ColdApp – Page 4 – Rosemary and the Goat

Appetizers/ Bread/ ColdApp/ Entree/ HotApp/ Pork

Momofuku’s Steamed Buns and Quick Pickles

Soft and delicious buns and the pickles are bad either.

Here’s the second installment of the pork belly saga.

Thinking of Steamed Buns brings up thoughts of dim sum and being in Chinatown/San Francisco. Back in 2001 (just a week before 9/11 happened) we were in San Francisco/Napa with our friends Peggy and Gordon. While in San Francisco we were in Chinatown and went for dim sum at supposedly one of their best places. Well, Peggy and I both can now hear the word “dim sum” and it always gets a smile and chuckle from us.

We didn’t know what to order and it seemed like everything put on our plates was sweet and gooey. I remember the buns but not what was in ours, something sweet and gooey I’m sure. Anyway, it was a fun experience watching all the waitpeople come by with their carts of goodies. Too bad we weren’t up on what to order off the menu.

Since, that experience we have had dim sum with our son/daughter-in-law in Chicago and they’re experts on everything on the menu and we have enjoyed it very much and will be much better prepared the next time on what to order.

So for this recipe you will need the Braised Pork Belly recipe that I posted a few days ago and the cucumbers that are used in this little Pork Belly Steamed Bun Sandwich.

I do hope you will try these little buns, or you could make a pulled pork sandwich using these little white buns.

I think these Steamed Buns, the Quick Pickled Cucumbers, Pork Belly and the glaze make one terrific bite of a sandwich and you won’t regret the hours it takes making the pork belly or the buns. I’m giving you the pickle recipe along with the steamed buns just because the pickles are so quick and easy and the “pickle” post would be all of about two lines long. So, you can eat these pickles with whatever you chose; I made them to go with the Pork Belly and Steamed Bun sandwich.

March 1, 2014 By Sherry

Appetizers/ ColdApp/ Salads/ Side dish

Peanut Noodle Salad

The party’s over but I will make this salad again.

Last weekend we hosted a going away party for friends who are moving to China for three years. It was a fun party to prepare for because I decided “East Meets West” would be the theme of the party; some Texas style foods on one side of the table and Chinese (Asian style) foods on the other and they met in the middle with my husband’s pulled pork on mini rolls with an Asian slaw topping.

Hope you enjoy the pictures below as much as I had preparing for the party. I found a cool piece of purple brocade with butterflies at Jo Ann Fabrics that was marked 50% off so I got three yards for $15. I didn’t bother even hemming it since I just bunched it up on the table around the platters. I had these Asian lanterns left from my daughter’s wedding and they worked perfect for the table top and I bought these large paper parasols to put out front along the walkway.

I’ve been hoarding about 150 little Chinese takeout cartons for several months trying to come up with a way to use them. For my daughter’s wedding a couple of years ago we had them with Truffled Parmesan French Fries and they made such a cute container for foods to snack on I decided to order some for myself. So, this Peanut Noodle Salad was taking up residence in these cartons with some beautiful chopsticks I ordered with some forks on the side for those not adventurous enough to use the chopsticks.

This salad was a perfect appetizer because I made it in advance and was just one thing that didn’t get fiddled with at the last minute. I decided to only fill the cartons half full since we had so many other things on the menu.

BLAST FROM THE PAST: This was the very first recipe I posted back in June of 2009. Mandarin Orange Napoleon and it was so good. I must make that again sometime for a party.

January 9, 2014 By Sherry

Appetizers/ ColdApp

Salmon Martinis ??

A new use for those martini glasses.

My favorite party to cater has always been a cocktail party. I’m always on the look for new and interesting ideas for finger foods and if you ever need any ideas for finger foods, take a look at my appetizer section here on the blog.

A friend of mine gave me these beautiful martini glasses one year for Christmas. Of course I made martinis in them, what else would they be used for????

I have used them many times for nuts, dips, even as small vases for flowers, and this great little smoked salmon spread. For a golden wedding anniversary I catered I used this gold netty stuff to surround the martini glasses and then I used the different glasses to hold the mousse (see pickled ginger rose and bell pepper star garnish), the chopped eggs, red onions and capers. The glasses made such a beautiful presentation.

Dig out some of those beautiful glasses you may have and use them for something other than a cocktail. You can take a recipe as simple as this salmon spread or any spread and make it look so enticing just by the way you present it.

December 20, 2013 By Sherry

Appetizers/ ColdApp/ HotApp

Fried Deviled Eggs

What can I say? You just have to try them.

Lucy’s Fried Chicken was a nice find when were in Austin a while back. Of course we ordered fried chicken but we also ordered some fried chicken gizzards (my favorite) for appetizers and tried their deep fried deviled eggs. I loved the gizzards but the deep fried deviled eggs had to be put on my list of must tries for the blog. We all know that anything fried is good but in my life, I have never heard of a fried deviled egg. Couldn’t pass up the homemade moon pies either, but we were good, ordered one to go and cut it in fourths to share when we got home.

I get excited finding new restaurants to try when we are visiting our kids. Olivia’s and Lucy’s are both owned by Chef James Holmes. Olivia’s was his first restaurant and Lucy is his southern sister restaurant. He has two daughters named Olivia and Lucy; isn’t that sweet. Olivia’s has been named one of the top new restaurants in America by Bon Appetite and we ate there when our son Paul graduated from culinary school. Take a look at their websites; two totally different restaurants and I love both of them. I don’t know if you are like me but I want to look at the menus before I go some place and I spend a lot of time looking at different menus anyway for inspiration. I usually know where I want to eat before I get to the city I’m going to. Why don’t you take a look at their menus if you have time.

I think Lucy’s will be around for quite a while; the food’s great, the atmosphere even better and I think Olivia’s has already proven it’s self.

I wasn’t sure about the deviled eggs and have decided to try them two different ways. One, I’m taking the whole deviled egg half (like Lucy’s did) and putting in flour, egg and then flour (I guess that’s the way they did them) and the other way is breading just the whites, frying and then piping in the egg filling. See which one you like the best.

October 4, 2013 By Sherry

Appetizers/ ColdApp

Rosemary Goat Frico

Goat milk cheddar make these even the more wonderful.

I’m sure if you haven’t made frico you have at least eaten them. Some of our local groceries sell them but why buy something you can make in your own kitchen and put your own spin on them and of course they taste even better.

This simple little crisp is nothing more than cheese, a pinch of flour, and whatever you want to add in for a different twist. In America these are called Cheese Crisp and in Italy frico. Now you tell me which one has the most appetizing sound — Free-co or Cheese Crisp. I’m going with Frico. These little bites of cheesy bliss make the perfect simple appetizer for any meal and just think about the holidays to come and how you don’t want to over feed your guests on appetizers before the big meal. Put a few of these out with glasses of wine or cocktails and they will be happy until you ring the dinner bell.

We were out on the lake last weekend with friends and my husband had smoked a brisket for dinner on the lake. My friend, Peggy, made cheddar frico which we gobbled up while floating on our noodles in the lake. These lacy crisp took my mine off the fact that I had been watching “gator weekend” on sci-fi all day and was anticipating an attach from dino-gator or some other creature like the giant python that I saw fight the dino-gator. Her container of Frico were gone in a flash by 6 noodle floating friends with a glass of wine in one hand and a Frico in the other.

I still had some goat milk cheddar and a little chunk of parmesan and with a snip of rosemary from my garden and a few grinds of black pepper these were a snap to throw together. Now let’s see how long they last in my house. Guess I better go take my hub one before I eat them all.

September 19, 2013 By Sherry

Appetizers/ ColdApp/ Garnish

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Garnish

Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, had a very shiny nose……

What is Christmas in July anyway. I never really understood celebrating Christmas in July but I decided to show you this cute little garnish I use to make for all the Christmas parties I catered.

This is such a great tray garnish for your holidays. No instructions really needed but here’s how I would always make them.

Choose a perfectly “reindeer head” shaped pear. I always used the brown pears. Now for the ginger root, I would sort though the bin of ginger root pieces and find two that looked like reindeer antlers and then break off what I needed; why buy what you don’t need, right.

Decide how you want to situate the antler pieces and cut the bottom off in a slant to fit the shape of the pear where it will be sitting.

Cut the bottom of the pear off at a slant so it will sit with the nose end up. Put two toothpicks into each piece of ginger (that way they don’t swivel around) and insert into the back of the pear.

Cut radishes slices for the eyes. Attach them by using half a toothpick for each and insert that almost all the way into the pear leaving just enough sticking out of the radish to attach the raisin to.

July 17, 2013 By Sherry

Appetizers/ ColdApp/ Side dish

Cobb Deviled Eggs

Who doesn’t like deviled eggs any way you make them!

I’m taking back everything I ever said about not messing with deviled egg recipes. I once said “leave those creamy, mustardy, traditional eggs alone”. They just want to live out a peaceful existence as a simple side dish, snack, or appetizer that has the love of almost everyone who has ever eaten one.

WRONG. Why not mess with the recipe anyway you want. I’ve had deviled egg recipes that have mashed avocado as part of the filling, a recipe with shrimp on top (didn’t like that one) and some that have salsa on top, but I have a tendency to go with two kinds of mustard, mayo, salt and pepper and sometimes a little sweet or dill relish and then stick half a stuffed green olive in the top. No one ever turns them down how ever I stuff them. For my grandson’s first birthday, to go with the pig roast, I did deviled eggs and garnished the top with sugar snap pea sprouts that were all curly and cute.

So back to the cobb part of this recipe. I saw this on a menu at a local Houston restaurant. Not sure how they did theirs but I knew exactly how I was going to make my eggs.

June 1, 2013 By Sherry

Appetizers/ ColdApp

Chicken Liver Pâté with Cognac Gelée

Luxuriously smooth……

I would describe this pâté as a luxurious treat. Throw in some cornichons and some thin slices of crostini and you will be delighted with the results. (I forgot the cornichons so my group did not get the tiny little pickles to go with the yummy pate.

I’ve eaten and cooked my share of organ meats; things like tongue, lamb fries, sweetbreads, tripe, chitterlings and gizzards but I’ve never been a fan of chicken livers and their mushy texture; although I do love terrines and pâté. So, when I saw someone on one of the cooking networks make a pâté, I knew I was going to have to make one. But, where was I to start, the Internet of course.

I started with Julia Child’s recipe but then I went to one of my favorite French sites — David Lebovitz. I ended up making his recipe for the pâté but added cognac instead of the port; but then I went back to Julia’s recipe and added fresh thyme and allspice. Thyme is a classic seasoning in most liver pâté and I have a fantastic herb garden this year. (see pics below)

I also added the allspice to the Gelee that goes on top of the pâté.* I was intrigued by the idea of David putting hard boiled eggs in the mixture and by the time it was blended in the food processor there was no evidence of egg parts. The one thing I would have liked to try was David’s jelly on top. He used the port wine again which gave the gelee a really pretty shade of crimson.

While in France last year we found ourselves snacking on pâté and other French favorites daily. I’ve made rillettes before and have made a country pâté but have never tried a chicken liver pâté so this is a first for me.

The pâté can be served without the gelee on top but I like the finished touch it adds to the serving container. Serve with some toasted thinly sliced baguettes with a sprinkle of sea salt. Thinly sliced apples would also be delicious with the dish. One recipe I came across used calvados (apple brandy) in the pate (some call this a mousse) and the gelee and she also put the apples in the pâté.

April 28, 2013 By Sherry

Appetizers/ ColdApp/ Salads

Chicken Stuffed Sea Shells

I can smell the sea salt already.

We’re going to Florida this summer and I can’t wait to see what all I can find made with sea shells. Call me crazy but I would love to come back with some little sea shell salt and pepper shakers. I remember going to Florida with our grandparents when we were young and looking for a souvenir to take back to our parents. Back then there was everything under the sun made with shells. I think a set of shakers would look so cute on the table when serving seafood, right along with my Peaugeot lighthouse salt and pepper grinders.

I’ve been trying to come up with kids craft ideas for the beach vacation with all our family. After searching Pinterest and other sites I have come up with some really cute ideas for the little guys to make. I’m hoping when they need a rest from the sun, they can enjoy “craft time with Gran”. There are several crafts I want to make using shell — pasta shells that is.

So that got me thinking about this recipe I did years ago from Mable Hoffmann’s Finger Foods book. Back then I was reading every book I could about finger foods because that was the types of food I loved making for cocktail parties I catered.

I did this recipe once for a Houston Medical Alliance auxiliary party and I came up with this sauce to drizzle over the shells to kick them up a notch. (Oh no, that sounds like Emeril.) It’s delicious, so I’m giving you the sauce recipe too. You could easily serve this recipe hot but I enjoy it cold just as well and it makes an easy dish you can just pick up to eat at a party.

Thanks to my bunco group for being my guinea pig, again.

March 19, 2013 By Sherry

Appetizers/ ColdApp

Spanish-Style Tomato Toast (pan con tomate)

A tapas I almost forgot.

Tomato toast two ways.

It has been over two years since we went to Spain and I really think that was one of the most memorable trips we have taken. I love tapas and anything served in small plates; and this Catalan recipe will certainly please.

Years ago after my oldest son graduated from college he went to Spain for 5 months to study Spanish. One night he called and was telling me all about what he had been doing and he told me he had been to a Tapas bar. Ok, I knew what tapas were even back in 1997 but for some reason when he said it I thought he said “topless bar”. Funny, huh. Since then I have always been careful how I have said the word. Not that topless bars wouldn’t serve good food (I seriously doubt it) I just don’t want to get the two confused.

One of my favorite tapas bars, other than the ones we visited in Spain, is in Chicago and I probably have mentioned it before — Mercat. If you find yourself in Chicago and you’re in the Michigan Avenue area, please go, you won’t regret it.

In Spain one morning I had tomato toast for breakfast along with a glass of canned fruit cocktail drained and covered with orange juice; and the second time was at a small tapas bar just around the corner from Picasso’s museum (EL XAMPANYET Montcada). Very tasty tomato toast and I was intrigued; just one more thing in this world I had not experienced.

I remember researching this tomato toast recipe when we returned and found there were a couple of ways of making it. All recipes started with a grilled/toasted slice of baguette and then it was rubbed with a clove of garlic. The next step was to take a fresh cut (halved) tomato and rubbed back and forth across the rough surface of the toast then drizzle with some olive oil and a good sprinkle of sea salt. The other way was to use a box grated and grate the tomato (don’t use skin) and then put some of the pulp on top of the grilled baguette then drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. I’m trying both ways to see what results I like the best.

March 9, 2013 By Sherry

Appetizers/ Bread/ Cocktails/ ColdApp/ Garnish

Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta & Aviation Cocktail for “SNS”

Sunday night supper and a cocktail.

There are two couples we usually go out with on Friday nights and on occasion we do dinner together on Sunday night. This has come to be called “Sunday Night Supper” and we all love to be invited to Sunday Night Supper because that means another night we do not have to cook. It’s fun to go to each other’s houses and see what’s cooking and how the table is going to be decorated.

I usually have confidence in what I’m cooking but never been that great at setting a great looking table. This past Sunday night we hosted SNS and even though there was just a little chill in the air and not a cold wintery night I decided to do a chowder for the main course.

Our evening started with cocktails out on the deck. I had spread one of my French square table toppers (that I had picked up in France) out on my teak table. Cocktail of the night was a once obscure drink, Aviation cocktail, made with Bombay gin, marachino cherry liquier (clear) and creme de violet (purple) and lemon juice and that was shook into a fantastic before dinner cocktail to go with the Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta and my White Bean Hummus. For my salad dressing I used Ina Garten’s Champagne Vinaigrette and the salad consisted of baby arugula, baby spinach, some mixed greens and a whole carton of pea shoots. I also added avocado, some toasted walnuts and some paper thin julienned slices of jicama. I was able to buy all the greens in bulk so I could get a handful of this and that.

February 22, 2013 By Sherry

Appetizers/ ColdApp

Fromage Fort

Looking for a way to use your leftover holiday cheeses?

Look no further. Fromage fort (four) is what you want to try. My first bite was — WOW! Why had I not heard of this “fromage fort” before?

I stocked up on several cheeses during the holidays. Trader Joes is the perfect place for me to go for different types of cheeses which are $$$ cheaper than any other grocery store and you don’t have to buy a huge piece like some of from those wholesale type clubs.

One morning when I was checking out some of my favorite blogs, I saw a fromage fort recipe at Smitten Kitchen’s site. My first thought was of all the cheeses I had from Christmas sitting in my refrigerator and I did not want to waste them.

Fromage fort is a French cheese spread and it means strong cheese and is traditionally made with different types of leftover cheeses thrown together in a food processor with some white wine, garlic, herbs and some recipes call for a little butter. No two recipes will be the same. I think the French know what to do with cheese and I’m sure they never let it sit in the refrigerator long enough to grow mold.

I watched Jacque Pepin make this spread and he talked about how his dad would put leftover cheese in a jar with wine and blended it. He served his fromage as a spread and also topped some baguette slices with it and ran them under a broiler.

This spread can be made with hard, soft, semi-hard, sharp, tangy or milk cheeses. I’m buying a small amount of bleu which for some reason I’m missing in my holiday cheeses. Smitten used 25% bleu; I don’t think I will add more than 2 ounces at most of the bleu because I don’t want the bleu to steal the show. I would not use a yellow cheddar or (GASP) Velvetta or you will end up with a very ordinary looking cheese ball.

You will want to grate your hard cheeses and have your other cheeses and butter at room temperature. I made mine a few days before needed it (bunco again) so the flavors would meld. You can decide on the consistency you want by the amount of wine you add. Most recipes called for 1/4-1/2 cup dry white wine.

January 4, 2013 By Sherry

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