EVENT PLANNING BOOKS

During the Easter celebration, bunny cakes are whimsical and fun. My suggestion to take your inspiration to your Easter salad presentation. You can still utilize your bunny shaped sheet pan cake mold to shape the salad design. Just transform the design impact shape with mixed greens, spinach leaves, and carrot cuts to form the eyes and bunny shaped ears. This is a fun project for the children in the family, too, and what bunny doesn’t love salad greens! © Kelly McBride Loft

In springtime, everyone loves a good tomato: Heirloom, Roma, and Beef Steak tomatoes are classic favorites. Also, it is fun to creatively stuff tomatoes. For stuffing, I like to use Campari tomatoes, which are about 2 inches in diameter. Blanch the tomatoes to remove the skin. This is done by placing the tomatoes into vigorously boiling water, for no more than 6 seconds and then immediately placing the tomatoes into iced water. Peel, by hand, to remove the skin easily. Then, carefully cut off the top of each tomato. Carefully, remove the inside fruit and pulp of the tomatoes. Fill the tomatoes with goat cheese that has been mixed with fresh herbs. Chill and when ready to serve, turn the tomatoes upside down covering the open top area. Drizzle with your favorite vinaigrette dressing. It’s elegant; yet, easy and offers unforgettable tasteful simplicity! © Kelly McBride Loft

One can never picnic enough in life and if we try to find the good from any of 2020, picnicking should be a concept that we continue to maintain. Picnic baskets set the tone; it’s a small but important detail. Compare it to artful plating…would you prefer an appetizing meal or a thrown together meal? It centers around the appeal of the presentation. Picnic baskets can be individualized, such as utilizing Easter baskets or larger, sturdy baskets. Wine and wine glasses pair with cheese and bread selections. Try my Prosciutto Logs which are 2-inch celery cuts filled with flavored cream cheese wrapped with prosciutto. It’s an easy prep and goes well with any picnic choices. Fruit is colorful and wholesome. For picnics, whole fruit such as pears, apples, blueberries, and strawberries are simple to set out for enjoyment. Small tubs of cut fruit are also a good choice. If you wish to make a fruit cocktail, mix the cut-up fruit pieces with poppyseed dressing vs. whipped cream since temperature challenges may occur with outdoor dining. Turn off your cellular device and pack some entertainment such as a guitar, a chess set, a kite, a good book, a sketch book, a croquet set, a badminton set, doggie treats for your pet, etc. Biking, canoeing, hiking, and bird watching are also fun to add to your picnic planning. Always bring some bottled water or sparkling water no matter the length of your picnic experience and consider your “table” styling. Will it be blanket with a waterproof liner underneath, an existing picnic table in the park, or your own table configuration? Actually, classic TV trays are lightweight and versatile for road trips and tailgating. I once saw someone put a kiddie inflatable pool in the back of the bed of their pickup truck with inflatable palm trees to listen to a beach concert, picnic tailgating style. Your picnic is your perfect world, as you wish to portray it! Make your springtime picnic debuts picturesque, creative, and memorable. © Kelly McBride Loft

March energizes the world with its seasonal changes. North of the equator we look forward to temperate breezes, as nature is literally a-buzz with activity. This is my favorite time of year to prepare my springtime Spinach Lasagna. First, prepare the lasagna noodles, al dente. I coat the cooked pasta in olive oil as the other ingredients are prepared. You will need ricotta cheese and homemade Alfredo Sauce. To make the Alfredo Sauce, begin with equal parts of butter and flour to cook a “roux.” Slowly add hot milk, little by little, to stir in vigorously. Adjust the seasoning with salt, to taste. Make the sauce less than thick because you will add Parmesan cheese, stirring vigorously, to complete the sauce. Next, quick boil an abundance of fresh spinach and drain by pressing the spinach leaves between 2 plates. (An abundance because, spinach shrinks when cooked.) Let the layering begin! Spray your heat resistant dish with non-stick spray. Ladle on a small about of Alfredo Sauce and alternate with pasta, spinach, and ricotta, while sparingly adding the Alfredo Sauce. Finish the last topping with the Alfredo sauce. Heat the lasagna by baking thoroughly before serving. To fully embrace the moment, decorate the cooked lasagna with fresh whole basil leaves and lovely edible flowers made from fresh vegetables, such as tomato rosettes. The plain top of a cooked lasagna provides a blank “canvas” for the creative! It is a beautiful and filling springtime dinner treat to shake off winter’s long-standing intrusion. © Kelly McBride Loft

Who doesn’t love fried shrimp? It’s a classic favorite and I like to explore different flavors with shrimp. Shrimp or prawns, when peeled these crustaceans absorb flavors very easily, as does chicken. Try Kelly’s Coconut Fried Shrimp for a delightful “getaway” to the sea from the comfort of your own kitchen. This time of year, you may need to utilize frozen shrimp and actually frozen shrimp are easy to peel. Just run cold water over the shrimp, as you peel each. (There is a saying in Louisiana that if you love your guests, you will peel their shrimp for them.) With this labor of love, I always toss the peeled and deveined shrimp onto a bowl of ice as I complete the peeling process. Gently press each shrimp into the palm of your hand to remove any access water and set the shrimp into a bowl of cold unsweetened coconut milk. Refrigerate the shrimp in the coconut milk for at least 30 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the marinate, pat dry, and dip the shrimp into buttermilk, then dip each into a combination of flour and minced coconut. Battered, return the shrimp to the refrigerator for about 1 hour. When ready to serve, fry the shrimp to perfection and serve with my special sauce: In a small bowl, add a half jar of natural flavor orange marmalade. Pour on soy sauce, enough to cover the top of the marmalade. Mix well to make a great dipping sauce for the Coconut Fried Shrimp! Who’s the culinary seafarer now – © Kelly McBride Loft

When ships were our significant means of intercontinental transportation, a disease called Scurvy was discovered. It was caused from an extreme lack of vitamin C; thus, oranges were introduced into the sailors’ diets which created a solution. Today, many still suffer from a lack of vitamin C, especially during the wintertime. This could be from food insecurity or those who are challenged to eat fruits and vegetables. Try Kelly’s Fruit Compote to promote fruit in your diet and create a beautiful dessert, too! The choice is to make individual ramekins or one small trifle bowl of this fruitful delight. You will need peeled and sliced kiwi; sliced strawberries; blueberries; thin orange slices (with the rind and seeds removed); sliced grapefruit (with the rind and seeds removed); and shredded coconut. For the binding sauce between layers and the topping, mix 2 cups of sour cream with ¼ cup of brown sugar and ¼ cup of brandy. Select the trifle bowl or the ramekins and begin the layering, by alternating each layer of fruit with the sour cream sauce between the fruit. This colorful spectrum of flavor will brighten any winter day and help to provide essential vitamins! © Kelly McBride Loft

V-Day 2021 may be remembered for epic cold endurance but there are many ways to celebrate the occasion as a couple, as a single, or as a family. Treat yourself to my Black Forest Parfaits! First, prepare large sturdy wine glasses, one per person. Bake or purchase a dark chocolate cake. In a skillet, simmer on low heat, one 15 oz. can of dark sweet pitted cherries with a ½ cup of brandy until the juice becomes thick. Whip fresh whipping cream and lightly sweeten. The assembly of the parfait is fun. Alternate and layer the fresh whipping cream, the cooled-down brandied cherries, the dark chocolate cake dollops, and small sprinkles of walnuts. As you alternate the layers, wipe the edge of the glass clean. Make the last layer whipped cream to decorate the top with a final cherry. Refrigerate until ready to enjoy. A heartwarming singles’ idea or a family concept to serve the Black Forest Parfaits while enjoying a pile of new books or magazines. Pair your Black Forest Parfaits with fresh brewed coffee and this V-day, inside, will make the winter storm easy to blow away! © Kelly McBride Loft

Chinese New Years are fun to celebrate and this year becomes the year of the Ox. I have decided to prepare veal cross-cut shank soup with fresh bok choy and carrot medallions. First, purchase a veal cross-cut shank, per person. Sear 2 onions in butter, cut into chunks. Reserve. Sear the Veal cross-cut shank(s) in butter or oil. Then, braise the shank(s) with the seared onion for several hours, until the meat is tender. Remove the beef to strain the broth. Add carrot medallions to the strained broth and cook the carrots until tender. Remove any fat or bones from the beef and return the beef to the broth with the carrots. Adjust the seasoning and just prior to serving, add bok choy leaves. This soup is also great when paired with dumplings. The party isn’t complete without chop sticks, a bamboo centerpiece, and little red envelopes, filled with money. It’s all part of the fun! © Kelly McBride Loft

We all need to stretch our budgets in 2021 and potatoes have served as the quintessential budget filler, figuratively and literally. A friend shared with me that when she immigrated to the US, her mother used to put whipped potatoes into heavily buttered cupcake pans, with a tiny piece of beef stuffed in the middle to ensure that she, as child, was getting a hot meal and a protein. One of my grandparents’ favorite during the Depression was fried potato cakes. I have come up with my own favorite, which stretches the 2021 budget and saves on essential kitchen time. Try Kelly’s Mashed Potato Cakes for a quick fix to a savory side starch. It is great during cold weather, also. First, prepare an increased quantity of mashed potatoes so that you have left overs. The classic dish is comprised of boiled and drained potatoes which are heavily beaten with butter, milk, salt, and pepper. You will have a batch for that evening and just refrigerate the remaining portion. When you are ready to prepare the mashed potato cakes, prepare a heat-proof pan by covering the bottom with parchment paper. This is necessary to remove the cakes from the pan. Next, dollop the cakes onto the parchment paper and shape the cakes with your hands. Then, sprinkle on fresh cracked black pepper and paprika. Bake the cakes in the oven at 350⁰F for about 20 minutes, until thoroughly hot. It’s a reinvention of a classic favorite, soon to become your family’s new favorite. Enjoy © Kelly McBride Loft

I have chatted with so many friends who thought, in December, that the first month of 2021 signaled the end of the pandemic. Though this may occur before year’s end, we must still be patient. So, our 2021 lifestyles are still not that much different, yet. We must energize ourselves again to be vigilant a bit longer as the virus continues its stealth path. How do we do this? I turn to my kitchen. Our homes have been our safe place and will continue to do so. Brighten your family’s day by preparing a heartfelt meal. I suggest the wholesomeness of Chicken & Biscuits. This family style entrée will bring a smile to anyone’s face. On the stove top, in a large cast-iron skillet sauté chopped onion, green pepper, celery and diced carrots in butter. When the vegetables are soft, add 1 crushed glove of garlic. Add 1/2 cup of sherry to deglaze the skillet. Add thyme leaves (not the stems). Add 1/2 cup of flour to make a roux. Cook until incorporated. Add very hot ½ and ½ milk, little by little to begin the sauce. Add, little by little, heated chicken sauce to begin to slightly liquify the sauce. In a separate small bowl, hand beat 1 egg yolk, until completely smooth. Add a little sauce to the egg bowl and stir vigorously to prepare the egg mixture to be put into the skillet. (If you put the egg straight into the skillet, you will have a cooked egg yolk – not an incorporated egg yolk.) Add pre-cooked boiled chicken pieces. Gently simmer until all of the ingredients in the dish are hot and adjust the seasoning to taste. Remove the skillet from the direct heat, but keep warm. Prepare the biscuits and preheat the oven to 425⁰F. When almost ready to serve to your family, place the cut biscuit dough on top of the chicken mixture. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the biscuits are baked through. Serve in the middle of your table, placed on a double layer of hot pads. 2021 just had a bright place, emanating from the glow from the middle of your kitchen table. © Kelly McBride Loft

With the chill in the air, hot food is heartwarming and this specialty is a dish that my mother made – Mom’s Scalloped Potatoes. I have tried many variations of scalloped potatoes and I have determined that Mom’s is still the best for its smooth, creamy, rich taste. Mom’s Scalloped Potatoes can be assembled the day before and refrigerated until ready to bake. You will need a 12-pack of American individual cheese slices and 12 large red new potatoes. Peel the new (red) potatoes and slice all ¼ inch thick. Par-boil but do not cook the potatoes until done – cook these just enough to shorten the baking time, which is about half the time you would boil potatoes for potato salad. Ready a 9” X 12“ baking dish by spraying it with non-stick spray. In a 4-cup measuring cup, spoon in 1 cup of flour. ON TOP of that, pour on “half & half” milk to the 3-cup level. Stir vigorously. Into the baking dish, pour on a thin layer of the flour/milk mixture. Layer on the par-boiled sliced potatoes to cover the bottom of the dish. Then, lightly salt with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Pour on another thin layer of the flour mixture. Cover the potatoes with slices of American individual sliced cheese. Repeat the same steps for the next layer. Top the dish with the final layer of American individual sliced cheese. Cover to refrigerate for baking later or bake covered with foil at 375⁰F for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until bubbly. Cheese can be a cook’s best friend in the wintertime because the strength of your kitchen is only as good as when those who are eating are happy. © Kelly McBride Loft

The snows are reaching far south this year and the culinary celebration of Maple syrup is upon us. Native Americans discovered this divine sweetness generated from Maple trees. In the 1700’s and 1800’s, maple syrup was widely enjoyed. Maple syrup is not only good on pancakes; it is a great flavoring for vegetables, too. Try my Maple Carrots for a wholesome winter’s day side dish. First, peel and slice the carrots (one per person) into medallions. Simmer in water until almost tender. Drain the carrots and return to the pot. Add a small amount of orange juice and a generous drizzle of Maple syrup. Serve hot with your main course. It’s colorful, homemade, and delicious! So, let it snow and the cold winds blow; we know how to sweeten up our lives during challenging times and we have known this for centuries. © Kelly McBride Loft

We have so much to look forward to in 2021! Let’s shake off the most challenging Last Year – oh, it is so grand to write that. We did learn a few special things Last Year, home is safety and our kitchen tables exude essential togetherness with our immediate families. So, let’s keep the best of Last Year, as we move forward. Try my Oyster Soup to kick-start a great year ahead, keeping our most special home-style dining. Begin with the Oysters (a dozen). Clean the Oysters and remove the tough tissue that attaches to the shell. No one wants to “chew” their soup. Keep the Oysters cold until the broth is ready. In a small soup pot, melt a half stick of butter. Add 1 celery stick (finely diced) and 1 shallot (finely diced). Add the leaves only (no stems) of Thyme (about 1 tablespoon). Sauté until tender. Add ¼ more of a stick of butter. Then, add 1 crush garlic clove. After no more than 1 minute, turn up the heat to high and once boiling add 1/3 cup of Cream Sherry. Deglaze the pan by stirring with a wooden spoon, as this bubbles up. TURN DOWN THE HEAT. (You don’t want to burn it – just deglaze it.) Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of flour and stir vigorously to make the Roux. The Roux should simmer for about 3 minutes. Meanwhile heat 2 to 3 cups of Whole Milk in the Microwave (I do 1 cup at a time to keep the milk hot as you add it, little by little, to the Roux in the pot). Little by little add the HOT milk to the Roux, stirring vigorously to incorporate the liquid. ONLY ADD ENOUGH MILK, TO THE THICKNESS THAT YOU WANT. LIGHTLY salt with kosher salt. You want to taste the oysters, not the salt. Now, strain this broth before adding the oysters. (Without straining you will have the tiny bits of celery, shallot, and thyme leaves.) Add the prepared oysters. Only simmer the oysters for 8 to 10 minutes. This is SIMMERING, NOT BOILING. (Don’t over-cook the oysters.) Welcome 2021 with this exceptional soup. Its inspiration is from the sea and its wholesomeness will sustain your very special family. © Kelly McBride Loft

Oh, if there was ever a year to celebrate, it is the closure of 2020 to embrace 2021! Create your own version of a London Grille while firing up your grille and fire pit with the people who live under the same roof. Offer grilled lamb, veal, beef filet, Cornish hen, and/or crab claws. I suggest lemon parfaits for desserts – changing the sour lemons of 2020 to the sweet lemon desserts in 2021! Social distancing is a necessary protective measure; however, separating outdoor dining table(s) to family units who live under the same roof, can enhance a celebratory moment. Take temperatures upon arrival with a non-contact forehead thermometer and set the ground rules that we don’t clink glasses this year. Baked Alaska fits this style gathering – but keep everyone outside and at a safe distance. (Tenting or a garage transformation will be the backup inclement weather coverage – it’s still 2020 and we still need to be flexible.) This is the year to safely celebrate that you survived 2020!

The Feast of the Seven Fishes has a long-standing heritage impact. Traditionally, each of the seven courses offers a delicate dish from the sea. The main course can be a prized whole fish with “a pocket” cut into the top side to the fish, such as a large flounder. To make this, utilize a large sheet pan with an edge of at least 1”. Cover the pan with parchment paper; then place the fish. With the fish scales removed, fill the pocket cut into the fish with thyme leaves (not the stems), chopped basil and thin lemon slices with the seeds removed. In a large measuring cup melt 1 stick of butter and mix in 1 cup of creamed sherry. Stir well and pour this onto the prepared fish. Once poured onto the fish. Lightly salt the fish. Let this marinate on the fish for about 15 minutes before cooking. Broil or bake the fish until thoroughly cooked. To serve, plate the fish onto a large platter. A sauce to accompany the fish is always appreciated, such as lemon butter sauce. The main fish course should always be eaten with proper fish forks and fish knives. Merry Christmas! © Kelly McBride Loft