Dinner parties are excellent occasions for spending time with friends, but can often involve more time and effort without a caterer than most can afford. Joining Party at Home host Heidi Bohay is cooking instructor Betty Rosbottom, author of American Favorites: New Renditions of the Recipes We Love. Betty tells us how a little planning and preparation is all we need to fix impressive meals for our guests without any stress. Rosbottom says the key to enjoying your own party is to do as much in advance as possible. This will allow you to take part in the conversations and festivities without worrying about preparing the food. She suggests shopping three days before the party, cooking and freezing the food for two days, then assembling and reheating the dishes the day of the event. With careful planning, everything gets done and your party will be a relaxing experience for you and your guests. In her experience, Rosbottom has observed that people coming into a party want something to nibble on, something they can pop into their mouths without need of a napkin or plate. She has found several recipes that are perfect finger foods and look impressive at any party. Consider these tasty treats at your next gathering. They can be baked weeks in advance and stored to have on hand for last minute entertaining. Peppered Almonds Ingredients: 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 tsp. red pepper sauce, preferably Tabasco®
2 tsp. cider vinegar
1 lb. (about 3 cups) whole blanched almonds
2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 15"-by-10"-by-1" pan with aluminum foil. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in pepper sauce and vinegar. Remove from heat and add almonds, stirring to coat well. Spread almonds evenly in foil-lined pan and bake, stirring occasionally, until nuts are a rich, deep golden color, about 20 minutes. While nuts are in oven, combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Remove nuts from oven and add to seasoning mixture, stirring to coat well. Return nuts to baking pan, spreading evenly. Bake for 5 minutes then remove from oven and stir. Let cool completely before serving. For an even quicker way to whip up these spicy almonds for unexpected guests, simply add 1 tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce to the melted butter and stir in almonds. Spread them on a baking sheet lined with foil and bake on 325 degrees until golden brown. Nuts can be prepared three weeks ahead. Store in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost before serving. Rosemary Cheese Straws These thin, crispy, herb-scented cheese straws have two benefits for the busy cook: they are made with only four ingredients, and they can be prepared several days in advance. Ingredients: 3/4 cup (3 oz.) grated mild white Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup (3 oz.) freshly grated imported Parmesan cheese
1 Tb. plus 1 tsp. dried rosemary leaves, crushed
Prepared puff pastry, defrosted
Fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish (optional) Preparation: Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Arrange a rack at center position in oven and preheat 425 degrees. Place cheddar, Parmesan and rosemary in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process for several seconds until mixture is finely ground to a coarse powder. Alternatively, by hand, mince together cheeses and dried rosemary with a sharp knife. Remove and set aside. Place pastry sheet on a lightly floured work surface and roll into a rectangle 18" x 11". Cover half of the pastry with the cheese mixture. Fold clean half of pastry sheet over cheese and press lightly with your hands. Cut the dough into long strips, and twist each one a few times before spacing evenly on a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper. Press the ends of the twisted strips onto the paper. Bake straws, 1 baking sheet at a time, for about 8 minutes until golden brown (figure A). Watch straws carefully and check after 5 minutes. When straws are done, remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature in a napkin-lined basket or in a wide-rimmed wine goblet. Garnish with a few fresh rosemary sprigs. Straws can be made 2 to 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature. If desired, warm in a 350-degree oven for 5 minutes. They can also be frozen; defrost before using and crisp in a 350-degree oven until hot, about 5 minutes. When preparing party food in advance, Rosbottom says that it is important to know how to freeze foods properly. Just putting the food inside a self-sealing freezer bag is not enough to protect it. Betty recommends first wrapping it tightly with plastic, then aluminum foil. Sealed in a freezer bag in this manner, the food will last a couple of months.
RESOURCES :
American Favorites: New Renditions of the Recipes We Love
Model: 1576300161
Author: Betty Rosbottom
(October 1996)
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Houghton Mifflin Co.
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617-351-5000
Email: tradecustomerservice@hmco.com
GUESTS :
Betty Rosbottom
Cooking Instructor/Columnist
c/o The (Stamford) Advocate
75 Tresser Blvd.
Stamford, CT 06904
Phone: 203-964-2200
Web site: www.goodtogo.com
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