Parties That Cooks 2012 Holiday Gift Guide for Foodies

You know its out there: the perfect gift. Need a little help visualizing it? Weve got you covered. Our awesome-gift-finding radar (not available in stores) has been turned on since Halloween. Check out this list of must-gifts for friends, foodies, and friendly foodies.

For the Hands-On Foodie:

Grow Your Own Mushroom Kit These kits were all the rage this year (unlike that phrase). Who wouldnt want to grow pearl oyster mushrooms in soil made of recycled coffee grounds? Its almost too easy!

Cheese-Making Kit Our friends at the Cheese School of San Francisco are known for their informative cheese-tasting, -paring, and -making classes. Get your skills to-go with this at home cheese-making kit. Insider tip: Well be hosting a fun, cheese-filled Valentines Day couples cooking class for cheese lovers!

Wood Cutting Board Pay tribute to the great outdoors (and its lumberjacks) with these handcrafted cutting boards. They also make unique cheese boards!

Tickets to a Cooking Class! From Pickling at Workshop to a variety of themed group cooking classes with Parties That Cook, a fun foodie adventure is easy to find. Not sure about their schedule? Just grab a gift certificate! Done and done.

Whale Knives These fun knives are sure to encourage chopping, slicing and dicing. Theyre just so darn cute!

For the Techie Foodie:

Qooq Culinary Tablet First things first: its pronounced cook. This tablet specializes in all things culinary. With more than 1,000 recipes and videos from renowned chefs, its as much teacher as practical tool to create meal plans and emailable shopping lists. Plus, its splash-proof for when things get messy.

iPad and or iPhone Sleeves Help keep precious electronics clean with these touch-sensitive sleeves. We all know your friend a hot mess in the kitchen.

For the Bookworm Foodie:
Food52 Cookbook We had so much fun experimenting with the original Food52 Cookbook, that we cant help but have high hopes for version 2. YUM.

Tartine Cookbooks Whats better than a lifetime of Tartine baked goods? Well, nothing really So give your bestie the tools to make it happen!

Cookfight: an Epic Battle for Kitchen Dominance This book features 2 Cooks, 12 Challenges and 125 Recipes to keep the lucky recipient busy until the next big holiday!

Bottega Cookbook PTC Cookbook Club-tested and definitely approved! These delicious recipes are a treat for anyone lucky enough to be invited to dinner. Just make youre your name makes the guest list!

For the Hosting Foodie:
Dinner-Party-In-A-Box (Vol.5) With all the components for hosting a great snatch the latest edition of The Bold Italics dinner party in a box while you still can! Be sure to order yours by December 17th to ensure delivery by Christmas.

Table Topics Were such huge fans of ice-breakers, we couldnt leave this off the list. Table Topics are a great way to get conversation flowing. Try this Foodie Fight Game to really kick things up a notch.

Cocktails for a Crowd Save the host from doubling as bartender. These batch recipes will help them throw a bash everyone will remember Or, not.

For the Charitable Foodie:
Make a Donation in their Name Countless organizations feed, provide culinary and business skills to, or generally aid to those in need.

Charity Mugs These adorable, limited-edition mugs benefit a variety of organizations. , from red ribbon-wrapped (helping AmFAR) and prefab house cartoons (Architecture for Humanity) to Teach for America owl motifs.

Cooking with Kindness The ultimate gift for charitable foodies! Gather friends, family or coworkers to cook for, dine alongside, and spread holiday cheer to residents at a local shelter. Inquire today for more information!

For the Thirsty Foodie:

Coffee Shop Gift Certificate Skip the conglomerate shops and go a bit more local. Try any of these coffee shops for Chicago folks, or have fun exploring your own hood for research.

Bottle Opener Whether it be for its sleek design or its ability to blend in with everyday objects, your friend can always use a good bottle opener. Extra points if you pair it with their favorite local beer!

Corkcicle! This magic wand of sorts has been popping up everywhere. The handy wine stopper will chill your wine while keeping it fresh in the bottle!

Celebrate Oktoberfest with Parties That Cook!

It may still say September on your calendar (at least we hope it does!), but Oktoberfest is definitely underway! Traditionally, Oktoberfest festivities begin late September, though some folks have taken the liberty of starting a couple weeks early (*cough* Chicago *cough*). Nonetheless, youre right on time to start celebrating with the masses! With festivals, beer events, and special menus featuring Oktoberfest fare, it may be difficult to plan your Oktober and maximize your festing (yes, thats a word!). Luckily, weve got the solution right here: Go To Seattle.

While this may seem like too simple of a solution well, maybe it is. Anyway, we still think Seattle holds the key to your Best Oktoberfest Yet! Why, you ask? Because were hosting our very own Oktoberfest Cooking Class!

Thats right, Parties That Cook is hosting its very own Brews & Bites class in honor of Oktoberfest! Weve even brought in the pros at Pyramid Brewing to help pull off aseamlesslysudsy even. Head over to Pyramid Alehouse on Sunday, October 28, to get in on the fun and booze, but mostly fun. Of course, wed appreciate a heads up that youre coming. RSVP here.

Like all Parties That Cook Brews & Bites classes, this event will begin with some light bites to prep you for beer consumption. Then, youll get a quick tour of the Alehouse, a run-down of the evenings menu and beer selection, and sample each beer for yourself lucky you! Great tunes will be blasting as we roll into the cooking portion of the class. And finally, the EATING. Yum. Our mouths are watering just at the thought of this delicious (dare we say, mouthwatering?) menu.

More information and tickets can be found here.
Comment with any questions!

Parties That Cook Hosts the Inaugural Cooking with Kindnessand Firemen

Rather than dive right into the juicy event recap, Id like to tell this story from the very beginning. Near the end of 2011, Parties That Cook hosted a corporate team building event for AppliedMicro. This, however, was not the typical corporate holiday party. Inspired to give back, the AppliedMicro team wanted to donate the food prepared to their buddies at the Boys and Girls Club. What we came up with was essentially our very first, very unofficial, Cooking with Kindness event. (Read more on that holiday party here.)

The event was such a hit that we knew we needed to offer our clients the opportunity to give back on a more regular basis. Brainstorming ensued, and Cooking with Kindness was born.

Last Friday, our crew of selfless volunteers (all PTC staff) arrived at the Hamilton Family Centerin San Francisco. Together, they prepared and served a delicious, healthy meal for families at the center. It was great to see how appreciative the families were (and how much those kids can eat!). Warm and fuzzy feelings spread quickly.

Thanks to this successful trial run, the event timeline was nailed down and logistical kinks were smoothed out. One such mishap involved smoke, fire alarms, a few firemen and a whole lot of detective work. Im sure some of our volunteers appreciated the break intervention. BIG thanks to our lovely team of volunteers, the friendly firemen, and the incredibly helpful Hamilton Family Center staff! We are very excited to offer a flawless, feel-good option for corporate team building events just in time for the holiday season!

Parties That Cooks Top Pumpkin Recipes

We are always SO excited this time of year. The candy, costumes, turkey-fueled parades, and holiday parties are all wonderful.. But what really pushes us over the edge are all the pumpkin recipes! Sweet, savory, baked, pureed, cakes, lattes Bring. It. On. Weve compiled quite the pumpkin recipe library over the years, and its about time we shared the wealth. Now presenting, our Top Pumpkin Recipes!

Sweet Pumpkin and Apple Cider Soup with Sage
This recipe can be found in our Soups, Salads & Pasta Section

Ingredients
Soup:
1 medium sugar pumpkin or butternut squash
6 Tablespoons butter, divided in half
6 Tablespoons brown sugar, divided in half
1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped or 2 teaspoons dried
8 cups fresh chicken or vegetable stock
1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped
4 large cloves garlic, peeled
1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1 cup apple cider or apple juice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs sage
1 1/2 Tablespoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Garnish:
1/2 cup crme frache
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh sage leaves for garnish

Methods/Steps
Preheat the oven to 425F.

Roast Pumpkin: Cut pumpkin or squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place in roasting pan, flesh side up. Spread half of the butter and brown sugar among the cavities. Sprinkle with rosemary. Pour 2 cups of stock around pumpkin or squash and cover pan with foil. Roast in preheated oven, stirring once or twice, until squash is soft, about 45 minutes 1 hour.

Saut Vegetables: In large stockpot, melt remaining butter. Add onions, carrots, garlic, and apple and saut until soft, about 7 minutes. Once the vegetables are soft, add the remaining 6 cups stock, remaining brown sugar, apple cider, ginger, nutmeg, bay leaf, sage, salt and pepper. Cover pot and then bring to a boil. Remove pumpkin or squash from oven, cool slightly then scoop flesh out of skins and add to stockpot. Cook for about 8-10 more.

Puree Soup: Remove bay leaf and sage from soup pot. Working in batches (filling no more than 1/2 full), puree soup in blender on high speed until very smooth and light, 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Helpful hint: you may want to hold the lid on with a towel because the soup can spit! Strain soup through fine strainer into second stock pot over medium heat.

Mix Crme Frache: Combine crme frache with salt. Set aside.

Serve: When all the soup has been pureed, bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Add additional seasoning if necessary. Serve soup in bowls, topped with dollop of crme frache and sage.

Serves/Makes
Serves 16

Extra credit: Youre sure to ace your pumpkin-lover test if you try either of these delicious recipes!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting Recipe We hosted an entire Halloween contest around these bad boys last year. Let me just say, the results were DELICIOUS.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Recipe Ummm, need I say more?? Youve got to be crazy (or on a diet) to turn down a winner like this.

Parties That Cooks Chicago Cookbook Club: My Last Supper

This cleverly themed cookbook club brought our Chicago team together for another tasty if not a bit morbid- meal together. It was Chef Mollys selection this time around, and she selected My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs andTheir Final Meals by Melanie Dunea. The following guest blog was written by Chef Heidi Kise, and while this last supper may have taken place a few weeks ago, theres no better time to share the eerie recap than Halloween!

What would you eat for your last supper? providedinteresting fodder to our dinner at theswanky South Loop home of Chef Molly. Would you eat afavorite? Something from your Moms kitchen?
Or somethingnot easily accessible?

Brandy, Liz, Molly and I each brought a dish from Mollys selection. We began the eveningwith a beautiful cheese board in Molly style. Read:gorgeous. Our meal of small plates began with a wonderfully warm andhomey Wonton Soup made by Brandy. We all supposed that Susur Leesdish mustve been a favorite growing up. Thedarling plump wontons were filled with shrimp, pork andother goodies. Brandy stayed true to the recipe, resistingthe urge to doctor the wontons. Unfortunately, we felt thewontons could have had a touch more flavor. A little scallion or chive garnishwouldve finished it off beautifully. On the plus side, its quitea filling dish and would be perfect to serve at yournext all white party. Much to my surprise,Brandy admitted that she would double down on dessert, and enjoy a nutella-filled crepe and birthday cake for her last meal.

We then moved onto Lizs recreation of Bobby Flays Cajun Burger. This burger rocked! Coated with a Cajun spice, the burger had just the right amount of kick. Generous layers of pepperjack cheese and crispyprosciutto were an excellent addition. Instead ofmayo and katsup, Bobby opted for remoulade. Let me justsay, More, please! I would have Bobby and Lizcollaborate on a course in my last supper, hands down. Lizs lastsupper would include sushi, her moms Mexican poblanomilk soup (Mmm, sounds interesting). Shed finish it off with a smidge of ice cream Just a smidge?!

Our host took the bull by the horns and fried up somechicken in bacon grease. This dish, by John Besh, is not for the faint of heart. In fact, if eaten often enough, one would probably be heading down the path to an early last supper. The tender chicken in its flavorful coating wasvery tasty; Slathering on the bacon gravy was verygluttonous. If recreating this dish, frying at ahigher temp might crisp up the coating. We found it interesting that the chef fried the chicken at 250. Could it bea typo?

Though not in the book, a highlight of the meal was a roasted brussels sprouts dishwith toasted pecans and shaved parm. Along with this bonus menu item, Molly shared her loveof ice cream sundaes that began while working at a WI icecream shop in high school. Ice cream would definitely be Mollyslast supper.

Our next dish was a simple yet deliciouspasta from Mario Batali. A red sauce with a little kicklightly coated the delicate homemade noodles.A favorite of the group, no doubt. I chose to make this dish, since pasta would be a part of mylast supper (not to mention a crab salad with tomato, corn &avocado).

The denouement was Mollys decadent chocolate cake a replica of the cake she made for her sisters wedding. Fantastic. Theres simply nothing else to say it was seriously that good.

Allin all, a clever concept for a cookbook. Thanks to My Last Meal, we enjoyed interestingstories from chefs and a great evening with cheffriends.

Parties That Cooks Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

This Thanksgiving, make a feast fit for a king (or queen!). This classic roasted turkey recipe will have your guests thankful to be seated around your delicious Thanksgiving centerpiece. Note: Brining is optional, if you dont have the time, but trust us, its well worth the effort.

Thanksgiving Recipe: Brined and Roasted Turkey Recipe
This dish can also be found in our Holiday Recipes Library

Ingredients
Brine (Optional):
1 1/4 gallons (20 cups) cold water
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 bay leaves, torn into pieces
1/2 bunch fresh thyme
8 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
teaspoon black peppercorns smashed

Turkey:
1 12-14 pound fresh turkey, giblets removed and set aside for another use
1 Tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika (for color)
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Methods/Steps
Note: You may halve or double the recipe. The important thing is to prepare enough brine to cover the turkey completely.

Brine (Optional): Place the water in a large non-reactive pot (like a stainless steel stockpot) that can easily hold the liquid and the turkey. Add all the brine ingredients and stir for a minute or two until the sugar and salt dissolve. Put the turkey into the brine and refrigerate for 24 hours. If the turkey floats to the top, cover it with plastic wrap and weight it down with a plate and cans to keep it completely submerged in the brine.

Roast: Preheat oven to 450F. Remove the bird from the brine and drain well. Pat dry. Stuff the turkey. Mix the paprika into the butter. Brush the turkey skin with the butter mixture.

Roast, Continued: Place the bird on its back (breast side up) on an oiled roasting rack in a roasting pan. Add enough water so that it is -inch deep. Roast in a preheated oven for 25 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F and turn the bird on its side and roast 45 minute 60 minutes, basting before you return to the oven. Turn the bird on its other side, baste and cook about 45 minute 60 minutes. The turkey is done when the legs and thighs move up and down freely, the juices are clear in the pan and the temperature of a meat thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 160F. Reserve the pan juices for the gravy.

Serve: Allow the turkey to stand, tented with foil, for 30 minutes before carving and serving.

Serves/Makes
Serves 12-14 people (1 pound per person)

Parties That Cook Explores The Basics of Beef

Sometimes being a foodie means more than just trying out the current trendy restaurants, or snapping crave-inducing shots of the gorgeous plate in front of you (guilty!). Sometimes, it means digging deeper to find out where your food really comes from, and really understanding what youre putting in your body with that next bite. This guest post was written by Parties That Cooks very own Operations Manager, Heather McCarthy.

The term Meatless Mondays has become quite the catch phrase; a testament to the success of the campaign launched to reduce the environmentally taxing production and consumption of meat. With Paul McCartney as the campaign poster child, its not entirely surprising the movement has found traction. Being familiar with the term and the goals of the movement, I was caught off guard when I noticed my local market, Canyon Market, chose to host an event celebrating meat. They even stamped the words EAT MEAT in blood red letters across the announcement board advertising the event.

While the crafty marketing might suggest the event would rebel against Meatless Mondays, participating vendors actually support the campaign. At the event, I had the opportunity to meet the people behind Marys Air Chilled Chicken and Becker Lane Organic Farm. I also met Canyon Markets famed butcher, Oscar Yedra winner of the Flying Knives Butchery competition for the past four years and featured butcher in Marissa Guiggianas new book, Primal Cuts. Each vendor shared samples of their product and was eager to share insider knowledge (like why air chilled is important for chicken and what sets heritage pork apart).

Fortunately for me, plentiful samples distracted most attendees. I took advantage of the opportunity to have a lengthy conversation with Bill Niman, one of the founders of sustainable meat production in the US. Having walked away from his namesake national brand, Niman Ranch, several years ago, Bill was at Canyon Market promoting his new operation, BN Ranch. Bills primary focus now is to produce sustainable, humanely raised meat. When his first company lost sight of this with expansion, he left to start over with a smaller operation. Bill shared his thoughts with me on the devaluation of the meat market and how the true cost of meat has been lost with agribusiness. We discussed the need for people to be open to using meat as flavoring rather than the centerpiece of the main course and how eating meat less often and in smaller quantities can offset the higher cost of sustainably produced meat.

When I asked how he responds to claims it is not feasible for all farms and ranches to adopt the sustainable and environmentally conscious practices he employs at BN Ranch, he explained we have fewer cows in this country than in 1976 and we have enough land to support grass feeding cattle nationally but the current structure of the farming industry and our focus on corn and soy as well as farm subsidies hinders our abilities to build a national sustainable meat production model.

Walking away from my conversation with Bill, I appreciated speaking with a man so driven to lead by example continuing to encourage people to know their rancher, their farmer, and their butcher. Bill Nimans own experiences serve as a cautionary tale that brands and labels cannot always be trusted. The Niman Ranch brand represented sustainable, responsible meat production for decades and was synonymous with high quality even amongst discriminating chefs. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. Big thanks to Canyon Market for giving me the opportunity to meet my butcher, Oscar. Luckily, you do not need your market to host a meat festival to meet your butcher. Talk to your butcher, let them share their knowledge of the animal with you and do not shy away from the more expensive grass fed and finished beef. You can always just buy less and make a delicious bolognese instead of meatballs for your spaghetti.

Parties That Cooks Guide to Thanksgiving Leftovers

Thanksgiving is only 2 short days away, and you might be in panic mode right about now. Some of us have their courses planned, their turkeys ordered, and their ingredients sitting neatly in their pantries. Others (the normal ones) havent even had a chance to decide the method by which to cook the turkey theyll be fighting for in the store on Wednesday. Im here to say, Its OK. You will be fine.

1. You can choose a winning menu from this list of fantastic Thanksgiving recipes.
2. In 2 short days, this will all be over.
3. Leftovers. Yes.

Lets fast-forward through all this stress and over-eating and get down to the nitty-gritty: What will you be doing with all those leftovers? You will hit that wall that means you cant willingly eat another bite of your once mouthwatering holiday spread. Our answer is something that deliciously disguises your holiday bird: Roasted Turkey And Root Vegetable Pot Pie Napoleon with a Golden Flaky Pie Crust. YUM.

Roasted Turkey And Root Vegetable Pot Pie

Ingredients
Turkey:
Your leftovers!

Pot Pie Filling:
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced on a diagonal, about 1 inch long and inch thick
3 large parsnips, peeled and sliced on a diagonal, about 1 inch long and inch thick
1 small sweet potato, about 2 cups, cut into 1 inch dice
1 pound small red potatoes, halved (quarters if they are big)
1 medium red onion, cut into large dice
1/2 cup peeled whole garlic cloves, smashed
1 Tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Veloute Sauce:
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup flour
5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons chopped sage
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Pinch of nutmeg

See Golden Flaky Pie Crust with Fleur de Sel Recipe

Methods/Steps

Prep Your Leftover Turkey: Discard the skin and shred the meat into bite size pieces and set aside.

Roast Vegetables: Place all of these ingredients into a large bowl and mix well so everything is coated evenly with the spices and herbs. Pour out onto a sheet pan and place into the oven to roast for 25 minutes or until they are golden brown. Stir vegetables half way through cooking with a metal spatula. Meanwhile make sauce.

Make Veloute Sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat (dont let it burn) and add the flour. Raise the heat to medium and whisk the butter and flour together for about 2 minutes to form a white roux. Slowly pour the stock, the reserved pan juices and the cream into the roux while constantly whisking. Add the bay leaves. When the stock begins to simmer, turn down the heat to low and cook until the sauce thickens, stirring now with a wooden spoon to get into the corners of the pot. A thin skin may form; just skim it away with your spoon. Depending on your stovetop, the sauce may take 5 10 minutes to get to your desired consistency. Season the sauce with the salt, pepper, sage, lemon juice and a pinch of nutmeg. Remove about 2 cups of the sauce to a smaller saucepan to use when plating. To the large pot of sauce, add the turkey and the roasted vegetables. Stir gently as to not mash the vegetables.

Assemble Napoleons: Place a plain *round of crust* onto the plate. Top with a generous spoonful of the pot pie filling. Place the decorative *crust round* on top. Ladle more sauce on the plate as needed and top with the salad greens.

Serves/Makes
Serves 8

**Golden Flaky Pie Crust with Fleur de Sel and Little Gems Salad recipehere

Bring Your Mum to Work Day: A Parties That Cook Holiday Entertaining Event Recap

Were excited to bring you this Friday event recap from a new POV! Here, Event Manager, Christina Turner recounts her unique experience at Parties That Cooks recent Holiday Entertainingclass. Enjoy!

Growing up in Palo Alto, I have several memories of my mom, Esther, taking me into her office at Hewlett-Packard when I was in Elementary School. It was a chance for me to see what exactly my mom did between dropping my brother and I off at school in the morning and picking us up from our French tutoring sessions in the late afternoon. To be honest, Im still not sure what she did. I do know therewasnta playground at her office and the only art supplies were presentation marker pens and recycled paper. Meh.

The cafeteria was far more interesting filled with men in navy suits, women inshoulder padsand pumps. There were unrecognizable dishes nestled in chaffing dishes, steaming and simmering. No pizza or spaghetti for these folks. I also remember how no one stood on the benches, tuna sandwich in hand, shouting at a fellow classmate. There was no running, jumping or squeals of delight when someone traded a Fruit Roll-up for Capri Sun. Nevertheless, I knew it was important for me to be there. I was introduced to many people and my mom spoke highly of my accomplishments. Years later, I am pleased to say that I got to bring my mom to work for and show her off to my colleagues!

I took her to one of our classes Holiday Entertaining. It felt great to be a guest rather than the planner, and more importantly, to be able to show off my company to my mom. She loved how organized, bright and happy we all are. She really got into the cooking demonstration and soaked up the suggestions for making your appetizer platter more appealing create height by pilingprosciuttoslices in a mountain of beauty. Add a pop of color by placing wholeseasonal fruits such aspomegranates,persimmonsand pears on the platter. Sprinkle some Marcona almonds or dried fruit for texture. You get the idea.

When it came time to prepare our Seared Turkey Breast with Bay Laurel Sauce, we dove right in. We teamed up with a couple with the same sense ofhumor, bravado and passion for food as ourselves. Im proud to say we were the loudest team in the bunch (thankyouverymuch)! It was like we were at home in our own kitchens. I learned so much about cooking from my mom over the years picking up her enthusiasm for spices,tendencyto not fuss with exact measurements, and yes, a bit ofbossinesstowards other non-cooking types who want to help but are really just underfoot.

About half way through the cooking, I realized that none of us had read therecipecompletely! I tried in vain to halt the cooking so that we could re-group, assess, and make a plan. Instead, I was told Hush, this is home cooking! and Now pour all those raisins in that sauce! Well there you have it the key components of cooking are confidence, adventure and laughter. Our turkey came out great! Weve even planned to re-create the dish for the family at Christmas. Above is a photo of my mom with our finished platter. We named that bird Frank, and Frank was perfect just like Esther.

Parties That Cook Dishes On Whats Brewing in Seattle

For this insightful post, were bringing in our expert on the ground in Seattle, Carolyn Peters! Shes done her research, sipping, swirling, sniffing, but hopefully not spilling, these fine beverages all to bring YOU the truth..

Sure, theres coffee brewing in Seattle, but theres also some great craft beer brewing. Lets take a look at a relatively new brewery thats off to a great start.

Just off the beaten path in Seattles hip neighborhood of Ballard, youll find Hilliards Beer serving some of the areas best craft brews. Walking into Hilliards is a bit like coming home. Youre first welcomed by the sweet aroma of beer-making (a light yeasty smell). You then notice the tall windows and updated white interior bringing a much neededbrightness in Seattles winter.These sensations are quickly followed by friendly greetings from the knowledgeable staff who are happy to provide tastings and let you know all about their beers. Hilliardsdelicious selection includes amber, IPA, stout, pilsner, Belgian ales and more. Hilliards beers are featured on the shelves at Trader Joes in Ballard, and served at the highly-acclaimed restaurant, The Walrus & TheCarpenter.

Hilliards also boasts a bright and airy taproom set inside their warehouse once a car dealership! where you and your friends can enjoy your beers while taking in the action of forklifts moving pallets and pondering the mysteries of large stainless steel tanks (hint: they contain beer in its early stages).The taproom is a great place to lounge, mingle, listen to live music on Thursday nights, or just kick off your evening at their happy hour.Still, I think my favorite component is the wall of Hilliards beer cans (filled with beer, of course) ready to be discovered, just past the taproom. Quite an impressive and stylish retro design!

Outside food is welcome, so bring your favorite bite, arrange to have a food cart pull up right outside, or join Parties That Cook chefs for a Brews & Bites cooking party! Well be hosting fun interactive cooking classes in Seattle where gourmet food is paired with a few of Hilliards beers. There will even be a tasting session during the class! Come learn how Hilliards brews their beers, brush up onsome new cooking techniques, and fill your belly with delicious food and drink. Interested? Details to come!

Parties That Cooks Holiday Dessert Recipe: Gingerbread Trifle with Warm Bourbon Custard

Its prime time for family get-togethers, sugary desserts, and hyper children. Gingerbread houses might be fun for the little ones, but you need something a bit more sophisticated. Enter, a deliciously boozy dessert perfect for taking you to your holiday happy place. Nothing says, Happy Holidays! quite like this sweet holiday recipe for Gingerbread Trifle with Warm Bourbon Custard.

Gingerbread Trifle with Warm Bourbon Custard Recipe
This recipe can also be found in our Dessert Recipe Library!

Ingredients
Gingerbread:
Nonstick baking spray
1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely grated
3 Tablespoons hot water
6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
6 Tablespoons blackstrap molasses
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 -24 cup mini muffin tins for baking
Wine glasses or rocks glasses for serving
Or tiny cups/spoons for serving mini trifles

Bourbon Custard (makes 1-1 1/2 cups):
3/4 cups milk, warmed
3/4 cup heavy cream, warmed
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoons bourbon or whiskey

Garnish:
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons candied ginger
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Methods/Steps
Preheat oven to 325F.

Prepare Muffin Pans: Generously spray muffin pans with nonstick baking spray.

Puree Ginger: Grate the ginger and place into a blender. Add the hot water and process until smooth. Pour the pureed ginger into a mixing bowl.

Mix Wet Ingredients: Add the sugar, oil, molasses and salt to the bowl of pureed ginger. Beat on medium speed using a hand mixer until well mixed. Add the eggs and beat until incorporated.

Sift Dry Ingredients: Into another small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper. Stir to combine. Add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed until moistened. Switch to high speed until the batter is perfectly smooth, about 1 minute.

Fill Cupcake Pans: Fill each cup a little less than half way full, about 1 Tablespoon. It will look too empty but the batter will rise a lot in the oven. If filled any higher the batter will overflow out of the cups. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Invert muffin tin to release the cupcake (may need to run a knife around cakes and gently remove them if they stick). Cut each cupcake into 4 quarters and place into a large bowl until service.

Warm Liquids: Place a saucepan over low to medium heat and add the milk and cream. Heat the mixture until warm to the touch.

Make Custard: Bring about 2 inches of water to a boil in a small saucepan. In a stainless steel bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar until thickened. Whisk in the warm milk and cream. Set the bowl over the simmering water and whisk over moderate heat until the custard is very thick, about 15 minutes, then stir in the salt and bourbon. Turn heat off but keep custard bowl on top of saucepan to keep warm until service.

Prepare Garnishes: Combine the cream and powdered sugar in a bowl. Whip until soft peaks form. Set aside. Roughly chop candied ginger.

Assemble Large Trifles (mini trifles see below): Place 4 pieces of cake into each glass. Ladle or spoon 2 tablespoons of custard into all of the glasses then finish with 1 tablespoon of whipped cream. Repeat process with 4 more pieces of cake, custard and whipped cream. Top with some candied ginger and a sprinkle with a hint of black pepper. Serve immediately.

*For Mini Trifles: Place 2 pieces of cake into each cup. Ladle or spoon 1 tablespoon of custard into all of the cups then finish with 1/2 tablespoon of whipped cream. Repeat process with 2 more pieces of cake, custard and whipped cream. Top with some candied ginger and a sprinkle with a hint of black pepper. Serve immediately.

Serves/Makes
Makes 12 plated dessert trifles or 24 mini small plate trifles

Recipe created by Parties That Cook www.PartiesThatCook.com