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Impromptu Dinner Party Plan #1

partysugar — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 13:18:33 -0700

To encourage you to host more dinner parties, I'm starting a new series where I plan an impromptu dinner party and take you along for the ride! If you love to cook and get an itch to entertain, call up your friends and invite them to dinner tonight. With my tips, recipes, and ideas, you will find that a fabulous party can happen without hours and hours of planning.

Start by choosing a location and menu. We decided to make a big green salad and two pizzas: One Greek style vegetarian and another Spanish style meat.
Create a grocery list. Shop for ingredients. Keep it hassle free. We picked up pizza dough from the neighborhood pizzeria.
Create a game plan and delegate tasks. I was in charge of the pizza sauce and dough. Sasha was in charge of pouring wine and making the salad, Erica was in charge of setting the table and inviting friends, and my sister was in charge of music and mood lighting.
Remember an impromptu party is not supposed to be stressful, it's supposed to be fun!!

To take a look at the recipes, pictures, and a video from the dinner, read more

For simple appetizers, we served slices of manchego cheese and black olives.

Green Salad
From PartySugar

4 cups fresh arugula, washed and spun dry
1 avocado, cut into chunks
1 cup kalamata olives, pitted and cut in half
1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
juice of one lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons vinegar of your choice
1 teaspoon mustard
1/4 teaspoon each: dried dill, salt, and fresh ground pepper

Toss the arugula with the avocado, olives, and tomatoes.
In a small jar combine the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and spices. Shake vigorously.
Pour dressing over salad right before serving. Toss to coat leaves.

Serves 6.

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Party's Chunky Pizza Sauce
From PartySugar

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
3 tablespoons fresh herbs (such as basil, parsley, thyme, oregano)
1 teaspoon dried herbs (such as basil, parsley, thyme, oregano)
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saute pan heat olive oil over medium heat.
Add onions to the pan and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 2 more minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and saute stirring often for 4 minutes.
Add the wine and simmer until the wine is almost completely evaporated.
Add the tomatoes, fresh and dried herbs and mix to combine.
Simmer, stirring often for about 15 minutes. If you prefer a smooth sauce puree in a food processor or blender. But if you don't mind the chunky sauce spread on pizza.

Makes about 2 cups.

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Greek Inspired Pizza
From PartySugar

1 small ball fresh mozzarella
1 container crumbled feta
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 cup shredded fresh basil
1 cup Party's chunky pizza sauce
dough for 1 large pizza

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Roll the dough out to fit the pans that you have on hand.
Precook the dough for 5 minutes. Flip dough over in pan.
Top with the pizza sauce and a sprinkling of mozzarella and feta cheese. Evenly top with tomatoes, basil, and the rest of the feta.
Bake in the oven until cheese is bubbly and melted and crust is crisp, about 12 minutes. Slice into pieces and enjoy!

Serves 6-8.

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Spanish Inspired Pizza
From PartySugar

1 small ball fresh mozzarella
1 cup manchego cheese shavings
1 large red pepper sliced into 1 inch matchsticks
2 chorizo or hot sausages
1 cup Party's chunky pizza sauce
dough for 1 large pizza

Remove the casing of the sausage or chorizo and crumble into a heated saute pan. Cook the sausage over medium heat, stirring and crumbling into just cooked through about 8-10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Roll the dough out to fit the pans that you have on hand.
Precook the dough for 5 minutes. Flip dough over in pan.
Top with the pizza sauce and a sprinkling of mozzarella and manchego cheese. Evenly top with red pepper, sausage, and the rest of the manchego.
Bake in the oven until cheese is bubbly and melted and crust is crisp, about 12 minutes. Slice into pieces and enjoy!

Serves 6-8.

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Simple Tip: Turn Leftovers Into Dip

partysugar — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:01:38 -0700

It's easy to make too much food when hosting a party. It happens to the best of us. You over estimate guests' hunger or people who rsvped don't show. If you don't want to spend the next week eating leftover enchiladas from your Mexican fiesta, or a surplus of goat cheese frittata from your Sunday brunch, simply turn the leftovers into dips to serve at a future date:

Blend or process the enchiladas/frittata/leftovers in a blender or food processor.
Thin to the desired consistency with sour cream/yogurt/mayonnaise/condiment.
Bake in the oven for a hot bubbly dip, and serve immediately with tortilla chips, crackers or croutons. Or freeze and unthaw at your next impromptu dinner party or when guests unexpectedly visit.

No Fail Impromptu Party Menu

partysugar — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 08:01:38 -0700

I ended up throwing an impromptu dinner party last Wednesday. Instead of panicking, I took a deep breath, came up with an easy, manageable menu, and wrote out a grocery list. If you ever find yourself on the hosting end of an impromptu dinner party, be sure to check out my no fail planning tips.

For appetizers make one dip (I made a quick Sun Dried Tomato Dip that involved no chopping) and round it out with store bought goodies. Bowls of burst-in-your-mouth blueberries, salty black olives, crispy flatbread, and buttery french bread crisps can be plated in a matter of minutes. Chunk a few pieces of smoked gouda or other cheese and slice up some salami.

Choose a menu that is quick, easy and meat-free in case any vegetarians unexpectedly show up. Fresh Basil Pesto with pasta and a Green Salad With Citrus Vinaigrette is a simple meal that can be put together in under an hour.
For dessert, have everyone help out and make ice cream sandwiches.
Ask your guests to bring a bottle or two of wine.

What do you cook for your last-minute dinner parties?? Share your menus with me below!

To take a look at a gallery of images from my middle-of-the-week dinner, read more

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The Impromptu Dinner Party

partysugar — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 02:53:32 -0700

I've said this before and I'll say it again: I love dinner parties. I love intimate family dinners, elaborate planned meals with a group of select friends, and last night I was reminded of how much I love impromptu dinner parties. My mom ran into one of her best friends from college who asked us to come by her house for a quick drink. She lives in a beautiful house overlooking the bay and when we arrived, the house was filled with wonderful aromas of something delicious in the kitchen. Wine was poured, we got to talking and it turns out her husband had made a fresh pesto dish with basil fresh from his garden. He had the fixings for salad too and my dad happened to have a fresh baguette in his car that he had picked up at the Ferry building. I set the table in their dining room and BAM! instant dinner party! It was absolutely wonderful, good fun paired with fabulous food and company. But not everyone is like me and my hosts from last night, Dave and Michelle - so to learn a few tricks to pull off a successful last minute surprise dinner party, read more

When guests unexpectedly show up at meal time, look carefully through your fridge and pantry to get an eye for what ingredients you have and what you can make.
Choose pasta because it's filling, simple to make, and you can create a sauce with whatever components you have found: fresh herbs, canned tuna, tomatoes, or beans, leftover vegetables.
Use day old bread to make crisp toasted garlic bread.

Stock your pantry and fridge with dried goods, sauces, and vegetables. This way you will never be caught off guard on the nights when fate brings you a surprise guest. Have several bottles of wine on hand for effortless entertaining.
The most important thing is to not freak out, keep things uncomplicated: it's more about spending quality time with long lost friends or visiting family members.

Butterscotch Pudding Is Shockingly Easy, Sinfully Scrumptious

partysugar — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:00:25 -0700

Last week I got a text from an old college friend. She would be in town one night only and wondered if I wanted to get together for dinner. Since I'm a huge fan of impromptu soirées, I invited her and two other gals for dinner. With six hours to the dinner party, I frantically began to create a menu with appetizers, entree, and dessert. I wanted a dessert that was rapid, unexpected, and downright delicious. A dessert like Gourmet's fast butterscotch pudding.

From start to finish it takes less than 20 minutes to make. At first I was worried about it not setting quickly enough, but after chilling for three hours, it was thick, rich, and creamy. The girls were pleasantly surprised when I pulled the puddings from the fridge and totally satisfied after eating them.

The pure essence of butterscotch is apparent in each bite, and the pillowy whipped cream is a luscious accompaniment. The only thing I didn't like about this recipe was that it made exactly four portions and I was hungry for more! To delight your friends with this uncomplicated and nostalgic dessert, read more.

Butterscotch Pudding
From Gourmet

Ingredients

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons plus 2 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving

Directions

Whisk together brown sugar, cornstarch, and 1/4 tsp salt in a heavy medium saucepan, then whisk in milk and cream.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking frequently, then boil, whisking, 1 minute.
Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla. Pour into a bowl, then cover surface with buttered wax paper and chill until cold, at least 1 1/2 hours.

Serves 4.

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Come Party With Me: Chinese New Year Celebration

partysugar — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 13:58:12 -0800

Chinese New Year's Eve is tomorrow and it wouldn't be right if I didn't devote a little party planning to ring in the lunar calendar's first day of the year! Luckily Chinese New Year celebrations last for 15 whole days, so if you don't have time to throw an impromptu last minute party this weekend you can host one next week or weekend. Invite all of your friends to watch the local Chinese New Year parade (the one here in SF is March 3) and then head over to your house for a little fiesta afterwards. For the 411 on throwing this shin-dig, including invites, drinks, decorations and everything else you'll need, read more

Invites: Simplicity is chicness (and elegance) and make these invites simple but beautiful. On red paper hand write a message with gold ink along these lines

PartySugar Invites You To Welcome The Year Of The Pig With A Chinese New Year Celebration Dinner

If you have a pig stencil you could cut out the shape of a pig in gold foil and place it above the welcome note. On the back write the details of the event: when and where, what time and what type of dress, etc. Send the invites in pretty little red envelopes in honor of the Chinese tradition of giving money stuffed into red envelopes as New Year gifts.

Menu: The Chinese eat fish and dumplings on New Year to convey a sense of togetherness, abundance, and family. Start with YumSugar's pork and cabbage potstickers. For the main event offer Chinese style steamed fish with rice and noodles. If you're lucky enough to live near a Chinese store, you can purchase a Chinese New Year cake (or other pastries), or else you can take a stab at making Yum's westernized version: Chinese New Year Inspired cake, or else serve your favorite cake or pie from your local bakery. Buy a bunch of fortune cookies and have guests take turns reading their fortunes aloud. Sliced oranges are another customary after dinner treat. As a special party favor give guests a clear candy baggy filled with red Swedish fish candies tied with a satin ribbon when they leave.

Drinks: Shake up Chinese Cocktails for you and your guests. During dinner, a Riesling will gracefully complement the richness and spice of the Chinese food. For those who are driving mix a ginger and tonic mocktail. Don't forget to have lots of sparkling and still water on hand as well.

The Look: Red, gold, and pigs should be the underlying theme in your decorating scheme. Dress your table with a beautiful red tablecloth, gold napkins, and gold candles. Use fresh cut branches of orange or tangerine trees to create a centerpiece. Leafy orange trees symbolize the branching out of the family and good luck. Hang paper Chinese lanterns with tassels from you chandelier. Place red tulips or yellow chrysanthemums in low vases - don't use white flowers because they are affiliated with funerals in the Chinese culture. Add eye catching glinting gold details in the form of piggy banks, floating tea lights, and shiny coins.

Music: Create a playlist with music from you favorite Chinese themed movies like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon or In The Mood For Love. During dinner play Xiao Peng Jiang's Collection of Chinese Fesitival Music. For after dinner play big-time Taiwanese popstar (Yum calls him the Asian Justin Timberlake!) Jay Chou's Common Jasmine Orange (available on iTunes).

What are you doing to celebrate Chinese New Year? Tell me about it below!

Not Your Regular Nachos: Corn Pudding Nacho Bites

partysugar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:15:13 -0700

Last Friday night I hosted an impromptu dinner party for some close friends. It was an informal introduction of my best friend's new boyfriend, so I went all out with appetizers and a special cocktail. Ever since I made nacho bites, I've wanted to experiment more with Tostitos Scoops, and I decided this was the perfect opportunity to do so.I filled each chip with a corn, cheese, and egg mixture that cooked up like a corn pudding. The final bite was salty, cheesy, and purely delicious. This is an incredibly easy recipe that can be modified to suit your dietary needs. To see how I made this version, read more.

Corn Pudding Nacho Bites
Modified from Everyday With Rachael Ray magazine

Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1 large egg
1/4 cup frozen corn kernels
24 scoop-shaped tortilla chips (recommended: Tostitos Scoops)
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1/4 cup finely chopped Spanish chorizo
1 heaping tablespoon jalapeño

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, pepper jack cheese, egg, corn, green onions, chorizo, and jalapeño.

Arrange the chips on a large rimmed baking sheet and place 1 teaspoon corn mixture in each. Bake until the filling sets, about 20 minutes.

Serve warm.

Makes 2 dozen.

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Menu Planning 101, Part I

partysugar — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 00:01:17 -0800

Ok, so you've decided to host a dinner party. You open up your cookbooks when panic strikes. What on earth are you going to make at this dinner? What will the menu for the dinner consist of? Whether you've hosted a million dinner parties, or are thinking about hosting your first, menu planning can be a scary and worrisome task. Courses, themes, special dietary needs, wine pairings... there are so many aspects of choosing a menu it's important to take the appropriate amount of time to plan your meal. Don't wait until the night before your scheduled event to wander aimlessly through the supermarket wondering what you should make. Even if you are hosting a last minute impromptu dinner, you should take a quick 5 minutes to organize your meal. It may sound crazy, but I actually enjoy menu planning. You could too, if you keep a few pointers in mind. I'll be giving you a few menu planning tips all week so pay attention! For today's helpful hints on menu planning, read more

Think about all the different colors of foods. Colorful meals are more appealing. Likewise pay attention to how food looks on the plate. It should look good, delicious and attractive.
Consider the texture of each dish. Include foods that are crunchy, chewy, and velvety. Combine these different colors, textures and flavors. Smooth followed by chunky, sweet complemented by sour, or fish followed by meat will add dimension to the meal.
Don't forget the aroma of each food. Prepare foods that smell good. Baking bread, cooking with spices such as cinnamon, and sautéing onions are examples of aromas that will stimulate appetites.

Come back tomorrow for more of my menu planning strategies!

Off To Market: Cheese Board

partysugar — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 03:11:31 -0700

I love cheese. It is one of my all time favorite foods. Whenever I host an impromptu dinner party, cheese inevitably makes it into the first course. However there is just one teeny weeny problem, I never know what to display the cheese on! My cutting boards are not exactly "party ready" and a plate doesn't do the cheese justice.

To remedy this problem, I've decided I need a cheese board - a little wooden board that I will only use to display and devour cheese. Can you help me find one? Search the web for a cheese board that is rustic and attractive. Nothing too showy, it should be a backdrop to highlight glorious cheeses. Save the boards in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag Cheese Board. I'm looking forward to browsing your finds!

GeekSugar has put together an explanation on how to use the fun bookmarking feature, so check it out to learn more.

For a list of my favorite online stores, read more

Bed Bath & Beyond
CB2
Cooking.com
Crate & Barrel
Ikea
Linens and Things
NapaStyle
Pier 1
Plum Party
Pottery Barn
Sur La Table
Target
Restoration Hardware
Williams Sonoma
Wishing Fish
World Market

What's in Season: Asparagus

partysugar — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:01:31 -0800

Last week I had my first asparagus of the season! I was surprised to see it in the local supermarket and couldn't resist serving it at an impromptu dinner party. In my opinion, asparagus is best roasted or grilled rather than steamed or blanched. To see my tips for enjoying Spring's asparagus to the fullest, read more.

Asparagus is most abundant between March and July.
There are three types of asparagus: green, white, and purple. Green is the most common and white is covered with soil - grown in the dark - to keep it from turning green.
At the store look for crisp stalks with firm brightly colored heads. Stay away from soft, limp-looking asparagus. Also flowers are a sign of age, so avoid stalks with flowers.

Fat stalks tend to be more flavorful and less stringy than thin stalks.
After purchasing, keep asparagus chilled until time to cook. If left at room temperature the stalks become tough and stringy and can lose their flavor quickly.
A serving size of asparagus is about eight stalks.
Choose stalks of similar size so they will cook evenly.