And monkey’s brains, though popular in Cantonese cuisine, are not often to be found in Washington, D.C.

Rebekah and I watched Clue (one of my favorite movies of all time) and drank Monkey’s Brains shots during Wadsworth’s recap of the evening’s events. Monkey’s brains are not often to be found in St. Louis, either, so we settled for curdled Bailey’s with a bit of festive grenadine.

Here’s what’s in them, if you’re inclined to try some brains:

– just shy of a shot of cranberry vodka
– a tiny splash of lime juice (don’t overdo this, or you’ll be hit in the face with lime tartness)
– Bailey’s Irish Cream
– grenadine, for color and to lift the curdled cream from the bottom of the glass

Shake together the vodka and lime, and pour into shot glasses. Use a straw to siphon little curls of Bailey’s into each glass (put your finger over the top of the straw to suction up some Baileys, then let go to drop it in). The cream will curdle and sink to the bottom. Slowly pour grenadine in, and watch the “brains” float like specimens in the shot glasses. Toss them back! (or down the drain, if they’re too creepy)

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Dinner in Miniature

Bite-sized bonanza! Small foods smorgasbord! Petite party treats!

Whatever you want to call it, my offering for this month’s Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 event is a selection of little dishes, all intended to be eaten in a single bite (or two!). Flatware-free eating, to encourage mingling at a fun little soirée.

I have a tendency to be super indecisive about what I want to eat at any given time (Bacon! Pesto! Cheese! Fried food! Cake! Did someone say bacon?), so I’m a giant fan of tapas, dim sum, and small plates in general. Lots of little bites, packed with flavor = the way to go.

And when I’m hosting? I want to show off my favorite flavors and play around with new techniques, but I also want to enjoy the party. So, without further ado: Dinner in Miniature, a selection of bite-sized treats for an evening get-together without the formality of a sit-down meal.

Olive You

Infused olive oils pair with bread, fresh mozzarella, and grissinetti to make a dipping tray worth gathering around.

Wanna make these hot-infused oils?

Start by selecting a flavor (I went with fresh ground black pepper, crushed red pepper, fresh basil, but you can get creative and try your favorite herbs and spices — or a blend). Pour a small amount of olive oil (2-3 tbsp) into a saucepan, and heat on low until the oil starts to bubble a bit. Add in a few herb leaves (or a few shakes of dry spices), and cook for several minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat before the spices turn brown (trust me — this does not smell good), and pour into a bowl or serving dish. Strain the oil if the herbs and spices are too large, or if you prefer a clear oil for dipping — I like to leave a bit of the herbs in, just to indicate what the flavor is. Pour in a tablespoon at a time of plain olive oil, taste-testing until the infusion is just right. Need more oil for lots of dipping? This recipe is easily doubled, tripled, or expanded as large as you need; just keep the ratios consistent with your favorite small batch.

To Eetch Their Own

Okay, so maybe this one requires more than one bite, but I’ve been dying to use the tomato-as-a-bowl thing for a while now.

I borrowed the eetch recipe from my great aunt Rose (also known as AR). Eetch (which has a Wikipedia entry!) is one of my favorite Armenian dishes. It’s excellent served cold, almost like a bulgur salad — it’s refreshing, and provides a nice, cool contrast to the heavier, warmer plates. Want AR’s recipe? Click here.

Everything’s Better With Bacon

Next up: a duo of bacon-wrapped goodies.

Scallops are a favorite, but they’re even nicer when wrapped in a bacon jacket.

These couldn’t be easier to make:

Season fresh scallops with salt and pepper. Wrap each with half a slice of thick-cut bacon, and secure with a toothpick (tip: soak the toothpicks in water before assembling to prevent burning in the oven). Broil for a few minutes, watching closely to make sure the bacon doesn’t burn. Flip each piece over, and continue to broil until the bacon is done (but not overcooked!) and the scallops are opaque.

More bacon-wrapped goodness:

Dates + almonds + goat cheese + bacon = win. Savory, sweet, and creamy, all at the same time.

The assembly line on this one is pretty easy, too. Slice bacon in half, slice dates in half, stuff dates with goat cheese and wedge almonds inside, close dates, wrap in bacon. Broil until the bacon is cooked.

Don’t Be Crabby…

Or do! These little mini crab cakes aren’t overloaded with breadcrumbs or fluff — the emphasis on crab makes them a little bit heartier.

Served in a ramekin with a slice of lemon — simple and perfect.

These guys are super easy to fry, and are done in minutes! (this recipe is also a bit too long for this post, but it’s inspired by the crab cake recipe in How To Cook Everything…check back soon, when I’ll change this text to a link to a new post with my recipe!)

Sweet Sippers

In shot glasses, of course!

Keeping with the one-bite theme, these bright-colored beverages were served in individual portions.

Blue: a citrusy blue “lemonade” with citron vodka and blue curacao.

Red: a cran-apple liquid Jell-o shot, made with cranberry-flavored gelatin (un-set), vodka, and apple schnapps.

Green: a shot that I like to call the “starburst,” due to its similarity to the candy of the same name. Vodka, peach schnapps, apple schnapps, lemon juice, lime juice, cranberry juice, and sugar.

Covert Confection

And after all of those savory treats: little pancakes, stuffed with mascarpone and chocolate hazelnut spread.

They look a little bit like cornbread, but they’re really dessert! Also…I couldn’t help myself when I saw the special stuffed-pancake pan at Williams-Sonoma. I snagged the batter recipe when I bought the pan — it’s super light and fluffy (and also huge…definitely one to pare down). Mastering the filling part was a bit of a challenge, and I definitely spent some time cleaning melted chocolate hazelnut spread off the stovetop, but it was completely worth it!

So…take a bite. Or several!

Thanks, FoodBuzz, this was an awesome time :)

Not Your Average Orange Slice

Fun presentation makes everything better.

Jello shots in little plastic cups? Boring.
Jello shots in citrus fruit shapes? Wicked cool.

I yanked this idea from Not Martha, and – as is usually the case when I use her ideas – I got a ton of compliments on the fruits.

Jello shots, classed up for the party.

You can click this link to find out how she made them. My modifications and thoughts on the recipe are as follows:

• My orange jello mixture was as follows: 2 packets Jell-O (one orange and one lemon), 2/3 cup raspberry vodka, 2/3 cup hot water.
• My green jello mixture was way too soft and didn’t hold its shape. That mixture was: 1 packet Jell-O (lime), 2/3 cup apple vodka, 2/3 cup hot water. Lesson learned, double the gelatin mixture for solid fruits.
• I sliced each orange half into thirds. I did this out of habit (that’s how I slice oranges), but I probably should have just cut each one in half. The more cuts you make per orange half, the more strain you put on the jello. This means that some slices will come out super ugly from being smooshed.
• Keep an even hand while you slice these. Otherwise, the jello will be jagged and less pretty.
• Orange halves fit nicely into a standard cupcake tin, but lemon halves are too small. Stuff the tin with a bunch of wadded-up paper towels to accomodate this difference.
• Cleaning out the orange rinds is very tedious. Also, don’t do it if you have any papercuts, or it will sting like none other.
• The leftover orange/lemon pulp can be tossed in the blender with some sugar, booze, and Kool-Aid to make an easy party punch and not waste those oranges and lemons.

The “Mrs. Hutch”

This past weekend, The Boyfriend and I celebrated our birthdays (and America’s birthday, too!) with a fabulous little shindig. And by “little,” I mean “300+ guests.”

The Boyfriend’s roommate’s family was in town, and his mother spent quite a bit of time in the kitchen while I was prepping the snacks for the party. Chances are, if you spend more than an hour in the kitchen with me, I’m either going to feed you or get you drunk (or both!).

And so…the Mrs. Hutch. A refreshing summer cocktail/punch for a sweet lady who doesn’t like beer.

Mrs. Hutch hanging out in the backyard.

The Recipe:
The “Mrs. Hutch”

juice of 5 oranges
2 tbsp lemon juice
2/3 c sugar
1 packet black cherry Kool-Aid
2/3 c raspberry vodka
7up (or Sprite, or other lemon-lime soda)

Do This

Pour orange juice, lemon juice, and raspberry vodka into a large pitcher. Stir in sugar and Kool-Aid until all powder has dissolved. Pour 7up into the mixture until the pitcher is full. Serve chilled or over ice, and enjoy responsibly!

Coming soon: more party foods. Cheesecake bites, bacon-wrapped dates with goat cheese and almonds, jello shot citrus fruits, and more!

Woooo, college!

Long weekend + no plans + 2 free bottles of VOX vodka = my roommate and I decided to pretend we were still in college for a night.

That means…jello shots!

These Jell-o cups are not for kids.

Anyone who’s ever been to college should know how to make these, but just in case you haven’t – or if you want to recreate the flavors we chose – here’s what’s in them:

The recipe:
Jello Shots
3 packets Jell-o gelatin (raspberry, strawberry, and black cherry)
1 bottle VOX Green Apple vodka, or your favorite brand (I chose VOX because I won some in a raffle!)
1 bottle VOX Raspberry vodka
water
small plastic cups

Do This
Boil 1 cup of water for each packet of Jell-o. Pour the contents of each Jell-o packet into a separate bowl, and pour 1 cup of boiling water into each bowl. Stir thoroughly, until powder is dissolved. Measure 1 cup of vodka (we matched green apple with black cherry, raspberry with strawberry, and half and half with the raspberry gelatin) and pour into the jello. Stir until the jello and vodka are mixed and there is no dry powder remaining.
Pour into small plastic cups. The best vessels for jello shots are the little plastic containers that restaurants use for to-go salad dressing or sauce, but small plastic cups work as well. I couldn’t find the little containers, so I bought some 3 oz plastic “bathroom cups” and they worked just fine. I filled mine about 2/3 of the way and got about 26 jello shots from the entire batch.
Place the cups on a tray, and let the gelatin set for about 3 hours. Enjoy your shots!

According to my roommate, these are stronger than “regular” jello shots. Please enjoy them responsibly!

A spoon might be helpful. Also, a designated driver is good.