Tag hands-on cooking

Parties That Cook Event Recap: Cooking Up Success for Women’s Initiative

Last Wednesday night, Parties That Cook hosted Cooking Up Success for Women’s Initiative. Women’s Initiative for Self Employment is a Bay Area non-profit that provides high-potential, lower-income women the training, resources and on-going support to start and grow their business. This amazing organization has been in San Francisco for 23 years, and has served more than 22,000 low-income women to date!

The Cooking Up Success event was a great opportunity for us to give back to the community, and with nearly 100 guests coming together in support of Women’s Initiative, it was clear that this hands-on cooking event was a HUGE success! Bibby gave her famous interactive cooking demo, with insightful tips and tricks for the evening’s recipes. Attendees were all smiles throughout the event, as they broke up into smaller teams to create the menu of international tapas. Guests also had the chance to hear their inspiring entrepreneurial stories of four graduates from Women’s Initiative.

The event raised over $16,000! That’s enough money to put 8 women through the Women’s Initiative’s business management training program, potentially create 18 new jobs and put $480,000 back into the community! Parties That Cook is proud to lend a hand to our community.

Halloween Holiday Party Ideas and Recipes

Bring out the candy corn, cauldrons and… pork chops?  Halloween is just around the corner and what better way to welcome the spooky holiday than with a dinner party!  Let these delicious Parties That Cook recipes and Halloween Treats ideas get you in the spirit of autumn and ready for a wicked celebration:

Autumn Salad of Arugula, Persimmon and Spicy Pecans

Molasses-Cured Pork Chops with Caramelized Apples

Savory Bread Pudding with Wild Mushrooms and Leeks

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

Decorating tips from Halloween Treats: Recipes and Crafts for the Whole Family

Three-Tier Pumpkin Centerpiece

You will need:
3 pumpkins in descending sizes
Pedestal cake stand or platter
Selection of colorful autumn leaves, acorns or dried berries on branches
Ivy (optional)

Arrange the pumpkins on a cake stand or platter with the biggest one on the bottom and the smallest one on the top.  Tuck autumn leaves and ivy, if using, around the base of the pumpkin sculpture and around the pumpkins in the sculpture, too.

Got little ones eager to help?  Have them create Peek-a-Boo Place Cards

You will need:
Construction paper
Felt-tip markers
Glitter pen (optional)
Sequins or wiggle eyes
A cloth or paper napkin

Trace a Halloween figure such as a witch, owl, or ghost onto construction paper and cut it out.  Decorate with markers, glitter pen (if using), and sequins or wiggle eyes.  Write the name of your ghost on the place card.

Be sure to check out more of our favorite recipes here or join us in the kitchen for some hands-on fun!  Happy Halloween!

Contributed by Krystal Shih