gourmet Archives

10 Stellar Foodie Gifts to Bring to Your Next Party

Posted on: July 16th, 2015 by Ellen Swandiak

It’s summer party season, and if you are headed away for the weekend, or just next door, treat your host to something more imaginative than a standard bottle of wine. HOBNOB gives you the foodie gifts to impress and delight even the most snobby host.

Make sure to include the background story with your gift—they are SO inspirational, admirable and plaise-worthy. We found stellar examples in the foodie realm that really stand out from the crowd to include in this roundup.

[1] Bumbleberry Farms Honey Creams

Tell your host to put down the Nutella because a new sweet spreadable obsession has arrived. Bumbleberry Farms’ honey creams are as deliciously decadent as they sound. Spread, stir, and drizzle into a honey frenzy with flavors like Lovers’ Leap Sea Salt Caramel, Squirrel Crazy Maple, Molten Lava Spiced Chocolate, and Sticky Buns Cinnamon.

It’s almost impossible to decide—so we recommend the Honey Cream Gift Set which includes all 4. Each is made from small batch honey carefully collected from hand-spun honeycomb. Though their bees may travel up to 55,000 miles, visiting more than two million flowers, Bumbleberry keeps things local with the addition of high-quality, all-natural ingredients in their honey creams, hand-selecting and sourcing the dairy and maple sugar from operations just down the road. Bumbleberry Farms, based in the foothills of Pennsylvania’s Laurel Mountains, is led by owner and “Queen Beekeeper” Karen Mosholder, who has gone from making 18 jars of her golden delicious spread at a time on her honey-house stove to now cooking up to 100 gallons a batch. $40. bumbleberryfarms.com

[2] Savannah Bee Company

Tupelo is a supreme honey, collected for two weeks every spring, while tupelo trees in the Southeastern swamps bloom globe-shaped clusters that glisten with nectar. Savannah Bee Tupelo Honey is very unique and only produced in the threatened tupelo ecosystem of the Altamaha and Apalachicola River Basins of Georgia and Florida. Gold Reserve Tupelo Honey comes in a limited edition, and gorgeous package—and the contents are just as special. $112 for an 80 oz bottle. savannahbee.com

[3] Tonewood Maple Syrup Cubes

Tonewood’s products are made with pure, premium maple syrup that is single-sourced, unblended, and free of additives. The Maple Cube, housed in a sleek black gift box, can be shaved over oatmeal, fruit, ice cream, and more—anything that could use a touch of golden sweetness. What a revolutionary concept.

Get your Maple Cube in two varieties: try Golden Delicate, which features a lighter, buttery maple flavor, or the more intense Dark Robust. Like wine, Tonewood’s artisan sugarmakers pay deep attention to their maple syrup’s terroir. Their trees grow in Mad River Valley, VT where the combination of rich soil, southern facing slopes, and high elevation allows them to produce a syrup with incredible flavor, clarity, and color. Raising the bar for maple products, Tonewood is also dedicated to preserving small-scale maple production and involved in funding climate research, local farming efforts, and sustainable, forest stewardship. $17. tonewoodmaple.com

[4] Hella Bitters

After years of obsessing over the perfect bitters, the team at Hella Bitters decided to hand craft its products in New York in small batches, using classic age-old techniques and only the best ingredients. With upwards of 130 botanical ingredients (yes, that’s 130) used in highly secretive formulas, their bitters are vibrant and complex.

For the DIY-ers, the Craft Your Own Bitters Kit includes essentials tools such as glass infusion jars, apothecary style dropper bottles, and a custom steel fine mesh strainer and funnel, plus their proprietary mix of herbs, spices, bittering agents, and dried fruit peel. Bring this to your budding mixologist hosts. $65. hellabitters.com

[5] La Tourangelle Artisan Coconut Oil

You might ask, why coconut oil? How does thus qualify as an artisanal pleasure? With its numerous health benefits, coconut oil is all-the-rage in certain crowds, but La Tourangelle takes their product to the next level with their 100% Fair Trade practices, extruding organic, extra virgin oil made from fresh coconuts—never dried.

La Tourangelle uses organic coconuts picked right off the tree to produce the freshest oil possible. The oil is processed by their revolutionary centrifuge technology, producing an oil with a unique light texture, while retaining all of its natural antioxidants and nutrients. With its super high quality, you can even use your coconut oil outside of the kitchen as a soothing moisturizer for dry hands and lips, deep hair conditioning treatments, and face masks. Perhaps a spa weekend is in order. $14. latourangelle.com

[6] Caravel Gourmet’s Infused Sea Salt

Salt is indispensable. These samplers with different flavor profiles are a thoughtful gift for that person who loves to dabble. The themed samplers offer six different salt varieties in each set. Choose from Spicy, French, Infused, Natural, and Smoked. From rosemary to Hawaiian bamboo jade, every dish can taste like something new, with just a flick of the wrist. $22. seasaltsuperst ore.com

[7] Back to the Roots Herb Kits

Maybe your host has imagined dreamily snipping fresh herbs from a garden, but the closest thing to Eden is a rusty fire escape. Well, we’ve got their green-thumb fancies covered. Not much beats the satisfaction of nurturing a plant from seed, and Back to the Roots makes it incredibly easy with their line of ready-to-grow cans for small-space windowsill gardening. Just pop open the can, plant the seeds, water, wait patiently for nature to do its thing, and harvest. The Garden-in-a-Can Gift Set includes four organic herbs (basil, cilantro, oregano, and sage). Also nice to bring to those with kids, so they can have a fun summer project. backtotheroots.com

[8] Bittermilk Old Fashioned Mixer Gift Set

Channeling your inner master mixologist and crafting speakeasy-level cocktails has never been simpler. Based in Charleston, South Carolina, Bittermilk produces small batch, hand bottled, all-natural, non-alcoholic mixers inspired by classic cocktails.

The Old Fashioned Set, perfect for lovers of strong, serious cocktails, includes the Bourbon Barrel Aged Old Fashioned, the New Orleans Style Old Fashioned Rouge, and the Oaxacan Old Fashioned. Enormous amounts of attention is paid to the techniques used to prepare the unique ingredients in each mixer, creating complex, incredible layers of flavor.

Aged in Willett bourbon barrels, the Bourbon Barrel Aged Old Fashioned mixer is made with burnt sugar, a touch of orange peel, and classic old fashioned bitters spices like gentian root and cinchona bark.

Inspired by the traditional and beloved Sazerac cocktail, the New Orleans Style Old Fashioned Rouge has strong Absinthe-like notes from spices like wormwood, gentian root, and cochineal, a Peruvian red beetle that imparts the original red coloring of Peychaud’s bitters.

The Oaxacan Old Fashioned, packed with complex chile, chocolate, and dried fruit notes, is made from a base of dried Mexican chiles and raisins and a syrup aged in drums with cocoa husks. All you have to do is add your favorite booze and enjoy. $45. shop.bittermilk.com

[9] Red Rocker Candy Chocolate Bark

Simple but deliciously satisfying, Red Rocker Candy’s rich chocolate treats bring back the nostalgic flavors and sentiments of times-gone-by. Handmade using only the highest quality ingredients, owner Sue Charney is committed to old-fashioned values.

Keep it classic with her amazing chocolate bark, available in four flavors: Crispy (using crispy rice cereal), Marshmallow Coconut (a fun take with fluffy marshmallows and toasted coconut), Nonpareils (a grown-up version of the mini snow-capped chocolates of yesteryear), and Roasted Almond—all available in both milk and dark chocolate varieties. $12. redrockercandy.com

[10] Brooklyn Slate Co.

From a family-owned quarry in upstate New York, Brooklyn Slate Co. offers a natural platform for displaying cheese, hors d’oeuvres, and more. Use the accompanying soapstone pencil to inscribe a personal message to your host—and also to label what’s being offered. Also nice to send as a thank-you gift after the weekend—with pickles, cheese, or the makings for gourmet s’mores. $28 for the cheese board. $65-$80 for food/slate packages. brooklynslate.com

These ingredients are part of our weekend BBQ party plan. Whether you are showing up at a party, or preparing to host a fun BBQ, see my other details that will get the party flowin’.

Vegetable Ribbon Tart in Colorful Stripes

Posted on: July 6th, 2015 by Ellen Swandiak

Vegetables add to the design of this tart and to the taste. We mixed shaved strips of carrots, zucchini, and eggplant to create a beautiful pattern in this vegetable ribbon tart.

I tried this recipe two ways. First in a 9.5-inch square pan that was only 1-inch deep, and then in a scalloped 9-inch round pan, about 1.5 inches deep. They both came out well, so decide how you want to serve: in small elongated bites, or cut into triangles from the round.

If this recipe appeals to you, we’ve got even more recipes geared for summer in the Stripes party theme.

MAKES 18 SMALL SERVINGS (1 INCH X 4 INCH) OR 8-10 PIE WEDGES

THAW PUFF PASTRY

1/2 pkg Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry
—
Remove one pasty from package. Securely wrap remaining pastry and return to freezer immediately. Let pastry thaw for 40 min.

MAKE THE CHEESE MIX

1 CUP ricotta
1 CUP mozzarella, shredded
1/2 CUP sour cream
1 egg
2 TB parsley, minced
1/2 tsp garlic salt
—
Mix ingredients together in a bowl.

PREPARE THE VEGGIES

2 large carrots, peeled
2 zucchini
1 eggplant
—
Using a peeler, shave strips of carrot lengthwise, holding the larger end. Cut zucchinis in half lengthwise, then cut into strips. With the eggplant, slice into it keeping in mind that you want to keep the skin for its color. The slices should be about the same height as the depth of the tart pan, so adjust accordingly.

PREHEAT OVEN 400ºF… ASSEMBLE THE TART

9.5-inch square ceramic dish, 1-inch deep
thawed pastry
cheese mix
veggie strips
—
Into a lightly greased pan, lay the puff pastry. Trim excess. Add the cheese mixture. Alternate the vegetable strips.

Bake 35 min on the lowest shelf in the oven, until the veggies have browned a little. Allow to cool a bit before cutting and serving. For the square, cut into 9 rows, then in half to get 18 petit servings. If you chose the round tart, then cut into 8 or 10 triangles.

A Calvados Cocktail + Striped Bottles of Sparkling Wine

Posted on: July 6th, 2015 by Ellen Swandiak

Calvados, that wonderful spirit made from apples in the Pays d’Auge region of France, gets mixed into a fantastic summer sipper: a calvados cocktail with hints of vanilla and chocolate mint.

To include in our fresh menu for summer, I’ve developed a cocktail made with Calvados from Domaine Dupont, one of the leading craft Calvados and Cider makers in France. Plus, to go with the stripes them, I suggest a couple of bottles of Chandon, a bubbly wrapped in a pretty striped party package. (see the rest of the menu for a summer gathering with a Stripes theme at this link)

COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS:

[1] Summer Cider This party’s cocktail pairs calvados with vanilla accents in the form of syrup and tea. Then I added some chocolate mint to heighten the flavor. This is a super-sophisticated summer cocktail. See the recipe with this post.

[2] Domaine Dupont Calvados orchards in the Pays d’Auge region of France, exist in an area with chalky soil, which limits the size of the trees—but is essential to the quality of the final product. Thirteen varieties of tiny apples with thick skins thrive here, each with its own flavor profile, and are blended and aged with the same levels of elegance and expressiveness found in the best wines.

The Hors D’Age is made with 80% bittersweet apples and 20% acidic apples, aged for six years in toasted oak barrels. This bottle is best savored on its own. Tasting notes: Lightly wooded, fruit aromas of apple and banana, hints of rose and jasmine. The aroma is heavenly.

Vielle Réserve is a younger version, aged for four years. Its notes of vanilla and lemon and lighter body inspired our cocktail recipe. calvados-dupont.com

[3] Heilala Vanilla Syrup This is a sweetener that could hijack your sugar fix. Heilala Vanilla Syrup is 100% pure vanilla and adds a whole vanilla pod to ensure the spectacular flavor continues to develop in the bottle. Great in cocktails and for baking. heilalavanilla.com

[4] Republic of Tea Caramel Vanilla Black Tea Enjoy the flavors of a sugary treat sans calories. This tea was inspired by traditional Southern yellow cake with homemade caramel vanilla frosting. We made a batch and flavored it with vanilla syrup to heighten the flavors, and served it in our cocktail. The Republic of Tea is known for canvassing the most prized tea gardens of the world to make their extensive line of teas. republicoftea.com

[5] Chocolate Mint The sensational flavor of chocolate mint blended with the tea to add a fine accent and edge. The first time I sniffed a batch of this mint, it seemed too good to be true. Mint is so easy to grown, so I suggests growing a batch of this to have on hand to add to all sort of things—ice tea, yogurt, desserts, and of course, cocktails. It adds super impact to this party’s signature cocktail.

IN ADDITION TO THE COCKTAIL:

[6] Chandon Limited Edition Brut Classic and Rose Sparkling Wine To round out the bar, offer this lovely striped number. This is the third year that Chandon, a sparkling wine house in Napa Valley, has added playful and patriotic pops of red, white and blue stripes to add pizazz to your summer entertaining.

The Brut is nautically-chic in blue, and its sister Rosé version features the same crisp, classic stripes in a vibrant pink. Available Memorial Day through Labor Day. $22-$24. Brut minis also available. $8. chandon.com

A Summer Cocktail for Amaro Lovers from Lana Gailani of Pouring Ribbons

Posted on: June 20th, 2015 by Ellen Swandiak

Pouring Ribbons, a place known for their serious dedication to creative cocktails and a great oral history, offers up a cocktail for amaro lovers, with hints of jasmine and peach, to celebrate summer.

Lana Gailani, a mixologist at Pouring Ribbons, is preparing the summer cocktail menu for summer. She says: get ready for lighter and brighter cocktail ingredients for summer—infused into in complex configurations . I interviewed her to see her philosophy behind the cocktail strategies. Amaro lovers, it’s your time!

This cocktail is part of the Pouring Ribbons new summer menu…what else can we expect to see, ingredient-wise?
We’ve gone for lighter, brighter cocktails with pretty classic summer ingredients—we have a tequila negroni with muddled strawberry, we have a vodka cocktail with watermelon juice and soda, and a take on a pina colada with peach instead of pineapple. These drinks all have a bit of a twist to them, though—the watermelon cocktail features cachaca and amaro, and the pina colada sneaks in a bit of scotch.

You described this cocktail as a “beginners” introduction to Amaro…are you a fan? How do you like to use it?
I love amaros—they can add depth and complexity while using very small amounts due to their intensity. They can be spicy or herbaceous, sweet and/or bitter, sometimes quite earthy. On their own they make wonderful digestifs and I often have one as a nightcap. The amaro in Safe Word is Cardamaro, which is lighter in style, made with blessed thistle and cardoon, which is in the artichoke family. Its slight earthy tones match the malty qualities of the genever very well and help this cocktail come across almost more as a light whiskey drink than as one based on gin.

How did you get involved in mixing drinks?
I fell in love with mezcal. I’d worked in pastry before, and while waiting tables and working as a sommelier, I realized that I really missed *making* something every day. The craft. I had a job waiting tables at a restaurant with a very extensive agave collection (Empellon Cocina) and I realized that mezcal had a lot in common with wine, and if I managed to get behind a bar I could have everything I wanted. I could be a nerd and study spirits, make something with my hands every day, and meet new people all the time. So I started harassing them to let me behind the bar, and eventually they did.

Name your favorite summer sip:
Rosé all day!

What are your plans for Pride weekend?
I’m working Friday and Saturday, but Sunday is still up in the air…

Elegant Rainbow Party Food: Sushi at Home + Edible Spoons

Posted on: June 20th, 2015 by Ellen Swandiak

Here are a couple of party-worthy ingredients that will be sure to impress your guests. In keeping with Hobnob’s theme for menu in the colors of the rainbow, see edible taco shells/spoons in surprising colors, plus a sushi-grade tuna.

When I started to develop the idea of turning the colors of the rainbow into a lively party spread I knew I had to find quality natural ingredients to make it happen healthfully. I love the idea of introducing pops of color to a party in a totally natural way—which includes fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables that are inherently colorful. In addition to that, here are some fun and delicious items that will help take your party to new technicolor heights.

[1] Foodie Spoon

Made with nutritious, all-natural ingredients (no artificial food coloring in sight!), Foodie Spoon’s edible vessels are a novel and delicious way to present your cocktail bites—plus add a mighty pop of both color and flavor.

For the rainbow party, HOBNOB used Foodie Spoon’s bright Green Veggie Mini Taco Shells in our chicken tacos and flaming orange Chili Pepper & Lime Edible Spoons to create a one-bite sensation with a cube of pork and mango nectarine salsa.

If you are looking for other colors in the spectrum, there’s much more! Go for the vibrant Red Tomato Mini Taco Shells or the deep purple-hued Blue Corn Edible Spoons. There are whole grain and gluten-free options to boot. Serve your edible vessels within 14 days, freeze extras for up to 6 months. And the best part? No plastic waste! foodiespoon.com

[2] Sushi at Home Yellowfin Tuna

[This product was available at Whole Foods Market, look for something similar] The most intimidating part about making sushi at home is finding high quality fish to give you the confidence to serve it raw. Here’s how to get that confidence. Try the fish from Sushi at home. Upon catching the fish, tuna from Sushi At Home are “superfrozen.” This means they are chilled to an ultra-low temperature (-76ºF), at its “eutectic point” so that natural decay is stopped in its tracks.

This highly technical freezing process is actually similar to a method used in the medical field to preserve blood at blood banks. Your tuna, super frozen within hours of being caught and gutted, is essentially frozen in time, making your at-home sushi as fresh as can be. Serve raw fish in small portions throughout the night to keep your offering fresh. I found this product in the freezer section at Whole Foods, next to the fresh fish counter in NYC’s 14th street location. See the recipe for Tuna Poke on Red Tortilla Chips in this party’s menu. The tuna requires a short time defrosting in a water bath before being able to use. sushiathome.co

Store Bought Dessert: Maple Cream Cookies and Ice Cream

Posted on: June 1st, 2015 by Ellen Swandiak

In compiling a menu for our party theme, The Wild Party, I was at first flummoxed for the end of the night dessert offerings. But after doing a little shopping, I found a bunch of store bought desserts that were special enough to make an impression.

Dessert here has matched organic maple cream cookies (since maple syrup is our featured Wild ingredient here) with two types of ice cream. First offering: Wild man Stephen Colbert’s ice cream with chocolate covered crushed waffle cones and a caramel is surprisingly not too sweet. The second offering is everyone’s favorite—vanilla—but this one is topped with Wild Maine Blueberry Syrup.

If you like the idea of using wild ingredients, see our WILD PARTY PLAN containing recipes with foraged ingredients, and items from the exotic end of the spectrum.

SERVES 16

SET OUT THE DESSERT

DeLish Organic Maple Cream cookies
Ben and Jerry “Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream” Ice Cream
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream
Stonewall Kitchen Wild Maine Blueberry Syrup
—
Put 3 small scoops of ice cream in mini ramekins/bowls. Pour syrup over the vanilla ice cream, and leave out on the table for guests to help themselves. Line the cookies on a nice dish and place with ice cream.

Mini Desserts: Order A Table Full of Colorful Sweets for Your Party

Posted on: June 1st, 2015 by Ellen Swandiak

It seems that everyone loves macarons nowadays, and if you are not up to baking those on your own, we’ve got a great suggestion on how to supply these mini desserts. This bakery features the colors of the rainbow, plus flavors from champagne and strawberries to peanut butter and jelly.

We added these two dessert option to include with our menu that features the colors of the rainbow in each food. The rainbow party has recipes in the six color tones, that will make your buffet pop! Click on the link to see the full menu.

Here are a couple of ideas for fulfilling the rainbow effect, or offer anytime: eye-candy mini desserts you can order to please guests’ taste buds and aesthetic sense.

Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Kisses For a super easy dessert in the color VIOLET, set out bowls of chocolate candy kisses, which come wrapped in bright purple foil. They have a mildly sweet, rich dark chocolate flavor at only 22 calories a pop. Order them in bulk from Candy Warehouse, each bag has 100 pieces. candywarehouse.com

Dana’s Bakery Macarons Just 30 minutes from NYC, in Hawthorne, NJ is a macaron bakery supreme. Order your own rainbow selection for this party in an array of tantalizing flavors. Just make sure if you are ordering more than 200 macarons, to place your order at least 7 days prior to the party. They even offer classes for macaron-making, so perhaps you can sign up for one and come up with a flavor of your very own. danasbakery.com

Tuna Poke on Red Tortilla Chips: A Red-Hot Sensation

Posted on: June 1st, 2015 by Ellen Swandiak

This bite will make you look like a top chef, yet is so simple to create. Tip: For the tuna poke, of course, you need to make sure to get the freshest sushi-grade tuna, by buying superfrozen—just remember you will need to start defrosting at least 5 hours before the party.

To add an interesting finish to the tuna, sprinkle hibicus salt from Junior Merino’s line designed for rimming cocktails, it adds even more red tones, and super flavor to the tuna. This recipe is part of our strategy for creating a buffet in the colors of the rainbow. We came up with this idea as a way to celebrate Gay Pride, but these recipes make for a beautiful display on a buffet, so anytime or reason is OK by me.

Rainbow Shortcut for the RED category: If you are nervous about making sushi yourself, order tuna sashimi from your local Japanese spot, chop and doctor with the spices in the recipe below.

Other red foods to consider for the rainbow effect: watermelon, apples, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries, beets, red bell peppers, cocktail sauce, tomato chutney. See our picks on PINTEREST for more fantastic rainbow party ideas and recipes.

MAKES 30 BITES

DEFROST THE TUNA

3/4 LB Sushi at Home Yellowfin Tuna
2 TB kosher salt
—
Set the tuna in a bowl with 1 quart of water and salt for 5 min. Rinse. Pat dry with a paper towel, then wrap in a fresh paper towel. Allow to defrost in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours.

MAKE THE TUNA POKE

1/4 tsp harissa
1 LB sushi–grade ahi tuna, finely chopped
1 tsp sesame oil
2 red chili peppers, small dice
—
Toss ingredients together. Refrigerate for 1 hour so tastes merge.

ASSEMBLE THE BITE

tuna poke
red tortilla chips
Junior Merino red hibiscus salt, for garnish (optional)
—
Place a small spoonful of the tuna mix on top of a tortilla chip. Finish with a sprinkling of hibiscus salt, if using.

Pork with Mango Nectarine Salsa: Meat Meet Sweet

Posted on: June 1st, 2015 by Ellen Swandiak

We added a little twist to this one bite pork with mango nectarine salsa dish: Serving it on edible spoons. This is one of the best party tricks I’ve seen. Order the edible spoons from FoodieSpoon.com and they can be kept frozen for parties all summer long.

The original inspiration for this recipe comes as part of our party plan for doing a buffet in rainbow colors. You might choose to do this to celebrate Gay Pride, or just for fun. This dish fits into the ORANGE category, of the six colors of the rainbow. To give it extra orange hue, we added Bijol, a coloring and condiment from Latin America, that does not add any extra flavor.

Rainbow Party Shortcut for the color ORANGE: Get an order of Orange Chicken from your local Chinese restaurant, set out bites on ceramic spoons.

Other orange foods to consider: butternut squash, salmon, oranges, cheddar cheese, sweet & sour sauce, vodka cream sauce, pizza. See our picks on PINTEREST for more fantastic rainbow party ideas and recipes.

MAKES 28 SPOONS

MAKE THE MANGO NECTARINE SALSA

2 mangoes, diced
2 nectarines, diced
1 orange tomato, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1/4 CUP cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
1/2 tsp salt
—
In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients. Refrigerate for at least one hour to allow flavors to merge.

PREHEAT OVEN 425ºF… COOK THE PORK

1 1/2 LB boneless pork chops, 1-inch thick
s + p
—
bijol
—
Season pork chops on both sides with s + p. In a heated ovenproof skillet, sear pork 4 min each side. Finish in the oven, 10–12 min. Remove from oven, let rest 5 min. Cut into 1-inch cubes. Move to a bowl and sprinkle bijol to coat.

ASSEMBLE THE BITES

edible spoon (chili pepper & lime)
pork cubes
mango nectarine salsa
sriracha
—
Place one pork cube on each spoon, top with salsa. Dot sriracha for extra color burst and heat.

To see the rest of the rainbow recipes, go to this link: Rainbow of Food party menu

Not-Too-Sweet Blue Cocktails & Grand Vintage Champagne

Posted on: June 1st, 2015 by Ellen Swandiak

Go natural. The color in this blue cocktail comes from iris flowers immersed into the artisanal gin. Make a pretty and unusual statement on your party bar.

In planning this month’s menu of rainbow colors, the most practical choice for representing the color BLUE turned out to be the cocktail. In order to keep things on an upscale note—and not offer a menu of sickeningly-sweet junk booze—we went on the hunt for more sophisticated and subtle flavors. Luckily, we encountered a light sparkling blueberry liqueur and floral gin deluxe, see the details below.

Offer both at your gathering to cover those who prefer light and fruity or demand a crisp martini.

And for those who prefer a little bubbly with their celebrating, offer a sip of a cellar master’s crowning achievement, see details on Moët’s 2006 vintage below.

DETAILS ON THE INGREDIENTS:

[1] Touch of Cyan This month’s signature cocktail gets served up in a coupe glass, mixing slightly fruity flavors with lime. See the recipe with this post.

[2] Gin-Tastic The initial attraction of this gin was its show-stopping color. Upon tasting, we were pleasantly surprised to experience its soft, complex floral notes. Choose to serve either in a cocktail with lime accents or straight up for the martini-lovers in your crowd. Recipes appear with this post.

[3] Blue Ice American Vodka An honest pure vodka, made from russet potatoes, perfect for those avoiding gluten in your crowd. Mixed with water from deep within the Rocky Mountains, this vodka is distilled in five-stages and filtered through charcoal, garnet, and crystal. Blends perfectly in the cocktail. Nicely priced for parties. $20. blueicevodka.com

[4] LeSutra Sparkling Blueberry Liqueur This Blueberry liqueur announces itself in a pale turquoise tone with just a bit of sweetness and sparkle. Made in Michigan, the brand was inspired by hip hop artist Timbaland and is a blend of vodka, chardonnay, and fruit liqueurs. Sutra in Sanskrit means “a thread that is used to hold things together”. Perhaps this liqueur will stimulate conversation and relationships that will linger. About $30. NOTE: HAVING TROUBLE LOCATING THIS ITEM, PERHAPS HOBNOB HAS PURCHASED THE LAST BOTTLES OF THIS.

[5] Santa Cruz Organic Limeade A go-to brand for building cocktails, Santa Cruz offers all types of all-juice blends ranging from apricot to white grape. They were the pioneers of organic practices in the early 70’s starting with founder John Battendieri’s efforts to revitalize orchards in the Santa Cruz mountains, an area known for its outstanding fruit. Lately, they have led in efforts to conserve water and pooled together organic growers to sustain the brand and the planet. About $4 for 32 oz. santacruzorganic.com

[6] Magellan Iris-Flavored Gin In the final part of the distilling process of this gin, iris flowers are immersed, thus lending a lovely blue tint. This also adds a distinctly floral taste, with beauty in its subtlety. Also in the mix: cloves, cinnamon, juniper berries, orange peel, cassia, coriander, licorice, grains of paradise, cardamom, and nutmeg. It works wonderfully in the cocktail or as a simple sip. About $30. magellangin.com

[7] Fee Brothers Blue Curacao Cordial Syrup A non-alcoholic version of a classic cordial, Blue Curacao is sweet with the flavor of orange. Add this to any clear cocktail to get a blue effect. For this party you might want to get the 32 oz bottle, about $15. feebrothers.com

[8] Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage Rosé 2006 Every so often, Moët allows the cellar master free-reign in developing a grand vintage with charisma, ending up with a champagne that is unique and original. The last time this happened was 2006, the house’s 40th vintage rosé, and is a blend of the season’s most interesting grapes. Its flavor is designed to be paired with food of any persuasion. We sampled it at a tasting with spicy Korean fried chicken. Drink through 2019. $69. us.moet.com

Wild Ingredients: Colorful Lettuce, Alligator Sausage, Foraged Foods, & Wild-Caught Fish

Posted on: May 20th, 2015 by Ellen Swandiak

Your guests will be wowed when you take them off the beaten track and treat them to tastes of wild, unexpected ingredients that they wouldn’t find in their regular grocery aisle. Whether it’s foraged food, wild-caught, or just simply wild in its taste and appearance, we’ve got the goods.

Elevate your party food to adventurous, daring, and bold new heights with these extraordinary selections. It will get the conversation flowing.

[1] I’ll Take My Lettuce in Pink, Please

This gorgeous fuschia-flecked yellow lettuce, radicchio castillo franco, looks like it came from a blooming field of fresh flowers, but we found ours at Eataly, a great source for specialty produce. Vibrant colors don’t just belong in your flower vases—get inspired by nature’s palette and visit your local farmers’ market or specialty grocer for veggies that pop. See our recipe for Fresh Cranberry Bean & Barley Wraps that will make your table pop. eataly.com

[2] Maille Dijon Mustard Boutique

Maille, the Cadillac of mustards, recently opened its first mustard-only boutique in New York City featuring dozens of incredible flavor combinations. Try mustards infused with some of our favorite wild ingredients such as Roasted Onions, Wild Thyme & White Wine and Shallots, Chervil & Chanterelle. Your picks will be freshly hand-drawn into beautiful earthenware pots and carefully sealed with cork stoppers on the spot. Feeling overwhelmed by too many good choices? Don’t worry—their in-house mustard sommelier is there to assist. See a great party recipe for Gougères with Mustard. maille.com

[3] Exotic Meat Sources

Get adventurous with all-natural, farm-raised game and exotic meats from Fossil Farms. Their combo packs are perfect for bold party-goers to try a range of exotic offerings. The sausage pack includes varieties such as Venison Sausage with Blueberries and Merlot Wine and Wild Boar Sausage with Cranberries (see our recipe featuring these exotic sausages paired with two dijon dips in this month’s issue), while the daring should go for the wild game assortment that includes alligator, antelope, elk, and more. Other great sources for exotic meats include: Belmont Butchery, Marx Foods, and BuyExoticMeats.com.

[4] Foraged Finds at the Union Square Greenmarket

Support your local farmer’s market. In NYC the Union Square Greenmarket has foraged finds at: Lani’s, Mountain Sweet Berry Farm, Berried Treasures, Bodhitree, Gorzynski Ornery Farm, Yellow Bell, Deep Mountain Maple, Lucky Dog. Union Square Greenmarket

[5] Wild-Caught Fish

Do your best to avoid farm-raised fish and support amazing wild fish purveyors such as John Dolan’s World Wide Direct Seafoods at the New Fulton Fish Market in New York. Get the best, freshest wild-caught seafood, including black cod, wild arctic char, American red snapper, wild Atlantic striped bass, Pacific pollock, and much more. Worldwide Direct Seafoods

Franky Marshall Mixes Up a Winning Carrot Juice Cocktail

Posted on: May 12th, 2015 by Ellen Swandiak

This carrot juice cocktail is loaded with extra vitamins and takes on a super-hot color. Special thanks to mixologist Franky Marshall for sharing her winning recipe with adorable garnish.

World traveler, linguist, gourmande, and bon vivant, Franky Marshall has her finger on the cocktail pulse. If you follow this trendsetter, you will always be at the coolest spot in NYC. [Holiday Cocktail Lounge; The Dead Rabbit; Monkey Bar; Clover Club, to name a few!] I asked Franky to share a recipe for my party plan, whose theme is wild. When she suggested the carrot juice in the mix, I knew it was a winner, but little did I know…

I was lucky to catch Marshall before she took off to France, as the winner of the Grand Marnier cocktail contest—with this very recipe. I urge you to make the Garnier, or sample it from Marshall herself. It’s quite an original mix, just like her! You can accomplish this at Le Bar at Le District near the World Trade Center Memorial.

You can also catch her now at The Roof at Park South, where we did this photo shoot. This rooftop cocktail lounge boasts loads of comfortable seating areas situated around glass-front fireplaces and views. A 36-foot long bar sets the stage for bar director Ted Kilpatrick’s artisan cocktails. Delight in the ultra-thin vintage glassware selections that add to the cocktail experience, as seen in the photo.

David Nichols Shares His Recipe for Luscious Roasted Baby Carrots

Posted on: May 7th, 2015 by Ellen Swandiak

Check out this “wild” looking dish from a new chef on the NYC scene, David Nichols. You may never think of vegetables in the same way. He definitely has a way with roasted baby carrots.

The roasted carrots are paired with whipped feta and zingy pistachio vinaigrette, almost making them a meal unto themselves. For party purposes, set out carrots on a platter, and use the whipped feta as a dip, with vinaigrette on top. I thought this was an excellent recipe to include in my party plan that features all thing wild and foraged.

Originally from Washington State, Nichols grew up in a farm-to-table environment, encapsulating the soul of Irvington—which happens to be conveniently located across the street from the Union Square Greenmarket.

HOBNOB sampled some other dishes: roasted radishes in a bath of crème fraîche match zesty bitter tastes with a creamy accents; grapefruit and fennel accent scallops in the freshest way. I hope they never take this cocktail off the menu, Stramaro Never Dies (the name brings that hope to life) has a perfect blend of fresh strawberries, vodka, amaro, and lime with a salty accent on the rim. Makes for an ideal, summer cocktail offering in color and taste. Go try one! irvingtonnyc.com

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recipe

Roasted Carrots with Whipped Feta and Pistachio Vinaigrette

SERVES 4

PREHEAT OVEN 350º… COOK THE CARROTS

2 bunches baby carrots
s + p
—
Season carrots with s + p. Roast for 10 min.

MAKE THE WHIPPED FETA

1 CUP feta, crumbled
2 TB heavy cream
4 TB créme fraiche
juice of one lemon
s + p
—
Whisk together all ingredients until smooth.

MAKE THE PISTACHIO VINAIGRETTE

1/2 CUP pistachios, chopped
zest and juice of 2 limes
zest and juice of 2 lemons
zest and juice of 1 orange
4 TB parsley, chopped
1/2 bunch chives, chopped
4 TB mint, chiffonade
1/2 CUP olive oil
s + p
—
Whisk together all ingredients.

ASSEMBLE THE SALAD

mint leaves (for garnish)
—
Place the whipped feta in a bowl. Top with roasted carrots, then the pistachio vinaigrette. Garnish with mint leaves.

Macadamia Crusted Halibut Fish Tacos with Sweet Sour Mayo

Posted on: May 4th, 2015 by Ellen Swandiak

I had this idea to do a party menu featuring wild ingredients of all sorts. So, in keeping with the Wild theme of this party menu, we are featuring wild-caught halibut in these tacos. But not just plain old fish! The macadamia crusted halibut coats the fish with buttery macadamia nuts and panko breadcrumbs—which will impress your guests even further, and make the bites a bit more substantial and succulent. If you don’t want to put the fish into tacos, you can just serve the fish bites with the dipping sauce, they are sensational.

In this recipe we made our own mini taco shells from large wraps, using a glass to cut the circles. Adding the frisee not only presents a cool, citrus-y green color, but the bitterness cuts through the sweetness of the chutney in the sweet sour mayo. This is really an exceptional trio of tastes wrapped in a tortilla shell.

MAKES 32 MINI TACOS (YOU CAN STRETCH THIS OFFERING BY CUTTING THE BAKED FISH SLICES IN HALF)

PREHEAT OVEN 450º… MAKE THE FISH

1 1/4 LB halibut fillets, remove skin and cut into 1/2-inch slices (you should end up with 32)
—
Set up a breading station, 3 bowls:
1 cup spelt flour
—
2 eggs, beaten
—
1 1/4 CUPS macadamia nuts, finely chopped (process in food processor for the quickest results)
1 1/4 CUPS panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne
—
Dredge fish in flour, then eggs, then macadamia-breadcrumbs mixture. Place fish on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment. Bake about 15 min, flipping once mid-way through baking, till breading is golden.

MAKE THE SWEET SOUR MAYO SAUCE

1/2 CUP Stonewall Kitchen Old Farmhouse Chutney
1/4 CUP mayonnaise
2 TB sriracha
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
—
Combine ingredients in a small bowl.

CREATE MINI TACO WRAPS

4 wraps (11-inch) Aladdin Gourmet Sandwich Wraps
6 wraps (9-inch) Toufayan Hearth Baked Wraps Whole Wheat
—
Create 3.25-inch taco shells from the large wraps. Take a sturdy glass (or cookie cutter), and starting at the very edge, press down and rotate glass to cut. Pull up the wrap while glass is on top to help separate. Work your way around the edge of the circle. You should get 9 taco shells from the 11-inch, and 5 perfect shells from the 9-inch (plus 2 with a little missing on the side). Keep these in a sealed container until ready to use so they don’t dry out.

ASSEMBLE THE TACOS

32 mini taco wraps
Sweet Sour Mayo sauce
frisee
cooked fish
—
Slather sauce generously onto the taco wrap, lay a bed of frisee lettuce over one side, and top with a slice of fish (you can cut the fish pieces in half to maximize your taco offering). Fold taco shells over and press to seal. Line the tacos in a row to help keep them closed.

Vegan Party Bite: Fresh Cranberry Bean & Barley Wraps

Posted on: May 4th, 2015 by Ellen Swandiak

Some people might thing being vegan is boring. Well , this vegan party bite might change your mind. Have you ever seen lettuce in a light citron yellow with pink stripes? We chose to incorporate this lettuce as an ingredient in our “wild” party theme based on looks alone. Known as RADICCHIO CASTILLO FRANCO, they work as wraps—so no need for utensils. Their slightly bitter taste contrasts nicely with the cranberry bean and barley filling.

When I spotted the fresh cranberry beans at the market in matching color to the lettuce I thought I struck gold. Though the beans start out as pink and yellow, after cooking the color is lost (darn!). But, the benefit of using fresh beans is that they cook a lot faster than dried, and there’s no soaking involved. If you love surprising guests with new taste sensations, then check out the other recipes in our Wild Party theme’s menu.

MAKES 28 WRAPS

COOK THE BARLEY

1/4 CUP pearled barley
1 CUP water
1 tsp salt
—
In a medium pot, combine barley and water, bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, about 25 – 30 min, till soft and chewy, and liquid is absorbed (add water if barley is not soft enough). Let sit covered for 5 min. Fluff with fork.

COOK THE BEANS

1/2 LB fresh cranberry beans in the pod, shucked
1 bay leaf
—
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add beans, simmer about 35 min, till beans are soft. Drain.

FLAVOR THE BEANS

3 TB EV olive oil
10 fresh sage leaves, cut into strips
cooked beans
1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced
—
juice from 1/2 lemon
salt, to taste
—
EV olive oil
—
Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sage, fry for 1 min, till starting to crisp. Add beans, saute for 2 min. Add the garlic, saute for 1 min, till golden. Remove from heat, toss with lemon juice. Season with salt. Combine the beans and barley. Drizzle with a little olive oil.

MAKE THE SAUCE

4 TB vegenaise
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp parsley, minced
1/4 tsp ground coriander
—
Whisk ingredients together in a small bowl.

CREATE THE WRAPS

radicchio castillo franco, separated into leaves
—
beans and barley mixture
sauce
—
fresh parsley sprigs, for garnish
—
Remove 28 medium leaves from the center of the radicchio. Place a teaspoon, or so, of the bean and barley mixture into each leaf. Add a small dollop of the sauce and garnish with parsley leaf.

A Baijiu Cocktail—the Unusual Spirit You’ve Probably Never Had

Posted on: May 3rd, 2015 by Ellen Swandiak

Baijiu (pronounced bye-jo) comes from China and has a unique taste, unlike any other spirit. The aromatics have been likened to blue cheese, mushroom, sesame, and some unappealing things. You might say it’s an acquired taste, definitely not for the meek. Our baijiu cocktail is a take on a piña colada.

When tasting baijiu for the first time, the first sip will tease your brain—and have you wanting to sip more to actually define it. In this cocktail, a take on a piña colada, the savory notes of Baijiu marries fruity caramelized pineapple and mangosteen with touches of sesame. A unique taste sensation, to say the least.

See the recipe for Sesame Colada, by Orson Salicetti, with this post. I chose to include this cocktail in my party plan featuring all things wild. The menu features foraged and some out-there ingredients.

DETAILS ON THE INGREDIENTS:

[1] Mixologist Orson Salicetti launches NYC’s first Baijiu cocktail lounge, Lumos. HOBNOB got a first peek at the space and a tasting of the high-proof, and high-priced spirit. Salicetti (seen in photo above) has been experimenting with loads of brands and has planned an extensive cocktail menu, highlighting the nuances of each one. Head to West Houston near West Broadway, and take the stairs under the hat shop. Have fun tasting! (sadly, this place has since closed)

[2] Lumos First look at the space, which features an extra long marble bar, that plans to be bar-stool-free. Owner Orson Salicetti wants everyone to get a chance at a taste of Baijiu, and be able to mingle and move freely. A shelf will be added to the back wall facing the bar for resting drinks. The bar features an extensive assortment of brands of Baijiu, plus a curated selection of traditional spirits for those who insist on classic offerings. A lounge area with benches of reclaimed wood is situated at the back. For upcoming events, see details at facebook.com/lumosnyc

[3] Kweichow Moutai Baijiu (50% Alc./Vol., 106 Proof) is a rare, small-batch blend perfect for sipping at special occasions. This exceptional aged baijiu is rich, earthy, and incredibly fragrant, with a long rounded finish, full of umami-soy notes. About $250.

[4] Hong Kong Baijiu (43% Alc./Vol., 86 Proof), in its distinctive bright red bottle, is one of the most popular brands of baijiu, and was first designed with the Western consumer in mind. Handcrafted in Sichuan, China, its fruity, lightly sweet taste may be less traditional, but it’s a great place to start for baijiu novices. About $50.

[5] Portobello Road Gin Fast becoming popular with gin lovers comes this brand from London’s famous shopping street. Juniper berries, coriander seed, angelica root, lemon and orange peel, licorice root, cassia bark, and nutmeg blend together for a clean and herbacious taste. Next time you are in London, book a session at their Ginstitute, where you can sample and create a gin to your liking. portobelloroadgin.com

[6] Lakewood Organic Mangosteen Juice is made with 100% Fruit Juice Fresh Pressed Mangosteen maintaining micro-nutrients. Restores electrolytes and supports digestion, and adds another indescribable taste to the cocktail—something in between a strawberry, kiwi and plum.

[7] Chinese Sesame Paste differs from tahini, in that roasted sesame seeds are used to make it. It comes in a dark brown and full-on sesame flavor.

Wild Recipes: Mustard Gougères & Venison with Ramp Pesto

Posted on: April 5th, 2015 by Ellen Swandiak

As part of our recipe plan for hosting a wild and foraged themed party, I’ve included these 2 spectacular wild recipes perfect for entertaining. The first came after doing a tasting at the new Maille Mustard Boutique that opened on the Upper West side of Manhattan, where I was totally wowed by the possibilities of dijon mustard—and more. The photos (at the top of this post) show two of the items we sampled at the tasting, which also included a Beef Tartare, Spring Root Vegetable Roulade, and Lox, all with mustard as the surprise ingredient. Executive Chef of Tastings NYC, Cedric Duran has generously shared his recipe for gougères with us, which includes a White Wine Mustard with Fine Herbs as the surprise ingredient.

If you prefer adventures of the meatier kind, then take a look at the recipe for Venison, that pairs perfectly with the ingredient of the Spring season, ramps! Fossil Farms, which we featured on our website this month for exotic meat sources is located in Boonton, NJ and offers weekly samplings every Saturday. You might have just missed the Cinco de Mayo Emu Tacos wrapped in lettuce that were on their menu!

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recipe

Comte Gougères with Fine Herb Mustard Sweet Onion Cream

MAKES 50 BITES

Make the Gougères…Preheat oven 350º

9 oz water
7 TB of butter
3 tsp salt
1 pinch black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch nutmeg
—
7 oz all-purpose flour
5 whole eggs
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 CUP aged Comté cheese, grated
1/2 CUP heavy cream
—
Mix water, butter, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and nutmeg together in a pan over heat till it boils.
Add flour and stir for 5 min. Put the dough into a mixer bowl with wire whip and mix it for 3 min to cool down. Add the eggs one by one to obtain a nice, sticky dough. Add baking powder, Comté cheese, and heavy cream. Mix again.
Spoon the dough into a pastry bag and pipe the gougères onto a sheet pan. Bake them in the oven for 10 min.

Make the Onion Cream

5 Spanish onions
1/2 stick unsalted butter
4 TB Maille White Wine Mustard with Fine Herbs
s + p
—
Thinly slice the onions, cook them with butter for 15 min. Once cooked, blend in a blender with the mustard for 2-3 min to obtain a smooth puree. Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble

Pipe the mustard filling inside the gougères with and serve warm.

—Recipe by Cedric Duran, Exec Chef of Tastings NYC.

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recipe

BBQ Venison Flank Steak, Ramp Pesto, and Smoky Mushroom Potato Hash

Make the Ramp Pesto

8 oz fresh ramps
2 oz extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt (to taste)
fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
—
Place in a food processor and puree.

Make the Smoky Mushroom and Potato Hash

1 oz applewood smoking chips, soaked for 1-2 hours
1 TB extra virgin olive oil
1 oz chanterelle mushrooms, chopped
1/2 oz morel mushrooms, sliced
1/2 oz shitake mushrooms, sliced
8 oz yukon gold potatoes, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
—
1/2 bunch chives, thinly sliced, for garnish
—
Add soaked wood chips to coals (ideal temperature is 325º). Heat cast iron pan on grill. Add all the mushrooms, potatoes, and garlic to the pan. Allow to cook and hot smoke until potatoes are tender. Season to taste and finish with chopped chives.

Make the Venison

2 venison flank steaks
s + p
—
Season with salt and pepper. Grill over high heat until medium rare. Allow to rest a few minutes and slice thin. Top with pesto, and serve with mushroom potato hash.

—Recipe by Ben Del Coro, Executive Chef, Fossil Farms.

Wee & Wry: Rye and Jasmine Unite in this Mini Cocktail

Posted on: March 1st, 2015 by Ellen Swandiak

In this issue’s mini cocktail, the rye and jasmine liqueur complement each other like a match made in heaven. Lime tones down the sweet factor, and the touch of lavender in the bitters add a touch of complexity.

I developed this cocktail as part of my party plan which features everything mini, as in mini ingredients. Stay with the mini theme with your choice of glass: either a mini wine glass, mini martini glass, or cordial glass. Here are the details on the ingredients:

[1] Templeton Rye

Get ready to experience an exceptional spirit, born during the time when spirits were banned. Inspired by stories told by his uncle and grandfather, Scott Bush sought to resurrect the rye that his family was famous for making during prohibition time. Though the recipe was lost among his kin, he was able to track down a nearly 100-year-old recipe, handwritten on a small scrap of paper, through the Kerkhoffs, a rival bootlegging family. They joined forces and found a distiller who would honor the independent methods that created the legendary rye, and eventually built a distillery in the original town of Templeton, Iowa.

Today the Templeton Archive Project is currently documenting the lore of their product with interviews of the area’s oldest residents, preserving unique memories of the Prohibition era and the role it played in this small town. TASTING NOTES: hint of caramel, butterscotch, toffee and allspice. About $40. templetonrye.com

[2] Fruitlab Organic Jasmine Liqueur

Floral and exotic, this rich liqueur does a number with the rye, almost as if they were designed to be a couple. This liqueur is brought to you by the Greenbar Craft Distillery, who represent the world’s largest portfolio of organic spirits. Husband-and-wife team Melkon Khosrovian and Litty Mathew began making spirits in 2004, and hooked up with local organic farmers, leading to award-winning spirits. They consider the environment with the packaging as well, with lightweight bottles and 100% recycled labels. A tree is planted for every bottle sold. About $30. greenbar.biz

[3] Junior Merino Cachaça Intesive Bitters Yuzu & Lavender

Just a couple of drops of this intense bitters will do the trick. Made with a base of cachaça it adds a light citrus with floral notes of French lavender. Keep it on hand to add not only to cocktails, but food—salad dressings, marinades, ceviche, soup, stew, desserts or seafood. $17. Junior Merino

[4] Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice

Get out your juicer and a big batch of limes. If you don’t already have one, I highly recommend the Cuisinart Pulp Control Citrus Juicer. This baby gets every drop out of lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits, and cleans up with just a rinse. Turning the top allow you to control how much pulp you want in your juice—none to every bit of pulp. About $30. amazon.com

[5] San Pellegrino Mineral Water

This cocktail gets an addition of water spawned from the earth. San Pellegrino flows from the foothills of the Italian Alps and surfaces as perfectly sparkling and naturally enriched with mineral salts. TASTING NOTES: The immediate impression on the taste buds is one of tingling freshness, followed by moderate acidity that stimulates salivation, while the high mineral content leaves a pleasant aftertaste. sanpellegrino.com

Mini BLT: Speck, Micro Greens, Cherry Tomato & Spicy Mayo

Posted on: March 1st, 2015 by Ellen Swandiak

We took the winning flavors of a classic bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich and turned it into a gourmet mini BLT, perfect for serving as a passed hors d’oeuvre at a party. Each of the ingredients got special consideration.

In this BLT, speck from northern Italy is substituted for the bacon. Its flavor is slightly more robust than prosciutto. Speck is cured, then lightly smoked over the course of a few months, allowing the smoke to penetrate the meat thoroughly. Make sure to lightly crisp the speck, it should still be pliable, so it can be folded to fit into the mini sandwich. The softness of this ingredient makes it ideal for these mini BLTs.

Instead of just mayo, we added a little spice to ratchet up the flavors. For the lettuce, micro arugula greens were the right size to go into these, and added a bit of extra bitterness and spice themselves. Of course, for the tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, which tend to be sweeter than most tomatoes, added their bit. For the bread, focaccia was sliced into cubes, then cut in half.

Tip: Buy your micro greens day of the party, they do not last more than two days, and you want them to be ultra fresh. To see more ideas on hosting a party with all dishes “mini” check out this link, Mini Party Theme.

MAKES 24 BITES

CRISP THE SPECK

spray oil
8 slices speck
—
Spray coat a heavy pan with oil. Fry strips briefly, about 1 min each side, to just crisp. Cut each slice into 3 pieces.

MAKE THE SPICY MAYO

1/2 CUP mayonnaise
1 TB sriracha
1/2 tsp lime zest
1/4 tsp organic garlic salt
—
Whisk together ingredients in a small bowl.

CREATE THE BLTS

focaccia (12-inch square)
spicy mayo
arugula micro greens
cherry tomato, sliced into rounds
crisped speck
toothpicks
—
Cut focaccia into 1-inch squares, then slice in half horizontally to create the top and bottom. On each half slather the spicy mayo then top with arugula and a slice of tomato. Fold the speck to fit bread, fit in between the two halves and secure with a pick.

Posts Tagged ‘gourmet’

MAKES 18 SMALL SERVINGS (1 INCH X 4 INCH) OR 8-10 PIE WEDGES

THAW PUFF PASTRY

MAKE THE CHEESE MIX

PREPARE THE VEGGIES

PREHEAT OVEN 400ºF… ASSEMBLE THE TART

COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS:

IN ADDITION TO THE COCKTAIL:

SERVES 16

SET OUT THE DESSERT

MAKES 30 BITES

DEFROST THE TUNA

MAKE THE TUNA POKE

ASSEMBLE THE BITE

MAKES 28 SPOONS

MAKE THE MANGO NECTARINE SALSA

PREHEAT OVEN 425ºF… COOK THE PORK

ASSEMBLE THE BITES

[1] I’ll Take My Lettuce in Pink, Please

[2] Maille Dijon Mustard Boutique

[3] Exotic Meat Sources

[4] Foraged Finds at the Union Square Greenmarket

[5] Wild-Caught Fish

recipe

Roasted Carrots with Whipped Feta and Pistachio Vinaigrette

SERVES 4

PREHEAT OVEN 350º… COOK THE CARROTS

MAKE THE WHIPPED FETA

MAKE THE PISTACHIO VINAIGRETTE

ASSEMBLE THE SALAD

MAKES 32 MINI TACOS (YOU CAN STRETCH THIS OFFERING BY CUTTING THE BAKED FISH SLICES IN HALF)

PREHEAT OVEN 450º… MAKE THE FISH

MAKE THE SWEET SOUR MAYO SAUCE

CREATE MINI TACO WRAPS

ASSEMBLE THE TACOS

MAKES 28 WRAPS

COOK THE BARLEY

COOK THE BEANS

FLAVOR THE BEANS

MAKE THE SAUCE

CREATE THE WRAPS

recipe

Comte Gougères with Fine Herb Mustard Sweet Onion Cream

MAKES 50 BITES

Make the Gougères…Preheat oven 350º

Make the Onion Cream

To assemble

recipe

BBQ Venison Flank Steak, Ramp Pesto, and Smoky Mushroom Potato Hash

Make the Ramp Pesto

Make the Smoky Mushroom and Potato Hash

Make the Venison

[1] Templeton Rye

[2] Fruitlab Organic Jasmine Liqueur

[3] Junior Merino Cachaça Intesive Bitters Yuzu & Lavender

[4] Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice

[5] San Pellegrino Mineral Water

MAKES 24 BITES

CRISP THE SPECK

MAKE THE SPICY MAYO

CREATE THE BLTS

COOK THE POTATOES

PREPARE THE POTATOES FOR STUFFING

MAKE THE STUFFING

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