Edible Seattle: Sunsets & Salami

It was as spectacular as it looks. A birthday celebration for our friend Shannon diverted to the roof of her apartment building to enjoy the sunset. Time waits for no man and thankfully someone realized it was almost sunset and we were able to make our way to the roof in time. This was a 70-degree day ending in a sunset behind the Olympic Mountains. We waited through a lot of rain for this; Spring is finally here. 

I confess that I had to hit a lot of "adjust" buttons to make this photo turn out. We were back lit and completely dark before technology intervened. Don't count on the lighting or the shade of the sky, just know that Dan and I were there together on a gorgeous night in our new life in Seattle. 

We returned to the apartment for cake (!) and more of this absolutely gorgeous offering. I photographed it to show you how high quality ingredients, like salami and prosciutto from Salumi and one show-stopper item, in this case Salt Spring Island Cheese (which comes adorned with edible flowers) can make a charcuterie platter Insta-worthy. Now that is what I call Edible Seattle. 

#seattle #foodie #pnwlife #salumi #saltspringislandcheese #appetizerplatter #sunset #seattlesunset #iloveithere #birthdayparty #edibleseattle #foodieparadise

Genius Cheddar Cookie Appetizer Made Easier by Salton

I love to serve dry cheddar cheese cookies at cocktail parties because they are delicious with a glass of wine. Today's post is to rave about my Salton Electric Cookie Press. I've had this appliance for years and it is my faithful friend in the kitchen. While you may not be able to find this exact machine, I have noticed that the Cuisinart model looks exactly the same, so keep your eyes out while shopping.

I wanted to show you the ease with which I make my cheddar Spritz cookie appetizers. Please watch my short, unprofessional one-handed video above to see how easily this machine cranks out perfect Spritz-style cookies.

Cheddar Cheese Spritz Cookies

1/2 cup softened salted butter

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

3-5 shakes of Tabasco Sauce

16 oz shredded cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a food processor, whirl together cheese, butter, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco until smooth. Mix dry ingredients together. A 1/2 cup at a time, add flour mixture to cheese mixture and blend to smooth. Mix until dough forms into a ball. Turn off food processor, remove dough from bowl and shape it into 3 logs that will fit into your cookie press shaft. Follow directions on your machine and press cookies onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 min until cheddar cookies are dry and lightly brown on edges (be careful not to burn them). Cool on a cooling rack. Enjoy! 

*Note: I like these cookies to be dry and crumbly. I don't advise keeping them in an airtight tin because keeping them "fresh" makes them too soft.

Party Season: Cheese Needs A Sidekick Like Roasted Grapes

If Ethel Mertz is the cheese in my anecdote: dry, reliable, comfortable. Then these roasted grapes are all Lucy Ricardo: fun, unexpected, engaging.

It may sound silly, but I've made these roasted grapes on many occasions and they always make a lasting impression. This appetizer gets requested and referred to more than any other I make and I want to encourage you to give this simple and delicious appetizer a try. 

Preheat your oven to 425-450 degrees (you decide how your oven responds). Place non-stick foil on a cookie sheet.
Wash and lightly dry your fresh, seedless grapes. Leave just a small artistic cluster still on the vine, and pluck the rest of them from the stem and scatter on the foil. You'll want the ones on the vine for artistic effect, but know that if you roast them on the vine, most of the flesh clings when you pull it off to eat. That's why we're plucking most from the vine before roasting.

Drizzle with a little olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. I always use a specialty vinegar by Beekman 1802: Fig & Elderberry Blaak Drizzle. 

Keeping an eye on them, roast the grapes for 10-20-30 minutes until they split, sizzle, char and collapse. Sometimes it works faster than others, probably based on the sugar content.

Once they have cooled a bit, arrange them on a platter (with toothpicks nearby) with your favorite cheese and cracker bites. We're heading into party season - Enjoy!

Shell Topped Toothpicks: One of my Entertaining Favorites

These toothpicks are almost too pretty to use!  I bought this beautiful set of (real!) seashell-topped toothpicks at a little shop in Florida and I can't wait to put them out at my next little party.  The WONDERFUL news is now I can direct you to a place online to buy shell-topped toothpicks for your house! One of my favorite places now offer similar shell-topped toothpicks - get some at Fancy Flours today. You can use them to serve so many different appetizers - fruit, shrimp, mushrooms.  Here is a recipe I love - use the shell-topped toothpicks AFTER they are cooked.

I am planning on serving bacon-wrapped dates as a hearty appetizer.  This appetizer is always a hit - each bite is sticky, sweet, salty and savory all at once! 

Bacon-wrapped Dates

You cut a slice of raw bacon into 3 equal pieces (2-3 inches long) and then wrap each piece around a whole pitted dried date.  Place the seam side down on a slotted broiler pan - be sure to have the broiler pan base on as well to catch the drippings.  The dents in the pan are perfect for resting each date in, seam side down, this will keep the bacon snug around the date.  (*If the bacon starts to unfurl, give in a use a standard toothpick to secure.)

Broil a few minutes and then, using tongs, turn each date over and broil on the other side until the bacon is completely cooked - approx 4 minutes on each side.

Arrange the bacon-wrapped dates on a small ceramic dish and serve with shell topped toothpicks for an appetizer that is beautiful, interesting and delicious!

Honeycomb and Roasted Grapes Make For A Luscious Cheese Tray

Want to know the #1 thing I look for at a farm stand or farmer's market? Honeycomb. A beautiful block of "made by the bees" honeycomb.  A marvel of nature that I don't think gets the admiration it deserves.  The structure is beautiful, the contents delicious and it is made by instinct - fascinating.

I bought one of these clear boxes of honeycomb (above) at the Shadowland Seed booth within the Sara Hardy Farmer's Market in Traverse City.  It was of the highest quality and I served it several times with cheeses and roasted grapes on an appetizer tray.

Roasted grapes, you say?  Yes, a new favorite of mine to keep appetizer hour interesting.  This particular night, I roasted seedless red grapes on the vine. Placed a piece of nonstick aluminum foil on a rimmed cookie sheet, wash and then drape the grape clusters onto the tray, drizzled them with a touch of olive oil and a few splashes of balsamic vinegar and roast the grapes at 450 degrees for approx 8-10 min - watching closely.

The grapes were delicious - very lush and sweet; they took on the flavor of a roasted apple, believe it or not.  I did find that "plucking" the roasted grape from the stem often resulted in loosing the inside of the grape - the skin came off but the flesh clung.  

Now I remove most of the grapes from the vine and roast them scattered on a cookie sheet, with just one small clump left on the vine for effect.  That makes the grapes much easier to pick up and eat.  

The next time you are hosting a party, try roasting grapes! Thanksgiving, perhaps?  

Leelanau Peninsula: Idyll Farms: A Lucky Find

There is nothing like stumbling upon a new culinary delight a few hours before you need to bring something to a picnic!

I was finally able to visit the Sara Hardy Farmers Market in Traverse City last Saturday.  Traverse City is becoming quite a mecca for foodies and I knew that I would be able to find the best-of-the-best from local growers and purveyors. 

My favorite find was this simple but delicious combination of fresh lemon curd topped with spreadable goat cheese from Idyll Farms.  Yum!  It has a sweetness from the lemon curd and a cool tang from the goat cheese that was perfect for a picnic.  I simply opened the container and put it on a bamboo plate with nasturtiums and crackers. 

It was a perfect light and fresh start to the annual Bar-B-Cruise picnic held by the Leland Yacht Club.  Every year members decorate their boats in a theme and parade past the judges for points and a chance at winning the Mermaid flag.  At night, 700+ people come together for a casual picnic dinner of ribs, meat, corn on the cob and more meat all cooked on site.  This is summer fun.

Irresistible Fruit Dip

When I make a dish for a crowd, I like to come up with something that is irresistible.  You know a dish is just that when you watch people taking turns to dip their skewered banana, strawberry or pineapple chunk into a bowl of orange pudding dip.  This cold fruit dip was introduced to the family by my grandmother more than forty years ago.  

This dip is best served in a separate bowl next to fruit-filled pineapple halves.  Guests are to spear a piece of fruit (pineapple, strawberries, cantaloupe, banana) with a toothpick and dip it in the orange pudding and then eat it.  The dip goes fast and my family stands around the bowl, spearing-dipping-eating until the beloved dip is gone. 

This year I added green grapes to the fruit salad and most of them were still left in the pineapple shell when the last dollop of dip was gone.  We were laughing that the grapes probably weren't popular because, in terms of fruit real estate, they would hold the least amount of dip when dunked.    

The recipe isn't scientific.  Add and subtract amounts to suit you, but remember that the goal is to make a dip that will cling to the fruit.  The dip will thicken a little more in the refrigerator.

Irresistible Orange Fruit Dip

2 boxes (5.1 oz) box Jell-O INSTANT vanilla pudding (*1 box is a backup, but lately I've added all of it to make really thick dip)
1 cup cold orange juice
1 cup cold milk (2% preferred)
1 cup sour cream

With an electric mixer, beat 1 box of instant pudding mix with orange juice, milk and sour cream until thick.  If the mixture seems too thin, sprinkle in more pudding from the second "reserve" box of pudding to help restore the thickness.  Chill in refrigerator until cold and thick, at least an hour.  Serve with fresh fruit and toothpicks.  And stand back.      

A Nice Change Appetizer

I was hosting Euchre Night and really felt like serving something new. I had a taste for Mediterranean flavors (I couldn't shake my mood for lemon and olives) and I remember seeing a recipe by Alicia of Bella Cucina in a magazine. 
Her recipe used a jar of Bella Cucina olives (a blend of olives, citrus and olive oil) warmed and served over feta cheese.

I bought several types of canned and jarred olives (plus one package of sun-dried Greek olives that are dried on the tree!) drained and warmed them in a sauce pan with good quality olive oil, strips of fresh lemon peel, whole fennel seeds, and hot pepper flakes.
I put about a cup of this olive mixture with some of the flavored oil (but not too much) over the slices of feta and baked it in the oven until the cheese was soft. I served it with crackers and it was a hit.

Did you notice my shell-topped toothpicks? Those were for my "maybe I'll have just an olive" guests. Nothing like reaching in and spearing a lemon-scented olive.

You'll notice that I also served a bowl of cubed watermelon. I love the taste of feta and watermelon together as a salad, so I thought having it available to snack on would round out the appetizers.

It was a great night and I've found a new savory appetizer. Plus I still have half of a large snap lid jar of the olives, lemon, oil mixture to use in the next 2 weeks.   Since I'm enjoying it so much, I also want to strain off the flavored oil to make a salad dressing.  The good ideas just keep coming. 

Shell Toothpicks and Bacon-wrapped Dates

These toothpicks are almost too pretty to use!  I bought this beautiful set of (real!) seashell-topped toothpicks at a little shop in Florida and I can't wait to put them out at my next little party.  The WONDERFUL news is now I can direct you to a place online to buy shell-topped toothpicks for your house! One of my favorite places now offer shell-topped toothpicks - get some at Fancy Flours today. 

I am planning on serving bacon-wrapped dates as a hearty appetizer.  This appetizer is always a hit - each bite is sticky, sweet, salty and savory all at once! 

Bacon-wrapped Dates

You cut a slice of raw bacon into 3 equal pieces (2-3 inches long) and then wrap each piece around a whole pitted dried date.  Place the seam side down on a slotted broiler pan - be sure to have the broiler pan base on as well to catch the drippings.  The dents in the pan are perfect for resting each date in, seam side down, this will keep the bacon snug around the date.  (*If the bacon starts to unfurl, give in a use a standard toothpick to secure.)

Broil a few minutes and then, using tongs, turn each date over and broil on the other side until the bacon is completely cooked - approx 4 minutes on each side.

Arrange the bacon-wrapped dates on a small ceramic dish and serve with shell topped toothpicks for an appetizer that is beautiful, interesting and delicious!

Fall Appetizers

Who wouldn't want to nibble on these while enjoying a glass of wine?  I am so happy with my recipe for Cheddar Leaves.  If you are looking for an unexpected appetizer for a Fall get together - this is it!

This savory cookie is rolled and cut just like a traditional sugar cookie - you'll need a food processor, the ingredients, a rolling pin, cookie sheets, parchment paper and some leaf cookie cutters.

Cheddar Leaves

3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
10 or so shakes of hot sauce
1 1/2 cups flour


Blend butter, cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and hot sauce in food processor.  Add flour and "pulse on and off" to incorporate flour.  Remove dough from food processor bowl, dust with flour and roll out (with flour as needed) as you would cookie dough.  Dip cookie cutters in flour and then cut out shapes.  Place dough shapes on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 11 minutes.  Cool on a cookie cooling rack.  Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks or freeze and defrost later for the holidays.

This is a delicious appetizer to serve with wine and beer.

Honeycomb

I love to eat honeycomb!  I marvel at the genius of the bees and love that "nothing has been done to it." 

Comb honey is cut from the frame and placed directly in the package in which it is sold. 

To eat, take a knife and scoop out just enough honeycomb to spread on your toast - wax and all.  Yum!

Or stack a piece of white cheddar cheese on a cracker and then smear a bit of honeycomb on top.  Heaven!

As a larger appetizer, cut out the center of a wheel of Brie and sink in a square of honeycomb. Bake at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes and then serve with crusty bread...yum!


I am channeling Winnie-the Pooh.

Appetizer Tray

I've tried lots of recipes over the years, but this time I wasn't sure what to make. We were heading to our first dinner club and since I was bringing the only appetizer, I wanted to make something that would satisfy a lot of categories.

Sweet, salty, crunchy, savory - then it came to me. A rustic country sampler! I made 2 dips (a hot mushroom dip and a bacon/blk olive cream cheese spread) and surrounded it with red grapes (sweet), green olives (salty) and nuts (crunchy).

What was my favorite part of this display? (Wait for it...) The wooden bowl! I know, it really should have been my food, but what can I say. Midwest-born stylist Katie Brown has a new collection housewares and I had to have this little wooden salad bowl to make my savory dip look "rustic."

It worked. The appetizer tray looked as good as it tasted and we had a wonderful night making some new friends. What's your "go-to" appetizer?

Fall Appetizers

I really enjoyed a "Holiday Hors d'Oeuvres" class I took this weekend at Williams-Sonoma. There is something about Fall that makes me want to buy everything in the store.

I pulled out my set of tiny cookie cutters shaped like leaves and acorns, so I am ready to create these adorable "toppings" out of Pillsbury pie crust. It really elevated "a cracker with spread" into something every guest would want to try. The spread itself was delicious too! Pumpkin butter with cream cheese, green onion and bacon - yum! If you have a chance, I encourage you to register for one of the technique classes at Williams-Sonoma.

One of my favorite Fall appetizers is Hot Olive Cheese Puffs. I find that I can never make enough of these - they are so delicious with a glass of wine that they are always the first to run out! Now that is a successful recipe. Enjoy!

Mango & Mint Appetizer

I know what I want in a Summer appetizer recipe. I want something:

• that tastes delicious
• that looks beautiful
• that is easy to make
• that no one has ever tried before

I created these appetizer skewers for a "Cuban theme" party a few years ago and they were devoured on the spot! I have relied on them for "parties on the deck" ever since. Trust me, the flavors are delicious together.
Mango & Mint skewers

1 jar (24 oz) of Del Monte mango
1 container of fresh mozzarella balls
1 package (8 oz) hard salami
fresh mint leaves
wooden skewers

Cut each mango section into chunks.
Cut each mozzarella ball in half.
Cut 2 long strips of salami (about an inch wide) from each slice.
Wash mint leaves.

Thread one end of salami strip onto skewer, then thread on mango, mozzarella, one mint leaf and then finish by threading on the other end of salami strip. Chill until serving.

Self Serve Caramel Apple Station

What do I take to a Fall card party? A self-serve caramel apple bar. 

 I load my Nigella Lawson measuring cups with crunchy toppings like broken graham crackers, toffee bits, mixed nuts and almond crunch, then I put Marzetti's Caramel Apple Dip in a bowl next to pre-cut apple slices and voila!

Guests can dip an apple slice in caramel and then into the topping of their choice. A serving a fruit never tasted so good.