrange furniture and 2 - have convertible furniture.

We are lucky enough to have an open kitchen/living space that allows us to rearrange as needed. We also both inherited quality wood dining tables that can expand or contract as needed. Mine has extra leaves that can be added, and his can be folded into a small narrow side table.

For dinner parties, the couch is pushed against the wall with an accompanying coffee table. Then, our two dining tables can be fully expanded and pushed together in the middle of the room, in total providing seating for nearly 10 people. Or for bigger parties, the tables can be folded up out of the way against the walls or bookshelves to create open space for dancing and mingling.



When the party's over, the couch goes back into its place in front of the TV, one table folds back into  a side table next to the couch, and the extra leaf comes out of the other dining table, returning to a table for two.

All that rearranging might seem like a pain, but that's just how life is in NYC. And you might be surprised at how many people you can actually fit in your apartment, if you try.

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Party Time and Spinach Goat Cheese Dip

I've been away from this blog because I've been busy, first with a wretched weekend, and then a week that involved saying farewell to my boss of four years as she moves on to become a caterer chef (so excited for her!), and prepping like mad for my own barbeque soiree in our backyard this past Saturday.

As usual, I went a little overboard with self-catering and took on more than was probably reasonable. But honestly it works out because as stressed as I seem, I love spending the day in the kitchen and I prefer to serve food that I source myself from the farmers market and cooked from scratch with care. Kudos to my sister, who stepped in as sous-chef to help me finish the prepping in time.




It's been nearly a year since my last big party, so I'm really glad it was a success. The dogs were surprisingly well-behaved. The weather was beautiful. Everyone enjoyed the candle-lit patio, and it's made me think twice about the plan to move this summer. It was great to meet new people and reconnect with old friends. Guests were nice enough to bring lovely things to add to the spread, like local cheese plates, chili and cornbread, a gorgeous lilac centerpiece, and homemade salsa. Some genius came bearing ice cream sandwiches. I'm happy to have a few of those leftover in the freezer ;-)




I especially enjoyed planning the menu and getting excited to try new things in the kitchen (see my last post). My final menu included:
* Carrot, radish, and pepper crudite with white bean herb dip and spinach goat cheese dip
* Grass-fed burgers and hot dogs with slices of no-knead bread for buns
* Shrimp skewers, marinated in homemade barbeque sauce and grilled
* Vegan bean and wheatberry salad and potato salad with mustard vinaigrette
* Mini rhubarb apple galettes and gluten-free walnut beet brownies
* Homemade ginger ale for mixing cocktails






The white bean dip with fresh herbs and roasted garlic is a favorite that I make for all my parties. I thought up the spinach goat cheese dip for my sister, who can only tolerate goat and sheep cheeses. It was remarkably easy - ahead of time, I sauteed a bunch of spinach in olive oil until wilted. The day of the party, we mixed a tub of Lynnhaven goat cheese feta (or you could use chevre) with half the spinach in a food processor and blended it with olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. The result was a vibrant green dip that looks like pesto, but packs the unexpected rich and creamy taste of goat cheese. We used it for dipping, but it would also be an excellent spread for crostini or sandwiches. I think it would also be fun to mash the spinach and cheese by hand with a fork for a coarser blend.

I'll be posting the rest of my party recipes over the next several days, so stay tuned!

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Summer Salads

I haven't written about food in a while, probably because I haven't had the time or brainspace to think about cooking.

That said, I'm a big fan of grainy summer salads that can be scooped up with pita chips, like tabbouleh. If you make the chickpeas and grains ahead, these are practically no-cook meals and great for parties. Here are a few I've made this summer. Measurements are approximate - add ingredients like grated parmesan, olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs liberally and adjust to suit your taste.

Cabbage, Chickpea, & Rice Salad
1 cup cooked brown rice
1-2 cups cooked chickpeas
1/3 - 1/2 head of red cabbage
1/2 onion
3 tbsp fresh mint leaves
1/3 lemon, juice & zest
olive oil
salt
pepper


Israeli Couscous, Chickpea, & Arugula Salad

1 cup israeli couscous
1-2 cups chickpeas
2 red pepers, roasted and cut into strips
2 heads green garlic or 2 cloves regular garlic
1 bunch arugula
olive oil
grated parmesan
salt
pepper


"Bruschetta" Tabbouleh
This mediterranean bulgur salad doesn't have to be all about the cucumber and parsley. Here's a version I made focusing on my favorite flavors of summer - fresh tomatoes, basil, and garlic - thrown in with bulgur instad of topping toasty bruschetta.

1 cup bulgur
1 1/2 cup boiling water
2 tomatoes, chopped
3 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 zucchini, diced (optional)
3 cloves garlic, diced
salt
pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon
olive oil

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A Wedding on the Lake

They say that rain and sunshine both bring luck to wedding, each in their own way, and if it's true, then my friend Elaine and her new hubby Mike are doubly lucky...

It was pouring less than an hour before their wedding, as I arrived at our motel. The rain stopped on our drive over to the winery, leaving a looming gray sky. But amazingly, the sun came out with brilliance during their vows. No one was expecting that just an hour earlier! Much later, the night turned damp and dark with lightning strikes dotting the distance.


The venue itself, Glenora Winery in the finger lakes, was really lovely. The ceremony was beautifully set under a tent on a gently sloping hill with a view of Seneca Lake. The reception was held at the vineyard's restaurant with tables inside and cocktails and dancing outside on the covered deck.


Elaine's mother put together the flower arrangements, and Elaine participated in a bike ride to win the bouquets for herself and her bridesmaid Meredith.




I had never before seen my friends looking so elegant!





They wrote their own vows as testaments to their love for each other, which made everyone teary eyed.





The reception tables were simple and lovely, with little jars of flowers and pine trees to take home as favors. (I planted mine and then put it in a corner of the deck the dogs couldn't get at...and then forgot about it, so I'm not sure it's going to survive...)


I'm such a crybaby that I cried twice! Their slideshow was especially moving and sweet - photos of their families and friends growing up - recognizing the community that raised and supports them and had gathered for their wedding, followed by photos of the couple's milestones together, which I appreciated having not seen Elaine much over the past several years.


The bouquet toss was hilarious - no one wanted to catch it so we all just watched the bouquet sail over our hands and plop on the floor!

We got drunk on Glenora wine, relived old dance moves and huddles on the dance floor, had fun into the night, and planned on bringing a bottle of wine to the dock back at the motel but everyone fell asleep instead.


I only wish I got to see these girls more often.


Congratulations again and the best of luck to Elaine and Mike!

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Fourth of July BBQ

We had a small dinner party for Fourth of July with all the quintessential fare. No Fourth would be complete without corn of the cob (first of the season from a Jersey farm); potato salad and coleslaw; strawberries & blueberries for dessert; and grass fed burgers with all the fixings: lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, and pickled swiss chard stems.


Oh WAIT something there is not like the others - pickled chard. But I happened to have a whole lot of swiss chard in the fridge and didn't know what else I'd do with all those stems, so I tried to pickle them, adapting this recipe from the New York Times. The pickled stems were just okay for snacking, but great on the burgers, adding a little brightness and vinegary complexity.


I also spruced up the average coleslaw by including broccoli. Inspired by Smitten Kitchen's broccoli slaw, but a world away. With a mustard-based vinaigrette instead of mayo because we were already getting plenty of mayo in the potato salad. The coleslaw was a hit and I'd make it again.


On a side note, we didn't get to see any fireworks (thanks a lot to Macy's for leaving all of Brooklyn in the dark) but I didn't care.

Pickled Swiss Chard Stems
1 bunch swiss chard stems (discard the leaves for cooking another time)
3 tbsp (?) olive oil
3 tbsp (?) vinegar
1 tsp pickling spices (can be bought at supermarkets)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
pepper

Cut stems in pieces 1/2-inch wide and 2 inches long. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, add stems and simmer for 10 minutes until chard is softened. Drain and place stems in a small jar. Combine oil, vinegar, pickling spices, sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour liquid mixture over stems into jar. Let marinate at least a few hours before serving. Keep in regrigerator up to two weeks.

Mustard Broccoli Slaw
1 head broccoli
1/2 head of cabbage
few carrots
1/2 onion
3 tbsp (?) olive oil
2 tbsp (?) vinegar
3 tbsp (?) mustard
2 tsp (?) sugar
1/2 lemon, juice and zest
1 tsp dried thyme
salt
pepper

Thinly slice broccoli, cabbage, carrots, and onion (or use slicer blade in food processor - but I handsliced because I'm afraid of the special slicer blade). Combine in a bowl with remaining ingredients and add more oil/vinegar/mustard/sugar/salt if needed*.

* (?) Note it's been a few weeks since I made these recipes so I don't remember the exact processes, and I tend to just kind of throw in ingredients and adjust to taste, so take these measurements with a grain of salt.

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The Lazy Minty Arnold Palmer

All the way back in May, (see I'm really behind!), I hosted a Memorial Weekend BBQ. A couple days beforehand, I spent an afternoon in the backyard of Nita Nita enjoying a few drinks. My drink partner ordered an Arnold Palmer - a mix of bourbon, lemonade, and iced tea on the rocks - that was perfectly refreshing for the hot summer afternoon. Then we saw the bartender come out and snip off some sprigs of mint from one of the many herb planters in Nita Nita's backyard for someone else's drink. Guerilla-style, we went and picked off some mint of his own to add to the Arnold Palmer, which transformed it from just good into total perfection.

So inspired, I cooked up a similar cocktail for our party, except instead of making lemonade, which would have been too much work, I just used iced tea as the mixer and added a squeeze of a wedge of lemon to each drink. I made cold brewed mint-infused iced tea for the occasion by steeping black tea in growlers of water in the fridge overnight, straining out the tea leaves in the morning and adding chopped fresh mint leaves.

I - and my guests - enjoyed the drink so much that we made it again for our Fourth of July BBQ. Do you have a favorite summer cocktail?

The Lazy Minty Arnold Palmer
1 part bourbon
1.5 parts mint-infused iced tea
ice cubes
1 wedge of lemon
1 sprig of mint

Pour ingredients into a cocktail glass and stir. Squeeze in the wedge of lemon and add to the glass with mint.

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Bachelorette at the Casino

As you read this, I'm currently in a car on a 5-6 hour drive upstate for my friend Elaine's wedding at a fingerlakes winery. I just got an SLR camera so hopefully I will have some amazing photos to share when I return. In the meantime, here are some photos from her fabulous bachelorette weekend last month.

Originally we had planned on a winery tour in the Ithaca area for her bachelorette, but our plans changed and we ended up at a casino outside Syracuse instead. It was kinda ironic because none of us are wild party n gambling types. In fact we tried to gamble for the heck of it but couldn't even figure out how to work the slot machines (which are now computerized) so we got our money back and moved on to other activities. aka gambling FAIL


It seems like just yesterday we were BFFs in high school, but somehow 10 years have gone by since those days we went by the name "The Hefs" (we're not heifers we just eat a lot)


We brought way more snacks and drink for the hotel than the four of us could actually ingest.


Getting ready for our night out



Our dinner out was a long, enjoyable, and memorable meal at the resort's nicest restaurant. Excellent service and pretty excellent food, with some strange twists in there that had us laughing our a**es off. For example, here we have Elaine grimacing at the dessert amuse bouche "chocolate surprise" which turned out to contain pop rocks!


Our last stop of the night was Club Lava, which tries to be hip and trendy, with bottle service and soap flake confetti falling from the ceiling, but they played music from our high school era.


We had fun dancing anyway. Leave it to Caitlin to start a dance off!



It was a great weekend with great friends!

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Self Catering a Southern BBQ

I went out for barbecue at Blue Smoke last night with friends, and was reminded how much I love making pulled pork for parties because it's so easy to just throw a pork shoulder in a crock pot with some bbq sauce and onions for a day and let it do its thing. Same thing goes for chili. Which led me to the idea of how easy it would be to self-cater a big barbecue with a menu like this:

A crock pot or two of pulled pork
A crock pot or two of vegetarian chili
A crock pot or two of grilled shredded chicken breast (to accommodate all the health nuts I know who think pork is too fatty - i'd grill chicken, shred it, and warm it with some honey mustard sauce in the crock pot)
Fluffy whole wheat rolls (ok i can make bread but it's so time consuming and finicky that i would wimp out here and just buy it from a bakery)
Cornbread
An array of homemade mustards, ketchups, and barbecue sauce (I do want to learn how to make my own condiments)
An array of homemade cucumber, carrot, and pepper pickles
Trays of lite mac 'n veg 'n cheese (again, my family would think typical mac n cheese is too unhealthy, so I'd go light on the cheese and incorporate finely chopped broccoli)
Coleslaw
Corn on the cob
Some sort of light tomato salad

The great thing is that you can make most of this a day or two or week ahead, and the flavors will only improve with time. I could totally pull this menu off with the help of a few friends and borrowed crockpots, and I don't think it would be too expensive either. Perfect for a summer get-together, graduation party, or casual wedding.

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Uncorking a Bachelorette Party Plan

A friend of mine, Elaine is getting married in the Finger Lakes this summer, and we have just started planning her bachelorette party.

So far the idea is to have a girls-weekend-only in Ithaca, just for our group of four friends that was so close all through high school. We'd like to go wine tasting in the area and then out to dinner and bars in Ithaca at night. I've only been to Ithaca years ago for college visits, so I'd love to hear if any upstaters out there have advice for wineries and cool spots there!

I'm also wondering if we should incorporate some silly bachelorette accoutrements? I've never been to a bachelorette party before, so the only idea I've come up with is to make E wear a shirt saying "The Future Mrs. [E's Fiance's last name]. But is that obnoxious? The bride-to-be and co. are not big party people so I don't think we're going to do anything involving shots or strippers.

What have you liked and not liked about bachelorette parties you've been to?

map via uncork new york

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Inspiration Board: Rose and Gray

My friend Kathleen recently got engaged and just started planning her wedding for next spring (actually - a year from today!), and I thought it would be fun to put together an inspiration board to capture her ideas. Since the lovely couple met at our alma mater, she is going to base the theme around our school colors, rose and gray. How sweet!

The mood: Classic, elegant, spring
Colors: Rose/pink, gray/silver, ivory/white, and I inserted a touch of yellow for some pop

1. Dress via J. Crew [The sash is actually pink, so I photoshopped in the gray, but I'd like to think you could swap out the sash for a different color]
2. Fun gray fabric via ikea [I can't find it available online anymore, but any gray fabric would be great for tablecloths, napkins, table runners, photo backdrops, etc]
3. Pearl necklace via Overstock
4. Gray heels via J. Crew
5. Celebratory champagne via Style Me Pretty
6. Elegant white cake via Wedding Planning in Exile
7. White bouquet via Style Me Pretty
8. Cap-sleeved dress via Brides.com
9. Invitation via Hello Lucky.
10. Pink boutenniere via etsy
11. Gray vest via Once Wed
12. Pink and white bouquet via Peonies and Polaroids
13. Silver candlesticks via Jennifer Echols Photography
14. Chapel via here
15. Ring dish via Paloma's Nest on etsy [I especially love that you can keep this and use it to hold jewelry or as a holiday ornament.]

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Wedding Inspiration Board: Pink and Blue Birds

Don't worry, I'm not the one getting married. One of my oldest friends, Elaine, just got engaged, and I thought it would be fun to try to put together an inspiration board for her, inspired by all the pretty pictures over at Snippet & Ink. I felt a theme of pale pinks and blues with sweet lovebirds would be fitting for Elaine, my petite, kind,and funny friend. I wanted to show that even though she's probably going to have a fall wedding, the decor doesn't have to be the staid orange and red and brown route that so many fall flower arrangements and events seem to go.

Click the photo for a full size image



1. Birds Nest decor, via Once Wed
2. Hairpiece, by the Tijusai Etsy shop
3. Ring pillow, designed by Debbie Notis, photo by Corbin Gurkin via Once Wed
4. Invitation, by The Paper Door Etsy shop
5. Pink champagne, photo by Joel Flory via Snippet & Ink
6. Cupcakes with bird toppers, from Maple Sugar via Snippet and Ink
7. Designate the bride and groom's seats with pretty ribbon, photo by Billy Winters via Snippet & Ink
8. Mason jars with big pink flowers, photo by Heather Forsythe via Snippet & Ink
9. Blue shirts for the men, photo by Jose Villa via Snippet & Ink
10. Fall foliage, via Once Wed
11. Necklace, by Lisa Leonard
12. Guests can drop kind notes into this birdcage, photo by Allison Garrett via Snippet & Ink
13. Seating cards photo by Still Weddings, via Snippet & Ink
14. Ribbon wands for guests to wave during the ceremony, from Blogger Brides
15. Flowers arranged in rustic pitchers (though the peonies would have to be replaced by another pink flower more in season for the fall), from Peonies and Polaroids
16. Pink bridesmaid dresses, by Ann Taylor Loft, photo by Sandra Coan via The Knot
17. Table number cards by eeBoo
18. Flowy feminine wedding dress, by Kim Grayz via Snippet & Ink
19. Cake by Rebecca Thuss
20. Simple table settings with pink and blue ribbon wrapped around napkins, from Peonies and Polaroids
21. Vintage blue vases with single buds, styled by Molly FitzSimons via Snippet & Ink
22. A bouquet of white, pink, and blue wildflowers, from Martha Stewart Weddings

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