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Category: Parties

Apple Cider Amaro Spritz

Posted on by Admin General

In the summer we enjoy sharing our refreshing Amaro Spritz with friends and family. It has become the signature welcome drink at our Sunday Night Neapolitan Pizza Dinner Parties, and I must admit that I am missing it already.

Inspired once again by the incredible Amaro Nonino, I crafted a delightful fall spritz that combines the Nonino’s exquisite blend of macerated herbs, roots, and spices with our favorite locally sourced fresh-pressed apple cider from The Milk Pail in Water Mill, and slices of apple from our own fruit trees. This year, the Apple Cider Amaro Spritz will take center stage as our Thanksgiving welcome drink, gracefully replacing our beloved Cranberry Margarita.

As the trees begin to change colors, our vegetable garden is yielding the last few leeks and peppers, our landscape is transformed into a fall foliage masterpiece, and the few remaining apples and pears on our espalier are at their ripest. It is the perfect moment to toast another wonderful summer, and beautiful Autumn.

autumn landscape

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Yield: Makes 1

Berry-Berry Christmas French Toast Casserole

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There is nothing more joyful than waking up on Christmas morning when my daughters are home for the holidays. When they were children, they would rise at the crack of dawn, or earlier! Now, as adults, I usually make it to the kitchen before them, just in time to pop this delicious casserole in the oven so it can cook while we open gifts together.

We always set the kitchen table the night before Christmas, with festive holiday-themed napkin rings and flowers. The coffee is freshly ground and ready. We no longer set out cookies and milk by the chimney, but instead tiptoe over to stuff stockings—always the last thing to we do. With the scene set and ready, we can all enjoy the morning together, and no one is tethered to the kitchen. 

Delicious and decadent, this is a simple alternative to French toast, and some may say a cousin to bread pudding. This recipe can be made and baked immediately, however, the beauty of preparing it the night before is the ease of simply popping it in the oven in the morning so you can enjoy the festivities. It also allows the bread time to soak up the custard, which makes the inside even creamier and more decadent. 

While we prefer plant-based milks, 2% or a combination that includes half and half is also quite delicious! Simply assemble the casserole, cover well, and refrigerate overnight. The next day-uncover, spoon the topping over the casserole, and bake. 

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 40 min

Yield: Serves 6

Roasted Broccoli with Vinegar-Mayo Glaze

Posted on by Admin General

Simply roasted broccoli is delicious and easy to prepare. This recipe adds a creamy, cheesy glaze to caramelized, crisp-tender florets and sweet stems, elevating this common vegetable to rockstar status. This dish pairs well with both fish and chicken and has been a welcomed side dish on our Thanksgiving table for years. Mayonnaise is a fine substitute for Mindful Mayo.

Cut broccoli florets to a matching size (about 1/3-inch thick) to ensure even cooking, and do not discard the stems—peel and slice them to add a depth of texture and sweetness to the dish. 

For the crispiest, most tender florets, be sure the broccoli is completely dry before tossing it in the mayo mixture. Thanksgiving Day, when so many pans are on the fire, and no one has time for vegetables to dry, put the broccoli in the oven for a few minutes before seasoning—it dries the broccoli quickly, ensuring the mayo mixture will coat the broccoli evenly. Be sure to spread your florets in an even layer on the baking sheet, with a little space between each one. If preparing for the holidays, and you do not have room for two baking sheets in the oven, roast the broccoli in batches.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: Serves 8-10

Patricia’s Candied Sweet Potato Casserole

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My mother created this take on a classic Thanksgiving side dish. She was not a great cook; she simply did not have the time—a career and six children were her priorities. Cooking was something she delegated, but she took immense pride in doing it herself for Thanksgiving, and we all looked forward to the treat.

Making a traditional sweet potato casserole was too time consuming for my mother, and so she did it her way, creating a cross between classic candied yams and a sweet potato casserole. Smothered in marshmallows, one of my favorite childhood treats, this was an irresistible, sweet, sticky, indulgent side dish. For my mother, the sweeter the better. This adjusted version offers a little restrained sweetness, and just the right amount of buttery flavor with a bit of crunch. You can leave out the marshmallows, but in our home, they are always included.

Many supermarkets use the terms “sweet potatoes” and “yams” interchangeably, although yams and sweet potatoes are two different plants, grown in various parts of the world. The sweet potato is in the morning glory family, while yams are related to palms and grasses. Yams are found in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and Central America. Sweet potatoes are grown in the United States, with North Carolina leading the way. What you are likely buying is an American-grown sweet potato. True yams are imported and a rare find outside of specialty grocery stores. For this recipe, any orange-fleshed varieties like Jewel or Garnet will work well.

Recently, the New York Times shared Timeless Recipes from the Archives, and included sweet potatoes baked with lemon, attributed to a Gage & Tollner’s chef named Edna Lewis. My father’s family frequented this restaurant for three generations, beginning in the late 1800’s, and so I cannot help but wonder if this recipe had an influence on my mother’s creation. My mother liked to bake her potatoes in an old cast-iron pan. She said it was easier as it only requires one oven mitt, not two. 

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 38 minutes

Yield: Serves 8-10

Chef Nicot’s Saffron Risotto (Risotto Milanese) with Scampi

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This week I will be sharing a conversation I had with Christine and Paula, the creative team behind Maui Luxe Picnics. They specialize in producing the perfect backdrop for your special occasion or just because. Ultimately, creating unforgettable memories. 

Maui Luxe Picnics orchestrated an extraordinary evening for me on Mokapu Beach, which I talk more about in our interview.  During our chat, Christine and Paula told me about a delicious risotto recipe one of their go-to chefs creates for them. “When our clients are interested in booking our setup in combination with a private chef service, we love to work with Chef Nicot from Hawaiian Chefs Table,” says Christine. She adds that “One of our favorite dishes catered by him is the Saffron Risotto with Scampi.” 

Chef Nicot shared his popular recipe with us and it is perfect! It reminded me of how much I appreciate an easy recipe that will delight guests and please the gourmands in your life. It is one of those dishes that, once mastered, allows for endless variations as all risottos follow the same principle—sauté the rice, add liquid, cook slowly, then coat the rice with parmesan and butter. Here, Nicot uses vegetable stock in place of the traditional chicken or beef stock, and he adds shrimp, the perfect pairing for a Maui picnic and an easy way to elevate this dish for a special occasion. 

Cooking shell-on shrimp adds nuanced flavors that heighten this dish. If you are using supermarket shrimp, or prefer shelled shrimp then consider adding shrimp stock.  

Fresh greens are a lovely touch visually and help create a more complete one-course meal. For a family dinner, I topped this creamy risotto with garden-fresh arugula and just-picked chives.

Yield: Serves 2

Fruit Salad Infused with French Four Spice Syrup

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Hotel Manapany located in Anse de Cayes, a beautiful, untamed beach in St. Barth’s, debuted in the spring of 2018. A five-star, eco-friendly resort that rests among the glitzier hotels for which the island is known. It is the only resort on St. Barth’s deeply committed to protecting the environment, with amenities that include electric vehicles for guests to use and solar-powered electricity. Manapany produces its own water, maintains a vegetable and fruit garden, and provides towels made from natural products—eco sensitive luxury at its best.

The hotel exudes authentic French-Caribbean culture, including cocktails infused with rhum agricole from Guadeloupe and Martinique, and a seafood-inspired menu built on the bounty procured from local fishermen and the native herbs from an on-site garden. The extraordinary juxtaposition of casual island food and impeccable haute-cuisine techniques result in memorable fare and unforgettable cocktails.

During our stay, Executive chef Anthony Martel treated us to a bowl of tropical fruit infused with a wonderfully fragrant simple syrup and he was kind enough to share the recipe. This aromatic syrup is easy to make and a delightful way to elevate fruit.

A selection of seasonal, tropical fruits from a local farm in Florida served as my inspiration to revisit the recipe. When using mixed fruits, be sure to cut each into even, bite-sized pieces. For a beautiful addition to a summer buffet dinner, I opted for colorful melon balls and added garden-fresh mint and edible violets.  

Whether you choose tropical, exotic, or local fruits, a high-acid, aromatic white wine will work best. Malvasia, gewürztraminer, or sauvignon blanc are all good choices.

Yield: Serves 4 (1 ½ Cups)

Cranberry Margarita

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Everyone has their spirit of choice, especially during the holidays. For our Thanksgiving gatherings, the traditional welcome drink has always been a warm, homemade, spiced apple cider—spiked with a dark, aged rum for the adults. This year, with a smaller group and no children visiting, I decided to make Margaritas!

Tequila has become especially popular with our friends and family. It is the gluten free go-to drink, and the Blanco and Silver varieties don’t contain sugary syrups nor are they aged in wood, so they are unlikely to contain congeners—the chemical impurities that can exacerbate hangovers. 

For this Thanksgiving-in-a-glass cocktail, feel free to substitute thawed, frozen cranberries for fresh ones, and remember, cocktails are an intuitive process you should approach like you do cooking—if your cranberries are especially tart, use more simple syrup.

Yield: Makes 2

Cranberry Orange Sauce

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Cranberry orange sauce, with just the right balance of sweet and tart, is truly the perfect complement to a lovely roasted turkey.  A Thanksgiving classic that is so easy to make you may never buy the canned version again. When garnished, this sauce is stunning on the table. I love to set out three or four dishes of sauce to enhance my tablescape and invite guests to enjoy as much as they like—it seems there is never enough!

Fresh cranberries become available in late October and freeze quite nicely so you can have them on hand well in advance of the holidays. Make this sauce as a beautiful side for all your fall gatherings, it is delightful with roasted duck, and works as a scrumptious glaze for both poultry and meat. 

The secret to a great turkey sandwich—add mayonnaise to your cranberry orange sauce and slather a warm, grilled baguette generously. This has become one of my favorite leftover recipes and an enticing reason to make generous amounts of this sauce for the holidays.

I prefer a thick sauce with a few whole cranberries, but you can simply cook the cranberries with more liquid for a juicier sauce.

Yield: Makes 2 Cups 

Freshly Whipped Cream

Posted on by Admin General

Fresh, homemade whipped cream is so easy to make, versatile and infinitely more healthful than store-bought brands that can be full of corn syrup, carrageenan and hydrogenated oils, xanthan and guar gums.

I have fond memories of whipping up this recipe with my sisters, we did it by hand, and would take turns whisking as our arms tired. Our father was a disciplined, healthful eater, and for his birthday he loved nothing better than a big bowl of plump, juicy blueberries, topped with homemade, freshly whipped, unsweetened cream. For my birthday I loved it atop a homemade chocolate pudding pie, and my youngest sister liked hers over ice cream.

You can certainly add your favorite sweetener, confectioner’s sugar, honey or maple syrup; and flavoring options are endless. We have always made ours with a fragrant, high quality vanilla extract, which technically makes it a Crème Chantilly or French Chantilly Cream, and we chilled our mixing bowl and whisk (or beaters) in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before we began.

Yield: Makes 1 Quart

Memorial Day Breakfast Parfait

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Fruit is always a part of our breakfast routine, and oftentimes, it takes centerstage. When there is an abundance of fresh, farm stand berries available, I love making a simple, pectin free jam that can be used to slather bread, serve as a gooey filling in Hamptons Entertaining oatmeal bars—or to add a beautiful and delicious layer to a parfait. Inspired by Memorial Day, these red, white, and blue breakfast parfaits are a fun way to celebrate.

Make the jam the night before so that it is chilled when you add it to your parfait and be sure the berries you layer into the parfait are completely dry.  I am also sharing an easy flag fruit bowl that needs no recipe and looks lovely with the parfaits—it is perfect to scoop over oatmeal or to be enjoyed on its own.  

Yield: Serves 4