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Winter Fruit Gratin

Posted by Gisele Perez on Jan 19, 2013, 6:08 pm in Food and Drink, Holiday Entertaining, Recipes-Sweet | 4 comments

This delicious, yet simple, fruit gratin with Lovoka Caramel Liquer is a perfect ending to rich meal.

Mushroom Bread Pudding

Posted by Gisele Perez on Jan 18, 2013, 9:27 am in Food and Drink, Recipes-Savory | 0 comments

It’s appropriate that the first time I taste Mushroom Bread Pudding, was in New Orleans, at Commander’s Palace, over 10 years ago. After all, New Orleanians are thrifty people who live to eat well, and loathe to waste good French bread.

So Long 2012- Hello 2013- and Recipe for Vintner’s Salad

Posted by Gisele Perez on Jan 11, 2013, 4:21 pm in Events, Food and Drink, Recipes-Savory, Restaurants, Travel, Wine | 0 comments

2012 year was filled with trips- big thanks to all who invited and/or hosted me in both NOLA and California.

Salads for a Holiday Dinner Part 2- Mixed Greens with Asian Pear, Spiced Pecans, Pomegranate and Blue Cheese

Posted by Gisele Perez on Jan 9, 2013, 2:54 pm in Small Pleasures Catering | 2 comments

This Mixed Baby Greens with Asian Pear, Pomegranate Seeds, Spiced Pecans and Blue Cheese, is one that became a favorite for me during last year’s holiday sesaon.

Salads for a Holiday Dinner Part 1- Roasted Beets with Burrata and Pickled Onions

Posted by Gisele Perez on Jan 1, 2013, 3:42 pm in Food and Drink, Recipes-Savory | 7 comments

Caprese Salad (with hard pink tomatoes) in winter is a big pet peeve of mine, but replacing the tomatoes with roasted beets makes a wonderful winter salad.

Mom’s Tiny Tim Fruitcakes

Posted by Gisele Perez on Dec 31, 2012, 5:11 pm in Food and Drink, Holiday Entertaining, Recipes-Sweet | 2 comments

Tiny Tim Fruitcakes One of the regular holiday treats Mom made during my childhood were what she called Tiny Tim Fruitcakes. Sounds perfect. I mean, really- one bite of fruitcake is about all most people want, right? So I thought it would be an ideal treat to include here this month. When I went looking through her boxes and notebooks of recipes, though, the mini-fruitcake recipes (Mom had at least two- up to several recipe versions of almost everything she clipped) I came across ingredient lists of things like packages of spice cake or date nut bread mix, canned applesauce and even canned mincemeat filling- yuck! I don’t know if I will eventually come across more fruitcake recipes, or if Mom improvised her own. That’s what I decided to do (having never made a fruitcake before), taking a basic tea bread recipe and adding raisins and candied fruit to it. So here it is, my first attempt. Not bad, and a couple of people told me I liked it, although next time I will add more candied fruit, and perhaps some molasses or honey. Try coming back next year, but until then, my Tiny Tim Fruitcake recipe 2012 follows on the next page… Tiny Tim Fruitcakes 1/2 cup butter 3/4 cup light brown sugar 2 eggs, beaten 2 tablespoons bourbon, plus more for brushing fruitcakes 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup milk 2 1/2 cup all purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup mixed light and dark raisins, soaked in bourbon overnight 1 1/4 cup mixed candied fruit, diced 1/2 cup candied pineapples and cherries, diced fine 1 cup chopped pecans, plus additional toasted pecans for topping fruitcakes @ 1 cup Ateco 482 16-Ounce Fondant Mix Stir together with a whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, bourbon and vanilla. Alternately add flour and milk in three additions. Stir in raisins, candied fruit and nuts. Scoop into mini muffin cups. Bake for @ 25-30 minutes at 325 degrees. Brush the warm fruitcakes with about 1 cup of bourbon, and allow the cakes to cool completely. You can do this again on the day if you like- extra bourbon always helps! Heat the pouring fondant over a low temperature, adding a bit of simple syrup if neccessary to thin. Pour one about one teaspoon of fondant over each fruitcake to ice, then top with a toasted pecan quarter. Happy New Year! ...