ENTERTAINING ISH

by Katie Vandegriff Tue, December 14th, 2010 at 3:55pm

Who doesn’t love entertaining during the holidays? But with the hustle and bustle of the season, it's not always easy to plan a party from scratch. With simple tricks and effective presentation, you can make your holiday soiree look amazing, with half the effort!

Pick a palette:
I prefer snowflake blues and silvers for holiday parties, but any color scheme, such as traditional reds and greens, will tie your party together, as long as you use it consistently. Decorations, dishes, even glasses and utensils, should all follow your chosen palette. By using the same colors throughout the space, you’ll easily tie your whole party together with little to no effort.

FIRST COURSE

The Perfect Christmas Cocktail

by Paige Levin Mon, December 13th, 2010 at 11:53am

There is only one month of the entire year when it is wholly acceptable to indulge in copious amounts of Eggnog. This creamy holiday cocktail, thick with flavor and calories, is synonymous with Christmas. Instead of buying the premade Eggnog at the grocery store, make some yourself following this adapted version of Paula Dean’s recipe. Yes, that Paula Dean, the sassy southern lady regularly featured on the Food Network.

Ingredients

6 eggs, separated

¾ cup sugar

1 pint heavy cream

FIRST COURSE

Pumpkin Pie.. With a Twist!

by Katie Vandegriff Mon, December 13th, 2010 at 10:54am

With my friends, any ocassion is a great excuse to get together and eat. With all of us coming from so many different backgrounds, we typically favor a potluck setting - and I've yet to be disappointed!

For this year's Secret Santa dinner, one of my friends brought a delicious, fun twist on traditional pumpkin pie - pumpkin dip. With subtle hints of pumpkin, cinnamon and even an orangey kick, this dip is as delicious as it is festive. The recipe is simple - it's sure to be a crowd pleaser at any holiday party this year.

FIRST COURSE

The Epicurean Elf

by Kelsey Leland Thu, December 9th, 2010 at 7:49pm

Finding the perfect gift for anyone can be daunting enough, and when it comes to holiday shopping for foodies—a picky breed to say the least—you feel at a loss. But not to worry. Joonbug has scavenged the greater LA area to find the things most likely to please your gourmet enthusiast. Here's what we came up with:

Spice Station gift set, $35-65. Peer into this almost-hidden shop and
feel like a wizard in an apothecary, except instead of glass jars filled with unicorn dust and eye of newt, they’re filled with spices, chiles, salts,
sugars and teas from around the world. With items like “vintage merlot
sea salt,” Spice Station is sure to have something to please even the snobbiest of palates. Choose from pre-arranged sets tailored to your foodie’s favorite cooking genre, or ask the staff to help you put together
a customized kit. Spice Station, 3819 W. Sunset Blvd, Silver Lake;
(323) 660-2565 and 2309 Main St., Santa Monica; (310) 450-0505

FIRST COURSE

Chocolate-dipped Strawberries and Figs

by Cynthia Smith Thu, December 9th, 2010 at 9:17am

Strawberries & figs dipped in chocolate and pistachios

‘Tis the season to be creative with food. If entertaining during the holiday is your “thing,” you might want to try this festive recipe of strawberries and figs dipped chocolate and pistachios.

The ingredients are as follows:

1 ½ pounds semisweet baking chocolate (inexpensive baking chocolate works well because it does not become grainy when it melts)

1-quart medium strawberries with hulls (cut in half)

FIRST COURSE

Kickin' It Kosher

by Jess Mann Thu, December 9th, 2010 at 1:30am

The Jewish Festival of Lights, otherwise known as Hanukkah, begins on December 1st and ends December 9th this year, which gives both kosher and non-kosher alike another reason to celebrate and gather with loved ones this holiday season.

If you unfamiliar with the celebration and are invited to a friend’s place on one of these eight nights, or perhaps if you’re just interested in some culinary experimentation, here is a jazzed up version of a traditional recipe to get you feeling festive.

While tradition varies from house to house and person to person, and you should always check with your host/ess before committing to bring anything, so you know what your responsible for. Just to be safe the following recipe is Kosher.

FIRST COURSE

Budget Holiday Party

by Elicia Williams Wed, December 8th, 2010 at 2:14pm

'Tis the season for friends, family, food, parties, and yes, spending lots of money. It may not be easy to cut down on splurging on gifts for loved ones, but it is possible to throw a great holiday party with tons of tasty treats on a limited budget. To start, here are some general money-saving ideas to think about when planning your next party:
-If you're serving alcohol, consider serving punches or whipping up a cocktail in a large pitcher. Punch bowls look festive and are less expensive and time-consuming than setting up a full bar for individual mixed drinks.
-Buy fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season. That means no tomatoes in winter.
-Buy generic brands whenever possible. Unless the name brand is significantly on sale, the generic brand is usually much cheaper and basically indistinguishable from the name brand.
-Start planning early and look for sales. A few weeks before your party keep your eyes open for the non-perishable ingredients you need. It will give you time to wait for the sales, rather than being forced to buy something at full price last minute.
RECIPES

Each of the following recipes serve 15-20 people for under $5 per person. No-Pigs in a Blanket Ingredients: 2 packages of pre-made crescent rolls 2 packages of veggie dogs Poppy seeds (optional) Money saving tip: Buy store brand crescent rolls, if possible, rather than Pillsbury. Or for an even cheaper alternative, make a pie crust yourself. You can find a really easy and delicious pastry crust recipe from Better Homes and Gardens. Directions: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll each of the veggie dogs into one crescent roll. Place each uncooked veggie dog in a blanket onto an ungreased cooking sheet. Sprinkle with poppy seeds, if desired. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Slice each pastry-wrapped veggie dog in half and serve warm with a dipping sauce. Spicy mustard is a good choice. Smokey Popcorn Adapted from a recipe from Country Living Ingredients: 1 cup corn kernels 4-8 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon smoked paprika 2 teaspoon salt Money saving tip: Buy store brand kernels and vegetable oil. Directions: In a large pot, pop corn kernels in 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, or pop corn kernels without the oil in a popcorn maker. Transfer popcorn to a large bowl; drizzle with 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, then toss with paprika, and salt. Sugar-Coated Almonds Ingredients: 1/2 lb. unblanched almonds 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup water Money saving tip: You can substitute walnuts, pecans, peanuts, whatever is cheapest. Sugar coating any of these will be delicious. Directions: Boil together almonds, sugar, and water until syrupy and then sugary. Remove from heat until set. Return until sugar begins to melt again. Remove and pour onto slab or teflon sheet. Separate the almonds to prevent clumping. Note: you can also throw in a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg for that Christmasy taste. Warm Bourbon Apple Cider Recipe from Country Living Ingredients: 1 gallon (16 cups) fresh apple cider 5 teaspoons ground cinnamon 2 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger 3 cups bourbon Directions: In a stockpot, heat apple cider, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. When mixture is hot but not boiling, remove from heat and add bourbon. Stir to distribute spices and divide cider among 20 mugs. Bourbon Punch Recipe from Country Living Ingredients: 6 cups ruby-red grapefruit juice 2 cups pineapple juice 1/2 cup liquid sweetener (such as agave nectar) 4 cups bourbon 2 cups cold seltzer water Money saving tip: Buy the juices in concentrate form, and store brand if possible. Also buy the store brand's seltzer water. It's cheaper and you can't tell the difference. Directions: In a large container, whisk together grapefruit juice, pineapple juice, sweetener, and bourbon until combined. Before guests arrive, pour mixture into a punch bowl and gently stir in seltzer water. Cowboy Punch Recipe from delish.com 15 lemons 6 cups sugar 2 cups grapefruit juice 6 cans (light-colored) beer, chilled Zest lemons and set aside. Combine the sugar with water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. When the sugar has dissolved, add the zest and let the mixture sit for 15 minutes. Strain the mixture into a pitcher, throwing out the zest. Juice the peeled lemons into the pitcher and add the grapefruit juice. Stir well. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Pour in the punch bowl and add the beer.

FIRST COURSE

Hosting a swingin' bash

by Alina Tarkhanian Mon, December 6th, 2010 at 2:30pm

Planning another holiday party this year? The same food, same wines and same old party music? Why not host a theme party by taking a cue from the best drama show on TV, Mad Men. Think groovy music, light hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, cocktails, cocktails. Read my tips for throwing a holiday party Mad Men style.

COCKTAILS

The key to any successful party is having a good mix of people, tons of alcohol and great music. You should designate a bar area where guests can mix their own drinks. Make sure to have plenty of essentials on hand: cocktail shaker, ice bucket and tongs, mixing spoon, sliced lemons and limes, ice and mixers. As for Mad Men cocktails, it was the time of plenty so anything goes, but here are some classics. All recipes are from the Mad Men cocktail guide.

FIRST COURSE

Baci D’Alassio

by Elena Sevastopoulos Mon, December 6th, 2010 at 11:13am

I first tasted Baci D’Alassio at the Palo Alto Il Fornaio Bakery (which no longer exists). You can probably guess that 3 cups of hazelnuts and a little chocolate makes a wonderful cookie. These are a bit involved so set aside two days to make them — After you pipe the dough, you have to let them sit overnight. Also, for advanced bakers, go ahead and temper the chocolate to join two kisses together.

FIRST COURSE

Pumpkin Pancakes

by Elicia Williams Wed, December 1st, 2010 at 12:00pm

If you're anything like me, you bought several cans of pumpkin puree just in case you needed to make 8 pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving. But you didn't need to make 8 pumpkin pies, and now you have more cans left over than you really know what to do with. You could stick them in the back of your cupboard until the next Thanksgiving rolls around, or you could use them now to make a delicious breakfast that will leave you all toasty and warm inside.

These pancakes are perfect for those chilly winter mornings (or nights) when all you really want to do is cuddle up in your favorite blanket and drink warm apple cider or hot cocoa.