Watermelon Radish Tea Sandwiches with Mint Butter are perfect for afternoon tea with the ladies or an afternoon cocktail party leading up to the races. They definitely make my list for must have dishes at a Derby Party. Not only are tea sandwiches a Derby tradition, but these Watermelon Radish Tea Sandwiches with Mint Butter […]
Continue readingCucumber Tea Sandwiches with Spinach Basil Mascarpone
Cucumber Tea Sandwiches with Spinach Basil Mascarpone are sliced, stacked and ready to be enjoyed, because one type of tea sandwich just isn’t enough for my Kentucky Derby Party! These Cucumber Tea Sandwiches with Spinach Basil Mascarpone are cool and refreshing and a nice contrast to the slightly spicy Radish and Mint Butter Tea Sandwich. […]
Continue readingMint Juleps!
In recent years I’ve spent first Saturday in May at my friend Anna’s Kentucky Derby party drinking way too many, but never enough Mint Juleps! The party gets bigger every year, and last year it migrated to one of the boat houses on the Schuylkill River and was hosted by three Kentucky natives. The dark […]
Continue readingTrue Birthday Cake- Welcome Hudson!
Hazelnut Marble Cake with Tangerine and Chocolate Buttercream “Baby” Cake This week was very special for me, so I had to make this very special True Birthday Cake- Welcome Hudson! I became an aunt for the first time as Hudson was born very late Wednesday night. My brother (Hudson’s father), Ivan pointed out earlier in […]
Continue readingFrench Buttercream
1 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar ½ cup water ½ cup egg whites 3 sticks unsalted butter; softened ¼ teaspoon fine salt orange and yellow food coloring candy thermometer Tangerine syrup: ½ cup tangerine juice ½ cup Meyer lemon juice (or ¾ tangerine and ¼ lemon if you can’t find Meyers) This will make […]
Continue readingAmerican Buttercream
1 stick butter at room temperature 4+ cups powdered sugar fine salt flavoring of your choice (typically vanilla, but in this instance, tangerine and chocolate) Tangerine syrup: ½ cup tangerine juice ½ cup Meyer lemon juice (or ¾ tangerine and ¼ lemon if you can’t find Meyers) ½ cup 60% cacao or more dark chocolate […]
Continue readingLet’s fix it: Crystallized Jam
This beautiful breakfast of delicious jam on sourdough bread almost didn’t happen. And that would have been a tragedy. Every now and then, I open a jar of jam that’s so good that I draw out its use, only to discover that the jam has become gross and chunky looking. Eww. Dirty Laundry PANTRY TIPS […]
Continue readingGrilled Vegetable Naan Sandwiches
This is one of my go-to Summer weeknight meals. It’s really delicious and nutritious and I can grill a big mess of veggies on a Sunday and have them all week long. The yogurt sauce really ties this dish together. And if you’re in a meat sort or mood, some grilled shrimp or chicken on […]
Continue readingClementine Pork with Rapini
This playful dish is a nod to the classic Orange Peel Beef. Lighten up! it extolls. And that’s what makes pairing it with MacRostie’s most playful wine (Pinot Noir Rosé) so much fun. The bitter rapini, which is common in Southern Europe and China (believe it or not) also ties wine to Asian cuisine in […]
Continue readingDeviled Eggs
Of course, everyone already knows how to make Deviled Eggs. Why would you possibly need a recipe? The truth is that most of us need a recipe, or at least some new techniques. In fact, it’s possible (or probable) that this should have been a pantry tips/ let’s fix it post. Because everyone knows how […]
Continue readingDangerous! (Cocktail) Nuts!
These Dangerous! (Cocktail) Nuts! are for dangerous cocktails, just like the Aviation and Old Fashioned cocktails I have featured on my Madmen Premier Party Menu. I finally perfected this recipe, and not to rub it in your face, but they’ve been so popular that I’m sorry to say I’m going to have to keep you […]
Continue readingGreen Goddess Dressing on a Wedge Salad
There are probably a million incantations of this dressing. I tend to skip the traditional anchovies and make it vegetarian with the addition of capers as a briny element. I also like a lot of herbs. And an avocado. And I can’t help but add some hot sauce. I try to remember not to be […]
Continue reading