Happy Birthday Pam!

It was Pam birthday and her lovely husband set the cooking party with good friends  for her as she love cooking and Thai food. They are really good cook and nice people in the class.Thank for letting me host such a special day
in my class.

Awesome People !!

It was so fun with this group-- what a good mix- from difference places but mingling well as a team.. Good job and thank you everyone for a great night -esp Evan who came back again after took this class last 4 years and this time with his friend.

Happy Valentine's Day Puds from Denby and Aimee Twigger

  

Love bites: over half of Brits say a dinner party is the best place to find love

Forget Tinder and dodgy bars, 51% of Brits say that their favourite place to look for love is at a good old fashioned dinner party. As part of a report by Denby Pottery examining the UK’s entertaining habits, 44% of Brits also admitted to having the most success with dating following a dinner party ‘set up’. And thankfully, there’s plenty of opportunity for love to blossom, as 87% regularly host friends for dinner.

- 60% claim they get to know a person better at a dinner party than at a bar -

- 6% of the nation has found the love of their lives at a dinner party -

- That 6% jumps to 1 in 10 for Londoners and Scots -

- 17% of people have been set up at a dinner party at least once -

- Under 35s are the most likely to be set up at a dinner party -

These stats form part of The Art of Entertaining report by iconic British brand, Denby, which delves into trends and eating habits of British people today. It reveals that while the dinner party is as popular as ever, the way we host has changed, with only 1/3 laying a formal table these days and 75% not serving a traditional full three courses. 

For those throwing a dinner party this Valentine’s Day, Denby has teamed up with Instagram foodie Aimee Twigger to come up with four desserts guaranteed to impress guests. With one in five people admitting to buying in their sweet course, these ‘Cheat’s Puddings’ taste delicious but can be made in 10-minutes or less.

 

(Click on the photos to enlarge!)

 

Penne Alla Vodka

It's anybody's guess whether this dish is really Italian or not. Some claim the dish was invented at Dante's, a restaurant in Bologna, Italy. Luigi Franzese, a chef at New York's Orsini restaurant in the 1970s is also sometimes credited. But other sources relate that a certain James Doty, a graduate of Colombia University, was the originator.
While its origins are murky, the flavor is not.
I've never seen it on a menu in Italy, but it's certainly ubiquitous here in the states and for good reason -- it tastes delicious.
It's also perfect for the home cook owing to its ease of preparation. The whole dish comes together in less than 30 minutes.
It's also perfect for those of you thinking of meatless dishes to prepare for Lent.
So what are you waiting for?
Pour yourself a Bloody Mary, but set aside a little of that vodka for Penne Alla Vodka.

Want more Ciao Chow Linda? Check out my Instagram page here to see more of what I'm cooking up each day. 

You can also connect with Ciao Chow Linda here on Facebook, here for Pinterest or  here for Twitter. 

Penne Alla Vodka

printable recipe here

1 lb. penne pasta

2 T. olive oil

1/2 cup minced onion

3 cloves garlic

4 cups tomato sauce (1 lb. 13 oz. can)

1/2 cup vodka

salt, pepper

red pepper flakes

1/4 cup cream

fresh basil, minced
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for the table.

Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until wilted. Add the tomato sauce, vodka, salt, pepper and a little of the basil, saving some whole leaves to decorate with at the end.
Cook the sauce over high heat until it starts to "sputter," then lower immediately to a simmer for about 15 minutes to a half hour, stirring occasionally.

Bring the water for the pasta to a boil, adding salt. Dump the pasta into the boiling water and cook according to package instructions.

While the pasta is cooking, stir the cream into the sauce at low heat. When the pasta is al dente, drain it from the water and add it to the pot with the sauce. (I like to take out a little sauce from the pot in case it is too much sauce for the pasta. I don't like my pasta to be "swimming" in sauce - just dressed lightly. You can always add it back in if it's not enough).
Stir the pasta into the sauce while you have it over a simmer, until the sauce is permeated through the pasta. Turn off the heat and add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.
Serve with more grated cheese at the table.

Classic Piselli

(Italian Style Peas)

INGREDIENTS

2 1/4 Pounds of freshly shelled peas (frozen if you have to)

1 Small white onion - sliced

2 Fairly thick slices of prosciutto or pancetta - minced

Pepper to taste

2 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbs. Minced Italian Parsley

Large Pot of boiling salted water

Shell your peas.  This can be done a day ahead of time, as the peas will stay fresh in the crisper for 24 hours.

Using a large pot, saute the onion in the olive oil.  Do not heat the oil first. Saute until golden.  If you are using pancetta, saute it with the onions.

Add the peas and enough boiling salted water to keep them from sticking and burning, adding more water a little at a time as you go.

If you are using prosciutto instead of pancetta, add at this point.

Simmer the peas until they’ve reached the texture you prefer. If you are using prosciutto, instead of pancetta, add at this point, along with the parsley.  Simmer for 2 minutes, drain, and serve in a warmed dish.

Drizzle with olive oil before serving.

Pease are wonderful over potatoes roasted Italian style and are also served traditionally with lamb dishes. 

Peach Bellini

Preparing and serving is wonderfully simple. Only 2 ingredients required. Prosecco ,a sparkling Italian wine and peach puree. 

Other sparkling wines are often used in place of Prosecco. It’s no longer a Bellini. I’ve experimented and want to share that I believe in this case the originally recipe is the best.  In fact, using a beautiful and luxuriously flavored French champagne does not enhance the drink. Classic French champagne does not pair well with the light, fruity flavor of the Bellini.

2 oz. fresh peach purée

4 oz. Prosecco

Pour puree into chilled flute, add Prosecco. Stir gently.

Serve straight up and without ice

If you’d like the kids to be able to enjoy a fresh peach drink with the grown ups, you can substitute sparkling juice, sparkling water or seltzer in place of the Prosecco.

 Peaches in Red Wine. 

6 peaches 

6 Tbs. granulated sugar

1/2 lemon

Red wine (Your choice. I like to use San Giovesse, Merlot or Pinot)

Wash peaches in cold water.  Peel and slice into wedges. Discard pits. Place wedges in large bowl. Sprinkle peaches with sugar and the juice of half a lemon. Mix gently with a wooden spoon or by hand to avoid bruising the fruit. Peaches are delicate. Allow peaches to sit with sugar for 20 minutes, or until sugar has thoroughly dissolved. The fruit will soften slightly in the process.

Place peach wedges into individual serving bowls. Add enough red wine to each serving to just cover the peaches.  Allow them to sit another 30 - 45 minutes. The longer they sit, to more intense the wine flavor.  I don’t recommend allowing them to sit any longer than 45 minutes or the wine flavor will dominate the peach flavor.

Can be served room temp or slightly chilled. Serves 6