Mad Men Premiere Party
It’s time to get serious about the season premiere of Mad Men this weekend. Are you excited? I am! I don’t watch a ton of television, but Mad Men is just so darn good. More than that though, I’m really excited that we’re going to have a 60’s themed cocktail party and watch with our friends. Any excuse to dress up and have fancy drinks is good for me.
I’ve been brainstorming appetizers for weeks now and have settled on a few so far. When I asked my mom what appetizers were popular in the early 60’s, she responded with “Boring stuff.” Boring just doesn’t work for me. So here are some ideas that are simple and easy to make, but still fun.
Pigs in a Blanket – Tofu dogs wrapped in puff pastry, with a side of BBQ sauce. That’s about as easy as it gets.
Jello – There is actually such a thing as vegan jello. You can buy the boxed brand or make your own with agar-agar. The tricky part will be finding cute jello molds. Maybe top these with with some coconut whipped cream.
Deviled “Eggs” – I’ve always wanted to try this recipe. To make things easier though, I may just put the “yolks” on toast.
Obviously though, it’s essential that we have a well stocked bar to make cocktails. I’m thinking some Moscow Mules & Old Fashions. I suppose it’s appropriate to also have martinis but then I need to get some darn martini glasses that I may never use again. Don’t know how to make these classics? Recipes below!
I really want a punch bowl too. This isn’t exactly traditional cocktail party style, but it’s spring and it would be fun to have some citrus fruit drink.
Ok, let’s get on to those drink recipes.
Old Fashioned
- 2 oz whiskey or bourbon
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1 orange twist
In a cocktail shaker or large glass, muddle the sugar with the bitters and a splash of water or seltzer until the sugar is dissolved. Fill with ice and stir in alcohol until chilled. Strain into a double old fashioned glass filled with ice. Garnish with a twist.
Moscow Mule
- 2 oz vodka
- 1/2 oz lime juice
- 4 oz ginger ale (chilled)
- 1 lime wedge
In a tall glass, mix vodka and lime juice. Add ice and pour in ginger ale. Garnish with lime.
Then of course there is also the important element of what to wear. I’ll be a search for the perfect party dress. Can I make my hair into a beehive? I don’t know but I’d sure like to try.
Do you want to have a Mad Men party too? I hope so. What will you serve?
entertaining
I am by no means a social butterfly, but I love to play hostess. Often times, the menus I plan to make are often much grander than my capabilities. Sometimes you just have to make something simple.
For instance, this fantastic Spinach Dip that came together in about half an hour. I ate way too much of this stuff, but it was just so good, I couldn’t help myself. Not only is this recipe fast and easy, it’s missing a lot of the ingredients that freaked me out about other similar dips (like mayo, which sounds gross). Also, it has sauerkraut as a main ingredient; therefore, it’s extra awesome.
The other thing I’m learning is that you don’t have to make everything. Sometimes ordering native wings from Native Foods is the way to go. Pair that with some chips and guacamole from Trader Joe’s and you’re set. Now that’s easy.
Do you have any favorite easy recipes to share? Something good for sitting around and watching a movie with friends?
Vegan Engagement Party
It’s been a crazy weekend. The Brainwashed Love screening was Friday. It was such an amazing experience. The theater was packed and we got such good responses from everyone. So exciting! More about that later though…
Since most of Shawn’s family lives out of state, we thought we’d make the weekend a double feature and have our engagement party on Saturday night. Oh the joy of throwing a bunch of people who don’t know each other together in a room over food. Not to mention, hoping that the vegan meal you serve a bunch of non-vegans will convince them that the wedding food is going to be awesome as well.
Luckily, we had a secret weapon…Madeleine Bistro. We chose the most gourmet of vegan restaurants in Los Angeles as the venue for our dinner. It was outstanding and everyone was more than impressed.
We started with a selection of appetizers. I tried them all. They all were awesome. They included the mini mac, farmers cheese and caramelized onions in filo, pesto pizza and smoked farmers cheese on crostini. Oh man.
I just realized how hard to write this post is going to be. This food was so good. I’m salivating.
Each was a perfect little burst of flavor and taste of what was to come. I was particularly impressed with the farmers cheese, which was smoky, rich and left me wanting more and more.
I think the big hit of the bunch was the mini mac. A cute, bite sized burger with all the flavors of the full size version.
The next course was a french onion soup. One of my favorite soups that it so hard to find vegan. I loved the thick bread soaked in the savory soup.
We were lucky to have gorgeous flower arrangements made by Shawn’s uncle, Gordon. He showed up to the restaurant and surprised us by decorating the tables with these lovely flowers and candle before we arrived. It looked amazing and really made the dinner just that much more special.
On to the next course. We had a choice of either the red beet tartare or a ceasar salad for our guests. Both Shawn and I had the red beet tartare. I can’t believe I haven’t ordered this off the menu before. It was SO good. The beets were sweet, magically creamy and perfectly matched with the crispy croquette. Even the oil and vinegar drizzle on the plate was superb.
But wait…there’s more! For the next course, we again had a choice of two items. Shawn ordered the chicken fried seitan with rustic mashed potatoes, pan gravy and vegetable medley. I’m pretty sure Madeleine bistro makes the best seitan ever. Especially the chicken fried seitan. It’s simultaneously crunchy and moist. It’s like the perfect southern meal, made vegan.
I went for something new to me, the grilled lemon rosemary seitan with a savory crepe and black kale. Again, the seitan was fantastic. It had a light sauce and was so juicy. The crepe was mind blowing. I’m not even kidding. Filled with asparagus and a sort of cheesy filling, it was unlike anything I’ve tried anywhere else.
Finally on to dessert. I was so full at this point (but pleasantly full, mind you). Shawn had the cheesecake.
I went for the brownie sundae. It was everything I could have dreamed for in a dessert. Chewy, chocolately brownie with sweet ice cream and a decadent fudge sauce and a touch of fruit sauce. Loved it. So much.
We made it! Stuffed and happy and families introduced! Success!
It was really a special night for us and I’m so glad that we were able to impress our guests with such wonderful food. A few family members admitted that they had backup plans if they didn’t like the ominous vegan food, but in the same breath told us they loved everything they had. I love being able to show people that vegan food can really be wonderful and delicious and break through any misgivings they might have.
