Tag spicy

Parties That Cook Heats Up Date Night with a Spicy Italian Recipe

0 comments By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in Menus & Recipes Tagged with , , , , , , September 20th, 2012 @ 11:32 am

I’m not sure if it’s the upcoming America’s Cup races, Columbus Day, or maybe flashbacks of Lady and the Tramp, but Parties That Cook has decided to spice up its Date Night couples cooking classes. Come October, we’re taking guests on a virtual trip to Italy! Previously international menus of small plates will become themed Italian menus — at least for the first round of regional menus. And what better way to get you amped for a new class format than by sharing one of our favorite recipes from the class?! Find me someone who doesn’t enjoy fried mozzarella, and I will…call them crazy. You really have to try these ooey gooey bocconcini bites to understand. When they’re this easy to make, what’s stopping you?

Fried Mozzarella Bocconcini with Spicy Tomato Sauce Recipe
This recipe can also be found in our Appetizer Recipe Library

Ingredients
Sauce:
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cup San Marzano tomatoes, chopped with juices
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
10 basil leaves, chopped

Bocconcini:
3 cups canola
1 pound mozzarella bocconcini (about 24 pieces)
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Breading:
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Toothpicks

Methods/Steps
Sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, warm olive oil. Add garlic and pepper flakes; cook 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, salt and black pepper; simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the basil. Transfer to a small bowl and garnish with a sprig of basil.

Bocconcini: In a frying pan or wok, heat canola oil to 350ºF. Preheat oven to 200ºF. Drain cheese; pat dry. Sprinkle with salt.

Breading: In a bowl, whisk eggs and milk. In a second bowl, put flour. In a third bowl, combine the Italian and Panko bread crumbs. Divide the salt between each of the three bowls and mix well. Roll cheese in flour, dip into the egg mixture then lastly coat with the bread crumbs. Be sure to coat the bocconcini well, going back over a second time on each ingredient if need be.

Fry: Fry cheese in batches until golden, about 1 minute. Drain on a cooling rack set over a sheet pan. Keep warm in the oven until ready to eat. Insert toothpicks and serve warm on a platter with the tomato sauce garnished with basil.

Serves/Makes
Makes 24

Recipe created by Parties That Cook® | www.PartiesThatCook.com.

Heat Up the Kitchen with Parties That Cook’s Valentine’s Day Dessert Recipe: Boca Negra

1 comment By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in Menus & Recipes Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , February 6th, 2012 @ 9:01 pm

Hoping to have a HOT Valentine’s Day or date night? We can help you spice things up and bake your way to your lover’s heart with this recipe for Chocolate Chipotle Cakes with Sweet Tomatillo Sauce. Chipotle chilies definitely pack a punch, so feel free to decrease the quantity if you’d rather stick to your sweet side. If you’re anything like us, you’ll want to turn up the heat and make ’em sweat — in the best way.

Need some professional help wooing your date on Valentine’s Day? Check out our couples cooking classes, and let Parties That Cook’s skilled team of professional chefs be your guide! Our full list of classes can be found here.

Boca Negra: Chocolate Chipotle Cakes with Sweet Tomatillo Sauce
This recipe can also be found in our Dessert Recipe Library!

Ingredients
Ramekins:
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar

Cakes:
4 medium dried chipotle chilies
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice (about two large Navel oranges)
1 cup granulated sugar
10 ounce good quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 large eggs
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Sauce:
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/2 pound small fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 (1-inch) piece cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon salt

Garnish:
Thin strips of orange zest from one orange, for garnish

Methods/Steps
Preheat oven to 300ºF.

Prepare Ramekins: Lightly butter 8 small ramekins. Dust ramekins with granulated sugar.

Puree Chilies: In a dry sauté pan toast chilies over moderate heat, turning until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Discard stems, seeds and ribs, then soak chilies in hot water until softened, about 15 minutes. Remove chilies and reserve soaking liquid. In a mini food processor/blender, purée chilies, adding 3 Tablespoons of soaking liquid as needed to form a paste. Force paste through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard solids. Set aside 1 Tablespoons chili paste. (Rinse blender. You will use it again to make the sauce.)

Make Cake: In a small saucepan, bring juice and sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Put the chopped chocolate in a large bowl and pour in the hot syrup, stirring until chocolate is melted. Add butter and stir until melted and combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, whisking after each addition, then stir in chili paste, flour and salt.

Bake Cakes: Place ramekins on a sheet pan and divide batter among ramekins. Bake uncovered, until completely set and a crust has formed on top, about 45 minutes. Remove ramekins and place on a cooling rack for 2 minutes.

Make Sauce: In a small saucepan, scrape seeds from vanilla bean using a paring knife, add bean, tomatillos, brown sugar, water and cinnamon stick. Simmer uncovered, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until tomatillos are very tender, about 15 minutes. Remove vanilla bean and cinnamon stick, then purée tomatillo mixture in blender until smooth. Cover the blender with a towel as it can spit. Cool completely, and then chill in the freezer, covered, until cold.

Serve Cakes: Serve in the ramekin with a spoonful of sauce on top and garnished with orange zest. Extra sauce can be served tableside in a pitcher.

Serves/Makes
Serves 8

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