So, before we get to today’s recipe – how about that picture above? Those are just 3 of about a dozen cool cocktail napkins I have which have fun riddles for parties to work out. When using them, it is best to have guests try and solve them before too many beverages are consumed –  just a helpful little FYI.  Study them and leave me a comment if you figure out all three! (And just in case the top one isn’t completely visible – it reads, “52 C in a D +2 J’s”). Plus if you are a fan of the Les Petites Gourmettes Fan page on Facebook, you already know something special, so put on your thinking caps and comment as soon as possible!

Last night I had two of my very best friends, Peggy and Anne, over for a little happy hour to celebrate Peggy’s upcoming birthday, which is actually on February 26th. Happy Birthday, Peggy-Sue! Now that all of our kids are teenagers (and beyond, in Marissa’s case!) – we just don’t get together as often as we used to or anywhere near as often as we would like. So when we do – men and children, be forewarned -watch out! As the aforementioned kids know, all too well, we love to be together! I made these spicy little empanadas, crab cakes (that recipe is to be posted tomorrow), and grapefruit-cranberry martinis … love you, girls! (and even with all the love I have for you both – you may not comment on the riddles – although I would still love to get a comment of any other sort!) xoxo

Birthday Girl Peggy, me, and Anne with delish pink martinis plus a camera with a timer – what more do you need?!

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Today I am sharing another Southwestern-inspired recipe from my friend and mentor, Barbara Fenzl of Les Gourmettes Cooking School. I helped Barb teach a couples’ class earlier in the week and this was just one of the six delectable dishes the class made. If you’re looking for something special for you and your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day, these quesadillas will fit the bill. Enjoy them before you head out to a romantic dinner, or make them together and then sit down, relax, and enjoy them with the champagne. Avec amour (with love) xoxo

Here is a picture of the roasting of the two peppers used. A poblano has a much thinner skin than a bell pepper, so watch it more closely and turn it more often, it will roast more than twice as fast as the bell. These two peppers began roasting at the exact same time, but as you can clearly see, the poblano is ready to be covered with plastic wrap to steam, and the yellow bell still has a ways to go.

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Martinis have always seemed like such a sophisticated drink, probably in the past due to James Bond and nowadays thanks to one of my favorite television shows, Mad Men… Don Draper…deep sigh.

These delectable Martini Puffs are equally upscale and easy to make, as long as you can wait the full week for the olives to marinate. Equally wonderful, they can be assembled and frozen before baking, then go directly from the freezer to the oven for impromptu entertaining.
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Finally, the last of the Jamaican appetizer recipes! I saved the best for last, this was my favorite. Caramelized onions are such an amazing thing – the transformation of the pungent and sharp flavor of a raw onion into something similar to candy – wow! The leek jam is just another form of caramelized onion, with a twist. The Jamaican sauce called Pickapeppa was found along with other condiments near the Tabasco sauce at my neighborhood Safeway grocery store.  It was the first time I purchased or used it, yummy! The rest of the ingredients, from the ciabatta to the Parmesan, hummus, and rock shrimp were all found at Trader Joe’s.

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What is it about shrimp on an appetizer buffet that draws people like flies? First of all, it is the quintessential party food. Shrimp is the world’s most popular shellfish. Low in calories and saturated fat; high in protein, vitamins D and B12, iron, and omega 3. Plus they have anti-inflammatory qualities. But something tells me that none of that matters to the guy who is also known as “the shrimp hoarder”. He will block your path to the bowl of shrimp because he is worried that if you get even a couple of the tasty morsels, he won’t “get his”. Or how about the woman, who in April 2009, called 911 to report that she didn’t get as much shrimp as she wanted in her fried rice at a Texas restaurant? Now that’s harsh!

Will, Mike, and “Rastafarian” Scott at our Progressive Dinner

As Pvt Benjamin Buford ‘Bubba’ Blue said. “Anyway, like I was sayin’, shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, or sauté it. Dey’s uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan-fried, deep-fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, and shrimp sandwich. That- that’s about it.” – 1994 Forrest Gump.

These Jamaican shrimp fit into Bubba’s description – they are boiled…

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Jamaican buffet, it was a little picked over before I was able to snap the picture, but that’s a good thing, right?

Sliders are irresistible as part of an appetizer buffet. Small and easy to eat while standing, they are the perfect casual party food. If you want to prepare the sliders ahead, place patties on the grill or grill pan and just “mark” each side. Transfer to a baking sheet, allow to cool at room temperature for about 15 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Toast the buns ahead of time, place them on another baking sheet, cover them with plastic wrap and leave them out at room temperature. About 30 minutes before you are ready to serve, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and finish cooking the patties for 12 minutes. While the patties are in the oven, prepare the buns by spreading on mayonnaise and stacking on the onion, tomato, and lettuce. When the sliders are completely cooked, just assemble, put in decorative picks, cut in half, place on a platter and you’re ready to entertain!

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The question – What is Jerk… not in life (we all know at least one of those!) but in cooking?  The answer – Jerk is a style of cooking native to Jamaica. Jerk seasoning mostly depends on the inclusion of two items: allspice and Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers. Other ingredients may include cloves, cinnamon, green onions, thyme, and garlic. When serving a crowd, I often substitute jalapeño for the habanero, since you never know what people’s tolerance is for overly spicy foods.

The shredded beef that I used was the leftover pot roast from a post from a couple of days ago. If you don’t have such a thing hanging about, most grocery stores sell prepared pot roast in their meat department or deli.

When assembling the dumplings, lay about one dozen of the wrappers on the counter at a time, place the filling in the center of each, but only brush and seal 3 or 4 at a time. The dumplings may be made up to one day ahead. To do so; lightly sprinkle a baking sheet with cornstarch and place the filled and sealed dumplings on the sheet, lightly sprinkle the dumpling tops with more cornstarch and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with another layer or two, sprinkling each with the cornstarch to keep them from sticking. Refrigerate until ready to fry.

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Today is completely devoted to shopping, prepping, cooking, and setting up for tomorrow night’s neighborhood Progressive Dinner. I’ve got at least a portion of the five different appetizers that I am making, done. And parts of the soup and side I’m providing to one of our dinner hosts, so that feels good. The tiki torches are set up in the yard, now it just needs to stop sprinkling out there so that I can wipe down all the outdoor furniture. Come on “Valley of the Sun”, work with me!

The Caribbean Crab Salad is finished – that shall be today’s post. This salad is easy and quick to pull together, especially if you already have the pasteurized crabmeat on hand. It can be found at Costco and some grocery stores. Since the crabmeat is pasteurized, it can be purchased now and stored in the refrigerator for about 9 months (there is an expiration date on the bottom of the container.)

The porcelain spoons are inexpensive and can be found in Asian markets. The metal spoon pictured was purchased in a set of 12 at Crate and Barrel. There will be more Jamaican party recipes to follow for the next several days…

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I have a confession…I love Campbell’s condensed tomato soup. I mean, I really love it! I don’t know if it’s a childhood thing, or a sick little kid thing, but sometimes I just have to have a bowl of it. It is the only condensed soup in my pantry at all times, I feel a bit anxious when I use the last can. It must be made mixed with a can of milk, not water -eww! And if I’m sick and there isn’t a can in the house… someone (who is not me!) is getting in the car and going to the store to get me some, and I mean now!

Whenever my brothers, sister, or I were sick; we were served a bowl of tomato soup with Saltines. No chicken noodle soup for ailing people in our house.  Or when we’d walk home from school in the rain and be drenched to the bone; out came the saucepan (this was pre-microwave, kids!), the milk carton, the familiar red and white can, and a sleeve of Saltines – all better!

I found the Campbell’s sign, pictured above, at a flea market years ago and didn’t even look at the price, it was mine! I would have fought off anyone who tried to get to it before me, not that anyone did, but I was ready for a fight! For today’s recipe, I’m not going to give you the directions to make my beloved soup, those are on the back of the can. Instead a sophisticated tomato – Bloody Mary Soup.  If you’re making it for minors, just leave out the vodka – Virgin Mary Soup for them. This is not a gazpacho, a portion of some of the vegetables is sautéed and the whole thing is pureed to a smooth mixture. It is wonderful served hot, cold, or at room temperature. I’m giving you various ways to serve it with a variety of garnishes. As always, these are just suggestions, mix them up or dream up your own toppings and report back to me.  Tomorrow’s post will use a can of Campbell’s tomato, so come back and check it out, until then…

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Until about two weeks ago, I had never heard of arancini, but since then I’ve been exposed to it on two separate occasions. The first was when I stumbled upon a blog and arancini was the featured recipe that day. The second was just the other night while assisting Chef Giuseppe Mazzocchi for his cooking class at Les Gourmettes. Giuseppe is a charming man who is from Tuscany and made the most wonderful risotto (He also pronounces my name “Leyenda”, which I love!). He mentioned to the class that any extra risotto could be used to make arancini… turns out arancini are fried rice balls filled with sauce, mozzarella, and/or peas. The names come from the shape, which resembles an orange. The Italian word for orange is arancia and arancini means “little oranges”.  You can even make a dessert arancini filled with chocolate and use a sweet version of risotto – YUM!

Giuseppe told us that in Tuscany they prefer either Carnaroli or Vialone Nano rice to the Arborio rice that Americans generally use for risotto.  All three are short-grain rice, but the first two produce a creamier risotto and each grain holds its shape better than Arborio. You should be able to find all three at an Italian market or deli, and locally at A.J.’s. Even though each class had 16 students, there was so much risotto left that I was able to make 48 arancini, 44 of which I now have in my freezer! I’m providing you with Giuseppe’s risotto recipe, but any risotto will do. Even some you bring home in a “doggy bag” from a dinner out some evening.  It is imperative to make the arancini with cold risotto, so leftovers are perfect.

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