Happy New Year!

Red Pepper Crostini

7 ounces of red peppers from jar, sliced
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, clopped finely
2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 clove garlic
1 Tablespoon capers (optional) to garnish
1 halve a loaf of french bread, sliced

Mix the toppings, except for the capers and spread on to the bread slices and bake for 5-8 minutes in a 400 degree oven until edges of bread are golden brown.

MY TIP: These are great served as a festive appetizers in December and especially on Christmas because of the red peppers and the green parsley. These are also a nice alternative to bruschetta when serving Italian.

Mini Frittatas

I made these as part of our Christmas breakfast and these tiny frittatas just disappeared. This recipe can be doubled.

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 slices of cooked bacon, chopped
• 1/2 tomato
• 5 mushrooms, sauteed and chopped
  
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray 1 mini muffin tins (with 24 cups) with nonstick spray. Whisk the eggs, milk, pepper, and salt in a large bowl to blend well. Stir in the ham, cheese, and parsley. Fill prepared muffin cups almost to the top with the egg mixture. Bake until the egg mixture puffs and is just set in the center, about 10 minutes. Using a butter knife, loosen the frittatas from the muffin cups and slide the frittatas onto a platter. Serve immediately. This made 16 frittatas.

MY TIP: You can substitute the meat, vegetables and cheese to your liking, just keep the meat and vegetable to about 6 ounces.

MY OTHER TIP: If you don't have enough egg mixture to fill all the tins, fill them with water, so you don't burn your pan!

Holiday Party

We have had a holiday party every year since we have been married. We typically have 50 -6o friends join us despite the tradition of a snowstorm on the evening of the party. This year the terrible weather hit the night before but still left our friends braving 8 degree frigid weather the night of our party.

My favorite part of the evening is towards the end, when some of our closest friends gather in a large circle in the living room, sipping wine and laughing. And as tradition has it, two of my friends present me with their wrapped joke gifts giggling with anticipation of my response!







These are some of the desserts at our holiday party:


decadent chocolate cake


and 15 pounds of assorted homemade chocolates


Chocolate raspberry walnut torte

french vanilla petite cakes with coconut



New York style cheesecake


a white chocolate sliegh filled with white chocolates snowflakes surrounded by petite vanilla cakes with whipped cream frosting




Apricot and Raspberry Kolacke


Chocolate torte with chopped walnuts and chocolate chunks

I also made Mexican wedding cookies, Italian pizzelles, Oreo truffles, Bavarian nuts, candied walnuts and phyllo cups with custard and topped with a raspberry.

Bacon Wrapped Baked Potatoes

These are not your average baked potatoes! These were so good that they disappeared before I could even snap a picture of them! But WARNING: these are calorie laden!!!

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• one baking potato per person,
  
• 2 thick sliced bacon (I used Oscar Meyer Hickory smoked) per potato
  
• 2 pads of butter per potato
  
• garlic salt and fresh ground pepper

1. Scrub potatoes really well, cutting imperfections off the potatoes, but leaving most of the skin intact.
2. Slice the potatoes horizontally. Polk 15 times with a fork tine on each side. Generously salt and pepper all sides of the potato.
   
3. Layer butter, onion slice and another butter slice on cut side of potato halves; top with other potato half.
   
4. Wrap each potato with two bacon strips. Season bacon with pepper. Secure with toothpicks if needed.
   
5. Place on a lightly greased baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees F for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until potato is tender and bacon is crispy.
   
6. Discard toothpicks.

MY TIP: It's important to polk the holes with a fork to allow all the flavors to seep into the potato.

Shrimp Creole

A few years ago, my husband and I took a getaway without the girls to New Orleans. My husband said we could eat at Emeril Lagasses' restaurant. Although that sounded tempting, I suggested that instead of spending (on what I assumed would be a lot of money on one meal) that we sample the best that New Orleans has to offer. So I got on the internet and did some research. We spent 3 days and nights walking through the French Quarter going from one restaurant to the next just to sample their signature dish and grabbing drinks from "to go bars"! I loved the party in the street atmosphere and the blaring jazz music. The trip was a culinary delight as we ate the best oysters, po' boys, muffulettas, gumbo, creole, jambalaya, red beans and rice, crawfish étouffée, etc! One of my favorite memories was exploring the farmers market and buying bar-b-que shrimp and crawfish and then finding a bench along the Mississippi River to relax and enjoy our food. We also did manage to take a trolley to the Garden City and a horse and carriage ride to enjoy the beautiful architecture that the city has to offer.

So here is my favorite recipe from the "Best of New Orleans".

2 T butter
1 large onion chopped)
1 large green bell pepper(diced)
2 cloves garlic
Saute in large pan until soft

Add:
1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) bottle of clam juice (I prefer Look's Atlantic)
1 /4 t paprika
1/4 t salt
1/4 t dried thyme
1/8 t pepper
1/8 t cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
Cook on medium heat for 25 minutes.

Before serving add the 1 half pound of large raw, cleaned and divined shrimp and cook until it turns pink and opaque (around four minutes). Remove the bay leaf.

Serve with with rice.

MY TIP: The original recipes doubles the amount of the spices that I used, so if you really like spicy hot Cajun food you may want to add more!

Oreo Truffles

If you like Oreo cookies than you will love these:

Ingredients:

• 1 sleeve OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
• 1 (8 ounce) package PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 16 ounces of white Chocolate, melted

Directions:

1. Crush the cookies into fine crumbs in a food processor. (Cookies can also be finely crushed in a resealable plastic bag using a rolling pin, but it is easier to use the food processor.) Add cream cheese to processor, mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into balls, about 1-inch in diameter. I use a one inch scoop to insure they are all the same size. Add the sucker sticks and put in the freezer for 30 minutes.
   
2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
   
3. Spoon the chocolate over the balls, twirling the lollipop to remove the excessive chocolate. Place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use.)
4. Refrigerate until firm or freeze for 1 month.

MY TIP: I like to put these in plastic sucker bags and tie a ribbon around them for a pretty presentation.

MY OTHER TIP: These can also be made with nutter butter cookies and milk or dark chocolate for an alternative.

Bavarian Almonds

If you have ever been to downtown Chicago during the Christmas season you know that it is a feast for the eyes with one million white lights illuminating Michigan Avenue to the elaborate animated storefront windows on State Street at Macy's that tells a different holiday story each year to the two story high ornately, decorated Christmas tree that graces the Walnut Room. It is also a feast for the stomach at the annual Chistkindlemarket, which provides an opportunity to devour German delicacies, like brats, potato pancakes, goulash and Gluhwein (a warm spiced wine). My daughter Kim loves the cinnamon almonds that can be found there. Here is my version:

Bavarian Almonds

Ingredients:

2 and 1/2 cups almonds
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla


In a 2 quart sauce pan, combine water, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Place over high heat and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture comes to a boil. Clip on candy thermometer. Cook until 238 degrees or soft ball stage. Take out thermometer and remove from heat. Use wooden spoon to beat for 1 minute until mixture us creamy. Add vanilla and nuts and stir until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Use two forks to separate the almonds into single nuts. Store in an air tight certainer.

MY TIP: Bring your own skates and skate right away at Millennium Park for free, that way you avoid the hour long or longer line to buy skates for $10!

MY OTHER TIP: Go up to the 8th floor of Macy's in the gallery and take in the splendor of the beautifully decorated Christmas tree! And don't forget while there to take the elevator to the fourth floor to see the Tiffany Dome! It is over 100 years old with over 1.6 million glass pieces! Breathtaking!

Deck the Halls!

hmm...naughty or nice?

Holly Berry

HOLLY BERRY

The calendar has quickly turned to December, which means it's time to start celebrating the coming season. My daughter's boyfriend who lives in the Netherlands brought us a nice bottle of German Mosel, I decided to make this festive drink for a girl's night in. I like making and naming signature drinks as I think they add to the fun of the evening.

Recipe: 2 parts Mosel
1 part cranberry juice
Garnish with three frozen cranberries

MY TIP: It's important to chill the Mosel and the juice, because the cranberry garnish is more for looks than for keeping this drink cold.

Cheers to a wonderful season ahead!