Archive for January 2010

Jonestown Punch, BGSK Style

Makes 1 large bowl (or bucket)

Jason’s recipe called for some premium liquors, and I’m sure he would be horrified at our poor-gal’s excuse for Jonestown Punch. The actual cocktail, which is served at The Violet Hour in Chicago, has many nuances. Ours may not have been as complex or refined with the budget liquors and bottled lemon juice, but our crowd didn’t seem to be any wiser.

To read the original post , click here.

Ingredients
10 cups Jim Beam (or other reasonably priced bourbon)
3 1/2 cups Fresh…

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EVENT: Book Deal and Blog 1 Year Anniversary Party
VENUE: Phoebe’s Apartment, Flatiron
PARTY SIZE: 50-75
TYPE: Classy Weekend Rager
MENU: Jonestown Punch; Coconut Three-Layer Cake; Raspberry Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting; Sun Chips

We’ve never been the type to shy away from real parties, virtual as our blog may be. We hosted a big fete, with dips for guests’ sustenance, back in March and called it our Launch Party. It was on a Thursday night in the living room of Phoebe’s apartment, and it was crowded, loud, and fun.

When we found out we’d been made an offer for our book, our first thought, after “yay!!!!” was, “when should we have the We Have a Book Deal Party?”

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DISH: Brutti Ma Buoni Cookies
TYPE: Recipe Investigation
MAIN INGREDIENTS: Hazelnuts, Almonds, Egg Whites

During our exciting cookie giveaway contest in November, among the many suggestions for dream cookies, we received a challenge in the comments section of our post about classic chocolate chip. The issuer was Sara, a long-time loyal reader, not to mention the inventor of New Favorite Tofu. She told us about the Italian nut cookies called brutti ma buoni, which she eats at a Fort Greene Italian restaurant. At Locanda…

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DISH: Beet Risotto
TYPE: Weeknight Dinner in front of the TV
MAIN INGREDIENTS: Beets, Rice

We love risotto here at BGSK. Our most notable mention of the dish was when it took the spotlight as foolproof first date fare for my friend Dave and his non-meat-eating date. But in addition to being a show-stopping deal-sealer, risotto is also the perfect vehicle for pantry items and leftovers, and though it takes more time to make than a quick Fried Rice, I also find it to…

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BRUNCH MENU: Spinach Hash Browns; Crusty Bread; Apple Walnut Cake

I’m always inclined to warm the random contents of my fridge in a skillet, top them with rich scrambled eggs, and call it lunch. Sometimes I’m more impressed than others by the combination frugality and fate has willed upon me. This particular experiment yielded one of those dishes. I had some leftover caramelized onions from the Sexy-Ugly Tart we made for our first catering gig, and smoked gouda from this brunch I made for Cara. The result was a simple, delicious revelation. One…

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Corn with Mustard Seeds
Serves 1-2
Adapted from 5 Spices, 50 Dishes

Garnish this with a tablespoon or two of finely chopped cilantro if you have it.

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Saag Paratha
Makes 4 breads

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EVENT: A Taste of India
VENUE: Cara’s Apartment, Park Slope
PARTY SIZE: 2
TYPE: In-from-the-cold Weeknight Dinner
MENU: Chana Bateta; Spinach Paratha; Sauteed Corn with Mustard Seeds; White Basmati

This post might seem like it’s about cooking an Indian vegetarian feast that’s perfect for winter nights. But it’s really about the odd powers of twitter to educate you when you least expect it.

The real story goes something like this: I’d been reading a stolen (from my mom, with her knowledge) version of a really lovely little cookbook called 5 Spices, 50 Dishes,…

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EVENT: Vegetarian’s First Beef Stew
VENUE: Cara’s Apartment, Park Slope
PARTY SIZE: 2
TYPE: Warm Winter Supper
MENU: Simple Slow-Cooker Beef Stew; Homemade Noodles; Steamed Green Vegetables

It being the new year, I wanted to come clean to readers about a change that got underway slowly, a month or two ago. It has to do with my eating habits, and with a choice I made in the spring of 2007 to stop eating meat, then to stop eating all animal products, then to eat, once again, dairy and seafood. (I guess that is a lot…

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