Being in a book club is a great way to exchange ideas and mingle with people. Each club sets its own formula for organizing the meeting. Instead of a dinner, moms may prefer to meet in the middle of the afternoon. Many clubs meets at a restaurant but I prefer the formula where you meet at someone’s home.

If this is the case, I gathered snack ideas that will position your afternoon party as the place to be.

+ Serving cheese requires no cooking. For a wedding, a family set up this charming country-style table in the backyard. Tarps became linens; you can use any canvas. The chalkboards are a do-it-yourself project. It is made with balsa and chalkboard paint. You insert the chalkboards into wooden blocks that you cut yourself. Via Style Me Pretty

+ A simple appetizer that is easy to eat is prosciutto on a bread stick. From the same wedding celebrations on  Style Me Pretty

+ Get a recipe to make your own chips. Sara Kate gave us her Homemade Potato Chips with Rosemary recipe. Via The Kitchn

+ Kraft paper book jackets made wonderful party favors. You can do it yourself. Otherwise, have a draw to win one of Book City Jackets’ Bookshelf set. You can select between fiction, non-fiction and favorite. $9 USD at Book City Jackets

+ Who could resist a scoop of Saturn Peach and Pistachio Nougat Ice Cream? I suggest you make more nougat to serve as candy. Via Cannelle et Vanille

+ Customized popcorn boxes adds a sense of style to a crowd pleaser. Try Michael Smith’s olive oil popcorn recipe. Via Kenzie Kate

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Vacu Vin is launching a new set of glass markers especially for Halloween. These 13 creepy creatures are charming enough to be used at a kids party, if you like. You stick the marker on your glass, cup or beer bottle to identify it. The glass marker stays in place by suction. They work as well as the Party People glass markers that I reviewed last February.

Since the Party People markers look like 12 little monsters, you can blended the two sets. Get 2 packs of each set. Put them in a box. Ask each guest to draw their glass marker. This way, you could host a party with 50 guests and run little chances that 2 persons with the same character put their glass next to each other.

SOURCING:
+ Vacu Vin Glass Markers Party People $7.98 USD for 12
+ Creepy Creatures Glass Markers by Vacu Vin

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Serving alcohol popsicles adds a special touch to a pool party. Instead of a digestive, keep the party alive and serve Havana Mojito popsicles as an after-dessert treat on the patio. Or great your guest with a margarita popsicle. This way, you will not lose time making drinks as your guests arrive. Plus, it will spread the joy right away.

One thing you have to remember is that alcohol do not freeze well. It is best to create use small ice pop molds. No need to buy molds if you do not have any. Instead, use individual plastic yogourt containers that you only fill up to the three quarter mark. Keep on the freezer until the last minute. And serve them on a tray filled with ice cubes.

Here are recipes to try:

+ Watermelon Margarita Popsicle Recipe – via YumSugar
+ Margarita Ice Pops Recipe on Epicurious
+ Tangerine Rum Popsicle and Watermelon Rum Popsicle Recipes

Trendy bars are serving alcohol pops. The NINETEEN12 bar located in the Beverly Hills Hotel sells for $14 martini popsicles (bottom right image). Patrons have the choice of three martini flavors: apple, watermelon and sour cherry.

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Festa caught my eyes with its sunny summer tones and a comprehensive line. At last, a melamine collection that proposes a mingle plate. Party Dish is practical and beautiful. It is well-thought with a whole to hold solidly the plate, a wine holder and a recessed plate to make sure nothing falls when you walk and socialize.

Eight elements compose Festa. It includes a dining plate, a fruit/dessert plate, a sectional barbecue plate, a social plate (party dish), serving bowls, cups/soup bowls and utensils. Festa is white inside to highlight food. The exterior is available in 4 colors: yellow, orange, red and green.

Sebastian Conran is the son of Sir Terence Conran and the brother of Sophie Conran, the baker and designer of tableware for Portmeirion that I owned.

SOURCING:
+ Festa Collection by Guzzini $9.99 – $19.99 CAD at Cuisine Gourmet

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I was one of the few epicurean bloggers and journalists in Montreal invited to experience the Bombay Sapphire Collins event last Tuesday at the upstairs meeting room of Le Local. It was a fun, intimate evening developed around cocktail, food and entertaining. The night seems tailored for At Home with Kim Vallee.

As a bonus, my husband Jerome is my official photographer at events. Jerome was delighted to help me out since he is always on the lookout to expand his bartender skills. On top of that, Bombay Sapphire is his favorite gin.

We got the chance to meet and chat with Merlin Griffiths, the renowned mixologist who is the global brand ambassador of Bombay Sapphire. He came from the United Kingdom for a Canadian tour. During the evening, Merlin demonstrated how to prepare 4 easy drinks; each one is perfect for when you have guests over. The cocktail recipes contain 4 ingredients each. And the best of all is the fact that these recipes take almost no time to make. Merlin is knowledgeable and passionate about what he does. He is funny and a great entertainer. Later when we chatted with him, Merlin gave my husband cool tricks. He helped him refine his green tea martini recipe.

In each city, Bombay Sapphire teamed up with a local Chef to pair appetizers with their drink recipes. You may have noticed that cocktails and food pairing for an entire meal is in vogue. We had the chance to learn how to make and taste 3 appetizers prepared by the popular young Chef Louis-François Marcotte of Le Local. I will publish the recipes of the cocktails with the harmonizing appetizers next Wednesday on my Gastronomic column.

Jerome took beautiful pictures. I had a hard time limiting the number of pictures when I produced my photo montages. The glittered Bombay Sapphire bottle, used for displays and photos, is made with Swarovski Crystals. It is gorgeously crafted.

We received a swag bag with everything except the shaker and the Tonic water to prepare a Sapphire Tom Collins at home. After we prepared our Sapphire Collins with the gears in front of us, everyone was thrilled to know that a cool lemon squeezer will be given to us. It is perfect for making drinks since you can put it on top of your glass and no pits will fall on the glass. Inside a luxurious pocket file, we found all the recipes discussed during the evening. Like I said, I will publish the recipes with photos next Wednesday.

We sat next to Carrie, Jennie and Eric of Zurbaines.com, Jenny Harrisson of Culinary Escapade. Amongst the attendees I met that night, I have a nice chat with the 2 guys behind Eat Well Montreal.

On a final note, I wish to compliment the organizing team. I am giving you my seal of approval when it comes to the set up, the activities, the swag bag and the overall party program. Putting an attention to details pays off. To be fair, I want to mention that it is not the first year that Bombay Sapphire with their agencies in Canada organizes this event. I am looking forward to next year’s event.

Update: See more photos of the evening on the dedicated album on my Fan page in Facebook.

MORE:
+ Bombay Sapphire
+ Le Local – get directions p (514) 397-7737
740 William Street, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3C 1P1
+ Simple et chic – a cookbook by Jean-Francois Marcotte $39.95 CAD at Amazon

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The classic margarita recipe is hard to beat. No frozen margarita and no mix for me. The margarita recipe is so simple to make that you must rely on the real ingredients.

Before I gave you my classic recipe, it is important to talk about the do and don’t of the margarita. It is necessary because this drink has been damaged over the years.

• The original recipe called for Cointreau, which is a premium Triple Sec. And yes, you will taste the difference in the margarita since there is only 3 ingredients in a real margarita.
• The sweetness comes from the premium orange liquor, typically Cointreau. Try to avoid the basic Triple Sec. I ordered mine with Grand Marnier. Therefore, there is no need to add simple syrup in the original recipe.
• Go for a sliver agave tequila. A classic margarita is not made with aged tequila, so avoid the Reposado.  I prefer the taste of the Patrón silver
• Do not pour ice from the shaker into the glass, put fresh ice cubes in the glass.
• The classic recipe uses ice cubes; leave the crushed ice to the frozen margarita.

Making the Classic Margarita

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz 100% agave silver tequila
• 3/4 oz Cointreau
• Juice of 1/2 lime, freshly squeezed
• Kosher salt on the rim – I recommend Kosher because it is less salty

Pour the liquids in a shaker with lots of ice. Shake until he ingredients are well blended. Strain into a lightly salt rimmed old-fashioned glass on the rock. You can also serve your margarita on a margarita glass or a cocktail glass.

If you wish to see my reactions when I taste an incredible margarita, watch this video we took at Taqueria Canonita in Las Vegas last year.

Three twists on the Margarita recipes developed by Patrón:

Masters Margarita

Ingredients:

• 1/2 oz. (15ml) Patrón Citrónge
• 1 1/2 oz. (35ml) Patrón Silver
• Fresh ginger
• 1 lime
• Dash of bitters
• 2 tpsb. honey

In a mixing glass, muddle the juice of one lime with a slice of fresh ginger; add the remaining ingredients, fill with ice, and double-strain into a chilled coupette/margarita glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

See also:

• Platinum Margarita mix limes and lemon in larger portion. Therefore some simple syrup is necessary to balance the drink
• Primo Margarita

For Cinco de Mayo, try to rediscover the original Mexican recipes. Forget the Tex-Mex and serve instead a tasty ceviche with cilantro.

SOURCING:
+ More tequila-based cocktails, see Patron
+ Rosle Fruit Muddle/ Caipirinha Pestle $19.95 USD at Amazon.com
+ Top image: 4 cocktails from Taqueria Canonita

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Over the years, I introduced pretty cool social plates. Mingle plates are a must for the stylish hostess. They make you look resourceful. My latest mingle plate discovery comes with everything you need to sip and taste hors d’oeuvres and canapes.

This is the brainchild of Pandora Design, a Milan-based company known for their amazing disposable tableware. Pandora used to be a cater company but they saw a market in modern design disposable dinnerware. Pandora Design went green with their latest project for YOOXYGEN. YOOXYGEN is an eco-friendly initiative of YOOX just launched to celebrate Earth Day (April 22, 2009).

Bio Aperitif is the ultimate disposable tableware alternative for an eco-chic cocktail party. The handmade set shows imperfections. This is the new trend to infuse an authentic look. More importantly, it is more ecological since you do not throw away lots of rejects.

Bio Aperitif is made from Mater-Bi, a 100% biodegradable corn compound. Some components of the Bio Aperitif set were adapted from the existing product range of Pandora design. The only drawback is that is it not cheap; I assume they are for single usage.  A set for 4 guests costs $38 USD. Each set contains:

• 4 Sunglass glasses
• 4 Tapas plates
• 4 2Spin toothpicks and
• 4 Moscardino sporks.

The design is sure to make a lasting impression on your guests.

SOURCING:
+ Bio Aperitif Set by YOOXYGEN $38 USD for 16 pieces
+ Pandora Design
+ Via MoCo Loco

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Stacking Small Cups

Using small bowls or cups has the advantage to be multi-purpose in the kitchen and on the table. I would like to own the stacking cups handcrafted by Pigeon Toe ceramics, a seller on Etsy. The 4 Stacking Thimble Cups Set comes inside an unbleached muslin bag to further highlight their organic, raw porcelain nature. Nea of Creativadoration with whom I share a love for handmade tableware spotted them first.

If you stay over for the weekend, you can be more generous. I enjoy the earthy spice colors of the glazed inside of the Zanzi bowls by LSA International. My favorite modern housewares in Boston, Lekker carries them.

Three-Part Server

The modern version of the classic triple-dipping does not look granny. Look for a three-part server with a central loop handle. You could head to Crate and Barrel or CB2 for an affordable version.

SOURCING:
+ Stacking Thimble Cups Set $22 USD for set of 4
+ Pigeon Toe Ceramics
+ Zanzi bowls $52 USD for 4
+ Tokyo 4-part Server, the one with the olives – on sale at $14.95 USD at CB2
+ Three-Part Server $9.95 USD at Crate and Barrel
+ Get directions to Lekker Unique Home Furnishings p (617) 542-6464
1317 Washington St, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02118

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Bon Appetit starts the year with a Value Issue. It is filled with eat better for less recipes. Here are some cool ideas for casual dinner parties and middle of the week get-togethers.

Country Pate

Impress your friends next time you hosted a wine cocktails by serving only homemade paté de campagne (country pate) and mousse. It is really easy to make and only require a few minutes of your times. The rest is resting period. Use my 2-minute smoked salmon recipe; it literally takes 2 minutes to prepare.

French people and I eat paté de campagne for a small dinner or lunch. The technique used on Bon Appetit is similar to how Laura Calder used in her cooking show. We all agree that additional fat is a must when you are making paté de campagne.

Peanut Dessert Trends

I love eating all types of nuts. I am thrilled to see hear that peanut butter desserts are back in fashion. If you are not allergic, it is a crime not to cook or bake with an ingredient that is full of nutriments and taste so good.

There is a decadent peanut butter cheesecake with caramelized banana. I kind of thing the layer of caramelized banana may be too rich. But the chocolate cake with milk chocolate-peanut butter frosting and peanut butter brittle.

Plus check the take on peanut butter and jelly with their shortbread wedges a cool idea to finish a breakfast brunch and for a casual tea party. Luckily for us, Bon Appetit published online the recipes of 6 peanut butter desserts.

CREDITS:
+ paté de campagne: Photograph by Misha Gravenor for Bon Appetit
+ peanut butter desserts: Photograph by José Picayo for Bon Appetit

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The French always have a Je-ne-sais-quoi when it comes to food. You can see it as its best with the photos from the Spring 2008 catalogue of upscale caterer Dalloyau located in Paris.

These dishes are a real treat for all the senses. I picked the vegetable garden Saint-Honoré a tray of canapés. These are not cheap. Budget about $4.25 USD per one-bite appetizer as 16 hors d’oeuvres dressed on a tray cost 55 Euros.  These stunning appetizers qualify for butler passed hors d’oeuvres.

Imagine a Charlotte of fresh vegetables as a first course followed by a nicely presented cod dish.

Founded in 1802, Dalloyau is huge today. Dalloyau employs 509 talents, among which are 97 cooks, 100 pastry cooks, chocolate makers, confectioners, 4 ice-cream makers and 4 bakers.

Dalloyau fits into the French modern lifestyle by operating original formulas: several traditional restaurants and restaurants where customers can have a quick lunch plus 5 tearooms. Dalloyau organizes fabulous receptions and events all over France and abroad.

Later, I will show you their dinner trays. It has nothing to do with TV dinners.

+ Dalloyau – they have an English Web site

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I noticed at tapas parties where everyone brings a finger food dish that many opt for store-bought antipasto, cheeses, terrines and pates with fine crackers. The reason is lack of time.

Having a busy schedule is no excuse for not cooking. The key is to rely on tasty but quick to make recipes. My recipe takes 2 minutes to make and requires no cooking skills.

I did last week a Smoked Salmon Mousse Dip that I served with bakery-made croutons. To save time, I bought croutons at a fine bakery. A bag of bakery croutons costs about the same as buying the baguettes. And you can get several bread types in a single bag. My smoked salmon mousse was a hit with the party guests.

The Birth of a Recipe

I took the base for my recipe in a trusted cookbook in Quebec, A la di Stasio. About 7 millions live in Quebec and she sold 500,000 copies of the French copy. Hopefully for you, the English version was released this September. Josee di Stasio is known for her comfort food philosophy.

I adapted the quantities and the seasoning to suit my taste. I put less prepared horseradish, more lemon zest and juice plus I add a French shallot. I only put a small amount of pepper to preserve the color of the mousse.

Kim’s Smoked Salmon Mousse Recipe

Adapted from A la di Stasio by Josee di Stasio

Ingredients to feed 12 people during the cocktail hour:

• 360g (13 ounces) smoked Atlantic salmon – I cut the slices in half while they rest in the packages
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish – I bought the Kühne brand
• Zest of one lemon, finely grated
• Juice of one lemon
• 150 ml (5 ounces) 35% cooking crème – must use 35%
• 1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped
• 1 French shallot, finely chopped
• Freshly ground pepper

I bought my smoked salmon at La Vieille Europe. It is crucial to buy a top-quality smoked salmon. For a mousse, Atlantic salmon taste the best.

Instructions:

1. Put the salmon, horseradish, zest and lemon juice, French shallot in the food processor bowl. Roughly chop with pulse.
2. Add the crème slowly by pouring a little bit at a time until you get the texture of a spread. Still use the pulse button.
3. Transfer the mousse in a bowl. Mix the chopped chives and add freshly ground pepper to taste.

How to Serve?

< 1 minute option: I serve it with croutons made of different types of bread from Première Moisson. A quick set up is to place the croutons in a bread bowl and let the guests simply dip into the mousse.

2 minutes option: If you can afford a few more minutes in preparation, do the dishing. You can put the mousse on the croutons and finish it with a 1-inch chive piece.

5-minute option: For a fresher taste, replace the croutons with Belgian endives and cucumber slices. Top it with trout or salmon eggs and fresh dills. If you use cucumbers, lightly dig into the center with a spoon. It helps the mousse stay in place and removes some of the excess water.

Serve the smoked salmon mousse appetizers with a glass of wine or Brut Champagne. Your guests will be in delight.

If you are looking for more ideas of easy entertaining, read my 15-minute Party Plan.

SOURCING:
+ A la di Stasio by Josee di Stasio – $19.76 CAD at Indigo.ca
+ image of mousse on endive from Les Cinq Sens

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I started to write a story about the importance to be prepared for stress-free entertaining when I spotted the 15-minute Party Plan on the November issue of Canadian House & Home.

Their article summarized my thoughts but they forgot to mention a well-stocked bar. What you need is to:

1. Keep a well-stocked pantry
2. Keep several bottles of red and white wines. If you are fancier, add a bottle of vodka, gin and scotch. My bar feels empty without sweet and dry vermouth.
3. Assemble a mix and match of white casual chic tableware
4. Reduce the glassware costs by owning 20-24 everyday tumblers – they can be used as wine glasses
5. Keep an assortment of dinner napkins and cocktails napkins with a few sets of colorful table runners and neutral tablecloths

This way you will be ready for improvised parties.

So next time you pass by a fine grocery store, stock a few jars of jelly, olives, an assortment of savory cookies, dried fruits and nuts. Stash in your fridge packages of smoked salmon, pates, terrines and a few cheeses. I would add limes and lemons. 

Then, whenever you have guests over, you simply need to set up the buffet table. Remember that food served in ample containers looks more luxurious. Once in a while try the unexpected. For example, clear glass flower vases transform well in food containers.

What do you keep in your pantry for unexpected events?

+ Photography by Michael Alberstat for Canadian House & Home November 2008 – rights reserved

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