Spring Tasting Dinner

I had this party quite some time ago and never got around to posting it.  This was a twelve course tasting menu with paired cocktails.  It makes me tired even typing that out...  gosh, I used to have a lot of time on my hands before I decided to start my own business!

This was all small plates, each one paired with a drink.  It took about 5 hours to serve all of these courses!  It was a lot of fun to create an experience like this for my guests.

Goat Cheese Truffles with Toasted Brown Sugar Pecans

paired with

Drunken Carbonated Grapes

I thought this pairing was particularly inventive; a drink that is edible!  The sourness of the pinot noir, nuttines of the pecans, and creaminess of the goat cheese went very well together.  Carbonating the grapes was especially fun, you can read all about it should you dare in the post for the recipe!

Mesquite Smoked Pork Carnitas Tostada

paired with

White Peach Sangria

This appetizer is one of my favorites to make; the flavors are intense and you can customize it endlessly (mini tostadas, tacos, crostini, etc).  And you can say the same for sangria; a couple of bottles of wine, some fruit and/or exotic juice, and voila, a sparkling and delicious drink!

Another thing that I really enjoy about making small plates or a pairing party like this one is the ability to showcase different global cuisines.  I love cooking (and therefore eating!) many different types of food: Asian, Mexican, Italian, etc, and it's fun to be able to pull those flavors together to create a really interesting and complex meal.

Shanghai Chicken Drummettes

paired with

Cucumber Saketini

Come on... how cute are those cucumber saketinis????

Mexican Street Corn Bruschetta

paired with

Jalapeño Margarita

This is another go to recipe (hey, when you're planning 12 courses, you have to stick to some of what you know!). Not only is it a great vegetarian option, which is key when entertaining a large group, but the flavors are intense and it is easy to prepare. This is especially yummy in the summer, when the corn is so sweet it seems to melt in your mouth.

The jalapeño margarita might sound strange, but the spiciness really adds something, and it's particularly good when paired with other spicy flavors.

I tried to alternate the courses between flavor profiles to really keep this interesting, and made sure to have basically at least one dish from every food group; chicken, beef, seafood, pork, veggie, bacon (yes, that's a food group!) 

I made the crust for these mini pizzas square purposely so that they would fit on this platter.  Talk about detail oriented, ha ha.  Or do they cal that OCD?

Mini Chorizo and Roasted Red Pepper Pizzas

paired with

Mango Mojitos

Another important thing to keep in mind when planning a meal like this is color.  I like to use vibrantly colored foods that are as attractive to the eye as to the tummy; and if the food itself is not particularly aesthetically pleasing, you can always add a colorful garnish or sauce!

Butternut Squash & White Cheddar Mac n Cheese "Sushi rolls"

paired with

Cherry Infused Bourbon with Chocolate Covered Drunken Cherries

This link will take you to my original recipe for these rolls, but I did make some small changes to it.  As you can see from the photos, I used penne pasta instead of regular elbow macaroni, to give the rolls a floral appearance.  To continue that theme (and the theme of spring), I rolled strips of bacon into "roses" and pressed them into the center of the mac n cheese rolls.

As far as the changes to the recipe, I added 2 cups of cooked butternut squash and swapped out the regular cheddar for white cheddar, giving it a smokier and richer flavor.  Yum!  Toasted garlic bread crumbs on top!

Bourbon!  I think cherry and bourbon go really well together, it's one of my favorite flavor pairings.  For this recipe, I infused the bourbon a couple of days in advance, then drained the cherries and coated them in chocolate.

Smoked Gouda & Caramelized Onion Potatoes Au Gratin

paired with

Sparkling Manhattan

I love these mini ramekin dishes.  They look adorable for savory or dessert dishes, and how nice is it to be able to serve something in the dish it was cooked in?!

The day after this party, I had about one of each drink left over in the fridge, just waiting in their pretty little serving glasses.  I had a lovely time finishing them off while cleaning up, ha ha.  It's always smart to allay the pain of doing housework by getting a little buzzed!

Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon with Port Wine Sauce and Fried Basil

paired with

Pomegranate Cosmopolitan

 

This picture doesn't show the proportions very well, but this is a bite sized piece of tenderloin that I cut to make look like a tiny filet.  The original recipe was for a meal sized portion and I pared it down to make appetizers.

The fried basil on top was a nice addition and is very simple to do; simply slice the basil leaves into long strips and fry in hot oil for just a few seconds, then place on paper towels to remove excess oil.  The basil adds a fresh, earthy flavor to the dish, and the fried texture is a pleasant surprise.

These drinks came out looking so icy cold!  For this effect, I dipped the wet rim of each glass into water, and then into powdered sugar, and repeated.  Brrrr!

I think this was about the point that the party started to get a bit rowdy, which will explain why the quality, and quantity, of photographs declines after this point!  A crowded kitchen and hungry, drunken people can really get in the way of good food photography!

 

Butter Poached Lobster Medallions with Champagne Garlic Sauce

paired with

Citrus White Wine Spritzer

What can I say about champagne and butter poached lobster? I think anyone with taste buds would agree that it's a great combination.

And then there were desserts!  Three courses of them, naturally.  Wouldn't you be disappointed if there were any less?!

Mixed Berry Tiramisu

paired with

Blueberry Ginger Bellini

Blueberry and ginger go amazingly well together!

Serving this many drinks (12 courses x 20 people = approx 240 glasses!) was sure to exhaust even my prodigious tiny glass collection so in advance of the party, I went miniature glass hunting and came upon these adorable mason jars.  I thought they would be perfect to serve a drink or dessert in and I've even used a few to give gifts of homemade jam.  Home Goods is the ultimate resource for affordable little finds like this.

Gooey Chocolate and Caramel Cakes

paired with

S'mores Shooters

  

I love these tasty little shooters!

Bittersweet Chocolate Glazed Espresso Brownie Bites

paired with

Strawberry Daiquiri Jello Shots

This is similar to a normal brownie, a bit less sweet with darker chocolate and a hint of coffee flavor.  What really makes this dessert special is the tiny chocolate covered coffee bean on top.  Plus, bonus, it looks cute!

And finally, the most adorable jello shot cocktail ever!

One of the best compliments I've ever gotten on a recipe was on this one. One of my guests said, "think about the incredible effort, detail and time Leah put into making this tiny dessert, just so we could all enjoy 30 seconds of exquisite flavor that we'll never forget." It was a very sweet comment!

I knew the night was a success when each and every guest was able to stick it out until the final course, which I served around 1 am. Definitely my most ambitious and challenging event to date, but lots of fun to create and plan (yes, I'm crazy!).

Here are some random pics from the party.  Cheers!

 

Hawaiian Shirt Jello Shots

I'm sort of obsessed with this website - Jello Shot Test Kitchen.  They make gourmet jello shot cocktails that are really creative.  I saw this recipe a while back and have been biding my time until the right occasion came along to make them.  Their recipe called to cut these into rectangles, but I happened to have a t-shirt cookie cutter, so I made mine into little Hawaiian shirts.  Adorable!

Recipe:

Yellow Layer
1 cup pineapple juice
1 envelope plain Knox gelatin

Directions:

Pour juice into a small saucepan.  Sprinkle with gelatin and allow to soak for a minute or two.  Heat over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the gelatin is dissolved (about 5 minutes).  Remove from heat.  Pour into a standard 13 x 9 glass or non-reactive metal pan and refrigerate until fully set, which should take an hour or two.

Blue Layer
2/3 cup pineapple juice
1 envelope plain Knox gelatin
1/3 cup blue curacao

Follow directions from yellow layer.  At this point, you may want to wait an hour or so to ensure that the first two layers are set, before you make the red layer, which will be the base.

Red layer
1 ½ cups cranberry juice
4 envelopes plain Knox gelatin
1 1/2 cups Malibu rum
2 tbsp grenadine

Pour the juice into a saucepan.  Sprinkle with gelatin and allow to soak for a minute or two.  Heat over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the gelatin is dissolved.  Remove from heat.  Stir in the rum and grenadine, and pour mixture into a pan.  Cool to room temperature - do not refrigerate.

Remove the pans with the set blue and yellow layers from the refrigerator.  Cut out desired shapes with small cookie cutters.  I used tiny stars and flowers from a miniature metal cookie cutter set I have.  Gently float the cut shapes into the red gelatin mixture, and refrigerate until fully set (ideally overnight, to allow the layers to fully bond).  Don’t worry if some of the shapes sink into the gelatin - this is what gives the print a 3-D quality.  To serve, cut into desired shapes.

These not only looked cute, but they were delicious!  Everyone gobbled them up.  Enjoy!

Garlic Black Pepper Lobster with Lemon Grass Fried Rice

This was a recipe I saw on some TV cooking show, then looked up online.  Who could resist this much garlic?  The original recipe was with live lobster, but I'm a bit squeamish about committing murders in my kitchen.  Instead, I decided to buy pre-murdered lobsters - nearly as tasty, and a clean conscience was had by all (except my bank account).

Ingredients

2 (1 to 2 pound) unwitting lobsters, alive or dead, tails cut into 4 or 5 medallions

20 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 cups sliced scallions (save 1/4 cup of sliced green scallions for garnish)

2 tablespoons ground black pepper, medium ground

1 cups white wine

1 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup fish sauce

6 tablespoons butter

Salt, to taste

Olive oil

Directions:

In a large, hot saute pan or wok, coated well with olive oil, saute the lobster. Add the garlic, scallions, and black pepper. Deglaze with wine and add chicken stock and fish sauce. Add butter and check for seasoning.

Lemon grass fried rice:

3 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 small white onion, chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 tablespoon minced ginger

3 stalks lemon grass, minced, white part only

4 cups cooked jasmine rice

1 lemon, juiced

Salt, to taste

Directions:

In a saucepan on high heat coated with sesame oil, sweat the onions, garlic, ginger and lemon grass. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the rice and saute the rice for 5-10 minutes until hot, slightly brown, and crispy. Add lemon juice and soy sauce and check for seasoning.

On a large plate, mold a mound of rice in the middle and top with lobster. Garnish with sliced scallions, if desired.

Tips -  This makes a lot of extra sauce, but I poured it onto the rice just before serving.   You can form the rice like this by using a cookie cutter or buying a cheap "ring", a chef tool made for serving piles of sides like rice or mashed potatoes.  Also, be careful not to overcook the lobster - I cooked the fried rice first and kept it on low until the lobster was ready.  Enjoy!

Maharani Cupcakes

I made this recipe for an Indian food night.  When I came across it, I thought it sounded iffy, but there weren't many options for Indian desserts, so I tried it out anyway.  It is delicious and somewhat addicting!  The flavors work surprisingly well together.

Sweet Curry Lemon Curd:
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons mild curry powder
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 lemons, zested
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Sweet Basil Cream:
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 bunch fresh basil, washed and dried

Coconut Cupcakes:
1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/4 cups water
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons coconut extract
6 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
Decorations: 1 tablespoon silver or gold dragees decorating candy (optional)

Directions
To make the sweet basil cream, heat the whipping cream in a saucepan until hot; do not boil. Turn off the heat and add the basil to the cream and allow it to steep for 1 hour.  Refrigerate the cream for 3 hours or overnight.  Strain and discard the basil.

Meanwhile, make the sweet curry lemon curd. Use a large microwave-safe bowl: the curd will expand to twice its volume as it cooks.  Whisk together the white sugar, 2 eggs, and curry powder until smooth.  Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest, and butter.  Cook in the microwave, stirring at one-minute intervals, until the mixture is thick.  Pour the cooked curd through a sieve and refrigerate for at least three hours or until set.  The mixture will have the consistency of soft pudding.  Alternately, make this on the stove by combining the ingredients in a saucepan, and cooking over medium heat until it thickens (about 15 minutes). Strain and chill as directed.

Preheat an oven to 350.  Line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners.  Combine the white cake mix and coconut flakes in a mixing bowl. Stir in the water, three eggs, vegetable oil, and coconut extract.

Scoop the cake batter into the prepared pans, filling the cups 2/3 full. Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool completely.

In a chilled bowl, whip the cold basil-infused cream and 3 cups of confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form.  Refrigerate.  Beat the cream cheese and remaining 3 cups of confectioners' sugar until smooth and soft.  Fold in the whipped cream and mix gently until fully combined.

To decorate the cupcakes, spread a tablespoon of the lemon curd on top of each cupcake, followed by a dollop of the basil cream. Sprinkle with dragees if using.

Tips - you can make this with regular white or yellow cake if you don't like coconut.  If available, gold or brightly colored sprinkles or dragees make great decorations for these cupcakes.

Watermelon Ceviche

I had a similar ceviche at a restaurant and liked it so much I found a recipe online. It's a surprisingly nice combination of flavors.

Recipe:
1 navel orange
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice 
2 cups diced seeded watermelon 
1 diced red onion
2 to 3 finely chopped fresh jalapeños (to taste)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 lb small to medium sized scallops
1/2 lb medium shrimp
1/2 lb cooked lobster meat, cut into ¼ inch pieces

Directions: 
Cut peel and white pith from orange with a sharp paring knife, then cut segments free from membranes.  Stir together chopped orange, orange juice, lime juice, watermelon, onion, jalapeño, and salt in a large bowl.

Rinse seafood and pat dry.   Add scallops, shrimp, lobster to watermelon mixture and toss to combine, then season with salt.  Chill ceviche, covered, at least 2 hours, or until seafood has turned pink.  The lime juice should "cook" the seafood.  If necessary, add more lime juice to speed this process up.

Serve with chips or on lettuce leaves.  Yum!