Oscar Party!

 I love throwing a party for so many reasons!  First, I get to cook for the people I love.  Second, I get to be creative in the kitchen.  Third, I get to be crafty!  For the Oscars, I prepped for about three days and then I was cooking for two.  Okay, I admit. I go a little over board.

When there is a bit of competition involved, there has to be prizes.  These mini bottles of champagne with a straw is the perfect adult party favor.  They are super easy to make too!  Just tie a straw and some confetti with some kitchen twine that are in the same colors as the the decor of the party.

Before I start cooking on the day of the party, I get the table set up so I know what is going to be where.  I label all of the platters and bowls, so there is no confusion. 

So many people say they HATE Brussels Sprouts.  Well, roasting them in a 400 degree oven with some grape seed oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic powder for 1 hour, you will change your mind!  I promise!  But, to make prep easier, cut the Brussels Sprouts the day before, but put them in a bowl of water with 1-2 lemons squeezed in the water.  They won't oxidise and they will be ready for you to dry off and roast when you are ready.  Easy!

My boys love a wedge salad.  I mean, it has bacon on it!  So, to keep it classy, I made mini-bite sized wedge salads.  I cooked the bacon the day before, made sure it was completely dried off and I kept it in the fridge until I was ready to use it.  I found these great bamboo skewers at the party supply store that were long enough to go through a tomato and the lettuce.  I also found these little plastic plates, I'm all about easy clean up.  

So, to assemble: I cut the iceberg lettuce into thick slices, about 1 inch thick and then I cut the slices into cubes, 1 inch by 1 inch.  I skewered one tomato and one cube of lettuce.  I put a bit of the blue cheese dressing onto the plate, placed the skewer and drizzled a bit more dressing onto the salad, to give the bacon something to stick to.  Super easy, great presentation, not for every occasion, but great for this party.

Along with roasting the Brussels Sprouts, I roasted potatoes.  Here is a huge tip:FOR CRISPY POTATOES, CUT AND SOAK YOUR POTATOES IN WATER FOR AT LEAST 4 HOURS.  Seriously, it works!

After they soak for at least 4 hours, roast them on a baking sheet with a bit of grape seed oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and they will be better than any french fry!  

These little babies.  So rich, quite decadent, one is certainly enough!  These are Gorgonzola, Cream Cheese, Bacon Truffles.  Dude!  They are so amazing!  Here's how I made them (recipe courtesy of Giada DeLorentis):

4 oz crumbled Gorgonzola room temperature

4 oz cream cheese that is at room temperature

2 shallots minced

4 slices of Apple wood Smoked Bacon finely chopped

2 cups of pretzels that have been crushed

1 tbsp chives minced

Cook down the bacon and just before the bacon is totally crisp, add the shallots and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Remove the bacon and shallots from the fat and drain on a paper towel.  In a bowl, combine the cheeses, half of the chives and the bacon with the shallots.  Make sure everything is combined thoroughly. At this time, you can put in the fridge to make at a later time.  When you are ready to make these babies, remove from the fridge and let set out for about 15 minutes.  Add the rest of the chives to the crushed pretzels.  Take a small ice cream scoop or a small spoon and scoop out some of the cheese mixture.  Put the scoop of cheese into your hand and roll it into a ball, roll the ball in the pretzels.  I put the finished product in mini cupcake wrappers, again, easy cleanup. 

I feel that there should be some fresh veggie at a party or gathering, but I'm not too fond of everyone touching the carrots that I'm going to be eating, so I purchased these shot-glass-type-things and I scooped some Hummus (you could also do Ranch or any other dip that you like) and I put in some organic veggies (I used carrots, celery and snap peas), super simple, again, easy clean up and they look pretty classy (and no one is touching my carrots, ha!).  

And finally, for the main course we had Braised Short Ribs.  Holy Smokes!  They were good!  Marinated in red wine for 24 hours and cooked down with red wine, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, fresh rosemary, carrots, onion, garlic and loads of salt and pepper.  I cooked it down for 8 hours and wow!  

I hope these recipe ideas help you for your next get together.  Just because it takes a little bit of prep doesn't mean it's difficult.  It also makes your guests feel a bit more special.  Let me know if you use any of my recipes!  Cheers!  

Eating at The Fat Dog

Today I was looking for a new place to have lunch.  I'm feeling the pressure to share with you all great places to eat without repeating (unless I try something new).

So, today I went to The Fat Dog.  There is one in North Hollywood (11050 W. Magnolia Blvd) and there is one in Fairfax District (801 N. Fairfax Ave.).  I went to the one in North Hollywood (I was super hungry and I didn't want to drive too far).  

 I walk in and it is super clean.  Great lines.  Simple decor. Great music playing (oldies, stuff you can hum along with) and I am in love with the dog wallpaper!  I sat at the bar (no hook for your purse, but no biggie).  Great wrap around bar.  Beautiful selections of beer and booze.  This place must be hoppin' in the evenings.  I asked the par tender what he recommends and he said either the chicken sandwich or the braised short rib dip, having braised short ribs this weekend so chicken sandwich it is!  Then I saw Deviled Eggs... I was in trouble!  

The eggs came out first.  They had warmth from horseradish and a piece of bacon hanging out!  Dude!  They were fabulous!  I could've eaten a dozen of them (you see what I did there?).  They were two biters, a great way to start your meal, certainly something that could be shared, then my sandwich came.  It was hot, the chicken was super moist, the avocado added a perfect creaminess to the sandwich.  Now,  I am NOT a Swiss Cheese fan.  AT ALL!  But it was so stringy and it added a tang that you can't get from anything else.  I will be back for sure!  

One thing that I didn't get to check out too much was the patio.  I did see that there was a separate bar outside.  That must make things easier if the place is packed.  Also, there wasn't trees and stuff out there.  Super simple, very nice.  The people who worked there were super nice.  The food came out pretty quickly.  It was a lovely experience.  I hope you get to go.  Let me know if you do!  Cheers!

Sloppy Savino Bros and Oven Roasted Herb Potatoes

As a kid, when I went to other peoples houses we would have Sloppy Joe's.  THEY WERE THE MOST AMAZING THINGS EVER!!!  The mom would cook up the ground beef and then add this magical can of yumminess, serve it on a hamburger bun and VOILA!  Sloppy Joe's!  After watching a chef make Sloppy Joe's on a cooking show on Food Network, I figured there was a healthier way to make them than what was in the can.   Since there are no Joe's in my house, and there are plenty of sloppy boys, I call these Sloppy Savino Bros:

1 tbsp cottonseed oil

1 orange bell pepper 1/4" dice

1 yellow onion 1/4" dice

1 carrot peeled and 1/4" dice

2-4 garlic cloves minced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 lbs ground beef

1 6 oz can of tomato paste

1/2 c ketchup

1 c water

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp fresh parsley minced

1.  Start with saute'ing carrots in the oil, salt and pepper and turmeric.  approx 5 minutes

2.  Add onion, pepper and garlic

3.  When the vegetables are soft and translucent add the Worcestershire sauce and ground beef.

4.  Saute' for 5-7 minutes 

5.  add the ketchup, water, balsamic vinegar and tomato paste.  Stir well 

6.  Saute' for 20-30 minutes on low then just before you serve, add the parsley.  

This will make your house smell amazing!  Along with the Sloppy Savino Bros I made oven roasted herb potatoes and this is how I did it:

3 tbsp cottonseed (or grape seed) oil PLUS 1 TBSP for the baking sheet

1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary

1 tsp minced fresh thyme

1 tsp minced fresh parsley

2 lbs fingerling potatoes that have been cut in half longways

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1.  Combine in a small mason jar (or a bowl and whisk) the oil, rosemary, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper, and the red pepper flakes (if you wish).  Shake well (or whisk if that's what you are doing.

2.  Cut all of the potatoes and put into a bowl.  Cover them with water and let sit for at least 30 minutes.  It makes the potatoes more crispy

3.  Drain the potatoes and let air dry on a towel while the oven is preheating to 400 degrees.  While the oven is preheating, put a baking sheet in the oven.  This will prevent your potatoes from sticking to the sheet pan.

4.  When the oven is to temp, remove the baking sheet, pour about 1 tbsp oil onto the baking sheet.  pour the potatoes onto the baking sheet, making sure they are in a single layer.

5.  Drizzle with the herb and oil and make sure the potatoes are coated on all sides, BUT BE CAREFUL, THE BAKING SHEET IS HOT!  

6.  Bake the potatoes at 400 degrees for 1 hour (without convection) and they will be perfectly cooked, crispy and they taste amazing!  No need for frozen fries ever again!

I hope you enjoy these recipes!  I am making a pretty ridiculous pasta dish tonight, so stay tuned!  Have a beautiful day!  Cheers!

Bertha

This is Bertha.  I love Bertha.  My husband surprised me with this big beauty a year ago last September and I was so excited!  Bertha was my birthday present but I question for who the gift REALLY is.  The gorgeous table that Bertha is in was made by a company called JJGeorge.  I love it!  It is so solid, it was easy for my husband to put together and it has wheels so it's easy to move around.  I got it for Christmas last year.  (My husband is a great gifter!)

Today, I am smoking a pork shoulder.  It is the cut that used to be known as the "butt".  I have found that keeping the bone in this cut adds so much more depth of flavor and moisture.  So, I prefer to make my own rubs.  I like knowing what is in my food.  I'm not down with extra preservatives and MSG (even though MSG does add a great flavor to some things, I'm just not cool with it in my rubs) so I have been playing for a few years now and I like adding coffee to pork and extra pepper to beef.  I do use wet rubs sometimes, but more for when I'm looking for an elegant atmosphere, not as relaxed as we will be today.  I will do something with a wet rub soon to share with you.  

This is what I have in my pork rub: (yes, I giggled a little when I typed that)

All ingredients are dried and ground...

1/2 c brown sugar

1 tbsp black pepper

1 1/2 tbsp dry mustard

2 tbsp dry garlic

2 tbsp salt

1 tsp ground clove

1 tsp ground ginger

2 tbsp onion powder

1 tsp coffee grounds

2 tbsp paprika

I rubbed it all over a 5 lb shoulder.  There was plenty left over, so if you would like to sprinkle it on some pork ribs for a party, have at it!  I just keep it in a baggy in the freezer.  I don't know why in the freezer, I must have heard it somewhere.

Here's the beautiful shoulder all rubbed and ready to be smoked.  Ain't it pretty?  I put it on Bertha when she hit about 300 degrees at 9:45am and I pulled it off at 4:00pm, maintaining 300 degrees throughout that whole time.

It turned out beautifully!  When I took the shoulder off of the rack, I sprinkled about 3 tbsp of the rub onto a baking sheet, then while the shoulder was about to be tented, I poured 3/4c of apple juice over the shoulder then covered it tightly with foil.  In about 20-30 minutes I use tongs, forks or my hands to break apart the meat and pull out the bone.  It was perfect!  It didn't need bar b que sauce, but with it the pork was unbelievable.  

I'm glad you read to the end... Don't have a smoker?  You could totally do this in a slow-cooker, just sear the pork on all sides then slow-cook on low for 8 hours, or roast in an oven at 300 degrees covered in foil for 4 hours and uncovered for 4 hours.  If you do these methods, I suggest you put 2 cups of apple juice or chicken stock in the bottom of the pan, to prevent burning.  So, I hope you make this.  I hope it turns out perfectly for you.  Please share your experiences!  Cheers!