Housewarming

Since we've recently moved into our very own condo, we had to warm it up with a party. With a party, comes great food (at least I think so in my house). We made a smorgasbord of tasty treats, including chicken, steak, and mushroom satays with peanut sauce, bruschetta with roasted tomatoes as well as bruschetta with bean dip, deviled eggs with chiles and cilantro, pepper-masa cheesesticks, dates stuffed with goat cheese and walnuts, and ice cream sandwiches for dessert.

The satays were made by marinating the protein in soy sauce, garlic, lime juice, and olive oil, skewering onto water-soaked wooden skewers, then grilling on a cast-iron grill until done. They were served with a peanut sauce that was made by combining peanut butter, garlic, soy sauce, and splashes of milk until the desired consistency reached over medium-low heat.

The roasted tomato bruschetta were made by roasteing quartered plum tomatoes in a 250 degree oven for about 2 hours, until beautifully roasted, placing the tomatoes on slices of slightly toasted baguette, and placing a basil leaf and shaving of Parmesan cheese on top. The bean bruschetta were made by pureeing cannellini beans, basil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper together, spooning the dip over the slices of toasted baguette, and placing a basil leaf on top of each one.

To make the deviled eggs, I simply just amended the original deviled egg concept of mayonnaise, mustard, and paprika by eliminating the mustard and paprika and adding slivers of red chiles and an abundance of freshly chopped cilantro.

The pepper-masa cheesesticks were the one item we used a recipe for, so let me continue the list of recipes we concocted out of our heads and finish up this entry with the cheesestick recipe.

The dates stuffed with goat cheese and walnuts were completely my mom's idea (yes, she was here for our housewarming party, and she made it absolutely perfect!). She slit dates along the side and simply stuffed a wedge of goat cheese and a half a walnut in each one. They were a hit! Perfectly sweet and succulent. This would be a good option as an appetizer or a little dessert.

For dessert though, my mom really out-did herself. She bought these little chocolate wafer cookies and put chocolate, vanilla, and coffee ice creams in them to make perfect little ice cream sandwiches. The only bad thing about these were that they were all gone at the end of the night and I didn't have any more for the next day.

All in all, the party was a huge success! It was so wonderful to have so many family and friends come over and enjoy our new place. If only we could actually get everything together....


Pepper-Masa Cheesesticks (Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons)

Not everybody was a huge fan of these snacks, but my mom and I couldn't get enough of them.

1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1 cup masa harina
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 lbs. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 400. Combine the flour, masa harina, salt, baking soda, pepper, and Parmesan cheese either in a bowl for hand mixing, or in a food processor.
2. If you're mixing by hand, stir until the ingredients are well mixed. Chop the butter into tiny pieces, and, with a pastry blender or two forks, work the butter into the flour mixture. Add 1/2 cup very cold water, and stir until a mass forms, adding more water if necessary.
If you're using a food processor, turn the machine briefly on and then off until the ingredietns are thoroughly mixed. Chop the butter into 15 to 20 pieces, and add them. Turn the machine on and off until the mixture has a sand-like consistency. Add 1/2 cup very cold water to the mixture. Turn the machine on and off again until the dough begins to come together.
3. Transfer the dough to a clean, floured surface. Form the dough into a ball. With a rolling pin, roll it into a large rectangle, about 10 by 24 inches. Brush the entire surface with egg (you won't need all the egg). Cut the dough into strips 3/4 inch wide and 10 inches long. Cut the strips in half crosswise. Carefully lift them one by one, and place them on an ungreased baking sheet.
4. Bake the sticks for 10 minutes, or until they are golden but not brown. They are best served while they are still warm, but they will keep for at least a week in a sealed container, to be reheated or eaten at room temperature.