Over-the-Top Gougères

Photo of Over-the-Top Gougères with creme fraiche, smoked salmon, and caviar.New Year’s Nibbles
Just when you thought all of the cooking and cleaning of dishes was done, here comes New Year’s Eve. I haven’t hosted a New Year’s Eve party in quite a while. In all honesty, the older I get the more I prefer to stay home on the couch in my jammies. Yes, there may be cocktails and, of course, there will be something to eat.

I feel like the more low-key your celebration is, the more over-the-top your food should be. I mean, if you can’t eat caviar while lounging in your sweats when can you eat it? Ten points to Hufflepuff if you decide to wear your best jewelry too. But what to eat?

I have always been a big fan of gougères. I can eat them one after the other. And, they are a personal tradition to serve for New Year’s Eve. Here is my favorite gougères recipe which I posted for New Year’s in 2020.

To ring in 2023, I’m trying this recipe from Food & Wine. The addition of smoked salmon and caviar will send these over the top—which is exactly what I am looking for!

Happy New year to you all! Raise a glass to a fantastic 2023!

Over The Top Gougères
Adapted from Food & Wine
Yields four servings Read more…

French Onion Soup Dip

Photo fo a bowl of French Onion Soup Dip with a slice of toasted baguetteWhen I Dip, You Dip, We Dip
December is here and the holiday party season has officially begun. This time of year, the parties come in all sorts of flavors. There’s the classic office party in the conference room down the hall. OR, if you’re lucky, at the local favorite lunch spot. The cocktail party with heavy appetizers at a friend’s house is a personal favorite—mainly because it could go festive and dressy or casual with lots of wine. Either way, it’s fun to get together with the people you love to spend time with. Though I admit the parties have changed as the years have gone by.

When I was in my twenties, live bands, high heels, martinis, and girly dresses were the standard. As was getting home in the wee early hours. My 30s were the family-friendly years and involved a lot of cookie exchanges or mid-afternoon get-togethers because we were all exhausted and in bed by 9. Then came the themed parties of my forties that could be anything from a tequila tasting, to a Cajun Christmas feast, to gathering around the fire for S’mores.

As I approach my fifties, I have come to realize that the get-togethers I enjoy the most are the ones when everyone brings something sweet or savory for the crowd and we spend the time just talking and enjoying each other’s company. We may or may not be wearing stretchy pants. These are the events that, to me, require something hot and cheesy. Though honestly, when is anything hot and cheesy a bad idea?

Hot dips are the water cooler of potlucks. They are always a hit and tend to be where guests gather to catch up. I am a big fan of anything with spinach or artichokes, be they spicy or not. But, at times you want something different.

This recipe for French Onion Soup Dip is for those of you who are fans of French onion soup. I like it not so much for the soup but for the cheesy crouton on top… Hence, this dip. Serve it with toasted baguette slices or crackers…

French Onion Soup Dip Recipe
Yields approximately 5 cups Read more…

Amy’s Cranberry Cheese Ball Bites

Photo of Amy’s Cranberry Cheese Ball Bites on a wooden board

Turkey Day Tidbits
Coming up with the menu for Thanksgiving is pretty easy. I mean it’s mostly cannot-miss staples. Obviously, there’s turkey, though you can supplement with ham or whatever floats your boat. But generally, there is always turkey. Mashed potatoes are non-negotiable as are sweet potatoes in whatever form your choose—be it mashed, puréed, or roasted. At least in my house. The hardest part of planning the Thanksgiving meal is what to have to get you through to the main event.

Depending on when your family will make its way to the table for, it can be a struggle to figure out the other meals of the day. You know you are probably going to eat an obscene amount of food at some point so having a sustenance strategy that leaves room for the gluttony to come is key.

My general plan goes as follows.
Wake up and eat a decent breakfast. I don’t make too many alterations to what I would have normally. Lunch is where things get tricky. If I am at my mother-in-law’s I try not to eat an actual lunch because we have Thanksgiving around 2 PM. That is totally changed if I am with my family because we eat at 5 or 6 PM and no way I’m lasting without some lunch. This year, I am hosting everybody so I have had to split the difference. And, am planning on eating around 4 PM—which means we will need snacks to maintain sanity.

Being one myself, I am a big fan of cheese balls. They are easy to make and look pretty on a platter with crackers. They can be dangerous and filling, though. So, one has to pace themselves. I found a version of this recipe while doing a search for cranberry recipes that aren’t cranberry sauce. It took me about two seconds to decide that these babies will make an appearance on the pre-turkey snack tray. I did make a few adjustments to suit my taste…

Amy’s Cranberry Cheese Ball Bites
Yields 18 servings
Adapted from Delish

These tangy cheesy bites are rolled in tart cranberries for the perfect satisfying appetizer. The rosemary makes them festive!
Read more…

Mocha Pound Cake

Mocha Pound CakeLet Them Eat Cake
There you sit. You have your turkey and gravy. You have your stuffing and your mountain of mashed potatoes. The cranberry sauce sings its siren song to you from the middle of the table. Your mouth is watering in anticipation of the feeding frenzy that is about to commence. (Step aside Joey Chestnut.)

The little voice inside your head reminds you to save room for dessert. But, you know that dessert consists mainly of pies. You are not really a fan of pumpkin pie or any kind of pie. The accompanying vanilla ice cream is always good but lacks a certain wow factor. What do you do? Leave room for the ice cream or go big on the yams?

To me, the Thanksgiving feast isn’t complete unless there is a pecan pie at the end of it. Some have the same intense feelings towards pumpkin pie. For my dad, it’s a mince pie. One of my relatives, though, is the ice cream guy. The reason? He just doesn’t like pie. Any pie. (I know. Freak of nature.) It got me thinking about what would be an appropriate cake for Thanksgiving.

My daughter suggested a carrot cake which makes a lot of sense given the spices. But, she was adamant that there be no raisins. (There is a serious raisin aversion amongst my children). I figured anything harvest-y would work well. A spicy cake with hazelnut frosting is very autumnal, or even this Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting would be lovely.

But, what about getting away from the flavors of pumpkin and other pies? You could just go crazy with a double chocolate cake. You can never go wrong with a chocolate cake. This Mocha Pound Cake recipe works particularly well for a couple of reasons. It is a bundt cake which makes it easy especially when oven space is at a premium. And, it contains coffee which is always necessary to battle the snoozies after you have stuffed yourself…

Mocha Pound Cake Recipe
Adapted from King Arthur Baking Read more…