Party Provisions

I loved the segment yesterday on the Nate Berkus show, where Mary Giuliani showcased some great-looking spreads.

Although the segment didn't really go into it, the "salad rolls" in the picture on the right look like they're made from vietnamese roll sheets and a sharp knife. Also, I like the idea of serving soup in little shotglasses, although I'm not sure what was in the small glasses in the picture. Maybe vodka? (ha, ha)


I saw an idea for gazpacho in shot glasses for a party, and that sounds great except for where to have your guests drop them off when they're done.I found these cute cucumber edible containers on google images! (http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/gazpacho-shots-cucumber-cannons-10000001193359)

I also like the idea of snacks in cute little spoons, but would probably want to put lettuce wraps in them (you might need the spoon to hold any runover sauce!)

Let me know what you think.

http://www.thenateshow.com/photos/print/2034-gallery-photos/?layout=print

Seafood Gumbo

Back when I was in my 20's, I was lucky enough to visit New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Our host took us to some great restaurants and we sampled some of the best food in the world. How could such simple ingredients taste so wonderful?

Well, I'm told it's a result of their French ancestors being ousted from Canada and deposited in one of the most hot and humid states in the union. They worked their epicurious  magic on the simple ingredients available there, and reinvented French cooking here in the U.S. That's one reason.

A few years later I was visiting Nashville, TN on business, and I stayed in what was then the Stouffer Nashville Hotel, right in downtown Nashville and I believe near the river. I really enjoyed the character and flair of Nashville, and the view of the river with the mist rolling off of it.

The hotel served up a seafood gumbo that was so delicious that I later asked for it when the hotel sent me an evaluation form. To my surprise, they actually sent it to me!

By using this recipe I depart from my Cajun/Creole bible, Cajun-Creole Cooking by Terry Thompson, which is sadly hard to find now. This gumbo recipe is declared delicious by everyone I've ever cooked it for, and it is an often-requested family favorite. What's also nice is that it doesn't have to cook for hours, like some gumbo recipes. True aficionados may notice that the roux step is nearly left out, but trust me, this gumbo is still wonderful.

I hope you enjoy! I have changed it to adapt to the products and sizes I use to make this dish. Of course you can substitute fresh tomatoes and okra if you like. You can also use chicken stock if you don't have fish stock. Or if you use fresh crab and cook it first, you can use that water.

Seafood Gumbo

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. clarified butter   
3 strips bacon, diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
16 oz pkg frozen okra

1/2 Tbsp. paprika
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper, cafe grind
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1 med clove garlic
2 Tbsp. Gumbo File

2 1/2 Tbsp. flour

3 quarts, fish stock

1 large can diced tomatoes, in juice 23oz
Bay shrimp, 10 oz
1 can Lump crab, 6 oz. 
1 cup rice, cooked
Andouille Sausage, cut into pieces, 8 oz.
1 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Saute bacon in butter until bacon is crisp
2. Add onion, celery, peppers and okra; saute for five minutes.
3. Add all spices, herbs and gumbo file; saute for two minutes.
4. Add flour, cook for two minutes.
5. Add fish stock.
6. Add tomatoes; simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Add Bay shrimp, crab, rice, sausage and salt; simmer for five minutes.




















Nashville photo taken by Chuck Felix, downloaded from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

Spanish Rice

Spanish rice is the perfect mate to beans whenever you're making Mexican food.  It's easy to make and a good way to add vegetables to rice. It's a great thing to take to potlucks, too. My friends asked me for the recipe, so I'm posting it here. I hope you enjoy!

Spanish Rice

Serves 6-8

3 cups rice
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
pepper flakes to taste
Salt to taste
2 cans chopped tomatoes with chilies (10 oz each)
4 cups water

Saute rice over medium heat until most grains are white. Add hot pepper flakes and stir for a few minutes more. Add garlic and onions, and lower heat slightly. Saute until onions are translucent.

Pour canned tomatoes into 1-cup measuring cup, and put any excess in with the next cup of water. Repeat for next can. The canned tomatoes count as a cup of water, and you should have 6 cups total.

Salt to taste. (Be careful! Salt will bring out the heat in the pepper!) Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook for 25-35 minutes, as needed.

Fluff with a fork before serving.

Winter Minestrone Soup

Wintertime's chill makes soup a welcome meal for lunch or dinner. To add protein, add a quesadilla, grilled cheese, or if sticking with the Italian theme, bruchetta topped with cheese.

This classic Italian soup is packed with nutritious vegetables, like beans, zuchini, onion, tomatoes, carrots, pasta, potato and spices. Use vegetable broth for a vegetarian version of this warm and satisfying soup. I started out using the Olive Garden Minestrone Soup recipe in Top Secret Recipes by Todd Wilbur, but ended up using dried beans, leaving out green beans and celery and adding potato and chicken broth.

Use two 15 oz. can each for red beans and white beans if you don't have time to use dried beans. Using dried beans is less expensive, and possibly (when considering added salt) more nutritious because you are in control of the quality and preparation your ingredients.

Winter Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

1 cup dried small red beans, sorted and rinsed

1 cup dried small white beans, sorted and rinsed

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup minced white onion (1 small onion)

1/2 cup zuchini, shredded

4 minced cloves garlic

4 cups chicken broth

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

2 medium potatoes, diced

1/2 cup shredded or diced carrot

2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 12 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 bay leaves

3 cups hot water

4 cups fresh baby spinach

1/2 cup leftover uncooked pasta

Directions

Put beans into a pot with 5 cups water. Heat to a boil, then cover and let sit for an hour or overnight. 

Rinse beans and prepare ingredients.

Heat olive oil over medium heat, and saute onions and garlic in a large pot, until onion turns translucent. 

Add broth, beans, can tomatoes, carrot spices, bay leaves,, and water. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 2 hours.  Add potatoes and cook 1/2 hour more. Remove bay leaves and add spinach and pasta. Cook another 20 minutes, or until desired soupy consistency.

Agua Fresca

I started working in a new office this year, and it's right around the corner from a little Mexican restaurant. Their specials always looked good, so one day I went in and ordered one. A drink came with it, and they offered me a liquid from one of the large jugs they had on ice, or gestured to the soda machine.

I asked about the liquids in the jugs, and was told one was watermelon, one was cantalope, and the third was cucumber. These sounded different but refreshing, so I ordered the watermelon. It was SO GOOD! It was light as lemonade and sweetened a little with sugar.

I didn't discover this until the end of the summer, but now I enjoy a refreshing drink every day I can manage. Maybe I'll get one later today. Watermelon and cantalope are my favorites. They seem easy to make. Try this recipe, from the food network. It seems like a whole cantalope should yeild more than a quart of agua fresca, but let me know what you think.


Agua Fresca (meaning Fresh Water)

Ingredients

• 1 large cantaloupe or half a watermelon, seeded and diced (about 3 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 to 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 to 3 limes, juiced

Directions

This and other similar fruit drinks, which translate literally as "fresh water," are served all over Mexico and they're a cinch to replicate at home. The key is to strain the pulpy fruit to make a clearer liquid. Instead of melon, you could use strawberries, pineapple, or mango -- any fruit that is soft enough to puree.

Puree cantaloupe and pour through a fine sieve to eliminate pulp. In a pitcher, mix strained fruit puree with water and season with sugar and lime juice, to taste.




http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/appetite-for-adventure/agua-fresca-recipe/index.html