10 Cooking Show cover - Indiana Gazette

22 — Indiana’s Cookin’ - Indiana Gazette, Monday, April 5, 2010
Throwing a chic, yet simple, party
Hosting get-togethers at home can often
be stressful and challenging with all of the
elements to consider — the invitation, the
décor and, most importantly, the food and
beverages. Planning the perfect party can
overwhelm even the most seasoned hostess,
but there are easy solutions for making your
event memorable without becoming inundated.
■ Chances are that your guests won’t recall
the design of your invitations or the color of
your cocktail napkins, so use an eco-friendly
electronic invitation with an appropriate
theme and stick with matching monochrome
plates and flatware. That leaves you
time to focus on the factors that will stick in
their minds most — the cocktails and hors
d’oeuvres.
■ Once guests have arrived and mingling
has commenced, you’ll have a bit of time to
use your creativity behind the bar. Your arrival
drink can easily become the beverage
du jour with some festive garnishes.
■ Moisten the rim of the glass and fill a
shallow bowl or plate with your garnish of
choice.
■ Hold the glass sideways and dab the rim
into the garnish while slowly turning so that
only the outer edge is covered.
■ Then simply add ice, using tongs, and
pour Godiva Liqueur into the glass for a
A ppliances
tempting and festive drink!
When it comes to planning party food, the
trick is to keep it simple.
■ No-cook appetizers are a perfect no-fuss
option for entertaining, which leaves more
time for socializing with guests. For an upscale
hors d’oeuvre that still saves time, try a
bruschetta bar with many toppings.
■ Rather than serving buffet-style in your
dining room, utilize all areas of the house
with food and beverage stations. This will
lead to your guests mingling and moving
about so no one has the chance to be a wallflower.
■ Another way to encourage guests to get
to know each other is to organize carpools
according to neighborhood. This not only
will forge new friendships but also promotes
having designated drivers so everyone will
get home safely.
It is, in fact, possible to entertain with ease
and still keep it chic — just remember to
focus your energy and creativity where it
matters and keep the rest simple.
BRUSCHETTA BAR
WITH TOPPINGS TRIO
Toast slices of baguette in the oven. Toppings
can be added to bruschetta before
serving or can be displayed in bowls for
guests to top themselves.
BRUSCHETTA WITH TOPPINGS TRIO
KALAMATA TAPENADE TOPPING
1 jar kalamata olives (drained and pitted)
1 jar capers (drained)
2 cloves of garlic
3 anchovies
Blend to a rough paste. Top toasted
baguette slices with mixture and serve on
decorative plate.
HERBED MUSHROOM TOPPING
½ tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms (any variety will
work; mix varieties if you choose)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small shallot, chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Crumbled goat cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat butter and olive oil in sauté pan
and sear sliced mushroom, garlic, shallots
and thyme sprigs until browned on each
side.
Top toasted baguette slices with warm
mushrooms and crumble goat cheese on
top.
BALSAMIC RED ONION TOPPING
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 red onions, sliced thinly
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup granulated sugar
Coarse black pepper
Heat olive oil in sauté pan and cook
onions down over medium high heat until
soft.
Turn down heat to medium, add balsamic
vinegar and sugar.
Stir constantly until vinegar is thickened.
Top toasted baguettes with onion mixture
and garnish with coarse ground black pepper.
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