One of the quickest and easiest ways to dress up any dinner party is to make your own cheese platter.(Of course, if you don’t like cheese then this tip may not work out so well for you.)  I happen to love cheese and I think a cheese platter is a really nice way to expose people to new kinds of cheese they may not have tried before.  Here are a few suggestions for setting up a really great cheese platter for your next party.

1. Pick 3 different cheeses - usually people like to have a gorgonzola, a triple cream cheese (like Brie), and a nice piquant goat cheese.  (But feel free to try any other cheese you might like, the point here is to have a nice mix.  That way if your sister really hates gorgonzola then she can try something else.)
2. Find some nice greenery to set your platter up.  The contrast of the greens with your cheese will really make your platter pop. (Most people suggest using something like lemon leaves, you can find them at a florist.)
3. Dried fruits are always a nice compliment to cheese.  You can try anything you like here from figs to dried cherries.  The dried fruits provide a nice sweet balance to the sharpness of the cheeses.
4. Nuts are an almost must have on cheese platters.  You again have freedom to choose here - you can go with walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, etc. 
5. When laying out the platter place the greenery down first.  Then position your cheeses and place the nuts and fruits around the cheeses.  Try to keep everything in clusters.  This means keep all the almonds in one spot.  The reason you cluster things is to keep the platter looking clean and neat.  You don’t want everything to be a hodgepodge. 
6. You can serve crackers or breads with your cheese platter.
7. Have fun, be adventurous, try something new!

In an effort to make your life easier I am putting together breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas for Valentine’s Day next week.  I am including suggests for menus and drinks.  The attached PDFs contain the menus for each of the dishes and shopping lists for the ingredients you will need.  You will notice on the side of the ingredient list there is a place to check off the ingredients you may already have at home.  I hope that you find these guides useful.  Please let me know if there is anything I can do to make them easier for you to use.

Here’s what’s on one of the breakfast menus  -

Valentine’s Breakfast Menu

Baked Apple French Toast

Bacon and Chive Frittata

Oven Home Fries

Mimosas

Please click here for the PDF version of the full menu and shopping guide.  If you don’t have adobe, you can download it for free here.  Or if you don’t want to download adobe, you can always email me and I will send you the file via email. 

You hate to cook, but you are having a party.  What do you do?  Well, there are some options available to you in terms of delivery and ordering that go far beyond the old stand-by pizza in a box.  If you think ahead, you can get a special meal delivered to you and all you have to do is warm it up. Keep in mind these meals are a little pricier than take out, as most of them are shipped Fed-Ex to you.  This is a great idea for a special dinner like Valentine’s.  I have to say, being a cook, I have not tried these services, but I have heard great things about them.  I have sent meals from Home Bistro to my husband’s grandparents. 

These places sell gourmet meals that are Fed-Exed to your doorstep.  They carry everything from soup and breads to dessert.  They have seafood, poultry, pasta, beef, lamb & veal, samplers and even duck entrees.  Some of these services even carry low-fat and low-carb options for those who are dieting. 

Four of the more popular services are:

Home Bistro (www.homebistro.com)

Impromptu Gourmet (www.impromptugourmet.com)

A La Zing (www.alazing.com)

Family Chef (www.familychef.com)

Or if you want to find something a little closer to home, you can always buy rotisserie chickens and sides at your local grocery store.  Rotisserie chickens can be used in a variety of dishes, if you are feeling adventurous enough to try and make something.  Most larger grocery stores also carry a large assortment of fresh and frozen desserts.   

Today I am putting together a great Super Bowl Party.  Like the title says, Super Bowl = Super Party.  Even if your team didn’t make it, why not through a great party and hang out with your friends?  Here are some great ideas for game day snacks. 

The usuals -

• Veggie Chili - This week I posted a video for a Three Bean Veggie Chili, this one is a crowd pleaser.  Both meat eaters and vegetarians love this dish. 
• Chili Con Carne - Don’t like veggie chili, then try Emeril Lagasse’s Chili Con Carne or Jamie Deen’s Chili .
• Guacamole - How about some guacamole with those chips?  There are lots of options in this category - you can try My Chunky Guacamole, or Rachel Ray’s Garlicky Holy Guacamole, or Tyler Florence’s Guacamole.
• Want some salsa options?  Try the traditional with Sara Moulton’s Fresh Tomato Salsa or go more adventurous with Bobby Flay’s Tropical Fruit Salsa.

How about something a little different-

• Ina’s Pan-Fried Onion Dip - This is delicious - check out my review of it.
• Stuffed Meatball Hoagies - Emeril’s Meatball Hoagies or Rachel Ray’s Meatball Subs.
• Po’ Boy Sandwiches - Try Paula’s Shrimp and Oyster Po’ Boy or Emeril’s Smothered Andouille Po’ Boy.

As you can see the options are endless.  Do something safe and comfortable or try something new and exciting, any way you look at it Super Bowl parties were made for eating.  Have fun and eat up!  Have any ideas or suggestions for a great Super Bowl party?  Leave us a comment or send me an email.  Stay tuned next week for more great Super Bowl party tips and recipes. 

Planning a party for meat-eaters, vegetarians and vegans can be tough, but not if you have some great ideas to feed all three.  Italian food is an excellent choice to serve at a mixed eating party.  Pasta is one of those things that can be made with or without eggs, most boxed pastas do not contain eggs, which is great news for you.  You can also make antipasti platters that can be eaten by vegans, vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.  Why not include some grilled vegetables, olives, and dips?  Here’s a list of some great ideas.  Click on the links to get the recipes from Food TV.

Vegans-

• Vegan Antipasti
• Spaghetti Marinara
• Panzanella (using a good vegan bread in place of the french loaf in this recipe)

Vegetarians (Can always eat the same as the vegans, but here are a few other options)

• Vegetarian Lasagna
• Bruschetta
• Caprese Salad

Meat-Eaters (And all the vegetarian, or vegan options, of course)

• Chicken Parmigiana
• Meat and cheese Antipasti
• Bresaola Salad

Ever find yourself hosting a party for vegans, vegetarians, and meat eaters at the same time?  It happens more often than you think.  Many household have vegetarians and meat eaters living under the same roof.  Do you want to throw an interesting and delicious party?  Have you thought of doing Mediterranean?  If you are having a mixed eating party I would definitely suggest a Mediterranean theme.

Here are my suggestions for all three groups - of course, keep in mind the meat eaters can eat the food in all three categories

Vegan Options - Falafel Sandwiches, Tabouleh, Hummus, Greek Salad (minus the feta), Baba Ghanouj

Vegetarian Options - Cucumber Yogurt dip (also known as Tzatziki), Greek salad with Feta, and all the vegan options, of course, Spanakopita

Meat Eater Options - Lamb skewers, Gyros, Stuffed grape leaves

Click on the links above for some great recipe ideas.