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Last night I hosted a dinner party and made a feast based on the Hunger Games. Unfortunately, with all of the craziness in the kitchen I didn't get prep pics of everything but at least have the final product! Pumpkin Brew This dish is served during the victory tour in the Capitol. 1 large butternut squash 1 quart chicken broth 1 small can of pumpkin Thyme Olive oil Salt Pepper 1/3 c. heavy cream Preheat oven to 350. Cut butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds and rub with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Bake for an hour on a baking sheet until the squash is tender. Combine chicken broth, heavy cream, and can of pumpkin in a large pot over medium heat. Once the squash is done, scoop out all of the insides and place in the pot. Season generously with salt, pepper, and thyme. Use an immersion blender and puree till smooth. Serve with slivered almonds and shaved parmesan cheese.   Arugula salad with cherry tomatoes This is one of the first things Katniss eats on the train after the first reaping. It's simple, but delicious. Arugula Cherry tomatoes, halved Shaved parmesan Olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette: 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt Pepper to taste 1 clove garlic, peeled and 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil Combine everything but the olive oil in a bowl and whisk until the sugars are dissolved. Slowly add olive oil while continuing to whisk. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. To serve up the salad, combine the arugula, cherry tomatoes, and some of the parmesan in a serving bowl. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and toss together. Top with additional shaved parmesan if desired.  Cheese Buns Peeta's family owns a bakery in District 12 and bread of any kind has a significance in the book. These cheese buns in particular represent the cheese buns they make that Katniss adores. Normally I would have done everything from scratch, but since I was already making so many dishes I took a few shortcuts. 2 cups Bisquick 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 c. sugar 2/3 c. milk 3/4 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 1/2 c. butter 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1/2 tsp. old bay 1/2 tsp. salt Preheat oven to 450. Mix the bisquick through cheddar cheese in a bowl until it is well blended. Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until slightly browned. Combine the remaining ingredients in a microwave bowl and microwave for about 30 seconds until the butter is melted. When the biscuits are done, brush the butter mixture on top and enjoy! Chicken Stew on a bed of rice With their hunting skills, Katniss and Gale are able to sneak outside the perimeter of District 12 and bring back squirrels, rabbits, and wild hogs, among other things. Greasy Sae is known for making a variety of stews using the meat they bring back to trade. 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs cubed Olive oil 1 tbsp. butter Salt and pepper 4 carrots, peeled and diced 4 stalks of celery, peeled and diced 1 medium onion, diced 5-6 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced 1 small package frozen corn 3 cloves of garlic, minced 4 oz tomato paste 4 cups chicken broth A few dashes of Worcestershire Fresh parsley In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat and add butter. Season the cubed chicken thighs with salt and pepper and add in batches to the pot to brown them. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and put it on a plate. Once all of the chicken is browned, add the onion to the pan and cook for a few minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, and celery and cook for a few minutes more. Stir in the tomato paste. Pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Add the chicken back to the pot, along with the potatoes and corn. Give it a few good dashes of Worcestershire, add the parsley, and stir. Put a lid on the pot, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. My sauce was pretty thin so I made a cornstarch slurry at the end to thicken it up a bit. Serve on a bed of rice.    Baked Alaska (on FIRE!) The reason for choosing this should be pretty obvious I think! Katniss is of course known as the girl on fire, so what better way to celebrate her character then lighting a dessert on fire? 1 frozen pound cake 2 pints of ice cream (I chose to use Neapolitan) 6 egg whites 1/4 tsp lemon juice 3/4 c. sugar Brandy Slice the frozen pound cake into 1/2 inch slices. The recipe I was referring to said to line the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate with the cake slices, but mine was more "free-form" and I just used a cookie sheet. Top the cake with the two pints of ice cream and put it back in the freezer until solid. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until they are foamy and add the lemon juice to them. Continue to beat until soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar and beat on high until stiff peaks form. Spread the meringue over the frozen cake and ice cream and put it in a 450 degree oven just until it starts to brown a little. Now comes the fun part. Drizzle brandy over the top of the dessert and light it on fire. Be sure to dim the lights before you light it so you can enjoy the awesome blue glow!    Prim's Apple and Goat Cheese tart Prim has a goat that she loves and they often sell or trade the goats milk. The goat, goats milk, and goat cheese are referenced quite a bit in the book and I also happen to love goat cheese. Win win. 1 package puff pastry 8oz of goat cheese 1 tbsp lemon juice 2-3 granny smith apples, thinly sliced Cinnamon Sugar 3 tbsp melted butter 3/4 c. honey Preheat oven to 375. Line your chosen baking device with puff pastry. I ended up only needing half of the package. Mix the goat cheese and lemon juice together and then spread it on top of the puff pastry. Take your apple slices and arrange them nicely on top of the goat cheese. Mix 1/4 c. of the honey with the melted butter and brush it on top of the apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake until the pastry is golden and the apples are tender, approximately 30-35 minutes. Drizzle the tart with the remaining honey.  Overall, I think everything turned out pretty great and all of my guests seemed to really enjoy it, empty plates and going back for seconds is always a good sign. I just wish I had more pictures, especially ones that aren't lovely phone!
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Sep 7, 2014 14:36
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| # ? Apr 19, 2024 07:49 |
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Everything looks good and I love the theme!
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Sep 13, 2014 08:24
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