Weekend Wrapup
Monday, September 08, 2008 at 09:29amHappy Monday, all! How was your weekend? I feel like I spent mine preparing food, and then eating food. Our friends had a get-together at their house yesterday — a joint birthday party for their two daughters. We also held our first (probably of many) Iron Chef competition. The selected ingredient was CHEESE, and you must believe me when I tell you that I’m probably not going to be able to eat cheese for a long time. Heh. Everything was delicious, though.
I submitted three dishes:
1. Amy Sedaris’ Lil’ Smokey Cheeseball
2. Mixed greens with vinaigrette, husk cherries and goat cheese
3. Pink lemonade birthday cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
I ended up coming in third, missing second place by a tenth of a point. Boo! Other dishes submitted: mac and cheese (two kinds), beer and cheese soup, gruyere cheesepuffs, another salad, and chicken. My dad came in second, with his award-winning Hot Pizza Dip. He also submitted an antipasto dip, which was really good and tasted a lot like olive tapenade (but less oily). Our friend Anthony won Overall Iron Chef, with an unbeatable combination of Croque Monsieurs followed by cheesecake topped with elderberries. Afterwards, we played a rousing game of Backyard Bocce. I played my worst game ever. Put it this way — my brother beat me. AND HE CAN’T SEE.
Photos! Click through to Flickr to see a few more.
Anthony’s cheesecake
Pink lemonade cupcakes (w/2 special birthday cuppies)
Dad’s pizza dip
Cheeseball
Playing bocce
Grey Rainbow on Monday, September 08, 2008 at 10:13 am
Dad’s pizza dip recipe, please! Everything looks delicious, btw!
Bluebunny on Monday, September 08, 2008 at 10:16 am
What are husk cherries?
freakgirl on Monday, September 08, 2008 at 10:21 am
They are also called ground cherries. They’re a relative of the tomatillo, but are sweet. You pop them in your mouth like a grape…they have a faint taste of pineapple or something. There were amazing with the goat cheese and the dijon vinaigrette I made.
http://foodrush.ivillage.com/f.....k-che.html
We got a small bucket of them from the farm last week.
MOM! Tell Dad to post his pizza dip recipe!
nora on Monday, September 08, 2008 at 10:32 am
I have to have the pizza dip recipe. OMG. and also the cupcakes, maybe. if people have time and stuff.
now i need cheese.
freakgirl on Monday, September 08, 2008 at 10:38 am
nora - the cupcakes are easy. I just used my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe and added some instant lemonade mix to taste. You can probably do the same with a box mix. Also did the same w/the frosting.
Bianca on Monday, September 08, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Oh my it all looks so good!
freakgirl on Monday, September 08, 2008 at 4:47 pm
PIZZA DIP RECIPE!!!!
Hold onto your arteries, folks:
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup mixed blend shredded asiago, fontina, parmesan & provolone cheeses
1 cup pizza sauce
2 tablespoons chopped green bell pepper
2 oz. pepperoni chopped
2 tablespoons sliced black olives
salt & pepper to taste
In a small bowl mix together cream cheese,oregano, parsley & basil.
Spread mixture in the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate or shallow microwave-safe dish. sprinkle 1/2 cup of mozzarella & 1/2 cup of blended cheese on top of the cream cheese mixture.
Spread pizza sauce over all. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses, then top with green pepper, pepperoni and olives.
Cover, and microwave for 5 minutes.
(you could probably bake it, too, like a pizza)
Maggie on Monday, September 08, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I can’t believe your dad just GAVE this recipe to the innernets without torturing us first. Gene, I’m disappointed in you!
Your cupcakes are gorgeous. Love the shade of pink you made, and the pastel nonpareils!
freakgirl on Monday, September 08, 2008 at 5:29 pm
thanks