I love barbecue parties. Combining friends, food and the outdoors, they are quite possibly my favourite summer time activity. But by the time July rolls around, the same hamburgers, hot dogs and the occasional sausage with nothing to jazz them up but ketchup, mustard and relish start to feel a bit boring. As a host, it becomes difficult to plan a menu that will surprise and excite your friends and as a guest it becomes difficult to find new ways to compliment the same meal. The best way I have found to get around this barbecue party stimulation degradation is to prepare miniature versions of the classic fare and offer a vast array of novel, unusual or exotic toppings. This ensures that everyone can try out a few different combinations of new condiments. Continue reading
Cooking
Cottage Country Menu Planning II
This year we’ve got a professional chef coming with us on the annual summer cottage trip, but the menu hasn’t changed much because when asked what we should bring to the cottage, this friend of 18 years replied, “meat and fire”. I was also told that I did not bring enough bacon last year, so I’ve doubled it for this year because, hey, double the bacon, double the fun. As always, I’ve also tried to sneak as many seasonal fruits and vegetables into my friends as possible. Continue reading
Picnic Menu Planning
Menu One: Lunch in the Park with Family:
Fried Chicken
– click for Alton Brown’s recipe at foodnetwork.com
Potato-Egg Salad
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs waxy potatoes
- 1 rib of celery, diced
- 2 tbsp onion or green onion, minced
- (¼ parsley, minced)
- 3 hard boiled eggs, diced
- 1/3 cup light sour cream
- 1/3 cup light, real mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- (1 tbsp grainy mustard)
- (1 tbsp sweet pickle relish)
- Salt, to taste
- ½ tsp freshly ground pepper, or to taste
- 3 tbsp chives, chopped
Procedure:
- Boil potatoes (with skins on) in salted water until just tender.
- Drain, peel if you wish and cut into bite-size pieces.
- With all other ingredients, prepare dressing in a large mixing bowl.
- Add still warm potatoes to the mixing bowl and toss to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate. Serve chilled.
Cheesecake Brownies
Ingredients:
- 2 ¼ cups white sugar
- 2/3 cup cocoa
- 1 ¼ cups flour
- 1 tsp baking power
- ¾ cup butter, melted
- 4 eggs, beaten slightly
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- 1 (250g) package cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp flour
- Handful of chocolate chips
Procedure:
- Brownie base (first group of ingredients)
- Preheat oven to 350̊F
- Mix dry ingredients
- Add butter and eggs and blend well.
- Spread in 9 x 13 inch baking pan and bake for 30 minutes.
- Cheesecake top (second group of ingredients)
- Beat cream cheese, sugar and butter until creamy.
- Beat in eggs, milk and flour.
- Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
- Pour over cooked brownie base and bake at 350̊F for 40 minutes.
- Cool completely then drizzle with melted chocolate . Continue reading
Cooking With Mitch vol. 1: Pan-Bakes and Other Recipes for Your Man
Hello ladies and gentlemen, but probably ladies, I’ve gathered you here today in the house of my god (the internet) to once again impart my manly wisdom.
They say the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, though that’s not entirely true, you’re a classy lady.
Yes, you are