Party time!

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I'm a member of a book club that started in my neighborhood a few years ago. We're an eclectic, opinionated, fun group of women, ranging in age from mid 30's to early 60's.We meet monthly and take turns hosting the book club in our homes. It's always a good time. We have lots of food, drinks, and gossip deep, intellectually stimulating book discussion. 
One of the things I enjoy about hosting the book club is that it gives me a chance to break out the party food recipes that I've been tucking away. I had been wanting to make a cheese ring for a while and hosting the book club ladies was the perfect excuse to break out this old Southern favorite. I found several different recipes on the internet for this ring, even one know as Rosalyn Carter's Cheese Ring. How Southern, circa 1970's is that? All the recipes were basically the same with just a few minor differences. My ring is a combination of things I liked from a couple of recipes I found. 
After the cheese ring is taken out of the mold, the center of the ring is filled with strawberry preserves. I dressed it up with a sprinkle of pecans and some fresh fruit. I loved how retro-y it looked and the book club devoured it.

Cheese Ring with Strawberry Preserves

Ingredients:
1 pound shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (white cheddar is good too)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
5 medium green onions, finely chopped (white parts only)
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste
1 cup of chopped pecans

Method:
In a medium bowl, mix together the Cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, green onion, pecans, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder until well blended. *Coat a ring shaped gelatin mold generously with cooking spray, or you can use a silicon mold. Spoon the cheese mixture into the mold, cover, and chill for 2 to 3 hours to set.
Unmold onto a serving plate, and pour strawberry preserves into the center. Arrange crackers and fruit around the outside of the ring.
*If you don't have a mold, you can make the cheese into a log and wrap it in plastic wrap to set up. Serve the strawberry preserves on the side. I used these homemade strawberry preserves, but any good quality store bought preserves would be good. The ring would also be delicious served with raspberry preserves.

Cranberry Salsa

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With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I wanted to post this cranberry salsa. At my families Thanksgiving Day celebration, we prepare pretty much the same meal every year. It's sort of the unwritten law that foods can be added but none of the traditional dishes can be left off the menu from year to year. Everyone in the family has his or her favorite that must be included. This is even true with our cranberry sauces. We have some that want the kind from a can, others that demand a fresh cranberry relish, and some (me) that love this hot cranberry rum relish. I'm sure that this salsa would be wonderful with the Thanksgiving meal, but we already have more than enough cranberry sauces on our table. So I'm not going to make this one for Thanksgiving Day. No this salsa has an even higher calling. If you're from Alabama, or pretty much anywhere in the South, you already know that THE most important football game of the year is played the Saturday after Thanksgiving. No, the Super Bowl isn't being played early this year. This game is waaayy more important than the Super Bowl here in Alabama. It's the day the Iron Bowl is played, Alabama vs. Auburn, with a year of bragging rights at stake. If you are a native Alabamian, you're pretty much born into allegiance to one or the other of these two teams. While the game is being played, everything else is put on hold for those 3 or so hours. With a game of this significance, of course tailgating food is required. So whether you are an Auburn or Alabama fan or a fan of some other team that plays a game after Thanksgiving, this cranberry salsa is great for game day. If football isn't your thing, and you couldn't care less who wins the Iron Bowl (gasp! sacrilege!!) this spicy/sweet cranberry salsa would be divine on a sandwich of leftover turkey and sharp cheddar cheese...drool!
   

This salsa is the perfect addition to any holiday party!

Cranberry Salsa
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

1 (12-oz.) package fresh or frozen cranberries
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 navel orange, peeled and coarsely chopped
2/3 cup sugar

2 green onions, roughly chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped crystallized ginger
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro*

Method:
1. Pulse cranberries in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Pulse orange zest and next 6 ingredients in food processor 3 to 5 times or until orange, ginger, and pepper are finely chopped. Stir into cranberries; cover and chill 2 to 24 hours.

*Make Ahead: Prepare recipe as directed, omitting fresh cilantro. Freeze in an airtight container up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Stir in cilantro just before serving.

Source: Southern Living Nov. 2011 (adapted)

Smoked Salmon Cheesecake

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Sorry for the lack of posting but life has gotten in the way as of late. I'm hoping to get things back on track! One of the things that kept me from blogging last week was catering for a bridal brunch. I made this smoked salmon cheesecake as part of the brunch menu. It's a savory version of a dessert cheesecake. This was the first savory cheesecake I've ever made and I loved the end product. It even has a "crust" made from dry breadcrumbs!  The cheesecake is filled with smoked salmon, dill, scallions, and capers. It's all the things you love on your morning bagel, baked up together. This savory cheesecake makes an elegant addition to any party. 

I'm sorry I didn't get a photo of the inside  of the cheesecake but I don't think the hostess would have appreciated a missing slice!

Smoked Salmon Cheesecake

(printable recipe)
(Source Women's Day December, 2006)

INGREDIENTS 

1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs

3- 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened 

3 large eggs 

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream  

2 Tbsp flour  

11/2 tsp grated lemon zest  

1/4 tsp each salt and pepper  

4 oz sliced smoked salmon, coarsely chopped  

6 scallions, thinly sliced  

2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill  

1 Tbsp capers, chopped  

PREPARATION

Heat oven to 325°F. Coat bottom and sides of an 8-in. springform pan with nonstick spray. Add bread crumbs; tilt and rotate pan to cover bottom and sides with crumbs. Beat cream cheese in a large bowl with mixer on medium speed 1 minute or just until smooth. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until blended. Beat in sour cream, flour, zest, salt and pepper until combined. Stir in salmon, scallions, dill and capers. Pour into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake 40 minutes or until center is just set. Remove pan to wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate covered. Shortly before serving: Remove side of pan. Place cheesecake on serving plate. Cut in wedges. Serve with crackers or toasted baguette.

Blue Cheese Pomegranate Bites

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Earlier this month I saw that fresh pomegranates were in abundance at my market. I love pomegranates, they are not only delicious, but beautiful as well. Cut into a ripe pomegranate and you are rewarded with the sweet ruby red treasure contained within. I'm not exactly sure why, but for me they herald the beginning of holiday season. Maybe it's that glorious red color. Whatever the reason, fresh pomegranates mean the holidays must be upon us! With the holiday party season in mind, I thought I use my fresh pomegranates to make some appetizers. These are easy and fairly quick to make. You can make up the pomegranate syrup ahead of time. It will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator. Make extra syrup, it's so good you'll want to have some to drizzle it over ice cream, yogurt, pancakes etc.

Blue Cheese Pomegranate Bites

(Print Recipe)

1  (8-ounce) piece of blue cheese, chilled (you can also use the crumbled blue cheese)

1 1/2   packages frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

1/3  cup  pomegranate syrup (recipe below)

1/4 cup arils (seeds) from 1 large pomegranate

Preparation:
If not using the crumbled blue cheese, cut cheese into 24 cubes, and set aside.
Roll pastry into a 15- x 10-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface; cut into 24 squares. Fit squares into miniature muffin pans, extending corners slightly above cup rims.
Bake pastry at 425° for 10 to 12 minutes or until it begins to brown. Remove from oven, and gently press handle of a wooden spoon into center of each pastry, forming a shell.
Spoon 1/2 teaspoon syrup into each shell; top with a piece of blue cheese. Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese melts. Top with the fresh pomegranate arils (seeds) and serve immediately.

Pomegranate Syrup 

Ingredients:

 4 cups fresh pomegranate juice

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Preparation:

In a saucepan, combine pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice over medium heat.
Stir until sugar has completely dissolved.
Allow to cook over medium high heat for 20-25 minutes, or until juice is the consistency of syrup.
Remove from heat and allow to cool. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

These appetizers are also very versatile. 24 wine-and-cheese crackers may be substituted. Top each cracker with the cheese, and drizzle with the syrup; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Top with the fresh pomegranate arils. Brie could be substituted for the blue cheese.