Endless Summer

72 and sunny is the magical equation that keeps LA dwellers happy.  But relentless days of heat in the high 80s and 90s  is making fall a bit of an illusion.  In the spirit of being true to the weather, I had one more summer BBQ in me.  For this farewell to summer party, I rounded up the season's best in the form of classic family recipes.  My mom's BLT filled cherry tomatoes are a perfect bite with lots of fresh basil, chives and smoky bacon.  And my grandma's Sweet & Sour Baked Beans were a hit all summer long.   My favorite personal addition is the Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Rice Krispy Treat from Flour:  true deliciousness.  So thank you summer for the memories.  You filled my time with more cooking than I ever could have imagined.  You inspired lots of refreshing cocktails, juicy burgers and ice cream treats.  However, I need a year to recover to from my high exposure to corn, tomatoes & peaches (no offense, but I'm done).  This weekend I'm easing into autumn with Asian pears, potato pancakes & pork.  Can't wait.

The Menu

sips

iced tea & lemonade

beer & rose

snacks

blt stuffed cherry tomatoes

farmers market pickles, crudites & dips

bbq potato chips & caramelized onion dip

to share

baby back ribs with espresso bbq sauce

beef hot dogs & hamburgers

sweet & sour baked beans

buttered corn on the cob

quinoa with grilled zucchini, summer squash, peppers & basil

melon, figs & mint

sweet

brown butter rice krispy treats & brownies

lemon oatmeal & chocolate chip cookies

blueberry & nectarine crisp

"Sip & See" Picnic

As a seeker of excuses to throw parties, I was thrilled to discover the "Sip & See".  It's a Southern tradition of inviting friends over to "sip" on cocktails while "seeing" a new baby.  Amazing.  So to help introduce a new little man to the world, we threw a classic, all-American picnic themed Sip & See (after all, what is more family oriented than a picnic?)  Complete with croquet, bocce ball, white picnic tables and strewn picnic blankets, it was truly a perfect Sunday affair.   Blackberries flecked Bloom and Plume's sweet arrangements and vintage picnic baskets held dishes and flatware on the buffet.  The menu was relaxed (spiked lemonade bar) and traditional (it doesn't get more picnic than fried chicken) with plenty of farmers market sides (e.g. fresh tomato, corn & basil salad--so simple and tasty).  And while we can ALL AGREE that we are over mason jars, they do have their time and place; in this case, as vessels for delicious blueberry & nectarine crisps and strawberry shortcakes.  Now I want to have a baby just to have an excuse for another Sip & See!!!

The Menu

Sips

Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade & Watermelon LimeAid 

spiked with vodka & tequila upon request!

mint tea

rose & beer

Snacks

mini blt's 

farmers market crudites, pickles & dips

To Share

buttermilk fried chicken

beef sliders

grilled caprese sandwiches

quinoa with grilled zucchini, squash, & peppers

tomato, corn & basil

citrus carrot salad with avocado, sprouts & sunflower seeds

dill flecked macaroni & potato salad

summer fruit platter

Sweet

strawberry shortcakes with buttermilk biscuits

nectarine & blueberry almond crisps ala mode

banana pudding cups

Happy Father's Day

Almost to the point of being creepy, this entire blog has been an homage to my mom.  There have been constant references to her recipes, her ways of doing things, her sense of timing, style and organization. My dad, on the other hand, has been ignored.  Uncredited.  But my dad certainly deserves a shout out for his culinary influences.  After all, I grew up with Thai food, plenty of pot stickers and hot & sour soup, sushi, Mexican and all things spicy because those were the foods my dad thought worthy of dining out for.  Furthermore, we got to have 'fun dinners' like popcorn, cheese and apples due to my dad's lack of cooking skills, which taught me that it's okay to mix things up.  In fact, mixing things up is the best.  And, more importantly, my dad has always encouraged me to pursue my dreams, so without him, I wouldn't have made my love of food into a job I love.  Thanks Dad!!  Even though I wasn't with my dad this Father's Day, I did plan a manly menu to celebrate the holiday.  Burgers and beer-battered onion rings seemed just right.  Plating the assembled burgers alongside family style sides elevated the everyday BBQ experience.  For the burger, I used Thomas Keller's beef blend ( 1.5 parts beef sirloin to 3/4 parts each beef brisket and beef chuck) and kept the accoutrement All-American: lettuce, tomato, raw onion, dill pickles and a thousand island ketchup-mayo hybrid.  Other 'man food' highlights: jalapeno poppers, pulled pork sliders & BLT stuffed cherry tomatoes.  And for dessert, what is more fatherly than using Dad's root beer for floats?  I followed some recipes to a T for this menu so I've linked to a few below...the macaroni salad is an enjoyable must-try!  Happy Father's Day to dads everywhere and to mine--the greatest dad of all.  

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 The Menu

sips

arnold palmers

bottled beer

snacks

blt stuffed cherry tomatoes

jalapeno poppers

pulled pork sliders with buttermilk coleslaw

to share

beef bacon cheeseburgers on brioche buns with thousand island dressing

beer battered onion rings

macaroni salad

tomato, corn & arugula salad

grilled peaches

sweet

cherry pie ala mode

root beer floats with dad's root beer

strawberry chiffon cake

Hot. Dog. Party.

Next time you get flustered with 'what should I make for company?', skip the drama and grill some hot dogs! They are delicious. And crowd pleasing. And surprisingly unexpected. Though I technically 'made' nothing but a dip (more on that in a sec), assembling the simplest sides with fresh ingredients made for an entertaining-worthy spread. Now, why don't you hear more about sour cream and onion dip for potato chips? Did I invent it? Into the Cuisinart I threw: one Walla Walla sweet onion, two cloves of garlic, a heap of dijon and a 16oz. carton of sour cream. Top with lots of cracked pepper and snipped chives. Serve exclusively with Ruffles potato chips. It's okay to not always be farmer's market inspired. Chips and dip, hot dogs and s'more are all American classics that I never want to become too fancy for!!

The Menu

ruffles potato chips with sour cream and onion dip

grilled hot dogs with traditional condiments

corn on the cob

buttermilk coleslaw

watermelon, mint & feta salad

grilled s'mores

strawberry shortcakes