Cheers to 2014!
The best cocktail party snack ever!
I used to turn my nose up at low brow cocktail party foods and pretend to only prefer nibbly things with fancy French names. In reality, the fancy stuff just gets stuck in your teeth and you have no idea what you just ate. And actually, the best (and most popular) cocktail party items are the simple old classics. Here’s a recipe for a holiday favorite. Sausage rolls are ageless, timeless, and can be paired with any type of cocktail. Never buy the pre-made “pigs in a blanket” from the frozen food aisle. These fresh sausage rolls are super easy to make, and you have the freedom to mix and match flavors.
Classic Sausage Rolls
Ingredients:
(this recipe yields 16-20 sausage rolls from 1 sheet puff pastry)
1 sheet Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry, defrosted.*
flour – for rolling out
1 egg
8-10 good quality cooked breakfast or herb sausages (spicy/ sweet)- cut into bite size pieces
salt & fresh ground pepper
fresh thyme
serve with: Jar of good quality grainy mustard, condiments and pickles
*note on puff pastry: To defrost, take out of the freezer roughly 2 hours before you need to roll it out. Leave on counter top so it thaws. If it’s too defrosted it won’t unfold and will stick to itself, if it’s too frozen it’ll tear apart.
Directions:
preheat oven to 375 degrees F
1). Using a rolling pin on a floured surface, roll out the sheet of puff pastry to measure out a larger rectangle, and the pastry is fairly thin.
2). Measure out roughly 16-20 smaller rectangles, cut with small pairing knife.
3). Brush one end of each little rectangle with beaten egg.
4). Lay piece of sausage on the other end, and sprinkle each with thyme, salt and pepper.
5). Roll each with seam side down. Prick the tops of each roll with a fork (once or twice, to stop it from over puffing),
6). Place on a sheet tray, and refrigerate for 30 min or so to set
7). When ready to bake, brush the tops only with remaining egg wash. If the egg runs down the side too much they won’t puff up. Sprinkle with sea salt & pepper (optional).
8). Bake in middle rack for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
Serve with grainy mustard and condiments of your choice. Pairs well with everything from Krug champagne to the champagne of beers!
Fabulous Food Markets in London Dahling
There’s a hysterical scene in the Brit classic Absolutely Fabulous “Ab Fab” where Patsy and Eddy drive their Alfa Romeo literally up to the front door of uber chic fashion mecca Harvey Nichols. They fill up three carts and steal a case of champagne. It’s a fabulously chic dream to do the daily shopping in such a beautiful space, and completely removed from every day life. Especially during the holidays, visiting amazing markets can be a great way to spend the day and pick up a few luxurious food gifts. We do have markets of our own in New York, but none can compare to the beauty and history-filled romance of the markets in London.
Harrods Food Hall
Where kings and queens get their provisions. Amazing architecture and even more amazing selection of top notch produce. Harrods began as a humble grocer and tea merchant in 1834. During the holidays it does get jammed, but you just have to keep calm and carry on shopping.
Fortnum and Mason
Founded in 1707, Fortnum’s is the purveyors of the best teas, wines foods and hampers in the world. Amazing packaging and tasty teas and cookies, it’s a very popular spot for gift shopping.
Borough Market
Borough has long been synonymous with food markets and as far back as 1014, and probably much earlier, London Bridge attracted traders selling grain, fish, vegetables and livestock. In the 13th century traders were relocated to what is now Borough High Street and a market has existed there ever since.
A must: get the toasted cheese sandwich from Kappacasein
Smithfield Market
One of the oldest markets in London, over eight hundred years! Top restaurants around the country buy their meat at this wholesale meat market.
Old Spitalfields Market
Built in 1876, it is one of the finest surviving Victorian Market Halls in the capital. Nestled in the cobbled streets between Brick Lane and Bishopsgate, Old Spitalfields Market is steeped in history; a market has operated on the site since the 1600s. (During the same time American folks were knee deep in dirt and Captain John Smith was flirting it up with Pocahontas).
Leadenhall Market
Leadenhall Market is one of London’s hidden gems and is owned and managed by the City of London Corporation since 1411. Under the elegant Victorian roof there are stalls selling flowers, cheese and meats, and also various speciality shops, pubs and restaurants. Stop by Hotel Chocolat for some fabulous handmade chocolates.
Thanksgiving Day Survival Guide
Although celebrating the end of harvest is observed in different ways around the globe, the Thanksgiving holiday is viewed to be a uniquely American tradition. A quick refresh of history reminds us that were it not for the writer Sarah Josepha Hale (who penned “Mary Had a Little Lamb”) – we might not be enjoying it as a national holiday. With nothing better to do (just kidding!), she famously petitioned politicians for around 40 years before Honest Abe unified the holiday across all states, and fixed the date to the final Thursday in November. Today, we are also unified in the day’s feast: turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mash potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pie… and of course football.
But before our beloved turkey can actually make it to the table, each household has their own stress filled whirlwind of activity. For the cooks, the flow of the day is far from sitting on the couch watching pigskin. Peeling, chopping, brining, basting, cleaning, chopping… followed by more peeling, mashing, stirring, basting, roasting, baking, cleaning. It can be an exhausting and overwhelming process. 
In an attempt to ease some of the stress, we put together a quick Thanksgiving Day survival guide. With a little pre-game planning, Thanksgiving can be enjoyable for the cooks as well as the football fans.
1 – Know your limits
Common sense would suggest that this isn’t the day to attempt a soufflé or anything complicated. Chances are crazy Uncle Jack who normally noshes on fast food and beers probably wouldn’t appreciate it anyway. Keep the menu simple, map out the time, and start early. The prep work always takes longer than you think, so anything that can be done ahead of time (like the pie / stuffing) can be made the day before.
2 – Clean out the fridge and empty the dishwasher
This is all in anticipation for the leftovers and dirty dishes later on. Huge time saver and ensures quick clean up later.
3 – Set the table the night before
One less thing to do.
4 – Pull out all platters, dishes and serving utensils the day before
Saves you from fumbling through the drawers looking for serving spoons in front of your guests or running around with a hot sheet pan full of brussels sprouts trying to see if you have a nice serving bowl.
Tastes and trends have changed over the years.
5 – The morning of: have breakfast / lay out your outfit and accessories
All in the name of keeping your sanity and energy up for the day.
6 – Enlist help
If people offer to help, say yes and put them to work. Chopping, serving, tidying up are all less stressful when others chip in. Plus it can be a great relaxed way to catch up on the family gossip. I find that secrets are usually divulged not at the table but during those pockets of in between time. Especially after a few glasses of vino but before the tryptophan really kicks in.
Thanksgiving can be a stressful yet very rewarding day for the cook. When your guests compliment how tasty everything is, graciously accept and never apologize for anything. No one needs to know about that one batch of burnt carrots that never made it to the table. While giving thanks to family and friends, don’t forget to give yourself some thanks for persevering, and turning the “harvest” (courtesy of your local supermarket) into a meal to remember. The saving grace is that you only have 364 days until it happens all over again.
Post Coital Late Night Vampire Sarnies
Credit: New Line Cinema
We have a musically inclined DJ friend who is a modern day Austin Powers – a true man about town / rock and roll ladies man who just exudes that Brit charm. One day while assisting on a photo shoot, I got to chatting with him about food, and he mentioned that the other day he wanted to make a soft boiled egg, but realized that he didn’t even know how to boil water. I’m sure he was joking but I think my eyeballs just about jumped out of their sockets! Eggs can be a little tricky actually, unless you’re okay with 70s style green ring around the yolk sort of thing. I guess consulting the world wide web didn’t occur to him, but I started to ponder about what sort of non-cook food skills would be useful for guys like him and other gentlemen on the late night prowl… especially during a vampire moment when they need to feast on something and also impress an overnight guest in the wee small hours of the night.
There’s almost nothing easier to make than a sandwich….
There’s a scene in the Terminator when Sarah’s roommate Ginger goes into the kitchen to make a big ‘ol honkin sandwich in the middle of the night while her boyfriend Matt gets clobbered by Arnie. (“Don’t make me bust you up, man!”) How good did that sandwich look?? Ginger’s deli style sandwich had several meats with fresh lettuce and tomatoes – basically the works, but not to despair if the fridge isn’t stocked up. There are some very tasty British style sandwiches (known as “sarnies”) that do not require any fresh veg at all.
Here are two tasty sarnie recipes that any aspiring Austin Powers can make in a matter of minutes. Yeah, baby!!
Bacon Sarnie:
A British classic, it’s basically a BLT without the L and T.
*tip: leave the butter out when you head out for the night, that way when you come home it will be soft and spreadable. It won’t seem presumptuous since after all it’s just butter. Or microwave for 10 sec max to soften slightly.
Assembly:
Fry the bacon and drain on a paper towel. Butter each side of the bread in a thin layer, all the way to the end. Warm the bread slightly in the bacon pan over med heat so the bread soaks up some of the bacon grease. Layer the bacon, cut sandwich in half and enjoy. Some people put a few drops of Worchestershire sauce on the bacon or ketchup as well, but this is all a matter of preference and level of intoxication.
Cheese & Pickle Sandwich:
This is a cold sandwich originating as part of the Ploughman’s lunch. And applicable here since there is some sort of ‘ploughing’ going on hopefully. These were cold snacks served in pubs with some cheddar cheese, Branston pickle and maybe some other cold salad items alongside a pint. Branston pickle is one of those weird British staples like Marmite that has a distinct flavor, but is also what makes this sandwich so delicious. I might be mistaken but I think WholeFoods carries it, but you can definitely buy it online or at a British grocery store.
Assembly:
Spread a thin layer of butter on both slices of untoasted bread.
Spread a layer of Branston pickle on each slice, followed by a layer
of sliced cheddar cheese. Slice in half and enjoy!
Since you cannot substitute Branston’s pickle, here are a few links:
Myers of Keswick : www.myersofkeswick.com/
Kalustyan’s : www.kalustyans.com
And when in doubt…. www.amazon.com