New Old Fashioned

I love a theme for a million reasons. A theme keeps a party creative, detailed and there's a guide to the whole thing for both food & decor. For my friend Kara's birthday last weekend, all she wanted 'good food.' Makes my job a little trickier. Where to start with ideas? I get bored making the same things over and over again so I wanted to mix things up, while finding balance with a few tried and true favorites. Winter is the season with the least amount of inspiration at the markets so I have to go elsewhere for my sources. I devour food magazines and tend to over order at restaurants to taste as many new ideas as possible. Plus I have my go-to cookbooks--Sunday Suppers at Lucques, Wildwood, the Canal series--that I'm always rereading because a previously dismissed recipe, can suddenly seem like the best dish on earth (latest favorite: Off the Menu). Then, when I'm especially unsure of what to make, I start browsing the websites of the best restaurants with rotating, seasonal menus: The Tasting Room, Le Pigeon, Girl and the Goat, Chez Panisse & Olympic Provisions. Here I always find exciting flavor combinations and little twists that make food new again. You don't need to always reinvent the wheel, but keeping it fresh is what keeps me engaged and excited to cook. I thrive on the little rush of, 'how is this going to turn out?' And, then, of course, on the thrill of sharing a newly discovered, tasty bite with happy eaters. Despite all of the chatter about inspiration, I'll admit that Greg's cocktails outshone my spread. Using Fee Brother's cherry bitters, instead of marachinos, in the Old Fashioneds was a delicious game changer. Plus, infusing the tequila with the serranos overnight made for the perfect kick in his herbacious margarita. Good food, good drink & good people made for a happy birthday celebration (250 balloons didn't hurt).

The Menu

cocktails

vodka ginger sour

sobieski vodka, meyer lemon & blood orange house sour, ginger beer

serrano margarita

el jimador silver tequila, lime, basil, serrano pepers

new old fashioned

four roses bourbon, fee brothers cherry bitters, cara cara peel

bites

chevre and blood orange & black pepper marmalade on endive

shitake, leek, ricotta & thyme tart

kale caesar salad cups

teriyaki brussel sprouts skewered with kimchi

curried toasted chickpeas

jalapeno pickled haricot vert

dunked grilled cheese with grafton sharp white cheddar

in roasted red pepper & tomato soup

fig jam, duck prosciutto & mint crostini

apple smoked bacon wrapped dates

pork tenderloin, quacamole, queso fresco & sriracha/lime crema on corn tortilla

lamb meatballs with harissa & tzatziki

rib-eye, horseradish mayo, arugula and crushed salt & pepper potato chips on crostini

sweets

vanilla on vanilla birthday cake

Trick or Treat...Give Me Something Good To Eat

In the current issue of Living, Martha Stewart describes two approaches to holiday meals: sticking to identical menus each year or changing it up. Martha is of the latter camp, aiming to always be "more interesting, more creative, more inventive." While I love experimenting with food year round, when it comes to holidays, I'm a traditionalist, with a slight twinge of Martha. Every year growing up, my mom made beef chili on Halloween, which warmed us up, and curbed the sugar highs. I can't imagine not having chili on Halloween. And while ingredients now come from the farmer's market and the beef may be grass-fed, the model is the exact same (with an expanded toppings bar!). This year, I helped my friend Marina put together a chili buffet for her friends & family before they embarked on trick or treating. There was cookie decorating, spiced cider and plenty of princesses & superheroes (another thing that never changes). As for the desserts, thank god I didn't attempt any spooky creations, or I would've been totally upstaged by Lucy (a Martha in training) with her eye-ball cupcakes & creepily life-like finger cookies. Heading into the holiday season, I'll continue to uphold traditions. I'll play with new menus for dinner parties & bake a new cookie recipe, but Christmas morning will always be that crazy casserole, always with Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, possibly seeking an upgrade for the sausage that comes out of a tube...

The Menu

sips

spiced apple cider

snacks

rosemary pumpkin seeds & caramel corn

savory

beef & bean chili

white bean chili with butternut squash

fresh corn cornbread with butter & honey

toppings bar: scallions, sour cream, avocado, jalapenos, cilantro, tortilla chips, sweet onion, red rooster, medium cheddar, sharp white cheddar & fritos

romaine lettuces with creamy lemon dressing

sweets

swapped loot from trick or treating

finger cookies

eye-ball cupcakes