Cocktail Party Season!

One of my favorite things about warmer weather is entertaining outside. Whether it’s throwing a couple of steaks or chicken breasts on the grill on a weeknight, or an all out backyard soiree, eating al fresco seems to make things a bit more special. In the past couple of months, we’ve hosted a couple of small cocktail parties at our house during the week, and it’s been a blast. One of my favorite parts about cocktail parties (whether hosted indoors or out) is putting together a simple spread of bite sized food with a little something for everyone. I always put out a couple of cheeses with crackers, a cured or dried meat, nuts, crudités, a bowl of marinated olives and a couple of spreads or dips. Most of the components are pre-made, so throwing together a great looking appetizer table is easy, and really only requires a little arranging and tweaking. Time permitting, I like to put out at least two “from scratch” elements to add a little personal flavor to the scene, and it’s even more enjoyable if you encourage guests to bring a snack to share.

In warmer weather, my go to choices are most often seafood based, as it is satisfying without weighing you down, and pairs well with summer white wines, lighter beers and clear spirits. For a while now I have been making a smoked salmon spread that has made appearances at cocktail and porch parties from Annapolis to Maine. It is very simple to pull together, and is great when served with cucumber slices, water crackers or pumpernickel toast. I’ve also used this as a stuffing for hollowed out peproncini- the kick of the pepper plays well off of the coolness of the spread. I would recommend making the spread in advance, so the flavors have time to come together while chilling overnight.

If you end up with any leftover (a rarity!) it is also great with toasted bagels in the morning. I have rarely actually given the recipe out for the spread, but I think it’s time to bite the bullet and share, so long as I get credit at your next porch party! ;-)


Smoked Salmon Party Spread

-16oz Package regular cream cheese- room temp
-16oz Package whipped cream cheese
-2 to 3 Tblspns sour cream/mayo/plain yogurt (optional)
-16oz Wild caught smoked salmon (I usually use the pre sliced Scottish style in the cryovac’d package for easy preparation)
-8oz. Capers, chopped fine, brining liquid reserved
-1/2 to 1/4 Red onion, minced fine
-Good bunch of fresh dill, minced (adjust to suit personal taste)
-Juice from ¼ lemon
-Sea salt & fresh cracked pepper
-Couple shakes of hot sauce (optional)

In a good size bowl, combine first three ingredients and mix until well blended. Remove salmon from packaging, mince finely and add into cream cheese mixture. Add in capers, onion, dill and lemon juice, and mix until well combined. If spread is a bit thick, add in a small amount of brining liquid from capers to loosen and mix well. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste. Cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator an hour or so before serving to let soften a bit.

Spring Time Oysters

I have started implementing some of my menu planning ideas from my Magazine Recipe Book, and it has been a great week of eating in the Humble Home. After letting the salmon sausages cure for a bit in the fridge, we were excited to test them out, so we fried them up and served them over a fresh salad. I’m not going to lie- they were extremely good! I love finding new ways to bring more fish and protein into our diet, so I think we’ll be seeing more of these little beauties. Kyle had picked up some oysters at the often mentioned Anthony's Seafood, and I had flagged a recipe idea in Bon Appétit for an Irish style broiled oysters, and we had ourselves a little seafood supper. I altered the original oyster recipe to what we had on hand, and my only disappointment with the end result was that they ran out too fast! The robust nature of the blue cheese complimented the briny nature of the oysters, and the breadcrumbs brought the perfect amount of crunch and texture. The oysters were a perfect light first course, and would be great for a cocktail party, just make sure you have enough on hand!

Another great tip I had picked up while doing my magazine pillage was out of Cook’s Illustrated for making fresh breadcrumbs without a food processor: Freeze whatever bread you want to use until hard. Place a box grater over a large plastic bowl or plate (to ensure it won’t break under force- you can also use a kitchen towel to anchor the plate/bowl) and grate desired amount of breadcrumbs needed. It’s a really easy way to have the amount of fresh breadcrumbs that you need for your recipe (I’m big on using fresh as opposed to the store bought variety whenever possible), and not have to worry about using up or storing any leftover crumbs. The bread has a long life in the freezer, so you waste less in the long run, and don’t have to pull out a big piece of machinery every time you need breadcrumbs.

A few of my oyster got a little extra crispy under the broiler, but the breadcrumbs act as a great shield from the heat of the broiler, so the oyster remained juicy and fresh. If you’re not a blue cheese fan, smoked Gouda or fresh curls of parmesan would be a great substitution. I picked up the technique of preheating the oven before broiling from working in restaurant kitchens, and I think it helps to even the overall temperature of the final product, so that the oyster is just warmed and all the flavors come together without having to spend too much time under the broiler.

Broiled Oysters on the Half with Garlic Breadcrumbs & Blue Cheese

(modified from Bon Appétit’s Broiled Oysters w/ Garlic Breadcrumbs, March 2010)

-1 Dozen fresh oysters, shucked & in ½ shell w/ luquor
- ¾ Cup fresh breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat bread)

- 2 Good sized garlic cloves, minced finely

- 2 Tblspns flat leaf parsley, minced

- 2-3 Tblspns salted butter

- 1(ish) Tblspn dry white wine (Sauv Blanc)

- Sea salt
- Cracked black pepper
- 12 small slices of good blue cheese (Danish or Roquefort work well), cut to fit oysters

- Lemon wedges

Place oven rack about 3-4 inches from broiler and preheat oven to 450. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat and sauté minced garlic until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add in wine & cook another minute. Add in breadcrumbs, stirring to combine & crisp crumbs up, about 4-5 minutes. Add in parsley and season with salt & pepper to taste and remove from heat. Arrange oysters on a baking sheet and distribute breadcrumb mixture over oysters evenly. Top with a small slice of blue cheese. Once the oven has come to temp, switch off and heat the broiler to low. Place oysters under the broiler until cheese has had a chance to melt and breadcrumbs turn golden, approximately 3-5 minutes, depending on the intensity of your broiler. Serve immediately with a squeeze of lemon.

Indoor Grill + Blue Cheese Fondue= LOVE.

Cheese and I have been BFFs for years now, at least since the Reagan administration. Any time that I can find a new way to shamlessly hork down mass

amounts, I am a happy girl. When Kyle and I got married, we graduated from mis-matched dish set (most of which were either lifted from a college dining room or a parent's cabinet) to an actual matching set, and all sorts of fun toys to boot! Within those new toys there was a fondue set and an indoor grill. The fondue brought forth visions of us with our friends during apres ski weekends in L.L. Bean sweaters nestled around a fire place (yes, think Dumb & Dumber) dipping into hot bubbly cheese. The indoor grill became a staple of our lives, especially during that first winter in Annapolis and now that we are living in a third floor walkup. When these two seemingly independent culinary tools come together like Voltron, the result is epic. Thus is present for your viewing (and consuming!) pleasure: Blue Cheese Fondue with Grilled Vegetables & Skirt Steak.

Blue Cheese Fondue

(I usually make this first, as it can hang out on a back burner set on low until the steak & veggies are ready)

-1/2 lb. of your favorite blue cheese, crumbled- Gorgonzola, Camzola and Danish Blue all work well

-1 Clove of garlic, minced

-1 Sprig of thyme, leaves removed and chopped

-1/4 Stick of salted butter

-2 Cups half & half, or if you're feeling extra indulgent use heavy cream, and don't tell your trainer!

-Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

-Chopped fresh chives (optional)

Melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add in garlic and thyme leaves and cook until garlic begins to soften. Add in half & half (or what ever other deliciously evil dairy you have decided to use) and bring to a simmer, making sure not to scald. Once mixture has slightly reduced, add in cheese and stir until mixture is smooth. Add black pepper to taste. At this point the sauce can hang out until you're ready to use it on the back burner (actually a little time to come together isn't a bad thing!). When ready to serve, transfer to fondue pot (if using) and top with chopped chives.

Simple Marinated Skirt Steak & Vegetables

-1 1/2lb Skirt Steak

-4 cloves garlic minced

-Olive oil

-Fresh cracked black pepper

-Good coarse salt (I'm a big fan of French grey sea salt)

-Mixed vegetables: I used asparagus spears, red onions (sliced into 1/6ths with root portion intact for easy grilling), cherry tomatoes, and sliced prortobella mushroom caps

-1 Loaf of french bread sliced and toasted

For the steak: Coat steak in olive oil, salt, pepper and 2 cloves of minced garlic in a glass dish and set aside on countertop (steak should come to room temp before grilling for best results). Let marinate for 20-30 mins, turning occasionally.

For Veggies: Use same preparation for veggies as used for steak- you can either toss all the veggies together in one big happy bowl, or separate them out, depending on how ambitious you want your clean up to be.

Preheat your grill (indoor or outdoor) and wipe down w/ a little olive oil to prevent sticking. I prefer to cook my steak first as it will need time to rest. Cook steak according to your desired temperature, which for me means barely driving it over the heat. Rest meat on a cutting board with a light tin foil cover. Give grill another quick rub down with olive oil to prep for veggies. If your grill can't handle all veggies at once, start with the onions, then follow with mushrooms, tomatoes and asparagus. Onions & mushrooms can take a little more time on the grill w/o completely losing their shape, but make sure to keep an eye on the asparagus as it can burn and lose it's snap pretty

easily if over cooked.

To serve: Arrange veggies on a tray with sliced bread. Slice steak on the bias to get he most tender slices and arrange on another platter. Pour fondue into a pre-warmed fondue pot and place in the middle of a table. Offer up fondue picks, small plates and big glasses of hearty red wine to those partaking a toast to the good life. Cheers!