Two nights ago, I attended a happy hour at a Cuban restaurant in NYC. A well-dressed, sophisticated-looking woman standing at the bar beside me ordered a “hand-shaken Daquiri.” I was intrigued. I asked the woman, “what exactly is a hand-shaken Daiquiri?” She excitedly explained to me that before the syrupy sweet blended concoctions that we currently know as Daiquiris ever existed, before ice, before blenders even, there was the original, hand-shaken cocktail invented by a bartender in a little Cuban bar near a place called Daiquiri.
I watched the bartender mix together what looked like a very refreshing concoction of rum, fresh lime juice and simple syrup. I had to have one! I took one sip and I was sold. The hand-shaken Daiquiri is my new favorite cocktail. So long Mojito. Good bye Margarita. Try this traditional recipe and make history at your next fiesta!!
Mix 3 parts Bacardi Gold rum, with one part simple syrup and one part fresh lime juice (none of the bottled stuff). Pour into a shaker filled with ice. Shake and pour into a lo ball. Enjoy!
Oscar party menu: Serve champagne, as well as hors d’ouerves and cocktails named after nominees. What’s a movie night without popcorn? Try these grown-up versions of two movie food favorites:
Savory Herbed Popcorn:
courtesy of Foodnetwork.com
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons peanut oil
3 ounces popcorn kernels, approximately 1/2 cup
1/2 teaspoon popcorn salt
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Place the oil, popcorn and salt in a large, 6-quart, metal mixing bowl. Cover with heavy-duty aluminum foil and poke 10 slits in the top with a knife.
Place the bowl over medium heat and shake constantly using a pair of tongs to hold the bowl. Continue shaking until the popcorn finishes popping, approximately 3 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and carefully remove the foil. Stir in any salt that is on the side of the bowl. Sprinkle the herbs on the popcorn and gently stir to coat.
Melt the butter in the microwave. Slowly drizzle over the popcorn, while spinning the bowl. Stir to combine. Serve immediately. 3 tablespoons peanut oil
Grown-Up Rootbeer Float
Ingredients:
1 oz Galliano® herbal liqueur
2 oz Kahlua® coffee liqueur
1 dash cream
1 oz Coca-Cola®
Pour the galliano and kahlua into a highball glass filled with ice. Add a splash of cream, top with coke, and serve.
Establish the theme with your invitation – Send guests a Hollywood-themed invite from an online invitation service, or for a more formal invite, try the Oscar-themed Party Invitationsfrom Party Basics.
Create your own drama with a red carpet, paparazzi-filled entrance. Rent a red carpet from Red Carpet Runway. Hire a student from the local college’s Drama Department to interview guests as they stroll the red carpet, asking questions like, “who are you wearing?” A professional (or non-professional) photographer can snap photos of guests as they enter. The photos can be used as a party favor. Renting a strobe light and placing it at the end of the red carpet will also give the feeling of flashing cameras.
Allow guests to rub shoulders with the stars by placing life-sized cut-outs of Oscar nominees around the room. Create your own images at Wallhogs.com. This will make another unique party favor for guests to take home.
Social Couture’s Hollywood Glam tabletop décor will add just the right sparkle to your evening.
Check back later this week for tasty Oscar Night recipes and cocktail suggestions.
A romantic breakfast is a great way to start Valentine’s Day, and if you’re a lover of everything bagels, I’ve found the perfect gourmet topping blend to spice up your Valentine’s Day breakfast (or lunch or dinner for that matter)! A good friend of mine sent me a bottle of an incredibly aromatic, spice-packed accompaniment to a variety of savory dishes; it’s called Bagel Spice. Use of this flavorful spice is only limited by your imagination.
You can sprinkle it on cream cheese, hummus or other bread spreads for a taste bud explosion.
Shake it over fried eggs, lox and tuna for a delectable flavor boost.
Mix it with mashed potatoes for a delightful flavor.
Add it to salad dressings and vinaigrettes for extra zing in your salads.
Blend it with marinades and sauces for an aromatic kick, or combine it with your favorite dry rub mixture for delicious meat dishes.
The possibilities are endless for distinctive, mouth-watering dishes with Bagel Spice. Just last night, I added it to my chicken paillard with lemon butter sauce. The results were amazing. Check out my recipe below and lots of others on the Bagel Spice website.
Two chicken breasts, sliced in half and pounded flat
Salt & Pepper
Bagel Spice
1/4 cup sliced or minced shallots
Fresh spinach
Juice of two lemons and lemon segments
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup chicken stock
Season the chicken breast with salt, pepper and Bagel Spice. Sautee the chicken breasts in one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and one tablespoon of butter (heated until butter foams). Flip the breasts when golden brown and heat through. Move the sauteed breasts to a plate. Add the remaining olive oil and butter to the pan and sautee the shallots until transparent. Add the lemon juice, lemon segments and chicken broth. Reduce by half and gradually add 2-3 additional tablespoons of butter. To serve, place a handful of spinach on the plate. Place one chicken breast on top of the spinach and then spoon the lemon butter sauce over the chicken and spinach so that the spinach slightly wilts. Enjoy!
I’m not referring to the kind of barefoot that involves cold feet, but rather a state of mind that is induced after having a glass of Barefoot Bubbly! I was introduced to Barefoot Bubbly on a recent trip to the west coast. I shared a bottle of this delicious, affordable champagne with a couple of friends who were super surprised to learn that I had never heard of Barefoot wines. I guess I’m a little late to the party (fashionably late of course!). I definitely wanted to share my new find with all of you. Barefoot cellars make a variety of tasty and affordable wines including Whites, Reds and Bubbly and each retails for less than $10. You can use the store locator function on the Barefoot website to find a local dealer. There are also tons of yummy recipes on the site that will facilitate your wine/food pairings. So, for your next celebration, dinner or wine tasting, try Barefoot because affordability is Chic!
It’s January 1, 2010, and like many of you I have made a number of New Year’s resolutions. One of those resolutions is to pay more attention to my blog! However, I’m not going to commit to writing everyday or a certain number of times each week. What I will commit to is sharing the best food and drink recipes, entertaining tips and party games and favors whenever I find or create them. So check the site for updates, and I promise you won’t be disappointed. For those of you have resolved to be more efficient with your time, if you would rather me let you know when I update the blog, simply join the Chic Party Plans community. New beginnings are Chic. Happy 2010!!
I just got home from my first holiday event of the season, where I discovered two of the yummiest party snacks, and at the foundation of each is one of my favorite all-time snack food… popcorn.
The first snack was served at the beginning of the evening – Garlic Parmesan Popcorn. The second snack was served at the end of the evening – Chocolate Coconut Popcorn. Conveniently served in miniature cones, the snacks were simultaneously elegant and simple. So, of course I felt the need to share these easy-to-make party snacks right away.
1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring, then remove saucepan from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
1. Place popcorn in plastic bag.
2. Pour in chocolate powder, close bag and shake to coat.
3. Place handful of popcorn in a small paper cone and sprinkle with toasted coconut.
Tip #2 – when it comes to at-home entertaining plan your menu with a KISS – that is keep is simple and sweet. “A home party should be informal and intimate.” – Marcus Samuelsson, celebrity chef.
Unless you’re name is Martha Stewart, there is no need to work up a sweat and strive for perfection when creating your party menu. Think creative, not expensive and remember that finger food is more chic than eating on paper plates, especially if you don’t want to deal with a mound of dishes. Remember your theme and create a menu that is an extension of that theme.
Below are a few of my favorite recipes for a holiday celebration with Latin twist (courtesy of bonappetit.com).
Sparkling Rose Sangria with Pineapple & Guava 12 servings
1 750ml bottle rose champagne
4 6-oz cans pineapple juice
2 11.5 oz cans guava nectar
4 cinnamon sticks
2 cups cubes fresh pineapple
2 oranges halved and thinly sliced
Mix first 5 ingredients in large pitcher. Set 12 orange slices aside for garnish; add remaining orange slices to pitcher. Cover and chill at least 6 hours overnight. Fill tumblers with ice. Pour sangria over. Garnish with orange slices.
Chile-Corn Custard Squares
6 servings
3.5 TBL vegetable oil
1 large onion finely chopped
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
¼ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup cornmeal
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 large egg
2/3 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
½ cup sour cream plus additional for garnish
½ cup creamed corn
2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeno chiles
Tomato salsa for garnish
Heat 1.5 tablespoons vegetable oil in heavy large skilled over medium-high heat. Add finely chopped onion and sauté until soft and beginning to brown, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Cool.
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 8×8x2 inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in small bowl. Whisk egg, 1/3-cup cheese, ½ cup sour cream, creamed corn and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in large bowl. Add flour mixture; stir to blend. Stir in jalapeno and caramelized onions. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining 1/3-cup cheese blend over.
Bake until puffed and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool completely. Cut into 1-inch squares. Place on platter. Top each square with a dollop of sour cream then a small spoonful of salsa.
Thanksgiving marks the official start of the Holiday party season. As your online resource for chic entertaining ideas, the next few week’s blog posts on Chic Party Plans will be dedicated to providing you with tips and tools for planning memorable events and experiences for your friends and family from now through the new year. Tip #1 – In is the new out! A good party at home always beats a crowded, overpriced night at the club. So, catch the nesting fever and throw the best party of the year in your very own home.
A few things to consider when planning a party in your home: Choose a simple theme, like a color, and carry that theme through everything you do from the invitation to a custom cocktail you serve your guests to the favor that goes home with them. Lighting is the key to setting a mood, white votives in colored votive holders are simple and chic. Place the candles along a colored runner on your dining room table and finish with a great floral arrangement that compliments your color scheme and you’re guaranteed to make a good impression.
Looking for a libation to warm you on a chilly November night? I came across just the concoction in the Fall issue of Capitol File magazine and had to share. This simple yet sophisticated drink features an “uncommon liqueur with a common cup of coffee.” Follow the recipe below for a rejuvenating and invigorating autumn cocktail.
6 oz. fresh-brewed coffee
1 oz. Rock and Rye liqueur
Rock-candy stirrer
Whipped cream
Cinnamon
Pour coffee and Rock and Rye into a mug; stir with rock candy. Top with Whipped cream and cinnamon. Indulge!
Establish the theme with your invitation – Send guests a Hollywood-themed invite from an online invitation service, or for a more formal invite, try the Oscar-themed 
A romantic breakfast is a great way to start Valentine’s Day, and if you’re a lover of everything bagels, I’ve found the perfect gourmet topping blend to spice up your Valentine’s Day breakfast (or lunch or dinner for that matter)! A good friend of mine sent me a bottle of an incredibly aromatic, spice-packed accompaniment to a variety of savory dishes; it’s called 
I’m not referring to the kind of barefoot that involves cold feet, but rather a state of mind that is induced after having a glass of Barefoot Bubbly! I was introduced to Barefoot Bubbly on a recent trip to the west coast. I shared a bottle of this delicious, affordable champagne with a couple of friends who were super surprised to learn that I had never heard of 
Two nights ago, I attended a happy hour at a Cuban restaurant in NYC. A well-dressed, sophisticated-looking woman standing at the bar beside me ordered a “hand-shaken Daquiri.” I was intrigued. I asked the woman, “what exactly is a hand-shaken Daiquiri?” She excitedly explained to me that before the syrupy sweet blended concoctions that we currently know as Daiquiris ever existed, before ice, before blenders even, there was the original, hand-shaken cocktail invented by a bartender in a little Cuban bar near a place called Daiquiri.
I watched the bartender mix together what looked like a very refreshing concoction of rum, fresh lime juice and simple syrup. I had to have one! I took one sip and I was sold. The hand-shaken Daiquiri is my new favorite cocktail. So long Mojito. Good bye Margarita. Try this traditional recipe and make history at your next fiesta!!
Mix 3 parts Bacardi Gold rum, with one part simple syrup and one part fresh lime juice (none of the bottled stuff). Pour into a shaker filled with ice. Shake and pour into a lo ball. Enjoy!