Monday, November 17, 2008

5th Meeting of 2008

For our fifth meeting, we gathered at the Willis home down on the south side. UGA vs. LSU was the big game of the weekend (at least for most of us), so a Cajun theme was chosen for the event. While there, we dined on food ranging from muffulettas to fried gator! With the game being pretty much a blowout, the cornhole boards were put to good use. I even found out that I throw much better with a laughing baby in my arms!! Who'd a thunk it?

As the evening wound down, we tried to decide about the date and location of the year's final meeting. We have tentatively set December 13 as the date with either Kyma or Maggiano's as our location. The children will sit this final event out as the adults (at least in years of age) hit the town.

Here are the dishes we enjoyed this time:

Appetizers:

Muffuletta

Fried Gator Tail

Main dish:

Jambalaya

Sides:

Salad

Kid's Main:

Mummy Dogs

Dessert:

Creme Brulee Cupcakes

http://howtoeatacupcake.net/2008/03/creme-brulee-cupcakes.html

Cupcake recipe from Cupcakes Galore by Gail Wagman.
Frosting recipe from Everyday Baking from Everyday Food.

Crème Brûlée Cupcakes
Makes about 24 cupcakes (the book said 16; I got 23)

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt, plus a pinch for the egg whites
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons caramel syrup (ice cream topping)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Alternately beat in dry ingredients and milk. Add caramel syrup and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
4. Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff but not dry. Gently fold whites into batter.
5. Spoon batter into cupcake papers, filling cups about 2/3 full. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool.

BROWN SUGAR SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
1 cup light brown sugar
4 egg whites
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Put sugar, egg whites and salt into the top of a double boiler over a pan of simmering water. Whisking constantly, cook until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm (about 160 degrees). Pour heated egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg white mixture on high speed until it forms stiff (but not dry) peaks. Continue beating until fluffy and cooled, about 7 minutes total. Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low, add butter two tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Increase speed to medium-high; continue beating until frosting appears thick, about 3 minutes. Add in powdered sugar and reduce speed to low and continue beating for about 1 minute to reduce air bubbles.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

4th Meeting of 2008

For the fourth meeting of the year, we gathered at the Miranda's home. At least this year, we did not have to contend with Chris trying to grill between lightning strikes!!!

It was another fun-filled evening of good conversation, delicious food, and screaming/running children... And we even got to try some of Miranda's home brew!

The main dish was pulled pork and we had plenty of other great eats along the way.

Here are the recipes from the evening:

Appetizer

BBQ Pizza - Nama Family

Rotisserie Chicken
Premade pizza crust
Shredded cheddar cheese
BBQ sauce

On your pizza crust, spread a thin layer of BBQ sauce. Top this with the chicken and then the cheese. Place under a broiler on high for a few minutes until the cheese has melted and the rest of the pizza is heated through. Cut and enjoy!!

Main Dish:

Pulled pork

Sides:

Salad - Burnette Family

Garden salad with mandarin oranges, bacon bits and sweet vidalia onion dressing.



Dessert:

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

3rd Meeting of 2008

The third meeting of the Crumber Club has come and gone... And to say everyone hit the MEAT JACKPOT might be an understatement!! Everyone's culinary contributions were quite tasty and all of the children seemed to have a really great time. Thankfully the "storm" was short-lived and everyone who wanted to was able to enjoy the pool for a while.

Please be sure to send me your recipes from this meeting and any of the past ones that I do not have so I can post them for all to try again.

We will be gathering again in August at the Miranda's home. The exact date is not known yet, but will be passed along when it has been decided. And on October 25, we will be meeting at the Willis home, potentially for a cajun themed gathering (but again, that is not set in stone...).

Here is a link to some of the pictures that Brandi took from this past weekend:

http://web.mac.com/brandiwillis/iWeb/Supper%20Club/Supper%20Club.html

The Recipes:

Jalepeno Wonton Poppers (Nama)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Jalapeno-Popper-Wontons/Detail.aspx

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (4 ounce) can diced jalapeno peppers
20 (3.5 inch square) wonton wrappers
1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
oil for deep frying

In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese and jalapeno peppers. Arrange wonton wrappers a few at a time on a clean dry surface. Set a cup or small bowl of water nearby. Place about a teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture onto the center of each wrapper. Moisten your fingertip in the bowl of water and trace the edges of the wonton wrappers. Fold into triangles or follow directions on the package for desired shapes. This part can be done ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen.

Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). When hot, fry the wontons a few at a time until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with all of the wontons, then serve with the sweet chili sauce for dipping.

Grilled Pork Skewers with Chile Sauce, aka Meat Popsicles (Burnette)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_31661,00.html

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves and stems
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 16 pieces
16 (6-inch) wooden skewers, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes
Chile Sauce, recipe follows

Whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, cilantro, garlic, sugar, and black pepper in a bowl. Skewer 2 pieces of pork onto 2 skewers so that the meat lies flat. Place the pork skewers in a large baking dish. Pour the marinade over and turn to coat the pork. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

Heat grill to high. Remove the skewers from the marinade and grill the meat on both sides until slightly charred and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.

Serve with Chili Sauce on the side for dipping.

Chile Sauce:

1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 fresh Thai red chile, finely diced
2 teaspoons sugar
1 shallot, finely diced

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.

Bulgogi (Nama c/o Yong Suk Kim)

Marinade:

1 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup sesame oil
1/3 cup whiskey
5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbs. black pepper
1 large onion, sliced

I used ribeye steak for the meat, but you could easily use top sirloin steak (or any other cut of steak you like) for this. Then you need to slice it very thinly. To make this easier, just put the steaks in the freezer for about 30 minutes. This will make it much easier to cut thin slices of the meat.

Once it is all cut up, place it in a large ziploc bag and add the marinade mix to it. Let the meat marinate for at least one hour and you can even do this overnight.

Heat a grill pan over high heat. Strain and discard the marinade. Cook the meat and onions on the grill pan to desired doneness. The meat will cook rather fast because it is sliced thinly.

Garnish with sliced green onions and toated sesame seeds. Serve with "sticky" rice and romaine lettuce leaves (to make wraps if desired).

** The "sticky" rice I served was sushi rice I bought at Publix and made just as directed on the package.

Chicken Fried Rice (Nama)

2 cups cooked chicken
4 cups cooked rice (I used 1/2 of the bag of sushi rice listed above)
1 large vidalia onion, diced
1/2 cup matchstick carrots, diced
1/2 package frozen peas
1 T. vegetable oil
1 T. sesame oil
3 eggs, scambled
Salt and pepper to taste
Soy sauce to taste

Heat large pan over medium heat with both the oils in it. Add the onion and carrots and season with some salt and pepper. Saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in chicken to start to warm it up. After about a minute, add the rice. Stir everything together and add soy sauce to taste. Stir in scrambled eggs and frozen peas and stir to help them get heated up.

Enjoy!

Asain Slaw (Trammell)

Pork Wontons (Miranda)

Ice Cream Sandwich Casserole (Willis)

Place small ice cream sandwiches (2 packages) on the bottom of pan. Smooth whipped topping over sandwiches over the top. Crush 3 butterfingers and sprinkle over the top. Freeze until ready to serve. (always a kid favorite)

Monday, May 5, 2008

2nd Meeting of 2008

The second meeting of our club took place this past weekend at Casa de Trammell. It was a fiesta theme that helped Cord get back to his Alamo roots (at least that was how the story was told...) The rain held off for the gathering and allowed the children to get outside and play in the backyard -- which they thoroughly enjoyed. Alex even got to be the man of the house and order himself up a pot pie! However, it never came...

And it was decided that our next gathering would be on Saturday, June 14, at the Nama's home. The theme is yet to be determined, but the pool should be fully operational by then... Therefore swimming and such will definitely play in to the gathering!

The dinner was great and here are the recipes from the evening:

Appetizers - Burnette & Trammell

Pico de Gallo - Trammell

4 med. tomatoes,chopped
6 green onions, chopped with some of the green tops
2-3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Blend all ingredients and stir well. Chill before serving. Makes 2 cups.

Guacamole - Trammell
4 ripe HAAS avocados
3 TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
8 dashes of Tabasco
1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 medium tomato, seeded and small-diced

Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh out of their shells into a large bowl. Immediately add the lemon juice, tabasco, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and toss well. Using a sharp knife, slice through the avocados in the bowl until they are finely diced. Add the tomatoes. Mix well and taste for salt and pepper. Makes 3 cups. (I usually make this the morning of when I'll serve it so it's chilled through.)

Cheese dip - Trammell

1 can Rotel tomatoes
Velveeta cheese or white american cheese

You'll need at least half of a large pkg of velveeta or at least one pkg of white american cheese to mix with the can of tomatoes. Don't drain the tomatoes... mix it all together and heat it through in the microwave.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole - Trammell

6 cups chicken, cooked, boned, skinned, and cut into small pieces or strips (I used boneless skinless)
1 pint sour cream
12 6inch corn tortillas, torn into strips
2 lbs monterey jack cheese (I only used about a pound of this and it was the mexican mix of cheeses, not just monterey jack)
1 lb sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese

Green sauce:
2 cans green chiles
1 large bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped (I used about a cup or so)
1 14oz or bigger can of Mexican tomatillos, drained (can sizes vary but it's best to have more than less)
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar

Put all green sauce ingredients in a blender and pulse/blend until sauces is broken down and combined well.

To assemble casserole: Lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish and pour a small amount of green sauce on bottom of dish. Then arrange tortilla strips on top of that then cover strips with chicken. Cover chicken with about 1/3 of green sauce, then dollop sour cream over sauce and sprinkle with mexican cheeses and cheddar cheeses. Then repeat layers with tortillas, chicken, green sauce, sour cream, cheese, saving enough cheese for top. Cover dish with foil. Refrigerate until the next day if desired (flavors are enhanced if made a day or two ahead of baking.) When ready to bake, remove foil and cover top with cheese if you haven't already done so. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Side Dish - Miranda

Dessert - Nama

Tres Leches Cake

Ingredients for Cake
1 package white cake mix
1 1/2 cups flour
5 eggs 1 cup sugar
2/3 cup cooking oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk

Filling
1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)
1/2 pint whipping cream

Whipped Cream Frosting
1/2 pint whipping cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 Teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Grease and flour 9x13 cake pan.
3. Mix cake ingredients together and put into greased & floured cake pan.
4. Place in oven and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean.
5. Allow cake to cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto cake board and cool for 1 hour.
6. While cake is baking, mix together milk fillings and refrigerate until cake is totally cool.
7. Make frosting by whipping cream, sugar and vanilla until whipped cream peaks.
8. Take completely cooled cake and poke holes with skewer or dowel rods.
9. Take filling and slowly place over cake, allowing it to seep into holes. Work patiently allowing it to seep well before refiling. Should use up all the filling. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.
10. Frost and decorate with whipped cream.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

1st Meeting of 2008

Our first gathering this year was at the Burnette's house. Our newest members, Brandi, Whitney and Heath joined the mix along with the youngest member attending her first official meeting -- Gabby. The theme was Italian, and the food as announced below was enjoyed by all.

In honor of our upcoming trip to Italy this summer, Chris and Jennifer would like to say "Buon Appetito!"

Primo- Italian stuffed mushrooms (Nama) Arugula & Feta Pizza (Burnette)

Secondo- Shrimp Marinara (Burnette)

Insalata & Bread - (Willis)

Dolce - (Trammel)

**Substitutions of spaghetti instead of shrimp marinara for those under 7 yrs:-)

Here are the recipes from the evening:

Chocolate-Hazelnut Smooches (cookies)... http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_34959,00.html

Mini Mascarpone Cupcakes with Strawberry Glaze... http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_36817,00.html