my best friend's mom makes one similar to this recipe, except she adds blue cheese. brilliant. and just creamy enough if you let it sit for a little while...

hi--

I need recommendations for a birthday party venue. here's my ideal party:
- 50-60 people
- Friday night 9p-1a
- DJ/dancing
- open bar
- light snacks + dessert/cake

I'd like somewhere we can get dressed up and not look or feel like fools, not a generic midtown/murray hill pub. my budget is around $5k. any suggestions would be quite helpful.

thanks!
Sophia.

considering moving from midtown over to Greenpoint...somewhere around Greenpoint Ave on the G train. where do you shop for food? where do you eat? am I going to love getting coffee from Cafe Grumpy? I have a lot of recon to do but I'd love to hear some recommendations. thanks!

wow. I have to disagree on some of these, particularly Ammos and Avra. I used to go to Avra pretty frequently and feel that the quality has declined noticeably. I only tried Ammos once (the one on Vanderbilt) and thought it was average. I think you have to make a distinction between "traditional" and "modern/interpretive" Greek food. for the former, I will heartily agree with everyone who mentioned Agnanti, and also Molyvos and Kefi. and for the latter, I love Pylos, Milos, and Anthos (sounds like the Three Greek Musketeers).

I made this last week with whole-wheat flour (no other substitutions) and it was great. I'm a pretty novice baker and the recipe was quite straightforward.

I need a new gasket for my Moka Express (3-shot size). Sur La Table is all out of the small sizes--are there any other stores (preferably on the east side) that would carry these? I called Williams-Sonoma and they don't. Thanks!

I'm having a similar problem and I think it's because of my gasket. here's what doesn't make sense: the gasket seems to have enlarged and now there are gaps where it doesn't fit exactly flush, so coffee gets stuck and the pot doesn't seal properly. has anyone else experienced this? obviously I will just buy a new gasket, but it's not even a year old. is there something in general I should be doing differently?

what did everyone have for dinner tonight? I was pleasantly surprised by how mine turned out so I want to share...I made a wild rice pilaf with butternut squash, golden raisins, and herbes de provence. finished it off with some toasted walnuts and gorgonzola. a-mazing. and despite the time it took to cook the rice, it was really easy.
top that--oh wait, I know you can!

I've wrapped cut jicama in a damp paper towel and kept it in a tupperware or a ziploc bag and it's been fine for a couple of days. I don't know about a week, though--it's never lasted that long.

I just tried this, and I have to say, I rushed it and didn't get as optimal results. but by "rushed," I mean that I soaked until the water was lukewarm, three times, and then cooked as pilaf. the pilaf stage has been at least 30 minutes and I'm still not seeing all the grains fully split. ahhh patience!

I've bought Moroccan wine from Grand Liquor before...they definitely have it, and at a couple different price points.

not fried, but 'wichcraft makes a marinated eggplant sandwich with chickpeas, roasted peppers, and watercress.

thanks--that sounds great and absolutely the speed I was thinking.

so it's snowing, and I have some black beans waiting for me at home...I'd like to make a simple vegetarian soup, probably just pureeing the beans with stock, onion, garlic, and spices. help me choose my flavor profile! here's what I'm considering:
- za'atar
- ras el hanout
- chili powder (probably the obvious choice)

also, I'm completely open to other suggestions--thanks!

my friend did an intensive report on her experience with AFB on her blog, and in addition to being hilarious and quite well-written, it is rather comprehensive:
http://highheelsinthekitchen.blogspot...

my best friend's mom has an amazing, simple, and different cole slaw recipe:
salad (combine & chill 1 hour in advance)
2-3 lbs cabbage (she specifies napa but I've used every kind)
8oz blue cheese, crumbled

dressing
1/3 c cider vinegar (again, I've used red wine and white balsamic successfully)
1/4tsp dry mustard
2 tsp celery seed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar (I usually omit; have subbed honey!)
1/2 c minced yellow onion
3/4 c vegetable oil (I use olive because it's what I have)

I used to make this for potlucks at work all the time--by popular demand--and it travels well if you put the dressing in a mason jar. the blue cheese is unexpected and delightful.

I've always wondered about Sushi You...I live right nearby. good to know!

this is the most disheartening kitchen experience of my life. I'm on incarnation #3, trying to salvage the broken aioli because at this point I don't want to feel like I'm just throwing eggs and olive oil down the drain. I have literally spent an hour on this...it's quasi-emulsified. anyone have any ideas a) what to do with it because I'm running out of time and b) what else I can serve to dip fingerlings, green beans, shrimp, and other veg?

ok, I'm in the process of doing this right now, for tonight. 2 egg yolks were at room temp. using the food processor. I processed the eggs for a minute before beginning to stream the oil, but it's just not thickening. about how much oil do I have to use? I have a gross, runny yellow mess right now. help!

I did, too, and the portions were TINY. the shrimp course had one shrimp! luckily, there's a McDonald's right around the corner...because we definitely needed something afterwards. oh, and we were a party of three twenty-something girls...not huge eaters.

I agree with SipSak (get the Greek salad and the vegetarian platter, only about $13 each and amazing), Bateau Ivre (mussels are like $22 and definitely are enough for two), and there's a new Thai place on 51st that's BYOB...I believe it's just called Thai51. for a bit of a splurge, Yama on 49th between 1st and 2nd is nice sushi.

ok, this is a little rough here, but it's an idea:
- toast walnuts & chop roughly to make them chunky
- toast coconut
- mix toasted walnuts & coconut together with a little softened butter and a little sugar, add chocolate chips
- cut phyllo into strips about 3 inches wide
- roll walnut/coconut/chocolate mixture into phyllo triangles, brushing phyllo with melted butter, finishing with a brush of butter and a sprinkle of white sugar
- bake until golden brown
- meanwhile, combine frozen berries with a little grand marnier and some sugar, reduce to a sauce
- serve triangles with sauce

alternately (this just occurred to me while reading your post over), you could do something similar with the dried cranberries and pistachios as a filling, and serve with your ice cream.

the berry sauce is what I'm least sure about, to be honest...I like the idea of fruit, but I wonder if a chocolate sauce would be more appropriate.
good luck! happy new year!
-

I like the pitcher idea a lot! and I was looking at the Trader Joe's "sparklers"--they make sparkling pomegranate and blueberry juices--and I thought those would be good mixers.

Perhaps it's a bit repetitive this time of year, but I'm having a cocktail party to celebrate my birthday. Right now I'm thinking of serving the following:
- foie gras & sauternes gelee on toasts
- caviar and creme fraiche on slices of steamed fingerlings
- aioli with steamed vegetables (and maybe shrimp)
- crab salad on endive leaves
- board of assorted cheeses and breads

Anything I'm missing or should do differently? The only thing I'm really wedded to is the foie gras/sauternes gelee. There will be vegetarians present, also.
And finally, any suggestions for cocktails? I'm thinking something like champagne with fresh pomegranate, and then just setting out a full bar. Thanks!

interesting--I soak overnight but don't cook, and then roast. but I definitely go for the crunchy texture rather than chewy...I find if I don't roast for long enough they stay chewy.

soup! puree and add some stock...one of my favorite soups in the winter. or cold antipasti with cheese and sliced Italian deli meats...sandwiches?

this idea may intrude a bit on someone else's dinner menu, but it is a show-stopper. it plates up beautifully and tastes incredible.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

so I'm baking for the folks at work this year and I'm planning to give them a muffin assortment. this recipe caught my eye http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/20...] but I don't want to use cake mix or pudding mix...anyone have any suggestions on how to modify it or any recipes that are similar? thanks!

you read my mind, Jim--these are great questions and responses.
I've switched over to ww exclusively--I have a tiny kitchen and can't imagine having more than one kind of flour, so I just use ww. I've been able to substitute it pretty successfully in almost everything, though I usually use about 1/4 cup less flour than the recipes call for.
the thing I wonder about, since I'm not such a seasoned baker, are the recipes that call for creaming sugar and butter--is there any detriment to texture when you cut back (drastically) on the sugar?
love your "healthy hedonism".

planned leftovers as well...roasted chicken with capers and herbes de provence, and then some spinach/tomato/chickpea soup. an apple and a clementine for later. although, after reading everything you've all posted, I'm tempted to start going home (I work only 10 mins away) for lunch!