Tag Archives: party

Mar29

Party Like a Professional

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“It’s my party, and I cry if I want to”…

Well, not really. But it does feel like I’ve shed a lot of tears in the past several months, many job-related in a post-Sandy reality.

March is a professional social work month, so, yes, we partied like it’s our job. :)

With some good news at least, the first clinics have finally started moving back to our hospital in the city, the inpatient medicine will hopefully be moving back sometime between May and July, and though plans may change as the process goes along, at least there is an end to this seemingly long tunnel. We are all moving to a different floor when back in the hospital, but our offices have nice bay windows with a gorgeous view overlooking the East River. We will have to share office space with another coworker, but there is some glimpse that maybe sometime in the future we will all have separate offices like we’re used to. As long as there is a glimpse of hope, I’ll surely take it.

But for now it’s party time!

And, yes, I’ll cry if I really want to! :)

What’s Cooking This Week

It’s party, so you definitely need some sugar overload. Something that makes you forget you’re supposed to eat healthy and only nibble on dessert. Forget that! Have five of these at once! (One of my coworkers actually did :) )

Nutella and Strawberries Cupcakes

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For cupcakes, I used my chocolate cake recipe found here Every Day Should Be A Birthday, substitute water for Amaretto (or not) in this recipe. It’s gluten free of course using Cup4Cup flour mix.

Also have extra Nutella and cut up strawberries, makes 24 cupcakes.

For two types of frosting, Nutella and strawberry:

1 stick of unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup of shortening (I used organic Spectrum shortening)

1 cup + 1/4 cup of powdered sugar

3/4 cup of Nutella

1/4 cup of seedless strawberry jam

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Prepare the cake batter according to the directions in the post above. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the cupcake pans with liners and fill them about 3/4 full. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or untill the cake tester comes out clean, let the cupcakes cool off before removing from pans. Using a knife or a cupcake corer, remove the inside of each cupcake, stuff them with cut up strawberries.

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Place about 1 tspoon of Nutella on top of strawberry and cover it again with the removed cupcake core.

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Make two types of frosting. First cream together butter and shortening, then divide the mix in half. To make Nutella frosting, add Nutella and cream together with butter and shortening, then gradually add 1/4 cup of powdered sugar (more or less depending on your taste).

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To make the strawberry frosting, add jam to the butter and shortening mixture and then gradually add powdered sugar. Add a couple of drops of red food coloring if you want a deeper pink color.

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Decorate with both frostings as desired. All packed and ready to be transported to the party.

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Enjoy! Definitely have more than one! :)

Dec24
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‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

A quiet and peaceful pre-holiday weekend indeed. No last-minute gift shopping, no endless hours in the kitchen (OK, maybe just a couple :) ), no worrying about how your “perfect” holiday would actually turn out. I was blissfully happy to have moved away from the “commercial” side of Christmas but have retained the spirit and the traditions that really matter, like spending time with the ones you love, making foods while you actually enjoy the process rather than just rushing to put everything together to “feed a crowd”, putting thought into wrapping up small gifts and not the ones that would definitely impress but won’t necessarily be meaningful.

It seemed I had time for everything, visit my parents, sleep in, have several leisurely meals, read, make blueberry-lemon heart cakes for Christmas Eve dinner, watch a marathon of cheesy Christmas movies on Lifetime… It seemed like the time has stopped.

When did we all become so engulfed into creating a “perfect” holiday that we forgot what perfection really means?! And do we even need all going “nice and straight”?! I bet you remember the holiday when the turkey got burned, and you all had Chinese, or pizza. Just because it was so “imperfect” and unpredictable, and probably full of laughs (after the initial anger and frustration settled in) and more shared conversations than all the previous family gatherings before. You remember the holiday spirit and what you felt inside days or maybe even years after it all ended, not the elaborate meals, expensive gifts or the hours you spent wrapping and decorating only to have a whole day being just a blur because you were so tired and probably too worried about all the little details to actually enjoy it.

My most fondest memory of Christmas comes from a day many would say was lacking “excitement” yet it created the most memorable experience and warm feelings of remembrance of a blissfully happy little boy having all the time in the world to play with his new toys rather than being rushed into a car to make a trip to attend a family gathering. And then eagerly chomping on a knish and a hot dog for lunch at a local Jewish deli. And being led by his equally delighted parents on a walking tour to see the Christmas lights in the neighborhood followed by a movie and more playing untill he is fast asleep clutching one of the new toy trains, happy, exhausted and completely filled with love…

I’m yet to top this day among all other occasions, Christmas or not, with a complete fulfillment of what a “perfect” holiday should be.

What’s Cooking This Week

To me Christmas Eve meal is always structured around seafood. That’s one day a year when lobsters, shrimp, scallops and such are on the menu no matter the price. The more typical menu this eve would probably be shrimp scampi or lobster Fra Diavolo. This dish however is a nice diversion while still maintaining the traditional seafood theme.

Provencal Seafood Stew

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1 lb of any fish cubes (I used salmon, tuna and tilapia)

1/2 lb of medium shrimp, tails removed

8 little neck clams

16 oz of fish stock

1/2 cup of white wine

1/2 cup of chopped tomatoes with juice

1 Tbspoons of lemon juice

3 large sweet potatoes

3 large carrots

2 shallots

1 tspoon of French herbs blend

1/2 tspoon of lemon peel

1/2 tspoon of garlic powder

salt, pepper, olive oil

chopped chives for garnish

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In a large dutch oven, heat up some olive oil, thinly slice shallots and saute them for about a minute, then add cut sweet potatoes and saute for several minutes until them start to soften. Add to the pot fish stock, chopped tomatoes with juice, wine and lemon juice, cover it and slowly bring it all to the boil. Season with salt, pepper, lemon peel, garlic powder and spices.

Add chopped carrots and clams, cook for about 10 minutes. Then add shrimp and fish cubes, cook until clams begin to open and the rest of the shrimp and fish look done.

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Here I’m serving it with fresh herbs and mozzarella biscuits.

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Enjoy!

And Merry Christmas to all!

Aug6
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Maybe our girlfriends are our soul mates, and guys are just people to have fun with.

– Sex and the City

As the week drew to a close, nine fabulous New York girls gathered together to escape from heat and weekday responsibilities for a girls night in. The conversations were going, and the liquor was flowing, and everybody had a great time.

According to Carrie Bradshaw, in New York, you’re always looking for an apartment, a job, or a boyfriend. And if you have two out of three, you consider yourself successful. I think she also meant to add that if you don’t have your girls behind your back, none of those three are going to matter much.

The most important thing in life is your family. There are days you love them, and others you don’t, but in the end they are the people you always come home to. Sometimes it’s the family you’re born into, and sometimes it’s the one you make for yourself.

– Sex and the City

No topic was left untouched that Saturday evening, and no bottle was left unopened. From kids to men, from recipes to fashion, from gossip to childhood memories, along with splashes of wine and bourbon (and a whole lot of food), the good, the bad,  the ugly blessings in disguise and the heartbreaks turned into triumphs.

Maybe mistakes are what makes our fate…without them what would shape our lives? Maybe if we had never veered off course, we wouldn’t fall in love, have babies, or be who we are. After all, things change, so do cities, people come into your life and they go. But it’s comforting to know that the ones you love are always in your heart…

– Sex and the City

And no matter what each of us has gone through in life, we’re still juicy, sassy, full of colors, dreams and ideas. None of us are from Georgia, but we’re definitely peachy :) So the night was hot, hot, hot, and it wasn’t because of the weather!

What’s Cooking This Week

What else is juicy, sassy, full of color and taste? Summer peaches of course. Drunken peaches that is. Especially topped with whipped cream and chocolate. If your peaches feel kind of bored and unmotivated to become anything but a quick fruit snack, give them a bath in bourbon and whip up a fabulous “dress” for them. And if you eat dairy free like me, use this amazing vegan whipped cream Healthy Top by Mimiccream for a nice mix of healthy nuts protein and coconut oil.

Bourbon Peaches With Vegan Whipped Cream

6 peaches

4 Tbspoons brown or raw sugar

6 Tbspoons of water

6 Tbspoons of bourbon

4 Tbspoons of chopped roasted pecans

dash of cinnamon

1 carton of Healthy Top by Mimiccream

1 oz of dark chocolate for shavings

As per Healthy Top directions, place a carton along with mixer blades and a bowl (preferably metal one) in a fridge for 30 minutes.

Cut the peaches in quarters, combine with water, sugar and bourbon and cook until they are soft.

Sprinkle a dash of cinnamon and lay out the peach slices in a pie dish, pour over the remaining sauce and add chopped pecans on top.

Set them aside to cool off. Meanwhile make a whipped topping. Take the carton, bowl and mixer blades out of the fridge, pour Healthy Top in a bowl (it will be thick) and whip on high power for 2-4 minutes. It tastes just like a regular whipped cream with a wonderful hint of almonds and vanilla. With only 50 calories and 3 grams of fat (and healthy one) per 1 Tbspoon, it’s a great alternative to a dairy cream or chemicals-ladden whipped toppings. Put the cream on top of peaches and top with chocolate shavings.

Goes splendidly with the leftovers of bourbon :) . Even sophisticated “New York Peaches” were impressed.

They say nothing lasts forever, dreams change, trends come and go, but friendships never go out of style.

– Sex and the City

Enjoy!

Apr17

The New Beginnings

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As the world was celebrating Easter holiday a week ago, our family gathered together to celebrate “the new beginnings” of a different sort, an anticipated arrival of a new baby, aka food galore and baby gifts and games ad nauseam, otherwise known as…

My “baby” cousin and his lovely wife are expecting a baby boy next month (which makes me slightly nostalgic as my own boy was also born in May, but not nostalgic enough not to rejoice in the fact that, thanks God, those baby days are finally over :) )

Don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy for my cousin and the whole family. Apparently we’re a bunch of only children keep producing only children themselves. So any new baby is a tiny miracle by any means! And I sincerely hope that at least one of my cousins will break the family “spell” and will have 2 or maybe even 3 children, the “baby” of the family looks young and strong and totally capable of undertaking this task!

The day was truly lovely, the weather was gorgeous, and I was kind of in a mellow mood. My own baby shower was at the exact same time in the beginning of April but 15 year ago.

Did you think you were going to see a picture from my baby shower?! No way I’m posting something as ridiculous as me wearing a hat with all those paper gift ribbons they make you wear as a “token of appreciation” for all the baby goodies you got. It must’ve been the pregnancy hormones that made me “soft in a head” and agreeable to this kind of torture. Maybe one day I’ll just Photoshop the stupid hat out of the pictures so I can at least have a presentable image of myself for the kid’s “memory box”.

But first about my cousin, who I used to babysit during summers and winter vacations, and who, once he reached the age when he realized I’m not really a grown-up, turned to various torture techniques, one of which was to wake me up early in a morning by crashing a toy truck through my scalp. I hold him fully responsible for any “head issues” I currently possess or will turn up with in the future. And since he is now a doctor, he will “reap what you saw” at the end, as I’ll march right into his office demanding free medical care :)

The party was unisex, so both women and men were in attendance (that’s right, we don’t get to be in this condition on our own), but after a few “hellos” and some bites to eat, all men cleverly disappeared into the basement leaving the women to be slowly drowned in a “sugar coma” from all the baby gifts.

There were plenty of these

But I was trying to concentrate on these ones :)

By no means, I’m not a “baby hater”, but I fully embrace my own kid’s abilities to feed, dress, wipe and get himself to school. Plus if he happens to be up at 2 am, I actually don’t have to. And since he was  first a colicky and then a  mischievous baby, I shudder at the very thought of repeating the experience. If nothing inside you stirs that “awwwwe” longing, and you pray that no “baby fever” contamination rubs on you accidentally, that’s when you feel you’re totally “done”, and one kid seems like enough of a headache and sleepless nights for a lifetime (oh I still love him :) ) Babies and I are just in different life stages now. And I’m fully OK with that!

What Was Cooking For The Party

Lots of different things, and since I also had to work that weekend, I was glad I didn’t have to think about dinner :)

At a Russian party, you’re never a foot away or 5 minutes in between some kind of food offering. The trick is always to try everything yet manage not to feel like you’ve just gained at least 10 pounds and an end-stage emphysema. You just have to pick your battles.

I started with these, we’re all sushi wh***s :)

With a side of some of these :)

 Then I loaded up on different kinds of these

 Couldn’t pass by some lamb pilaf though :)

And then dessert was served

 Luckily, I could still breathe!

And as we crossed the bridge to go back home, I truly felt that I’ve crossed over from “babyland”, and there is no going back. But that is how life sometimes is, it’s sweet and salty and with some bitter undertones. Just like a Russian shmorgasbord!

Apr15

Happy Easter, The Russian Style!

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As the most of the US breathed a sigh of relief after a week-long Passover and Easter celebrations, Russians and other Slavic and Eastern European ethnicities were still very busy greeting Orthodox Easter today. It generally comes a week after Western Easter, though some years both holidays can share the same Sunday.

Easter holds a very special spot among my childhood memories as it was the only religious holiday that was recognized (though unofficially) and allowed to be celebrated in the Soviet Union (again, unofficially, but nobody would stop you if you decided to visit a church on Easter Sunday). Unfortunately, faith was not that merciful to Christmas in the Soviet Ukraine where I grew up, it was not widely celebrated or even remembered. All and any traditions somehow associated with Christmas were “transferred” to the New Year holiday, we had a Christmas tree, gifts and family celebration on New Year’s Eve. I guess by some bizarre calculations, Soviet officials allowed for Christ to be “crucified and resurrected” but not to be “born”. But since very few rules made any sense then anyway, we never questioned this disparity.

Russian Easter is traditionally celebrated with a special Easter bread, called “kulich”, somewhat similar to Italian Panetonne bread, but lighter in texture and a bit sweeter, often glazed with sugar icing and rainbow sprinkles. Easter breakfast calls for a slice of “kulich” and an Easter egg, traditionally colored in either soft pastels or some religious pictures. Since I can’t eat neither ”kulich” (and I wouldn’t even attempt making any gluten free version) nor eggs, all I could do to just admire the creation. Luckily, my family filled the gap made for my portion :)

A typical Russian dinner table is never complete without some traditional staples. Like caviar. I know not everybody is a fan of it, but since we are spoon-fed the stuff (often, forcefully :) ) since we are born, we have no choice but to like it. A good quality caviar should taste only slightly salty and should not have a strong fishy smell and look “slimy”, each caviar egg should be firm and distinctly separate from the others creating kind of a ”burst-in” feeling once you bite into it. If you had anything else but this, maybe that’s why you didn’t like caviar because it wasn’t really fresh. The more expensive and rare caviar comes from sturgeon such as Beluga, Ossetra or Sevruga, the eggs are typically small to medium in size ranging in color from pale grey to black. Salmon or Trout caviar (or roe) usually produce bigger eggs and are generally pale to bright orange-red color. Russians just call the two types of caviar simply “black” and “red”. Spurgeon caviar is a “holiday occasion” due to its higher price, but “red” caviar is a very frequent “guest” in my fridge, holidays or not. Oh, and what else a typical Russian table needs? Of course, good vodka! :)

 

 

What’s Cooking This Easter Sunday

If caviar and vodka are the most typical fair at any Russian table, beets have to be the most Russian vegetables. I already posted in my borsch recipe that I think beets are often considered weird and inedible, and very unjustly so. It’s sweet, mild in texture and full of good nutrients. And beets salad is a very frequent occurence at any Russian gathering, right along vodka and caviar :)

Russian Beets Salad

2 small beets, cooked and peeled

1/4 cup golden raisins

1 glove of fresh garlic

fresh dill, chopped

mayo to taste

salt, pepper, spices ( I used Herbamare blend)

Grate cooked and cooled off beets with a large grater. Press garlic clove through a garlic press into the beets mixture, then add chopped herbs. Soak raisins in warm water for a couple of minutes, drain and add to the salad. Mix in salt, pepper, spices and mayo till you’re satisfied with the taste. Serve chilled, it’s good as a salad or even a dip. Some variations of “add-ins” include, chopped nuts and/or prunes, grated green apple, or fried onions. Enjoy!

Apr2

Family Ties And The Power Of “I Don’t Think So”

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With both Passover and Easter coming soon, this week is all about family (oh, and food of course :) )

I come from a very mixed background, there is 50 % of Russian, 25 % of Ukrainian and 25 % of Jewish blood all mixed up to create a wonderful ME! And as far as my son, he is 50 % Italian and 50 % this European mutt I just mentioned. Therefore, when holidays come, it’s usually parties galore! Passover is often first at my mom’s house (don’t you love all the food “just like mama used to make”!), then I have a small gathering for Western Easter, and a week later, Eastern Orthodox Easter comes and so do the rest of the family and friends.

And then we repeat the whole tri-fold process in December for Hanukkah and Western – Eastern Christmas :) Plus all the minor ones in between. You’re never more than a month or two away from some holiday family gathering. And this is exactly how I like it! Oh, and I’m using the term “family” loosely here as many of my close friends have become like a family over the years, and I can’t imagine my life and a holiday table without them!

So this year, I was on a quest to kind of incorporate all holidays in one and make something sweet that I can also eat, aka gluten and dairy free. I found this amazing looking recipe for a cinnamon bun cake that said “for the holidays”, it didn’t specify though which holidays, so I thought it might as well be Passover/Easter holidays :) I know, I know, you’re not supposed to eat bread during a Passover week, but since I was born politically incorrect to begin with – a stubborn little Communist :) , and I’m totally areligious, yet very spiritual, I thought that was a great idea!

I hope I’m not offending anybody, but I don’t really get why would you give up something “in a name of God”, as for Lent or Passover. I don’t think God really cares what and when we eat, He/She/It is more paying attention to our non-food related life choices yet we still have the freedom to act as we please, it’s our Higher Self we’re mostly accountable for not  for the fallible human-made “holy” laws. I mean, if you’ve been a complete soda junkie or on a life-long fast food galore, and this is the only motivation to get you off those things, even for a short while, then go for it! Just don’t call it ” in a name of God”, I’d say, it’s more “in a name of YOU”, to cleanse your body and give it a rest from all the unnecessary food choices.

 I’ve never given up anything for Lent, or Passover, or followed a lot of other religious rules. Apparently I’m still alive and wasn’t struck by “Divine Thunder”. Though this year I decided to make an exception and give up “pleasing others” for Lent. I think it’s worked marvelously! “I don’t think so” became my favorite answer, I even implemented it on the last medical resident I’ve been working with this month. At first, she looked at me kind of all bewildered and lost. Yes, honey, don’t tell me how to do my job as I’ve been at it for over 10 years, while you crossed the hospital ground about 5 minutes ago. But it all worked out at the end (and exactly the way I said it, as, again, I’ve been at it for over 10 years).

So, giving up on being the “yes” person, I’m all for it! Giving up delicious food, “I don’t think so” :)

What’s Cooking This Week

First, a review. I love a good cup of latte or a nice mocha, but unless you feel like swinging by Whole Foods all the time, any non-dairy AND soy option is not happening. Or you can make your own :) I’ve been eyeing some latte/cappuccino machines but still unwilling to pay top dollar for something I’d not use every day. That untill I found this beauty, all for $ 29.99 http://www.amazon.com/Back-Basics-CM300BR-Cocoa-Latte-Hot-Drink/dp/B0002TUVQM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333404954&sr=8-1  I was sold and did not regret it! This little machine is quite powerful, could whip up 4 cups of your beverage to a perfect temperature in a mere minute and has a handy froth button to serve your drink all steamy and delicious.

Almond Milk Mocha

    1 cup almond milk

    1 heaping tspoon of instant coffee (I like Davidoff Cafe)

    1 tspoon of cocoa powder (like Rapunzel, organic cocoa)

     a sprinkle of cinnamon to taste

It was ready in a minute and a perfect companion to my cake creation.

Cinnamon Bun Cake

This recipe is gluten and dairy free but could also be made the regular way, just substitute all the gluten free flours (except for the almond flour) and arrowroot with wheat flour and use dairy yogurt or sour cream instead of coconut yogurt and regular butter instead of Earth Balance.

Cake:

1 cup superfine Brown Rice flour

1/4 cup Millet Flour

1/4 cup Arrowroot Starch

1/2 cup Almond Flour (for nut-free, use equal amount of either Corn or Quinoa Flour)

2 1/2 tspoon Baking Powder

1 tspoon Baking Soda

1/2 tspoon Sea Salt

8 Tbspoons Earth Balance butter or buttery spread (soy-free), room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature (egg-replacer may also be used)

1 cup plain coconut milk yogurt (such as So Delicious Dairy Free), room temperature

2 tspoons vanilla extract

Filling:

1/2 cup brown or coconut sugar

6 Tbspoons Earth Balance or coconut oil, melted

2 Tbspoons cinnamon

3/4 cups raisins

Icing:

2 Tbspoons Earth Balance, melted

3 Tbspoons Confectioner’s Sugar

2 Tbspoons creamer (I used Vanilla Coffee Creamer from So Delicious)

2 tspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat the bottom and sides of your round 9 inch pan with oil or oil spray. In a bowl, mix together all your dry cake ingredients until light and airy. In a separate bowl, beat together with a mixer sugar and Earth Balance (for cake) for about 3-5 minutes untill fluffy, then add eggs, one at a time, beat for another minute and then add, one at a time, yogurt and vanilla, beat till all light and fluffy. While mixer is going on a low speed, slowly add dry ingredients and continue incorporating untill the batter seems light.

Mix together all the filling ingredients.

Spread some filling on the bottom of the cake pan, then pour half of the batter over it, spread some more filling and add the rest of the batter, top with the remaining filling ingredients. Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Right before the cake is done, mix up all the icing ingredients. let the cake cool for 5-10 minutes, remove from the pan and pour the icing on top.

Enjoy your “religiously incorrect” cake with a nice cup of almond mocha!