DIY Network

A Cozy Night in Moscow: Food Preparation From "Weekend Entertaining" episode WKE-202

Russian Creme Cake

This party is rated 2 on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most difficult, and is geared toward the skills of a frequent entertainer.

Hourly Breakdown

Total Prep Time -- 9 hours
Food Preparation -- 5 hours

Russian Creme Cake

Ingredients:

6 sponge cakes
Creme and Rum Syrup
Russian Creme

Ingredients for the Creme and Rum Syrup:

3/4 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup rum

Preparation for Creme and Rum Syrup:

Bring water and sugar to a boil in saucepan until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add rum. Brush the sponge cake with warm rum syrup.

Ingredients for the Russian Creme:

3 cups milk, divided
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 Tbs. flour
2 Tbs. butter, cut into pieces
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Fresh Fruit Preserves

Preparation for Russian Creme:

Combine 1/4 cup of milk and eggs and whisk together. Add this to the flour and sugar. Whisk until it is free of lumps and well combined.

In a saucepan, heat the remaining milk to steaming but not boiling. Slowly add the egg mixture, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Add the egg and butter mixture and bring to a boil, and then immediately remove from the heat.

Strain the creme to remove any overcooked egg.

When it is cooled to room temperature, fold in the vanilla, cover and refrigerate. This can be made a day ahead if necessary.

When ready to serve, place the creme in the sponge cakes and add the preserves on top. If you make these right before the party, they can sit out at room temperature until you serve them.

Expert Tip: Quick and easy dessert toppings can be found in preserved fruits and liqueur, or taking jarred lemon curd and simply mixing it with whipped cream for something simple and easy.

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Salmon Coulibiac

Salmon Coulibiac

Ingredients:

3 large sheets of puff pastry
1-1/2 lbs. salmon fillet, skinned and deboned
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked orzo prepared with chicken broth
2 cups brown onions -- sauteed in 2 Tbs. butter and 2 Tbs. brown sugar -- to caramelize the onions
10 cups raw spinach -- sauteed in 1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Sherry
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 cups mushrooms -- sauteed in 3 Tbs. butter and 1 tsp. tarragon

Figure A

Preparation:

Place a 6 x 20 inch sheet of puff pastry on a baking sheet. Center the salmon lengthwise on the pastry, salt and pepper to taste. Mix the cooked orzo with the sauteed and caramelized onions and layer it on top of the salmon.

Wash and drain spinach and saute it in a tablespoon of olive oil. Spinach really cooks down so plan on about 5 cups of raw spinach to equal 1 cooked cup. After spinach is sauteed in the olive oil, pour in 1/4 cup of Sherry and cook over medium heat until the liquid boils down to about half. Add 1/4 cup of cream and cook for 5 minutes more to thicken up the sauce. Then, stir in the mushrooms that have been sauteed in butter and tarragon. Layer the spinach on top of the orzo.

To seal it up, wrap the bottom edges of the puff pastry up along the sides of the salmon. Brush the edges of the 12" x 20" sheet of puff pastry with a lightly beaten egg, and drape it over the assembled layers. Gently tuck the edges of puff pastry underneath.

Cut the other 12" x 20" puff pastry sheet into 1" strips. Brush each strip with a lightly beaten egg and place each strip, spaced 1 inch apart, over the salmon diagonally. Interweave the strips 1 inch apart on the opposing diagonal into a latticework pattern. Cut ivy leaves or flowers from the remaining puff pastry using a knife or cookie cutters. Brush with egg and apply decoratively within the latticework pattern (figure A).

About 45 minutes before you plan to serve, brush the entire wrapped salmon with egg and pop into a 350 degree oven and bake until golden brown -- approximately 25 minutes. Take it out of the oven and let it set for 20 minutes. This will give you nice clean slices. You can cover uncooked salmon en croute with plastic and refrigerate earlier on the day of the party.

Expert Tip: Pastries with a butter baste will get light and fluffy with each additional layer you make, so keep rolling the dough and it will get light and fluffy.

Potato Blinis

Potato Blinis

Ingredients:

4-5 Yukon Gold potatoes, to yield about 3-1/2 cups cooked
1 cup milk at room temperature
4 oz. (1 stick) butter, melted
2 eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Peel the potatoes and cut them in half, and boil them in salted water for about 30 minutes. They need to be done, but not over cooked. Put them through a potato ricer -- or if you don't have one -- you can also grate them on the small holes of a standard cheese grater.

Note: You can cook the potatoes the night before and hand grate them.

Stir the flour and baking powder together well and then add to the potatoes, mixing well.

Add about 1/3 of the milk and stir to incorporate, then add about 1/3 of the butter and incorporate. Continue in thirds like that until all the milk and butter is added and mixed.

Add the eggs, salt and pepper, and stir.

You need a large nonstick pan, heated on medium heat (it is important that it is not too hot), and a small (little less than 1/4 cup) ice cream scoop works really well for dipping out uniform sizes.

Just brown on both sides and remove to a plate to cool. Don't stack the hot pancakes atop the already cooked ones, or the ones on the bottom will get mushy. Present them topped with creme fraiche (or sour cream) and caviar. Garnish with fresh snipped chives.

Serves: Approximately 20 pancakes

RESOURCES :

Sophisticated Entertaining: Spirited Food for Grown-Up Parties
1557883459
Jeanne Benedict
(October, 2000)
To order this title from Amazon, click here.
HP Books

Whole Foods Market
Website: www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Hillcrest Party Rentals
3507 Motor Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
Phone: 310-837-9009
Website: www.hillcrestparty.com

The Sophisticated Cookie: Baking with Spirits: The World's Best Cookies Made with Alcoholic Beverages
1557882940
Jeanne Benedict
(September, 1998)
To order this title from Amazon, click here.
HP Books

Celebrations: A Joyous Guide to the Holidays from Past to Present
1557883734
Jim McCann and Jeanne Benedict
(November, 2001)
To order this title from Amazon, click here.
HP Books

A Taste of Russia: A Cookbook of Russian Hospitality
1880100428
Darra Goldstein
(October, 1999)
To order this title from Amazon, click here.
Russian Information Services

Little Book of Vodka Cocktails
0600601447
Editors of Hamlyn
(September, 2000)
To order this title from Amazon, click here.
Hamlyn (UK)

GUESTS :

Harry Schwartz
Culinary Expert
PO Box 1320
Yarmouth, ME 04096
Phone: 207-846-8881
E-mail: chefharry@chefharry.com
Website: www.chefharry.com

Diann Valentine
Event Producer
D.R. Valentine and Associates, Inc.
650 S. Raymond Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91105
Phone: 626-395-0346
Fax: 626-395-0649
Website: www.drvalentine.net

Marc Friedland
Image Expert
Creative Intelligence
4988 Venice Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90019
Phone: 323-936-9009
E-mail: mf@creative-intelligence.com

Kevin Lee
Celebrity Event Designer
La Premier Flowers
Phone: 310-435-4286
E-mail: kevin@lapremier.net