Party Time!!
We made it through Christmas... the laughter, the happy tears, the hecticness and with possibly with a few more inches around the mid-section...but, we made it!
New Years is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate the past year and welcome in the New Year then with a dinner party?!
You don't even need to do a full dinner party...an evening of appetizers and cocktails is just as fun and is a bit more casual.
Personally, I would be more inclined to have people over for appetizers and cocktails (mainly due to the size of my house/dining area) and in preparation of this, I always turn to my Williams Sonoma Cookbooks. Not only do I flip through my cookbooks for inspiration, but, the Williams Sonoma website also has a plethora of recipes from a variety of their cookbooks that you can access and enjoy! This is one of my favourites:
Mushroom and Mascarpone Tartlets
If mascarpone is unavailable, you can approximate its flavor and consistency by whisking 1/3 cup softened cream cheese with 1/3 cup sour cream until smooth.
Ingredients:
1 disk savory tart dough (see related recipe at left)
Flour for rolling out dough
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 large leeks, including pale green parts, halved, rinsed and thinly sliced
3/4 lb. cremini, shiitake, or oyster mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, squeezed dry and finely chopped (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2/3 cup mascarpone cheese (see note above)
Directions:
Bake the tart bases
Preheat an oven to 375°F.
Cook the mushrooms
Meanwhile, in a large fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter with the oil. Add the leeks and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms and reconstituted porcini, season generously with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and become dry and softened, about 5 minutes.
Assemble the tarts
Spread 1 heaping tsp. of the mascarpone onto each tart base. Mound 2 tsp. of the mushroom mixture on the cheese. Arrange on a platter and serve immediately. Makes about 32 tartlets.
Perfect for the 'kitchen party'..a moveable island, white platters/plates and natural decor. |
Farmhouse Chic Decor....LOVE the goblets! |
Rustic Simplicity! |
Green glass! Use the collections you already have! |
More formal..... |
The buffet is a perfect to set up the bar area.... |
Holiday colours in a rustic setting.... |
Rustic Modern.... |
White, creams and natural elements...Simple = Beautiful |
Non-trad colours look incredibly festive! |
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and "Cheers" to 2013!
RR