Girls Love Pink, Hearts and Sparkles.

Happy (almost) Hearts Day! My valentine this year is a little black dog name Zeuggie. I'm pretty sure he is going to get me something small and sparkly tomorrow. Rule for all boys, men and doggies out there - you can never go wrong with small and sparkly for your valentine.  Wait I take that back, I'd rather have a new flash for my camera or a new pair of ski boots.
 
Since most girls love pink, hearts, sparkles and bubbles, I hosted group yesterday for a little crafting and champagne. Ribbons, stamps, fun papers and glitter provided the activity and was an outlet for everyone to express there one "Tarte and Parcel-esque" creativity.

The menu was equally whimsical. Based on the theme: "Love is sweet and a little savory" snacks included:

* My Heart "Beets" for You Hummus
* Shot of Love Shrimp
* Apple of My Eye Ravioli 
* Be(ef) Tender to my Loins Bruchetta
* Making Whoopie Pies
* Cupid Cakes 

My favorite of the bunch was the"Shot of Love Shrimp" inspired from a Bloody Mary. Here are the instructions! 


Shot of Love Shrimp

* Ingredients * 
1 lb cooked prawns
1/2 lb cherry tomatoes 
1 14 oz can of tomato sauce 
1 cup Absolut Pepper Vodka 
3 tablespoons Tabasco 
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
Pepperoncinis
Celery 
Coronichons (I love mini pickles!) 

* Instructions *  
1. Marinate shrimp and cherry tomatoes in next 5 ingredients overnight. 
2. Alternate shrimp and tomatoes on skewers with celery, pepperoncinis and coronichons.


As an aside, the marathon is at long last finally a commitment. I am running the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon in June. To help with the training I have joined, Team in In Training and raising money for cancer research. If you have a need for dessert or apps for your next shower, luncheon, dinner or party I would be happy to exchange any culinary skills  for a donation. Fight cancer and eat well... I'd say it's a double win. :) 

Eat. Drink. Be Merry.

First blog post in a while. Been working really hard and well, while I have done lots of creative things - parties, monkey hats, mini mac and cheeses - I haven't had the time or the gum shone to blog about anything. But, I thought today about how much I love my blog and for the 33 people who like me on "the Book" you mean the world to me. Seriously. One click and you win my heart. 

I was told today to be more modest. Kinda funny since many times I have been told that I sell myself short all the time. Maybe I just need to find a happy medium. I made 3 of the desserts below. (Not perfect out of the box.) Just to get it right - before I took the picture. (Only a perfectionist about my creative side.) When I delivered them - I got a text that read "I sent a picture to Martha with the caption the bar has been raised, bitch." (Yep... that's bragging. Also, I apologize since my mom told me not to swear on my blog.) I also burned my face on a curling iron this week. (Clumsy.) I make a crap load of mistakes. All I can do is try and apologize when I screw up. 

This weeks recipe... peppermint chocolate trifles. For those of you who missed Rachel's trifle experiment on Friends, trifles are not made with beef. Instead, they are a lovely layered dessert (sans protein).  To make your dish look more elegant, I always think it is a good idea to serve your food in individualized portions vs. family style. For this event, I chose champagne glasses on Wedgwood saucers. (Party tip - buy glassware at IKEA. $0.75 a glass vs a $1.10 to rent.) And well, after you read the recipe you will realize that the right serving dish can make the simplest of desserts look elegant. 

Peppermint Chocolate Trifles 

* Ingredients * 

1 box of chocolate cake 

3 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil 

1 1/4 cups water

1 box chocolate pudding 

3 cups whole milk 

2 cups whipping cream 

1/2 cup powdered sugar 

3 Tablespoons Peppermint Schnapps 

12 candy canes

Mint for garnish

* Instructions * 

1. Bake cake as instructed on box. Let cool completely. Using a serrated knife, cut into 1 inch squares.  

2. Cook pudding as instructed on box. (Yep... I told you this was stupid easy.) 

3. Beat cream in blender into stiff peaks. Add in sugar and liquor. 

4. Put 6 candy canes into a plastic Ziploc bag. Crush with spoon. 

5. Layer ingredients as desired. Garnish with mint and extra Candy Canes. 

Blackberries and Boxcars

My recipes are experimentations. There are as many that don't turn out as do. Let's just say this week there was a lot of wasted butter and flour this week at my house. 

The inspiration this week was a blackberry pie. Growing up, our house backed on to a wooded ravine. This forrest provided a perfect backdrop for the imaginative mind. I would often spend the afternoon as a woodland fairy or as one of The Boxcar Children. I even befriended a mountain beaver as a pet, but that's our little secret. Don't tell my mom... they destroyed her rhoadies. And don't tell Zeuggie... he might be jealous. 

Adding to the adventure of my imaginary life in the woods was the expansive thicket of blackberries. They provided a great afternoon snack. When I was bored I would collect baskets full or bowls that my mother would turn into pies or cobblers. FYI, my bother and cousins on the other hand were collecting banana slugs... my mom never made a pie out of them. 

In a ode to those childhood memories, I wanted to create two versions of a blackberry pie to share at work and at a friends rooftop BBQ. I ended up with an Almond Blackberry Bar and Lime Shortbread with Blackberry Currant Filling. Try both and let me know which one you prefer! 

Almond Blackberry Bar 

* Ingredients * 

1 1/2 cups butter, cut into squares 

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons almond extract 

3 cups flour 

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup flour

4 cups blackberries

* Instructions * 

1.  Using a pastry blender, mix butter, sugar, almond extract and flour until ingredients from a nice crumble. Set 1/3 of mixture aside. 

2. Press 2/3 of mixture into greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes. 

3. Whisk 4 eggs and powdered sugar. Add sour cream and flour. Mix until well blended. Fold in blackberries. 

4. Spread blackberry mixture over cooled crust. Sprinkle remaining crust on top. Bake for 45-60 minutes. 

Lime Shortbread with Blackberry Currant Filling 

* Ingredients * 

1 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

Zest of 2 limes

Juice of 2 limes

2 cups flour 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

4 cups blackberries 

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons Creme de Cassis 

2 packets gelatin 

* Instructions * 

1. In mixer with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add lime zest and juice. 

2. Slowly mix in flour and salt. Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours. 

3. Roll dough on to a floured surface and using a 3 inch biscuit cutter, cut out an even number of rounds. Place on to greased cookie sheet. 

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes in a 325 degree oven. Cool on racks. 

5. In food processor or blender, puree blackberries, sugar and liquor. Stir in gelatin. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours. 

6. Spoon filling onto cookie and place 2nd cookie on top. Dust with powdered sugar. 

Watermelon goodness... at least the puppy thinks so.

Well, summer arrived in Seattle on July 5. Maybe a day or two earlier this year, but I was in Vegas so I didn't know. The HOT weather in LV plus the awesome PNW weather this week had me thinking about the best ways to cool off.  

This recipe is inspired by a recent trip to San Diego. There I visited Searsucker - a restaurant openned by Top Chef alumni Brian Malarkey. I love me the Top Chef and could resist a chance to see Brian in action.

There, I sampled one of the most delicious cocktails that I have had in a while - a combination of watermelon, gin and a serrano chile. In an attempt to improve upon something great, I decided to turn this into a dessert drink.

Watermelon and Serrano Chile Granita

* Ingredients * 
2/3 of a seedless, mid-sized watermelon (about 4 cups watermelon juice)
1 serrano chiles 
2/3 cup sugar 
Splash of Gin
Mint Sprigs

* Instructions *
1. Chop watermelon into large chunks. Puree in blender or food processor. Strain until you have 4 cups of juice.
2. Seed the serrano chile. Mash in a chile using a mortar and pestal. Strain juice. 

3. Combine watermelon juice, chile juice and sugar. Stir until well dissolved. 
4. Pour juice mixture into a shallow pan. Place in freezer. 
5. After 45 minutes, use a rubber spatula to break up the partially frozen mixture. Continue to freeze for another 1-2 hours, breaking up occasionally. 
6. Serve with a splash of gin and a sprig of mint.
7. Do not leave your 4 month old puppy outside alone with the drink. Zeuggie lurked until around until I went inside to get a spoon. He then helped himself to a little... err, a lot of granita.