housewarming party & tasty reactions!

Katie & Dan's Housewarming Party...our first event!

Prep work for all the ingredients in the spring rolls have been chopped, julianned, spread out and ready to be rolled! Notice the full glass of wine next to my prep plate...don't forget to drink!

Busy rollin away thai spring rolls! One down, 24 more to go!

One of the most crucial steps in making these tasty little rolls is sauteeing the shrimp is butter and garlic first!

Kim made a beautiful chopping board spread to make her assembly of Caprese Wontons a bit easier. Its no coincidence that these colors match those on the Italian flag! Italians swear by mozarella cheese, tomatoes, and basil!

By the looks on our faces, you would think we have everything under control...that's cause we do!

People loving and enjoying our food...

Our beautifully plated spring rolls and spicy peanut sauce.

Dessert paninis assembled and ready for the panini grill!

Our pre-wrapped Caprese Wontons ready to take a dive in the bath of hot oil!

Delish Co-Owners, Kim Risso and Jasmine Wong are all smiles! Our event was a huge success!

Kim is so detailed oriented! Even in the way she carefully places each individual mint leaf on each mini cheesecake bite!

This picture speaks for itself. Yum!

Dessert paninis hot of the grill! All that cheesey fruity melty goodness! These were devoured within minutes! There wasn't even enough time for them to cool down!

our very first tasting...

We had some very happy first clients at this tasting! They loved all the dishes we presented. The week afterward, I believe Katie's exact words were "I've been dreaming about those dessert panini all week!". Wow! I would say that is an EPIC SUCCESS!

Time to feast with your eyes! Since our blog doesn't have smell/taste-a-vision!

Kim's beautifully plated Caprese Wontons with balsamic vinegar to drizzle on top for extra zing!

Mike, our wonderful taste tester trying our peanut sauce. You wanted more spice? You got it!

Garlic Shrimp Thai Spring Rolls with Spicy Chili Garlic Peanut Sauce. You really can't go wrong with these - refreshing and spicy, yet savory and peanut-ty!

Kim...working away on her little Caprese Salad Wontons with such meticulousness and tender loving care!

Adding extra chili garlic sauce to my peanut sauce. The more the merrier!

Mini Cheesecake Bites. This is how they look right out of the oven. Seems like substituting the sour cream for creme fraiche held up!

Brussel Sprouts: you're my only friend!

Wow...what a simple, delicate, savory, mouthwatering, relatively healthy dish! I still can't get over how delicious these little balls of cabbage turned out! I think I would have honestly made peter rabbit or the Easter bunny very proud! The dang things are in season so I thought, eh, what the heck! I bought a nice bag of them and decided to follow my heart when making them. I chopped off the base of each one and peeled off the first layer of leaves. Then I boiled them in water until soft to the touch with a fork. I put them in a sautee pan with butter, ALOT of chopped garlic, and a little salt/pepper to taste and WALLAH! A magical, buttery, soft creation emerged from my sautee pan! Perfectly paired with a glass of Guwersthmeiner white wine and some rotisserie chicken and you've got a complete meal! Very easy and simple veggie dish to whip up on any week night after a looong day at work! I also heard that they are amazing paired with some chopped bacon as well! MMMM...my mouth is watering just thinking about it! But then again, in what situation is bacon NOT a welcome addition to a dish? I heard that it can even work on ice cream! Don't be afraid of the intimidating little cabbage balls and try it! Happy cooking!

always made with love,

Jas

Introducing...the grand opening of Delish Boutique Catering!

Alright. Here it goes. Kim and I are ecstatic to announce the grand opening of our small boutique catering business! Named after none other than this wonderful blog, Delish! We are so excited that our passion for making wonderful food and making people happy is actually coming to light and becoming a professional business! So we are the "Delish Boutique Catering" specializing in hosting small intimate events. Whether it's black tie formal or casual, indoors or outdoors, italian themed or asian, we would LOVE to host YOUR event! Right now we are hosting events for free just to experiment and get our name out there.

We are confirmed to host our FIRST event on Jan. 23rd for a friend's housewarming party and are already going to be having a special private tasting for a few lucky family members and friends this weekend. For now all of our services are free and all we require is that the cost of food be covered. This is something that both Kim and I have always dreamed of and it is finally becoming a reality! This blog will continue through our process of getting all this started and of course all of our favorite recipes and finds will be blogged upon. We hope that our love for beautifully presented and mouthwatering food and people will manifest in our business. We want to base our company philosopy on healthy, organic, locally grown, modern, simple, tasty, fresh, foods that really show that we have put our heart and soul into making. Kim and I as partners work really great as we are different and compliment each other in so many ways yet we are similar enough and seem to be right on the same page. We a pretty incredible partnership!

We are getting all our fancy serving platters together, our best signature appetizer and dessert recipes on the menu, and looking into making some investments at the Restaurant Supply Store! We also have a website that is in the works. We also have a wonderfully talented and creative graphic designer who will be helping us out in designing a logo and getting some business cards, feedback cards, and stationary made! Not only that, my friend who is also a hand sketch artist is drawing some sketches of Kim and I and so far they're really great! He really understands our concept and how we want our design concept and company to come through. Whew! It really looks like it's all coming together. Now its all about keeping our focus, executing a great food at some events and hopefully news of Delish will spread like wildfire!

Keep us in mind if you need a small event catered and please help us to spread the word! Thanks for reading and we will see you in the kitchen!

the meatiest meatless salad you'll ever eat!

Ok. Now it is time for one of my most decadent, easiest, filling, yet super duper healthy signature salads. I'm almost a little afraid to blog about this one for fear all the ingredients in this tasty delight will vanish off the shelves at my local Trader Joes! Soon, my secret will be revealed! So you're probably wondering, "Meatiest meatless salad?..hm...", well well my friends, here it goes! It all started with a bottle of champagne dressing. Introduced to me by none other than my best friend Kym (must credit her for that!). I love adapting little things from my wonderful friends and making them into my own as much as possible. So here goes my meaty meatless salad...guaranteed to make your bellies and your heart smile. Best eaten after a hard session of hot yoga or long run. Enjoy and thank you for allowing me to share my passion with you...

Champagne Beet Salad:

All ingredients can be found at Trader Joes!

Freshly packaged beets (found in the refrigerated section @ TJ's next to the spring mix salad)
1-2 Avocados (depending on how much u love avocados)
1 Bag of Spring Mix Salad
1 Handful of Candied Pecans or Walnuts (found in the nut section of TJ's)
1 container of crumbled goat cheese 4 oz, (cheese section of TJ's, also very affordable here!)
4 Tblsp. of Girard's Champagne Vinagrette Dressing (Safeway, dressing aisle)

Slice beets and avocado to bite sized pieces,
Toss and mix together.
Use dressing sparingly, a little goes a long way!
Try to place a little of each ingredient on a fork for your first bite and notice how all the flavors, textures, and aromas meld together on your tongue so lovingly! Pecans offer a bit of crunch while the sharpness of the cheese and the meatiness of the avocado and beets create an orgasmic explosion on your tongue!
Eat, share, enjoy!

Perfect for a meal in itself or as a precursor to a wonderful pasta dish!

made with love, jas

Three words: KitchenAid Pasta Extractor.

Ok - so those who know me, know I LOVE pasta - an understatement at the least. So naturally, I was first in line when the new KitchenAid pasta extractor attachment was introduced, and it was love at first bite. I have always preferred homemade pasta dough to store-bought, however tend to tire of the typical lasagna sheets, ravioli, and spaghetti. And of the work involved. Not an enticing idea at 7:30 pm when you are tired and hungry, and a glass of red wine with a delicious warm pasta dish is all you can think about. What I discovered was not only an exciting and fun way to galavant around kitchen, but how incredibly easy it was. I mean EASY. Dough - check. Pasta extractor - check. Fresh and delicious pasta -Yum!

I have since (through trial and error) made significant progress in mastering the art of homemade Fusili. The first couple of attempts provided nothing worth reporting, nor remembering. Long pieces of scored dough desperately trying to resemble the short, spiral pasta shape we all love. Tonight - a success. I have found the trick is getting the dough to the exact consistency and temperature, with the right speed on the mixer, all while knowing the first handful of pass-throughs will be sent through again; as for some reason it takes this amazing gadget a few minutes to "warm up". However, with a little optimism and a glass (or two) of wine, this test of patience proves to be well worth it. On the menu: Herbed Pasta with Chicken and Asparagus. (You'll notice the martini glass peeking through the photo {"Not wine" you ask!?!} This will be addressed down the road as my current challenge: mastering a Dirty Pickle Martini. As such, wine was had).

Now, I'm aware that many of you may not own this amazing contraption, and are asking yourselves this very logical question: "How I am supposed to recreate without this...?" The answer is simple. You don't. You need this. Or you need to come over to enjoy it. Either way, it's a necessity. A necessity not taken lightly.

So - I suppose the point of this entry is to merely to share with you what I have found, in a shy attempt to convince you this homemade pasta is not only more delicious and inexpensive than conventional pasta from the store, but an experience in the kitchen, providing countless evenings of entertainment for you and those you share your kitchen with. Bon Apetit!

~Kimberly

Recipe:

Ingredients:

I recipe homemade egg noodle fusili pasta; recipe below (added: 1 egg, 1 c flour)

I bunch (or approx. 12 med. Asparagus stalks); cut into 1” pieces

3 cloves garlic

1 shallot

2 T chopped fresh thyme

2 T shopped fresh sage

Juice of ½ lemon

2 T butter

1/3 c extra virgin olive oil

2 T chopped fresh parsley

Zest of one lemon

2 chicken breasts; cut into small strips and grilled separately (generously sprinkled with salt and pepper)

Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare pasta dough according to directions.

In a large wok or skillet lightly saute the garlic and shallot and salt in olive oil and butter. (Approx 3-5 minutes) Add freshly ground black pepper, to taste. (advise 7-10 turns w/ grinder). Add the asparagus and toss to coat in the mixture. Cover for 2-3 minutes to lightly steam. Add the cooked chicken, thyme and sage. Stir to combine. Add the cooked pasta and stir to combine once again. Let sit in the warm pan about 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep well combined and consistently warm. Divide amongst pasta bowls and garnish with a pinch each of parmesan cheese, parsley, and lemon zest. Serve immediately.

***Vegetarian / Optional Add-Ins***

Tofu, sliced almonds or pine nuts, crimini mushrooms (quarter and sautee these with the asparagus), grilled shrimp.

Basic Egg Noodle Pasta recipe from KitchenAid:

4 large eggs (I added 1 additional egg for this recipe, totaling 5)

3 ½ c. all purpose flour

(added additional 1 cup, totaling 4 ½ c. I also use a multi-grain flour blend for better nutrition. )

1 T warm water

1 tsp. salt

Place flour and salt in stand mixer bowl. Attach bowl and flat beater. Turn to Speed 2 and gradually add eggs and water. Mix for 30 seconds. Stop mixer and exchange flat beater for dough hook. Turn to Speed 2 and knead for 2 minutes. Remove mixture from bowl and place on clean surface. Dough may appear brumbly. Hand knead for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until dough is smooth, pliable, and holds together in a ball. Form walnut-sized pieces and extrude pasta through fusili disc, on Speed 4.Separate on very lightly floured surface until ready to cook.

Place in salted boiling water and boil until done - approximately 1 ½ minutes, or they float to the top and are tender.