“Chichi Sip ‘n’ See” Menu

Have the girls over to “ooh” and “ah” over her new baby, but make it surprisingly snazzy with everything but the baby rattles. Think simple and sleek with a slightly Asian flair for both the décor and the menu. Her friends will simply eat it up!

Menu by Elizabeth Heiskell, Feastivities Catering

 Artichoke Cheese Puffs
1 loaf of sandwich bread
1 cup Hellmann’s mayo
1/ 2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped artichoke hearts

Preheat oven to 350. Mix mayo, artichoke hearts and Parmesan cheese then set aside. Cut circles out of the bread with a biscuit cutter. Toast bread rounds for 5 to 10 minutes. Cool. Top with a thick layer of mayonnaise mixture. Bake at 350 degrees until golden and bubbly.

Blanched Asparagus
Remove the woody stems of the asparagus. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a shallow sauté pan. Add the asparagus, cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Plunge drained asparagus into a bowl with ice water. This will set the color and stop the cooking.

Zucchini Ribbons
Wash and cut the ends off the zucchini. Using a vegetable peeler, make long ribbons from end to end. Once the seeds are exposed, turn the zucchini clockwise and continue.

 Ginger-Cilantro Lime Butter
1 stick butter, room temp
2 oz cream cheese, room temp
1 T grated ginger
1 T fresh lime juice
3 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp. Kosher salt

Place all ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth. Place in bowl and serve with crudite.

Shrimp wrapped in Snow Pea Pods
1 1/2 lb. of large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 T sweet rice vinegar
1/3 cup oriental sesame oil
1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1 tsp. finely minced fresh ginger
Coarse kosher salt
Pepper
15 to 20 snow pea pods

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add shrimp and cook until just pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain shrimp and place in a glass or stainless steel bowl. Wisk together the vinegar, oil garlic, ginger, salt and pepper. Stir to coat well, cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days, stirring at least twice a day. No more than a few hours before serving, string the snow pea pods and blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds. Immerse immediately in ice water to chill. Drain well. Using a sharp paring knife, split the snow pea pods lengthwise so you have at least 30 separate halves. Wrap one half around drained shrimp and fasten with a round tooth pick. Serve chilled. The Martha Stewart Cookbook

Tuna Salmon Roll
2 cups of sushi rice, soaked for 20 minutes in water to cover
3 1/2 T rice vinegar
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
6 sheets of yaki-nori seaweed
7 oz. tuna in one piece
7 oz. salmon in one piece
Wasabi paste
1/ 2 cucumber, quartered lengthwise and seeded
Pickled ginger
Japanese soy sauce

Drain the rice, then put in a pan with 2 1 / 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Meanwhile, heat the vinegar, sugar and salt. Stir well and cool. Add to the hot rice, then remove the pan from the heat and allow to stand (covered) for 20 minutes.

Cut the yaki-nori sheets in half lengthwise. Cut the tuna and salmon into four long sticks, each about the same length as the long side of the seaweed, and about half an inch thick.

Place a sheet of yaki-nori, shiny side down, on a bamboo mat. Divide the rice into 12 portions. Spread one portion over the yaki-nori, leaving a half-inch clear space at the top and bottom.

Spread a little wasabi paste in a horizontal line along the middle of the rice and lay one or two sticks of tuna on this. Holding the mat and the edge of the yaki-nori nearest to you, roll up the yaki-nori and the rice into a cylinder with the tuna in the middle. Use the mat as a guide—do not roll into the food. Roll the rice tightly so that it sticks together and encloses the filling firmly.Carefully roll the sushi off the mat. Use a wet knife to cut each roll into six slices. Garnish with pickled ginger and serve with soy sauce.

Chocolate Truffles
8 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup cocoa powder, sifted, plus additional for rolling truffles

Place the chopped chocolate in a medium mixing bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the cream to just below the boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes; whisk the chocolate mixture until smooth. Cool the mixture for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature or 30 to 45 minutes in the refrigerator. Spoon the truffle mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a plain #4 tip. Pipe walnut size mounds onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes; the truffles will have begun to harden. Remove the truffles from the refrigerator and roll between the palms of your hands to form balls. Return the truffles to the refrigerator to let them harden completely. Roll truffles in cocoa powder. Place finished truffles in a fine mesh strainer, a few at a time, shaking gently to remove the excess cocoa powder. (Viking Cooking School)

 Mojito
Sprig of Mint
Crushed ice
2 oz. rum
1 tsp. sugar
1 / 8 tsp. lime juice
club soda

Mash mint sprigs in a highball glass and fill with crushed ice. Add the rum, sugar, and lime juice and fill with club soda, stir. Garnish with mint.

In a large saucepan over medium high heat, combine corn cobs and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Strain, reserving liquid. Discard cobs. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Reserve drippings in pan. Set aside bacon. Add green onion, bell pepper and corn kernels. Cook and stir 5 minutes or until tender. Add 2 cups corn stock, half and half, thyme, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Add rice, cook 5 minutes; Add crawfish. Cook and stir 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning; garnish each serving with reserved bacon.

Skillet Fried Corn
From the “Cooking to the Blues” class taught at the Viking Cooking School

6 cups corn kernels
1/2 cup whole milk
4 T butter
1 tsp. fresh sage
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
Salt and black pepper to taste

In a large cast iron skillet, over medium high heat, melt butter and 2 tablespoons of milk. Add corn. Reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir corn, adding milk occasionally. Allow corn to brown slightly between stirrings. Cook 30 minutes. Add sage, red pepper, salt and pepper.

Corn and Black Bean Salad
Serves 8
4 fresh ears of corn
4 T lime juice
1 1/ 2 T red wine vinegar
3 T olive oil
Salt and ground pepper, to taste
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 or 3 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
1 avocado
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Cook corn in boiling water to cover 5 minutes; drain and cool. Cut corn from the cob. In a small bowl, combine lime juice and vinegar, and slowly whisk in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, combine corn, black beans, peppers and onion. Peel, core, and cop avocado and add last. Pour dressing over salad, toss to coat and adjust seasonings. Cover and chill for 2 hours. Add cilantro just before serving.

Avocado and Fresh Corn Salad
Emily Hines, The Everyday Gourmet
1 avocado, chopped and tossed with lemon
1 purple onion
1 cucumber
4 ears fresh corn, cooked and kernels removed
1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 T chopped garlic
2 T fresh cilantro
4 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice and zest of 1 lime
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Toss together and check seasonings. Serve on lettuce leaves or as an accompaniment to any grilled meat.

Corn on the Cob with Lime Basil Butter
Shelley Young, The Chopping Block, Chicago

3 T unsalted butter
Juice of 1 large lime
1 T minced fresh red Serrano pepper
1/2 tsp. course ground sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 ears fresh corn
1 T fresh basil

Pull back the husks of corn, remove the silks, and draw the husks back to cover ears of corn. Soak in sink or tub of cold water for 30 minutes. Preheat grill to medium-hot. Drain corn, and toss the ears in their husks, on the grill. Cook, turning occasionally, until tender and steaming hot, about 15 minutes. Pull back the husks and return the ears to the grill for just long enough to acquire a few strategic grill marks.