Party Food Posts
New England Harvest Turnover
Step-by-step instrux for making sweet and savory turnovers, stuffed with apple, bacon, and cheddar cheese–and fragrant with warm spices.
Sweet & Spicy Coconut Shrimp (Plus, enter to win $2,500!)
This is my appetizer entry in the Breakstone’s Battle of the Kitchen Bloggers! Check out what Food Network’s Sandra Lee thinks of my recipe! Plus, you can vote and enter to win a grand prize of $2,500!
Maple Roasted Figs
I put figs in the same camp as black licorice: People love them—or hate them. There never seems to be a middle ground. If you’re in the first group, then man-oh-man, are you in for a treat. Personally, I love figs. (And black licorice, if you’re keeping score.) They’re sweet; they’re earthy. Not to mention, [...]
Peep Topiary (Plus Other Easter Table Top Decorating Ideas)
I’ve always had an active imagination. I am that auntie who likes to tell your kids stories. If you know me, you know what I’m talking about. And if you have kids under five, chances are that I’ve told your wee ones a tall tale or two. For example, if your kids think that squirrels [...]
Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus Bundles with Sage Infused Sour Cream
See, I do eat vegetables. (Granted, they’re almost always wrapped in some kind of pork product, but still.) Asparagus, even! Some folks would say it’s not possible. When I was a kid, I hated asparagus so much that I used to hide it behind the couch. True story. Oh, how times have changed. So, this [...]
Restaurant-Style Prime Rib Roast
Prime Rib: It’s not just for Christmas dinner. I’ll make this whenever I can get my paws on one at a good price (or the rare super sale). It’s a great excuse to have a party. In fact, if you’re sick of ham on Easter, consider giving Roast Beast it’s day in the (springtime) sun. This is a restaurant technique that’s practically guaranteed to produce a moist, juicy, evenly cooked roast beast. And it couldn’t be simpler.
Roasted Scallops Wrapped in Prosciutto
I’m pretty sure I’d be tempted to eat almost anything if you wrapped it in bacon or prosciutto. This is my take on the classic appetizer, bacon wrapped scallops. This recipe swaps in prosciutto, bacon’s paper thin, salty cousin, which practically guarantees that your scallops will always come out of the oven wearing a crisp little coat.
Shrimp Cocktail
I get a lot of questions about how to properly cook shrimp and seafood. In a lot of cases, fresh seafood is at its best when it’s prepared simply, enhanced by a few ingredients and spices—not masked by a ton of flavors and heavy sauces. In my mind, the most important thing to know about [...]
Baked Brie with Walnuts and Preserves
Baked Brie should win some kind of prize for Most Impressive Looking Appetizer that Took Almost No Work to Prepare. This is a great appetizer to throw together when you have unexpected guests. Once you have a wheel of brie (the little ones are just fine), you can put it together with stuff from the pantry (frozen puff pastry, nuts, jam).
Drunken Coffee Jello Squares
OK, kids: This is coffee. In solid form. It’s been sweetened with condensed milk and booze-ified with a healthy dose of Kahlua—then rubberized into a blissful, cocktail-hour finger food thanks to the magic of gelatin. Now, you have to like Jello, or Jello-like food, for this to work. If you do, you’re in for a treat.
