Tag: entertaining

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Fried Chicken and Champagne

My favorite neighborhood wine store, the Wine Country, holds regular wine tasting events.  One recurring tasting that I have always been intrigued about is fried chicken and champagne.  I’ve never actually been, but the idea really caught my attention, and I’ve been dying to hold a fried chicken and champagne dinner.

I enlisted some friends who were intrepid enough to sign on even though I hadn’t bothered to explain the concept.  Which I realized when we were sitting down to eat, as there were questions about what this fried chicken and champagne thing was all about.  Naturally, my response was, “guys, it’s a THING.”  Then we took a moment to get all official about it, took bites of our fried chicken, then a sipped our sparkling wine.  It was delightful!

There is something great about fried chicken in the summertime.  Especially if you pick it up from Stater Brothers.  Seriously, it is very good.  I am sure that some people make incredible fried chicken at home, but I’m only southern on my husband’s mother’s side, so I feel that is something that I can get away with not doing.  I also have a “no frying at home” rule.  Well, “rule” is a strong word, but I have yet to come across something that I wanted to make enough to be up for frying it myself.

One of my friends picked up the chicken and made these amazing cheesy biscuits.  I enlisted another friend, who always makes the most decadent things, to bring the carb course.  She made the most incredible macaroni and cheese!  I think she said it was a Barefoot Contessa recipe (I think this is the right link).  It looks like you basically, start with four cups of Gruyere, then add more cheese. I’m drooling just thinking about it, this is the kind of macaroni and cheese that makes your life better.

photo credit: El Jimenez

So, what about the champagne you ask?  Ah, yes!  We didn’t get through all of the options, but the one that was a great pairing was J California Cuvee that another of my intrepid friends brought (what did I do?  I did the delegating, alright!).

The final member of our intrepid group brought yummy fruit and a good dose of flair to the table.  With the fruit and the citrus herb coleslaw we felt that there was a least a semblance of healthiness on the table that night.

By far, the healthiest part of the evening was getting to spend time with great friends, sharing a meal and laughing about life.

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Citrus Herb Coleslaw

I pretty much like any slaw: KFC coleslaw, ramen slaw, fancy Asian-style slaw with Napa cabbage, mango and jicama slaw from Trader Joes, the list goes on.  It’s the sort of thing that is easy to make at home too. So, last night I made a Citrus Herb Coleslaw.  Yum, right?  Ok, maybe not your thing, but this combines three things that I really like: lemon, parsley, and slaw. 

I had a little bit of some-timers when I was getting ready to make this.  I have made it before, but it’s been a good, long while.  I remembered the gist of it, but when I went to find the recipe in my Pinterest recipe hoard, it wasn’t there.  I think the last time that I made this was before I started hoarding all of my recipes in Pinterest!  Yikes!

Ok, let’s google that thing up.  Hmmmm…

I found something close, but it wasn’t quite what I wanted.  Good thing that I don’t care that much about following recipes.  I made up my own version and I’m going to post the recipe here for two reasons:

  1. In case you want to try it (it’s super healthy and delicious).
  2. So that I can find it the next time I want to make it again!

Cynthia’s Citrus Herb Coleslaw

Ingredients:

  • Non-fat, plain yogurt (Greek or other)
  • One lemon
  • One bunch of parsley
  • One bag of already shredded cabbage
  • Sugar
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Apple Cider Vinegar

First make the dressing. 

Combine:

  • 4(ish) tablespoons yogurt
  • Zest of the lemon
  • Juice of the lemon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (or 2 pinches if you don’t feel like measuring)
  • Good bunch of grinds of black pepper (less than the salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar

Wisk it together.

Assemble the slaw:

  • Add 2(ish) tablespoons of snipped chives (optional)
  • Add 1 bunch parsley leaves, roughly chopped (I like curly parsley, I know it’s not fashionable, do what you want).
  • Add bag of shredded cabbage
  • Combine thoroughly
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least a little while

Enjoy!

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National Margarita Day

These days it seems that every day is National Something-or-Other Day.  I generally find the phenomena entertaining, but I don’t pay too much attention to it most of the time.  However, tomorrow is at least one-of, if not THE most important National Day in my opinion.  Tomorrow, February 22 is NATIONAL MARGARITA DAY!

The legend of Margaritas

Apparently, there are all sorts of disputed claims to the invention of the Margarita.  One version that I had heard which seemed reputable was back during Prohibition, at a bar in Tijuana, someone ordered a Daiquiri (a classic daiquiri is rum, lime juice, simple syrup, ice, served up).  They didn’t have rum, so the bartender made it with tequila.

It turns out that there was another drink that was popular in the early 20th century called a Daisy. A Daisy is brandy, a citrus liqueur, and lemon juice shaken over ice then served over ice topped with club soda.  Replacing the brandy with tequila seems like another plausible origin.

The location of bars claiming to have originated the cocktail are also numerous: in addition to Tijuana, there is a claim from a bar in Juarez, in Acapulco, in San Diego, and even Galveston.  The first recorded blended margarita was served in La Jolla when some guy got tired of bothering with crushed ice and the first frozen margarita machine was a soft-serve ice cream machine in Dallas

Considering that tequila is involved, we may just have to accept the fact that we may never know the definitive origin.  But does it really matter?

Is there is anything interesting about National Margarita Day?

Aside from the joy of there being a day designated to celebrate this wonderful beverage, I did not find much noteworthy about the day.  I was hoping for something like a Guinness book record or a cat who is famous for saving someone’s lime crop.  Maybe we’ll have to get together over a pitcher or two of Margaritas and see if we can’t come up with a great legend for the day.  Does anyone have a good story starter?

How I like to make margaritas at home

I had a great neighbor for many years (I’ve had and have many great neighbors, but this one is germane to today’s topic) who had her own special way of making a margarita.  She called it a “Stiffy.”  It was 1-part silver tequila, 1-part lime juice over ice.  The “Stiffy” was a bit strong for me, but it helped me develop my own take-no-prisoners margarita recipe.  I generally make it in a pitcher, so don’t worry, these measurements aren’t for one drink.

Cynthia’s Margarita Recipe

  • 1 cup silver tequila
  • 1 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
  • ¼ cup something sweet (I am partial to Monin passion fruit syrup or Hanger One orange liqueur but have been known to use Peach Schnapps or whatever else I have on hand)

Combine in a pitcher (or mason jar or other handy container).

Fill a glass of your choice with ice, then fill half-way (ok, ¾ way) with margarita mixture, top with grapefruit flavored seltzer water.  I love salt, but I generally don’t salt the rim of the glass – sometimes I will salt the ice, it’s kind-of a nice touch.

If you haven’t already made your plans for National Margarita Day, it’s not too late.  Swing by your local market for some tequila, fresh limes, and your favorite secret ingredient. I would strongly suggest picking up some corn chips, salsa and guacamole while you’re at it, this is a celebration after all.  You can always stop by your favorite, local Mexican restaurant if you prefer your Margaritas in public, it’s really up to you.

Let me know how you decide to celebrate!

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Thanksgiving recap

A few years ago, Mr. Man and I started a “Thanksgiving for Two” tradition.  I was so busy working so much that it was a special treat to spend some time at home cooking.  I would make all the traditional sides: green bean casserole, scalloped potatoes, yams with marshmallows on top, dressing, either pumpkin or apple pie (or both) and then we would get just the turkey breast to roast.  We would have Pillsbury crescent rolls and that delicious cranberry relish from Trader Joes and a nice bottle of wine.  I would set the table with our wedding china and crystal…it was a whole thing.

Now that I’ve been home a lot more and cooking more regularly, spending two days doing all those things lost some of its appeal.

This year, we spent Thanksgiving with our very dear family friends.  They are my second family and it is always fun to get to hang out with them.  Between the cooking and the eating, the catching up and the “remember when”s it was a full evening.

These friends have a lovely hillside house with fantastic views of Los Angeles and Orange County.  It was a beautiful sunset and I spent some time on the deck watching the almost-full moon rising through the trees.

Once the moon was out, the coyotes got to work.  There were a few different packs down the hill a ways braying and howling.  Hopefully all of the neighbors had brought their kitties and little dogs inside.  At one point during the evening, Buddy, their big dog got out.  It certainly wouldn’t be a family get-together without some sort of drama now, would it?  I don’t know if he went out there to run the coyotes off, but it quieted down outside, and he came home before too long.

 

pretty table setting

Dinner was lovely.  The turkey was tender, there were yummy potatoes, two kinds of dressing, brussels sprouts, King’s Hawaiian rolls and of course plenty of good wine.  I made my “famous” spaghetti squash salad. It turned out yummy again which was a relief!

In addition to the usual suspects, a new friend joined us, and it was a treat to get to meet her.  She loves to bake (a good quality to look for in new friends) and brought the pie.  Not just pumpkin pie, it was pumpkin/sweet potato pie.  And it was divine.  She mentioned that in addition to all the meticulous effort she puts into preparing the pumpkin/sweet potato puree, she uses coconut cream instead of dairy cream for the custard.  Ah ha!  Remember when I told you that I thought that my coconut cream came out silkier than regular pastry cream?  It wasn’t just a fluke; other people do the same thing on purpose.  I love spontaneous positive reinforcement!

Almost looks too good to eat

How was your Thanksgiving?  Did you host?  What was your favorite dish?  Was there anything that you didn’t make that you wish you had?

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The Green Monster

My friend had the day off work and we decided to take ourselves on an adventure.  We headed off to an estate sale that I had seen advertised on the internet.  I love estate sales probably a little too much and really try to avoid them because always wind up finding some treasure that I didn’t know I needed.  But this time, I was sure that I didn’t need anything, and we would find something for my friend’s redecorating project.  Sigh.

In one of the upstairs bedrooms were some very 1960’s hutches.  One caught my eye because it was fairly narrow.  I have this wall in the dining room that I would love to have a hutch of some sort on, but the wall is only 32” wide.  I asked my friend, “does this look like it’s under 30” wide to you?” Of course, she is the most prepared person ever and proceeded to pull a measuring tape out of her purse.  Yup, 30” exactly.  Oh man, should I get it?  $100 later, we had removed the top from the base and shoved both pieces into the back of my car.

top beforebottom being prepped to paint  

Mr. Man was NOT happy when I got home.  “Where is that going!?!”  I explained, first it is going into the garage, then after I paint it, it will go where that bookcase is in the dining room.  “And where is the bookcase going?” I will find it a new home, somewhere else, not in our house.  Hasn’t he learned to trust me by now?

My dream for this monstrosity was glossy, kelly green with gold accents.  Bright colors, shiny finishes, and Chinoiserie are not really part of my decorating scheme.  It’s not something that would necessarily go with anything else in our house.  But that is what it told me that it wanted to be.  A statement piece.

I decided to use spray paint because I figured it would be the easiest (if messiest) way to get the result that I wanted.  I am not a great spray painter. I wish I had gotten a more even finish, but I am still happy with the results.

            

hardware before

The hardware was brass painted white.  I was expecting to have to paint the hardware gold (and ultimately replace it), but after a little soaking in warm, soapy water and a little scrubbing  with a scotch brite pad, the white paint came off and I had exactly the look I wanted.

it fits!

I want to do something else with the backboard accent paper.  This gold leopard print didn’t quite do what I was looking for, but it’ll do for now.  Getting this guy painted and moved in the house was enough of an undertaking that I’m giving myself a little break before I dive back into finding the perfect pattern for the backboard.

I love having these drawers for placemats, napkins, tablecloths, trivets, etc.  There is plenty of space to keep lots of my entertaining things handy yet out of sight and that just makes me so happy.  I love the green color and the bamboo details.  Even though it totally doesn’t “go” with anything else in our house, it works in my crazy lady, eclectic mess decorating aesthetic.  Success!

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Spooky Dinner Party

I’ve made progress on my endeavor to entertain more!  The other weekend I had a few ladies over for a little dinner party.  A journey of a thousand miles and all that.

Since its October, I wanted to make the table setting festive for the season.  Since I don’t trust the kittens to not get into everything, I didn’t want to do any big centerpiece or ANY candles (it hurt my heart to have a dinner party without candles, but it would hurt my heart more if one of my kittens set themselves on fire).  Even though it wasn’t much of an elaborate table, it was still festive.

For the menu, I kept it pretty simple.  I have come up with a sort of formula that I like for dinner parties: protein, salad, crusty bread and then something nice for dessert. I like to make or at least prep everything that I can ahead of time so that I can relax, drink wine and enjoy visiting with my guests rather than being tied up in the kitchen.

This night we had lemon butter blue fin tuna, autumn salad with shallot vinaigrette and Martha Stewart’s pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. I was able to have everything prepped ahead of time, so when my guests arrived, I just put the tuna in the oven and threw the salad together and we were good to go.

Tuna in the oven, how could you!? Well, while I love to eat raw and seared tuna, I just don’t feel comfortable serving undercooked fish to guests.

Here are my tips for making delicious cooked tuna in the over: 1) coat the fish with olive oil or butter; 2) cook at very high heat (450 degrees) for not very long (these steaks were pretty thick, so I cooked them for 10 minutes).

The salad was a big hit and my friend asked that I share the recipe. I made the whole thing using the eyeball method, so here is the best that I can do for you as far as measurements go:

Autumn Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

Shallot Vinaigrette:

  • one small shallot, minced very finely
  • some (1/3 cup?) apple cider vinegar
  • some (1 tbsp?) prepared mustard
  • few pinches of salt
  • few grinds of pepper
  • splash or so of olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a small mason jar (something with a trustworthy lid). Shake well to combine (it will emulsify thanks to the mustard, no need to drizzle and whisk). Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

For the Salad:

  • ½ bag of arugula
  • ½ cups of prepared spaghetti squash (can be roasted and “spaghettied” ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator)
  • Pomegranate seeds from one medium pomegranate (can be prepared ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator)
  • ½ cup(ish) pistachio nutmeat (I prefer unsalted)

To assemble the salad: Throw squash and arugula in a bowl, toss until combined(ish). Dump dressing on it, toss again. Throw pomegranate and pistachio in, one last light toss.  Serve immediately.

I had the coffee maker ready to make a pot of decaf, so once we were done with dinner, all I had to do was press the button (we still make coffee by the pot) and retrieve dessert from the refrigerator.  I totally reccommend Martha Stewart’s recipe for pumpkin cheesecake.  It was easy to throw together, and it came out great.  If you think you want to try it, make it at least one day before you want to serve it (I made mine two days before) because the baking and cooling takes a while and you’re going to want to let it sit in the refrigerator so that the flavors can blend.

After we were suitably wined and dined, I sent everyone home with a nice, big piece of cheesecake so that I wouldn’t eat it all.  Time to plan another get-together!

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Costa Mesa Speedway

Mr. Man has been a huge Speedway fan for years.  He likes to tell me about back in the day when there was a speedway race any night of the week around Southern California.  These days it’s a once or twice a year occasion for us to make it down to the Costa Mesa Speedway for some hot racing action.

See all that dirt on the boards? It wasn’t there when we started.

A speedway motorbike is a little methanol-fueled missile.  These bikes are f-a-s-t.  And, no breaks!  So, when they go around this little, oval dirt track, they have to skid out the back tire of the bike while holding the front wheel pointing in the direction they are trying to go to make the turn.  Boy does the dirt fly!  If you’re sitting in one of the turns, be sure to cover your beer. As soon as they get straightened out, they’re at the other end, throwing it sideways into the other turn.

 

The other week when we went they were running sidecars among other things.  There was a lot of drama in the sidecar class with the #1 bike. It broke down in pretty much every heat and kept causing the races to be red-flagged.  They somehow made it to the final round.  Where they broke down again.  At some point you’ve got to just get out of everyone else’s way, come on!

You can see the #31 sidecar trapped behind #1. Oops!

It was also “Knobby Night” where dirt bike riders race the speedway on their dirt bikes with grippy, off-road tires (hence the “knobby” designation).  These races are pretty hilarious to watch because the bikes are not built to make those turns. They put out a “limiting” cone that the leader must pass to the outside of which means that the leader changes pretty much every lap.  Everyone has a great time during these races, you can tell that the riders all laughing the whole time too.

The actual speedway class included some OGs of speedway racing: Bobby “Boogaloo” Schwartz and Sean “Mad Dog” McConnell.  These guys are classic.  Boogaloo’s leathers are all old and worn looking and Mad Dog has this matchy-matchy red-and-white checkerboard racing suit and bike and floppy dog ears attached to his helmet.  They both are amazing racers.  I can’t explain what it is, but they are so obviously better at what they do than their competition.  It’s one of those things that is beautiful to watch.

This night, the final was something else.  In the first turn, Mad Dog came up a little tight under Chris “The Kid” Manchester and the dude got flicked off.  He flipped over the high side of the bike and landed flat on his back.  His bike squirmed away from under him and crashed into the wall.  I don’t remember ever seeing something like that before.  It was a bummer to see him laying there on the track, fortunately, he was ok and once he caught his breath, he got up and walked off.  In the time that it took to restart the race, he borrowed someone else’s bike, came out and won the whole thing!

Heading for the finish line.

Don’t you love a happy ending?

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Gracious Living?

When I started conceptualizing this blog, I wanted to come up with catchy titles for each day’s theme.  Thursdays were going to be “Gracious Living”. Unfortunately, I was not clever enough to come up with comparable titles for the other days, so we’re just going to go with “Home & Garden”.  This day will be my opportunity to share decorating projects, entertaining tips, and kitchen adventures – the things that we all do to enjoy our time at home.  Don’t think that you’ll be hearing from an aspiring Martha Stewart. I’m more of a domestic survivalist than a domestic goddess. This is just another area that I try to make a little bit of an effort when I have the opportunity. Whether or not our pumpkin patch turns out, I will tell you all about it.

baby pumpkin

I’ve only recently gotten back into cooking on a semi-regular basis. My specialty is turning leftovers into tacos/burritos.  If left to my own devices, I would probably only eat things wrapped up in a tortilla.  When I do attempt cooking from scratch, the results can be interesting. I have a bad habit of not letting the fact that I don’t have all of the ingredients for a particular recipe stop me. What’s worse is that I can’t seem to stop myself from skipping steps or thinking that I don’t need to look at the recipe if I have already made something once (this never ends well).

I love to host little dinner parties and casual get togethers.  For one thing, I feel that it’s an obligation to retaining my collections of fancy china and vintage glasses. Aside from a way to rationalize having too much tableware, bringing the right mix of people together for a simple meal and interesting conversation always leaves me with a renewed sense of well-being.  I am working on getting back into the habit of hosting some sort of get-together at least every few months instead of only once or twice a year.

Other than the pumpkins which are currently taking over, our vegetable garden has been sadly underutilized.  By virtue of being accountable to you, I hope to make a better effort to grow an interesting variety of things that may wind up in my cooking trials.  I am also in the process of rebuilding a fairy garden at the roots my wisteria bush.  Because isn’t it nice to invite a little magic into your life?

This post concludes my first week of bloging.  I hope you’ve enjoyed my ramblings so far and will stick with me a bit longer.