Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Holiday Tree Trimming Party

Every year Michael and myself host a Christmas tree trimming party in which we invite our closest friends over to help us decorate our Christmas tree. Every guest brings one appetizer to share and we provide the cocktails and dessert! Our annual party happened last night and Foodbuzz was nice enough to select our party as part of their 24, 24, 24 promotion. Thanks Foodbuzz!

Since this was an appetizer potluck, I have tons of great holiday appetizer ideas perfect for your holiday party!



Christmas is Michael’s favorite holiday, so our tiny apartment gets a radical make-over during this time of year. Vintage Christmas decorations flood every inch of wall space as the infamous video yuletide log flickers on the t.v. screen---it’s quite a sight! The only thing NOT decorated is the Christmas tree. At the beginning of the party the tree is bare and naked, and as guests begin to arrive they each dig into the giant boxes of vintage ornaments that Michael has collected and they begin to slowly decorate the tree. It’s a communal effort, and by the end of the night the tree is shimmering and beautiful!

Making Spanish Sangria!

By Danny

Best Sangria Recipe

WELCOME TO ALL OUR NEW STUMBLE UPON READERS! IF YOU LIKE THIS RECIPE PLEASE CHECK OUT SOME OF OUR OTHER RECIPES!



I'm usually not a huge sangria fan. I tend to find that most sangria recipes call for way too much sugar for my taste. So when Michael suggested we make sangria for our recent cocktail party, I wasn't too excited. Boy was I wrong! Michael found this great recipe and it was really excellent. Not too sweet, and just the right amount of tartness. This is perfect for a party because you can make it a day before...it actually gets better with time!

Red Wine Sangria Recipe

* 2 bottles red Spanish table wine
* 1 cup brandy
* 1/2 cup triple sec
* 1 cup orange juice
* 1 cup pomegranate juice
* 1/2 cup simple syrup, or more to taste (equal parts sugar and water, heated until sugar dissolves, cooled)
* Orange slices
* Apple slices
* Blackberries
* Pomegranate seeds

Directions

Mix all ingredients together and let stand in a tightly sealed container or pitcher for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

Recipe found on Food network tv.com

Crudite Platter with Anchovy Lemon Dip

By Danny

Twist On A Crudite Tray

This is one of the appetizers we made for our recent cocktail party. It's a twist on a traditional crudite platter in that the vegetables used are not what you would expect from a crudite tray. This platter uses haricot ver, asparagus, sugar snap peas, and cucumber! The best part is the dip---an anchovy lemon dip! It was divine! I'm usually bored by traditional crudite platters, so this is a nice twist.

Crudite recipe after the jump...

Crudite Platter with Anchovy Lemon Dip

1 pound thin asparagus
1/2 pound sugar snap peas
3 Kirby cucumbers
1/2 pound haricot ver

Have ready a bowl of ice and cold water. Trim asparagus and peas. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water blanch asparagus 1 minute and transfer with tongs to ice water to stop cooking. Drain asparagus well in a colander and pat dry. Return water in saucepan to a boil and blanch peas 30 seconds. Do the same for the haricot ver. Drain peas in a sieve and plunge into ice water to stop cooking. Drain peas well and pat dry. Cut cucumbers lengthwise into spears. Place on Platter.

Anchovy Lemon Dip

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream, divided
2 tablespoons water
1 (2-ounce) can flat anchovy fillets in oil, rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Stir together 2 tablespoons sour cream with water, anchovies, and garlic in a small saucepan, then cook at a bare simmer, whisking frequently, 10 minutes. Force through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.

Whisk in mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining cup sour cream, and lemon juice (to taste). Chill, covered, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

Both recipes found on Epicurious.com

Throwing a Cocktail Party On A Budget

By Danny

Party On A Budget

As I mentioned in my earlier post, Michael and I recently hosted a cocktail party/fund raiser. We're both on a budget, so our little get-together had to be relatively cheap. One of the ways we cut down on costs was to limit the menu to a few dishes, and only offer one main beverage. Not only did this save money but it also made the preparation much easier!

Tips in the second part of post...



Tips on throwing a cocktail party on a budget after the jump...

Money Saving Tip: Make Food From Scratch!

We decided to make everything from scratch, like this delicious Bell Pepper and Gorgonzola Bruschetta. Making food from scratch makes the party that much more special, and it actually can cut down the costs of a party. A small jar of salsa can cost up to $4 dollars! For a party I usually need at the very minimum 2 jars....that's $8 dollars just on salsa. I can easily make double that amount for half of that price!

Home Baked Bread - Perfect For Bruschetta

Bread can also be a bit pricy so I made my own. I made a pugliese and a ciabatta. Perfect for Bruschetta!I was originally planning on making sourdough baguettes using my home made sourdough starter, but I unfortunately let Tiffany, my sourdough starter, die again. Check out this older post on how to revive sourdough starter. I followed the tips and I think she'll make a fine comeback.

Money Saving Tip: Make One Main Cocktail

Making just one cocktail can save an enormous amount of money. Booze is expensive, and if you're making three different cocktails it can really add up. We decided to make just one, a sangria.

Sangria is great because almost everyone loves it, and you can make a big batch ahead of time and simply put it out once the guests arrive. Sangria is also great because you can use in-expensive wines....we used our favorite Trader Joe's $5 dollar wine! We also had a few beers for a little option, but I find that most people will bring beer to a party, so we only bought a six-pack.

Do you have any cost-cutting tips for throwing a cocktail party? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Sweet Bell Pepper and Gorgonzola Bruschetta

By Danny

Twist On Classic Bruschetta

We recently hosted a small cocktail party/fundraiser and made a number of new dishes. This appetizer is fantastic because it's easy to make and guests really like it because it's a great twist on the classic tomato and basil bruschetta. When hosting a party, I'm always looking for easy dishes that can be prepared ahead of time, and that can be set out once the party starts, which is why this dish is now a favorite of mine!

Bell Pepper and Gorgonzola Bruschetta recipe after the jump...

Easy Recipe For Bruschetta

2 Large Bell Peppers
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon capers
2 tablespoons chopped basil
2 ounces gorgonzola cheese
salt and pepper

Chop bell peppers into small cubes. Heat some olive oil in a heavy bottom pan. Saute bell peppers until goldern brown, about 10 minutes. Add sugar and saute for an additional 5 minutes. Add capers and basil and cook for 1 minute. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Add crumbled gorgonzola and mix. Place in a bowl and allow guests to spoon mixture over toasted bread. Enjoy!

Sunset Junction Street Festival Pre-Party--Sans the Street Festival!

By Danny


The Sunset Junction Street festival was this weekend and we threw a little pre-party at our place. Only, at the very last minute we decided that we weren't that interested in actually GOING to the street festival and decided to stay at our place and continue drinking and eating with our friends!

Check out the after math and the menu I served after the jump...


Sunset Junction Garden Cocktail Menu

Cocktails

Classic Margaritas
Not-So-Classic Gin and Tonics
Assorted Beers

Nibbles and Finger Foods

English Tea Sandwiches--Cucumber with Herb Butter and Smoked Salmon with Herb Butter
Spanish Tapas Platter--Spiced Almonds, Green Olives, Kalamata Olives, Manchego Cheese
Assorted dips and salsas with tortilla Chips

Dessert
New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies