Smirnoff Summer Entertaining Extravaganza: Second City Social Media Meetup

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* All photos courtesy of Mystic Image Photography/Kat Fitzgerald

I have to admit, I feel intimidated by thought of cooking for fellow food bloggers and people that follow me via Twitter and Facebook because of my blog. Food Bloggers are a confident, opinionated and sometimes even arrogant bunch in regards to their prowess in the kitchen. I love cooking and baking, but know I have so much to learn, yet still feel miles ahead of the average home cook. Another thing that intimidates me is cooking on a deadline and for a large group. All the "what ifs " enter my thoughts. But miraculously it always comes off.

My Auntie Mame graciously allowed me to host a Foodbuzz brunch for my fellow local bloggers and social media friends . Most were known to me, but there were some I had never met, yet felt comfortable in inviting. It was chance for us to from behind the computer screen and interact face to face to with food and drink. I invited around 25, and about 15 showed up. August being bad for people with travel plans. I cant get quantities right and as always had way to much food, but it didn't go to waste as people took some home. The purpose of the Foodbuzz sponsored brunch was to incorporate Smirnoff Tuscan Lemonade and/ or Mojito into our menus and event. I decided to reflect the diversity of Chicago, the Second City, but making dishes for various neighborhoods.

The menu was as follows:

Gold Coast

Marscarpone , port soaked figs, melon ham rolls

Greek town

Greek Quinoa Salad

Smirnoff Tuscan Lemonade Spiked Watermelon, Tomato, Feta, and Pine Nut Salad with Balsamic reduction

Little Italy

Cherry tomatoes stuffed with Ricotta and Basil Chiffonade

Angel Hair Pasta with Tuscan Lemonade Vodka and Shrimp

Pilsen

Corn Tortilla Bar

Smirnoff Mojito marinated chicken with pobalnos

Crock pot Chipolte Carnitas

Roasted Vegetables

Condiments:

Kayce's Elote Salsa

Salsa Verde

Mango Salsa

Sour Cream

Cojito

Salsa

Limes

Wrigley

Lolli Pies Pops in blueberry, fig, and pineapple

Beverages

Sparkling Raspberry Smirnoff Tuscan Lemonade

Sorrel ( Flor de Jamaica)Smirnoff Mojtio Punch

Wines

Water

Sodas

My good friend Kat Fitzgerald of Mystic Images Photography was kind enough to take the photos for me. Kat was another instrumental one in me meeting Certain Someone. She's the tarot card reader who was at the dinner the night we met. Unfortunately Certain Someone was away, as he usually is, but Kat could validate he does he exist!

The recipes for the menu are not really complicated , but do take a little prep and time. I will posting the recipes throughout the week. But here are the Smirnoff cocktails to kick of the postings.

Sparkling Raspberry Tuscan Lemonade

*Raspberry Syrup

Smirnoff Tuscan Lemonade

Club Soda or Seltzer Water

*Raspberry Syrup

1 pint raspberries

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

Rinse raspberries. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan add sugar and water. Bring to a boil and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Remove off heat. Take a mesh strainer and pour separating the pulp from liquid. Let syrup cool.

In a glass with ice, add 1/2 part raspberry syrup, to 1 part Tuscan Lemonade. Top off with Seltzer.

Sorrel ( Flor de Jamaica) Mojito Punch

*Flor de Jamaica is dried hibiscus flower and can be purchased at Afro/Carib and Latin markets

Sorrel infusion( Flor de Jamaica infused with hot water and lightly sweetened to taste.

In a glass with ice pour 1 part Sorrel infusion and 1 part Smirnoff Mojito. Garnish with mint.

I cant speak for others, but I had a great time. It was so nice to see various facets of my friends and interests interact in beautiful lakefront surroundings.Each guest brought their talents and charm. In the end we were even given a impromptu belly dance by Diana , a wonderful teacher and lady who radiated goodness and light.Kat,Beth, Ogi, Vicky, Russel,Goody and your guests, thank you for coming and allowing me to feed to feed you. Auntie Mame thanks for opening your home to my world .Foodbuzz and Smirnoff thank you for great products and allowing me to be create this event and meet some new great friends.And for my friends that couldn't make it, next time perhaps. In my opinion there is no better way to spend beautiful summer afternoon.

Stay tuned for more recipe posts from the menu throughout the week. I will walk you through the Lolli pies ( inspiration from a fellow blogger) which were a hit.

My Legume Love Affair 10 Roundup

This was my first time hosting a large event and I was so impressed and happy with the entries I received for My Legume Love Affair created by the brilliant Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook. Keeping this month to Starters and Desserts was somewhat limiting ,but we received a jewel box collection of recipes from around the world. Check out these healthy treasures and consider them next time you are looking for something a little different and makes everyone say Wow.

So lets break it down into 2 sections:
Starters

Christine of Kits Chow created these exquisite Korean mung bean pancakes,Bindae Duk.

Jeanne,my African sista from CookSister, made these elegant chickpea & paprika crostini.

Susan, My Legume Love Affairs creator made just in the nick of time Steamed Red Bean Buns.

Bea and Jai from Jugalbandi make for us Horse Gram Cocktail Fritters.

indosungod from Daily Musings gave us Swiss chard and Black Bean Empanadas

Sweatha of TastyCurryLeaf is a person after my own heart with these black eye pea patties with a hot chili sauce.

Uma of Vegan Orbit gave us this tasty carrot and lentil soup.

Kalaivani of Little Taste Buds created Chickpea and green pea soup. Double whammy of legumes!

Lori, next months host from Taste With The Eyes, always served up inspiration with Cilantro scented navy bean hash with smoked salmon rosettes.

365 Days of Pure Vegetarian makes for us the perfect snack food Homemade Falafel

Sumy of Make the Impossible ...Possible,made Payaru thoran . A small serving of this would kick off any meal.

Indrani of Appyayan made Masoor Dal Vada ( red lentil fritters). Legumes make the best fritters.

My fellow Chicagoan Jude of Apple Pie, Patis, and Pâté rose to the occasion with this wonderful starter that captures the season of spring. Sauteed Morel Mushrooms and Fava Beans .

Ashwini from Nanna Adige gives us two starters for a Ugadi feast,Thondekayi Palya and Black Eyed Peas Vada.

I also received another entry from Ashwini for Sprouted Pulses Roti.

Divya of Dil Se made a comforting dish of Khichdi

Asha at Foodies Hope made Chana Dal-Dill Fritters with spicy Dal dip.

LK at Food For Tots made a delicious Black Beans Soup

Funny how different cultures have variations on the same theme. I went back to my roots and made Akara( West African Black Eye Pea Fritters), a childhood favorite.

Desserts


Priyasuresh, of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes created Channadal N Coconut Kheer. A lovely treat.

Elizabeth from Our Kitchen made a healthy new take on a familiar treat, Black Bean Brownies.

Aparna from My Diverse Kitchen makes Besan-Coconut Burfi (Chickpea Flour-Coconut Indian Style Fudge)


Uma from Vegan Orbit makes another version of Kheer for us with Moon Dhal Kheer

Kevin from Closet Cooking made these yummy Japanese Dorayaki. I could eat these as both a starter or dessert.

Michelle from Big Black Dogs created these Chocolate Peanut Roll cookies which look to die for.

I don't know why she calls herself Msmeanie when she creates treats that are so sweet and nice.Chana Dal Burfi from Chocolate Chip Trips.Try saying that a few times.

A&N from Delectably Yours made a Hayagreeva,a Bengal Gram dessert and recollects family memories.

Soma from eCurry makes a Sweet Peanut Brittle Bar .

Being the hostess I felt obliged to make both savory and sweet entries. Here is my Adzuki and Sesame Seed Cookies.

And the winner of the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving is (names drawn from mixing bowl)

Jeanne from Cook Sister! Email me for details on how to get your prize.



So there we have it. Quite a collection. Be sure to visit Mays host Lori for deatils on MLL11.

Well I Thought I was the Cake Diva... Nasturtium 40th Anniversary Cake

Those of you that have been reading Coco Cooks know I dabble in Cake decorating. In fact that's is how this blog came to be. My firsts posts were on my ventures into Cake decorating and sugar craft. This year I finally mustered up the nerve to enter The 4th Annual Student Cake Decorating Competition sponsored by the French Pastry School Chicago. Its for students at both culinary and high school level , of which I fall into neither. But they said as long as I wasn't a professional , I was good. So I paid my $10 donation as entry fee, to benefit Esperanza Community Services and got to work thinking of a 40th anniversary themed cake. I choice the nasturtium flower and accents of Ruby as they are symbolic of the 40th anniversary.
Earlier in the month I started making the gum paste flowers and leaves using a rose cutter and stretching and manipulating the petals to form the Nasturtiums. Then I went back over and brushed color and shimmer over the flowers to give more detail. You can call my style Impressionistic. I let thse dry for sevral days to become hard.

The cakes were actual cake dummies of 6, 10, and 12 inch. I decided to stick with simple white fondant as there would be a lot of color with the flowers. I rolled the fondant, took about 3 Wilton boxes, and centered with a wooden skewer.

The flowers and leaves were applied with royal icing and I made more flowers on the fondant with royal icing using the brush embroidery method. That's piping the icing and taking a damp brush and stroking int outline inwards to create an almost raised Waterford type of effect on the fondant.

Chef Laura Ragano gave an excellent demo with Wayne Johnson of local NBC on basic sugar craft and how she made her cake for Esperanza and a television segment with Wayne earlier in the week. While they did this Celebrity Cake Decorator Nicholas Lodge judged with other experts from Wilton and the community.


I wish I had a picture of the High School levels 1st prize winner. My Blackberry ran out of memory. The boy was phenomenal and it was great to see his family and friends go all out to support him.

This cakes creator was 18 and drove all the way from Massachusetts to compete. She hopes to go to French Pastry School and placed 2nd!

Here is the Culinary level in which I was competing.The first and 4th cakes on the table placed 1st and 3rd respectively.

Certain Someone was very supportive with emails and said mine was still good and to hurry up and get my frickin license so I can make my cakes and sell them.The Twitter and Facebook support was awesome and uplifting. The organizers said the they would email the judges comments for feedback and I am looking forward to hearing what they have to say. My theories are that I didn't include any writing or anything pointing to a 40th anniversary or Esperanza . My images were more symbolic. Maybe my style isn't as neat and precise and I have always had a more painterly style. The teachers in school always pointed this out. I plan to study more int actual anatomy of the flower to be as realistic as possible. Competition is tough and plays at all your insecurities, but the trick is to move on learn from it. Next time!