The Newlywed Kitchen Potluck

So I have a great idea for a Summer – or anytime – party. Step 1. Pick a cookbook. Step 2. Invite fellow food-loving folk. Step 3. Tell invitees to prepare one recipe from the book of choice. Step 4. Set out dishes. Step 5. EAT!

I can’t take credit for this brilliant idea which was actually the brain child of my lovely fellow hostesses, Dana from DanaTreat.com and Julie who is my right-hand lady in all things cooking class related (and lately in all areas of my crazy-life).

When I received a copy of Lorna Yee and Ali Basye’s new cookbook, The Newlywed Kitchen: Delicious Meals for Couples Cooking Together, I was overwhelmed by how many corners of the pages I creased with excitement at the thought of recreating dozens of dishes introduced in the book.

This party was the perfect solution. We sampled a wide variety of the recipes and I didn’t have to spend days in the kitchen making them all.

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I made the Blue Cheese Crackers. These were packed with blue cheese flavor and the texture.. well they just melted in your mouth. A touch of heat comes from the perfect amount of cayenne. Blue Cheese Crackers are a lovely addition to any cheese and fruit plate.

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I served the crackers with blueberries and local cherries, herb chevre and San Andre.

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Dana made the Curried Chickpeas. I could eat these by the bowlful. Seriously – so good. Creamy, spicy and a subtle tang from goat cheese in the sauce.

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Pasta salad with Arugula and Cherry Tomatoes

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Lorraine (@voraciousgirl) made Chocolate Mudslide Cookies.

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Julie made the Bourbon-Glazed Baby Back Ribs with Sweet and Smokey Barbecue Sauce. Anything that gets an overnight bath in beer and soda has got to be good, right?! Oh and they are.

Now I’m embarrassed to say there was a lot more food – Red Velvet Cake, Samoa Blondies, Macaroni and Cheese, etc. but I was too busy eating (then eating again) to take photos of the late comers. Check out Lorna’s blog for more images of our incredible potluck.

The party was a smashing success. The food was incredible and our job as hostesses was so simple as everyone else provided most of the food. We even had the honor of having Lorna in attendance.

I hope you get inspired by our cookbook party. I’d love to see pictures from your party!

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Chocolate Chip Cookies Revisited

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Alone in the fridge there sat a roll of freshly made chocolate chip cookie dough. It meant to join us for the weekend as the husband and I were enjoying a quiet weekend away, otherwise known as our babymoon. For those of you unfamiliar with this odd term let me explain – it’s a last chance getaway before the life-altering, sleep depriving, miracle of a baby arrives. We still have several weeks before baby appears (early September) but this was our last unbooked weekend of the Summer – my husband is a wedding photographer which makes this season very busy.

My dear friend and cooking class partner, Julie, insisted on us taking a babymoon. We needed very little convincing. Husband and I spent the last few days steps away from the ocean, surrounded by books, food and the ability to do whatever we wanted, when we wanted. For me this meant plenty of long naps, a few brief walks – or shall I say “waddles” – and quiet moments just staring at the ocean.

We read, we talked, we watched movies and we enjoyed the silence.

Now we are home. Back to our reality that is void of silence, filled with the happy cheers of two very energetic young boys. And back to that cookie dough that is all well rested as I am.

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These cookies were baked just after the dough was made – they’re delicious. But if you let the dough rest a bit the flavors with become more pronounced- you will get a cookie with more toffee flavors and deep, rich color. They also don’t *puff* quite as much once they’ve rested.  I used chocolate chips for this because I didn’t have couverture on hand and needed a cookie…. NOW.

I have been meaning to re-post my chocolate chip cookies for some time. First of all because the pictures are horrible and secondly because I left out a few key tricks in the mixing directions. I did not do this intentionally – I would never do that to you but since that post I have made thousands more cookies and have learned a few things a long the way.

Dana from Dana Treat recently took a baking class from me where we made my favorite chocolate chip cookies. She went ahead and did my job for me by writing an incredible post honoring these chocolate-laden morsels. Her post on my cookies was so perfectly written and her cookies are flawless, so I’m just going to direct you to her also.

Thanks Dana for such a lovely post!

THE Chocolate Chip Cookie
2 sticks butter (8 oz)
1/4 cup white sugar (2 oz )
1/4 cup Turbinado sugar (2 oz )
1 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed (12 oz )
2  eggs
2 tsp vanilla (1/4 oz)
3 1/2 cup All Purpose flour (1 lb. )
1 1/2 tsp Baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 lb. chocolate (use the best quality chocolate you can afford. With a serrated knife cut chocolate chunks roughly 1/2 inch)
1/2 teaspoon good quality salt, for sprinkling on top before baking
Cream the butter and the sugars until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes on medium high. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Continue mixing while adding the eggs one at time. Make sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Add the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Combine the flour, soda and salt in another bowl. With a whisk to combine. With the machine on low, slowly add the flour. Mix until just combined, taking care not to over mix. With a spatula fold in the chocolate.
If you so choose, and I do recommend that you do, sprinkle a very fine dusting of good quality sea salt. Fleur de Sel or Murray River Pink Salt are my recommendations.
Bake at 360* for 12 minutes. They should be lightly golden on the outside but still look gooey on the inside.

THE Chocolate Chip Cookie

2 sticks butter (8 oz)

1/4 cup white sugar (2 oz )

1/4 cup Turbinado sugar (2 oz )

1 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed (12 oz )

2  eggs

2 tsp vanilla (1/4 oz)

3 1/2 cup All Purpose flour (1 lb. )

1 1/2 tsp Baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 lb. chocolate (use the best quality chocolate you can afford. With a serrated knife cut chocolate chunks roughly 1/2 inch)

1/2 teaspoon good quality salt, for sprinkling on top before baking

Cream the butter and the sugars until very light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes on medium high. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Continue mixing while adding the eggs one at time. Make sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Add the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Combine the flour, soda and salt in another bowl. With a whisk to combine. With the machine on low, slowly add the flour. Mix until just combined, taking care not to over mix. With a spatula fold in the chocolate.

If you so choose, and I do recommend that you do, sprinkle a very fine dusting of good quality sea salt. Fleur de Sel or Murray River Pink Salt are my recommendations.

Bake at 360* for 12 minutes. They should be lightly golden on the outside but still look gooey on the inside.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt

2 sticks butter (8 oz) 1/4 cup white sugar (2 oz ) 1/4 cup Turbinado sugar (2 oz ) 1 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed (12 oz ) 2  eggs 2 tsp vanilla (1/4 oz) 3 1/2 cup All Purpose flour (1 lb. ) 1 1/2 tsp Baking soda 3/4 tsp salt 1 lb. chocolate (use the best quality chocolate you can afford. With a serrated knife cut chocolate chunks roughly 1/2 inch) 1/2 teaspoon good quality salt, for sprinkling on top before baking Cream the butter and the sugars until very light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes on medium high. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Continue mixing while adding the eggs one at time. Make sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Add the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Combine the flour, soda and salt in another bowl. With a whisk to combine. With the machine on low, slowly add the flour. Mix until just combined, taking care not to over mix. With a spatula fold in the chocolate. If you so choose, and I do recommend that you do, sprinkle a very fine dusting of good quality sea salt. Fleur de Sel or Murray River Pink Salt are my recommendations. Bake at 360* for 12 minutes. They should be lightly golden on the outside but still look gooey on the inside.
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