Tag Archives: family

Drinks and Snacks for Your Super Bowl Party!

February 2, 2017 Fran Comment

Cool Drinks and Great Snacks for Your #Superbowl – #SB51

I’ve tried all kinds of ways of hosting a Super Bowl party. You can go the route of a big meal – one or two big dishes. Another way is to line up some cool drinks and have lots of savory snacks on hand.

Mix up a batch of “Minty Moscow Mule Punch” for your Super Bow party. From Real Simple.

This approach gives everyone some variety and easy choices. They’re also good for the ‘quick snap’ as a friend of mine likes to describe it – one cup, one napkin, and you’re off and running back to the big screen.

It’s important to serve beverages that will go best with whatever menu you’ve planned. If your crowd likes sodas and beer then set up a couple of ice filled coolers with bottled sodas (more fun than cans) and some interesting beers (perhaps a Belgian ale, a local craft beer and a lager).

If your crowd is more into a full bar, then set up / mix some batch cocktails that you can serve in a pitcher so you aren’t playing bartender all day. Here’s a great drink recipe for a Minty Moscow Mule Punch that is very popular. Or what about White Negroni Punch (see featured photo above). Remember – make these well before your guests show up.

Don’t forget to have enough ice on hand. Start making ice the day before and fill up gallon ziplock bags with ice cubes so you’ll have a head start. I use this party guideline: 2 pounds of ice per person for a party.

Even if I decide to bring in platters of sandwiches and salads I will always make some snacks to put my personal touch on the party. Important rule for Super Bowl snacks – make more than enough. Nothing is worse than running out in the middle of halftime. I love these four recipes – they really hit the spot:

A plate of “Cacio e Pepe Chips” from Bon Appetit. Make a lot. They’re addicting!

Cacio e Pepe Chips – featuring kettle-cooked chips and grated percorino! Great with just about any beer.

Sweet and Spicy Mixed Nuts – this is an absolute winner. You can prepare this recipe 2 days ahead of your party.

Spiced Popcorn with Pecans and Raisins – a real head-turner at my parties. And, habit-forming. Plan on your guests eating two or three servings a piece so if you’re doing this one make sure you make a lot!

Buffalo Wing Popcorn – no kidding, what a combo. Another addicting dish.

I always recommend that you not use your regular dinnerware for these kinds of gatherings. But try (really try) to resist the urge to use paper plates. Not only are your average grocery store disposables kinda flimsy, they’re really ugly. I mean, seriously! I get my disposables (plates, cutlery, and cups) from EMI Yoshi. They’re plastic, recyclable, AND they’re really cool looking. Find them on Amazon.

Have a great time!

Home Entertaining, Lifestyle

Champagne Is NOT Just for Holidays

January 19, 2017 Fran 1 Comment

Spread the cheer any day – Schramsberg Cremant Demi-Sec

New Year’s has come and gone. Time to pack up the champagne glasses for another year (or the next wedding)? Are you kidding me? I hope you are!

The party’s only just started! What better way to celebrate all of those relationships you’ve gathered around the table than with a glass of bubbles.

A Schramsberg wine master explains the process of making sparkling wines during a session of Camp Schramsberg in the wine caves.

The fact is, sparkling wine or champagne can be enjoyed at ANY meal with ANY food even a big steak. You just have to have the right bottle! One that stands out for me is Schramsberg’s Crémant Demi-Sec.

First you need to know that only wines that come from the Champagne region of France can legally be called “champagne.” Schramsberg is from the Calistoga area of Napa Valley and the owners of Schramsberg Vineyard use the Methôde Champenoise (translation: the champagne method used in France) to create all of their sparkling wines.

Schramsberg has been producing their award winning sparkling wines since 1965 and has been honored to serve them in every White House administration since Richard Nixon. One of the really cool things about Schramsberg is that they offer a unique experience to learn all about their wines.

One of the perks of owning a restaurant is that you get invited to participate in some very special events. Camp Schramsberg is one of those that I’ll never forget. I had no clue it even existed. It’s a three-day experience they have twice a year (once in the Spring for “bud” or when the grapes are just beginning to grow and once in the Fall for harvest). Anyone can sign up for camp and attend-it is not restricted to only people in “the trade.” When I went, almost half of the participants were just people who love wine.

What’s really fun about this experience is that they hold it in their winery caves, out in the vineyards and also at the Meadowood Napa Valley Resort. I learned about Schramsberg’s history, of course, but also about sparkling wines in general and how they are made, was given an opportunity to learn how to properly prune the vines (it’s harder than it looks), how to saber a bottle-cut off the top of the bottle with a saber (easier than you think), eat a lot of great food and drink their amazing wines (even with steak!). It was at camp that my real love of sparkling wines blossomed and I learned some valuable lessons.

One of them is that you should never hold back for celebrations in your life. So, don’t hold back the champagne (or the sparkling wine) for the “big days.” Every day should be a celebration, and every day is an opportunity to show your appreciation to those people who you gather around your table.

So, don’t be stingy. Pop a cork and enjoy.

Friendships

End of Another Year, Start of New Possibilities

January 2, 2017 Fran Comment

Time to bring your Friends and Family together around your table!

Wow! How did it get to be January already? I’m always surprised by how quickly the year flies by and yet they are moving quicker and quicker and here it is – the start of another year. And, each year I’m also surprised by how much happens. This past one was absolutely no exception. Right? I’m not just thinking about stuff that happened in the news or around the world – although there was a lot of that. I’m thinking about all of the new friends that I’ve made and relationships that I started last year. I’m thinking about all of the people who have discovered the importance of being “around the table” with people who are closest to us, or maybe people we wish to bring closer.

We can all give lip service about how dear some people are to us, but the strongest way to “walk the walk” and not just “talk the talk” is to gather together for a meal, a snack or even just a cup of coffee. It doesn’t have to be a big meal or even a big deal at all – what it is, is the time spent together sharing around the table (or even a park bench at lunch). It’s how we draw together at meals. When it becomes a regular thing so much changes. Maybe someone will start making new recipes and others will want to be in the kitchen helping create for the shared experience. The main point is getting people together to share what is, for many of us, something we do well and too often alone.

Eating should be about more than just getting nourishment – you know – getting the calories in so that we can move through our day. It should be about feeding the soul with the very thing that makes us human and feel alive: connection to one another – love.

So… let’s toast to the new year, filled with health, happiness and blessings. Whatever last year has meant to you, make this new year the one where you draw your friends and family close together around your table!

Home Entertaining, Food, Lifestyle, Travel

7 Best Places to Pick Pumpkins for Halloween!

October 29, 2016 Fran 1 Comment

America’s Best Pumpkin Patches

For many of us Halloween means carving pumpkins. But the problem starts with where do you find the absolute BEST, most perfect pumpkin ever to showcase your carving talents? Here are my 7 best suggestions across the country to help you find the pumpkin of your dreams.

Didier Farms, Lincolnshire, IL. You will find not only pumpkins at this pumpkin farm but also snacks and activities for the whole family. This farm is just outside of Chicago and they host an annual Pumpkinfest with hayrides, kettle corn and tons of other fun stuff to do.

Tanaka Farms, Irvine, CA. This is 30 acres of pumpkin paradise! You actually choose your pumpkin while it’s still on the vine! Just for fun, they have a “pumpkin cannon” on the weekends!

Bob’s Corn and Pumpkin Farm, Snohomish, WA. Besides a 30 acre pumpkin patch (with over 50 (!) kinds of pumpkins) they have a 10 acre corn maze. I’m not sure I’d want to get lost in 10 acres of corn but they do have fire pits inside the maze so it must be fun!

Apple Dave’s Orchards, Warwick, NY. This pumpkin patch just north of New York City isn’t just for pumpkins. They have 10 different varieties of apples along with the pumpkins in their fields. It’s also a winery so you can take some wine home to help you with all that pumpkin carving into the night.

G&M Farms, Livermore, CA. Located in the East Bay of Northern California G&M has a famous corn maze that stretches over 6 acres. If you make it through the maze you can pick your pumpkins!

Boston Hill Farm, North Andover, MA. Boston Hill Farm offers not only pumpkins but apples as well. If you get there on a weekend they also have ribs and ice cream.

Middleton’s Cedar Hill Farm, Waldorf, MD. Close to Washington DC – in order to reach the pumpkin patch here you take a 30 minute hayride.

So, no matter where you find your perfect pumpkin, don’t forget to toast those pumpkin seeds for the best snack all year!!

Friendships

Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say

September 24, 2016 Fran Comment

What happens when you put meaning behind your words.

I had some very interesting requests over the more than 20 years I owned my restaurants. The strangest one came from a mother who was eating brunch with a large group of people one Sunday. Her son, who was perhaps 6 or 7 years old, was running around the restaurant and had been generally disruptive for most of the time they were seated.

He ran up and down the aisles, pushed open the front doors without regard as to whether there were any people in the way. He hopped in between tables, disturbed other guests, and was generally ill-behaved in every way possible. A busy restaurant is a dangerous place to be running in the aisles and jumping around – for a boy, patrons, and staff. There is a continual stream of heavy plates with hot food on them coming out of the kitchen. My staff was having a hard time avoiding collisions with boy. My manager asked the mother several times to please have her son sit in his chair or at the very least stay at their table for his own safety and the safety of others around him. The woman looked at my manager, then glanced at her rampaging child with hopeless eyes, and shrugged. “What can I do?” she said.

Eventually, as the problem persisted, I finally asked my manager what was going on. He told me that they had all tried to get the boy under control. I decided to go speak to the mother myself, the situation was getting worse not better.

I approached the woman, told her I was the owner and was concerned about the safety of her child. I then asked her to please keep him in his seat or at the least at his chair. Her response me caught me completely by surprise. In a very soft voice she said, “Can you please tell him? He won’t listen to me.” I repeated her request back to her just to make sure I hadn’t misheard and she confirmed her wish that I speak to him. While the request was shocking, I was more than happy to comply. You see, I’ve never had a problem with saying what I mean – and making sure that people knew it.

I stepped in front of the running boy and wouldn’t let him pass so he had to stop. I crouched down, looked him squarely in the eye, and said in a quiet, but very firm voice, “Stop running, go back to your chair, and do not move from it until your mother is ready to leave.” I confess it may have been the same tone I used when I trained my 100 pound Akitas, but I do know for a fact my voice was quiet – and for a 7 year old boy – somewhat intimidating. He quickly went back to his chair and did NOT move for the rest of their meal. He would get up and down from his chair but he stayed right in his place and did not move away. Every so often he would look to see if I was paying attention. I would catch his eye, he would drop his gaze and not move from his seat.

You see if you always say what you mean and mean what you say, something incredible happens: people believe you – especially children and dogs. It’s just easier that way.

Friendships

Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

August 13, 2016 Fran Comment

I am always telling people to be present, deal with what’s on their plate at that minute, try to plan ahead but always move forward. If you’re always moving forward in a positive way and completing tasks and goals you will live a very full life.

Unfortunately what I see more often is people that are constantly worried, worried about how unruly or crazy their life is right now, stuck where they are because of this worry.

The truth is that if you stay worried about how complicated your life is right now you will run out of time to be happy. Don’t wait for it to “get better”. We are only given so many days to be on this planet with friends and family around us experiencing life-be happy now.

There is no benefit to staying stuck unless you love that look. It’s definitely NOT for me!

Friendships

I Want To Be Just Like You

August 10, 2016 Fran Comment

I was out with a really good girlfriend last night. When it comes to my “group” of girls she’s a relative newbie- I’ve known her less than 2 years. BUT, and this is a really big but, she’s one of those people that when you meet them you instantly know they will be a lifetime friend-a bestie. She will definitely be in my circle forever.

She’s incredibly smart (street smart in particular which is WAY more important in life than book smart-I don’t care who you ask), funny, quick on her feet in all circumstances, socially very clever and –oh- did I mention that she’s tall and beautiful with a smoking body? No? Well she is. She’s the kind of girl that you could easily hate but she’s way too sweet and caring to do that.

She can keep up with me, which is no easy feat as I move at 100 mph most days. She says she loves that I can keep up with her! So here’s the thing. Last night she said that I’m her role model after her mom and that she wants to be ME when she grows up (she’s turning the big 4-0 in a couple of years)! No one, and I mean NO ONE has ever said they want to grow up to be me. I love that she sees me in that way, I don’t understand it but I do love it.

Here is my view on that- I think that it’s important to become the person that you needed to have in your life when you were growing up. Be the person for others that you needed for you.

I’m not saying I didn’t have support when I was young but my family did things in their own way as all families do and as the “creative one” in the bunch in my house I’m not sure that they always understood me or what I wanted although I think they did try. I didn’t see them as unusual or as interesting as I thought I was.

I was always looking to go out and be the person who traveled, saw theater, ate out experiencing different cuisines and did what I viewed as exciting things. Them – not so much. Although my brother did take a trip to Mexico to go to a weekend long concert which my Dad tagged along to as the only way they’d let him go. My brother ended up needing my Dad to get them the hell out of there went the concert went sideways!

But I digress.

I guess I’ve grown into that person that I wished I’d had in my family. The one that was as “crazy” as I was and am and could run circles around almost anyone around them. It’s a fun way to live I can honestly say. So, here I am- apparently that person for this best friend of mine. Wow!!! Here’s to the wild ride.

Home Entertaining, Friendships

A Chinese Food Memory

August 3, 2016 Fran Comment

It’s amazing what will trigger a Food Memory.

I was speaking with a friend the other day about family dinners and we got to talking about our food memories growing up and what we’ve done with our own families to create food memories for our kids. Each of us grew up in completely different environments with completely different backgrounds but had experienced a commonality in what happened for both of us around the table. The whole conversation brought back a favorite food memory for me and some serious insight as to why I do what I do with my family and friends – all around the table.

When I was in middle school my parents had some very good friends from mainland China that they would socialize with on a fairly regular basis. My parents loved Chinese food and I have a very clear memory of a beautiful set of chopsticks that these friends had given to my mother for her birthday one year. They brought them all the way from China – this was the 60’s and travel between the US and China was almost impossible at the time – people were escaping to come to the US.

I know that they had moved permanently to the US at the time and were never going back (at least that is my memory as a teenager) so anything they brought with them was very precious. My mother was honored and humbled to have received this very special gift from them. She would bring them with her whenever we went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. The hard part was that they were very polished and extremely slippery so she would always have a difficult time eating dinner. It never mattered to her – she loved them and the love and sacrifice that they represented to her friends – those dinners for her were more about using the beautiful gift than actually getting to eat a complete meal.

I also remember the one dinner (I may have been 5 or 6) when my father decided that I was old enough to learn how to properly use chopsticks. When you go to an Asian restaurant you will usually see small children using chopsticks that are connected either using a rubber band or springing device to help them keep the pair together and allow the small children to eat by themselves. At this particular dinner my dad decided it was time for me to switch from Western cutlery to real chopsticks! I remember him telling me that I couldn’t use any fork or spoon (in fact he made sure there weren’t any on the table) and that if I was hungry I would learn how to coordinate the chopsticks to navigate food to my mouth….I learned quickly and to this day I can’t eat any Asian food without a pair of chopsticks – including rice and noodles!

We would go to their favorite Chinese restaurant and I can still see the “lazy susan” in the middle of the table that would be full of the many dishes my parents would order for us to eat. There was always a lot of discussion about what was in a particular bowl. One of us would taste it and inevitably they would say – “It’s so delicious you have to try it!” With all of the tasting of the different flavors, the turning of the lazy susan toward whoever was trying something, the chatter about what we were eating or who got the last bite of something wonderful it was always a fun and crazy dinner. I loved those meals with all of their silliness and laughter – not to mention the appreciation I learned for good Chinese food and of course my ability to use chopsticks properly!

I didn’t think about this food memory for years until the conversation with my friend brought it to light. He was telling me that when his family (he’s Japanese) would have everyone over for a big meal, each person would bring something to contribute to the table – not a huge casserole or enormous bowl of salad – but a small bowl of something that they liked to eat so that everyone might have just a bite to experience the flavors in each dish. He said that there was always so much laughter and sharing that it left lasting memories. It’s exactly how I like to eat to this day – talking, laughing, eating all with family, friends and those I love. Each person sharing a special bite of something wonderful – around the table.

Food

Easy Recipe for Gnocchi with Sausage and Tomatoes in a Skillet

June 4, 2016 Fran Comment

Food Memory in the Making: All you need is your favorite skillet.

This recipe for gnocchi on a skillet is so quick and easy. The big plus is that it looks beautiful on the plate – color in the dish is always important as we eat with our eyes. It reminds me of a favorite food memory – the first time I ever tasted Gnocchi – they were so soft and delicate. I found this recipe on a fabulous website, thekitchn.com, in a list called “23 Romantic Recipes” that appeared earlier this week. One of the best things about this recipe is that you can use store-bought gnocchi. And if you already have a skillet, you’re good to go! Gnocchi is a dough dumpling that is usually made from a coarse, purified wheat that’s also used in pasta and couscous, among other things. Add in just about any type of Italian sausage you like. And as for me, the spicier the better! The recipe also suggests finishing with grated fresh Parmesan cheese. You can do that, it’s not necessary if you’d rather not have cheese, but trust me it adds a wonderful taste to the dish. This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients

1 pound gnocchi
Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
9 ounces (about 3 links) cooked chicken sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick coins
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
1 to 2 ounces fresh basil, julienned (1/2 to 1 cup loosely packed)

Preparation

Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling; cook the gnocchi for 2 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and toss with a drizzle of olive oil.
Heat a 10-inch or larger cast iron skillet over medium heat with a light drizzle of olive oil. Add the sausage and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it begins to brown. Push the sausage into a pile at the edge of the skillet and turn the heat up to high.
When the skillet is quite hot, add the tomatoes, skin down, crowding them in if necessary. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until they are blistered, then stir in with the sausage. Cook for 2 more minutes, until both tomatoes and sausage are slightly browned. Stir in gnocchi and cook just until all is combined, but the tomatoes have not broken down into sauce.
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Cooking tip: a cast iron skillet is preferred only because it will give you the best color and sear to the sausage and tomatoes but any skillet will work as long as it does NOT have a non-stick coating. That will interfere with the browning.

Food

Something for a Rainy Day: Beef Stew with Potatoes and Carrots

March 22, 2016 Fran Comment

Beef Stew with Potatoes and Carrots

Author: Recipe by Maggie Ruggiero

One of the things I love about rainy days is how they beg for me to be in the kitchen for just a little while and after several hours in an oven with no further effort from me. The dish I’ve put together becomes something fantastic making the whole house smell amazing! Those are the days to invite a group of friends over for a Sunday afternoon watching sports or just drinking a great glass of wine together and sharing stories while waiting for the fabulous thing that you’ve put in the oven to finish cooking. I’ve come across a recipe that I’m going to do just that with – it sounds incredible and the reviews are fantastic. It is by the wonderful Maggie Ruggiero and I found it on one of my favorite websites, Epicurious.com, though it was first published in Gourmet Magazine December 2008.

Ingredients

For braised beef:
- 5 pounds boneless beef chuck (not lean), cut into 2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 carrots, quartered
3 celery ribs, quartered
2 medium onions, quartered
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 (750-ml) bottle dry red wine (about 3 3/4 cups)
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
2 thyme sprigs
3 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
3 cups water
For potatoes and carrots:
- 2-1/2 pounds small white boiling potatoes
- 1-1/2 pounds carrots
Equipment: a wide 6-to 8-quart heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid
Accompaniment: crusty bread

Instructions

Braise beef:
- Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
- Pat beef dry and season with 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
- Heat oil in pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then brown meat, without crowding, in 3 batches, turning, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a platter.
Reduce heat to medium, then add carrots, celery, onions, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 12 minutes.
Push vegetables to one side of pot. Add tomato paste to cleared area and cook paste, stirring, 2 minutes, then stir into vegetables.
Add vinegar and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
Stir in wine, bay leaves, and thyme and boil until wine is reduced by about two-thirds, 10 to 12 minutes.
Add broth to pot along with water, beef, and any juices from platter and bring to a simmer. Cover and braise in oven until meat is very tender, about 2 1/2 hours.
Set a large colander in a large bowl. Pour stew into colander. Return pieces of meat to pot, then discard remaining solids. Let cooking liquid stand 10 minutes
Cook potatoes and carrots
- While beef braises, peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch-wide wedges. Slice carrots diagonally (1-inch).
- Add potatoes and carrots to stew (make sure they are submerged) and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 40 minutes.

There are a couple of suggestions in the “reviews” part of the recipe posting that I will definitely follow. For instance, take the braising vegetables, puree them and return them to the pot with the broth. Don’t forget to remove the garlic skins, thyme stems and bay leaves before you puree them. I will add mushrooms as well; I do love mushrooms in anything. And do NOT forget that crusty bread. I can’t wait to try this!

Food

Recipe for Cranberry-Cherry Compote for Thanksgiving All Year!

March 12, 2016 Fran Comment

Cranberry-Cherry Compote

Recipe by Anna Stockwell

Who doesn’t remember Cranberry Sauce, especially the Ocean Spray “jelly” kind in the can? I loved that stuff growing up and could never understand why we only ate it once a year at Thanksgiving. My palate has grown a little bit since those days so I’m always looking for an easy but tasty recipe for something that actually resembles cranberries but more of an actual relish. I think I found it in this year’s November issue of Epicurious. I haven’t made it yet but I’m definitely going to if only to put on sandwiches with sliced turkey- who doesn’t love a taste of Thanksgiving all year?

Ingredients

20 ounces frozen or fresh cranberries (about 4 1/2 cups)
10 ounces frozen dark sweet cherries (about 2 cups)
1 1/4 cups (packed) brown sugar
1/2 cup apple cider
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup bourbon

Instructions

Bring cranberries, cherries, brown sugar, cider, and pepper to a boil over high heat in a medium saucepan. Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, then stir in bourbon. Reduce heat, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring often and pushing fruit against the side of the pan with the back of a wooden spoon to break apart slightly, until thick and syrupy, about 25 minutes more. Let cool completely.
Do Ahead: Sauce can be made 5 days ahead; cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Friendships

How Many Full Moons Do We Have Left?

February 23, 2016 Fran Comment

It’s funny. We all find ourselves getting cranky over something that someone else has said or done to us that we perceive as mean. I know for a fact that I’m guilty of that. I’ve always said that I may forgive but that doesn’t mean that I forget – mind of an elephant and all that.

Well, a couple of weeks ago, I was complaining to a really wise girlfriend about just that – a slight that I thought I had received from someone else and what I thought I would or could do about it. She looked at me kind of funny and then she asked, “How many full moons do you think you have left in this life? Is this worth the 5 minutes we are talking about it, much less spending any time actually doing anything about it?”

Her answer stopped me COLD and at that point, I decided I was going to let “it” go. I’ve been reminding myself of that ever since. I think it’s a pretty good thing to remember.