Engagement Party Menu

My sweet sister-in-law is getting married! Have I mentioned that already? Lydia and Tim will tie the knot in December. Jared and I (and all of the rest of the family and friends on both sides) are just a little bit excited and ready to get the party started.

Lyd and friends

Now that we're more than a year out from our own wedding and all of the details and vendors and budget, I no longer want to plug my ears and hum something mind-numbing when people talk about wedding planning. In fact, it's kind of fun to be helping out and looking at pretty dresses and flowers when you don't actually have to make decisions about them. 

And I'm, of course, all for celebrating the bride and her wonderful groom-to-be. What better way to start than with an engagement party? An excuse to try new recipes and eat and drink with family and friends (plus it forces us to actually clean the apartment and make things look nice). 

The brothers: Greg and Tim

So, Jared and I hosted a very festive bunch this past weekend. It seemed like everyone had a great time and enjoyed the tasty spread. The crowd dispersed close to midnight and we went to bed with full bellies and happy hearts.

Brie and aged gouda and humboldt fog. Oh my.

The Engagement Party Menu

Pomegranate Champagne Punch

The Barns Viognier, Virginia

The Barns Petit Verdot, Virginia

Freshly Brewed Sweet Tea with Lemon

Cheese and Olive Plates

Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Cream

Herbed Mushroom Tartlets

Mustard Shrimp

Virginia Ham & Provolone Sammies

Crudités with Fresh Dill Dip

Fig & Prosciutto Flatbread

Wedding Cake Cupcakes

Lemon Bars

More of these lovely recipes coming soon . . .

Granny's Fig Preserves

As promised: how to preserve figs. Perfected by Granny, my mom's mom. She loved to garden and grew a beautiful, thriving fig tree behind her old house.

Jars of Goodness

The tree from her backyard has given new life to numerous others. And the family still picks and preserves them every year.

Fig preserves are delicious on toast, biscuits, french toast, pancakes, waffles, and a wide variety of other breakfast goodies. But, it is also amazing with savory dishes. Use the liquid to glaze a pork loin or try out my recipe for Fig and Prosciutto Pizza. 

Ingredients

• 18 pints fresh figs
• 20 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• special equipment: 2 12-16 quart metal or stainless steel pots, 5-6 quart-size jars with new lids and screw caps, large-mouthed funnel, large metal ladle

Directions

Stemming the Figs

1. Wash and stem the fresh figs.
2. Combine the figs, sugar, and 1/2 cup of water in a 12-16 quart pot.
3. Cook on medium high heat until sugar dissolves. Stir frequently.
4. Continue to cook on medium to medium-high heat for 2 1/2-3 hours until the mixture reaches 250 degrees F (use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature). Stir occasionally.



Starting the Cooking Process

5. In the meantime, sanitize the jars. Place the quart-size jars, lids, covers, and funnel into a tall 12-16 quart pot. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the tops of the jars.  
6. Boil the jars on high heat for approximately 15-20 minutes.
7. Using tongs, remove a jar and the funnel from the boiling water.
8. Carefully ladle the fig mixture into the jar. Leave one inch of space at the top of the container.
9. Place a sanitized cover and lid on the jar and screw tightly.



Sealing Inverted Jars

10. Continue to fill the remaining jars in the same manner.
11. After filling each container and securing each lid, invert each jar and return it to the hot water in the sanitation pot.
12. Boil for an additional 10 minutes to seal the jars.
13. Carefully remove the inverted jars and allow them to cool.
14. If the fig preserves are sealed properly, the lids will pop as the suction contracts the lids slightly into the jars.

Granny and high school me . . . OH yeah

Crawfish Stock

 Yesterday, we spent an awesome afternoon at a crawfish boil on the Anacostia River waterfront. Burning lips, Abita beer, 90-something degree weather . . . it felt like I was back at home.

To our surprise (and delight), there were crawfish left over. So, we grabbed a box and spent the evening peeling the uneaten loot. The tail meat was prepped for freezing and the shelled crawfish heads were saved to make an absolutely amazing seafood stock. 

Now some people are purists when it comes to making a crawfish stock, insisting that you take the time to thoroughly rinse the shells to remove the boil seasoning. This method makes for a more delicate, subtle flavor. But I was a little tired and lazy last night, so I just threw everything in the stock pot and let it rip.

After about an hour, you have a great base for anything from bisques and gumbos and to crawfish pies, jambalaya and risottos.

Ingredients

• 2 quarts leftover boiled crawfish shells
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6-8 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 bunch of fresh thyme
• 1-2 bay leaves
• water

Directions

1. Place the seasoned crawfish shells into a large stock pot. Add just enough water to cover.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat and simmer for approximately 40-50 minutes. Let cool.
4. Strain the stock through cheesecloth or a fine mesh sieve.
5. Store in the refrigerator and use within 2-3 days. Freeze for later use.

Post-boil peeling set up on the balcony.

Turbo Roux

Most good Cajun recipes start with "first you make a roux . . ." But that's easier said than done. Making a good roux takes time, patience and a lot of practice. It is well worth the effort, though.

 A roux is simply a mixture of flour and fat, usually butter or oil. In classical French cuisine, the roux is used primarily as a thickening agent. The Cajun method takes this a step further, cooking the roux longer which adds more richness and depth to its flavor.

While there are numerous types of rouxs -- which differ in cooking time and the types of fat used -- there are two versions that reign supreme in Cajun cooking: the light brown roux and the dark brown roux. 

Dark rouxs form the base of gumbos, sauce piquantes, and bisques. Light rouxs are used to make étouffées and stews.

The best way to tackle this technique is to start out low and slow, cooking the roux for about an hour using minimal heat. As you get more comfortable with the process, you can add more heat and cut down the cooking time. And this recipe does just that, giving you a roux in about 20-25 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 to 1 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat the oil in a cast iron skillet using high heat -- not to the smoking point.
2. Sprinkle a pinch of flour into the oil. If it bubbles at a quick pace, then the oil is just right.
3. Slowly add the remaining flour, whisking constantly. Stop adding flour when the roux is the consistency of a heavy sauce.
4. The mixture should continue bubbling at the same pace. Ease the whisking if the bubbling stops.
5. After the first two minutes, switch from a whisk to a spatula. Continue to stir the mixture, making sure to move the roux off the bottom of the pot.
6. The roux will finish bubbling and start browning. At this point, begin to lower the heat slowly. Continue to stir the mixture, making sure to move the roux off the bottom of the pot.
7. For a light roux, cook the mixture until it is the color of a new copper penny. For a dark roux, cook the mixture until it is the color of an old copper penny.
8. Remove from heat.

Pete's Good Stuff Seasoning Mix

My dad has always dabbled in a lot of things like playing Cajun music, brewing beer, and water skiing. And he's pretty good at all of the above, but he has always been a great cook. 

Whether it's a tried and true Cormier family recipe or a new dish that he's concocted, Pete loves to bang around the kitchen. And this is one of his newest spice blends that I have found to be quite versatile. It's a great flavor base for poultry, pork and red meat.

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder 

• 1 tablespoon chili powder 
• 1 tablespoon paprika 
• 1 tablespoon oregano 

Directions 

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Store in a tightly sealed container -- a cleaned and reused spice bottle works perfectly.

The seasoning is meant to be used during the cooking process -- not when you are serving a dish. Make as much or as little of this mix as you need. It keeps well as long as it is stored properly. 

Pete water skiing on the Bayou Teche