The party went well. Food was good. I made tabouli from scratch for
the first time (I've been buying it for years), and I loved it. Recipe
at the end of this post. Also made red-pepper hummus with veggie
dippers, and falafel for dinner. Put out rice crackers, and guests
brought cookies and merlot and scotch. Standard Italian sodas to drink,
as well. So sleepy. Managed to almost get everything cleaned up before
my energy crashed. That's better than usual.


This recipe was posted by Amanda on rec.food.recipes on 9/16/01. Her
comments are in parentheses and in the narrative at the end of the
recipe -- mine are all in brackets. Hope it's not too confusing.



Tabouli [I doubled the recipe, except for the salt, which I kept the
same]

Adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook:
1 cup bulghar wheat
1 1/2 cups boiling water [I will use less water next time. It was a
little wet]
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup good olive oil
*lots* of minced garlic (the recipe calls for 1 heaping tsp, but I just
start chopping) [for a double recipe, I used 2 tablespoons]
1 tsp (or more) dried mint [1 tablespoon]
freshly ground black pepper [I forgot this, and it was fine]
2 tomatoes, diced [I used 7 or 8 romas -- tomatoes are part of the point
of tabouli for me]
chopped green onions (including the green stems) [I used 3]
chopped olives [omitted]
parsley (optional, in my opinion - but then I don't like parsley ;-)
[whereas I love it, and I used one bunch]
any other chopped veggies you care to add....

Soak the wheat in the boiling water and salt for 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and mint. Pour this
mixture over the soaked wheat and mix thoroughly. Let this marinate in
the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Before serving, add remaining
ingredients. [I gathered the remaining ingredients and then added them
to the wheat mixture right away before putting it in the fridge. I like
it to meld together.]

I think this gets better over the next couple of days. I usually use a
*lot* of garlic and a couple of teaspoonfuls of dried mint; the garlic
fades and the mint becomes more evident as the tabouli sits in the
refrigerator. The Moosewood recomments cooked chickpeas, coarsely grated
carrot, chopped green pepper, and chopped cucumber or summer squash as
additional veggies for the tabouli.

serene
--
http://serenejournal.livejournal.com
http://www.jhuger.com

"Serene" > wrote in message
...
> The party went well. Food was good. I made tabouli from scratch for
> the first time (I've been buying it for years), and I loved it. Recipe
> at the end of this post. Also made red-pepper hummus with veggie
> dippers, and falafel for dinner. Put out rice crackers, and guests
> brought cookies and merlot and scotch. Standard Italian sodas to drink,
> as well. So sleepy. Managed to almost get everything cleaned up before
> my energy crashed. That's better than usual.
>
>
What are italian sodas?

By the way, I've been to the Moosewood restaurant in Ithaca, NY. Wonderful!

Elisa

In article >,
Elisa > wrote:
>
>"Serene" > wrote in message
g...
>> The party went well. Food was good. I made tabouli from scratch for
>> the first time (I've been buying it for years), and I loved it. Recipe
>> at the end of this post. Also made red-pepper hummus with veggie
>> dippers, and falafel for dinner. Put out rice crackers, and guests
>> brought cookies and merlot and scotch. Standard Italian sodas to drink,
>> as well. So sleepy. Managed to almost get everything cleaned up before
>> my energy crashed. That's better than usual.
>>
>>
>What are italian sodas?

Fizzy water flavored with a good slug of Torani syrup. My personal
favorite is blackberry. Sweet but not overly so and very refreshing.

Charlotte
--

Elisa > wrote:

> "Serene" > wrote in message
> ...
> > The party went well. Food was good. I made tabouli from scratch for
> > the first time (I've been buying it for years), and I loved it. Recipe
> > at the end of this post. Also made red-pepper hummus with veggie
> > dippers, and falafel for dinner. Put out rice crackers, and guests
> > brought cookies and merlot and scotch. Standard Italian sodas to drink,
> > as well. So sleepy. Managed to almost get everything cleaned up before
> > my energy crashed. That's better than usual.
> >
> >
> What are italian sodas?

Basically, flavored syrup (we use Torani brand) in sparkling water.
Like making your own soda, but there are lots of flavors. We usually
keep ten flavors around. Some of the syrups (like the caramel or
vanilla) are also good in coffee.

>
> By the way, I've been to the Moosewood restaurant in Ithaca, NY. Wonderful!

*envy*

serene
--
http://serenejournal.livejournal.com
http://www.jhuger.com

Charlotte L. Blackmer > wrote:

> Fizzy water flavored with a good slug of Torani syrup. My personal
> favorite is blackberry.

That's my favorite, as well. Melon is a close second.

serene
--
http://serenejournal.livejournal.com
http://www.jhuger.com

"Charlotte L. Blackmer" > wrote in message
...
> Fizzy water flavored with a good slug of Torani syrup. My personal
> favorite is blackberry. Sweet but not overly so and very refreshing.


By "fizzy" water, do you mean club soda / seltzer? I've had these at
coffee bars and love them (I don't drink coffee, and though I like tea,
I really like Italian sodas better), but never thought to try it at
home.

Some places make them with a little shot of cream or half-and-half in
them...tasty, but too decadent to do often!

Chris

Yum, Serene, you are my kind of cook! Let me know when your next party
is; I'll bring some scotch!

C

Sounds absolutely great to me! I also am throwing a party tonight. It's a
fund raiser for our local ASO (that's AIDS Service Organization for those
who don't know) and it's an interesting concept. You throw a killer party,
deduct the cost off of your taxes and extort (!) money from your friends
when they get there!
It's called "Dining with Friends" and it makes our local agency about $61K
every year which is sorely needed and the money is used mostly for education
since our education budget has all but been obliterated by our beloved
<sarcasm dripping> governor. Our drug budget has also been slashed, yipee.

Anyway, back to the party - We're having an open bar, wine, beer, etc, etc.
I have fixed turkey, ham, smoked salmon w/all the trimmings, meatballs
w/stroganoff sauce, veg trays, spinach dip, hummos, antipasta trays, grilled
veggies, wings, samosas, shrimp, stuffed grape leaves, deviled eggs, pasta
salad, 9 layer dip, fruit tray, tiramisu (bought at Costco), little tiny
cream puffs (also Costco), strawberries w/chocolate fondue and I think
that's it.

I hope we have at least 125.....I bought to-go boxes just in case there is a
LOT of food left over.

Wish me luck....party starts at 6:30. If anyone is in Huntsville they're
welcome to come!

helen





"Serene" > wrote in message
...
> The party went well. Food was good. I made tabouli from scratch for
> the first time (I've been buying it for years), and I loved it. Recipe
> at the end of this post. Also made red-pepper hummus with veggie
> dippers, and falafel for dinner. Put out rice crackers, and guests
> brought cookies and merlot and scotch. Standard Italian sodas to drink,
> as well. So sleepy. Managed to almost get everything cleaned up before
> my energy crashed. That's better than usual.
>
>
> This recipe was posted by Amanda on rec.food.recipes on 9/16/01. Her
> comments are in parentheses and in the narrative at the end of the
> recipe -- mine are all in brackets. Hope it's not too confusing.
>
>
>
> Tabouli [I doubled the recipe, except for the salt, which I kept the
> same]
>
> Adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook:
> 1 cup bulghar wheat
> 1 1/2 cups boiling water [I will use less water next time. It was a
> little wet]
> 1 tsp salt
> 1/4 cup lemon juice
> 1/4 cup good olive oil
> *lots* of minced garlic (the recipe calls for 1 heaping tsp, but I just
> start chopping) [for a double recipe, I used 2 tablespoons]
> 1 tsp (or more) dried mint [1 tablespoon]
> freshly ground black pepper [I forgot this, and it was fine]
> 2 tomatoes, diced [I used 7 or 8 romas -- tomatoes are part of the point
> of tabouli for me]
> chopped green onions (including the green stems) [I used 3]
> chopped olives [omitted]
> parsley (optional, in my opinion - but then I don't like parsley ;-)
> [whereas I love it, and I used one bunch]
> any other chopped veggies you care to add....
>
> Soak the wheat in the boiling water and salt for 15 to 20 minutes.
> Meanwhile, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and mint. Pour this
> mixture over the soaked wheat and mix thoroughly. Let this marinate in
> the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Before serving, add remaining
> ingredients. [I gathered the remaining ingredients and then added them
> to the wheat mixture right away before putting it in the fridge. I like
> it to meld together.]
>
> I think this gets better over the next couple of days. I usually use a
> *lot* of garlic and a couple of teaspoonfuls of dried mint; the garlic
> fades and the mint becomes more evident as the tabouli sits in the
> refrigerator. The Moosewood recomments cooked chickpeas, coarsely grated
> carrot, chopped green pepper, and chopped cucumber or summer squash as
> additional veggies for the tabouli.
>
> serene
> --
> http://serenejournal.livejournal.com
> http://www.jhuger.com

H. Harrand wrote:
> I also am throwing a party tonight.
> It's a fund raiser for our local ASO
> (that's AIDS Service Organization).
> You throw a killer party...

Interesting sensitivity.

Sheldon

Sheldon wrote:

> H. Harrand wrote:
> > I also am throwing a party tonight.
> > It's a fund raiser for our local ASO
> > (that's AIDS Service Organization).
> > You throw a killer party...
>
> Interesting sensitivity.


Yeah, like having June Wilkinson or Jayne Mansfield modelling brassieres at
a breast cancer fund raiser...sheesh!

--
Best
Greg

Chris Neidecker > wrote:

> "Charlotte L. Blackmer" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Fizzy water flavored with a good slug of Torani syrup. My personal
> > favorite is blackberry. Sweet but not overly so and very refreshing.
>
>
> By "fizzy" water, do you mean club soda / seltzer?

Yeah, exactly.

> I've had these at
> coffee bars and love them (I don't drink coffee, and though I like tea,
> I really like Italian sodas better), but never thought to try it at
> home.

It's really fun. You can buy Torani here at most drug, grocery, and
warehouse stores. At a party, it's a welcome change (for most of our
guests, anyway) from two-liter bottles of cola.

>
> Some places make them with a little shot of cream or half-and-half in
> them...tasty, but too decadent to do often!

I *love* them with cream in them, but I don't have it around much, so
it's an infrequent treat.

serene
--
http://serenejournal.livejournal.com
http://www.jhuger.com

Chris Neidecker > wrote:

> Yum, Serene, you are my kind of cook! Let me know when your next party
> is; I'll bring some scotch!

Cool! Every Friday. Arrive between 5 and 9; stay as late as you want.

(Are you in the Bay Area? If so, send me an email and I'll send you
directions. :-)

serene
--
http://serenejournal.livejournal.com
http://www.jhuger.com

H. Harrand > wrote:

> Anyway, back to the party - We're having an open bar, wine, beer, etc, etc.
> I have fixed turkey, ham, smoked salmon w/all the trimmings, meatballs
> w/stroganoff sauce, veg trays, spinach dip, hummos, antipasta trays, grilled
> veggies, wings, samosas, shrimp, stuffed grape leaves, deviled eggs, pasta
> salad, 9 layer dip, fruit tray, tiramisu (bought at Costco), little tiny
> cream puffs (also Costco), strawberries w/chocolate fondue and I think
> that's it.

Wow. Wow. WOW!

serene
--
http://serenejournal.livejournal.com
http://www.jhuger.com

Hi your dinner sounds yummy!.. I love tabouli, I make it all the time but
when I make it I use 6 whole bunches of flat leaf parsley. Everyone in my
family loves it, it only lasts a few days and then it all gone. I add diced
cucumbers, red & green bell pepers in my tabouli.

take care,
SPOONS


"Serene" > wrote in message
...
> The party went well. Food was good. I made tabouli from scratch for
> the first time (I've been buying it for years), and I loved it. Recipe
> at the end of this post. Also made red-pepper hummus with veggie
> dippers, and falafel for dinner. Put out rice crackers, and guests
> brought cookies and merlot and scotch. Standard Italian sodas to drink,
> as well. So sleepy. Managed to almost get everything cleaned up before
> my energy crashed. That's better than usual.
>
>
> This recipe was posted by Amanda on rec.food.recipes on 9/16/01. Her
> comments are in parentheses and in the narrative at the end of the
> recipe -- mine are all in brackets. Hope it's not too confusing.
>
>
>
> Tabouli [I doubled the recipe, except for the salt, which I kept the
> same]
>
> Adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook:
> 1 cup bulghar wheat
> 1 1/2 cups boiling water [I will use less water next time. It was a
> little wet]
> 1 tsp salt
> 1/4 cup lemon juice
> 1/4 cup good olive oil
> *lots* of minced garlic (the recipe calls for 1 heaping tsp, but I just
> start chopping) [for a double recipe, I used 2 tablespoons]
> 1 tsp (or more) dried mint [1 tablespoon]
> freshly ground black pepper [I forgot this, and it was fine]
> 2 tomatoes, diced [I used 7 or 8 romas -- tomatoes are part of the point
> of tabouli for me]
> chopped green onions (including the green stems) [I used 3]
> chopped olives [omitted]
> parsley (optional, in my opinion - but then I don't like parsley ;-)
> [whereas I love it, and I used one bunch]
> any other chopped veggies you care to add....
>
> Soak the wheat in the boiling water and salt for 15 to 20 minutes.
> Meanwhile, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and mint. Pour this
> mixture over the soaked wheat and mix thoroughly. Let this marinate in
> the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Before serving, add remaining
> ingredients. [I gathered the remaining ingredients and then added them
> to the wheat mixture right away before putting it in the fridge. I like
> it to meld together.]
>
> I think this gets better over the next couple of days. I usually use a
> *lot* of garlic and a couple of teaspoonfuls of dried mint; the garlic
> fades and the mint becomes more evident as the tabouli sits in the
> refrigerator. The Moosewood recomments cooked chickpeas, coarsely grated
> carrot, chopped green pepper, and chopped cucumber or summer squash as
> additional veggies for the tabouli.
>
> serene
> --
> http://serenejournal.livejournal.com
> http://www.jhuger.com

(Serene) wrote:
>
>Cool! Every Friday. Arrive between 5 and 9; stay as late as you want.
>
>(Are you in the Bay Area? If so, send me an email and I'll send you
>directions. :-)
>
>serene
>--
>http://serenejournal.livejournal.com
>http://www.jhuger.com

OT, but BTW Serene I took a very quick look at the web stuff - haven't
had time to cruise through it yet but looks interesting - where do you
find the spare time?

Gregory Morrow wrote:
> Sheldon wrote:
>
> > H. Harrand wrote:
> > > I also am throwing a party tonight.
> > > It's a fund raiser for our local ASO
> > > (that's AIDS Service Organization).
> > > You throw a killer party...
> >
> > Interesting sensitivity.
>
>
> Yeah, like having June Wilkinson or Jayne Mansfield modelling
brassieres at
> a breast cancer fund raiser...sheesh!

Whaddaya mean, "or"? AND!

Sheldon

AlleyGator > wrote:

> (Serene) wrote:

> >serene
> >--
> >http://serenejournal.livejournal.com
> >http://www.jhuger.com
>
> OT, but BTW Serene I took a very quick look at the web stuff - haven't
> had time to cruise through it yet but looks interesting

Not sure which web stuff you mean -- my LiveJournal?

>- where do you
> find the spare time?

Again, not sure what you mean. :-)

serene
--
http://serenejournal.livejournal.com
http://www.jhuger.com

Spoons > wrote:

> Hi your dinner sounds yummy!.. I love tabouli, I make it all the time but
> when I make it I use 6 whole bunches of flat leaf parsley. Everyone in my
> family loves it, it only lasts a few days and then it all gone. I add diced
> cucumbers, red & green bell pepers in my tabouli.

Sounds yummy. I will probably use more parsley (and fresh mint) next
time. Not sure about the cucumbers. Might give that a try. Thanks!

serene
--
http://serenejournal.livejournal.com
http://www.jhuger.com

Thanks Serene.....I'm taking the "wows" as a compliment!

I hope your party went great, ours was a bit of a bust. Only about 70 folks
showed up and a LOT of them are employed at our ASO so they are broke folks
(taking care of 500+ patients on a budget of less than $1M a year is insane.
This is all basic medical services, reproductive services, education, meds,
housing assistance, social work assistance, emergency food assistance, etc.,
etc. This includes taking rent, payroll, utilities and all other - to me
this is impressive!). After all they crying was done it turned out that we
raised about $1,300 or so. The only really great thing is that word will
get out that OUR party had the best food, the best drinks and the most fun
so I think next year it'll be kicking! We had "crashers" from another party
just as ours was begining to break up and the last people left about 3:00am.

A good time was had by all and my co-hosts and I had the place cleaned up in
less than an hour. THAT was WONDERFUL!!!!!!!! Got up this morning and the
house was clean instead of having to deal with it the next day as usual.

Hope everyone gives what they can/want to the charity of their choice!

helen
"Serene" > wrote in message
...
> H. Harrand > wrote:
>
> > Anyway, back to the party - We're having an open bar, wine, beer, etc,
etc.
> > I have fixed turkey, ham, smoked salmon w/all the trimmings, meatballs
> > w/stroganoff sauce, veg trays, spinach dip, hummos, antipasta trays,
grilled
> > veggies, wings, samosas, shrimp, stuffed grape leaves, deviled eggs,
pasta
> > salad, 9 layer dip, fruit tray, tiramisu (bought at Costco), little tiny
> > cream puffs (also Costco), strawberries w/chocolate fondue and I think
> > that's it.
>
> Wow. Wow. WOW!
>
> serene
> --
> http://serenejournal.livejournal.com
> http://www.jhuger.com

H. Harrand > wrote:

<snipped helen's great menu>

> Thanks Serene.....I'm taking the "wows" as a compliment!

Oh, yes!

>
> I hope your party went great, ours was a bit of a bust. Only about 70 folks
> showed up and a LOT of them are employed at our ASO so they are broke folks
> (taking care of 500+ patients on a budget of less than $1M a year is insane.
> This is all basic medical services, reproductive services, education, meds,
> housing assistance, social work assistance, emergency food assistance, etc.,
> etc. This includes taking rent, payroll, utilities and all other - to me
> this is impressive!). After all they crying was done it turned out that we
> raised about $1,300 or so.

Is that not a lot?

> The only really great thing is that word will
> get out that OUR party had the best food, the best drinks and the most fun
> so I think next year it'll be kicking! We had "crashers" from another party
> just as ours was begining to break up and the last people left about 3:00am.

Yay! Then I don't think it was a bust at *all*.

> A good time was had by all and my co-hosts and I had the place cleaned up in
> less than an hour. THAT was WONDERFUL!!!!!!!! Got up this morning and the
> house was clean instead of having to deal with it the next day as usual.

Woo-hooooo! I love that feeling. Last Thanksgiving, I cooked a
sit-down dinner for twelve people. At the end, I was *so* exhausted --
I'd been cooking and entertaining all day. James stood up after dinner
and did all the dishes. Every one of them. I swear I could have cried.
It was one of the most beautiful gifts in the world.

> Hope everyone gives what they can/want to the charity of their choice!

Great idea!

serene
--
http://serenejournal.livejournal.com
http://www.jhuger.com

In article >,
Serene > wrote:
>Chris Neidecker > wrote:
>
>> "Charlotte L. Blackmer" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > Fizzy water flavored with a good slug of Torani syrup. My personal
>> > favorite is blackberry. Sweet but not overly so and very refreshing.
>>
>>
>> By "fizzy" water, do you mean club soda / seltzer?
>
>Yeah, exactly.

Yep!

>> I've had these at
>> coffee bars and love them (I don't drink coffee, and though I like tea,
>> I really like Italian sodas better), but never thought to try it at
>> home.
>
>It's really fun. You can buy Torani here at most drug, grocery, and
>warehouse stores. At a party, it's a welcome change (for most of our
>guests, anyway) from two-liter bottles of cola.

And a bottle goes a long way.

But I can usually only find the blackberry at BevMo.

>>
>> Some places make them with a little shot of cream or half-and-half in
>> them...tasty, but too decadent to do often!
>
>I *love* them with cream in them, but I don't have it around much, so
>it's an infrequent treat.

Goodness. I do and I never knew. Must try it some time.

Tonight's party for me was a church potluck for our patron saint's feast
day. I prepared four small legs of lamb from Trader Joe's (about 12#
total) for barbequing with a double recipe of the marinade I posted
recently (my dad's recipe). It was a big hit.

Bill's Butterflied Leg of Lamb

for a 5-6 lb WELL-TRIMMED, boneless, butterflied leg:

1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup "salad oil" (I used a combo of canola and cheapo olive)
1/4 cup grated yellow onion (fridge the onion first to cut down on the
tears)
1-2 cloves garlic, smooshed
1 teaspoon salt
About 1 teaspoon black pepper
Herbs to taste - I had fresh thyme, oregano, and rosemary and left them in
branch format

Marinate 1 hr at room-ish temp or overnight in the fridge, turning
occasionally.

If I had had more energy I would have made the herbs into a paste (you can
do that with the salt - esp. if you have a mortar and pestle) for better
dispersion. But it was pretty tasty as-is.

And someone else cooked it for me, did all the setup, made all the
sides, and did all the cleaning! All I did at the party was eat,
schmooze, and take my pans home with me to put in the dishwasher. Woohoo!


Charlotte

--

Charlotte L. Blackmer > wrote:

[Torani]

> But I can usually only find the blackberry at BevMo.

The Longs of delightment (by our place) has it.

serene
--
http://serenejournal.livejournal.com
http://www.jhuger.com

"Serene" > wrote in message
. ..
> H. Harrand > wrote:
>
> <snipped helen's great menu>
>
> > Thanks Serene.....I'm taking the "wows" as a compliment!
>
> Oh, yes!
>
> >
> > I hope your party went great, ours was a bit of a bust. Only about 70
folks
> > showed up and a LOT of them are employed at our ASO so they are broke
folks
> > (taking care of 500+ patients on a budget of less than $1M a year is
insane.
> > This is all basic medical services, reproductive services, education,
meds,
> > housing assistance, social work assistance, emergency food assistance,
etc.,
> > etc. This includes taking rent, payroll, utilities and all other - to
me
> > this is impressive!). After all they crying was done it turned out that
we
> > raised about $1,300 or so.
>
> Is that not a lot?
>

I had set my hopes on over $3K but for the first event ever here it was
great, I guess. I still am peeved at some "friends" who chose not to come
because they just didn't have the money (I know them and know it's NOT
true). HIV/AIDS is everyone's problem, they just don't know it yet. You
start cutting medication budgets for us and you'll see how high those taxes
get raised when everyone's sick and in the ER because funding was
cut.........sorry, venting again!


> > The only really great thing is that word will
> > get out that OUR party had the best food, the best drinks and the most
fun
> > so I think next year it'll be kicking! We had "crashers" from another
party
> > just as ours was begining to break up and the last people left about
3:00am.
>
> Yay! Then I don't think it was a bust at *all*.


To us it's really not a party unless it's after 2 am when all the folks
leave! Or the police come....but that's another story!


>
> > A good time was had by all and my co-hosts and I had the place cleaned
up in
> > less than an hour. THAT was WONDERFUL!!!!!!!! Got up this morning and
the
> > house was clean instead of having to deal with it the next day as usual.
>
> Woo-hooooo! I love that feeling. Last Thanksgiving, I cooked a
> sit-down dinner for twelve people. At the end, I was *so* exhausted --
> I'd been cooking and entertaining all day. James stood up after dinner
> and did all the dishes. Every one of them. I swear I could have cried.
> It was one of the most beautiful gifts in the world.
>

It's SO true. I have cleaned up for years after parties wondering why the
HELL do I do this to myself. Then I remind myself how much fun the party
was and it passes. It was *especially* wonderful this time tho' when I had
swarms of help before AND after!



> > Hope everyone gives what they can/want to the charity of their choice!
>
> Great idea!
>

Why thank you! I also believe that people should stand up for what they
believe in. Yeah, I see that happening in MY lifetime! <sarcasm
intact>


> serene
> --
> http://serenejournal.livejournal.com
> http://www.jhuger.com

take care!
helen