eviemichael's Profile
Cooking wild asparagus (very thin) with water in frying pan?
I found wild asparagus at the farmers market on Thursday and am preparing them for a dinner party tonight.
They are VERY thin- about as thin as toothpicks.
The woman who sold them to me told me to cook them quickly in a frying pan with water. It was impossible to get more information from her than that...How much water? For how long? I have no clue.
Does anyone know? I have about a kilo of them.
Or should I just quickly grill them on my stovetop grill?
Can I pre-bake french tart dough 2 days before filling?
Thanks! If I make it and pre-bake it on Friday instead, could I just leave it on the counter until the next day when I fill and bake it?
Can I pre-bake french tart dough 2 days before filling?
Hi all! I'm using this tart dough recipe: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/05/french-tart-dough-a-la-francaise/
And I'm filling it with this wild mushroom recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Wild-Mushroom-Tart-1780
Can I make and pre-bake the tart shell on Thursday, and then fill and bake on Saturday?
Or should pie dough be made more close to the day of serving?
My first dinner hosting the in-laws. Please help, I want to impress!!
I prefer to make things from scratch, although Greece has a lot of great frozen spanakopita brands!
My first dinner hosting the in-laws. Please help, I want to impress!!
Thanks!
I plan on making the desserts 2 days before, the salad dressing, veggie prep, leek-camembert tart the day before...Greek lunches start late, around 2pm. So I'll have all morning and early afternoon for the rest.
I am concerned that since I have to do the sauteed spinach and egg noodles right before serving..maybe mussels aren't the best idea since that also has to be done last minute...
What do you all think? Will mussels be too difficult since they should also be steamed last minute before serving?
And how do I keep the spinach warm? Should I do a light spinach gratin so I can keep it covered in the oven on low heat?
My first dinner hosting the in-laws. Please help, I want to impress!!
Thanks! I actually changed my smoked salmon start (SIL and BIL don't like smoked salmon) to leek camembert tart, and veggies with dip.
I use Daniel Boulud's Blanquette de Veau recipe on epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cafe-Bouluds-Blanquette-de-Veau-103000
I don't add the green beans though and I use leeks instead of pearl onions. :)
I made it before to rave reviews...I hope I can pull it off again!
My first dinner hosting the in-laws. Please help, I want to impress!!
I just asked my butcher and he said he'd give it to me 15 euros per 2.2 pounds, so the price isn't as bad here.
I don't think they would take it badly for me to serve an expensive protein, since we all see this lunch as a special occasion. :)
My first dinner hosting the in-laws. Please help, I want to impress!!
Thats actually a great idea but mussels are hard to eat if you aren't seated...maybe ill do a smoked salmon appetizer.
Thanks!
My first dinner hosting the in-laws. Please help, I want to impress!!
Great! I'm serving buffet style all at once, but I should probably have a separate bowl for people to place the mussels, right? And dunk the bread? Yum!!
My first dinner hosting the in-laws. Please help, I want to impress!!
Sorry one more question: Would garlic white wine mussels "go" with the rest of the menu?
Now I'm thinking- Blanquette de Veau/ Egg Noodles, Sauteed Spinach with olive oil & lemon, homemade bread, a salad (havent decided yet), and mussels...
desserts: chocolate mousse and pear almond tart
Help me plan my 40 person party
What can I say? We all love salmon! :-)
It truly was memorable, thank you. :)
Help me plan my 40 person party
Thanks! We all had an amazing time. There were warm feelings all around, complimented by wonderful food! What's better than that?
My first dinner hosting the in-laws. Please help, I want to impress!!
Oh I sure will! Red wine is never placed very far from me at the dinner table. ;-)
My first dinner hosting the in-laws. Please help, I want to impress!!
That salad sounds amazing!
I love pavlovas, but I wanted a more wintery dessert. Berries are not that readily available here right now. I love smitten kitchen's ultimate cheesecake recipe and was considering doing that since I know everyone loves it. Would individual chocolate mousse be better? Both I can make in advance.
My first dinner hosting the in-laws. Please help, I want to impress!!
Thanks!
I wasn't intending on making anything that would need my attention in the kitchen while serving. It will be buffet style, so when everyone arrives I'll have everything on the table.
My first dinner hosting the in-laws. Please help, I want to impress!!
Would it be too much to have both egg noodles and mashed potatoes with the meal? So that everyone could choose what they would like best to go with the veal?
My first dinner hosting the in-laws. Please help, I want to impress!!
I was also thinking spinach, I think everyone would like it.
My first dinner hosting the in-laws. Please help, I want to impress!!
Too bad the in-laws aren't big drinkers!
My first dinner hosting the in-laws. Please help, I want to impress!!
I live in Greece and here Sunday lunch is a big meal! Usually people eat a very very light breakfast, a light dinner, and go all out on a late lunch around 2pm.
They definitely eat veal. I will make sure to have a few light sides and salads to counterbalance the heaviness of the meat and potatoes. :)
I still haven't decided on the bread.
My first dinner hosting the in-laws. Please help, I want to impress!!
What a wonderful reply Querencia! I appreciate it. You're right of course...but I still want to perform those fouettes! ;-)
My first dinner hosting the in-laws. Please help, I want to impress!!
I have so enjoyed reading all of your replies! Thank you all so much! I appreciate your perspective and intuition! :)
I do agree that I don't want to be in the kitchen half the time..it will all be served buffet style so there won't be courses which makes things easier.
The Blanquette de Veau can be sitting over low heat until served and the rest of the side dishes will not need to be attended to last minute.
I can make the bread in advance.
I was thinking of making chocolate mousse or cheesecake for dessert- both crowd pleasers and make-ahead desserts!
My first dinner hosting the in-laws. Please help, I want to impress!!
Hi Friends!
Ok, next Sunday I'm hosting my new husband's parents, grandparents, and sibling's family for lunch. Very exciting!
I want the food to be amazing.
So far I am thinking Blanquette de Veau for the main dish (I have a recipe I made before and it was a big hit), with either mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or gratin...the mash or egg noodles would probably be better with the sauce in the meat though, right?
I want a veggie side, a salad, another side, and also to make my own bread.
Any suggestions?
For the bread maybe epicurious' Cracked Pepper Focaccia with Truffle Oil? I also made that before and was pleased with it...but I think I'd like to make a heartier bread.
Help me plan my 40 person party
Hi Everyone!! I just wanted to report back and also thank you for all of your advice and help! :)
The party was a hit. My grandma, mom, aunt and uncle totally came through and made so much wonderful food. They were afraid that the lamb would get cold quickly and then dry out...so the menu changed to beef stifado (beef stew), rice, pastitsio, dolmades/stuffed grape leaves, a cheese plate with both French and Greek cheeses, salmon platter, olives, salad with feta dressing...i think thats it...and then some traditional Greek desserts like Karpathian Baklava, kourabiedes, tilixto baklava, etc...
It was two days before my wedding so I really couldn't eat much out of my nerves but everyone had a really fun time and seemed to LOVE the food.
I was sad I couldnt contribute to the cooking but there was no way I could have managed it...hey, I bought the cheese and wine! :-)
Thanks again everyone!!
La Degustation in Prague- so many bad reviews on tripadvisor, whats up with that??
We definitely intend on going to Lokal. Ive heard such great things. And I'm all about the Pilsner! :)
I'm familiar with Czech cuisine because I've spent a lot of time in Prague. I'll just look at the 2 menus and choose the one that seems most appealing...
Thanks again so much for the tips and for sharing your experience!
La Degustation in Prague- so many bad reviews on tripadvisor, whats up with that??
Thank you so much for the detailed review! I am so looking forward to our night there and I will definitely report back!
Glad you had a memorable time. :) I can't decide which menu to choose- the international or the czech...maybe we'll get one of each and share.
Help Please!! Translating Wedding Menu..Lobster Stock Vinaigrette??
OK good to know that it sounds correct. Thanks.
Help Please!! Translating Wedding Menu..Lobster Stock Vinaigrette??
I appreciate the suggestion. Was just trying to bounce ideas back and forth.
Help Please!! Translating Wedding Menu..Lobster Stock Vinaigrette??
so we shouldn't write Lobster roe vinaigrette? That sounds better to me...
