Showing posts with label easter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label easter. Show all posts

April 2, 2013

Easter Egg Hunt

This year my friend Leah went all out with a kid's fantasy Easter: an egg hunt, egg on spoon relays and pin the tail on the bunny.  It was a pleasure to create a menu that lived up to all of the fun.  Bunny and chick shaped finger sandwiches accompanied bunny mac & cheese and bunny snacks (aka carrot sticks).  The kids provided the dessert by sharing treats from their Easter baskets and decorating sugar cookies.  If you've ever wondered who likes Peeps, think no further: kids (they freak out for them!).  There were treats for the adults as well: starting with spicy Bloody Mary's and rhubarb fizzes.  A Greek Easter Luncheon was a great buffet for a day of grazing.  Grilled leg of lamb filled pitas with plenty of dips, sauces, veggies & a big Greek salad.  The whole day got me excited for warmer weather and days filled with good food, good drinks and great friends.  Lots of parties to come...





The Menu

sips

pink lemonade

rhubarb fizzes

spicy bloody mary's

snacks

stuffed grape leaves

spinach & ricotta spanikopita

curried deviled eggs

kids

buttermilk chicken tenders

bunny pb & j's

egg shaped turkey & cheese

bunny mac & cheese

carrot sticks

to share

grilled rosemary leg of lamb

hummus, tzatziki, baba ganoush, tabouli, eggplant caviar, parsley mint sauce, honeyed onions & currants and pita bread

swiss chard with tahini yogurt sauce & pine nuts

smashed fingerling potatoes

little gems with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, french feta, kalamata olives & red wine vinaigrette

sweet

Easter baskets

April 7, 2010

Sunday Supper

I'm not one to mess with tradition but growing up our Easter menu was less strict than other holidays. The only musts were deviled eggs and lamb. Since we had a smaller Easter gathering this year, I wanted to have a cozy menu to match. My solution: lamb meatloaf and fresh spring vegetables. It was the right call as dinner was delayed to watch the opening game...Go Red Sox!

The Menu

Mojitos
Easter radishes with butter and salt
Green crudites, garlic cheese curd and minted yogurt dip
Deviled quail eggs

Mario Batali's Lamb Meatloaf
Shaved asparagus salad with creamy parmesan dressing
Roasted purple, orange and yellow carrots with parsley
Roasted garlic parsnip puree

Lemon trifle with limoncello soaked pound cake, lemon cured, whipped cream and fresh strawberries

June 3, 2009

easter 2009

We had 70! people to Easter Brunch. All of the planning, baking, crafting and making was as much fun as the actual party. Wishing every weekend had a holiday...

We blew eggs and Amy wrapped them with fabrics from her men's store Apartment Number 9
LA's downtown flower district is a heaven...painted grass on blown eggs
No bartender needed. Make your own bellini, mimosa, screwdriver, greyhound, bloody mary or virgin cocktail bar. The freshest twist: farmers market strawberry and peach purees
Crostinis with artichoke spread, radish and micro greens salad
Devilled eggs three ways: basil pesto, curried and spicy paprika
Sweet strawberries with creme fraiche and brown sugar for dipping
We almost decided to have children after having so much fun making our younger guests' Easter baskets and hiding the eggs for their hunt
We went a little nuts with Easter candies, cookies and chocolates. We offered a range of treats: from classic drugstore Peeps, chocolate eggs and jellybeans to Mary See's petit fours and truffles to our homemade sugar cookies. It was the ultimate dessert bar.
Our favors: mini Easter baskets with homemade sugar cookies and candy to go

The Menu

H'ors deuvres

Devilled eggs three ways: basil, curried and spicy paprkia
Crostini with artichoke spread, radish and micro greens
Shot glasses of carrot ginger and curried minted pea chilled soups

Buffett

Honey Baked Ham with assorted mustards and chutneys
Twice Baked Potato Casserole with greek yogurt
Mushroom, Leek, Ricotta Tarts
Grilled Asparagus with parmesan, olive oil and lemon zest
Mixed Greens with champagne tarragon vinaigrette and honeyed pine nuts
Mini Muffin Basket: rosemary corn, blueberry and carrot cake
Citrus platter with navel oranges, grapefruit, kiwi and ginger syrup
Fresh strawberries with brown sugar and creme fraiche
David Jones' famous sticky buns
Lemon bundt cake

Dessert Bar

Assorted candies, chocolates, petit-fours and cookies
Coffee and tea bar

March 9, 2009

Rhubarb Fizz Cocktail Recipe


RHUBARB FIZZ
makes two cocktails

ingredients

for the rhubarb simple syrup:
4 cups roughly chopped rhubarb, about 10 stalks
2 cups sugar
2 cups water

for the cocktail:
4 oz. Hendrick’s gin
1 ½ oz. rhubarb simple syrup
1 ½ oz lemon juice
dash of celery bitters
1 egg white, optional
soda water

to make rhubarb simple syrup: Combine rhubarb, sugar and water in a saucepan on the stove.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and stir, dissolving sugar into the water.  Once sugar is dissolved, reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Once the rhubarb has infused the simple syrup, strain syrup into a bowl, through a fine sieve mesh strainer.  Reserve rhubarb for another use, such as a jam or savory compote.  Transfer simple syrup into a bottle.  Can be refrigerated for up to a month.

to prepare the cocktail:  Preparation is key to cocktail making.  Always have all elements of the cocktail prepped and labeled in advance of the party.  All elements can be put into pretty glass bottles, alongside a recipe card for guests to make their own cocktails.

to make the cocktail:  Combine gin, rhubarb simple syrup, celery bitters, lemon juice and egg white into a metal cocktail shaker.  Shake vigorously for 30-45 seconds.  If you are omitting the egg white, the cocktail can be either shaken or stirred.  Pour over ice and top with as much soda as desired.

tips: Rhubarb simple syrup can be made well in advanced and kept refrigerated for up to a month.  Lemon juice can be squeezed a couple of days in advance and kept in the refrigerator.  Egg whites can be separated and put in a container a few days in advance and kept refrigerated.