Foodie Friday: A Winter Beach Party

I can't believe it's the 3rd "Foodie Friday."
Come on in and grab a drink. Welcome to the potluck!

Some of my foodie girlfriends were doing a winter beach party, so I dragged out the busts with shells (many of you may remember Helena and Hunk ). Their shell-heads remind me of old fashioned hair curlers; but H&H were available, so I recruited them for a centerpiece.

I went shopping behind curtains, under beds, and in dark crevices. I found shell napkin rings, starfish, napkins with a coral design.

Now the fun began: Ironstone, coral/twiggy flatware, coral placemats.

I played with the centerpiece. At first, I added twigs in a giant nautilus (oh, how I miss Hancocks!). I pulled out brown glassware. The little ones are Fostoria that I've had for decades; my mother gave me the taller ones for Christmas one year.

Helena says, "Yes, I admit it! I went back to Big Lots and bought two more blue dishes."
Hunk says, "You're killing me, woman! This is getting like Jackie Kennedy's crazed aunts at Grey Gables...but instead of cats, hundreds of dishes have taken over the house."

Oh, the joy of layering. :-)

The shells were bought after I posted a shopping trip, and I was urged (you know who you are, and so does Dr. Gollum) to return and buy the starfish. I also snapped up some blue-gray dishes. :-)

I need enabling, don't I? :-) But I'm digressing.


I swiped the faux orchid from the den. Yes, much better!



Now, let's get to the menu:
Crabcakes
Endive with Grainy Mustard
English Peas
French bread with herbs and Garlic butter
Peanut butter-chocolate cupcakes with Fluffy Icing
Assorted Chocolates and Coffee


Martha Stewart's Endive and Grainy Mustard Salad
Serves 4

• 6 heads Belgian endive (this is a bitter green; to reduce *some* bitterness, remove the core from the stem. Martha says to buy it fresh=no green, just pale yellow. Also, it bitters up around sunlight).


• 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped


• 1 T. Italian parsley, chopped


• 1 t. grainy mustard


• 1 t. red-wine vinegar


• 4 t. Extra virgin olive oil


• salt, pepper--personally? I added honey to taste. It was still too bitter for Dr. G, so I added sugar.

Wash outer leaves and place in starfish pattern on the plate. Chop the remaining leaves (except for the bitter, bottom end). Add eggs & parsley. Make a vinaigrette with mustard, vinegar, and EVOO. Salt and pepper (and honey) to taste. Pour into eggs and chopped endive and stir. Heap in center of "starfish." Sprinkle with a bit of chopped parsley.

Crab cakes a la Gollum

canned crabmeat, drained

chopped onions, celery, red bell pepper

dry sherry

mayonnaise

bread crumbs

egg, beaten

salt, pepper, Tabasco

tiny bit of lemon juice

Mix crab with beaten egg. Sautee onions, celery, peppers in a little heart-stopping but delicious bacon drippings. Remove from pan. Add to crab mixture. Now add a little mayonnaise and sherry and other condiments. Add breadcrumbs until you have the right consistency (the cakes will hold together, yet they aren't soggy). Sautee in small amount of drippings, or a little butter (add a little olive oil...if you mix olive oil and butter into a pan, the food is less likely to burn).

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Fluffy Icing

I added Reeses peanut butter cups (and peanut butter chips) to the batter.

While they baked, the batter pulled away from the sides.

I hid the damage with icing, of course. Dr. G said they were good.

For those who are suspicious of my icing, try some chocolate shells.


I'm late submitting this to Susan's Tablescape Thursday, but I was discombobulated. Forgive!
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