Goodbye Connecticut, Hello Asia!

Chinese New Year is like 4^th of July but BIGGER and 14 days long!  

 Literally half of Shanghai was closed for celebration

 Above was most ironic sign because all I saw were these… 

The fireworks were pretty amazing once I got over the fear

 that I wasn’t in a war zone.

Can you guess what zodiac year is it?

(My friend, Ashley who lives in Shanghai)  

It felt as if it was Easter, especially since there were so many kids dressed up in bunny costumes.

Unlike our New Years where it is all about the party, the Chinese spent their time off with their families and friends. The ones who did PARTYING like it was 1994 were people who were from more Western countries.

(Notice the RED for good luck),

My favorite area in Shanghai was Tian Zi Fang. It is the Soho of Shanghai. It had the most fabulous cafés and boutiques. As we passed by this trendy café I had to stop for dessert.

(Mix between a Profiterole & Moon Pie aka Heaven) 

 The abosolute coolest service in Shanghai are Sherpa’s! Sherpa’s is a food service delivery that delivers at all hours of the day which includes over 100 different Chinese and International restaurants to choose from.  If only there was something like this here.

(I mean anyone who delivers food in this ride is pretty cool in my book),

This Party Girl has a soup obession. I think the majority of the meals I ate included soup.  The best soup I ate by far was this Spicy Pork Noodle Soup.  Although it isn’t exactly appealing to the eye, it is pure YUM!

(By far one of the best soups I had in years),

With all the Chinese New Years craziness, my friend, Ashley and I escaped to paradise otherwise known as Boracay, Philippines.

(Life can’t get much better than the beach and your best friend)

The Philippine islands are making a strong effort to become an appealing tourist destination. Although the hotels aren’t 5 stars, the price, beach and service are unbeatable. 

My hotel concierge “hooked me up” with some fun activites! The best was definitely scuba diving and horseback riding.

I don’t think I ate anything on the beach that didn’t include seafood and a drink with fruit.

Wait… Did I mention all the massages I got that were less $10 an hour?

All and all, my trip really was, “Quite Simply the Best”!

“Party Girl”- Emily 

Here’s a close version of my favorite soup in Shanghai…

Spicy Pork Noodle Soup Recipe

7 oz boneless pork chops, cut into thin strips

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

6 oz thin rice noodles

2 tablespoons chili paste

1 red chile, seeded and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth

3 tablespoons of fish sauce

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions

In a bowl mix pork, cornstarch, salt and white pepper. Cover. Refrigerate for about 25 minutes.

During this time, soak rice noodles in warm water 15 minutes. Drain. Rinse noodles under cold water to cool.

Heat oil in medium saucepan on medium heat. Add in garlic, red chili paste, and chile; stir for about a minute. Add chicken broth and fish sauce; bring to boil. Add pork and noodles, stir frequently. Return to boil. Add in green onions.  Stir. Serve immediately.  Enjoy!



 

Valentines Day Treat

Marcia Selden Catering has two words this Valentine’s Day
CHOCOLATE and CHURROSFor centuries, chocolate has been recognized not only for its delicious flavor, but for its purpose as an aphrodisiac.

Our Churros are a special treat…perfect to share with your valentine for a fun and interactive dessert…YUM!

CHURROS WITH HOT CHOCOLATE
5 cups water
8 ounces butter
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon nutmeg
5 cups all purpose flour
8 eggs
1 pint corn oil

Heat water, butter, salt, sugar, oil, vanilla extract and nutmeg to a rolling boil.
Stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball (about one minute). Remove from heat. Beat eggs in all at once. Continue beating until smooth. Let the dough cool.
Place the dough in a piping bag with a star tip. In a large frying pan, heat corn oil. Pipe the churros in rods directly into the hot corn oil. Fry until golden brown on all sides. Dust with Cinnamon Sugar and serve with Chocolate Caliente.

Cinnamon sugar:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup ground cinnamon
In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon together and store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Caliente:
1 quart milk
1/2 pound Mexican chocolate(or Dark Chocolate), coarsely chopped
1/4 cup sugar
Bring milk to a boil. Add in chocolate and sugar. Stir over heat until chocolate is melted and sugar has dissolved.

Yield: 4 servings

Top Chef Countdown


We are so excited to announce that our very own Top Chef, Robin Selden is competing sauce pan to sauce pan with 4 MALE Fairfield County Chefs this Thursday, October 28th at Clark Kitchens of Norwalk. Watch out BOYS, it’s time for Robin to mesmerize with her mouthwatering creations. Stay tuned for the play by play of how Robin kicks some serious Chef BUTT. She will be joined and judged by Bravo TV’s beautiful leading lady, Padma from “Top Chef.” WOO HOO, it is bound to be an exciting night with pots banging, sauce flowing and knives chopping.

Better yet, this event is being sponsored by CT Cottages and Gardens along with Mitchell’s of Westport to benefit Padma’s very special organization, Endometriosis Foundation of America. This event is so big, there are no tickets left but don’t fret, you can still donate to this amazing charity at www.endofound.org.

Getting Scary with The “Party Girls”

Hallo all you Ghouls and Gals!

Its Halloween time…my favorite holiday of the year.A time for parties where anything goes!! Sparkles, candy, fabulous costumes, cupcakes, haunted tea-time, goblins, pets playing dress-up, kids dreaming their dress up dreams, crafts, pictures, decorations, creative out of the box ideas, confetti, ghost stories, haunted houses, dancing around the cauldron, flying across the sky on your broom, striped socks, pointy shoes, capes, forest creatures, witches, gnomes, queens, sorcerers, wizards, warlocks, glitter, spooky movies, eerie music, scary howls, boos and screams …Anything, anything, anything goes.

 HAHAHAHahahahha (spooky laughter, in case you didn’t notice)

 Halloween falls on a weekend this year, and you know what that means… even more of an excuse to party! If the date crept up on you (pun intended) and you’re not exactly ready for the costume-clad guests to arrive yet, not to worry. You’d be surprised how quickly you can whip up a cool Halloween bash!

Invite all the witches and warlocks you know… Oh come on, how can anyone resist hair glitter, bug sparkles and striped stockings??

Did someone say, caramel & candy apples? YUM!

 

For decorations, pumpkins are a cost effective and nostalgic way to go. Get several in various sizes and colors (I love the white ones) and invite a friend or two over to carve the morning of the party). They don’t all have to be faces, some would look great with just a slew of small holes carved in it…they look really cool when lit up this way! I can’t wait to see your pumpkin carving creativity. Use all black table linens and, of course, the more candlelight the better! In fact, try not to have to use any lighting other than candles! If you’re anything like me, you’ll get crazy and turn your home into a virtual haunted house; spooked out from floor to ceiling. THIS takes a lot of love and time…but totally worth it in the end.

Put out bottles of your favorite wine with new labels on them that you’ve created that say “Witch’s Brew” or “Poison”. Serve Boutique Orange Soda & Rootbeer in Retro Glass bottles. At my last Halloween Party we served a Black Widow Martini…OMG…it sure bit me!

 

 

 RECIPE:
1 cup ice
1 ounce black vodka
2 ounces Chambord
1 Blackberry for garnish

Combine ice, vodka, and Chambord in a cocktail shaker; shake vigorously. Pour into a martini glass. Thread Blackberry onto a cocktail skewer, and place in drink. Serve immediately.

 



 Find a great Halloween CD or iTunes Mix (with “Thriller” on it, of course) and play it as background music and put some scary movies on your TV with the volume off….Oooooh, spooky!!

 

Fill some of those old school plastic pumpkin buckets (the kind we used to use for trick or treating) with Halloween candy, popcorn and snacks for people to munch on.

 

The food can be SO much fun! Pumpkin or Squash soup is a perfect way to start…guests come out of the cold and get warmed up with a shot of soup to wet their appetites. Over the years we’ve created some spooktacular Halloween grubs that can all be made ahead of time, displayed on really creepy platters and set out and about for guests to enjoy.

 

How much do we all love being a guest at our own parties? With these ideas below, YOU will be the life of the party instead of the working help!

 

 

Cheese Fingers with Marcona Almond Nails
Hummus with Black Sesame Ants and Cracklin’ Pita Crisps
Mexican Dip with Sour Cream Spider Web~Black & Orange Tortilla Chips
Spidery Brie en Croute with Dried Cranberry Scabs & Toasted Pecans
Decayed Blue Corpse Chips with Bloody Tomato Salsa
“The Devil made me do it” Deviled Eggs
Baked Tofu Slime Bundles with Scallion Worms & White Miso
Fresh Flesh ~ Smoked Salmon on Brioche Toasts with Caper Larva
Bloody Herring, Beets and Apples on Red Endive Petals 

 

The vampires have got their sweet teeth ready…bring on the desserts! 

Meringue Bones
Witch Finger Cookies
Bloody Velvet Cupcakes & Black Widow Cupcakes
Caramel and Candy Apples
Fudgy Bites topped with “Party Girl Jenny’s” favorite Candy Corn
Jello Shots (like we did in college) with Gummy Worms poking out of top
The Graveyard: Chocolate Mousse topped with Chocolate Crumbs & a Cookie Tombstone popping out of the center

 Don’t forget this FAB idea… shoot your guests…not literally… but with your camera, as another grim reminder of your Halloween  Bash. As they arrive take their photos behind an oversized frame and email them out the next day to frighten your friends and as thanks for helping to make your party a screaming success!

 

 

Happy Halloween …have a ghostly time!

BOO-BYE,
Robin

 

 

 

Go Wild!

 

The Party Girls of Marcia Selden Catering and Event Planning got “Wild” with The Greenwich Land Trust last weekend. We only “Go Wild!” for a good cause, and what better reason than to help raise awareness to protecting land in its natural state.

 How do we “Go Wild” you may ask?  With a Family Field Day, of course, set on the beautiful White Birch Farm Conservation Easment (also known as the Greenwich Polo Club).

The eleventh annual Go Wild Fundraiser featured hot air balloon rides, a giant obstacle course, hay maze, a birds of prey exhibit, petting zoo, and games.  Our team of Party Girls loved the live Blue Grass music, which kept us and the over 2,000 guests and sponsors dancing all afternoon.
 
The best part about this year’s event?  Their newest sponsor, Marcia Selden Catering and Event Planning, of course. I don’t know how this event even took place before we stepped into the scene.  You can’t have a party without the Party Girls!  We made ourselves indispensable by supplying the crowd with warm, Louisiana style Beignets and Homemade Apple Cider.
 
As if beignets aren’t brilliant enough on their own, our Party Girl, Robin took delicious to the next level by adding homemade raspberry and chocolate dipping sauces to the menu to drizzle over the beignets…YUM!

 Try this recipe out ASAP.  It is perfect for sharing or even better for over-indulging on a chilly autumn afternoon.
 

Warm Beignets

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 7 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 quart vegetable oil for frying
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, salt, eggs, evaporated milk, and blend well. Mix in 4 cups of the flour and beat until smooth. Add the shortening, and then the remaining 3 cups of flour. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours.

Roll out dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 2 1/2 inch squares. Fry in 360 degree F (180 degrees C) hot oil. If beignets do not pop up, oil is not hot enough. Drain onto paper towels.

Shake confectioners’ sugar on hot beignets. Serve warm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apple Picking with a TWIST

 

What better way to “start up” Fall than by spending the day with your girlfriends apple picking and catching up on the latest news and gossip.

 I’m going to tell you how to spice up the day and turn it into something memorable; something my friends and I call “Apple picking with a TWIST” 

First, find the perfect orchard: check out http://www.pickyourown.org/CT.html for the latest “pick your own” farms. Who says you have to just pick apples. This website gives you the “Skinny” on the best places to pick any crop.

 Start off by sending an email/invite to all of your friends. Include the date, time, location, what to bring and all the info on the “TWIST”. 

I like to go on Sundays; this way the guys can watch football and the girls get to spend time together, alone. Propose a meeting spot, grab a coffee, load up on water and compare the best driving directions. With todays gas prices, talk about carpooling. In the same email, ask friends to bring their favorite alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage. If you’re thinking of doing wine, a Riesling goes great with Apples and brings out their sweetness. You might also want to try some warm apple cider for those “cold” apple picking days. Add a little spice to your cider and add Captain Morgan Rum so you’ll fee real toasty. 

Don’t forget snacks – its great to munch on apples along the way but you need to have a little sustenance especially to soak up all of that alcohol. Ask everyone to bring something to share. I know my girlfriends and I are snack queens and it’s always great to see who brings the latest, coolest and yummy snacks; ahhh, it brings me back to snack time in kindergarten.
Ok, now lets get down to Apple Picking Business…
Most orchard’s bags are anywhere from $17-$23- that gives you about 30 apples. You might want to think about splitting a bag with a friend even though you have promised everyone at work a delicious apple pie or apple crisp. (Boy do I have a great recipe!) You’ll want to roam around the orchard to find the best variety. I like to start at then end of the apple trail so I can pick an assortment of apples and easily find my way back to the car.
Now that you’ve have had your wine…snacks…and fun, its time for the TWIST. 

Invite the girls back to your house and join the boyfriends, husbands, recipes and ingredients. The guys watch the game the ladies get to cook…how 1950’s does this sound? My friends, my recipes, the guys- what more could a girl want.
Before I head to the orchard, I set up the kitchen. This way I’ll be ready to “roll” when we return home from our adventure. I take out all my baking pans, silpats (A non-stick baking sheet. If you don’t have one, I suggest you get one, it changed my life when it comes to baking). I give all my girlfriends a designated cooking area on my kitchen island and a small gift bag that includes an apple corer, my favorite apple pie recipe and a bottle of fresh squeezed apple cider. Since the guys will be home all day, I mark the area off with red tape to keep them out of the baking area……sort of like police tape.
What a “fun day’ and the best part of all is eating the delicious desserts we’ve all just created!! 

If you’re having troubling finding a recipe. Check out Food Network Magazine(the October issue)which gives you 31 ways to prepare apples or ask our very own, Marcia who has a whole “Tree” full of apple recipes.

I’ve posted 2 of my favorite recipes. Do try them and drop us a note to let us know how you liked them. We love to hear from all of you! 

And oh, how about this…have some fun thinking of additional phrases with the word apple….…
Adam’s Apple, An Apple a day Keeps the Doctor Away, Apple of My Eye, As American as Apple Pie, An Apple For the Teacher, The Big Apple, Adam’s Apple,
Candy Apple, All American Apple Pie, Apple Blossom, Crab Apple, The Bad Apple Floats on Top, One Bad Apple Spoils the Whole Bunch,Your Neighbour’s Apples Are Always the Sweetest, Don’t Look for Apples Under Oak Trees,
Taste a Bitter Apple First and a Sweet One will Taste Even Better”, “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree with Anyone Else But Me…Oh Anyone Else but Me.”
Happy Fall!!!!
Best- Dana 

HOT MULLED APPLE CIDER    

1 qt. apple cider 

8 whole cloves 

2/3 c. packed brown sugar 

1/4 tsp. each nutmeg and ginger 

1 stick cinnamon 

Combine all ingredients in 1 1/2 quart sauce pan. Cook until brown sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes; strain. Serve hot in cups. Garnish with lemon slices and cinnamon sticks for stirring. May keep warm in Crock pot on low. Yields 1 quart. 

PERFECT APPLE PIE  

 

PASTRY:

3/4 cup cake flour

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

scant tsp salt

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 Tablespoon lard

4 Tablespoons Crisco shortening

large pinch Rumford Baking Powder

1 Tablespoon buttermilk powder OR:

1 Tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar ADDED TO:

5-7 Tablespoons ice water

one stick plus 1/3 stick butter, frozen in advance

 

FILLING:

10 Apples, peeled and sliced thinly

1/2 cup white sugar

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

sprinkle of mace (optional)

sprinkle of vanilla

lemon juice

Flour, cornstarch, or arrowroot for thickening

Preheat oven to 400°F, then reduce to 375°F after pie is in the oven.

Combine dry ingredients. Mix together Crisco and lard in metal bowl. Sprinkle with flour mixture. Chill in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Remove butter from freezer and slice into 1/2 inch chunks. Add to bowl. Work butter and shortenings together into flour with fingers or a pastry blender, leaving large chunks, the size of walnuts. The purpose is to coat the butter particles with flour, but not to allow the butter or shortenings to melt. Do not overwork the mixture.

Add the lemon juice or vinegar to ice water and stir quickly into dry ingredients. Mix briefly, less than 45 seconds, leave large unincorporated pockets of butter and shortening. If mixture is beginning to melt, refrigerate briefly.

Gather mixture together into a flat disc, approximately 1 inch thick, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour or up to 2 days. Freeze if you want to reserve longer than 2 days. The half hour rest is necessary so that the dough will become easier to roll out. The buttermilk powder and/or lemon juice also helps relax the dough and prevent gluten, which can make for a tough crust.

NOTE: For a flakier pie crust, reserve 1/3 stick of butter and slice lengthwise, 1/8 inch thick. Place strips of butter onto dough and then fold into thirds before refrigerating for half hour resting period.

 For the filling, use a combination of different types of apples. The best combination consists of mostly Granny Smith apples and a few Cortland types. The Granny Smith apples retain their shape when cooked and provide tartness and flavor. Meanwhile, the Cortland apples cook down into applesauce.

 Mix the nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon with the sugar. Sprinkle the sugar with a few drops of pure vanilla extract. Work the butter and 2 Tablespoons flour or other thickener into the sugar. Slice the apples into thin wedges and place apples into pre-rolled out and fitted pie crust, packing apples in tightly, since they will cook down significantly. Mound apples higher in center. Sprinkle over the apples the juice of 1/2 lemon, then sprinkle the sugar-spice mixture over the apples evenly.

Roll out and place top crust, fluting edges to seal tightly and creating several vent holes to allow steam to escape.

 Brush top of crust with a mixture of one egg white and one tablespoon of water or with a little cream. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar.

 Variation: One method of making a nice base for your apple pie is to peel a portion of the apples, placing the skins, cores, lemon peels, cinnamon sticks, and fresh grated ginger, into a saucepan with sugar and half cup of water or apple juice. Simmer over low heat for about an hour and strain, reserving the liquid. Thicken 1/2 cup of the strained liquid with 1-2 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot and cool. Add 1/4 tsp vanilla, the sliced and peeled apples, and pour into the pie shell. This is a nice variation when you don’t have cortland apples to mix in with the granny smiths because it keeps the pie from being too dry. The liquid is enough for one 10-inch pie about 4 inches tall at center. Adjust according to your pie size.

 Bake about 45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

 

 

 

Outdoor Movie Night

 September is a month that many people tend to dread because summer’s ending and school is starting.  This September is especially strange for me because it’s my first year that I’m officially done with school.  Now that I graduated from Johnson & Wales I can enjoy all that Connecticut has to offer like fall shopping, The Oyster Festival (J), The Big E, Apple-picking, and my ultimate favorite, Outdoor Movie Nights!  My love of outdoor movie nights came from going to school in Rhode Island where there is an amazing drive-in theatre and from my father who introduced me to our own “outdoor movie night” right in our backyard.  

When creating the outdoor movie night make sure you set the scene.  Create stadium seating by filling the back row with comfortable lawn chairs, the second row have bean bags, and for the  first row scatter pillows and blankets.  Stack a large pile of blankets for all your guests; everyone likes to be cozy and comfortable during a movie. Light torch citronella candles to drive the bugs away and for low lighting.  * Make sure you provide something to keep bugs “OFF” your guests.  Make a little basket for each row with all sorts of classic movie candy like Raisinsettes and Milk Duds. Leave a cooler on the side for beverages.  Provide pre-popped popcorn in brown paper bags for all guests to enjoy.  Always plan the party later in the evening; you need it to be completely dark out to get the best movie experience.

You will need some equipment for this fun happening.  First you’ll need a laptop or DVD player to play the movie, then a video projector, and a sound system. The video projector can be easily purchased or rented.  You can rent it from any local AV or party rental company.   As for the screen, you can use a white sheet and hang it up from the side of your house or garage.  My dad actually made his own screen by painting a large piece of ply-wood white. This way he can lean our home-made screen against the house, garage or trees depending on where we want people to party.

I am in love with Food Network’s “The Great Food Truck Race.”  I think it would be so much fun to hire a food truck to arrive prior to show time. I would hire a hot dog truck to get classic drive-in snack bar food.  I have an intense ice cream addiction. For dessert I’d hire an ice cream truck.  My brother just happens to own ice cream trucks. (Call me if you are interested…I’ll hook you up.)  Or you can always do popcorn, candy, and then have an ice cream sundae bar when the movie is over…OMG my stomach is literally growling in excitement.

A double feature is a must when having an outdoor movie night. I like to pick two completely different genres when doing this.  Maybe choose an outdoorsy movie first. I usually choose one of the discs from The Discovery Channel series, Planet Earth. Not only is it amazing to look at on a large screen, it is also really enjoyable. The second movie can reflect the personalities of your guests; I would do something like the Wizard of Oz or a classic Disney movie like Mary Poppins. These movies always make guests smile. (In October, you can totally do a “Fright” Night…OOoooo….scary!)

This party can be altered for a kid’s slumber party.  Put a camping tent in the backyard fully stocked with sleeping bags, pillows, and blankets.  Leave the tent doors open to view right from inside.  For kids, I would make PB&J sandwiches, popcorn and offer a variety one or two yummy candies. For the movie, let them choose any of their favorites and you won’t believe how awesome they’ll think it is once it’s enlarged on the big screen.

If you are super lazy… hire us! Seriously, we make amazing boxed dinners and the cutest picnic baskets lined with bandanas which would be the perfect alternative!

That’s a wrap!

“Party Girl” Emily!