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Valentine’s Day – Pink Themed Recipes

February 12, 2010 by Madeline | Comments (1)

There are so many pros to going out to dinner on Valentine’s Day and we can think of a lot of cons to staying in and cooking. But with the following recipes, staying in and making a home-cooked meal with your sweetheart might just look like the best idea ever!

Rack of Lamb with Herb and Olive Crust
For a pink themed menu, let’s start off with a delicious lamb recipe. It comes from Caroline in Chicago’s blog (hwhippedtheblog.com). Our mouths are watering already!

1/3 cup coarsely chopped olives – kalamata, picholine or Manzanilla
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh thyme
2 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
2 racks of lamb (7-8 ribs each, trimmed or frenched)
salt and pepper
3/6 cups breadcrumbs

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine olives, parsley, thyme, garlic and red pepper in a food processor or mortar. Make a rough paste. Stir in mayo. Set aside. Trim lamb so only a thin layer of fat remains. Heat a heavy skillet (NOT a nonstick) over high heat. Season racks with salt and pepper. Set in skillet fat side down and cook for about 2 minutes. Spread breadcrumbs on a plate. Coat the surface of the lamb with the olive paste then dip in the crumbs to coat. Put bone side down in a roasting pan. Cover the bone tips with foil so they don’t burn. Roast until instant read thermometer is 120-125 degrees for rare or 130-135 for medium. It will cook another 5 degrees when out of the oven. Let the lamb rest for 5 minutes. Cut apart between the bones and serve.

Strawberry Cupcakes
Amy Sherman, a San Francisco-based author, writer, and developer of all things food, shares an amazing strawberry cupcake recipe on her blog (cookingwithamy.blogspot.com). Cupcakes and strawberries are the key to any beau’s heart.

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 large egg
6 ounces Dannon® All Natural Vanilla Lowfat Yogurt (or any other fruit flavor of yogurt)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup fresh strawberries, diced

Frosting:
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 fresh strawberries, about 2 Tbsp. mashed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. With an electric hand mixer, beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the egg, Dannon® All Natural Vanilla Lowfat Yogurt and vanilla, blending until smooth.
2. Measure the dry ingredients into the bowl and blend, then fold in the strawberries.
3. Divide the mixture equally between the 12 paper-lined cupcake cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
4. Beat together butter, powdered sugar, and mashed strawberry in medium-size bowl until creamy and smooth. Chill frosting for 15 minutes or until thick. Frost cupcakes with a spatula. Keep cupcakes in the refrigerator loosely covered.
Yield: 12 servings

French Kiss
To accompany your beloved meal (cupcakes are a meal, right?), the Wedding Paper Divas have some suggestions for romantically festive drinks (blog.weddingpaperdivas.com). May we recommend the French Kiss? It’s just the perfect shade of pink to match you cupcakes…we mean cheeks!

¾ oz Chambord
¾ oz Peach Schnapps
¾ oz Vodka
Splash orange juice, pineapple juice, cranberry juice
Serve straight up in a martini glass

Rachel Ray, I’m not…

February 2, 2010 by Lynn Edwards | Comments (0)

I don’t know if any of you are “culinaryily challenged,” but I sure am. I am obsessed with the Food Channel but don’t cook anything I ever see prepared on there. There is something soothing and brain numbing about watching them create, compete, build absurdly shaped cakes, and whip up mystery ingredients I have never heard of.

How about that Rachel Ray gal? She rocks it every night in less than 30 minutes. The big difference is when I go to my pantry or fridge I don’t conveniently have all the spices and sauces placed by the elves so my 30 minute meal turns into a frustrated 80 minute search for cumin, and a trip to the grocery store. (Consequently, I leave the grocery store with everything BUT cumin and swing through the drive-through window before returning home.)

When I do cook I seem to have portion control issues. I grew up in a big family so I assume spaghetti noodles come in “single serving” bags only. Needless to say, I have a lot of leftovers and anyone who reheats spaghetti noodles knows, they aren’t too tasty.

My Mom is an amazing cook and she knows how to put on a party with picture perfect hors d’oeuvres, now SHE could have her own Food Network show. I think I was busy outside shooting hoop when she was whipping up chef lessons. So the pressure to live up to that is huge. She would bring heaping scrumptious cupcakes to my class parties… with every child’s name monogrammed on them. I am lucky if I can pull off a drive by drop off of Oreos for the school Valentines Day party!

My southern Mother-in-Law once tried to help me out by buying me a southern cookbook. Every dang recipe started with “make a rue”…have you ever tried to make a rue? Well, it’s a special little concoction of flour and butter that you have to try not to burn. I never made a single recipe from that book!

I will have to say I have the “sipping” part of this sip/savor category down pat. Never met a cocktail I didn’t like and they seem to be MUCH easier to make. Although I recently tried a signature cocktail recipe and it actually called for pear sorbet…my Coors Light generally does not come with ice cream and- huge surprise- I didn’t have any pear sorbet in my freezer (unlike Rachel) so I skipped the garnish, the vodka tasted fine without it!

If your idea of comfort food is a large bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos and you don’t own a food processor…you are not alone. Rachel rocks…me, not so much!

Spend the Holidays with Your Girlfriends

December 7, 2009 by Gina | Comments (0)

The brisk air is upon us, lit trees line the streets, and the feeling of giving is all around us. Oh, and did we mention the traffic, packed malls, and hectic shopping scene? This season, spend time with friends and family without any worries. Our advice: stay away from the malls and head out for some quality holiday time with your girlfriends. Here are some activities and ideas you can try this season for some holiday cheer.

Ice Skating
Most cities and towns open an outdoor ice skating rink surrounded by lights and holiday music. This is a great idea to do something active outside. You can usually rent skates at these locations, so don’t worry about bringing your own.

Tree Lightings
Check your community newspaper or online to find out when their tree lighting ceremony is. There are usually refreshments available, and of course, some great lights and holiday cheer!

Holiday Cocktails
Some restaurants during the holidays will have one or more special holiday drinks. Grab your girlfriends for a night on the town!

Holiday Shows
Whether it’s the classic Nutcracker or White Christmas, check to see what’s playing in your area and head to the theater. Make a night of it by going out for dinner first. Maybe the Rockettes are in your town—don’t miss that show!

Holiday Party
Throw a holiday party for a group of your girlfriends. Make cookies, egg nog, and holiday-inspired cocktails. Get the ingredients to make gingerbread houses and you can all make your own. Play Secret Santa or a Yankee Swap. A Secret Santa is when you put all your girlfriend’s names in a hat and you each pick a name. The name you get is the person you buy a gift for. Then at the party you exchange gifts. A Yankee Swap is when everyone buys a gift and brings it to the party. Then you put numbers 1-10 (or however many people you have) in a hat. Each person picks a number. Number 1 picks a gift first from the pile of gifts and opens it. Number 2 picks a gift from the pile and opens it, then has the opportunity to keep the gift or take Number 1’s gift. This goes on until you get back to Number 1 who then gets to pick from everyone’s already opened gifts.

Decorated Houses
Have a low-key night with your girlfriends. Take a warm drive around your neighborhood (cocoa in hand!) to see who has decorated their houses in lights. Some people go all out with so many lights you wonder what their electric bill is!

Holiday Shopping
Everyone has some shopping to do during the holidays, whether you’re treating yourself or giving to others. Avoid the malls, with their long lines and crazy traffic, and instead visit locally-owned shops this year. Some local boutiques have such unique gift ideas, including great clothes and accessories. Grab your girlfriends, map a route, and explore some local shops! Grab a CRAVE book to guide you along!

We hope these ideas inspire you to go out and enjoy this time of year with your best friends! If you and your girlfriends have any other holiday traditions, let us know by commenting below.

Happy Holidays!

Holiday Recipes We CRAVE part 1of 3

November 22, 2009 by Nicole S. | Comments (0)

Guests are coming and you are not sure what to bake? Look no further we found the most delicious recipes that will whip your kitchen and your guests into a frenzy.

Apple Cranberry Galette from Patisserie Natalie
These cakes are a complimentary pair of sweet and tart flavors. Creator and high-school aged baking extraordinaire Natalie even made cinnamon flavored ice cream to go with them (so that you can die happy- yum!!).

Dough Ingredients:	Filling Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour	4 large granny smith apples
2 tablespoons sugar	2/3 cup fresh cranberries
3/4 teaspoon salt	5 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsaltedbutter + 2 tablespoons	2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons (or more) ice water	1/2 cup sugar
1 egg	1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon heavy cream	1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
sanding sugar	1/4 teaspoon ginger

Procedure:
1. Mix flour, sugar, and salt in food processor.
2. Add 12 tbs. of butter; pulse until coarse meal forms. Add 2 tbs. ice water; pulse until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk and wrap in plastic. Chill 2 hours.
3. While chilling the dough, prepare the filling (procedure below).
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out dough on a floured work surface 1/2″ thick. Cut into 8″ diameter circles and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
5. Place about 1/3 of a cup of the filling in the center of the circle and fold up edges of the dough in one direction. Place a 1/2 tbs of butter on the filling.
6. Beat the egg in a small bowl and add cream. Using a pastry brush, paint the sides of the galette with an eggwash and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Place on the parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes.

Filling Procedure:
1. Peel and cut apples into very thin slices, about 1/4″ thick, then set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, turn on medium heat and melt butter. While the butter is melting, combine lemon juice, sugar, and spices in a small bowl. Pour into the saucepan.
3. Cook the cranberries in the pan first, without the apples. Wait until they start to make “popping” sounds, then remove from the pan, leaving the juice in the pan.
4. Cook apples just until they are easily sliced with a little pressure from a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and toss the cranberries in. Stir the fruits in with the sauce until everything is nice and covered.

For more on this recipe: www.cakespy.com
For more from Patisserie Natalie: patisserienatalie.blogspot.com

Pumpkin Roulade with Ginger Buttercream from Ina Garten
We cannot get enough of pumpkin-flavored everything this season! Give us cakes, breads, cookies, coffees over peppermint any day. It is the quintessential holiday flavor. Sophisticated and appealing, this pumpkin roll cake with ginger frosting is a definite way to please your guests.

Cake Ingredients:		Filling Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour		12 ounces Italian mascarpone cheese
1/2 teaspoon baking powder		1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda		2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon		1/4 cup minced dried crystallized ginger (not in syrup)
1 teaspoon ground ginger		Pinch kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus extra for dusting

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 13×18x1 inch sheet pan and line with parchment paper.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt in small bowl and stir.
3. Place eggs and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high for 3 mins. Turn mixer on low and add pumpkin, then slowly add flour mixture.
4. Pour into pan and spread evenly, bake for 10-12 mins.
5. While cake is baking, sift the ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar evenly onto a thin cotton towel. When cake is done, roll the warm cake and towel together starting at the short end of the cake.
6. Meanwhile, make the filling while cake cools. In an electric mixer beat the mascarpone, confectioner’s sugar and cream for about 1 min. Stir in crystallized ginger and salt.
7. Unroll cake with towel underneath, spread cake evenly with the filling. Reroll cake in a spiral then dust with confectioner’s sugar.

For more on this recipe: www.foodnetwork.com

Beyond the Bottle: Hostess Gifts

November 9, 2009 by Jessica | Comments (0)

You don’t have to break the bank on an expensive bottle of wine to show appreciation for your hostess.  All you need is a little creativity to come up with a fab gift. Here are just a few ideas to get the juices flowing:

1. Veggie bouquet made up of delicious garden delights. Pick beautiful fresh herbs, greens and veggies from your garden and place them in an old glass pickle or salsa jar.  Jars make a charming vase for your bouquet and are an environmentally sound way to recycle.

2. Custom mani-pedi set.  Put together a kit containing of all your favorite polishes of the moment.  Include manicure tools like tweezers, a large nail clipper, a small nail clipper, small scissors, a folding nail file, a nail cleaner, 2 eva foam white toe separators and an emory board nail file/buffer.

3. Infused Vodka.  (Recipe via about.com) Ingredients: 750ml bottle of premium vodka, 1 sprig of rosemary, 2 sprigs of lavender and infusion jar with tight sealing lid.  Preparation:  Rinse the herbs and place them a clean mason jar or similar jar with a tight sealing lid.  Pour the vodka over the herbs and shake a few times.  Seal the lid tight and store the jar in a cool, dark place for 3-5 days.  Test the flavor of the infusion everyday, beginning on the second day. Once the lavender and rosemary flavor is to taste, strain the herbs from the vodka using a fine strainer or coffee filter.  Wash the jar and return the flavored vodka to it.  Store as you do other vodka.

What is the best hostess gift you have ever received?

DIY Barware

November 2, 2009 by Jessica | Comments (0)

Hand-painted wine and cocktail glasses make excellent gifts and are super fun to make.  Invite your girls over for a night of creative camaraderie and follow the simple instructions below.

Step 1 Purchase inexpensive clear wine, martini or highball glasses, a variety of paint brushes, and paint designed for decorating glass. Most craft stores carry special paint that can be set by heating painted glass in the oven.  Find stencils, and and cut out clip art imagery you would like to apply to the glasses.

Step 2 Wash glasses thoroughly and stick stencils or clip art to the inside of the glass you are decorating with clear tape.

Step 3 Apply paint in a free form manner or follow the lines of the clip art you taped to the glass.

Step 4 Remove clip art and heat according to paint instructions.

Step 5 Let cool in oven completely before use. Wash by hand and they are ready to go!

pictures from www.girlygirlgifts.com

10 Hot Cocktails for Fall Fetes

October 19, 2009 by Jessica | Comments (2)

When days grow longer and nights cool off, its time to trade tank tops for turtlenecks and mojitos for hot toddies. As entertainment season warms up, we recommend serving these festive beverages exploding with rich flavors.

Recipes links via Fineliving.com

• Autumn Colors Cocktail
• Cranberry Margarita
• Smashing Pumpkin Martini
• Ginger Martini
• Champagne and Pomegranate Cocktail
• Roasted Pear Bellini
• Hot Spiked Cider
• Apple Pie Punch
• Hot Buttered Rum
• Pear Brandy Champagne Cocktail
• Cranberry Hot Toddies

What’s your favorite cold weather cocktail?

Girl’s Night In: Back to School Blast

September 28, 2009 by Jessica | Comments (0)

It’s time to celebrate fall and the kids’ return to school! Why not get the party started with a time-warp, school themed, girl’s night in?

Party Supps:
Use Netflix for a selection of popular tv shows and films from the decade you attended high school. Create a dinner music playlist comprised of tunes from that era as well. Have your girls email you some choice high school pics and create a simple slide show via iphoto or picasa.com to watch when they arrive.

Dinner:
Order some vintage speckled Melmac cafeteria trays. They are gorgeous, inexpensive and easy to find on sites like Ebay and Etsy. Place a napkin and silverware in the utensil compartment of the lunch tray. Make Adams Apple cocktails by combining a 1/2 shot Vodka, 1/2 shot Galliano and apple juice into a brightly colored plastic, highball sized cup. Place in the ‘drink’ compartment of the tray.

For food, think gourmet cafeteria classics. Make sure to have a vegetable, protein, carb and dessert to place in remaining sections of the tray. Click on the hyper-links to view our recipe recommendations.

What’s your fav way to celebrate fall?

CRAVE-ing a Burger? We Know Where You Can Find “The World’s Finest”

August 17, 2009 by Amanda | Comments (1)

BuiltBurger truly does “take the burger to a new level.” Gourmet burgers sent right to your doorstep? Alright! Choose your burger with a given variety of meats, flavors, occasions, and “BuiltBurger Faves.” Did someone say Trailblazer Melt? Oh My! They tagline themselves as “the world’s finest burger.” Does this statement leave you curious? Please read on as CRAVE asks BuiltBurger co-owner, Rebecca Makuen, some questions about her tantalizing burger business.

What was the inspiration behind BuiltBurger?
For a long time, we were disappointed with every single prepared burger we tasted at home or restaurants. We discovered we made a much better product ourselves and decided to go for it. Plus, what’s better than an amazing burger?

How have you found success?
We receive extraordinary reviews from everyone who tastes a BuiltBurger. As a startup, we are simply pounding the pavement to create brand awareness in Seattle and beyond. It’s all about getting customers to try the product and fall in love with the flavors, quality and service you expect from BuiltBurger.

The “world’s finest burger” is such a statement! Tell us why?
When we were soliciting reviews of our burgers prior to our launch, all we heard was that statement…so, it stuck as our tagline. If you haven’t tried them yet, taste a few and see for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

What is your BuiltBurger fave?
That’s a really tough choice because they are all so unique. Three are tied for first place: The Utopia Chicken, The Magnificent Chorizo and The Stellar Short Rib (all my favorites so far).

Which burger is your most popular?
The Pinnacle Bacon Bleu! Who doesn’t like bacon?

A build-your-own burger company… You definitely thought outside the box. How can you encourage other female entrepreneurs to do the same?
Don’t be afraid. You have to seize the moment. Right now is the best time to follow your passion. Plus, starting a business with the people you love the most is incredibly rewarding and a lot of fun.

What could be a better time than today to check out BuiltBurger. Send a few invites to friends and celebrate the summer before the rain hits. Impress your guests with the brilliant flavors of Built Burgers’ cuisine! Delicious food delivered right to your doorstep. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Check them out and savor a sample of BuiltBurger’s goodness at Seattle’s CRAVEparty on August 19th.

Blackberry Bonanza: Ultra Low Cost Girl Date

August 17, 2009 by Amanda | Comments (0)

Blackberry bushes are going wild right now, producing glorious high antioxidant morsels jam-packed with polyphenols and anthocyanins—the excellent cancer and heart disease defense chemicals found in some plants.  We recommended taking advantage of nature’s bounty by grabbing your girls and heading out for a day of blackberry picking followed by cooking and cocktailing!  Check out a few seasonal recipes we are loving right now:

Blackberry Mojito via Foodchannel.com
Ingredients: 6 each mint leaves, 5 each fresh blackberries, 1/2 part simple syrup, 1 part fresh lime juice, 1 part white rum, 1 part crème de cassis, 1 part club soda.  For garnish: 1 sprig mint, 1 each fresh blackberry speared with cocktail pick
Preparation: In a Collins glass, muddle mint leaves with blackberries and simple syrup.  Add lime juice, rum and crème do cassis and stir to combine.  Fill glass with ice, top with club soda, and stir to combine.  Garnish with mint sprig and blackberry.

Blackberry Chicken via tasteofhome.com
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup fresh blackberries, divided, 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, minced, 3/4 teaspoon paprika, divided, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 ounces each), 4-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Directions: In a small bowl, mash 2 tablespoons berries. Add 1/4 cup broth, brown sugar, vinegar, oil, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon paprika and cumin.  Place chicken in an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray; pour broth mixture over the top. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, pepper and remaining paprika.  Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until chicken juices run clear, basting occasionally with pan juices. Remove chicken and keep warm.  Skim fat from pan drippings. In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch and remaining broth until smooth. Gradually stir in drippings. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with chicken; sprinkle with remaining blackberries. Yield: 6 servings.

Blackberry Salsa via Nikibone.com
Ingredients: 2 chipotle peppers, dried, 6 serrano peppers, finely diced, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon ground oregano, 1/2 cup water, 12 ounces blackberries, fresh or frozen 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup, 2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Directions: Place chipotles in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil.  Cover, and boil until tender about 15 minutes; drain.  Set aside to cool.  Finely dice the rehydrated chipotles and combine with serranos, sugars, salt, cinnamon, oregano and water in a medium saucepan.  Bring mixture to a low boil.  Cook until thickened slightly about 7 or 8 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add blackberries and cook until they start to break up but not disintegrate.  You want the salsa to have a chunky texture.  Remove mixture from heat, and stir in chocolate syrup and pecans.  Chill thoroughly, and serve over ice cream.

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