YumSugar

Come Party With Me: My Birthday Party - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:30:09 -0700

Selecting a menu for a large dinner party is tricky. You don't want to choose dishes that require last-minute preparation, and you need to pick recipes that will feed a crowd (or can easily be doubled to do so) and consider the dietary needs of your guests. Luckily, the majority of my friends are adventurous eaters and while two girls don't eat meat, they do eat fish and cheese. Thus I'm serving a rustic Italian meal that's several courses long. When the party begins, plates of tomato and basil bruschetta and chicken-liver crostini will sit - ready to be devoured - on tables in the patio. I'll also set out an assortment of Italian olives, shards of Parmesan cheese, and chunks of salami.

At the table, the first course will consist of a crunchy, Italian salad with mustard vinaigrette. The second course is a decadent baked pasta dish oozing with melted cheese. For the entree, we'll enjoy a fragrant seafood stew with garlic toasts for dipping. This is a luxurious menu that's wonderful at any occasion, be it a birthday party or simply a Saturday night, so check out the recipes and read more.

Tomato, Red Onion, and Basil Bruschetta
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

2 cups assorted cherry, grape, and teardrop tomatoes, halved (or quartered if large)
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil plus additional for brushing
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 large loaf focaccia, halved horizontally (reserve half for another use)
1 garlic clove, peeled, halved

Directions

Combine halved tomatoes, finely chopped onion, 3 tablespoons olive oil, chopped fresh basil, and balsamic vinegar in medium bowl; season tomato topping with salt and pepper. Topping can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature, tossing occasionally.
Preheat broiler.
Place focaccia half, cut side up, on baking sheet; brush bread with olive oil. Toast bread in broiler until top is golden brown, watching closely to avoid burning, about 2 minutes.
Immediately rub cut side of bread all over with halved garlic, then cut focaccia crosswise into 4 equal pieces.
Top toasted focaccia with tomato mixture and serve.

Serves 4.

Print recipe with images | without images

Chicken-Liver Crostini
From Gourmet

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/2 lb chicken livers, trimmed and patted dry
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
3 tablespoon capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sweet (red) vermouth
1 cup chopped parsley
1 sourdough baguette, thinly sliced and toasted
1 lemon wedge

Directions

Heat butter and oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until foam subsides, then cook onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.
Add livers and cook over medium-high heat until undersides are browned, about 3 minutes. Turn livers over and add red-pepper flakes, capers, and 1 tsp salt. Cook until livers are just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes more.
Increase heat to high and add vermouth. Boil, stirring, until slightly thickened and glossy, about 3 minutes. Transfer livers with a slotted spoon to a cutting board, then transfer sauce to a bowl.
Coarsely chop livers and add to sauce. Season with salt and pepper and gently stir in parsley. Spoon onto toasts and squeeze a little lemon juice over each.

Serves 8.

Make ahead: Liver mixture, without parsley, can be made 1 day ahead and chilled. Reheat, then stir in parsley, before spreading on toasts.

Print recipe with images | without images

Crunchy Italian Salad
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 head iceberg lettuce, halved, cored, and cut into wide strips
1/2 head red cabbage, halved, cored, and cut into thin strips
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup packed basil leaves, shredded

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, and Dijon; season with salt and pepper.
Add lettuce, cabbage, onion, and basil; toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Serves 8.

Print recipe with images | without images

Baked Four-Cheese Spaghetti
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds spaghetti
1/2 pound imported Fontina, coarsely shredded (2 cups)
1/2 pound mozzarella, coarsely shredded (2 cups)
1/2 pound Gruyère, coarsely shredded (2 cups)
1/4 pound Gorgonzola dolce, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain well and spread the spaghetti on a baking sheet; let cool.
In a large bowl, toss the Fontina with the mozzarella and Gruyère.
Spread one third of the spaghetti in the prepared baking dish in an even layer. Sprinkle 1/3 of the mixed cheeses and half of the Gorgonzola over the spaghetti and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with another layer of spaghetti, mixed cheeses, Gorgonzola and salt and pepper. Top with the remaining spaghetti and mixed cheeses.
Bake the spaghetti in the center of the oven until the top is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let cool slightly before cutting into squares and serving.

Serves 8.

Make Ahead: The recipe can be prepared through Step 2 early in the day and covered with plastic wrap. Uncover the dish before baking.

Print recipe with images | without images

Seafood Stew
From Ina Garten

Ingredients

3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 small)
2 cups large-diced small white potatoes
2 cups chopped fennel (1 large bulb)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups good white wine
1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, chopped
1 quart Seafood Stock, recipe follows, or store-bought fish stock
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (3 cloves)
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined (reserve the shells for the stock)
1 pound each halibut and bass fillets, cut in large chunks
24 mussels, cleaned
3 tablespoons Pernod
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
Toasted baguette slices, buttered and rubbed with garlic

Directions

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot, add the onions, potatoes, fennel, salt, and pepper, and saute over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until the onions begin to brown.
Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the tomatoes with their juices, stock, garlic, and saffron to the pot, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
Add the shrimp, fish, and mussels, bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat and allow the pot to sit covered for another 5 minutes. The fish and shrimp should be cooked and the mussels opened. Discard any mussels that don't open. Stir in the Pernod, orange zest, and salt, to taste. Serve ladled over 1 or 2 slices of toasted baguette.

Serves 6.

Seafood Stock:
2 tablespoons good olive oil
Shells from 1 pound large shrimp
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 quarts water
1/2 cup good white wine
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
10 sprigs fresh thyme, including stems

Warm the oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp shells, onions, carrots, and celery over medium heat for 15 minutes, until lightly browned.
Add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Add 1 1⁄2 quarts of water, the white wine, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour.
Strain through a sieve, pressing the solids. You should have approximately 1 quart of stock. If not, you can make up the difference with water or white wine.

Makes 1 quart.

Print recipe with images | without images

7 Satisfying Comfort Foods

YumSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:30:59 -0800

On Winter evenings when I come home hungry, fatigued, and cold from the rain, there's nothing I crave more than nostalgic childhood favorites like pot pie, macaroni and cheese, and meatballs. I've compiled my favorite recipes, so you know where to turn if you're craving comfort at your next meal. To make these palate pleasers, read on.

View Slideshow ›

Green Spaghetti and Meatballs

YumSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:15:50 -0700

If you're in the mood for a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs, but want something other than a traditional tomato sauce, I highly recommend this creamy pesto dish! A tasty blend of bread and seasoning, the meatballs that dot the pasta are scrumptious with the perfect texture.Both the pesto and meatballs are simple to make, but do require time. The best thing about this recipe is it makes a lot, so save some for a later date. The cream-less pesto keeps for up to 3 weeks in the fridge. The finished meatballs keep in the freezer for up to 2 months and are easily reheated in a pan with a small amount of olive oil to make crispy.

Not only did I enjoy this as a main course, but also a few days later as a delicious appetizer: The meatballs are great with the creamy pesto sauce as dip. To make your own green spaghetti and meatballs, read more!

Creamy Pesto Spaghetti With Meatballs
Creamy Pesto adapted from How to Boil Water;
Meatballs original recipe

Ingredients

Creamy Pesto Sauce
2 cups packed chopped fresh basil leaves
3 cloves garlic
3/4 cup roasted pine nuts
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup freshly grated Romano
1 1/2 cups of cream (depending on desired thickness)
1/4 cup sour cream or cream cheese
Meatballs
1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1 cup roasted ground pine nuts
3 small onions or 1 large onion
1 shallot
3 cloves of garlic
1 lb beef
1 lb pork
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
Salt
Pepper
1/4 cup Olive oil for browning
Pasta of your choice

Directions

Make the creamy pesto sauce: Preheat oven to 350. Place nuts on a foil lined cookie sheet. Place in oven for 8 to 10 minutes until fragrant. Be sure to keep a watch and occasionally flip the pine nuts, so they do not burn.
Measure out 3/4 cup pine nuts and add to a food processor (Reserve the rest of the pine nuts for the meatballs). Place basil, garlic, olive oil, and both cheeses in a food processor, puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. If storing, place in a container, pour a thin layer of oil over the top to prevent discoloration.
When ready to serve, put the pesto in a sauce pan, slowly add cream and sour cream. Cook over a low heat.
Make the meatballs: for the bread crumbs, you can use day-old bread or fresh bread that has been toasted. Place the bread in food processor and chop. Place bread crumbs in a bowl and soak in the milk.
Saute onions, garlic, and shallots in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Once browned, mix with the bread crumbs.
Mix meat, seasoning, salt, pepper, cheese, ground pine nuts, and eggs with the breadcrumb mixture. Place in fridge for an hour.
Remove meat mixture from fridge. Roll into small 3/4 inch meatballs.
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil, placing 6-9 meatballs in a large frying pan. Brown all sides of the meatballs. Repeat with the rest of the meatballs.
Place browned meatballs on a foil-lined cookie sheet and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes. To freeze: place the cooled meatballs on a cookie sheet in the freezer for a couple of hours. Once frozen place in containers, the prefreezing prevents the meatballs from sticking to one another.
Prepare pasta.
Toss the pasta with the pesto sauce, about 1/8 cup of sauce per pasta serving. Plate the pasta with 4-5 meatballs on top. If desired, drizzle some of the sauce over the meatballs.

Makes approximately 2 1/2 cups creamy pesto and 45 meatballs.

Print recipe with images | without images

View 12 Photos ›

Fast & Easy Dinner: Broccoli Pesto Spaghetti

partysugar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:01:51 -0700

Fresh pesto, tossed with pasta is one of my favorite summer meals. Although I'm tempted to make basil pesto in the Spring, I don't because basil is not in season yet. Luckily, there are lots of other scrumptious vegetables that can be used instead of basil. This variation is made with broccoli, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. Serve with plenty of cracked pepper, extra cheese for sprinkling, and a chilled glass of wine. Take a look at the recipe, read more.

Broccoli Pesto Spaghetti
From Good Housekeeping magazine

Ingredients

1 package (16 ounces) spaghetti or thin spaghetti
1 bag frozen chopped broccoli or 16 ounces fresh broccoli
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon salt
Coarsely ground black pepper

Directions

In saucepot, prepare pasta in boiling salted water as label directs.
In saucepan, prepare broccoli as label directs. If using fresh broccoli, blanch in boiling water for 2-3 minutes until cooked through and vibrant green in color.
In food processor, with knife blade attached, blend cooked broccoli, broth, Parmesan, olive oil, garlic, and salt until smooth, stopping processor occasionally to scrape down side.
Drain pasta; toss with broccoli pesto. Sprinkle with coarsely ground black pepper to serve.

Serves 4.

Print recipe with images | without images

Fast & Easy Dinner: Taco Spaghetti

partysugar — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 05:27:18 -0800

When you find yourself in a boring food rut, think outside the box. Pair ingredients or dishes that you wouldn't normally associate with one another- like tacos and pasta - together for a whole new taste experience. In this recipe, instead of stuffing a taco, a classic ground beef filling is tossed with pasta. The entire mixture is baked, a la enchiladas, and served with shredded lettuce and tomato chunks. To make this child friendly meal, get the recipe, read more.

Taco Spaghetti
From Better Homes and Garden magazine

5 ounces packaged dried spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine, broken
1 pound ground beef or ground raw turkey
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
3/4 cup water
1/2 of a 1-1/4-ounce envelope (2 tablespoons) taco seasoning mix
1 11-ounce can whole kernel corn with sweet peppers, drained
1 cup sliced pitted ripe olives
1 cup shredded Cojack or cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1/2 cup salsa
1 4-ounce can diced green chilies, drained
6 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup broken tortilla chips
1 medium tomato, cut into thin wedges
Dairy sour cream (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta; rinse with cold water. Drain again.
In a 12-inch skillet cook ground beef or turkey and onion until meat is brown. Drain fat.
Stir in water and taco seasoning. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cooked pasta, corn, olives, half of the shredded cheese, the salsa, and chilies.
Transfer mixture to a lightly greased 2-quart round casserole. Cover and bake in a 350 degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Serve with shredded lettuce, tortilla chips, and tomato wedges. If desired, top with sour cream.

Serves 6.

Print recipe with images | without images

Sunday Dinner: Maroni's Spaghetti and Meatballs

YumSugar — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 09:10:11 -0800

The other night I caught an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay. In it Bobby was challenging a Mike Maroni in a meatball battle. While Bobby's version of meatballs looked quite tasty, Mr. Maroni's made me drool. His recipe is 100 years old and was handed to him by his grandmother. I think these hefty meatballs and delicious sauce will make the perfect Sunday Dinner. To get the recipe, read more

Mike Maroni's Spaghetti and Meatballs
Serve the meatballs and sauce with a hefty serving of pasta. Mike's secret trick was to put sauce on the noodles, lift the noodles to allow the sauce to sink to the bottom and then top with meatballs and more sauce.

Note: When meatballs are done, add them to the Maroni sauce and simmer for 30 minutes before serving.

Grandma Maronis Meatballs 100 Year Old Recipe
From Mike Maroni on Throwdown with Bobby Flay

1 pound ground chuck
4 ounces dried bread crumbs
4 large eggs
4 ounces whole milk
6 ounces grated Romano
3 ounces grated Spanish onion
2 ounces finely diced fresh garlic
2 ounces finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 ounces finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.
Mix all ingredients thoroughly in large bowl. If mixture seems a little loose add more bread crumbs.
Roll meatballs loosely about the size of a golf ball and place on baking sheet. Place into preheated oven for approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Enjoy!

Maroni Sauce
From Mike Maroni on Throwdown with Bobby Flay

6 ounces good olive oil, not extra-virgin
12 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 large or 2 medium Spanish onions, finely diced
2 (28-ounce) cans imported crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper
1 large handful julienned fresh basil leaves

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add oil.
Once heated add the finely sliced garlic and onions to the pan.
Cook over medium heat until soft and slightly brown.
Next add the canned crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper and stir. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the julienned basil.

Print recipe with images | without images

TV Dinners: Goodfellas - Meatballs & Garlic

YumSugar — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 16:04:58 -0700

Since today is National Garlic Day I naturally had to point out one of the most famous garlic scenes in movie history. Do you remember the prison dinner scene in Goodfellas? You know the one where Paul Sorvino is slicing ridiculously thin pieces of garlic with a razor blade?

"He was in a year for contempt and he had this wonderful system for doing the garlic. He used a razor and he used to slice it so thin that it used to liquefy in the pan with just a little oil. It was a very good system."

It's hard not to think of that scene whenever I chop up garlic. Same goes for making spaghetti sauce with meatballs. Also, I love how even though they're in prison, they have access to everything including bread, cheese, prosciutto, steak, salami and lobster.

To check out the full dinner scene (which, is accompanied by one of my favorite songs, "Beyond the Sea," by Bobby Darin), and get a great recipe for a three-meat meatball (just like Goodfellas "Veal, beef and pork... you gotta have the pork."), read more

Meatballs a la Goodfellas
With a tiny adaption from The Best Meatballs at All Recipes

1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground veal
1 pound ground pork
2 cloves garlic, sliced razor thin then minced
2 eggs
1 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 cups stale Italian bread, crumbled
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 cup olive oil

Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add garlic, eggs, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.
Blend bread crumbs into meat mixture. Slowly add the water 1/2 cup at a time. The mixture should be very moist but still hold it's shape if rolled into meatballs. (I usually use about 1 1/4 cups of water). Shape into meatballs.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Fry meatballs in batches. When the meatball is very brown and slightly crisp remove from the heat and drain on a paper towel. (If your mixture is too wet, cover the meatballs while they are cooking so that they hold their shape better.)
Place cooked meatballs into Marinara Sauce and cook for 15 more minutes.

Print recipe with images | without images

And if you're interested in more, here's a critique of Goodfellas - this is where I got the fantastic screencaps.

Today's Special: Spaghetti Carbonara

partysugar — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 07:56:42 -0700

Spaghetti carbonara could be my all time favorite pasta dish. It's light and creamy to taste and quick and easy to make. Crisp pancetta, dry white wine, gooey eggs, and melted Parmesan cling to the pasta for a meal that is sheer perfection. The recipe is so simply uncomplicated that even the most elementary of cooks can be successful. Once you have mastered the basic equation don't hesitate to get creative and tweak the sauce to your liking. For example, my dad has modified his carbonara (which is really delicious) with the additions of Italian sausage and fresh parsley. But before I get ahead of myself, have a look at the original recipe, read more

Spaghetti Carbonara
From Nigella Lawson

1 pound spaghetti
2 cups cubed pancetta rind removed, if you can't find pancetta use bacon or proscuitto
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine or vermouth
4 eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly ground nutmeg

Put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta.
In another large pan that will fit the pasta later, cook the pancetta cubes in the oil until crispy but not crunchy. Pour over the white wine or vermouth and let it bubble away so that, after a few minutes, you have a small amount of salty winey syrup left. Take the pan off the heat.
In a bowl, beat together the eggs, Parmesan, cream, and pepper.
Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, but since you want it kept al dente start checking it 2 minutes before end of the recommended cooking time.
When the pasta is done, remove approximately 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining.
Put the pan with the bacon cubes back on the heat and add the drained pasta, tossing well to coat with the syrupy pancetta.
Take the pan off the heat again and add the eggs and cheese mixture, swiftly tossing everything to mix. Thin with pasta water, if needed.
Grind over some more pepper and grate over the nutmeg to serve.

Print recipe with images | without images

Another "Easy" Way to Twirl Spaghetti

YumSugar — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 12:58:31 -0800

A few months ago, I told you about the motorized Twirling Spaghetti Fork, and well what do you know? Today we've got the low-tech version. It's still a twirling spaghetti fork, but this time you've got to actually put your fingers at the top and push down. The corkscrew design makes the pasta twirl around the tines.

Okay, now is it just me, or is anyone else having a hard time seeing how this would really work or why it's better than just twirling a regular fork? If you're not having a hard time and need to get one for yourself, It'll cost you about $20 for a set of 2.

Source: Coolest Gadgets
I love how they call it the "Automanual" Pasta Twirling Fork.

Today's Special: Chinese Spaghetti

YumSugar — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 09:00:11 -0800

When most people think of spaghetti, they usually think of a hearty tomato sauce, pesto or olive oil. However, spaghetti is a versatile pasta that works well with many other cuisines. I love to use it in many Asian style dishes, including a basic noodle stir-fry. Besides, the Chinese are on record for having eaten pasta as early as 5,000 B.C, so spaghetti is no stranger to those lovely flavors. For today's special I've found a simple, home-style Chinese dish that incorporates spaghetti. To check out the recipe, read more

Chinese Spaghetti
From gojenni74 at Recipezaar

1 package of spaghetti (8 oz)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
3 green onions, chopped
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Cook spaghetti; drain.
Return to saucepan; keep warm.
Meanwhile, in 12" skillet over medium heat, cook mushrooms, onions and carrot in hot oil until vegetable are tender crisp, stirring quickly and frequently.
Spoon vegetable mixture into spaghetti in saucepan.
Add soy sauce and crushed red pepper.
Toss gently to mix all ingredients well.
Can be served warm or chilled.

Print recipe with images | without images

You can always try changing it up by replacing with whole wheat spaghetti or adding more crunchy vegetables, such as red peppers.