20140129 - Hummus, Red Velvet Crepes, and Flowers

I grew up watching football, basketball and hockey. After a long hard day or week of work, my dad loved to chill out on the couch and watch a game, or two or three on the weekends. And Monday night football, it was a must! If I wanted to spend time hanging with my dad, game time was the best. We would snuggle on the couch, eat snacks and he taught any of his three daughters that would listen, the rules of the game. Although I don't follow football much anymore, I still know what's happening on the field and many of the strategies being employed. I sometimes surprise my sons when we get together to watch a game every now and then :). With the Super Bowl in a couple of days and Valentine's Day in a couple of weeks, it's only natural to blend the two together. Seems like there is always something to celebrate!

Below are a couple of great recipes for treats to make for your upcoming celebrations and get-togethers. There's the recipe for my much loved hummus, a beautiful dessert that's perfect for Valentine's Day and my new favorite place to get gorgeous flowers. I hope you enjoy it all and don't forget to become an LAFW Facebook Fan. Click Here to get daily updates on the happenings in our kitchen.

Here's to enjoying the things we love with those we love...Hope to be cooking with you all soon!

No matter where I go, no matter what the occasion, if I bring this hummus to the party, it is devoured. The roasted garlic gives this dish a rich, smooth, deep flavor that works for everyone. To take this dish to the next level, I often swirl in some fig jam or pomegranate molasses. Serve it with some home-made pita chips and you have a light and nutritious snack that won't ruin your waistline or your appetite!

Preheat oven to 325F. Remove the loose papery outside skin from the garlic head without separating the cloves. Slice off the top 1/4 inch of the garlic head and discard. Place garlic on a small square of foil and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, then wrap into a little packet. Roast until the garlic is very soft, about 40 minutes. Unwrap and cool.

Meanwhile, make the pita chips. Cut each pita round into 12 small triangles and place in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat evenly. Arrange in a single layer on baking sheets and sprinkle with a little salt. Bake in 325 oven for about 10-12 minutes or until golden. Let cool.

When garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze four or five roasted garlic cloves into the bowl of a food processor. Reserve rest of roasted garlic for another use. Puree the garlic, olive oil, garbanzo beans, lemon juice, tahini and about 2 tablespoons reserved liquid in a food processor. Add more liquid as necessary to make a firm dip. Add seasonings and adjust to tasted, adding more lemon juice and salt if desired.

Transfer hummus to a small serving bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil on top and sprinkle with paprika. Serve with pita chips

Makes approximately 24 servings. Per serving: 131 Calories; 4g Fat (29.5% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 85mg Sodium.

Red Velvet Crepes with Mascarpone Cream and Chocolate Ganache

This is such a sweet, special recipe! The red velvet is so dramatic and what could not be delicious about anything made with mascarpone cream cheese??? Add some chocolate to the mix and you've got perfection on a plate. And yet, it's a really light dessert. Just perfect for a romantic dinner! Over the holidays, we made these crepes then garnished them with some pretty mint leaves for festive holiday plating. Now it's time for hearts, so to plate these lovelies, make a cute little heart out of clean paper. As you serve them, place the heart on top and sprinkle with powdered sugar then carefully remove the stencil to create an edible Valentine for everyone you love :).

	For the Crepes
1 1/2	cups flour
1	teaspoon baking powder
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
1/4	teaspoon salt
3	tablespoons sugar
2	tablespoons cocoa powder
2	cups butter milk
1	cup whole milk
2	eggs
1	vanilla extract
1	teaspoon red food coloring
2	tablespoons melted butter
2	tablespoons cooking oil
	Mascarpone Cream Filling
2	cups heavy cream
1	cup mascarpone cheese
1/2	powdered sugar, plus more to dust
1	teaspoon vanilla extract
1	orange zested
	Chocolate Ganache
3	ounces dark chocolate
1/3	cup heavy cream
1	tablespoon sugar

red velvet crepes

For the Crepes: In a large bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, milk, egg, sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract and food coloring. Whisk until combined.

Pour the liquid ingredients into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients, and stir with a wooden spoon until the dry ingredients are combined. The batter will be a little runny (think soup). If you find that the batter is too thick and pancake like, add more regular milk. Make sure the batter is clear of lumps. Let sit while you prepare the cream filling and ganache.

For the Mascarpone Filling: Using a mixer, mix mascarpone cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, and vanilla until soft and fluffy. Set aside.

Whip cream and remaining sugar to a stiff peak. Carefully fold into the mascarpone cheese until combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For Chocolate Ganche Sauce: Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set aside. In a small sauce pan, heat cream and sugar to a rolling boil. Remove from heat, and pour over chocolate. Carefully mix until homogenous, and set aside until ready to use. If the ganache sets, re-melt the chocolate over a double boiler.

With a pastry brush, brush the surface of large (non-stick) skillet with cooking oil. Heat it over medium heat. Test skillet after a couple of minutes by drizzling a few drops of water onto the cooking surface. If the drops sizzle and evaporate, the surface is hot enough.

Turn the heat down to medium. For each crepe, spoon or ladle about 1/4 cup of the batter into the center of the skillet. Holding onto the handle of the pan, remove it from the heat and swirl the pan so the batter coats the bottom of the pan. You want to make the coating as thin as possible. If you have holes in the crepe, add more batter to the pan to cover them. Return to heat.

As the batter cooks, it will dry and lose its shine (approx 2 minutes). Once this happens, use a non-metal spatula and carefully flip the crepe over. Finish cooking the crepe on the other side (approx 45 seconds).

Gently slide the cooked crepe onto an ovenproof plate, and keep the finished crepes warm in an oven set at 195 degrees.

Assembling the Crepes: Spread some chocolate sauce on the bottom of the crepe. Pipe mascarpone cream filling over chocolate then carefully fold or roll crepe in your desired shape. Place two crepes on each plate and drizzle lightly with chocolate ganache. If desired, cut out a cute little heart and place over the crepe, then sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar.

Source: duhlicious.com

Makes 24 crepes, 2 crepes per Serving: 403 Calories; 30g Fat (65.0% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 120mg Cholesterol; 205mg Sodium.

I have a new florist in my life! A wonderful company called Victoria Joy Events (click on their name to see their website) has done flowers for a couple of our LAFW events lately and they were so beautiful and imaginative, I just had to share the love. Their arrangements can help make any event even more special! They're also gearing up for Valentine's Day! They do weekly delivery of flowers to your home or business too, so you can keep the love coming all year. From tight little arrangements for a table center piece to lavish designs for weddings and other special events, give them a call. They are wonderful to work with. Ask for Daniel. He will take very good care of you!

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."

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!

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