Foodbuzz 24x24: A Trashy to Classy Cocktail Party

We've all been to and hosted countless parties, potlucks, and family reunions that are full of what some may consider to be "trashy" food.  You know, dishes that are full of processed ingredients and shortcuts, the ones that we all secretly love.  However, you'd never find this food at a fancy country club or cocktail party.  So I thought it would be fun to reinvent some of these dishes into upscale cocktail fare.

Two friends of mine planned to celebrate their birthdays this weekend, so when I was chosen to participate in Foodbuzz's 24x24 blogging event, I offered to throw their party for them.  They graciously accepted, so I set out to plan the menu!

The whole party was actually inspired by these strawberry wine coolers.  I first made these last spring, and I enjoyed variations all summer long.  Every time I made them, I kind of laughed at myself for drinking wine coolers, but then one day the idea came to me to take other dishes that food snobs may turn their nose up to and class it up into fancy party food.  Even though I didn't get to enjoy a wine cooler this time, everyone else seemed to enjoy them.

We also provided an assortment of craft beers, as well as more wine and champagne.  There were a few other pregnant women in attendance, so I mixed up a batch of sparkling peach lemonade for us to enjoy in champagne flutes.

For the food, I just want to clarify that I'm not making fun of the inspiration dishes or looking down on it; I just thought it would be fun to up the ante and find a new way to serve these classic and trashy-good dishes.

The first thing that came to mind for me were pigs in blankets.  They are pretty much a staple at all tailgates, birthday parties, and potlucks, so I knew I wanted to find another way to serve them.  Lamb sausage in puff pastry served with Dijon mustard definitely took these from low-brow to high class.

If they're served at a party, I'm also guilty of enjoying cocktail weinies.  You know, the lil' smokies that are cooked with grape jelly and chili sauce?  To elevate this dish, I grilled pork tenderloin and glazed it with a blackberry-pinot noir sauce.  Extra glaze was served on the side for dipping, and I served each piece with a fresh blackberry.

Perhaps the most infamous of party food is velveeta and sausage dip.  I turned it into a brie, crab, and champagne fondue, and served it with blanched asparagus spears and a fresh baguette.  I could have eaten this fondue with a spoon, it was so good.

Among my group of friends it has become somewhat of a running joke that I don't like onion dip.  Everyone else always devours it, but onion soup mix + sour cream just doesn't really do it for me.  However, I can get behind caramelized onion dip served on homemade potato chips.  Joey and I had to stop ourselves from eating all of this before our guests arrived.  And since the first Vidalia onions of the year are starting to show up in the grocery stores, this dip was especially wonderful.

If you ask anyone on the street what they think of when they hear the term "trashy food," I'd bet that 90% would immediately say spam.  To be honest, I don't think I've ever actually had it, but that's fine with me.  I originally thought to make a pate to replace the infamous mystery meat, but I ended up making wild mushroom pate instead.  I figured it would be more of a crowd-pleaser, and I wanted to include another vegetable anyway.  Full of wild mushrooms and drizzled with a little truffle oil, this pate would certainly be well-received at any upscale event.

Even though it had no trashy inspiration, I also served a cheese platter.  I love putting these together, and this might have been my favorite one yet:  Blueberry-vanilla goat cheese, Rosemary Asiago, Aged Gouda, plus crackers, salami, assorted olives, and grapes.  This was pretty much destroyed by the end of the night.

The first dessert that came to mind for me was strawberry jello salad.  There are countless variations out there, but they almost all include strawberry jello, cool whip, and strawberries.  I turned that "salad" into deviled strawberries filled with spiced mascarpone whipped cream.  There is a bit of cardamom in the cream, and it gives it such a wonderful warmth and spice.  This was probably my favorite dish, and  I definitely ate more than my fair share while I prepped them.

I also had to include the infamous dirt cake.  Layers of instant pudding, cool whip, and crushed oreos make up this dessert, and usually gummy worms are thrown on top for good measure.  I turned that into chocolate pudding parfaits made with homemade pudding (mousse would have been even better), whipped cream, and I topped each one with a sprinkling of thin mints.

And finally, for what was probably the most popular dish of the night, I was inspired by Watergate Salad to make macarons.  I know there are probably several names for this dessert, along with just as many variations, but the gist is pistachio pudding, marshmallows, and fruit cocktail.  I made pistachio macarons with marshmallow filling, and served them with fresh cherries.  These were all gone within the first hour of the party, which made me wish I had made a double batch!

I had so much fun planning this party, and I think everyone got a big kick out of the idea.  Many of the inspiration dishes are nostalgic for so many of us, so it was especially fun to elevate them into cocktail party status.   Thanks so much to Foodbuzz for sponsoring my party, and happy birthday to Christi and Kendra!!

Blueberry BOY Bait

In case you didn't guess by the title of this post, we are having a BOY!  We are so excited, and I've already done some serious baby boy clothes shopping, of course.  We've been telling Caroline that she's going to have a little brother, but she still maintains that I'm having a baby turtle.  Not sure where she got that one...

In any case, I wanted to bake something fun to share the news, so I thought that blueberry boy bait would be perfect.   Ever since I made this I haven't been able to resist slicing off little slivers, so apparently this baby boy loves blueberries as much as his sister.  I will admit that I had only heard of it in passing, but it is basically a buttery sheet cake that is studded with blueberries and sprinkled with a crunchy cinnamon-sugar topping.  Legend has it that this recipe was created by a teenage girl for a recipe contest, with the claim that it's so good that it's "bait for boys."

This is a super simple recipe that is in the oven in under 10 minutes.  Very low-maintenance and easy, and the result is a light and fluffy cake with little bursts of fresh berries and a spicy, crackly top. Even though I don't think it's necessary, I'm sure a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream would go nicely with this as well.  This is ideal for summer entertaining since it's so easy, and it can be transported to a potluck quite easily as well - no fussy frosting or glaze to worry about ruining. 

As you can see from the photo, the blueberries did sink to the bottom of the cake; however I think it was because I forgot to preheat the oven, so the cake sat at room temperature for 10 minutes while I waited for it to preheat.  I think that the berries must have begun sinking, so when I put the cake in the oven it was too late for them.  No worries though, it certainly didn't affect the taste!

Blueberry Boy Bait
yield:  one 9x13 inch sheet cake

• 2 cups plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, do not defrost first as it tends to muddle in the batter)

 Topping:

• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.

Whisk together 2 cups of the flour, the baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  One at a time, add the eggs, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition.  Add the vanilla.

Reduce the speed to low and add one-third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the buttermilk.  Beat in half the remaining flour mixture, the remaining buttermilk, and finishing with the remaining flour.  Mix until just incorporated after each addition.

Toss the blueberries with the remaining teaspoon of flour, then fold into the batter with a rubber spatula.  Scatter the top with the remaining blueberries, then sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon.  Spread the batter into the baking pan and bake 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the pan 20 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.  Serve with the sugar topping side up.


Source:  adapted from Smitten Kitchen, originally from Cook's Country

Beer Battered Fish Tacos

A few weeks ago, just days before we left for a beach vacation, I had a hankering for fish tacos.  The problem arose when I couldn't decide whether to go light with grilled fish, or go all out and do beer-battered fried fish tacos.  I shared my conundrum both on Twitter and with Joey, and the resounding response was for beer-battered.  So I essentially had no choice in the matter.

I've had this recipe saved for almost a year, so I was excited to try out the IPA batter.  IPA is probably my favorite type of beer, and I have missed it terribly throughout this pregnancy.  I used Sweetwater IPA, which is from a local Atlanta brewery that we love to support.  Their IPA has a distinct grapefruit taste, and I thought the citrus would pair wonderfully with the tacos.  The batter was crisp yet still light, and the fish was perfectly cooked.

As far as the toppings go, I did my own thing and came up with a mango salsa and avocado crema.  Both complemented the fish well, and the avocado crema was especially tasty as a dip for the leftover fish.  I actually set out to fry my own shells for these, but decided at the last minute that frying the fish was enough for me this time.  But I think the crispy shells would have been great as well.

I try to cook healthy meals more often than not, so something like this is most definitely a rare treat versus a weekly indulgence, but we certainly enjoyed it.  And who knows, maybe it will make another appearance this summer...


Beer Battered Fish Tacos


For the Fish:

• 1 lb firm white fish (cod, haddock, halibut, etc)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup beer, preferably IPA
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• vegetable oil, for frying

Mango Salsa

• 2 mangos, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, diced
• 2 T diced red onion
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/8 tsp chili powder
• 2 Tbs minced fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste

Avocado Crema

• 1 avocado, pitted 
• 1-2 Tbs plain yogurt
• 1 Tbs sour cream
• juice of 1/2 lime
• hot sauce to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

To Serve:

• taco shells, hard or soft
• lime wedges
• hot sauce

 Combine 1 cup of the flour, paprika, chili powder, cumin, and salt in a medium bowl.  Add the beer, whisk to combine, and let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes to allow the yeasts to develop.

Meanwhile, pat the fish dry, season with salt and pepper, and cut into 1-inch cubes.  Toss with the remaining 1/2 cup flour.


To prepare the mango salsa, combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl.  Taste and season with more salt, lime, or hot sauce if necessary.


For the avocado crema, use a fork to mash the avocado in a medium bowl.  Add the yogurt, sour cream, hot sauce, and lime, and continue mashing to form a smooth sauce.  Add more yogurt or sour cream to achieve your desired consistency, and season with salt and hot sauce.


To fry the fish, heat 1/2-inch oil in a large skillet to 375 degrees.  Working in batches, shake off the excess flour from the fish, then coat with the beer batter.  Being careful not to overcrowd the pan, fry in the hot oil 3-5 minutes, or until golden-brown and cooked through.  You may need to test a few in the first batch to get the time right.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain, and repeat with remaining fish.


To assemble, warm the tortillas and fill with fish.  Drizzle with avocado crema and top with mango salsa.  Serve with lime wedges and additional hot sauce if desired.


Source:  Beer-battered fish from Tide and Thyme, mango salsa and avocado crema Pink Parsley originals

Grilled Asparagus Panzanella

I gave you fair warning yesterday that I'm obsessed with grilling.  Add that to my obsession with asparagus, and it should come as no surprise that this is one of my favorite spring dinners.  (As a side note, I really hope you aren't getting tired of asparagus recipes - I still have a few to share with you before it goes out of season)!  I think the combination of the grilled veggies is just perfect, the bread is crispy and garlicky, the vinaigrette is simple but flavorful, and the garnishes add just the right amount of crunch and flavor.  I especially loved the sprinkling of goat cheese on top.

Once you have the veggies and bread prepped, this comes together quite quickly  The vegetables and bread grill up in minutes, and then all you have to do is toss it all together and serve.  It is a wonderfully low-maintenance and fresh dinner for late spring, and I think it would also make a lovely lunch or addition to brunch.  If I were able to drink wine, I would have most definitely enjoyed this salad with a crisp Pinot Grigio.  There's always next spring....

I have also updated my Featured Recipes page with some of my favorite vegetarian dinners !


Grilled Asparagus Panzanella
adapted from Cuisine Tonight:  Grilling
makes 8 cups


For the Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:

• 6 slices Italian bread (1/2-inch thick)
• 1 lb asparagus, trimmed
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and quartered
• 1/3 cup sliced red onion (about 2 "rings" each cut 1/2-inch thick)
• olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, cut in half
• 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
• 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
• 2 Tbs pine nuts, toasted
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

Preheat the grill to medium-high and clean the grates.

Whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette and set aside.

Brush the bread with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss the asparagus, pepper, and onion lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper.

Grill bread 1-2 minutes per side, until crisp and golden.  Remove from grill and when cool enough to handle, rub with the cut garlic clove.  Set aside.

Grill asparagus, pepper, and onion until charred and cooked through turning once.  Remove from grill and chop into bite-sized pieces.

Dice the bread into cubes and toss with the grilled vegetables, tomatoes, olives, pine nuts, and basil.  Toss with the vinaigrette (you may not need all of it -just add a little at a time until you're happy with the amount).  Season with salt and pepper if necessary.

Divide evenly among plates and sprinkle with goat cheese.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Grilled Bruschetta with Prosciutto & Mozzarella

Once warm weather hits, it is hard to keep myself from grilling every meal and every course for each meal.  It's not just the end result of grilling that I enjoy, but the act itself.  From igniting the first flame, to seeing those beautiful grill marks, to enjoying the final, smoky result, I love it all. 

This grilled bread made a fantastic appetizer for a pasta dish we enjoyed a few weeks ago.  This is incredibly simple, and very versatile as well - serve as a light lunch with a side salad, as part of an appetizer spread for a party, as a side with grilled meat or a pasta dish, or just on it's own as a snack. 

These grilled breads are also incredibly easy - just slice the bread, grill, rub with garlic, top with cheese and prosciutto, and return to the grill just long enough to melt the cheese.  In my opinion, the most important step of this recipe is rubbing with garlic.  I loved loved loved the garlicky bite that these had, and it truly took this dish from good to great.


Grilled Bruschetta with Prosciutto and Mozzarella
adapted from The Barefoot Contessa, How Easy is That?

• 6-8 slices of Tuscan bread or a French Baguette, sliced 3/4-inch thick
• 1 large garlic clove, cut in half
• olive oil
• 2 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into pieces
• 2 oz. fresh smoked mozzarella, grated
• 3 Tbs minced fresh herbs - parsley, basil, oregano, etc
• freshly ground black pepper

Prepare the grill to medium-high heat.  Clean the grates and brush with oil.

Brush each slice of bread with olive oil.  Grill for 2 minutes, until golden on one side.  Remove from grill and place grilled-side up on a platter. As soon as it's cool enough to handle, rub the grilled side with the cut garlic.  The harder you rub, the more garlicky the bread will be.

Place the torn prosciutto over the grilled side of the bread and top with the shredded mozzarella.  Return to the grill, cover, and cook just until the cheese is melted, 1-2 minutes.

Drizzle with additional olive oil and sprinkle with pepper and herbs.  Serve.

Eggplant and Ricotta Pizza

I realize this could be a fairly controversial post.  Eggplant is one of those things that you either love or you hate.  There's not much middle ground.  I for one, love it, so I am always on the lookout for new and interesting ways to use it (besides my old standby of grilling).  For some reason ricotta seems to be divisive as well.  I'm not sure why though - I love the creamy texture and flavor it adds to Italian dishes and desserts.  So if you are a ricotta and eggplant lover like me, you'll love this pizza.  It is a simple and straightforward pizza, but it makes for a beautiful presentation and lovely vegetarian dinner.

The recipe calls for either using homemade ricotta or store-bought, but it provides extra instructions if you use a supermarket brand.  I've never made my own ricotta, though I plan to very soon.  The store-bought ricotta needs to be drained for about an hour to remove excess moisture.  So no big deal, you just need to plan ahead.  I even think you could do this the night before and then refrigerate the drained ricotta until you need it.

The eggplant is broiled (or grilled) before it's added to the pizza, which removes excess moisture and gives it a golden-brown color.  I loved the crispy edges of the eggplant, and the flavor played very nicely off of the garlic and Parmesan-infused ricotta.  Adding basil to anything will give it that bright and fresh finish, and this pizza was no exception.  I actually didn't really expect Joey to like this pizza all that much, but he is apparently coming around to eggplant - he even had seconds!

As I've been mentioning a lot lately, Caroline has really developed a love for helping in the kitchen, and she really liked helping with this pizza.  She especially loved helping me stretch out the dough, then dropping dollops of the ricotta onto the pizza.  And even though most people probably wouldn't label this as "kid-friendly" (a term I don't really believe in anyway), she devoured a big slice of it.  I served this with a cherry tomato salad with olives and fresh herbs, and I thought it was a great side dish - I think a simple green salad or roasted asparagus would be great as well.


Pizza with Eggplant, Ricotta, and Basil
adapted from The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook
makes one 12-inch pizza

• 1 pizza dough
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 medium eggplant (about 3/4 pound)
• 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the crust
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 2 Tbs minced fresh basil leaves
• 1 Tbs minced fresh parsley
• cornmeal, for sprinkling

Line a small colander or mesh sieve with several layers of paper towels or a cheese cloth.  Spread the cheese evenly over the paper towels and let drain until thickened and creamy, about 1 hour, stirring a few times to redistribute.   Remove the cheese from the colander and discard the paper towels.

Preheat the broiler.  Trim the top and bottom of the eggplant, and use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to peel two parallel sides of the eggplant.  Slice the eggplant lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Brush both sides with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and pepper.  Broil, turning once, until golden-brown, 10 to 12 minutes.  Set aside.

With the baking stone in the oven, preheat to 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes.

Combine the ricotta, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, garlic, basil, parsley, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl.

Sprinkle a pizza peel or large sheet of parchment paper with cornmeal and stretch the dough into a 12-inch circle.  Brush the outer edges of the dough with olive oil.  Spread the ricotta mixture over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge (I actually ended up using my fingers to spread it).

Carefully slide the pizza onto the stone and bake for 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and quickly but carefully arrange the eggplant slices on top, overlapping them somewhat to form a flowerlike design.  Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan, season with additional pepper, and continue baking until the crust begins to brown in spots, an additional 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove the pizza from the oven and allow to cool 1 to 2 minutes to allow the cheese to solidify.  Cut into wedges and serve.

PPQ: Sticky Fingers Bars

This week's Project Pastry Queen recipe is a doozy.  I have been drooling over these for years now, but for some reason couldn't ever get around to making them.  And it is most definitely one of the most decadent recipes I've ever made.  You start with a shortbread crust that is dotted with chopped peanuts.  Top it with chopped Snickers bars.  Top that with a sweet and gooey filling that's reminiscent of pecan pie filling.  Finish with a layer of peanut butter, more peanuts, and finally, a drizzle of chocolate.  So yeah, pretty intense.

The good news is, for as many components as they have, they couldn't be easier to put together.  Though maybe that should be bad news. 

Tara of Smells Like Home has the full recipe posted on her blog.  Thanks Tara - I'll see you in two days for BlogHer Food!!  (Is anyone else going??)