A Bel8ted Christmas & Tapas!

Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas this year! First I will address the elephant in the room: YES, I was 4 days short of the 12 Days of Gift Ideas. In my defense, Day 6, 7, and 8 had a total of 21 items, so technically I gave you double the amount I promised. ;)

To make it up, here are some recipes that you can use for a New Year's Party, or for any potlucks and get-togethers left in 2012.

I made these for my family's Christmas potluck and they were a hit! In fact, those on the right were gobbled up within 10 minutes of saying "grace!"

Many of my relatives asked me, "Tiff what are those?" I replied with, "Spanish Tapas!" These are basically small appetizers or dishes that are full of flavor. Traditionally, they are served with drinks to keep good times and conversation flowing. For our purposes, they served as fun appetizers and snacks throughout the party. Tapas are always so delicious because they are full of rich flavors and fresh ingredients, so consider preparing them for your next party or even just a night in with close friends!

I came up with this one on my own. The star of these tapas are proscuitto, which is a cured ham sliced very thinly. You can find this in the deli section of the market, just ask the butcher! I chose ingredients that complement its flavor and add a festive touch. Arugula is a leafy green similar to spinach that has a peppery taste to it. You can find prepared packages at Trader Joe's and most salad shelves. 

Tiffany's Proscuitto Tapas: 

Ingredients: 

- 1 5 oz. package proscuitto

- 2 packages (about 60 pieces) mini whole wheat toasts

- 1/8 or so cup fig butter (available at Trader Joe's)

- 1/8 or so cup cream cheese (I found a fig + walnut cream cheese that worked perfectly)

- 1/2 or so cup arugula 

Instructions:

- Chop proscuitto into small pieces. Stack all pieces of proscuitto in the package and roll it up into a long log  (also known as hot dog style?). Chop into 1 centimeter-wide ribbons. As you assemble the tapas, you can pull apart the ribbons to get relatively event pieces 

- Prepare other ingredients. Open the package of toast, Make sure the arugula is washed, and get a butter knife ready for the fig butter and cream cheese.  It would be good to get some help with this too!  

- In assembly line style, add a tiny bit of fig butter onto the toast, then flatten a piece or two of arugula onto the toast, using the fig butter as adhesive. Quickly put a pat of the cream cheese onto the arugula to seal it onto the toast. Finally, top with a piece of the proscuitto ribbons that you cut earlier. Serve on a pretty platter. These are pretty stackable, but take caution when transporting. 

With the leftovers, you can throw together a salad of arugula -- just add cheese, proscuitto (if any), and fig butter (thinned out by mixing with just a bit of oil and/or red wine vinegar)! Leftover mini-toasts make perfect croutons! 

Anchovy, Aioli, and Red Pepper Tapas

http://www.answersencroute.com/2012/12/crostini-with-marinated-white-anchovies.html

I wish I could take credit for this recipe, but I found it via foodgawker.com. Check out the link! These were very time intensive (as homemade mayonnaise always is), but VERY worth it! The flavors from each component were very rich, but melted together with a satisfying harmony. This recipe worked especially well with my Filipino family because the anchovy was reminiscent of smoked fish delicacies like tinapa  & dilis. 

This might just be the last post of 2012. I have really exciting things in store for 2013. If you're reading this right now, know that I write for you, in hopes to share joy through food and more. Thank you so much for stopping by! 

With love,

Tiffany R.

Dining at Tiffany's 

Festively Green

My friends know that I am a big fan of organized fun and very adamant about enforcing themes for get-togethers! From food to requisite attire, it makes everyone feel extra festive!

Here are two, quick St. Patrick's Day inspired dips that I made this weekend. How could I not?! I would've deserved a pinch if I didn't serve green snacks!

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Arugula Almond Hummus
I make arugula almond pesto pretty often because I often get these items in my weekly CSA produce box from my local farmers market. This tastes great over pasta, fish, or chicken. I added garbanzo beans to my recipe to turn it into a tasty hummus for parties!

Ingredients:
- 1 cup of fresh, rinsed arugula
- 1/4 cup almonds
- 1/4 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese
- 1 can of garbanzo beans, reserve water
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp lemon

Instructions:
1. In a blender or food processor, chop the almonds finely. Transfer to a pan on medium heat and toast for 5-7 minutes until golden brown, stirring occasionally. (be sure not to burn them. You'll be able to smell when they're about ready).
2. Blend together garlic and arugula. Stream in half of olive oil.
3. Alternate adding toasted almonds, cheese, and remaining olive oil. (oh look, you just made a pesto!!)
4. Blend garbanzo beans, and use the liquid as needed if mixture is too dry.
5. Blend in lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy with pita bread, French bread cubes, or even fresh veggies!

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Avocado Tomatillo Dip
This is a great zesty recipe to change things up from your standard chips and salsa.

Ingredients:
- 2 lbs of tomatillos
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- 3 small avocados or 2 large ones
- 1 habenero or jalapeño, seeds and veins removed
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 lime

Instructions:
1. Boil tomatillos for about 7-10 minutes, until the color changes and they become softer.
2. Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy. (Note: I always use the stems of cilantro, they actually have more flavor than the leaves!). Add salt and pepper to taste

Enjoy with tortilla chips and garnish with cilantro. We ran out of chips during the party, so I cut up fresh radishes as a substitute.

Happy St. Patricks Day!!


With love,
Tiffany R.
Dining at Tiffany's

Boba Milk Tea Tres Leches Cake

Once upon a not-so-busy time, I baked and decorated personalized birthday cakes for my friends and family. Ranging from a green Volkswagen Buggy to a hot-air balloon, I used to go all out!

Over the long weekend, I had some extra time so I decided to make my friend Kelsey a cake for her birthday. If there's one thing Kelsey loves, it's BOBA! Have you tried it before? Have you even heard of it? If not, see the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubble_tea (actually.. you might need to Google it yourself because of the whole SOPA PIPA thing!). It's a popular dessert drink in younger Asian communities. 

I was simply going to frost a picture of a cup of boba onto a simple cake, but I thought.. why not dump a large milk tea with extra boba into a cake?!

And so I did.

(empty boba milk tea cup)

I love tres leches cake (a popular Latin American sponge cake soaked in three milks), so I decided to replace one of the "leches" with milk tea! 

I used this recipe and replaced the evaporated milk and half of the heavy whipping cream with the milk tea (and omitted the brandy). It turned out great! The cake was incredibly moist and you could really taste the milk tea flavor throughout the cake. 

I decided against simply sprinkling the boba on top to add some finesse, and decorated it like so:

(boba on a cake)

Believe it or not, I didn't use any special cake decorating equipment for this one. All I used was a spatula and a spoon! After frosting the cake, I dolloped drops of frosting along the outer perimeter, and topped those with single boba pieces. I put a large scoop of frosting in the middle and used a spoon to create a sort of "cup" for the remaining boba. This is also a great technique in case some guests don't care for the chewy, tapioca texture of boba as they can slice around it. 

(boba on a cake + fat boba straw)

To add some color, and hint at what's inside the cake, I added one of those fat straws that come with boba milk tea drinks. At first glance, the boba looks like blueberries, but the straw makes them realize what it is! 

(materials: paper, highligher)

The straw also serves as a stand for a celebration greeting flag! This would also be cute with a curled ribbon accent.

(yum)

The boba actually paired very well with the cake in case you were wondering. Bakeries should put boba on cakes more often! 

(taro almond milk tea with strawberry boba)

After trying this with the most basic boba milk tea, I'm very excited to try this with different boba flavors! You can do this with thai tea, almond, strawberry, honeydew, taro, and more. You can even use different boba flavors, like honey, green tea, and strawberry. The possibilities are endless! I also imagine this would work really well with cupcakes. I'm glad I was able to pay homage to one of my favorite delicious drinks through baking. It's also a great fusion of Asian and Latin American culture! 

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Do you like boba milk tea? What's your favorite kind?

Please feel free to ask me for more specific baking instructions! 

Comment below!

With love,

Tiffany R.

Dining at Tiffany's

2 Danger-Free, Last Minute Christmas Gifts

December somehow flew right past me this year! Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, but this month I did not engage in marathon Christmas shopping. I did not bake and wrap a single brownie or cookie in red and green cellophane. I did not curl a single ribbon.

It might of been because I spent the first week of December in Hawaii visiting my sister! Her marine husband is serving all the way in Afghanistan so my parents and I decided to keep her company for some early Christmas cheer.

While we were in Hawaii, the Food Network Iron Chef just happened to be filming a special episode on the Marine base where my sister lives. And guess what..

   

I met the Chairman from Iron Chef (yes, the guy who yells "Allez Cuisine!!") and Alton freaking Brown! Iron Chef Morimoto and Iron Chef Simon did a Tailgate battle. I signed a contract so I can't tell you who won. I guess you'll just have to tune in to the Food Network in January! We also might be on TV. Woohoo!

The rest of the trip was full of delicious food, most of which was topped with pretty flowers, and accompanied with a side of pineapple. :) 

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Now onto the Christmas gifts.. At this point, malls and department stores are scary, scary places. Don't let the tall Christmas trees and holiday decor fool you. Shoppers are ferocious.

So this year, I came up with two danger-free gifts for under $20!

Know anyone who loves spicy food? Get them a hot sauce medley from around the world! Grocery stores are slightly less hazardous than the mall today. ;)

An Asian favorite -- Sriracha is great in soups or with noodles.
Cholula and Tapatio are Mexican favorites, great with eggs and anything else that could use a Latin kick.

Frank's Red Hot can be used on its own, or as a great starter for chicken wing sauce. And of course, the American classic Tabasco.

 

Got a loved one out of town? It's actually not too late to mail a thoughtful gift! Year-long magazine subscriptions are always appreciated and show you care about their interests and leisure! You can do this online, without leaving home, and they don't need to arrive until January!!

Most magazines offer an easy way to send the subscription as a gift. Send an e-card (try bluemountain or Hallmark.com) on Christmas to let the recipient know what's coming!

So I hope this helps if you're in a panic. Have a very Merry and blessed Christmas, everyone!!

With love,
Tiffany R.