On hosting a BBQ in your 20 something's...

Lucky for us 20-somethings we can get away with not only bring your own booze (B.Y.O.B) parties, but bring your own meat as well! We are at an age where friends are still just thankful to have some free food, and a place to hang out. It is a trend that young adults have been in the process of embracing for quite some time now, and it seems that it is largely accepted in most social circles for this age range.

It is a great and affordable way to be able to get a large group of friends together. Don't be afraid that people will be offended, because in my experience people are just excited and appreciative to have someone plan a fun get together. My husband and I are actually hosting a bring your own meat and booze party this Sunday. Not only does it make hosting a BBQ much more affordable by taking the high priced items out of the mix, but it makes it much less stressful, and more manageable! With meat and beverages out of the way all you need to focus on is a couple appetizers, some sides, and a dessert. Because we have an event to focus on this Saturday we plan to keep Sunday very simple.

The appetizer will be "Bean Dip" which is something that my mother-in-law is famous for. Bean dip is crazy easy, and a real crowd pleaser. In addition to this cheap and delicious option we will have home made guacamole, and Baked Southwestern Corn Dip. (The recipes will be at the end of this post).

As far as sides go, it is preferable to have three to cover all your food groups (some type of carbohydrate, vegetable, fruit), but for cost and time purposes it is acceptable to only choose two. If you get creative you can often incorporate the three food groups into two sides. For instance, I have decided to do an orzo salad with fresh vegetables, and a strawberry spinach salad. See, carbohydrate as orzo, check! Vegetable inside orzo salad and the strawberry spinach salad, check! Fruit, strawberries, check!


For dessert I always like to have something chocolaty and something lighter or fruity. To make this easy we are going to make brownies and cupcakes. Depending on the heat level we may also have Popsicles or ice cream. A really fun thing to serve to guests on a hot day are the new 'Lil Drums" by Nestle. They're delicious and people seem to love them!

Bean Dip

1 can Frito-lay bean dip
1 8 oz. container of sour cream
1 8 oz. container of cream cheese (softened)
1/2 package of Lawry's taco seasoning
10 drops Tabasco sauce

Combine all ingredients, stir well.
Spread into shallow pie plate.
Cover with 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend.
Bake 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Serve with tortilla chips or Frito scoop chips!

Guacamole

4 ripe avocados cubed
1/4 finely chopped red onion
2 finely chopped jalapeno peppers
1 clove minced garlic
1/8 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 large chopped tomato
juice from half of one lime
1/4 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Stir together and enjoy!


Baked Southwestern Corn Dip

1 15oz can corn
1 1/4oz can black olives
1 4oz can green chilies
1 fresh jalapeno chopped
1 roasted red pepper chopped from jar
1 cup shredded jack cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Mix all ingredients together, pour into greased 1 1/2 quart casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.


Orzo salad

1 box orzo
2 chopped bell peppers
1 chopped red onion
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped basil
1 cup feta cheese
1 large chopped cucumber

Cook orzo according to package directions. Let cool.

Saute bell peppers and onion until barely softened (about 4-5 minutes). Let cool.

Toss all ingredients together and add dressing.

Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 clove minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together until dressing thickens and combines.


Strawberry Spinach Salad

4 cups baby spinach
1 pint washed strawberries
1 small package slivered almonds

Wash and tear spinach into bite size pieces. Slice strawberries. Toast almonds under broiler until lightly browned.

Dressing
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1/2 tsp minced onion
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

Mix all ingredients together until sugar is dissolved. May not need to use all the dressing. Pour on just before serving.

Kristen VanDiggelen's Art Show in SF

The amazing Kristen VanDiggelen had an art show on Wednesday, August 11 in San Francisco and we styled and catered the event after her guest artist this month. Nanda does beautiful paintings of ice cream and jelly doughnuts and such so we created a retro and fun theme complete with colorful trays that we made and a variety of unique desserts and appetizers. Check it out and let us know what you think!

Click here to view these pictures larger

End of Summer Party Idea!!

So, while debating about what this post should be about I suddenly realized that giving you an end of summer party idea could be quite useful. It may seem cliché and predictable but I'm going to give you some ideas that will mix things up a bit so don't quit when you see that it's a Luau!

Okay, I know, but to make yours different you are going to go with a Hawaiian "mixed plate" theme rather than typical Luau food, which will be expected. If you have never been to Hawaii or haven't been for a long time I will remind you of the deliciousness of what a mixed plate entails.


Usually there are two scoops of sticky white rice, a scoop of potato macaroni salad or a green salad, and some sort of teriyaki meat. The meat is typically very thinly sliced beef, and a good-sized chunk of chicken, or pork. The reason I thought of going this route is because I was just in Hawaii and I must say that these mixed plates are to die for! The meat is always so moist and flavorful and the simplicity of the white rice with it just makes a party on your palette!

Now, to re-create this Hawaiian goodness the trick will be some excellent, sticky teriyaki sauce, a very sharp knife, and time! The trick to the beef is to get a large cut that has even marbling of fat throughout it. I would recommend a flank steak, which is also referred to as a flap steak. You will need a sharp knife to slice the beef VERY thinly (1/4 inch if possible). Next you will marinate the thin slices in that sticky teriyaki sauce. The best recipe I have found is as follows from .

Marinade (enough for at least 4-6 pounds of meat):
Ingredients
1 cup of soy sauce (Any kind)
1 cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons of Chili Garlic paste (more or less for hotter/milder)
2 tablespoons of minced/crushed garlic
2 tablespoons of minced/crushed ginger
1/4 cup of Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
Hoisin Sauce

Directions
Throw everything except the hoisin sauce into a 1-gallon Ziploc back and mix well. Break apart brown sugar clumps, garlic and ginger.

Once well blended, put your meat in the bag, zip and toss around for good coverage.

Marinade in the refrigerator for a few hours min, up to 24 for best results. Each time you walk in the kitchen, flip the bag around for better coverage.

Get your grill nice and hot (at least 500F)

Grill steak to liking. Flap meat is best served on the rare side and doesn't stand up well beyond medium rare. About 1-2 minutes per side.

Once you flip the steaks (only flip once) brush grilled side with hoisin sauce and let finish cooking. Cook these with lid up, as I don't want the oven effect cooking the meat anymore than the direct heat does.

For the teriyaki chicken, you want to get a whole bone in chicken with the skin on because those are what makes the meat tender. You will want that sharp knife again to cut the chicken into ten pieces (here is a how to link if you've never done it) Then marinade the pieces in the same teriyaki recipe as above for up to 24 hours for best results, and grill the pieces until cooked through.

The kalua pork is traditionally cooked in the ground for several hours with banana leaves and ti leaves, but I have found a very innovative recipe from http://gohawaii.about.com/od/luaurecipes/r/kalua_pig.htm that is much more realistic for those of us living in the suburbs that delivers the same results!

Ingredients:
4-5 pound pork butt
2½ tablespoons Hawaiian salt (substitute kosher salt)
2 tablespoons liquid smoke
1 banana leaf (substitute 4-5 whole, unpeeled bananas)
4-6 ti leaves (substitute aluminum foil)

Directions:
Trim any excess fat from the roast. Make several shallow long cuts along the roast or pierce liberally with a fork. (This allows the salt and liquid smoke to penetrate the meat.) Rub with salt and liquid smoke. Wrap the roast with banana leaf or in the absence of same, place whole bananas on top of meat.
Cut the ribs from the ti leaves and wrap over the banana leaf. Substitute aluminum foil, if ti leaves are not available. (Ti leaves can often be obtained from a local florist). Tie securely with twine.

Roast in a 325-350 degree oven for about 45 minutes per pound. When meat is done, remove ti leaves, banana leaf (or bananas) and shred pork.

The last piece of this mixed pate puzzle for your Luau themed party is the "potato mac" salad as they call it. This is a very traditional recipe and allows you to add in whatever you think sounds good.

Macaroni-Potato Salad
(Serves 8)
Ingredients
½ lb. macaroni
8 hard-cooked eggs
3 red potatoes, cooked and cubed
1 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. vinegar
2 cups mayonnaise
½ tsp. ground allspice
½ tsp. pepper

Directions
Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Separate egg yolks from egg whites. In a small bowl, mash yolks and chill. Chop egg whites; put into a large bowl with macaroni and potatoes. Stir in salt and vinegar; chill overnight.

Add egg yolks and remaining ingredients; gently mix into macaroni mixture. Chill.

Now that we have all the food out of the way we can discuss a couple Hawaiian cocktails! I am going to suggest going with the standard Mai Tai and the delicious Lave Flow. Directions are as follows...


Mai Tai
This will give you one gallon. To alter the quantity go to

Ingredients
2 cups light rum
1 cup dark rum
1 cup 151 proof rum
1 cup orange curacao (orange flavored liqueur)
1 cup almond flavored syrup
1 cup simple syrup
10 limes, juiced
1/2 gallon fresh orange juice

Directions
In a large jar or drink cooler, combine the light rum, dark rum, 151 rum, orange liqueur, almond syrup, simple syrup, and lime juice. Stir and top off with orange juice. Do not use grenadine if you want the true Mai Tai! Serve in 8 to 12 ounce glasses with ice.


Lava Flow
This yields one serving. To change the serving size click on the link above.

Ingredients
1/2 cup strawberries
1 fluid ounce light rum
1 fluid ounce coconut rum
1 banana
2 fluid ounces pineapple juice
2 fluid ounces cream of coconut

Directions
Place strawberries, light rum, and dark rum into a blender. Puree until smooth and pour into a tall glass. Rinse out blender, then puree banana, pineapple juice, and cream of coconut until smooth. Slowly pour the banana mixture into the strawberry mixture and watch the lava rise!

Alright; food, check. Drinks, check. Now decorations and ambiance!

One fun thing to do is to purchase a couple kid pools from your local CVS or Target, and some playground grade sand from your Home Depot. Pour the sand into the kid pools so they are 1/4 to 1/2 full and then fill the rest with water. You can also add some store bought seashells to make it extra authentic. Next put some chairs around the pools so your guests can cool their feet at the beach as they sip on their Hawaiian drinks!

To add to the ambiance, tiki torches are always fun, as well as plumerias, orchids, hibiscus, and birds of paradise. Then some Hawaiian music featuring a ukulele would really top it off!