And now we cook!

November 10, 2016

Rose 4

The election is finally over. To those whose candidate won, congratulations! To those whose candidate lost, I'm sorry. I hope our precious, diverse, robust, strong and always great nation will come together, fight to heal and bring harmony to our world.  The holidays are right around the corner and isn't that one of the main themes, "Peace on Earth and Good Will to All".  I am praying for that now and always.  The election was a bruising time for all of us.  I look forward to holding my children near as they come home from college for their holiday breaks and to celebrating with my extended family and friends.  I also look forward to doing what I love most, cooking!  It's my favorite way to show my love and to nurture those I know both personally and professionally.  I am so lucky to have such wonderful people in my life! 

To celebrate the arrival of the holidays, below you will find our Small Plates and Tapas Menu for this Fall and Winter, as well as a recipe for one of our favorite fall bites. There's also the recipe for on of favorite Thanksgiving side dishes. Read on and don't forget to become an LAFW Facebook Fan. Click Here to get daily updates from our kitchen, along with inspiration, tips and tricks to use in yours.

We still have some dates open on our holiday schedule, so if you're still looking for something to do, let me know. We would love to cook and celebrate with you!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am grateful to all of you for letting me share my love of all things in the kitchen! You give me purpose :).  God bless us and keep us safe.

Rose


LA Food Works
Holiday Small Plate and Tapas Menu

LA Food Works presents its new Small Plates and Tapas Menu for this Fall and Winter 2016.  When you host A Small Plates Event with LAFW, you and your guests will work with our chefs on a multiple cooking stations creating these fun and filling bites! A perfect way to celebrate the holidays and learn something new! This event is great for larger groups and we have venues that can accommodate up to 150 guests!
 

11.16

An LA Food Works Event Includes

* Hors d'oeuvre and beverage reception on arrival

* Fun and knowledgeable chef instructors to guide you
   through your recipes

* Private cooking and dining experience at our charming
   venues

* Seasonal gourmet menu selections

* Chef aprons to use while you are cooking

* Recipe packets for everyone to take home

Savory Selections

Baked Brie and Cranberry Cups
Meatball and Marinara Sliders with Spicy Garlic Spinach
Swiss Chard Pancakes with Lemon Yogurt Sauce
Hush Puppies with White BBQ Sauce
Herb-Marinated Chicken Skewers with Homemade Harissa
Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps
Mashed Potato Croquettes with Sour Cream and Chives
Broccoli Parmesan Fritters
Mushroom Strudel Bites
Scallion Turkey Meatballs with Soy-Ginger Glaze
Pumpkin Curry Empanadas
Spicy Tuna and Vegetable Sushi Rolls
Blinis with House-Made Grav Lox and Cream Chive Sauce
Spiced Turkey Hand Pies

 Sweet Selections

Waffle Brownies with Whipped Cream and Hot Fudge
Pumpkin Spiced Ricotta Fritters Dusted with Cinnamon Sugar
Whiskey Cherry Cheesecake Shooters 


Meatball and Marinara Sliders with
Spicy Garlic Spinach

This may not be the most festive or holiday oriented dish, but it has become a favorite at many of our Tapa Events this fall.  It's delicious, filling and fun to make and serve!  These little sliders are great for any holiday cocktail party but also would be amazing for a football or Super Bowl party!!!  So store this recipe in your favorites file!  Featured on our Fall-Winter Small Plates Menu, I've made a bunch of meatballs for now and have frozen some for later when my kids will be back in town!

2 cups Marinara Sauce

1

pound ground beef, or 1/2 pound ground beef, 1/2 pound ground pork

1

egg
1/2
cup grated Romano cheese
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1  
clove garlic
  salt and pepper to taste
1
cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
 
For the Spinach
12
ounces baby spinach leaves
1
tablespoon olive oil
3
cloves chopped garlic
  salt and pepper -- to taste
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 lemon, juiced
12 dinner rolls

Meatball Slider2




Place marinara sauce in a large pot or sauce pan and heat on very low

For the meatballs: In a mixing bowl, combine the meat with eggs, cheese, parsley and minced garlic, then salt and pepper as desired. Add the bread crumbs and mix well. Slowly add the water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the mixture is moist; all the water may not be needed. Shape into golf balls sized meatballs and place on a sheet tray until ready to cook.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Working in batches and taking care not to crowd the pan, add meatballs and fry until undersides are brown and slightly crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and brown the other sides, about 5 minutes more. Transfer cooked meatballs to paper towels to drain, then add to the marinara mixing well to distribute sauce all over the meatballs. When finished, discard any fat or oil and wipe out the pan with a paper towel. Keep the meatballs warm while making the spinach.

To make the spinach, in the same saute pan, heat the spinach's olive oil and saute the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute, but not until it's browned. Add a couple of large handfuls of the spinach, the salt, and pepper to the pan, toss it with the garlic and oil. As it wilts, add more spinach in handfuls until all the spinach has been wilted down and cooked but still retains it's bright green color. Do not over cook. Add a squeeze of lemon and the red pepper flakes, sprinkling more salt, if desired. Lightly stir.

To make the sliders, heat the rolls and slice in 1/2. Drizzle some marinara on the bottom of each roll. Add a meatball, top with some more sauce and a bit of spinach then top with the other half of the roll. MANGIA!

Makes 12 Sliders. Per Slider: 318 Calories; 18g Fat (51.8% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 53mg Cholesterol; 671mg Sodium.
 


Crispy Sweet Potato Roast

As you begin to plan your Thanksgiving dinner, here's a newer addition to my dinner repertoire from one of my favorite blogs, Smitten Kitchen, which you might like too. Organizing the potato slices and shallots is a bit time consuming but it's a fun way to include a child, spouse, partner, friend or anyone who may not be into cooking but wants to help. And it's so worth the effort! The exposed parts of the potatoes are really crispy while the bottom is soft and buttery. I try to go lighter on the butter and olive oil that is called for in the recipe but you don't have too.  However, I definitely serve it with the Thanksgiving Salsa Verde, a recipe which has the added benefit of using up all the extra herbs you buy for your other dishes! 

Crispy Sweet Potato Roast

3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons olive oil
salt and black to taste

5 pounds sweet potatoes or yams,
peeled and sliced thin
2 shallots, peeled and sliced thin

Heat oven to 375°F. Heat butter and oil together until butter has melted. Pour 2 tablespoons of the mixture in the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle butter/oil puddle with some salt and pepper(s).  Arrange your potato slices vertically in the dish.  Arrange a slice of shallot between every few slices of potato.  Brush the top of the potato slices with remaining butter/oil and season generously with salt and pepper.  Cover dish with foil and bake for 40-50 minutes, until potatoes are almost fully cooked.  Increase heat to 450F, remove foil and roast an additional 10-15 minutes, until tops are nicely browned.

If you'd like to finish the dish off with the Thanksgiving Salsa Verde, place 1 cup parsley, 1 Tbs fresh rosemary leaves, 1 generous teaspoon of thyme and sage leaves, 1 small garlic clove, the zest of 1/2 a lemon and 2 teaspoons of drained and rinsed capers in a food processor or blender and blend till finely chopped.  Drizzle in 1/2 cup of olive oil with the machine running, or enough oil to loosen the mixture and make it somewhat pourable.  Season well with salt and pepper and serve either drizzled on top or to the side of roasted potatoes after baking. 

Recipe from smittenkitchen.com


WANT TO USE THESE TIPS AND RECIPES IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you do not alter the information in any way and include a credit that reads "by Rose LeBoeuf, www.lafoodworks.com, Interactive Cooking Classes, Parties, and Corporate Team Building Events for Groups Looking for a Fun and Unique Dinning Experience."


LA Food Works Events

Ideal for Team Building, Summer Outings, Client Entertaining, Birthday Parties, Showers and Private Gatherings.
Let LA Food Works make your party one which your guests will not soon forget!

No previous cooking experience required!
Just willingness to put on an apron,
get your hands a little messy,
indulge in some great food
and have lots of fun playing in the kitchen!

We also happily design Custom Cooking Parties. If you have a group of 10 or more foodies who love great food and playing together in the kitchen, contact us and we will design a custom menu or theme class for you and your group.

Our interactive cooking parties both unify and entertain...perfect for any occasion that requires great food, interesting activities and lots of fun!

310-288-0100
www.lafoodworks.com

For information or to book your event, contact Rose LeBoeuf at 310-288-0100 for an event planning kit, pricing and availability.