Octoberfest ~ Part Two

Tweet

Almost always, my favorite part of a meal is....DESSERT! For the Octoberfest party I made JJ's Inside-Out German Chocolate Cake. It was delish and not much was left over at the end of the night. I still have a slice or two tucked away in my freezer for a rainy day when a chocolate pick me up is in dire need!

Originally taken from 'Gourmet|March 2000', this has been a family tradition for many years. As explained in the recipe, the chef uses Valrhona cocoa powder in her cake, but other Dutch-process cocoa powders work equally well. The filling is made from sweetened condensed milk that is cooked in a water bath in the oven until it caramelizes. I think it adds a wonderful richness to the rest of the cake. I could eat the milk/coconut filling alone, it's that yummy!

*This recipe makes about 12 servings.

Chicken Soup...the COLD remedy!

Tweet

 Who among you is coughing? Who among you is sneezing? Whose throat is so sore, it’s like you gargled sand?  I’m here to heal you and me, with homemade chicken soup. You may think to yourself: “Heck no! I haven't got time for homemade chicken soup! I’m opening a can!” But you’d be wrong, my friends, you’d be dead wrong. One whiff of this Godly creation and you’ll be better restored than the Sisteen Chapel. Behold the vision:

Roasted Pearl Onions

Tweet

Pin it! Onions are one of my favorite foods and these roasted onions are so tasty and easy to make. While I was looking for side dishes for my steak tenderloin, I remembered making these for a side last Spring with ham. I wrote the recipe, took the picture, but, did not deliver to you! I really enjoy roasting vegetables of all sorts and I was looking forward to roasting onions. This  recipe is pretty straight forward, no muss and no fuss. Roasting the onions brings out their natural sweetness and are a perfect side for steak, ham or any of your Fall dishes. I am pleased to offer another really tasty way to enjoy onions! Roasted pearl onions are rich in flavor and nutrients. 

Octoberfest! -Part One

Tweet

My husband and I had a successful Octoberfest party over the weekend. Most of the neighbors attended along with some family and friends. JJ and Wee Bear are back from their cruise so JJ and I split the menu and planned out decorations and set up. She has a great knack for planning and decorating plus she has so many wonderful decorations to use! I rented a beautiful farm table from a local family owned business. We got so many compliments from the neighbors on it and glad we opted for that instead of the basic buffet tables you cover with a table cloth. This table was gorgeous!

We also rented the plates and silverware from the same company, which made for an easy cleanup. You just wipe the food from the plates and place them back into the crate they came in...no washing and no drying!

The first part of this blog series, I will be telling you about the appetizers and share with you some of the recipes. A lot of these you can use for any occasion, in fact, many are create options for football/sports entertaining. 

These little gems were created by "Tink". They are easy to prep and taste so good straight out of the oven! We ask her to make these often for family gatherings. 

Pepperoni Pin Wheels!

Tweet

While on our cruise up the east coast of the United States and Canada, we were looking for new and different dishes that we could share. We were directed to a pub in Quebec for the best lobster rolls, as it turned out we didn't have lobster rolls, but, we had a terrific meal starting with Pepperoni pinwheels and deep fried pepperoni.......trust me, this was all Wee Bear!! We loved the pinwheels and I decided to recreate them.

With football season here and the holiday's on their way, this is a quick, easy, and make-ahead appetizer. These delicate little pinwheels are absolutely delicious, positively addicting, and devoured by adults and children alike.  Oh, and the smell of these while they are baking?  Pizzeria comes to mind.

This appetizer can be made in advance (perfect for the Holiday rush). Just roll them up and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag for up to one month.  Defrost the rolls in the freezer before slicing and continue with the recipe.

Two roll Pepperoni

1 package puff pastry

That's it! Easy Squeezy!!

Normally I like to make my own puff pastry, however there are a few acceptable options in the freezer section at the grocery. If you can find Dufour, it is a all butter puff pastry that bakes up nicely with tremendous flavor. I found it at my Whole Foods. Most stores have Pepperidge Farm, and with the strong flavor of the pepperoni in this recipe....I think it will be fine.

 I prefer the taste of log pepperoni and used that in my recipe, however, you could use the slices.  I just peel off the casing, give it a rough chop, and then throw it in my food processor to finely mince the pepperoni. 

Spread the pepperoni mixture over the puff pastry, and roll up!

This picture is the other mixture I used, bacon and cheese. Same technique.

Bake the pinwheels just before your guests arrive and serve warm and within the hour.  Any leftovers can be refreshed in a 350º F oven for 5 minutes, but I doubt there will be any leftovers.  Perfect for a Holiday get together and lovely for a cocktail party.  Give this a try, you won't be disappointed!

These golden brown rounds are everything you want in an appetizer, lots of pepperoni flavor, everything you want in a recipe!

I also made bacon and cheddar cheese pin wheels, using the same technique above!! Cook the bacon and chop, shred the cheese and mix together.


                                     ~~~

As promised here is the clip of Sweet One and TT's Oktoberfest! Enjoy!

I have had a ball with I movie and am looking forward to improved tutorials on the blog!

Cheers!

JJ

Hungarian Nut Strudel!

Tweet

The Nut Roll is a traditional Hungarian pastry that is a sweet bread known as Beigli. Eva Kenly, my mentor for 20+ years, made her Beigli or Hungarian Nut Roll usually during the holidays of Christmas and Thanksgiving. Beigli [pronounced BAY-glee] is really a Hungarian sweet bread with special fillings. It is the filling that makes this nut roll pastry so tasty and nutty! My favorite nut roll fillings include chopped walnuts or chopped pecans.

JJ's tips for hosting a dinner party at home!

Tweet

 

 

JJ's Tips for Hosting a Dinner Party at Home

Sweet One and TT are hosting a large party tomorrow, so, I thought this a great time to put together some tips. They are hosting 25 neighbors and a couple of relatives....Wee Bear and I! Nate Dogg and Tink are hoping to stop in for a German beer in small kegs later in the evening.

Hosting a dinner party doesn't have to be a huge and intimidating undertaking. With the right preparation and attitude, even the least experienced cook can host a fantastic event. Here are a few tips that will help give you confidence to pull off a fun dinner party with gusto!