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UNFORGETTABLE FALL PARTY
You're in for a treat! Here's a behind-the-scenes peek at wine pairings with cheese and appetizer ideas for an unforgettable Fall party. On a gorgeous Fall day, head to the farmer's market, (for me it's New York's Union Square Farmer's Market or Chelsea Market), to pick the freshest produce available for the suggested food and tray displays. I love to shop there with fresh veggies and flowers galore and the nicest and hard-working farmers around!
Red Wine and Cheese Pairing Guide
A sheep or goat cheese like Ossau-Auraty pairs with a light to full-bodied red. Rioja or Argentinean Malbec is great.
Pair a coated-rind cow's cheese (like Brie or Camembert) with a light to medium red wine like Pinot Noir.
A blue cheese (like Roquefort or Gorgonzola) will go perfectly with Côtes du Rhone or Bordeaux. You can even serve it for dessert with a Port or Madeira.
Fall Cheese Tray Display
With your cheeses excellently paired, next decorate your platter with seasonal produce such as fig leaves, sliced fresh figs, mini apples, grape bundles and nuts. It's a fabulously full-proof way to make your cheese tray look fancy and party-ready!
Menu
Squash Soup Shooters
Roasted Pumpkin and Kale Spaghetti
Caramel Apple Pie
Trendy Platter Ideas
Six Steps to Soup Shooter Presentation Perfection
- Set out six shooter glasses
- Slice six discs of fresh squash about a quarter-inch thick
- Decorate the platter--adorn with the squash soup's aromatic seasonings including cinnamon sticks, star anise, toasted pumpkin seeds
- Pour the warm squash soup into each shooter glass
- Place shooter atop squash discs
- Present to guests and cheers
The saffron-colored soup looks amazing atop the orange squash discs and seasonings---this promises to wow your guests!
Cheese Wheel Platter
A great way to show off a hot appetizer is with a cheese wheel platter.
Simply use the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese wheel as the elegant platter. To accomplish this, just ask your cheesemonger to cut you a 10-inch Parmigiano-Reggiano wedge including its signature rind. Whip up the fun crisp recipe then follow these easy steps to transform your platter into an unforgettable Puttin' on the Ritz party hors d'oeuvre:
Grate some Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Sprinkle grated cheese atop the hollowed out wedge
Slice cheese crisps on the diagonal
Place crisps atop and add bundles of ingredients at corner
From soup to nuts these star-studded culinary tips can make all your food look great…even if it comes prepared from Whole Foods and not your own kitchen.
SQUASH SOUP SHOOTERS
Prepared in 45 minutes or less.
6 pieces butternut squash, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 pieces Delicata squash halved and seeded, (also called Sweet Potato squash or Peanut squash with its oblong shape and pale yellow skin with green striations)
1 piece Kabocha (Japanese pumpkin), quartered and seeded, has a jade green rind with celadon striations.
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 leek, white part only, washed very well and thinly sliced
1 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 bouquet garni of thyme, sage, parsley, and bay leaf
Sachet of black peppercorns, coriander seed, clove, and fennel
1 cup butter
¼ gallon chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Brush the Delicata and Kabocha squashes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Roast in oven until very tender, then scoop out the flesh, discarding the skins.
Meanwhile, heat a large Dutch oven and slowly sweat the onion, leek, celery, and garlic in the butter. When the vegetables are tender, add the butternut squash pieces, the sachet and the bouquet garni. **Cover with 3 parts chicken stock and 1 part water and bring to a simmer.
Add the roasted squash, and return to a simmer, adding more liquid if necessary. Simmer until all the butternut squash is tender. Strain the soup and reserve the cooking liquid.
Working in batches, purée the soup in a high-speed blender until very smooth, adding cooking liquid as necessary. Pass through a fine chinois, a fine mesh conical strainer, and finish with crème fraîche, salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Serves 8.
ROASTED PUMPKIN AND KALE SPAGHETTI
Prepared in 45 minutes or less.
3 lbs Japanese pumpkin (Kabocha), peeled and coarsely chopped
1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
1 tsp chili flakes
2 tsp lemon zest
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
14 oz spaghetti
8 oz kale, rinsed and trimmed
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and fresh pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
On a baking sheet, place the pumpkin, garlic, two tbs olive oil, salt and fresh pepper. Toss to combine and roast for 35 minutes or until the pumpkin is golden and tender.
Set aside and cover with foil to keep warm.
In a large saucepan in salted water over medium high heat, cook the spaghetti until al dente, approximately 10 minutes. Drain and return to the saucepan.
In a large pan, heat the remaining olive oil over high heat. Add the chili flakes, lemon zest and kale and cook for 2 minutes.
Add this mixture to the spaghetti along with the roasted pumpkin mixture. Toss with tongs to combine.
Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Serves 4-6.
CARAMEL APPLE PIE
Prepared in 20 minutes or less plus 1 hour to bake.
For the Pie Crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cup plus 1 tbs butter flavored shortening, chilled
⅓ cup ice water
1 tbs vinegar
1 egg, room temperature, beaten
For the Filling:
6 cups Granny Smith apples
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
4 tbs heavy cream
4 tbs butter
For the Streusel Topping:
½ cup all-purpose flour
3 tbs sugar
1 tbs butter
2 toffee bars or 3 oz chocolate covered peanut or pecan brittle, crushed
For the Pie Crust:
Chill all ingredients, including the flour and vinegar. Combine the flour, salt and sugar. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles cornmeal. In another bowl, mix water and vinegar with the beaten egg. Add the liquid mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, to the flour mixture, tossing with a fork to form a soft dough.
For the Filling:
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Peel and slice apples. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl and add apples. Toss to mix. Add vanilla and cream.
Melt butter in heavy skillet. Add apple mixture and cook approximately 8 minutes, to soften apples. Turn into pie shell.
For the Streusel Topping:
Combine the flour and sugar. Mix in butter with fork until coarse crumbs.
Stir in the crushed toffee bars. Sprinkle over pie. Add top crust.
Seal, flute edge and vent top.
Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake an additional 45 minutes.
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