Sunday, January 22, 2012

Tapa's Night for January

We had our monthly Tapa's night last night and it was fun as usual.   I have to admit that I enjoy having these get-togethers a lot.    It's a fair amount of work, but hey, the house needs cleaning at least once a month, right?  Just kidding, sorta.    We get to hang out with friends, nibble a little, have a drink or two, and just get together without pressure.    And we have fun.
Last night was no exception.    I got to make a couple of new dishes, and tried some totally fantastic offerings, and it was all good. 

I know you can't wait to read what I made, but you'll just have to, so there!     Tired of waiting?  OK, well, as you may have read I try to keep a stocked pantry and fridge and basically made my contributions out of that.
Let me digress here a moment.   I usually have at least one package of cream cheese in my fridge, it's such a multi purpose item, you can do so much with a block of cream cheese, think about it.   See what I mean, I got you thinking, didn't I?   I just got the idea for a blog post, the many uses for Cream Cheese.    Sorry, I do tend to get distracted, sometimes.  

I used Ina Garten's recipe for a Smoked Salmon Spread, and it was so good.   I had a package of Smoked Salmon in the cupboard, and had all the rest of the items in my fridge. 

Also put out a dish of chips and salsa, and finally...    I know I get carried away sometimes, but I made a couple of pizza's.   They're finger food, right?  If you cut them right. 

I made what a friend once called a 'Lady's Pizza',


and also a regular Peppperoni with Veggies Pizza. 


And both seemed to be well received.    I used a package pizza dough, the kind where you add water and then make the dough, I had a couple of packages in the pantry already.   And of course had all the rest of the fixin's in the fridge.   I told you this was out of my pantry and fridge this time.

And we had a wide variety of offerings this time, all the way from Stuffed Grape Leaves to a Jamaican Curry Chicken salad with Mango Chutney.   Hmmmm, we had the gamut, Greek, Italian, Jamaican, Southern, Mid-Eastern, and American foods.   It was a multi-cultural event.  How about that!
Fresh Tomato's drizzled with Balsamic Vinegar, set on a bed of fresh greens, with some Mozzarella Cheese on top.  They all got eaten, and it was such a pretty dish as well.   We do eat with our eyes.
Jamaican Curry Chicken Salad with Mango Chutney, I'm so getting the recipe for this.
From the front, Egg Rolls and Mozzarella Sticks, Chips and Salsa, and the Smoked Salmon spread with some Crostini.  and way in the back, a plate of Kiwi and Mango Cheesecake.  See it?
Hummus with some Pita Chips, and a bonus, this was home made and good.
Dolmades (stuffed Grape Leaves), the last time I had these, it was in a restaurant. 
Cheese and Sausage plate, always a welcome dish.
Baked Brie, yummy and it was popular.
Pulled Pork, interesting recipe as it's cooked in a crock pot with Root Beer. 
Eggplant Caviar with toasted Whole grain bread.
Foreground, the Jamaican Curry Chicken Salad and in the back a Taco Dip plate.


I'll post the recipe for the Pizza's and the Smoked Salmon tomorrow, since this post is getting a little long.  






Sidsel Munkholm - Author
Sidsel Munkholm - Author

Sid loves to cook, feed people and have fun in the kitchen. She shares her successes and the involuntary offerings she sometimes gives the kitchen goddess as well. And she's still looking for the mythical fairy to help her clean the kitchen after a marathon cooking session. Currently working on a cookbook showcasing the recipes from her Danish heritage.

No comments:

Post a Comment

I love to hear from my readers, so please feel free to drop me a note, let me know if you like something I made, it makes my day.