A dip, a sauce and a decadent chocolate dessert
3 recipes for Super Bowl, Valentine's Day, or "just because"
News from the US Side of the Pond
Hey there, it’s Lisa chiming in from a very wet and overcast Seattle. Well February has started out with a bang, hasn’t it! Between the Grammy’s, Super Bowl and Valentine’s/Galentine’s Day, there’s lots to love about February. And loads of fun distractions from gloomy winter weather.
First up it’s the Grammy’s —
Did you watch? How amazing is it that women took the top awards this year!! We swept the categories of Album of the Year (Taylor Swift), Song of the Year (Billie Eilish), Record of the Year (Miley Cyrus), and Best New Artist (Victoria Monét). And the fact that Taylor Swift made Grammy history by winning Album of the Year FOUR times is incredible and so inspiring! Whether you’re a Swiftie or not (I fall firmly in the former), this massive accomplishment is worthy of celebration.
We can’t chat about the Grammy’s without talking about Tracy Chapman! I remember when she released “Fast Car.” It was 1988 and I was an 18 year old freshman in college……so just a few years ago. I saw her perform that year at the LA Coliseum during the Amnesty International Tour (one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to in my entire life……Sting, U2, Peter Gabriel…..and I’m sure I’m forgetting a few others). “Fast Car” played on repeat in my car and on my cd player in my dorm room. Anytime I broke up with a boyfriend, didn’t do well on an exam, had an argument with my parents, I played “Fast Car.” Before Luke Combs rendition, I hadn’t listened to that song in years…..actually, it was probably more like decades. It brought me back to my 18 year old self, but the words hit differently as a 53 year old. That’s the funny thing about music. You can hear a song when you’re young…..love it, sing along to it, have it play on repeat, and have the words resonate with you in one way…….and then you hear it when you’re older, have lived more and had more life experiences, and it’s the same song, but now it resonates in a much different way.
One last thing I’ll say about the Grammy’s — it was one of the best I’ve seen in years. Between women sweeping the top 4 categories to performances by Tracy Chapman and Luke Combs, Miley Cyrus, Joni Mitchell, Fantasia, and Billie Eilish, it was really well done!
Next up, this Sunday, we have the Super Bowl —
Are you a Chief’s fan, a 49ers fan, rooting for Travis because you’re a Swiftie, excited for the half time show, or maybe you’re just watching for the commercials?
Honestly, I was rooting for the Lions, so I’ll probably root for the Chief’s the 1st half and 49ers the 2nd half. I’m sure it’s going to be a great game either way. But, let’s be honest. I’m pretty sure one thing we can all agree on is the food — it’s not a Super Bowl without an insanely delicious lineup of snacks. Keep on scrolling for a couple of my favorite super easy Super Bowl recipes. They’re perfect if you’re watching the game, going over to a friend’s house to watch, or choosing a Netflix movie instead.
And then, on the heels of Super Bowl, we’ve got Valentine’s Day.
Are you celebrating? Or are you getting together with girlfriends and celebrating Galentine’s Day instead? I think my husband and I will probably go to an early movie (only if there’s something really good playing!), and then I’ll cook something at home. Honestly, I think it’s highway robbery how restaurants jack up the price for dinners on Valentine’s Day. I’d much rather stay home, put on some music, light some candles and make a really fabulous dinner for a fraction of what restaurant’s charge.
If you’re looking for a gorgeous unique gift for your girlfriends, I’m in love with all the beautiful pink Glassybabys (will definitely be dropping hints to my husband!). Glassybaby is a woman owned and run company and creates exquisite hand blown glass votives and drinkers.
Whew…..I think that’s all the holidays and special events for now. Have a fabulous weekend! Jane’s got this week off, but will be back with us next week!
Chat with you again next Friday!
xo
Lisa & Jane
CREAMY CRAB AND ARTICHOKE DIP
This recipe is in honor of the 49ers. San Francisco is known for it’s seafood, especially it’s crab. And it’s also well know for it’s sourdough bread, so it makes perfect sense to combine both into one delicious appetizer! For the crab, if you’re in the US, Costco has excellent Dungeness crab meat for a really good price. If you’re not able to get crab, this is fabulous without!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup roughly chopped artichoke hearts (I love using frozen, and thawing them slightly first….be sure to drain off any liquid. You can also use jarred, just drain off the liquid)
1 cup mayonnaise (yes, you can use yogurt if you’re not a fan of mayonnaise)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (you can also combine cheese and use Parmesan, Gruyére or Mozzarella)
1 cup fresh Dungeness crab meat
4-5 slices of sourdough, quartered (you want them to be cracker size), and toasted (drizzle with olive oil before toasting for an extra tasty crunch)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, mix artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, cheese and crab together. Spoon into an oven safe casserole dish and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the top is golden and the sides are bubbly.
Let the dip cool for a few minutes — it will be crazy hot when it first comes out of the oven. Serve with toasted sourdough slices or your favorite crackers.
WHISKEY BBQ SAUCE
Trust me when I say this…..you’ll want to pour this sauce on EVERYTHING! Kansas City is known for it’s bbq sauce which is a sweeter sauce with a ketchup, molasses and brown sugar base. I wanted to up the flavor even more, so I add in a generous amount of whiskey… but bourbon will also work. It’s sweet and smokey and literally the best bbq sauce. Pour it over your chicken wings, burgers, ribs, or pulled pork sandwiches.
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cups ketchup
1/4 cup whiskey or bourbon (use whatever brand you like to drink!)
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
Pinch of cayenne
DIRECTIONS
Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and give them a quick stir to combine.
Simmer over medium heat for about 10 -15 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
Taste for seasoning -- if you want it sweeter, add a spoonful of brown sugar. If you want it more acidic with more bite, add a splash of apple cider vinegar.
CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
Chocolate and Valentine’s Day go together like peanut butter and jelly, and thes decadent chocolate truffles absolutely need to be on your Valentine’s Day menu. They’re rich, chocolatey and, if you’re short on time, you can easily make them the day before.
Ingredients
½ pound good bittersweet chocolate (like Lindt)
½ pound good semisweet chocolate (like Ghiradelli)
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, optional
1 tablespoon coffee Chocolate Truffles | A Menu For You
½ teaspoon vanilla
Confectioners’ sugar
Cocoa powder
Instructions
Chop both the Lindt and Ghiradelli chocolates finely with a sharp knife. Place them in a heatproof mixing bowl (glass will work perfectly!).
Heat cream in a small saucepan until it just boils. Turn off the heat and allow the cream to sit for 20 seconds. Pour the cream through a fine-meshed sieve into the bowl with the chocolate. With a wire whisk, slowly stir the cream and chocolates together until the chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in the Grand Marnier, if using, coffee and vanilla. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour. This will give the chocolate mixture a chance to harden up a bit, which will make scooping much easier. You can also place in the refrigerator, but you will need the mixture to reach room temperature before continuing to the next step.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon pad. Using a small ice cream scoop, or 2 teaspoons, spoon round balls of the chocolate mixture onto the baking sheet. Don’t worry if they aren’t perfectly round. We’ll fix that later!
Refrigerate for 30 minutes, until firm. Roll each dollop of chocolate in your hands to roughly make a round ball. Place one ball on your left palm, set your right palm lightly on top and rotate either clockwise or counter-clockwise until you have a perfectly round ball.
Put the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder in 2 separate small bowls. Roll each truffle in confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, or both.
Line a container with parchment paper and layer the truffles on the parchment paper. I usually make 2 levels of truffles per container.
These will keep refrigerated for weeks making them the perfect hostess gift, holiday party gift or dessert for your holiday party. If serving them at a party, take them out out of the refrigerator 1-2 hours beforehand, to give them a chance to get to room temperature.
I'm handing the mantle to you Lisa - what a brilliant news letter.