Party Food
Party food is the only food on the menu this weekend. Tim’s 50th birthday bash is at center stage. The invitation promised wine, beer and munchies. I kept the food simple and asked for some help. My sister Mary made a luscious cheddar cheese dip with bacon and apricot preserves. Cousin Carol’s buffalo-chicken dip was smokin’!. Request is in for the recipes & I promise to share!
Made Chipotle Deviled Eggs adapted from ‘Dishing With Kathy Casey’. Kathy originally made these as a joke for a party but they were such a hit she kept making them. Since all 24 halves disappeared long before nights end, I agree. They’re just a bit sassy and the fresh pico de gallo-style topping adds extra flavor and a touch of color. I reduced the amount of chipotle puree since it can be overwhelmingly hot. (Learned this the hard way from using puree in a roasted corn chowder that rendered it virtually inedible, even over mashed potatoes.) Hearty muffulettas inspired by ‘Jim Fobel’s Big Flavors’ a food-stained oldie but goodie, rounded out the menu. Went for the traditional turkey and mortadella version
as well as a vegetarian one.
The ‘meaty’ one was devoured, the veggie one not so fast. They’re even better the next day.
You can never have too much cheese at a party. I bought a 13 oz. round of Brie and a jar of cherry preserves with lots of lovely whole cherries floating through it and some sliced almonds to caramelize for the top.
The baked-from-scratch-cake was deleted from the list as I told myself there are other ways to say “I love you”. This would also prevent me from pulling out my hair before the party. Procrastination left me no time to order a mozart cake from Sugar Plum Bakery. Grabbed a pound cake iced with yellow roses at Kroger. Asked for bright blue writing to add a token of masculinity. Much more substantial than the usual air-filled stuff, I served it with Turkey Hill Philly-Style chocolate ice cream (honestly—the ingredients are simply cream, sugar, nonfat milk and cocoa. Smooth and creamy-tasting, a big bang for your buck!) Everyone cleaned their plate, some had seconds. (Note to self: crossing homemade cake off list: priceless!)
Simple food is always good yet can still be time consuming. To me it means not contrived or overly fussy. Well worth the effort especially when you have friends to appreciate it. If leftovers are any judge, it was, because there weren’t many.
A piece of advice: save at least an hour beforehand for a soothing hot shower and primp-time as you sip a glass of wine. (Who do your friends love more: you, chill hostess, or you, frazzled wonder-woman? Enough said!)
Chipotle Deviled Eggs
- 1 dozen large eggs (I like free range or organic)
- 3 tbs regular or reduced fat sour cream (I like horizon organic low-fat)
- 3 tbs mayo
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1-2 tsp chipotle pepper puree (see instructions below)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tbs thinly slice scallions
Topping
- 1/2 cup 1/4” diced plum tomatoes (2 medium)
- 2 tbs minced sweet white onion
- 3 tbs minced fresh cilantro
- 1-2 tsp chipotle pepper puree
- Hardboil the eggs: Place them in a large pot and cover with cool water to 1 inch above eggs. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and either simmer gently for 10 minutes or shut heat off and let sit for 10 minutes. (the second is the way I do it and it works great. I also add a splash of vinegar to the water so if the eggs crack they don’t leak). Remove and run cool water over them. You can do this a day ahead to save time, refrigerate and peel the next day.
- Cut the eggs in half lenthwise, pop the yolks out into a mixing bowl. Set the egg white halves on a serving platter. Cover and refrigerate.
- Mash the egg yolks to a smooth consistency with a fork or a pastry cutter. Mix in the sour cream, mayo, salt, mustard, chipotle puree, garlic and scallions. Spoon the yolk mixture into a large ziploc with about 1/3” snipped off one corner and pipe evenly into the egg white halves.
- Topping: In a small bowl, mix together tomatoes, onion, cilantro and chipotle puree. Right before serving, use a small spoon to top each egg half with a teaspoon or two of the tomato mixture.
Chipotle Puree
I swear those 7 oz cans are a ‘chipotle conspiracy’ but it will keep in fridge for quite a while, or you can freeze for later use.
- Puree the contents of 1-7 oz can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (find it in the mexican food section of your grocery store) in a blender or food processor. It’s great for spicing up ketchup or mayo too!
Turkey & Mortadella Muffuletta
This is usually a big round sandwich inspired by the New orleans hero sandwich. I prefer to use focaccia bread since it is thinner and you don’t have to hollow them out. You can slice them into small squares which are easier to serve as party food.
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 large garlic clove, minced or pressed
- 1 6 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained (or one large one from the olive bar)
- 1/2 cup pitted calamata or large black olives
- 1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives
- 1 2 oz can flat anchovies or a 3 inch ribbon or so or paste, to taste (optional)
- 2 tbs fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (I like Bragg’s)
- 1 tsp dried oregano or thyme
- 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne or hot sauce
- cracked black pepper to to taste
- 1 large focaccia bread
- 8 oz turkey breast, sliced thin
- 8 oz provolone cheese, sliced thin
- 8 oz mortadella, sliced thin (if you can’t find mortadella, you can use salami, capicolla or ham, whatever you prefer)
- In a food processor, combine the artichoke hearts, both olives, anchovy (if using), oregano or thyme, cayenne, black pepper, garlic and oil. Pulse to a course relish.
- Cut the bread in half horizontally. Spread half the relish on the bottom and top halves of bread, respectively. Layer on half of the turkey, half the provolone and half the mortadella. Repeat the layering. (You can use all or less of the meat and cheese, depending on how thick you want it.) Press together, wrap tightly in plastic wrap then foil. Set in fridge and weight down with a heavy pan, casserole, or cans. (I’ve used things like a casserole of rice pudding or bricks from the yard, brushed off of course! they both worked fine) Chill for at least several hours or overnight to let flavors and juices soak in. Cut into squares and serve cold.
Veggie Version:
I pretty much repeated the relish recipe above, adding approx. 1/2 cup mayo to the mix for a creamier version. I used the following veggie/cheese combo but you can use whatever you prefer. Proceed with layering, wrapping, pressing and chilling as above.
- 1 12 oz jar DeLallo roasted red/yellow pepper combo, drained and sliced
- 1 lg english cucumber, cut into thirds cross-wise then thinly sliced
- 8 oz havarti cheese, sliced thin
Brie Cheese With Cherries and Caramelized Almonds
- 1 13 oz round of double cream brie cheese, rind trimmed
- 1 8 oz jar cherry preserves (I used Kroger Private Selection)
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 2 tbs butter
- grated nutmeg to taste
- splash of pure vanilla extract
- dash of ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp granulated (preferably organic!) sugar
- Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium low heat then add the slivered almonds, letting them saute for a minute or two, then add the sugar and spices. Continue to stir, lowering heat if necessary to prevent burning, until sugar melts and coats the almonds and the almonds are golden brown. Set aside until you are ready to bake the brie.
- Preheat oven to 375
- Place the brie in an oven proof serving dish or shallow casserole. Spoon the whole jar of cherrie preserves over the top of the brie. (Don’t worry if some falls around the sides.) Sprinkle the caramelized almonds over top.
- Bake until brie starts to get melty and preserves are hot, about 20 minutes.
- Serve warm with your favorite crackers. I like Bremner wafers or water crackers to allow the flavor of the brie to shine through.
