Fancy Gourmet Dessert Cakes

Have friends from all corners of the political arena? Well you’d better have the proper foods for each end. There is a general trend in the preferred foods of people in each group. I believe this is due to the tastes that have evolved in each group over time. 

To your Left: Chicken, Assorted Vegetables, Tortellini, Caesar Salad, Spinach Dip, Vanilla Cake, Small Pastries, Decaf Coffee and Latte. 

To your Right: Steak, Potatoes, Lasagna, Chef Salad, Stuffed Mushrooms, Chocolate Cake, Pie, Columbian and Espresso Coffee.

If you like, you can take a little from each list and I guarantee that everyone in your circle will be pleased or reasonably satisfied even if the conversation turns to the big P. Holding your gathering outside may be something to look in to, especially for guests with very strong feelings on the events of the day. The cool breeze reminds everyone that they are there to have some fun. I have noticed recently that politics is becoming a very big part of the conversation at most gatherings. I strongly recommend that as host, you stay out of it and focus on your objective (to throw a great bash) and most of all; keep a sense of humor.  March on America! Written by Delightful Biteful

Today’s modern day pre-marital parties or shall we say “affairs” with the strippers and all that harmless naughtiness might not be the healthiest way to enter into the sacred bond of marriage after all. Don’t want to be a fuddy duddy but the divorce rate has reached something like 49% in the US.

I was attending a party last week for one of my Aunts; she was remarrying after losing her husband ten years prior. Wow! What an eye opener. We all showed up to a beautiful display of soft and delicate decorations. At first we gave gag gifts and laughed it up; but in the end we spoke very seriously about love relationships and being responsible for another person’s basic well being. When it was over, I was left with a quiet, peaceful feeling inside and was glad for the chance to be reflective and dignified. Marriage deserves that. I have had my share of male strippers; it seems kind of silly now.

I was informed that years ago the Bachelor party was intended as a chance for the Groom to bear his soul to his closest friends and acquaintances in regards to what he hoped for and expected from marriage. His friends in turn would relate their experiences and often write down words of wisdom acquired throughout their lives. It was originally intended for purposes of devotion as opposed to a regrettable farewell to the single life, and a kind of, guest of honor Roast. Sounds like soundness to me. Maybe less tequila shooters and more coffee might be a good idea. Best wishes to all of you couples out there.Written by Delightful Biteful  

I remember when finger foods came out. What a great thought, simple and fun right? Well, not quite. There I was, at a swanky bash, picking up that sticky chicken wing, when suddenly I received disapproving looks, polite glances that said “please don’t be a slob”.

Yes, they mean finger foods; foods that you can eat with your fingers if you are alone late at night, or food that is about the size of your fingers, or food that you wish you could eat with your fingers but never actually will in public. I was so disappointed, but alas I had to make arrangements for the chic new appetizer snacks. So I decided to use cocktail napkins and salad plates to serve these polite little snacks. I also provided cocktail forks along with party picks. I put all of the different dipping sauces and dressings into ramekins for each guest; it was effective for neatness and exclusivity. Everyone enjoyed the new, fun foods. Some of my guests made the same mistake I did and I teased them a little about it, saving them the potential embarrassment of being seen by some VIP.

The top snacks are: Buffalo Chicken Strips, Chicken Wings, Onion Rings, Tempura (batter fried vegetables with a Japanese dipping sauce), Shrimp Cocktail, Mini Spinach and Mushroom Wraps and Fried Mozzarella Sticks. There are lots to choose from, so go to it and have some to eat when you are alone. They really do taste best when eaten with plain old fingers..

Written by Delightful Biteful

And when in a situation with new people; the same rules apply. New job, new house, new family members, demand a quick party menu plan. I have some simple questions that may help solve the food problem. Do they live in the city? If so, quick more exotic foods are appropriate. If they live in the suburbs, a more home cooked taste would likely do. Here are some ideas that might help on short notice.

City Slickers – Consider Sushi *but without the raw fish. Example: California Rolls, Cucumber Rolls, Smoked Salmon Rolls, and you cannot go wrong with Linguine Marinara as a main course. Wonton bacon wraps are a perfect appetizer *The Tyler Family Cookbook has some great recipes for this sort of thing. A spicy Salsa with Tortilla Chips is also a popular treat among the fast paced crowd.

Suburbanites – May like a nice roast, Prime Rib or Pork with Roasted Potatoes. Stuffed Mushrooms are a popular appetizer and soups are a safe bet also. Try a cream soup or chowder, it should work perfectly. It has for me anyway.

As for Dessert - Believe it or not Chocolate Desserts, mainly cakes are very popular in the City. However, Pastries are very popular in the Suburbs. Decaf is almost definitely a safe bet in any location if entertaining on a week night.

 If you have a week or two, you may want to set up your own little buffet and ask your guests in advance about the kind of foods they enjoy. However you work it out, I wish you the same fun I have had during these last minute get-togethers! Written by Delightful Biteful

Did you ever find yourself in the position of having to play auto host/hostess? Well I have, and after a couple of years I have stockpiled a few quick fixes in my appetizer arsenal.

Cheese and Crackers *for a literal moments notice - I to keep some Brie, Sharp Cheddar and Smoked Jack on hand. Three types of crackers are good (no Saltines or Ritz for this kind of thing).

Guacamole during the warmer weather - 2 large soft avocados, 4tbs. of mayonnaise, 2tbs. of lemon juice, ¼ tsp. of garlic salt, 1/2 tsp. of paprika and a couple of shakes from your salt shaker. Mix it up really well until it has a paste like texture. Buy a bag of corn chips for dipping.

Salmon Dip - 1lb. of Smoked Salmon, 3tbs. of mayonnaise, half a fresh lemon, a dash of fresh dill and some ground peppercorn (season to taste), mix into a paste like texture. Seeded crackers are perfect with this dip.

If you are in a real pinch, don’t forget the shrimp cocktail at the supermarket; you can also pick up a fresh loaf of bread from the bakery, some whipped butter, bread sticks and olives… People will be more impressed than you think.

I also keep frozen desserts and coffee on hand. I try to keep a sugarless dessert around too. Most good desserts can be frozen for a few months. I hope this helps when you get the call that people are stopping by this evening. Bon A petit!

Written by Delightful Biteful

Valentine’s Day is here again and it’s time for loved ones and love birds to celebrate. But where did all of this celebrating come from? The History Channel has a few nice theories about this. One is that Valentine was a priest joining men and women in Holy Matrimony in order to save the young men from being forced into the Roman military under Claudius the II. The defiant priest was put to death and into martyrdom. Another school of thought believes that Valentine fell in love with the warden’s daughter while in prison where he sent the very first “Valentine” and so the tradition was born.

In any event it is a nice distraction during the gray winter months. Chocolates and various sweets are very popular gifts and are sometimes combined with flowers or other trinkets. The traditional color of red symbolizes enthusiasm and flamboyance and distinguishes the holiday with its heart shaped decorations. 

American children become familiar with the holiday when they make their first Valentine for someone in their class. It is a good day to stop and recognize one another and show our appreciation. Americans love lovers and celebrates relationships between men and women with zeal. I have always loved that quality in my fellow countrymen. No matter what nationality though, love is always encouraged and welcomed.  I think that is the true value here.

So maybe it is more than a distraction from the winter clouds. Okay, I am looking forward to the holiday again. Happy Heart Day Charlie Brown!

Written by Kim LaBarbera at Delightful Biteful

It’s the New Year again and although the holiday season has passed the desire for rich foods hasn’t; at least not for me.

 I have some strawberries that are nice and ripe due to the green house growth process, so I can still have my serving of fruit to help with the needed nutrients, and tonight, I will have a nice salad instead of a large meal. A Caesar salad, yes that’ it, and it works too. I manage to hold off my weight gain more effectively with this sort of logic. If you want to try it, here’s a recipe that I like to use.

You only need a head of Romaine lettuce and a few ingredients.1/2 tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper½ tsp. Salt1 egg yolk¼ cup Parmesan Cheese ¼ cup virgin Olive Oil1 tbls. Lemon3 Anchovies ground up½ clove finely chopped garlicMix all ingredients thoroughly and let sit for about 1 hour.Don’t forget your regular exercise! (If applicable) Written by Delightful Biteful

The holidays are synonymous with turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes so if you would like a few tips for each; here goes. To really lock in the juices, butter baste your turkey. Put about three tablespoons of margarine and three tablespoons of cooking oil into a microwavable cup. Heat the mixture until both are melted together. Baste the turkey thoroughly with the mixture and cook your turkey as you normally would. You’ll be amazed at how juicy the bird turns out. Oh, by the way, get a kitchen thermometer and cook your turkey at a slightly lower heat, even if it takes a little longer, it will keep the bird from drying out too much. The thermometer will ensure that the turkey is safely cooked so you won’t get thrown off track by the change in degrees. 

Gravy is relatively simple to make. You can take about 11/2 cups of the juice which melted off the turkey during cooking (this is assuming that you are cooking an 18 to 20 pound bird), mix it with about 1/4 cup of flower and stir the mixture thoroughly in a large skillet over a low heat. The flower thickens the leftover juice and creates a nice gravy texture. Adjust the measurements accordingly to your bird’s weight.  

For mashed potatoes, you can add a little garlic powder along with the butter and milk before using the mixer on your boiled potatoes. It makes the potatoes a little more flavorful. Some people use a dash of Cheyenne pepper on the potatoes but I would recommend doing a test run before hand so that you are sure you like the flavor. We all develop little tricks over the years and I hope these come in handy. There is nothing like enjoying a fine meal, especially one that you have prepared yourself. Happy eating everyone!  Written by Delightful Biteful 

Looking at the traditions of Christmas and Chanukah it seems that these celebrations have common traits.

For Christmas hanging lights around town and in the home is an important part of the celebration.  On Chanukah, lighting of the Menorah for each day of the celebration is what gives this holiday the name “holiday of lights”.

Caroling is a wonderful Christmas tradition and has been part of the holiday for a great many years. During Chanukah, Hallel “Jewish Praise” is chanted each morning from a selection of Psalms. 

Giving of presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas day is a tradition for most people.  The giving of small gifts or money to children and some adults too is a popular way of celebrating through Chanukah. 

Traditional Christmas dinners are turkey, goose, duck or ham with stewed fruit, pudding or rich cake for dessert. Many people enjoy a late night dinner consisting of fried fish fillets or shell fish. 

Eating of fried foods (potato pancakes are very popular), to celebrate the “miracle of the oil” is a common Chanukah tradition.

Red and green and gold and white are symbolic colors for these holidays. When these colors are displayed it is clear that ‘tis the season.

Wonderful Christmas and Chanukah cards are a long time tradition. Many people have begun to create their own cards with software programs that are perfect for that kind of thing, and fun too.  

Of course in the past years many people complained that the holidays were becoming too commercial and that the meaning of it all was being squashed. Recently some folks have made a concerted effort to keep the spirit in mind and the materialism secondary. I myself am enjoying the change.  

Celebrating and rejoicing are a precious right that we are so blessed to have. May your season be a wonderful one. 

Written by Delightful Biteful

For many people decorating the tree is one of the most rewarding activities of the year. Here are some ideas I’ve come across in years past. Frosted white Christmas tree balls placed in front of the tree lights create an iridescent glow. If your conventional tree top keeps drooping over, try putting a big velvet bow on top of the tree, it adds a homey feeling. Many folks like using a strict color theme when decorating their tree; white and blue or white and green; another popular combination is maroon and gold. Satin balls and bows are usually the main decorations for this sort of thing. If you have some bright silk flowers on hand, you may want to place a few of them on your tree. Dried wild flowers in small bunches are also very nice (safest on artificial trees). A new and fun garland wrap is beads. A string of gold or silver beads really brightens up the tree during the day so you can refrain from lighting the tree all of the time. The best part is that the decorations are not hidden from view as with old fashioned garland. 

Popcorn balls for the kids wrapped in thin ribbon and hung from the tree branches are an old fashioned favorite. Remember? Melt five tablespoons of butter in a medium sauce pan and add about 15 large marshmallows and eight small squares of caramel, stir them together over a very low heat until the mixture becomes a thick liquid texture. Pour over half a bag of popcorn (medium size), careful not to burn your hands; mix together and mold into 21/2 inch balls. 

It is my opinion that, since we only get to do this once a year, we should dress things up as much as possible. It may help to keep the holiday spirit alive for the rest of the year. 

Written by Delightful Biteful