Showing posts with label themed dinner parties. Show all posts
Showing posts with label themed dinner parties. Show all posts
Saturday, September 11, 2010 Breakfast Night! Featuring "Wicked Turn of the Vine" by Arcane Malevolence
Wednesday, September 8, 2010 Tomorrow Night!!! Breakfast!!!
Tomorrow night we shall revel in the return of Breakfast Night! Way back when, before I was The Headbanging Hostess, regular Vanessa had everyone over one night for breakfast. Everyone was to bring a box of kids cereal - that was both the appetizer and the dessert as I mixed them all together in a huge marshmallow cereal treat.
This time we're looking at French Toast made from my Homemade Apple Sauce Bread with some sausage and bacon on the side. Hungarian Breakfast Wraps as of this moment exist solely in my imagination - a Hungarian Pancake wrapped around fried potatoes with red and green peppers, onion and a smear of apricot jam. That's the crazy part, the jam. I think if I make the potatoes a little spicy it could work.
I'm also planning a Bacon and Eggs Ice Cream. I'm going RIGHT NOW to freeze the canister :)
-HH
This time we're looking at French Toast made from my Homemade Apple Sauce Bread with some sausage and bacon on the side. Hungarian Breakfast Wraps as of this moment exist solely in my imagination - a Hungarian Pancake wrapped around fried potatoes with red and green peppers, onion and a smear of apricot jam. That's the crazy part, the jam. I think if I make the potatoes a little spicy it could work.
I'm also planning a Bacon and Eggs Ice Cream. I'm going RIGHT NOW to freeze the canister :)
-HH
Thursday, September 2, 2010 Preparing for Pretzel Night!
This Saturday is the Arcane Malevolence CD Release Party at Seaside Tavern for their new album "Wicked Turn of the Vine."
Through a very complicated series of bookings, non-bookings, confusion and cancellations it turns out I'm making dinner for three bands, a girlfriend or two, a fraternity brother and the world's coolest Dad.
All of the bands on the bill will be in attendance. I REALLY don't know where everyone will sit. But the girlfriends can sit on laps and, thankfully, it'll be a nice balmy 73 degrees. My house won't feel so much like an oven and the porch will be inhabitable, so we should all have elbow room enough to eat our Pretzel Bread sandwiches.
Oh, yes. You read that right. I saw Pretzel Bread at Stew Leonards and it set off a culinary chain reaction in my head. So the menu is...
Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato, Basil and Prosciutto Pretzel Bread Wedge
Cheesesteaks on Pretzel Bread
and for Dessert...
Cakeballs on Pretzel Sticks finished with Black and Red Pepper!
DAYUM!
Is it Saturday yet?
Tonight I'm doing a test run of the Cheesesteaks. I'm gonna try to do it in the Crockpot! I'll let you know the results!
Bang on, my peeps!!!
-HH
Saturday, August 28, 2010 Recipe Ideas From Mint Night!
The Headbanging Hostess never follows a recipe exactly. No one should - unless you have no taste buds.
When an idea hits me I quickly shove-off to Googleland searching for recipes I'm not sure exist. Most of the time I find what it is I'm looking for. Sometimes all I get is something close. With Mint Night I was forced to do a lot more creative cooking in the dark. I took a little from this recipe, a little from that and lo and behold I made a kick-ass dinner.
I'll start with the Cucumber Melon Soup with Apple Mint. My least favorite dish of the night. The flavor wasn't bad, I think my food processor failed me. But I'm not completely sold on the whole cold soup thing. The soup I made for Blueberry Night was delicious! I think the secret there was the wine. This one? No wine. Here's the recipe I used as a guide - I pretty much left out the radish and mixed it all together.
The Pineapple Mint Pulled Pork was out of this universe delicious. I used two recipes as a jumping off point for the pork and found something I could work with for the sauce. The big thing was substituting Pineapple Mint for the Cilantro.
The key with both the pork and the chicken was, of course, the crockpot. If I had to throw out all my cooking toys and only keep one, it would be my crockpot.
The Orange Mint Chicken was again a little from this recipe a little from that one. I followed the latter a little more closely - but the results were STUNNING! Really tender, tasty, homey! I would definitely make it again.
Both meat dishes were keepers.
I hope this helps those of you who were stumped when it came to mint recipes. I think the key is using the fruit mints. Next year plan on having a few in your garden!
Bang on, my peeps!
-HH
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 Mint Night!!
This Thursday's dinner will contain five mints from my container garden. Pineapple Mint, Apple Mint, Orange Mint, Spearmint and Peppermint.
Without further ado...
Cucumber Melon Soup with Apple Mint
Pineapple Mint Pulled Pork
Orange Mint Chicken
Peppermint Ice Cream with Mint Chocolate Chips
and
Frozen Mojitos (with Spearmint)
Mint is a great addition to any garden - provided you contain it! Mint is invasive. It'll sent out shoots underground and end up all over the place if you don't keep it in check. And it'll last through the winter! My peppermint has lasted through two winters.
This year I stocked my garden with mints and other herbs for ice cream. I'm sorry to say the Chocolate Mint I bought didn't make it. But neither did the lemon balm, thyme, dill or lemon thyme. I'm pretty sure I over planted in my zeal for a full garden. In the future it'd be best to keep your plants one to a container, unless your containers are huge!
But the joy of being able to walk out on my porch and pick the herbs I need far surpasses the upset caused by a few dead plants.
Stay tuned!! Much more mint makings to come!!!
Bang on, my peeps!
-HH
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 A Dinner Party for Summer Fruits
I know what you’re thinking. The Headbanging Hostess has lots of friends who are fruits, but they’re fruits all year long! This week we celebrate the fruits of summer!
Balsamic Watermelon and Strawberry Salad
Soft Chicken Tacos
With Cooked Corn and Blueberry Salsa
And Fresh Peach Salsa
Blueberry Raspberry Pie with Golden Oreo Crust
Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
It looks like a great menu to me! It has the sweet, the sour, the spicy and the cheesy! What else do you need in life? Sangria, maybe? I’m sure I can come up with a little of that!
Stay tuned for the video later in the week! In the meantime check out one of The Headbanging Hostess classics on YouTube!
Bang on, my peeps!
-HH
Balsamic Watermelon and Strawberry Salad
Soft Chicken Tacos
With Cooked Corn and Blueberry Salsa
And Fresh Peach Salsa
Blueberry Raspberry Pie with Golden Oreo Crust
Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
It looks like a great menu to me! It has the sweet, the sour, the spicy and the cheesy! What else do you need in life? Sangria, maybe? I’m sure I can come up with a little of that!
Stay tuned for the video later in the week! In the meantime check out one of The Headbanging Hostess classics on YouTube!
Bang on, my peeps!
-HH
Friday, July 30, 2010 Sweet Success
Not only was Mom wrong when she told you not to talk to strangers - you should go a step further and invite them to dinner. Only if they're insanely talented musicians, of course.
You gotta draw the line somewhere.
Two full days of cooking culminated in a spectacular Italian feast for fourteen. No matter how much planning and prepping I do I always seem to be running about like a crazy woman as the dinner hour approaches. The last few hours were dizzying - making trifle, assembling the lasagna, making the linguini, the garlic bread. Somehow I got it all done in time.
Francis was already in the house when the band arrived, good thing because I was so busy getting everything ready I couldn't look up from the counter. Dave pointed them in the direction of the beer - we soon discovered we were all on the same page on the party front.
Kismet.
As my friends arrived in dribs and drabs I put the finishing touches on dinner. Blending together fresh garlic, butter and olive oil for the garlic bread I took a sniff and WOO! I thought I hadn't made garlic bread - I'd made GARLIC bread. Well, apparently I made Disappearing Garlic Bread, because it was gone.
The Lasagna was soon to follow, first the regular then the pesto. Once again I over estimated people's willingness to eat their veggies - the squash lasagna was the least popular of the bunch.
The meatballs were out-of-this-world delicious. I made a wedge with the garlic bread. Mmm, mmm, mmm.
Good food goes well with great company - and I managed to assemble quite a bunch. Arcane Malevolence fit right in with the rest of my kooky friends. I have quite a collection of oddballs and misfits. (And Linda - she fits in neither category. She's the responsible one.)
The best part of dinner is always dessert and my trifle did not disappoint. Real whipped cream, white cupcakes, strawberries, blueberries, raspberry mousse and homemade raspberry jello. Top if off by writing the bands name on the top and bang! I'm a freakin' superhero. Well, sorta :)
The band is putting the finishing touches on their soon-to-be-released album this weekend so the video will wait for the final mix. Mark your calendars now - CD release party September 4 at Seaside Tavern in Stamford, CT and September 25 at Cousin Larry's in Danbury, CT.
Go to www.myspace.com/arcanemalevolence for details and to buy tickets.
Stay tuned!
Bang on, my peeps!
-HH
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 Tomorrow and Two Weeks From Tomorrow
It's a good thing I'm only expecting a crowd of one tomorrow. I have yet to make a damn thing, although there's nothing on the menu that takes an amazing amount of time or skill - thank goodness.
My focus, rather, is on two weeks from tomorrow when The Headbanging Hostess enters a new era of video making, social contacting and humor inducing.
Hang onto your hats...
The Headbanging Hostess is proud to announce her "Music for Dinner Exchange Program."
I have invited a mind-blowing, kick-ass, Heavy Metal band to dinner. Arcane Malevolence. Check them out, you won't be disappointed.
Through the magic of Facebook I saw a couple friends we had in common, passed on the word to them and it seems The Midnightmares will also be in attendance.
Arcane Malevolence has requested Italian food and I've already thought about lasagna and garlic bread and meatballs. Feeding two bands is going to take a lot of planning, food, cooking - I plan on a new lasagna pan in which to cook my food :)
Looking forward to it is an understatement.
Back to the present for a moment - it's raining. I'm not sure if Farmer Jones will have Blueberry picking today. If not we go to plan B for my Corn Flake pie crust. Whatever plan B is...
I'll figure it out at the Farmers Market - rain or shine, baby!
Bang on, my peeps!
-HH
My focus, rather, is on two weeks from tomorrow when The Headbanging Hostess enters a new era of video making, social contacting and humor inducing.
Hang onto your hats...
The Headbanging Hostess is proud to announce her "Music for Dinner Exchange Program."
I have invited a mind-blowing, kick-ass, Heavy Metal band to dinner. Arcane Malevolence. Check them out, you won't be disappointed.
Through the magic of Facebook I saw a couple friends we had in common, passed on the word to them and it seems The Midnightmares will also be in attendance.
Arcane Malevolence has requested Italian food and I've already thought about lasagna and garlic bread and meatballs. Feeding two bands is going to take a lot of planning, food, cooking - I plan on a new lasagna pan in which to cook my food :)
Looking forward to it is an understatement.
Back to the present for a moment - it's raining. I'm not sure if Farmer Jones will have Blueberry picking today. If not we go to plan B for my Corn Flake pie crust. Whatever plan B is...
I'll figure it out at the Farmers Market - rain or shine, baby!
Bang on, my peeps!
-HH
Monday, July 12, 2010 Uncertainty and Corn Flakes
I've probably said this before - my neighbor likes to bring me food. She brought the beans that inspired Bean Week, the blueberries that inspired Blueberry Week...you get the picture.
Now that I've been blessed with an 18 ounce box of Corn Flakes I am proudly announcing Corn Flake Week.
Woo hoo!
I remember making Corn Flake Chicken Wings when I was a kid. My mother thought I was nuts, I remember. She always shuddered at the thought of eating anything American. At least when I was younger she did. She ate anything you gave her once she had Alzheimer's. And I mean anything - lemons, napkins, Christmas ornaments.
Pardon me while I laugh for a moment or two.
So, since the idea of Corn Flakes on chicken is 25 years old to me I decided to look around for some new ideas.
Buried deep in the Kellogg's Recipe Catalogue I found few interesting ideas in a sea of (you guessed it) Corn Flake chicken. A Ground Beef and Corn Flake Pizza in a pie dish thing and a Tortilla but not Tortilla because it's Corn Flakes Casserole thing. I'm going with the second one. I've never made a casserole and, having just invested in a jar of ground Chipotle, I know I have the right spices to jack it up.
I'm thinking salad to start with blueberries (because I'm picking them myself at Jones Farms) and Corn Flake Crusted Goat Cheese. And I'll have to make some Corn (Flakes) Bread.
Dessert will be Blueberry Pie in a Corn Flake Crust.
I'm also making ice cream this week. But I'm afraid if I say what it will be no one will ever want to eat my ice cream again. It's truly adventurous. No more lollygagging for me. Strawberry-Banana? Child's play! Red Bean? A sophomore effort! Lemon-Zucchini Sorbet? Puh-lease.
I'm making Tomato-Basil Ice Cream with Goat Cheese Sprinkles.
There. I said it.
Now...
Talking about all this food made me hungry. I'm gonna go nosh on a Christmas Ornament.
Bang on, my peeps!
-HH
Now that I've been blessed with an 18 ounce box of Corn Flakes I am proudly announcing Corn Flake Week.
Woo hoo!
I remember making Corn Flake Chicken Wings when I was a kid. My mother thought I was nuts, I remember. She always shuddered at the thought of eating anything American. At least when I was younger she did. She ate anything you gave her once she had Alzheimer's. And I mean anything - lemons, napkins, Christmas ornaments.
Pardon me while I laugh for a moment or two.
So, since the idea of Corn Flakes on chicken is 25 years old to me I decided to look around for some new ideas.
Buried deep in the Kellogg's Recipe Catalogue I found few interesting ideas in a sea of (you guessed it) Corn Flake chicken. A Ground Beef and Corn Flake Pizza in a pie dish thing and a Tortilla but not Tortilla because it's Corn Flakes Casserole thing. I'm going with the second one. I've never made a casserole and, having just invested in a jar of ground Chipotle, I know I have the right spices to jack it up.
I'm thinking salad to start with blueberries (because I'm picking them myself at Jones Farms) and Corn Flake Crusted Goat Cheese. And I'll have to make some Corn (Flakes) Bread.
Dessert will be Blueberry Pie in a Corn Flake Crust.
I'm also making ice cream this week. But I'm afraid if I say what it will be no one will ever want to eat my ice cream again. It's truly adventurous. No more lollygagging for me. Strawberry-Banana? Child's play! Red Bean? A sophomore effort! Lemon-Zucchini Sorbet? Puh-lease.
I'm making Tomato-Basil Ice Cream with Goat Cheese Sprinkles.
There. I said it.
Now...
Talking about all this food made me hungry. I'm gonna go nosh on a Christmas Ornament.
Bang on, my peeps!
-HH
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