Category Archives: Menus

Sometimes it’s helpful when someone else can curate a series of recipes into a cohesive menu that feels and tastes both complete and complementary. I hope I can be that curator for you. And because I tend to cook around special events myself, it’s often where the individual posts came from in the first place.

Grilled Asparagus

Posted on by June 25, 2015

Even a little drizzle couldn’t keep us from celebrating Midsommar’s in style with fresh from the Wisconsin garden Grilled Asparagus. So tender, so tasty, so easy, and so perfect with the Cedar Plank Salmon, and Vasterbottenpaj (Swedish Quiche). My friends Dave and Katie were on grill duty with me and we put on extra hoodies and grabbed a few extra Spotted Cow beers and were good to grill. I like to keep things really simple when grilling vegetables. I simply rub them in a little olive oil and course sea salt- there’s something about the course stuff that really ramps up the flavor on the grill- and just give them a few minutes. I still like them quite crisp with a hint of char from the grill. They’re so good and full of the local, slow-spring, slow-grow flavor that’s so special in Northern climates. Then we piled the Grilled Asparagus on a beautiful blue and gold plate worthy of the tender stalks and served them at room temperature when our entire Midsommar’s Feast was ready for consumption. Needless to say, there weren’t any leftover Grilled Asparagus for breakfast, but if you have some, then count on a delicious omelet.  … Continue reading →

Daisy Crowns for Midsommars

Posted on by June 25, 2015

Growing up in a Scandinavian community, especially a Northern one that can relate to the Scandinavian obsession with light and sun, you learn about the importance of Midsommar’s Eve. With the special night comes essential Daisy Crowns for Midsommar’s. While of course you can make your crowns with any flowers, my dad cut us a giant bucket full of daisies, which I thought were perfect for the occasion. Their sunny centers decorated our drizzly night and the sturdy but pliable stalks made for easy braiding for first time wreathe makers. I have always carried with me that the wreathes are important to wear throughout the party, late into the night, until it’s time to dance and sing around the fire. We always burned the wreathes just before we put the fire out and headed to bed to keep the witches away. As I researched this tradition before I wrote this post, I discovered that perhaps this particular purpose (fear of witches) was specific to my family and friends. I definitely found lots of evidence that they are traditionally burned late at night, but nothing about the witches. Perhaps a reader will have further insight into the origin of burning the wreathes? Whatever the purpose, the … Continue reading →

Vasterbottenpaj Swedish Quiche

Posted on by June 11, 2015

It feels a little ominous to post my Vasterbottenpaj (Swedish Quiche) the day before the US v. Sweden Women’s World Cup game. While I love celebrating my Swedish heritage, I have to admit that when it comes to sports, I’m USA all the way. That said, it’s time to start gearing up for my Midsommar Menu, and first up is this Vasterbottenpaj (Swedish Quiche). I based my Vasterbottenpaj (Swedish Quiche) on a couple of Swedish recipes (One and Two), so I left in the metric amounts so you can see the conversions, because I think it’s fun. That said, I also provided the standard amounts as well. You’ll notice they’re not quite your typical amounts. The good news is, this Vasterbottenpaj (Swedish Quiche) isn’t the type of recipe that requires extreme precision. Also, don’t let the foreign cheese intimidate you. It’s very hard to find these days, so check out the note at the bottom on how to get a good substitute for the flavor and texture. I think one of the best lessons to be learned from these recipes is the addition of crème fraîche into the filling. It provides a richness and tang that I absolutely love and … Continue reading →

Veuve Clicquot Polo Pictures

Posted on by June 12, 2015

I’ve been wanting to go to the Veuve Clicquot Polo Match for an entire year. Some good friends live in Jersey City, right on the Hudson near Liberty Park and last year they went running the day of the polo match and had to turn back since the entire park was closed off for the day. When Adam told me about it, of course, I knew I had to go. A polo match, with lots and lots of champagne? That’s my kind of event to be sure. So we went and we conquered. The day was absolutely gorgeous and it was a good thing we had hats because the sun was blazing. We picnicked and sipped sparkling rosé and then we finagled an awesome place to stand at one of the goals. It was very exciting to be so close to the ponies as the riders came crashing in towards us to score. Black Watch beat Veuve Clicquot soundly, be we were the real victors since we enjoyed a gorgeous day outdoors drinking lovely champagne. Here’s our motley crew. See Marc stomping the divots? He did a great job representing our group in this important polo tradition. Adam was in … Continue reading →

Saffron Poached Apricot Almond Trifle

Posted on by May 29, 2015

In keeping with our Colonial English, Polo Picnic theme, we arrive at this Saffron Poached Apricot Almond Trifle for dessert. The saffron, cardamom, almond and apricot flavors all nod to the Persian and Indian origins of polo. The flavors blend and meld and enhance each other. Each flavor is subtle but distinctive with lots of earthy, savory, floral and sweet notes to delight your pallet. Even though there’s a plenty of Eastern flavors present throughout the dessert, a classic English trifle? Well, it doesn’t get much more English than that. I know what you’re thinking, “A trifle, at a picnic?” I’ll admit that hauling the glass trifle bowl out on a picnic is a bit of a chore, but it’s go gorgeous, I deemed it “worth it,” and you might too. That said, I had a small band of merry helpers; if you aren’t up for all that, a large clear plastic bowl with a lid works rather well in a pinch. Just keep the Saffron Poached Apricot Almond Trifle on the drink ice until you’re almost ready to serve. The delicate spongey cake, creamy custard, and brandy laced fruit make this Saffron Poached Apricot Almond Trifle the perfect cool down … Continue reading →

Salmon Burgers with Curry Mayo

Posted on by May 29, 2015

For my English Polo Picnic, I picked dishes that are easy to make ahead for room temperature consumption and are both elegant and easily portable, like these Salmon Burgers with Curry Mayo. I bought pre-formed Salmon Burgers to keep things easy and then just doctored up premade mayo and mango chutney for a very flavorful and unexpected picnic sandwich. I grilled them at home on a grill pan and then just packed them up in foil and served them room temperature at the party. If you’re going to grill them far ahead, you should definitely refrigerate them until you’re ready to go and then just let the Salmon Burgers with Curry Mayo come up to room temperature as the party starts. These Salmon Burgers with Curry Mayo are really flavorful and a fun departure from standard grill fair. If you can’t find pre-formed patties, they’re not too bad to make yourself, but anytime I find good shortcuts, I like to share them, especially when I’m making several recipes at once, like these Salmon Burgers with Curry Mayo as part of a party menu that needs to be transported off-site. And when you add little touches of your own, like I … Continue reading →

Crawfish Boil and Cajun Dinner

Posted on by July 2, 2015

My wonderful friend Kevin, and his partner Juliet host an amazing Crawfish Boil every year. It’s one of the best parties of the year and such a special treat to get to all-you-can-eat Crawfish made by a real Cajun. Kevin shares his culture with us by cooking an amazing meal of crawfish, corn, potatoes, and andouille sausage in a giant pot. It’s usually hosted in South Philly in a beautiful garden and goes all night long with lots and lots of beer to cool us off as the night goes on. Each round of the boil gets hotter and hotter as more seasoning is added to the water. By the end, you eat a crawfish, sip your beer, and repeat until all the crawfish are gone. Here’s Kevin piling crawfish, corn, potatoes and sausage into the pot, boiling it, and dumping it out onto a giant table. It’s quite the process. Then we all dig in and eat to our hearts content. Kevin shows the newbies how to each crawfish. 1. Grab the crawfish and twist to separate the tail from the head. 2. Suck the head. This is spicy! Discard. 3. Pinch the tail to break the shell. Pull … Continue reading →

Jerusalem Cookbook Dinner Party

Posted on by January 19, 2015

Everyone loves a menu that’s straightforward and ready to go and this Jerusalem Cookbook Dinner Party is all that and more. Added bonus, most of the dishes can be prepared well-ahead of the party so that you can enjoy the party your self. The recipes, while delicious any time of the year, point out how lush and flavorful winter produce can be. Pomegranates and pears abound, dried prunes are an unexpected ingredient that delights when paired with crispy potatoes, bright green herbs make flavors and colors pop! and who can resist fresh bread, straight from the oven? Aside from the recipes featured on this page, I also recommend that you check out the recipes from my Middle Eastern Feast, which offers other great Middle Eastern dishes to offer your some variety in your planning. And of course, check out the many cocktails I have shared over the years and pick out one that will become your house favorite. I’ll walk you through these recipes step-by-step and at then end you’ll be prepared with an elegant, but comfortable menu that will “wow” guests. Appetizers: Baba Ganoush via Jerusalem Homemade Hummus and Pita would also be excellent from my Middle Eastern Feast … Continue reading →

Saffron Poached Pear Cakes

Posted on by February 12, 2015

These gorgeous little Saffron Poached Pear Cakes are the culmination of a lot of different ideas and inspirations. They started as a little inkling in the back of my mind when I was perusing cookbooks at Terrain last Christmas and came across Homemade Winter, by Yvette van Boven. The gorgeous photo of a pear cake on the cover stuck with me, even after I’d read the recipe and decided not to make it (white chocolate just isn’t my thing). Then, months later when paging through Jerusalem, I loved the recipe for Saffron Cardamom Poached Pears and was reminded of the image from Homemade. While the pears are absolutely a lovely dessert on their own, they also seemed perfect for sinking inside a moist, flavorful cake. I played around with different versions of cake that would work with but not overpower the strong yet subtle flavor of saffron and I think this cake strikes the perfect balance. The slightly floral aromatic qualities of the almond flour, orange zest and marmalade work well with the saffron and cardamom. There’s a lot going on, but it’s well balanced and the result is beautiful Saffron Poached Pear Cakes that are full of a golden … Continue reading →

Mint Butter Lamb Chops

Posted on by January 12, 2015

When you’re making a very special dinner to serve to friends, such as my Jerusalem Cookbook Dinner Party, sometimes you really just need at least one dish that’s simple, easy, and crowd pleasing, and my Mint Butter Lamb Chops are all those things and more. Since lamb chops are on the expensive side of things, serving them on a night when there are lots of other dishes is a good way to get away with serving them in appetizer portions and still have guests feel like they got their fill. When I was creating the dish I wanted flavors that were interesting enough to stand up to the brilliant flavors and colors of the rest of the dishes; that is such an amazing quality of the Jerusalem recipes, but I also wanted to nod to things just a little more traditional like the pairing of lamb and mint. Because of the fresh mint in the Baba Ganoush via Jerusalem, I already had it on hand and it’s traditional ties to lamb made it an obvious choice. It was important to me that the mint felt savory, not sweet. Also, around this time I had mint and pea ravioli with spicy … Continue reading →

Rice and Peas Thanksgiving Style

Posted on by November 20, 2014

Rice and Peas Thanksgiving Style was one of the recipes that while based on a standard, needed a lot of tweaking before it was ready for my Caribbean Thanksgiving Menu. Most Rice and Peas recipes use a traditional sofrito that has tomatoes in it, and truth told, the tomatoes were too distracting and didn’t pair well with anything Thanksgiving. Also, a part of me wanted to use dried cranberries and pecans in the Rice and Peas Thanksgiving Style because of their obvious Thanksgiving ties, but it just wasn’t quite right, and it conflicted with the coconut milk, which was really important for the Spicy Jerk Turkey Drumsticks. So, after a final tasting which culminated in three different Rice and Peas Thanksgiving Style iterations plated at once, my brave tasters and I settled upon this version. And I’m so glad we did. Also, if coconut milk isn’t your thing, consider making a version omitting the coconut milk, dried mango, and cashews. The truth is this sofrito is really really good, and the plain version was perfect on its own. We just liked the crunch and texture of the spiffed up one a little more for such a festive menu. After all, … Continue reading →

Spicy Jerk Turkey Drumsticks

Posted on by November 20, 2014

Even if I hadn’t printed the menu and been teasing about it forever, you probably could have guessed that the main dish would be some version of Spicy Jerk Turkey Drumsticks. This is a Caribbean Thanksgiving Menu after all and jerk chicken is about as Caribbean as it gets. I had to keep things interesting though, as well as keep the attention on classic Thanksgiving ingredients, so I changed things up just a bit starting with the poultry. For Thanksgiving, turkey kicks chicken out of the pan, and because I really love dark meat, I picked drumsticks. One of my main goals was to create a dish that I could make ahead and not have to worry about taking prime oven space the day of, so pulled meat that I could warm in the crockpot was a sensible choice that made for a fun day for the cook as well as the guests without compromising on flavor. The rich, moist, Spicy Jerk Turkey Drumsticks were paired with MacRostie’s syrah, (it’s good to be related to an amazing winemaker who brings you an entire case of magnums for the event) which was one of the best wine pairings I’ve ever had. … Continue reading →