Nothin's quite like when mom makes it...but this was pretty darn good.

Just like Mom makes it.

My friends Jesse & Amanda threw a rockin' dinner party, complete with Sidecar cocktails (recipes to come), a few sweaty rounds of Dance Dance Revolution, and recipes straight from Amanda's mom's arsenal.  They made these sweet and sour meatballs just like my friend Kelly, who served them as a hot appetizer on New Year's Eve.  But sided with fresh grilled asparagus and homemade, gooey mac n' cheese, it seemed like a whole new meatball.  Here's the recipe for the easy meatballs, sure to please any crowd.  Do I have the recipe for the asparagus and mac n' cheese.  Nope.  Amanda's mom is sworn to secrecy: a sign of a saucy chef.  You'll have to do your best to create the home-cooked feel.

Also try the meatballs with pasta, salad, and garlic bread.  Throw on hoagie rolls and toss on some Parmesan cheese and basil - there are oh so many ways...

Shrimp & Kale: a match made in heaven

Serve it with a Chardonnay - you've got a winner.

This is an easy-peasy shrimp dish that'll make everyone happy. It's got great flavor, a mean crunch, and packs some protein - as a main dish or an appetizer.

Fresh shrimp is a best-case scenario, but definitely not essential. In a pinch for a dinner party, I used a bag of frozen, tail-on shrimp and thawed them overnight, about 24 hours before when I knee I'd need to prep them for the party.

I prepped the kale (see my blog post on baking kale) and cooked it for 17 minutes at 400 degrees.  While it was baking, I tossed the thawed shrimp into a pan with coconut oil, garlic, cayenne,  salt, and a little fresh lime juice, and sauteed it slowly for about 10 minutes, tossing every now and again. Viola! Its done.

The kale comes out of the oven crispy and crunchy, perfect. Top the kale with the steaming shrimp and arrange it on a serving plate.

Serve it up with a favorite white wine or a cocktail. Guests will now devour.

A new spin on Bruchetta

The classic elements, then some.

This delicious spin on classic bruschetta was a great introduction to a meal.  I enjoyed this dish at a restaurant called Bistro 1245 in Gainesville, Florida, my home town, when I took a trip down south recently. It seems like an easy option for a snack, appetizer for a party, or just a little something to nibble on with your favorite wine.  The bread was crisp and they stuck with tomato, basil, and balsamic stuck as bruschetta staples. But, atop the pile of traditional goodness was larger chunks of hearty feta and chick peas, adding a different Mediterranean twist.

Artisan Confections: A Sweet Treat in Arlington

So many choices.

The smell upon walking in the door of Artisan Confections is enough to solidify a craving.

Chocolate wafts in the nostrils, but so do notes of fruit, spice and coffee. The shop’s décor is simple yet inviting. It’s a modern take on an old-school candy shop, mature enough for adults while still succeeding to create that kid-in-a-candy-store kind of anticipation.

With flavors like salted caramel, Tahitian vanilla, and peanut butter and jelly, it’s tough to make a choice. Especially when the chocolates are “painted” beautifully with their own distinct design according to flavor. A seasonal artist series is offered, featuring special designs and flavors.

Overall, the presentation is gorgeous and adds to the allure of making a choice. Luckily, they have several customized box options: You can choose to buy pieces individually, or gather four ($8), nine ($17), 15 ($26) or 30 ($48) candies that meet your fancy. All candies are cuddled up together in a gold box and tied with a dark red ribbon – again, a presentation that feels both mature and exciting, creating the chance to go home and relive the joy of opening the box to enjoy your indulgence. (That is, if you even make it home before you crack open the box.)

After much deliberation, I chose my four candies: lavender-honey, caipirinha, chipotle chile, and malted milk (the personal favorite of the woman who helped me). After my next four meals, I looked forward to the tiny chocolate treat that I knew would be packed with huge flavor, each one different and fun. And they did not disappoint.

The lavender-honey was subtle and light, not soap-like and overly fragrant like some herb-based foods can seem. Neither lavender nor honey overpowered the flavor. Of all the pieces I sampled, I actually would have wanted a little bit more of a distinct flavor from this one. But, it was well balanced, almost fruity, and certainly creamy. It seems like this candy would make a nice pairing with port for an after-dinner sweet.

I couldn’t pass up caipirinha. An Argentine cocktail in a piece of chocolate? Yes, please. This little piece of wonder was painted in greens and creams to reflect its ingredients of lime, mint and rum, just like the cocktail. I could taste each element and it hit my tongue with lots of tangy flavor. Now I realize that bartenders would be wise to incorporate some chocolate in their caipirinha for the perfect compliment.

Chipotle chile was phenomenal and provided that kick you expect from a spicy chocolate. Chile-based chocolates have become more popular recently, with companies like Lindt and Ghirardelli producing varietals that can be picked up at most grocery stores. Artisan’s version is a juiced-up edition of the trend, packing a lot into a little.

It’s no wonder that the woman’s favorite selection was malted milk. It had a classic, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth flavor to it, but in a richer, more refined way then say, a malted milk ball. It was like tasting perfectly creamed coffee; you know when it’s just right. I enjoyed it with a glass of cabernet, and it seemed to make a great pairing.

Artisan Confections also offers classes for tasting and making chocolates. Classes fill up quickly as chocolate tasting is gaining popularity along with wine and coffee.

After you enjoy a meal in the neighborhood, head over to finish off strong with your choice of the perfect sweet treat.

Artisan Confections is located at 1025 N. Fillmore St. in Clarendon.

This article can also be seen on Patch.com  http://patch.com/A-pTVq

Finger Foods: New Year's Eve or any other occasion

The New Year's Eve spread.

My friend Kelly threw a New Year's Eve party with a delicious finger foods spread. Kelly gets a lot of her recipe ideas off of Pinterest, of which she is a mega fan. One cool touch was that she positioned tea light candles among the food which gave it a really inviting, beautiful effect. Some of her easy but hearty recipes are below to use for your next party.

Caprese dip--  

-3 diced tomatoes (try to get all the juice and seeds out), 

-about 4 tablespoons of chopped basil, 

-and 16 oz. of Mozzarella, cubed. 

Combine the ingredients, bake in the oven for 15 minutes on 375, and then broil for another 2 minutes. 

Kelly notes that this dish HAS to be served warm...if you serve the dish at a party where guests are coming at various points during the evening, it's helpful to have a heating element underneath it to keep the cheese soft. Otherwise a perfectly delicious cheesy dish can become a bit of a pain because you'll have to keep reheating it. 

Pesto crescent rolls--again, she says, another simple dish.  

-simply spoon pre-made pesto sauce onto Crescent Rolls 

-roll them up 

-baked as directed on the tube. 

Easy. 

She also made some super tasty meatballs (not shown above unfortunately)-- Kelly says these are crazy simple.  She says that all it takes is throwing a bag of frozen turkey meatballs, a jar of grape jelly, and a 12oz. jar of chili sauce into a Crock Pot and letting it go until they are simmering, saucy, and ready to eat. She invested in a Crock Pot (only $20!) for the party - thank meaty goodness she did.

Look for Kelly's upcoming recipes for mini Strawberry Short Cake Sugar Cookies and Champagne Punch.  (You're already ready for New Year's Eve again, aren't you?)

Kelly owns a company called Belles&Beaux, through which she makes great baby's and children's clothes, burp cloths, blankets, beau ties, etc. Email me or leave a comment for more information and to get in touch with her.

Medium Rare is Well-Done

Simple, meaty beauty.

Cleveland Park has a lot of eating gems to take part in.  After much anticipation and delay, my husband and I finally went to Medium Rare, a prix fixe steak restaurant at 3500 Connecticut Ave.  Wow.  We loved the food - and the concept: for $19.50, you get a hearty baguette and creamy butter, a simple but great salad, and steak (drizzled with their secret house sauce, witch tastes mushroomy) and steak frites.  Yes, for $19.50.  Every day, all the time.  But that's not all...they bring out a second portion of steak and fries half way through the meal.  If you act dainty and refuse, they give it to you anyway.  You paid for it! $19.50.

There's a short list of wines and beer, moderately priced and specifically chosen to go well with the menu.  So, again, you can't go wrong.

They also have a dessert list, all for $8, which consists of treats like apple pie, layered carrot cake, and NY cheesecake. They serve fantastic coffee and espresso drinks, obviously to recover from the huge meal you just had.

The ambiance is plain and beautiful, white paper table cloths (where they write down your order with crayon), low lighting, wood floors and internal brick walls.  Like their menu, simple but substantial.  And just for fun, French language lessons are playing in the bathroom.  What a nice touch!  By the time you've freshened up, you'll know how to ask for more water and how ask someone out.  Do with that what you will.

They take reservations (but they're not required) and can seat a few big parties.  Hours: 5-10:30 daily; 11-2:30 Sunday brunch.

Dinner with Geoff: duck, sprouts, & potatoes like you've never had 'em before

I recently went to a fabulous dinner at my friend Geoff’s place.  He always blazes tasty new trails with recipes that take work and a little risk.  He also had a cool, Southern way of serving the food – he often serves drinks in Mason jars and leaves the food in their original pots to serve in a homey, comfortable, but cool way.  For this dinner, he made duck, Yukon gold and sweet potato gratin with Gruyere, and Brussels sprouts.  Finish it off with some of his homemade spiced bourbon, and you’ve got a quite a meal.  Details below!

The duck recipe can be found here:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Duck-Confit-102313  

Geoff says to ensure the duck is young, as the meat gets tough with age.  He recommends that you only use the leg & thigh sections, because the breast and wings tend to be a bit too lean.  He says it worked better for him going higher on the heat, around 250 or 275 degrees.

Potatoes:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Scalloped-Yukon-Gold-and-Sweet-Potato-Gratin-with-Fresh-Herbs-350455 

Geoff notes that when cooking the potatoes, it is better to leave them covered longer, say 45 min, and then 15 uncovered to brown.  He particularly loves how the yams and Gruyere go so well together, creating a creamy and hearty taste.

For the sprouts, Geoff halved and placed the sprouts in a pan with just the littlest bit of water to steam them.  He then added a few cloves of garlic and a couple TBS of butter to sauté the sprouts a bit once the water steams off.  If you have time, he says, he likes to soak the sprouts in salted water, which seems to help them retain their green color after cooking.  Great idea!

As for wine, Geoff always says that even though you’d traditionally serve a white, he likes to serve it with red wine due to the slightly gamy flavor of the duck.