Sausage Fest Birthday Party

Over the weekend, my friends came over to celebrate a few birthday parties. We celebrated a trio of birthdays, Henry, Anna, and myself!

The theme of the party was a sausages, so I made recipes that included sausage, or was “sausage shaped”. Some of the recipes didn’t include sausage, but everything was delicious, so it didn’t matter.

Here are most of the things I made.

Appetizers:

Pigs in a blanket
Using a store bought tube of croissants, cut each triangle of dough in half and wrap each mini dog from the wide side in. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until golden brown on top. (the ones pictured are raw)

 

Hoisin five spice chicken wings
I used this recipe, baked at 425° for 30 minutes.

Sides:

Oven roasted potatoes
recipe here

 

Chinese sausage fried rice with shrimp
Using this basic recipe, cook the Chinese sausage before adding rice. Set aside, cook rice and remaining ingredients. Add shrimp and peas at the end.

 

Entrees:

Jambalaya
recipe here

Turkey Chili
recipe here

Kielbasa and sauerkraut
recipe here

Italian sausages on a roll
recipe here

 

Beer brats with onions on a hero
Place dozen brats, a sliced onion, and a little butter in a single layer in a pot. Add enough beer to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer until cooked. Transfer to grill or skillet and cook until brown. Place back in the beer to serve. I served these like the Italian sausages on heroes. (the Italian sausage heroes is what is really pictured, but you get the idea)

Dessert:

 
Boston cream pie, 2 ways
recipe here

Highlights of a Dinner Party

Our friend Jason will be leaving for culinary school in Italy next week. He came over to join me in the kitchen to cook for our friends. Here’s some highlights of what we made:

Mango Guacamole
(made by Jason)

4 avocados
1 mango, cubed
cilantro
1 red onion, finely diced
lime juice
salt to taste

I think those were all the ingredients. I liked this even though I’m not a huge fan of mangos.

 

Spinach Artichoke Dip
click here for link to post

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bowtie Pasta with Asparagus Pesto
(made by Jason)

Sorry, I don’t know what the ingredients are. It was very tasty though.

The leftover pesto also made a great dip.

 

 

 

 

 

Mac and Cheese
(made by Jason)

Again, I don’t know what’s in it. All I know is that he added lots of cheese!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beef Stew
click here for link to post

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fried Chicken Wings
(made by Jason)

Season wings with salt and pepper. Fry in about 2 inches of oil.

Hot sauce (optional):
Add melted butter and hot sauce in a zip top bag. Add chicken and toss to coat.

I have a deep fryer, however when I opened the box, the cord was missing. It was left at my parent’s place. We had to make do with the pot on the oven.

Linguine in Clam Sauce
(made by Jason)

1 lb of linguine
2 15 oz cans of clams with juice
olive oil
red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare pasta as directed. Transfer to a pan. Add 2 cans clams with juice. Toss to coat. Add seasonings and olive oil to taste.
Jason, let me know if I forgot anything!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes
(made by me)

I made these the night before using an existing recipe. I let it cool overnight and let my guests have fun frosting their own designs. Some of them got a little carried away, so I can’t show those ;).

To make this, pour a scant 1/4 cup of batter into cupcake liners (about 3/4 full). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 

Espresso Chip Walnut Brownies
click here for link to post

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other dishes that were made but were camera shy:
Ragu – Homemade meat sauce (made by Jason)

Thanks to Allen for the photos!

Thanks to everyone who came over to eat!

Thanks to Jason for coming over and showing me new techniques. I’ll definitely work on my knife skills!

Can’t wait until next time!

Chinese New Year 2009!

Chinese New Year is always a big celebration in my family. It’s a time for all of us to get together and celebrate the upcoming year with good food and fun times.

“Fat Gow” fortune muffins. “Fat”  is what they call the blooming parts of the muffin and the word sounds like the word for wealth in Chinese so it symbolizes wealth.

My parents have always been the ones to throw the big celebrations. My brother said his friend called it the “Chinese Christmas”, but I think of it of more of like Thanksgiving because it’s all about the great food and family togetherness.

Whole goose and chicken

I used to love going to Chinatown to see the fireworks. I remember when the red paper leftover from the firecrackers would cover the streets and I wouldn’t be able to see my feet. It’s all changed now, since firecrackers aren’t allowed anymore.

Confetti that comes out of the poppers. They’re just not the same as real firecracker papers.

Decorations for sale 

We celebrate for 2 weeks. It’s been a week and a half. I think every year about this time, I gain about 5lbs from all the food! It’s all worth it though!