Halloween Bash

Every year, Jeff and I throw a Halloween Bash.  We were supposed to be married on Halloween, but plans got pushed up quite a bit (to Memorial Day weekend) because of family matters.  Instead, we mark the day that would've been our wedding by a big party.  While this has always seemed appropriate and fitting, this will be our first year to fore go the tradition. We will have attended 8 weddinsg this year (the last being Friday), and frankly we need a break. 

The Bash will be on again next year, but in the meantime I wanted to share a few Bash secret recipes for your own Halloween festivities:

Wassail

1 gallon apple cider

1 cup orange juice

1/2 c. good brandy

1/2 c. Grand Marnier (Triple Sec also works, but use slightly less)

1/2 c. bourbon

2 cinnamon sticks

pinch salt

**For a wintery version, halve the orange juice and use an equal amount of cranberry juice. Garnish with cranberries.

This is the easiest thing in the world to make.  Simply put everything besides the liquor in a large pot and bring to simmer.  Add the liquor and simmer it until ready to serve.  Serve into paper, styrafoam, or ceramic. Use caution serving, the sugar from the juices gets extremely hot and leaves a nasty burn if you aren't careful.

Adult Cocoa

1 gallon whole milk (you could sub @% but it really isn't as good)

1/2 c. Godiva Dark Liquer

1/2 c. Kahlua

1/2 c. Vanilla Vodka (Stoli or Van Gogh are my favorites)

2 t. vanilla extract

pinch salt

marshmallows for garnish

**For a Mexican Chocolate twist, toss in a few cinnamon sticks and omit the marshmallow garnish.
 ***This is also tasty with a slight cayenne kick. Start with 1/2 teaspoon and go from there to get the desired level of heat.

Same instructions as above.  I have industrial coffee servers that are very convenient to keep these warm, but keeping them in big pots on the stove also works well.  The cocoa cools faster than the cider. Of course virgin versions of these are great for the kids, just omit the alcohol.

Cheers to Halloween!

Random Tips from Where Else (Pinterest)

I came across this pin on Pinterest the other day, and it got me thinking: "How many of these tips actually work?" I will make it a point over the few months (the impending holidays will give ample opportunity to test most of these concepts) and report back. If you have tried any of these tips, please leave a comment and let us know if they work!

(PS- I have tried a few of them, and my comments are in CAPS).

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster. 

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold. 

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking. 

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat. 

To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up. 

For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a minty frosting. 

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic, and at the end of the recipe if you want a stronger taste of garlic. 

Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream.

Leftover Halloween candy (chopped) is a delicious mix-in in chocoltae chip cookie dough (sans the chocolate chips).  YES-ROOM FOUR DOES THIS AND IT IS AMAZING!

Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. THIS WORKS (TO WARM TOPPINGS FASTER PUT A LID ON IT)

Easy Deviled Eggs: Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up. 

Expanding Frosting: When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving. 

Reheating refrigerated bread: To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster. 

Newspaper weeds away: Plant your plants in the ground, work the nutrients in your soil. Then wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go, cover with mulch, and forget about weeds.  MY MOM HAS VOUCHED FOR THIS

Broken Glass: Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily. 

No More Mosquitoes: Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away. THIS DOES NOT WORK-AT LEAST FOR ME

To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it. 

Flexible vacuum: To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings. 

Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip to eliminate static cling. It works; you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks. WHO WEARS PANTY HOSE WITH SLACKS?

Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out. 

De-fog your windshield: Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car When the windows fog, rub with the eraser. 

Re-opening envelopes: If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. It unseals easily. WHO HAS A COUPLE OF HOURS TO WAIT?

Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair. I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS.

Goodbye Fruit Flies: To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. flies are drawn to the cup and gone forever. 

Wash your dryer filter: dryer sheets cause a film over filter that will burn out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. The best way to keep your dryer working for a long time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take the filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush at least every six months.

our PRECIOUS new addition

Last week was a big week in the Fanning-Bowman house.  Our Weber gas grill--at least 15 years old by most estimates and recollections--finally got sent to grill heaven.  The cost to fix the old girl just outweighed what new grills actually cost. I will give Jeff credit, though, he put in some serious effort (tinkering, ordering parts, offering prayers to the grilling gods, etc) to save the grill I had been using for over half of my earthly existence.

Our New Addition

After the appropriate period of mourning, we decided to go in an entirely new direction. Largely for cost reasons, we opted for a Weber charcoal grill with a gas ignition. We needed a great inaugural meal to welcome this lovely little grill into our home and patio.  Inspired by a gorgeous pork tenderloin sourced at Fresh Market, we invited a bunch of friends and family over to welcome our new addition.

The night before, I used this marinade:

1/3 c. canola oil

1/2 c. balsamic vinegar

3 cloves minced fresh garlic

1 t sea salt

1 t course ground pepper

2-3 T chopped fresh rosemary

I placed the tenderloin in a 11x13 Pyrex baking pan, coating the meat with the marinade.  It's best to let this hang out in the fridge, covered in plastic wrap, for 24 hours or so. I turned it once the next morning.

The next day, as Jeff got the coals ready (with the propane started it only took 25 minutes!), I put some apple wood chips in a loose foil packet in the grill to create some smoking action. We put on the pork (medium heat) for about 15 minutes, turning once.  I like my pork cooked just past medium, so it is slightly pink consistently throughout.  The most important part is to let the tenderloin rest for at least 10-15 minutes before you carve it to let the juices redistribute evenly into the meat.

We served this amazing pork with oven-roasted Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, lightly dressed arugula salad (lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper), oven-roasted garlic and rosemary red potatoes & onions, and sea salt and rosemary bread from Fresh Market that we had grilled with an herbed garlic butter.

We served it with DeLoach Pinot Noir (brought by one of our esteemed dinner guests), and it was a beautiful complement to the subtle smoke of the pork. The charcoal made an enormous impact of the flavor of the meat (and the bread). I am officially a charcoal convert.  

I am confident that no grill has felt more love than our new addition that night.  The ooohing and ahhhing just didn't stop. Now all we need is a name.  Suggestions?  Cheers!

Seasons 52 Autumn Menu Highlights

Seasons 52 generously invited Indy food bloggers to a preview of their new fall menu.  There were so many courses and delicious offerings that I figured I would cut to the chase and provide the highlights and (and skippables).

Highlights:

Pumpkin Pie with Ginger Snap Crust

Ahi Tuna Seared Rare, sliced and served chilled with Asian cucumber salad and sesame crisps: probably the best seared tuna dish I have had in a long time.  The tuna is at an amazingly high quality, and it shines through.

Organic Arugula Salad with truffle dressing, Portobella mushrooms and Parmesan cheese: This was hands-down my favorite of the night. The dressing was full of intoxicating truffle flavor. My mouth started to water as soon as they set down the plate. It was simple and luxurious.

Gorgeously Prepared Brussels Sprouts

Spring mountain Farms All-Natural Chicken Cabernet with vegetables and Lundberg wild rice: comfort food at its best. The wild rice was incredibly tasty, and the Cabernet sauce (a surprise for me with chicken instead of beef) tasted like it has simmered all day.

Oak Grilled Filet Mignon with Yukon Gold garlic mashed potatoes, fresh vegetables and roasted mushrooms Fantastic quality, the Piedmontese beef was beautifully enhanced (but not overwhelmed) by the smoky oak flavor.

Pumpkin Pie Mini Indulgence with Ginger Snap crust: I'm not a pumpkin pie enthusiast but I could've eaten 10 of these. The ginger snap crust was a pleasantly sharp counterpoint to the velvety pumpkin.

Skippable:

Maple Leaf Farms Duck Chop Salad with apples, mint, cranberries, butternut squash, toasted pecans: this salad tasted a little confusing.  The mint was overpowering with all of the other wonderful fall flavors. 

Manchester Farms Boneless Grilled Quail Breast with mashed sweet potatoes and bourbon-chili glaze:  I found the quail to be too oily and the sweet potatoes a strange flavor combination with the glaze. Again, a little confusing.

The Winning Wine

All in all, we had a tremendous experience.  The quality of ingredients and skill of the kitchen staff is undeniable.  The Executive Chef took great care in explaining where he carefully sourced each ingredient, using local, all-natural, organic and sustainable products wherever possible. What I appreciated most (and this is evident in my list above), was that the vision is to allow the food taste like the best version of itself. At Seasons 52, they don't muck with the ingredients too much, opting for simple preparations and harmonious flavors to let the food speak for itself. It is truly refreshing (and healthy, of course!) Bravo, Chef! I'll certainly be celebrating the season at Seasons 52. Cheers!

Destination Garlic (New Smyrna Beach, FL

Puttanesca with Shrimp

This past weekend I was at the beach with some amazing women celebrating our dear friend's wedding (right around the corner). The weekend could be summed up by these words: laughter, sun, beach, friendship, wine, and Garlic.  That's right--garlic with a capital G. The Garlic is an institution in New Smyrna Beach.  It is an Italian cult classic; locals and Central Florida vacationers alike go to the Garlic to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, weddings right around the corner, and anything worth a fabulous meal (Tuesday works for me).

The Garlic patio

I am the only one in our group that had not experienced his wonderland before.  When we walk in, we wind through a hall of distinctive pottery for sale, inside patios, outside decks, dining rooms, a bar...  I make a note not to go to the restroom by myself or I may never find our table again! The vibe feels like Key West + beach cantina + my [non-existent] Italian great-grandmother's cucina.  The whole place says "Salute!" so we fittingly order a great bottle of prosecco (Zardetto) and toast the bride to be.

Crusty Bread with Roasted Garlic

While we are deciding on our entrees, we are brought a crusty baguette with an entire head of slow-roasted garlic with olive oil, salt, pepper, and parmesan. It is music to my mouth, and pairs beautifully with the prosecco. We order entrees and more wine (Sauvignon Blanc to go with our seafood pasta). I should mention how wonderful our server was. We kept going around the table and telling stories of our bride (laughing, crying, snorting, we got messy), and she waited for the right moment to take our order, sensitive to our wine-heightened emotional state.

I order their house specialty, the Linguini Puttanesca, and pay homage to the beach by adding shrimp.  Also ordered: Prosciutto and Pea Tortellini and Shrimp and Scallop Scampi. 

The pottery room at the Garlic

Salads come with every entree, and I upgrade to a Caesar. I am so happy about this salad: the classic dressing is nutty and briny with anchovy, the croutons that are more cheese than bread... perfection.

The entrees arrive and everything was fabulous.  The Puttanesca was sublimely spicy and salty with capers, imported olives, and chunky San Marzano tomatoes. I was a little concerned that the shrimp would be overwhelmed by such a powerful sauce, but the combination was amazing.  The tortellini was in an unctuous pecorino romano garlic cream sauce. The uber-fresh seafood made the Shrimp and Scallop Scampi, but the rest of the dish was a little bland.

We are so incredibly full at this point, but we cannot resist dessert.  We just don't want this night to end! We order a mile-high dark chocolate cake, and a cream brulee cheesecake. Absolutely delicious. The only thing I can say is thank goodness we are finished with the bikini part of the weekend!

Caesar

The garlic gets a strong 4/5.  The ambiance is one-of-a-kind. [An aside: I may have neglected to mention a man bursting out in opera every few minutes, adding to the festivity (and hilarity) of the night.]  The food was divine, the service was outstanding, and I can't imagine a better way to celebrate approaching nuptials, or anything else for that matter.  Salute!