MISS-ISS-I-PP-I

After an amazing vacation in Morocco (which definately inspired another Moroccan themed party!), I arrived back to LA greeted by gorgeous, sweet tomatoes at the farmers markets.  They are the best they've been in years, which means it is BLT season!  We've been back in the throws of massive parties, so this simple dinner for twelve was a real pleasure.  The hostess is from Mississippi and wanted touches of the South to inspire the menu.  With the help of my friends Ahna and Julianna, who know a thing or two about Southern cooking, I came up with pecan crusted halibut, creamy grits & greens.  Greg really nailed the fried pickled request with his tempura battered version, better than anything I've eaten at a State Fair (no offense State Fair, I love you deeply and can't wait!!).  Our hostess picked flowers from her garden (lucky lady!) and served dinner on her collection of mix and match vintage china, which only enhanced the whimsical, easy breezy Southern feel.  I'm so happy it's summer, my favorite time of year, and look forward to lots of corn, bbq, refreshing cocktails and the second best food in the world: the BLT (sorry BLT, the french fry is my one true love).

The Menu

sips

smoky watermelon margaritas

snacks

tempura battered dill pickles with comeback sauce

pimento cheese toasts

salt & pepper shrimp

to start

heirloom tomatoes, lettuces, bacon & creamy chive buttermilk dressing

savory

pecan crusted halibut with caper remoulade

creamy cheddar polenta & braised kale and collard greens

sweet

chocolate pots de creme with bourbon whipped cream

Malibu Wedding

Planning weddings can be a nightmare.  Or, as it turns out, a dream.  This last minute affair was in the latter camp.  A very cool bride and groom can make all of the difference.  Throw in a gorgeous Malibu beachfront home as a location and you've practically sealed the deal.  Initially, I was super stumped about what to serve at a winter beach wedding.  Meat and potatoes didn't fit the bill, nor did lobster rolls (not to mention the bride's shellfish allergy).  But through discussing food and restaurants with the Venice couple, I got inspired to make this seasonal, light, Californian menu with Asian flavors.  Sake steamed kabocha squash went into sushi cut rolls and got topped with shiso peppers and ginger.  And amongst surfers, there had to be a taco; slow roasted soy glazed pork made for a juicy one.  Dinner was served family style and for whatever reason, it thrilled me to serve kale fried rice at a wedding!  Amy handled all things pretty and floral and created gorgeous decor that only enhanced nature's beauty.  The anemones really popped amongst all of the white on the table and were stunning on the wedding cake (very impressive, Amy!).  It was such a treat to spend the day at the beach setting up; I'm pretty sure that we all wanted to move in.  I can only hope that the guests had as much fun as we did.

 

 

 

 

 

The Menu

sips

mint margarita

silver tequila, mint, lime

mule

vodka, lemongrass, shiso, ginger beer

snacks

asparagus tempura

kabocha squash sushi with shiso peppers & ginger

tuna tartare on potato chips

tofu bahn mi crostini with hoison

soy glazed pork tacos with pickled red onion

to start

little gems, winter citrus, avocado, pickled cucumber, seaweed & fennel with a sesame ponzu vinaigrette

to share

black cod miso

grilled rib-eye with sake glaze

kale fried rice

charred brussel sprouts with pork belly & chili sauce

wasabi edamame puree with shitake mushrooms & shiso

sweet

dark chocolate pots de creme

vanilla wedding cake with vanilla buttercream

photos by Yayo Ahumada

Roaring 20s Party: A Progressive Affair

I have fantasized about doing a progressive dinner for a long time, and this one was worth the wait. Three houses. 1920s themed. The first house was all about the Speakeasy and prohibition cocktails. We progressed to a candlelit, Great Gatsby-inspired sit down dinner with Cole Porter tunes playing in the background. And ended the evening, at the third house, staged as a jazz club for dancing and plenty of more sloe gin fizzes! When guests ordered their first drink, suspender-wearing bartenders pinned them as notorious 1920s personalities--Al Capone, Zelda Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, etc.--and they had to figure out who they were. (Parlor games & ice breakers get a lot of flack, but I love them)! It was very fun to research the popular foods & cocktails of the 20s and create a menu inspired by the times. Apparently, the caesar salad was invented in the 20s, and was all the rage, so we did a grilled chopped one. Decadent shrimp cocktails and grilled rib-eyes rounded out the menu for our Gatsby-esque dinner...with plenty of champagne, of course. And with all of that drinking, no one cares about a proper plated dessert, so a candy bar featuring all of the candies invented in the 1920s was perfect. Amy made the night all the more festive with black & white and luxurious touches. Each lady received a long strand of pearls and a deco-feathered headband, all handcrafted by show-off Amy. And the napkins each featured memorable quotes from the 20s; e.g. "Write drunk. Edit sober," Ernest Hemingway. Plus the guests dressed to impressed, pulling out all the stops, which absolutely made the night. Now I'm dying to do a party for each decade, though I'm not sure anything will be as festive as the 1920s: the era of the party.

The Menu

cocktails

sloe gin fizz

sloe gin, gin, lemon, egg white, simple syrup

the colony

gin, grapefruit, maraschino cherry

french 75

gin, champagne, orange, lemon

dirty martini

vodka, dirty sue premium olive juice, olive

whiskey sour,

bourbon, house sour

appetizers

'hotsy totsy' ham ball with club crackers

'cat's pajamas' cheese straws

'racketeer' radishes

'packing a piece' peanuts

'dive' devilled eggs

sit down

spicy oregon bay shrimp cocktail,

served up

grilled caesar salad with sourdough croutons

grilled peppered rib-eye steaks

ricotta pudding. wilted spinach with pancetta. currant-pinenut relish

dessert

1920s candy bar:

abba zabas, charm suckers, reece's peanut butter cups, baby ruths, charleston chews, gummy bears, jujyfruits & milk duds