Julia Child, one of my favorite people, would have turned 101 years old today. She had such a great attitude about life: Julia always seemed to find something to laugh or smile about, even when things didn't go quite as planned. Let's all take a minute and celebrate her spunk and love of cookery.
[Insert respectful moment of silence here.]
Joyeux anniversaire, Julia!
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| Photo from www.nwitimes.com |
Speaking of time, we recently had a last-minute get-together (I made everything the day of the party) at Chez Gourmess for some new friends, and I think Julia would have been proud of my quick thinking and creative cookery.
Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, and the snackages were delish! I was even asked for a few recipes. (Score!)
Last-Minute Party Menu:
Last-Minute Party Menu:
Crudité with Hummus
- Cucumbers, yellow and orange bell peppers, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes
- I didn't have chickpeas to make my own hummus, but my favorite store bought flavor is Forty Spices.
Marinated Olives with Rosemary and Lemon
- Assorted pitted olives marinated with herbs, olive oil and some lemon zest
Cornichons
- Because I think they are adorable!
Assorted Cheeses and Salami
- Aged Gouda, 3-year cheddar, smoked mozzarella, brie, Havarti with dill, Pepper Jack
Assorted Breads
Tarragon, Cardamom and Blood Orange Infused Foccacia
- I took the recipe for Grape Foccacia, and instead of simmering rosemary in olive oil, I simmered a few cardamom pods and some tarragon in a mixture of half regular olive oil and half blood orange infused olive oil. Once the dough was ready to bake, I sprinkled it with more tarragon, the orange olive oil and some sea salt. It turned out great!
Cinnamon Raisin Loaf
- I made a batch of my favorite No-Knead Bread, but used this speedy version of the recipe, and split the dough into two smaller loaves. For the first one, I stirred in raisins, sultanas (golden raisins) and some cinnamon.
Herbed loaf
- For the second half of the Speedy No-Knead Bread dough, I added a few teaspoons of Herbes de Provence and sea salt. Both breads were delicious with the cheeses.
Assorted Pizzette Bites
Spinach and Artichoke with Sun-Dried Tomato
- I had a lovely Spinach and Artichoke dip in the fridge, so I stirred in a bit of cream cheese to make it more spreadable and to finish, topped with a bit of chopped, sun-dried tomato.
Balsamic Figs with Ricotta
- I chopped up about 1 cup of figs and added the figs and about 3 TBS of balsamic vinegar to a small pot and simmered until the figs had disintegrated, then ran the mixture through my food processor. I spread some fresh ricotta on a pizzette and topped with the figs and a wee sprinkle of red pepper flakes. (Ground black pepper would be nice, too.)
Eggplant "Caviar" with Nutmeg and Honey
- I diced four small eggplants and sautéed them with a bit of salt/pepper, lemon juice, honey, olive oil, garlic, heavy cream, and nutmeg, then processed until I had a kind of rough paste. I spread a bit on a pizzette, then topped with a sprinkle of nutmeg, some smoked sea salt, and a drizzle of honey.
Brie with Raspberry
- I scooped out the middle of a wedge of melty brie, and spread it on a pizzette, then topped with a bit of raspberry preserves. Right before serving, a sprinkle of fresh mint.
Chocolate Bark with Pecans, Cranberries, and Pink Sea Salt
- A version of one of my favorite, easy-to-make treats!
Peanut Butter-filled Pretzels
- Because they are addicting and add a nice salty crunch to balance the sweet of the chocolate.
Bon appétit!
xoxo