Our Non-Traditional "Display" Baby Shower

First of all, we are pleased to announce that it's a girl! We waited until the baby shower two weeks ago to reveal this, which gave us a fun surprise to celebrate at the shower when we brought out the cake with this homemade topper. This was also a strategy so that we wouldn't receive too many highly gendered gifts, having seen baby girls showered with pink fluffy things and boys showered with sports and truck-covered items. 

At my behest, my mom threw a "display" shower, sometimes also known as a "naked" shower. Not only is this an environmentally friendly way to avoid giftwrap, it also helped create a fun party atmosphere. Gifts were displayed around the room, encouraging guests to walk around to check out cute baby things. Since it was a co-ed shower without too many games and without a long unwrapping session, it felt more like a regular party with plenty of time to mingle than a traditional shower.

Here are the logistics of how the display shower worked, since we had to figure some of this out as we went along, and I think it worked out pretty well. The invitation requested "We all love the trees, bring gifts unwrapped please - they will be displayed." Many gifts arrived ahead of time, which gave my mom time to devise ways to arrange them around the crib and such. We then left some table-top spaces open as display areas, with empty baskets for anyone who brought several small gifts. When guests arrived, there was a sign asking them to label their gift with a post-it and find a place to display it, which I also helped coordinate as I greeted people. Since there was no dedicated unwrapping time, we just tried to make sure that we said hi and thanked everyone at some point. As for keeping track of gifts, it helped that we used babyli.st for our registry, which provides a thank you tracking list. I also went around at one point with a little notebook to make note of who gave us any non-registry gifts in case they got separated from their post-it later.

There were only two games: guess whether it's a boy or girl -- the men were more accurate than the women -- and betting on the due date -- winner gets half and we get half. We will all have to wait a while longer to find that one out.

My dad made this sweet bird mobile out of watercolors and stiff watercolor paper. Can you identify all the birds?

Also on display was the vintage bassinet filled with an amazing amount of baby clothes my mom saved from me and my sisters.

Bump to bump with my longtime friend Caitlin. I was 30 weeks at the shower, but now I'm already almost 32 weeks. Serendipitously, Caitlin got married a week after me, and now she is due three weeks after me! I have several other friends and family who had babies within the past year or are having babies in the next six months -- it is exciting to think about our kids growing up so close in age.

A week later I also had a gathering to celebrate my birthday and the impending baby with my friends in Brooklyn. We now have more baby clothes than we probably need -- mostly hand-me-downs. Most of our baby stuff is waiting patiently in our parents' houses until we are ready to set up our apartment. Thank you to everyone who has helped us celebrate and contributed to help us take care of this new life!

Spanish Tapas at Home

We cook a lot, so for Valentine's Day, I tried to think of something to make that would feel more special than any old night at home. I thought Spanish tapas would be fun and mostly easy to prepare. We feasted on bacon-wrapped dates, gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp), boquerones (marinated anchovies) on toast and tortilla espanol. We also sliced up some manchego and chorizo and served them alongside olives and extra sliced baguette. This was all accompanied by glasses of Castanon Sidra Natural, a typical Spanish cider with a cloudy pour and funky aroma.

Conveniently, I was able to get most of the ingredients affordably at the Park Slope Food Coop, except for the shrimp, which came from a fish market at the end of our block, and the baguette and boquerones from an Italian market nearby. Park Slope is so undeniably convenient. 

It all came together relatively quickly and simply and would be easy to scale up for a dinner party, except for peeling the shrimp. We had plenty of leftovers, which meant that for less than the cost of a restaurant meal, we were also able to treat our friends to brunch at our place the next day. As we stressed about preparing and plating everything before our food turned cold (because there are a lot of different plates to juggle in this meal), I did remember the advantage of going out to eat -- someone else worries about that and brings you the food when it's perfectly hot and ready ;-)

Bacon-wrapped dates
Plan on making enough for a few dates per person. Depending on the size of your dates, cut each length of bacon in half and wrap one piece of bacon around one or two dates. Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes. For such a small amount of food, consider using your toaster oven, which worked wonderfully for us. If you have extras, leftovers reheat well at a lower heat, like 300.

Boquerones (Marinated Anchovies) on Toast
Boquerones, or marinated white anchovies, are not the same thing as canned anchovies. They have a a light fresh fish flavor that is nothing like the salty, bitter overpowering flavor we associate with anchovies. If you want to make your own, you must start with fresh, raw anchovies for marinating, and cannot start with canned. It's a time consuming process that involves curing them in salt and then vinegar, ideally over a couple days, without ever actually cooking them. So it's easier to get ready-made boquerones. We lucked out and found marinated anchovies at the Italian market Russo's near our home in Park Slope, but you can reliably find them at the Spanish store Despana in Soho. They had already been marinated in vinegar and other flavorings, but we tossed them in oil, garlic and parsley when we got home. Evan served them on toast, but I actually prefer the fish on its own. Plan on about two toasts per person.

Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic Shrimp)
It's time consuming to peel the shrimp (unless you can find pre-peeled uncooked shrimp), but once that's done, they cook very quickly. A half pound of shrimp was the perfect amount for tapas for two.

Preheat a pan over medium high heat. Add a generous coating of olive oil, a sprinkling of crushed red pepper, a teaspoon of paprika, a tablespoon of minced parsley, and two cloves of minced garlic. After a couple minutes, add the shrimp and a squeeze of a quarter lemon. Sautee, stirring often, until the shrimp turn pink. It takes less than five minutes. Season with salt and pepper and another tablespoon of fresh parsley, and serve in its golden, spiced oil.

Tortilla Espanol
A Spanish tortilla is essentially a frittata with potato. The traditional method involves flipping the tortilla, but I haven't had luck with that in the past, so I chose to finish it in the broiler. Be watchful though, because we let ours overcook. You'll only want a to eat a wedge of tortilla each, but the leftovers keep well.

Preheat a cast iron pan over medium heat. Add a generous coating of olive oil and preheat another few minutes. Meanwhile, chop two large potatoes into 1/4" thin rounds and then chop the rounds in half. Sautee the potatoes over medium heat, covered but stirring occasionally, for about ten minutes. Meanwhile, mince one small onion and two cloves of garlic. When the potatoes are golden browned and softened, add onions, garlic, and a little more oil, and sautee until onions are translucent. Whisk eight eggs and pour into the pan. Cook for about 5-10 minutes until the eggs start to set on the sides. Transfer to the broiler and cook another 5 minutes. Slice into about eight wedges like a pizza pie.

Champagne Punch for a New Year

For New Year's Eve, we had about twenty friends over for a party that included dinner. Evan wasn't as keen on making dinner, because it's a lot of work (see below), but we do both like to entertain and cook. I want us to have the kind of home that feels open and where we're able to feed the people we love. We haven't had that many gatherings in our current home, and I don't want to look back and regret that going forward. So in order to live according to our intentions, we just have to take the opportunities rather than letting them pass by.

To avoid any last minute rushing for big dinners like this one and Thanksgiving, I make a plan by working out the recipes and then creating a prep timeline for both food and set up. So even though we were preparing nonstop most of the day, I felt relatively zen about it. Granted, part of why it took all day is because preparing for parties in NYC apartments also tends to involve rearranging furniture. I dream about having a home with an already-entertaining-friendly open layout.

I fell on some of my group dinner standbys that can be made cheaply and in crock pots: my two bean quinoa vegetarian chili and shredded barbecue beef (just like pulled pork). I made the beef in the crock pot the night before the party and then the chili during the day. It's good to make the beef ahead, to allow for time to cool, shred, remove the fat and bones, mix with barbecue sauce, and reheat just before serving. I was able to fit 7 lb of chuck roast in my crock pot, which is exactly the kind of occasion for which I included my new, larger crock pot on my wedding registry. I always forget how long it takes to shred several pounds of meat, though. It kind of detracts from what is supposed to be a simple, non-time consuming recipe. My memories suggest that pulled pork is easier to shred. We're still working our way through the cow shares we bought a year ago and accompanying frozen beef avalanche.

For sides, I made mustard-balsamic braised kale and cornbread (this recipe multiplied by 1.5, baked in a 9x12 quarter sheet pan). As a bonus for certain guests, it was easy to make this meal completely gluten free by using all cornmeal and no flour in the cornbread.

We also wanted a special cocktail to celebrate the new year. After poking around several punch recipes, we created the raspberry lemon champagne gin punch below. We swapped raspberry syrup for strawberry syrup and eliminated the muddling step for ease. (We tend to have raspberries in our freezer from summer pickings of wild raspberries at the farm). We taste tested until we settled on a ratio that's not too sweet or too tart, but goes down easy and is a lovely blush color. Luckily, we also received a fancy new carafe from our wedding registry that is large enough to hold this many servings of alcohol.

With the party and my subsequent hangover behind us, we focused the rest of our long weekend on home organizing and hanging up artwork. After having to leave what was a nearly ideal apartment a couple summers ago, we felt kind of down about our current apartment for the first year or so. Its awkward layout has made it a challenge to configure. More recently, we've been trying to appreciate it as home. We didn't do any holiday decorations last year, so putting up a tree and making a wreath this year felt like a step in the right direction. Slowly, but surely we are decluttering, organizing and making it more homey.

Raspberry Lemon Gin Champagne Punch
Makes nearly 12 half-cup servings

8 oz gin (1 cup)
8 oz water (1 cup)
25 oz champagne (1 bottle)
4 oz lemon juice (juice of 4 lemons)
1 1/3 oz raspberry syrup
1 1/3 oz triple sec
1 orange

Peel one lemon into several peels. Juice four lemons. Slice one orange into wheels. Combine ingredients in a large pitcher or punch bowl and stir thoroughly. Add lemon peels and orange wheels for garnish. Keep chilled in the refrigerator. Serve in half cup portions over ice.

To make cocktails for two:
1.5 oz gin
1.5 water
4.5 oz champagne
1 oz lemon juice
1/3 oz raspberry syrup
1/3 oz triple sec

Turning Thirty

I turned 30 last month. I wanted to do something different from the usual gathering at bar, so I organized an open mic slash party. It was a very merry night in a bar squeezed full of friends and music. The Fifth Estate definitely lived up to its recommendation on FiPS as one of the best bars for party hosting in Park Slope. It was pretty ideal since we basically had the bar to ourselves without having to pay to reserve it, there is a music stage, and they let us play our own iPod music and set up tables with snacks. Everyone was surprised that I made my own birthday cake, but I didn't want to pass up an opportunity to bake pumpkin and chocolate beet cupcakes.

Frank made a hilarious song for my birthday - you should all take a listen (thanks Frank!).

We ended the evening with a family band - my husband, my sister and I covered Neutral Milk Hotel's "In the Aeroplane over the Sea" - same as the last song at our wedding.

Earlier that day, Evan treated us to brunch at home cooked by a private chef. Mirijana of Wild Feast on Kitchensurfing served us a delicious multi-course meal. She specializes in curing and smoking her own meats, so brunch started out with a charcuterie spread involving wild boar, duck and lamb, and went on from there to scones and pancakes and more. If you're looking to try out Kitchensurfing, I definitely recommend Mirijana for a splurgy, special meal.

Evan's gift to me was this leather clutch from Flux Productions, who sells on Etsy and at the Brooklyn Flea. Thanks husband, for knowing how much I appreciate quality goods that are handmade with care.

As for how it feels to be thirty...it makes me realize that ten years of my adult life have already gone by doing the typical Brooklyn twenty-something lifestyle. Working and stressing about work, indulging in bars and restaurants, reading on the subway, going to the farmers market religiously. Always wishing I had more time to devote to writing and exercising. Around twenty five, I changed things up and pursued more things I was meant to be doing - moving to the environmental sector, playing in a band, bike commuting. But the general patterns have remained constant. I'm thinking a lot about what the next changes will be and what the next ten years might hold.  

Double Birthday Party

When we found out we were moving into an apartment with a yard, we instantly started to get excited about hosting Evan's upcoming birthday party at home. Originally we hoped to have an afternoon outdoor affair, but our bizarre daytime mosquitos dashed that dream (more on that later) so it turned into a nighttime inside-outside party. It was good motivation to get all unpacked and settled both inside and out within the month of moving, even if it did mean I was throwing up a few posters just before the first guests arrived.

Because we expected a large attendance, we went with a handful of appetizers rather than serving a full dinner. I made my white bean herb dip, which is versatile enough to use whatever herbs you have on hand. In the past I've mostly used rosemary, sage and thyme, but this time it was heavy on the parsley and marjoram because that's what's flourishing in my yard. The dip went out with a bowl of bruschetta topping (diced tomatoes, garlic, basil and olive oil) alongside vegetable crudite, sliced baguette, crackers and a cheese plate. The other birthday boy's wife made lemon ricotta sage butternut squash crostini and delicious mini tarts with feta, tomato, and cucumber (I think).

Like our party back in February, I like to put up a sign next to the bar suggesting cocktail options to make it readily apparent what's available. At this party, in addition to standard bar fare, we had a couple punches that could be enjoyed with or without the addition of alcohol - a cucumber limeade that a friend brought, and a watermelon-lime-mint punch (will share that recipe soon).

For dessert, I made mini flourless chocolate cupcakes - as expected, the miniature size is perfect because they are so rich that even the regular cupcake size is a bit much. I also made peach oatmeal crumble squares (pictured above) by adapting a Smitten Kitchen recipe for blueberry crumb bars. Since I don't have the requisite 9x13 inch pan, I did some math to determine that my 12 inch cast iron pan covers about the same area. I didn't believe that Deb was able to cut hers into 36 squares, until I started cutting mine and realized a little square will go a long way because they are tall and dense, especially so with my addition of a cup of oatmeal to the dough. And then, of course, there was the ice cream cake...

Ramekin Dreams

It was a certain someone's birthday last weekend. A certain someone who was turning 30 and likes cooking and has often wished for ramekins so that he can bake adorable individual desserts and dishes for guests. I commissioned my friend Andy Boswell to make a set of six as a gift for Evan.

When we were young, my dad took pottery lessons from Andy's dad. Now Andy too is a potter (or utilitarian ceramic artist as he calls himself), who shares his father's studio. His etsy shop is full of beautiful mugs, teapots, and other vessels. It is much nicer to have his unique and meaningful pieces added to our home than generic mass produced items from China.

Evan is happy that his ramekin dreams have come true. We used them for the first time last weekend to make mini frittatas for brunch for overnight guests. I plan on using a few as serving dishes for his big birthday party coming up this weekend. And I see lots of personal apple crisps in our future this fall.

Mini Fritattas

Arrange the ramekins (one per person) on a baking tray in the oven and preheat the oven to 350. Whisk two eggs per person in a bowl. Add whatever extras you would like, such as grated cheddar cheese, sauteed onions and roasted red peppers. Add salt and pepper to taste. Carefully grease the insides of the ramekins with butter. Pour whisked eggs evenly among the ramekins. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, until the eggs puff up and a knife inserted comes out only slightly wet. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Tips for Entertaining in Small Spaces

The apartment I'm living in now with my boyfriend is a 400 square foot one bedroom. It may not be as difficult as Erin's life in 250 square feet, but it still requires some creativity to make it work. 

For example, we both love to entertain. I often hear people complain that their apartment is too small to have people over but as I've mentioned before, I don't let that stop me. In this apartment, I've discovered two tips that make it possible to entertain in a small space: 1 - rearrange furniture and 2 - have convertible furniture.

We are lucky enough to have an open kitchen/living space that allows us to rearrange as needed. We also both inherited quality wood dining tables that can expand or contract as needed. Mine has extra leaves that can be added, and his can be folded into a small narrow side table.

For dinner parties, the couch is pushed against the wall with an accompanying coffee table. Then, our two dining tables can be fully expanded and pushed together in the middle of the room, in total providing seating for nearly 10 people. Or for bigger parties, the tables can be folded up out of the way against the walls or bookshelves to create open space for dancing and mingling.



When the party's over, the couch goes back into its place in front of the TV, one table folds back into  a side table next to the couch, and the extra leaf comes out of the other dining table, returning to a table for two.

All that rearranging might seem like a pain, but that's just how life is in NYC. And you might be surprised at how many people you can actually fit in your apartment, if you try.

Party Time and Spinach Goat Cheese Dip

I've been away from this blog because I've been busy, first with a wretched weekend, and then a week that involved saying farewell to my boss of four years as she moves on to become a caterer chef (so excited for her!), and prepping like mad for my own barbeque soiree in our backyard this past Saturday.

As usual, I went a little overboard with self-catering and took on more than was probably reasonable. But honestly it works out because as stressed as I seem, I love spending the day in the kitchen and I prefer to serve food that I source myself from the farmers market and cooked from scratch with care. Kudos to my sister, who stepped in as sous-chef to help me finish the prepping in time.




It's been nearly a year since my last big party, so I'm really glad it was a success. The dogs were surprisingly well-behaved. The weather was beautiful. Everyone enjoyed the candle-lit patio, and it's made me think twice about the plan to move this summer. It was great to meet new people and reconnect with old friends. Guests were nice enough to bring lovely things to add to the spread, like local cheese plates, chili and cornbread, a gorgeous lilac centerpiece, and homemade salsa. Some genius came bearing ice cream sandwiches. I'm happy to have a few of those leftover in the freezer ;-)




I especially enjoyed planning the menu and getting excited to try new things in the kitchen (see my last post). My final menu included:
* Carrot, radish, and pepper crudite with white bean herb dip and spinach goat cheese dip
* Grass-fed burgers and hot dogs with slices of no-knead bread for buns
* Shrimp skewers, marinated in homemade barbeque sauce and grilled
* Vegan bean and wheatberry salad and potato salad with mustard vinaigrette
* Mini rhubarb apple galettes and gluten-free walnut beet brownies
* Homemade ginger ale for mixing cocktails






The white bean dip with fresh herbs and roasted garlic is a favorite that I make for all my parties. I thought up the spinach goat cheese dip for my sister, who can only tolerate goat and sheep cheeses. It was remarkably easy - ahead of time, I sauteed a bunch of spinach in olive oil until wilted. The day of the party, we mixed a tub of Lynnhaven goat cheese feta (or you could use chevre) with half the spinach in a food processor and blended it with olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. The result was a vibrant green dip that looks like pesto, but packs the unexpected rich and creamy taste of goat cheese. We used it for dipping, but it would also be an excellent spread for crostini or sandwiches. I think it would also be fun to mash the spinach and cheese by hand with a fork for a coarser blend.

I'll be posting the rest of my party recipes over the next several days, so stay tuned!

Summer Salads

I haven't written about food in a while, probably because I haven't had the time or brainspace to think about cooking.

That said, I'm a big fan of grainy summer salads that can be scooped up with pita chips, like tabbouleh. If you make the chickpeas and grains ahead, these are practically no-cook meals and great for parties. Here are a few I've made this summer. Measurements are approximate - add ingredients like grated parmesan, olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs liberally and adjust to suit your taste.

Cabbage, Chickpea, & Rice Salad
1 cup cooked brown rice
1-2 cups cooked chickpeas
1/3 - 1/2 head of red cabbage
1/2 onion
3 tbsp fresh mint leaves
1/3 lemon, juice & zest
olive oil
salt
pepper


Israeli Couscous, Chickpea, & Arugula Salad

1 cup israeli couscous
1-2 cups chickpeas
2 red pepers, roasted and cut into strips
2 heads green garlic or 2 cloves regular garlic
1 bunch arugula
olive oil
grated parmesan
salt
pepper


"Bruschetta" Tabbouleh
This mediterranean bulgur salad doesn't have to be all about the cucumber and parsley. Here's a version I made focusing on my favorite flavors of summer - fresh tomatoes, basil, and garlic - thrown in with bulgur instad of topping toasty bruschetta.

1 cup bulgur
1 1/2 cup boiling water
2 tomatoes, chopped
3 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 zucchini, diced (optional)
3 cloves garlic, diced
salt
pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon
olive oil

A Wedding on the Lake

They say that rain and sunshine both bring luck to wedding, each in their own way, and if it's true, then my friend Elaine and her new hubby Mike are doubly lucky...

It was pouring less than an hour before their wedding, as I arrived at our motel. The rain stopped on our drive over to the winery, leaving a looming gray sky. But amazingly, the sun came out with brilliance during their vows. No one was expecting that just an hour earlier! Much later, the night turned damp and dark with lightning strikes dotting the distance.


The venue itself, Glenora Winery in the finger lakes, was really lovely. The ceremony was beautifully set under a tent on a gently sloping hill with a view of Seneca Lake. The reception was held at the vineyard's restaurant with tables inside and cocktails and dancing outside on the covered deck.


Elaine's mother put together the flower arrangements, and Elaine participated in a bike ride to win the bouquets for herself and her bridesmaid Meredith.




I had never before seen my friends looking so elegant!





They wrote their own vows as testaments to their love for each other, which made everyone teary eyed.





The reception tables were simple and lovely, with little jars of flowers and pine trees to take home as favors. (I planted mine and then put it in a corner of the deck the dogs couldn't get at...and then forgot about it, so I'm not sure it's going to survive...)


I'm such a crybaby that I cried twice! Their slideshow was especially moving and sweet - photos of their families and friends growing up - recognizing the community that raised and supports them and had gathered for their wedding, followed by photos of the couple's milestones together, which I appreciated having not seen Elaine much over the past several years.


The bouquet toss was hilarious - no one wanted to catch it so we all just watched the bouquet sail over our hands and plop on the floor!

We got drunk on Glenora wine, relived old dance moves and huddles on the dance floor, had fun into the night, and planned on bringing a bottle of wine to the dock back at the motel but everyone fell asleep instead.


I only wish I got to see these girls more often.


Congratulations again and the best of luck to Elaine and Mike!