Superbowl: Warm Piquillo and Crab Dip

I was pretty much sold when I heard the words "Crab" and "Dip" together - those are two of my favorite things. Piquillo? Yeah I had to look that up. I also looked up substitutions for it when the puzzled Whole Foods worker couldn't tell me where to find it. Per the suggestion of the web browser on my iPhone, I bought jarred red peppers.

This was also probably my least favorite dish - it wasn't blah but I think we took some shortcuts in order to simplify the recipe and also to cup back on some costs (lump crab costs like 15 bucks for a tiny little container... fail). I think this would have been amazing had I used the Piquillo and actual crab. I served this with the pita chips I posted below.

Warm Piquillo and Crab Dip

Ingredients:

1 lb of lump crab meat, picked over
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup creme fraiche
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons snipped chives
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup shredded Manchego Cheese (about 1 cup)
One 9-oz jar piquillo peppers, drained and cut into strips

Directions

1. Preheat the broiler. In a bowl, combine the crab, mayonnaise, crème fraîche, parsley, chives, mustard, lemon juice and 3/4 cup of the Manchego. Spread in an 8-by-11-inch baking dish. Top with the piquillos and sprinkle with the remaining Manchego. Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the dip is heated through. Serve hot.

Superbowl : Spinach and Pepper-Jack Pizza

So this pizza could not be a quicker snack/meal - this recipe makes 2 huge pizzas... it says it serves four but it really could serve like 8 (depending on how fat everyone is).

The only small complaint I have is that it was slightly salty - I'm not sure if it's cause I had a heavy hand with the salt or because the pepper-jack was super salty. Either way, you can substitute the cheese however you want. The bacon gives it a lot of flavor. I would also probably use fresh spinach but if you dont have time, frozen spinach (which is what I used) still tastes delish.

Spinach and Pepper-Jack Pizza
Ingredients:

8 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch strips
2 10 oz packages frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, drained, and squeezed dry
3/4 lb pepper-jack cheese, grated (about 3 cups)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 12-inch store bought Pizza Shells (I bought Trader Joe's brand and it was soooo good)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 425°. In a large nonstick frying pan, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
2. 2.In a large bowl, combine the bacon, drained spinach, pepper jack, salt, and pepper and mix well. Brush the pizza shells with the oil. Divide the spinach mixture evenly between the two pizza shells and sprinkle the Parmesan over the top.
3. Bake the pizzas directly on the oven rack (for a crisper crust) or on two baking sheets until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.

Superbowl: 3 Cheese Mini-Macs

The mini-macs are a big crowd pleaser - it makes people go, aw, now THAT's clever! even though it's quick and easy. I got a lot of "That's smart for a superbowl party!" so I guess I did something right...

These macs were super-cheesed up: Parmesan, Cheddar, and American Cheese. Yup, that makes 3. If you're like me, you're like "The more cheese the better... CHEESE! I Love Cheese! Cheese + Me = Love Foreva!"

I didn't use mini-cupcake tins - I actually just used regular ones since, well to be honest - that's all I had. It's supposed to make 48 mini-macs but actually made about 24 regular sized ones.


INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb elbow mac
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk (I used skim)
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 packed cup)
4 ounces deli American cheese, chopped
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika (Spanish? Yeah, I just used the one I found at D'ags)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain, shaking off the excess water.
2. Brush four 12-cup, nonstick mini muffin tins with butter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the Parmigiano; tap out the excess.
3. In a large saucepan, melt the 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking, until boiling, about 5 minutes. Add the cheddar and American cheeses and whisk until melted. Off the heat, whisk in the egg yolk and paprika. Fold in the macaroni.
4. Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of the macaroni into the prepared muffin cups, packing them gently. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano on top.
5. Bake the mini macs in the upper and middle thirds of the oven for about 10 minutes, until golden and sizzling. Let cool for 5 min­utes. Using a small spoon, carefully loosen the mini macs, transfer to a platter and serve

Sidenote: You can prepare all the stuff ahead time up to Step 4

Superbowl : Bloody Mary Cocktail Meatballs

These meatballs were a real superstar ... they were like the Tony Romo of football. Wait. Did I do that right?

Anyway, this was a surprisingly simple dish - plus who doesn't like to mix a brunch cocktail with a meatball? I tried a little bit of JUST the bloody mary... man does that sucker have a kick. But glazed on these half pork, half beef meatballs, they were so good.

I made the meatballs ahead of time - I should have refrigerated them so that when I fried them they wouldn't lose their shape but instead I left them on the counter and they ended up being some weird 3-D triangle instead. Here they are in their spherical form:














After cooking the meatballs through, I poured in some Bloody Mary and let it simmer and reduce down into the meatballs:

















This recipe makes about 32 meatballs which got devoured in like 15 minutes so I would probably make a double dose:


INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb lean ground pork
1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 small celery rib with leaves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons horseradish
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 slice white sandwich bread, soaked in warm water, squeezed dry and crumbled into pieces
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (I used habanero)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon veggie oil
1/2 cup Three-Pepper Bloody Mary*

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, combine the beef and pork with the celery, horseradish, egg, bread, hot sauce, salt and pepper and knead well. Roll the meat into 1-inch balls.
2. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet until shimmering. Add the meatballs and cook over moderately high heat until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Add the Three-Pepper Bloody Mary and simmer over moderate heat until the liquid is reduced by half and the meatballs are glazed, about 2 minutes. Serve hot.

3 Pepper Bloody Mary INGREDIENTS

1 cup Vodka
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 small clove garlic, smashed
1 small jalapeno, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon hot sauce, preferably habanero
2 1/2 cups tomato juice
4 teaspoons horseradish
1 teaspoon celery salt (this confused me so I used regular salt)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

In a blender, combine the vodka with the onion, garlic, jalapeño, lemon juice and hot sauce and puree until smooth. Add the tomato juice, horseradish, celery salt and pepper and blend. Strain into tall glasses over ice and serve with lime wedges and celery ribs.

Superbowl + Me = Um, when is the Superbowl again?

So my friend Eric asked me to help him cater his Superbowl Party and for some reason I agreed. I'm not sure why, but I have a soft spot for Appetizers.

Food and Wine has some great recipes and I'm hoping you guys can help me out... what do you think I should prepare for the party?

Here is a link to the list, as well as the list copied and pasted below:

Savory Snacks

• Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings
• Beef and Fontina Tostaditos
• Brioche Crab Melts
• Bruschetta Duet
• Crispy Pork and Kimchi Pot Stickers
• Fresh Ricotta and Radish Crostini
• Grilled Ham-and-Cheese Sandwiches with Tapenade
• Grilled Shrimp, Avocado and Jicama Salsa on Black Bean Nachos
• Melted Taleggio Flatbreads with Three Toppings
• Pan-Fried Potato Samosas
• Sausage and Potato Quesadillas
• Seafood and Scallion Pancakes
• Smoky Deviled Eggs
• Soppressata Cheese Sticks
• Spinach and Pepper Jack Pizza
• Sun-Dried Tomato, Sausage and Fontina Pizza
• Roasted Red Pepper Sandwiches with Tapenade and Basil
• Truffled Popcorn
• Turkey Burgers
• Zucchini, Corn, Black Bean and Jack Cheese Quesadillas

Make it a Meal

Prepare one or more of the following recipes to turn snack-time into supper.

• Cherry Tomato Salad
• Chopped Salad with Beets, Beans, Goat Cheese and Hazelnuts
• Greens with Chevre Dressing
• Potato and Cheddar Cheese Soup
• Spicy Chicken Chili

Sweets

• Butterscotch Mousse Pie
• Chocolate Brown Sugar Brownies
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Bars
• Mini Black Bottom Cheesecakes
• Mini Ice Cream Cone Trio
• Nutty Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Vanilla Ice Cream Sundaes with Hot Fudge and Caramel Sauces

Baby's First Dinner Party

Awhile back, I hosted my first dinner party... EVER. I never anticipated ever having the desire to host anything, let alone feeding 5 of my friends so needless to say, shopping was a bitch since I had no ingredients (nope, not even sugar),

I tried to plan my menu carefully as to not overwhelm both my amateur cooking and hosting skills. Here are some tips:

- Pick an entree that can pretty much cook itself (minimal prep time and long cook time without supervision)
- Use Crowd Pleasers foods or as I like to call them, food with cheese and/or chocolate
- Distract everyone with tons of alcohol

I employed all these tactics and chose the following menu from my favorite food magazine Food and Wine:

Entree:

LEEK MACARONI AND CHEESE

4 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 bunch leek greens (from 1 1/2 lb leeks) - thinly sliced
Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 cups half and half or whole milk (I used non-fat half and half which tasted great)
10 ounces Manchego Cheese (shredded, about 2 1/2 cups)
1 lb elbow macaroni







Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet. Add the leeks and cook over high heat, stirring just until slightly wilted, 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until very tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the flour and cook over moderately high heat, whisking, for 2 minutes. Add the half-and-half and bring to a boil, whisking until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add 2 cups of the cheese, season with salt and pepper and whisk the cheese sauce until melted.
3. In a large saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the macaroni until nearly al dente. Drain well. Add the macaroni and the cheese sauce to the leek greens and stir until combined.
4. Transfer the macaroni to an 8-by-11-inch baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake for about 40 minutes, until bubbling. Turn the broiler on and broil the mac and cheese until golden brown on top, about 3 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Served with:

SPINACH AND AVOCADO SALAD


3/4 lb Thick Cut Bacon
3 tablespoons honey mustard
Kosher Salt and freshly ground Pepper
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 5-ounce bags pre-washed baby spinach
1 pint Grape Tomatoes, halved
3 large Scallions. white and tender parts, thinly sliced
2 large Haas Avocados, peeled and sliced into wedges




DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 500°. Arrange the bacon slices on a large, heavy, rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes or until golden brown, turning the slices halfway through. Drain the bacon on paper towels and let cool, then cut the strips crosswise into 1-inch pieces.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the sherry vinegar with the honey mustard and season with salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.
3. In a bowl, toss the spinach, tomatoes and scallions with the vinaigrette. Arrange the salad on plates, top with the sliced avocados and bacon and serve.

RESULTS:
From the "yummies" I got around the table (table = coffee table and floor), it seemed like everyone liked it. People were inquiring what was in the dressing even though it was super simple ingredients, so this salad is a lot fancier than it seems. I added a little bit more crunch and texture by topping the salad with some crispy shallots.

The mac and cheese was great and made about 8 servings overall - I brought it to work the next day to share and it heated up in the microwave, no problemo. On a difficulty rating, this duo was probably a 5... not a lot of prep work, I just stuck the mac and cheese in the oven and worked on the salad.

Onto dessert which I feel like was a real home-run with both the guests and myself ... mostly cause it was the easiest thing ever to make...

DESSERT:

Banana-Chocolate Spring Rolls




2 medium Bananas
Eight 7 1/2 inch square spring roll wrappers
1 egg white, lightly beaten
32 semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate...mmm....)
8 teaspoons shredded and sweetened coconut
Vegatable Oil (for frying)
Confectioners ' sugar and cocoa, for dusting (I skipped this part and plated using fresh raspberries and a chocolate smear)







DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut each banana in half lengthwise and halve each piece crosswise. Work with 1 wrapper at a time; cover the rest with a damp paper towel. Lay 1 wrapper on a work surface and lightly brush the edge with beaten egg white. Place a banana quarter 2 inches from the bottom of the wrapper and top it with 4 chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon of coconut. Fold the bottom edge over the filling and roll up 1 complete turn. Fold in the sides and continue rolling to form a tight cylinder. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil to 350°. Add 2 spring rolls at a time and fry until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Drain on paper towels. Dust the spring rolls with the sugar and cocoa and serve.

RESULTS:
As I mentioned, this was super popular and it made me happy cause it was cinchy. I served it with coconut sorbet (one of my favorite desserts solo). The really awesome thing about this dessert was it didn't feel too heavy or too sweet. It was the perfect way to end the meal.

All in all, the hardest part about the whole dinner party was timing. Timing out when the guests would show up, getting all the prep work done, etc - that was my biggest challenge. I still haven't mastered it, so I have no hints but I'll keep you posted on what I learn in the future.

Big THANK YOU to all my culinary guinea pigs... thanks for eating my food and maybe pretending to like it..