Red Potato Salad with Bacon

This is a pretty simple recipe, which I adjusted because I don't like mayo.  Hopefully the absence of it evens out the additional calories added by the bacon!

Ingredients:

3 lbs cubed red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled

1 package bacon

1 chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup minced fresh chives (can substitute scallions if you can't find chives)

1 1/2 cups sour cream

4 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp white sugar

1 tbsp salt

Directions:

Place the potatoes in a large pot and add water to cover.  Season the water with a dash of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Drain and let cool.

Cook the bacon in a skillet until very crisp.  Drain on paper towels.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, red bell pepper, and chives.  Using a separate bowl, mix the vinegar, sour cream, garlic powder, sugar, salt & pepper.  Pour mixture over the potatoes, tossing gently to coat.  Once you have mixed it thoroughly, crumble the bacon over the potato salad and mix in.

Tips:  Add more sour cream if you like it creamier than this.  Many potato salads also have mustard and/or pickles, I've omitted those here but you can add those too, if that's what you're into!

A Threesome of Sliders

While preparing to have people over for a sporting event (the madness!), I wondered to myself, what is the perfect meal to serve sports enthusiasts?  I decided to make a trio of sliders (served throughout the day).


First, I made a pulled pork slider, which is one of my specialties (you can find the recipe on this site:

Next, I made a panko crusted buffalo chicken slider.  I did not post this recipe since it was really simple.  I used thinly sliced chicken, which I coated in egg and panko crumbs, then fried and dipped in a standard buffalo sauce.  I served this with a bacon potato salad (I did post that recipe).

Finally, I made a grilled hanger steak, which I seasoned with a variety of peppercorns, sliced thinly and served it on garlic toast with sliced gouda.

Many sandwiches were had by all!  This is a simple and fun menu to prepare.

Leah's Sweet & Tangy Pulled Pork

I know this violates the tenets of the Carolinas in regards to the vinegar versus sweet sauce debate, but personally I like mixing the two styles to create an intense flavor.  I serve this on tiny Hawaiian sweet rolls that you can find at your local grocery store.

Recipe:
1 pork shoulder or Boston Butt pork roast, 5-6 lbs
4-5 cups ketchup
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar (or plain vinegar if you can't find the cider one)
1/2 cup liquid smoke
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
Whisk sauce together in a large bowl until ingredients are combined, feel free to adjust the ingredients for flavor (smoke, sweet, sour, all are components here).

Place roast in a slow cooker.  Pour about 1/3 to 1/2 the sauce over the roast, just enough so that it has a sauce to cook in, and reserve the rest.  Cook the roast at low for 6-7 hours, or on high for about 5-6 hours, until the pork shreds easily (these times are not exact and will depend on the roast and/or your crockpot).

When the roast is ready to shred, pour off the sauce (which will be relatively greasy) and discard.  Place roast on cutting board for about 5-10 minutes, until cool enough to handle.  At this time, if desired, toast Hawaiian buns either in the oven or the toaster (they will hold up to the sauce better if slightly toasted).

Once the roast has cooled slightly, use a knife to cut it into several large pieces.  It should fall apart very easily, if it does not, it may need more time.  This is where it gets messy!  I've learned from years of practice that shredding the roast is easiest when done by hand (thus the term, pulled pork!).  Using your hands, pull the meat apart, discarding any strips or bits of fat that are attached to the meat.  Place the shredded pork back in the crockpot.

When you have shredded all of the pork, pour the reserved sauce over it, then mix and serve!

Herb Crusted Prime Rib Roast

The combination of a bone-in roast and the salt herb crust make this an incredibly moist, flavorful roast.  Don't be frightened by the amount of salt - kosher salt is more mild than regular salt and does not sink in the same way. Because this roast has a natural curve with the bone beneath it, the cookie sheet will act as a roasting pan, and you don't have to worry about drippings as the meat retains almost all of the moisture!


Recipe:

• 1 5-6 lb bone-in standing rib roast, room temperature
• 1/8 cup fresh sage, chopped
• 1/8 cup fresh thyme leaves 
• 1/8 cup fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/8 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 cups kosher salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh cracked black peppercorns
• 1 head of garlic, chopped
• 
  

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Place the rib roast onto a flat, covered cookie sheet. Combine the salt, olive oil, garlic, herbs, and pepper in a food processor and blend until they form a coarse paste.  Smear the paste all over the roast and massage into the meat with your hands.


Place the rib roast into the pre-heated 450 degree oven for 30 minutes. Turn the temperature down to 350 degrees and roast for an additional hour to an hour and a half. The internal temperature should read 135 degrees when removed from the oven for a nice, medium-rare roast.  Remove from the oven and let the roast rest for 20-30 minutes before slicing.


This is great served with a simple au jus and mashed potatoes!

Speakeasy Party

I decided to host a murder mystery party. The game I purchased was by the brand "How to Host a Murder", and the theme was the 1920's, in Chicago. This is the game - How to Host a Murder: The Chicago Caper

For most of these murder mystery games, you have to have an exact number of attendees (in this case, 8). The game came with invitations and envelopes, so I sent them out. In this day and age, receiving a physical invite in the mail is kind of a big deal, and people responded accordingly, probably guilted into RSVP'ing by the effort I had put into buying stamps.


I created a sign for the door, "Torchy's Gin Joint - Password Required for Entry.  Please check guns at the door."


Then I moved the furniture around and decorated my apartment like a speakeasy. I got a bunch of fun signs and cut-outs at the party store, and purchased silver and black decorations to hang from the ceilings and over the doorways. I also purchased some cheap silver tablecloths and used them to cover the blinds, giving the whole place a glitzy, dance hall atmosphere.

I filled the bathtub with water and threw in some food coloring and ginger ale, then placed a sign, "Torchy's Bathtub Hooch - Drink at your own risk!"


My friends all showed up dressed in appropriate 1920's costumes.  The characters (described in detail in the game) were all assigned in advance, so everyone knew what their attire should be like.  I was playing Torchy, the seductive lounge singer and gin joint owner.

Next, I planned a dinner menu suited for the 1920's. In retrospect, it probably would have been smarter to just make appetizers, as it was kind of a hassle to serve a sit-down meal in the middle of the game, but everyone enjoyed it. I also served period appropriate cocktails (look for the dinner & cocktail menus in the menu portion of this site).


My guests took the evening quite seriously, and when they first arrived, spent time mingling while in character, introducing themselves and elaborating on the stories they already knew about their characters.

One mistake I made was serving way, way too many drinks before we started the game. I would recommend starting the game shortly after everyone arrives, or you may have drunk party guests that lose their concentration frequently, causing the game to go on way too long. Not that my friends would ever let that happen to them...

Another word of advice - if you serve cake, try not to let the entire table burst out laughing as one guest proceeds to choke on it. Yes, it's very ironic that someone could choke on cake, but sometimes the ensuing hilarity can cause one to forget to apply the proper life saving measures. Mike did not actually die that night, but it was a close call, and he certainly didn't deserve to be mocked for getting some dessert stuck in his craw.

I created a 20's dance mix, filled with the most popular jazz hits of the time. It gave an authentic feel to the evening, having those catchy tunes playing in the background. I also printed out instructions for dancing The Charleston, The Foxtrot, and other famous dances of the decade

Reportedly, this entire outfit came from a thrift store, but it's hard to believe considering the perfect fit and panache it took to wear it.

Kyle got this flashy teal shirt at the Salvation Army for a dollar.... the hat came from the party store, also a dollar.

If you overserve your guests, this is what they may look like by the end of the night.

By the time the evening was over, we had discovered the murderer amongst us, stuffed ourselves to the gills with food and alcohol, and danced the Charleston. All in all, a great success!

A footnote:  We bought an authentic bottle of moonshine for the occasion. A couple of days later, Kyle decided to try to finish the bottle off. After a number of shots, he fell on the floor, declared that he had gone blind, and began to laugh.  That laughter soon turned to tears.

Kyle now states for the purposes of this blog that he will never drink moonshine again. I've posted this public service ad below, to warn of the dangers of this enticing and potentially toxic elixir.

Speakeasy Cocktail Menu

TORCHY’S GIN JOINT

COCKTAIL MENU

GIN & SIN

MADE WITH TORCHY’S BATHTUB GIN, LEMON JUICE, ORANGE JUICE, AND A DASH OF GRENADINE.

PINK LADY

MADE WITH TORCHY’S BATHTUB GIN, GRENADINE, AND CREAM.

SIGNAPORE SLING

MADE WITH TORCHY’S BATHTUB GIN, BRANDY, LIME JUICE, AND GRENADINE.

SNITCHES SLEEP WITH THE FISHES –

KEEP YOUR TRAP SHUT OR YOUR GOOSE IS COOKED

Speakeasy Dinner Menu

Check out the party ideas section to see how I used this menu for a speakeasy party.

TORCHY’S GIN JOINT

DINNER MENU

STARTERS:

SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP

MAIN COURSE:

CORNISH GAME HEN (fresh innards available for two bits)

SIDE DISHES:

RIVERBED STUFFING (seasoned with Chicago river water)

BUTCH’S MASHED POTATOS (don’t ask what happened to Butch)

GREEN BEANS (fried hog added upon request)

DESSERT MENU:

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE (not touched by actual Germans)

PEANUT BUTTER BANANA CAKE

BLOOD ON MY CHOCOLATE (don’t ask whose blood)

PLEASE DIRECT COMPLAINTS TO THE MAN WITH THE TOMMY GUN OUT FRONT!

Leah's Pineapple Right Side Up Cupcakes

I love pineapple upside down cake, and one day I thought, why not make it in cupcake form?  This is very easy and even looks pretty when it's done!

Ingredients:
1 box of yellow cake mix
(plus ingredients needed on back, depends on the brand)
2 large cans of sliced pineapples, drained
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 cup butter

Directions:
Prepare cake mix as directed. Pour equal amounts of cake mix into muffin pans or ready bake aluminum bake cups (the larger muffin size), filling the cups about halfway.

Mix brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle about a teaspoon over each cupcake. Then melt the butter in a microwave safe container, and drizzle a little bit of the butter over the brown sugar topped cupcakes.  Reserve any remaining butter for later.  Place in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for just about 10 minutes, or until the cupcakes start to rise.

Remove the pan from the oven and gently drop one slice of pineapple on top of each cupcake.  They should fit perfectly on top.  Sprinkle the rest of the brown sugar over the top of the pineapple.

Cook for about another 10-15 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes are slightly brown. After you remove them from the oven, some of the brown sugar may have sunk into the middle.  For those cupcakes, you may need to add a bit more brown sugar and drizzle with any remaining butter so that the brown sugar doesn't fall off.  Allow cakes to cool for at least 5 minutes so they can set.