TV Diner Platinum Plate Gala

Last weekend I was lucky enough to score 2 tickets to the TV Diner Platinum Plate Gala. This was an event I have wanted to attend over the past few years so I was really excited to have the opportunity to check it out. I called up my sister and off we went!

First stop was the bar of course! They had one station for wine and beer and another for cocktails. 

My sister got white wine while I chose Skyy Blood Orange Vodka with soda water. It was light and refreshing. 

The event was put on by Tillinger's Hospitality Company.

One of the major parts of the night was a charity auction for Horizons for Homeless Children where they auctioned off great prizes such as tickets to Boston sporting events as well as luxury booth tickets to see Justin Bieber.

Horizons for Homeless Children is a fantastic charity that improves the lives of young homeless children in Massachusetts. They help their families succeed by providing high-quality early education, opportunities for play, and comprehensive family support services.

Billy Costa (one of the  TV Diner hosts) and Matt Siegel of Kiss 108 MC'd the auction which was really cool - we grew up listening to them!

I would say we tried about a 1/4 of the food offered but that is only because there were SO many great options to choose from we had to narrow it down somehow.

Our favorite was a hand made pasta with pulled duck and peas from Andiamo. It was so good we are both desperately wanting to take the drive to Newburyport to have dinner there!

Next was beef sliders from Mooo.... I liked this different take on a slider and the buns on these were so tasty!

The guys from Turner Fisheries we very busy searing scallops which they served with a vegetable chip and micro greens. The scallop was seared perfectly.

And here are just a few more images of delicious food...

Gnocchi bolognese

Steak skewers with potato

Tuna Tartare and Chicken and Waffles from Local 149

Tasty Burger

The TV Diner Platinum Plate Gala cake

TV Diner puts on a great event and you could tell everyone who attended was having a great time! I love how enthusiastic the different chefs and restaurants were and the band was great - they had a packed dance floor as soon as the auction ended! 

I really hope to have the opportunity to attend this event again next year!

Pinterest Faves: Week of 2/17/13 - 2/23/13

This week there was so many good pins on Pinterest I have six pins to share instead of my typical top 5!

As I start to think about how I want to update my house I have been trying to decide on a color palette that will make everything look bright and fresh. I found this pin and was immediately inspired...I love the neutral scheme with a few light pastels mixed in. I already own a Organic Cotton Pintuck Sea Spray duvet from west elm so there is my light mint green...maybe a grey wall next?

Photo from Amateur Couture

I have a jar very similar to these in my bathroom that I hold my cotton balls and q-tips in but I never thought to glue them on top of candlesticks! I am on the hunt for 2 or 3 of them now so let me know if you come across any.

Candlestick Apothecary Jars from Teal & Lime

I am obsessed with this color combination...is it summer yet?

Neutral & Neon

And now for for the food...

I loved Golden Graham treats as a kid and I found this super easy make at home recipe that I will definitely be trying out soon!

S’mores Graham Krispie Treats from Wanna Be A Country Cleaver

 If you live in the South Boston neighborhood you are probably really excited about the opening of Foodie's Market. Finally we have a place to get higher quality meats, cheeses, and seafood. I can't wait to get my hands on some scallops and try out this recipe for Seared Scallops over Lemon-Ricotta pasta.

Seared Scallops over Lemon-Ricotta Pasta from Crumb

Need a really easy side dish? How about Parmesan & Spinach Orzo? I bet you have most, if not all, of the ingredients already at home and it is a great recipe to sneak veggies into.

Parmesan & Spinach Orzo from Life As A Strawberry

I hope you enjoyed my favorite Pinterest picks from this past week!

Featured Recipe: Sweet Basil's Thai Coconut Chicken Soup with Candied Peanuts

I am happy to share another recipe from Chef Dave Becker of Sweet Basil located in Needham, MA. 

Taken right from Stewed, Chef Dave's newest cookbook, today's featured recipe is Thai Coconut Chicken Soup with Candied Peanuts. A second in a trio of posts you will find here for the next few Thursday's centered around Sweet Basil and Chef Dave's Stewed cookbook, this recipe looks more intimating than it actually is.

So break out your largest stock pot and try this recipe out for yourself!

Photo credit: Nina Gallant

Sweet Basil's Thai Coconut Chicken Soup with Candied Peanuts:

• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 1 cup carrots, scrubbed, ½” dice
• 1 cup red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup Spanish onions, thinly sliced
• ½ cup celery, diagonally sliced
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, halved
• 1 or 2 really spicy peppers (such as bird’s beak chiles)
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 ½ quarts Chicken Stock (page 72 of Stewed)
• Meat of 1 Roasted Chicken, pulled (page 111 of Stewed)
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
• ½ cup snow peas

Garnish

• 6 sprigs chopped fresh cilantro
• Candied Peanuts (page 23 of Stewed)
• Chopped scallions

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the grapeseed oil, and heat it until it begins to smoke. Add the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, ginger, shiitake mushrooms, and bird’s beak chiles (see note). Stir fry this combo for 1 minute, and then add the white wine. Bring the wine to a boil, and immediately add the rice vinegar, coconut milk, chicken stock, and the pulled chicken. Bring the soup to a boil, check for flavor, and season it with the salt and pepper. Add the snow peas, and remove from the heat.

To serve, evenly distribute the soup among serving bowls, and garnish with the cilantro,
Candied Peanuts, and scallions.


**Note from Chef Dave**

The bird’s beak chile is a Thai chile commonly used in Asian cuisine. These chiles are long and red and their heat intensifies when dried. On a hotness scale of one to ten, bird’s beak chiles fall at around an eight to nine.

When you add the bird’s beak chiles will depend on how spicy you’d like the soup. If you prefer a more rounded, mellow spice, add them in the beginning, with the vegetables. If you crave torture and like a good burn, cut them up and add them at the end.

Sweet Basil is located at 942 Great Plain Ave., Needham, MA 02492.

If you are interested in purchasing Chef Dave's newest cookbook, Stewed, or any of his cookbooks, you can find them here: www.sweetbasilneedham.com/cookbook

Pinterest Faves: Week of 2/10/13 - 2/16/13

 I've been on a cookie kick lately and these might just be the next ones I bake:

Raspberry Thumbprints

I want this whole set for my kitchen:

Wooden Cooks Tools

This is actually a really easy way to make your nails look really cool!

Gradient Nails

Is it spring yet?

I found my next DIY project:

Nutella Stuffed Funfetti Cookies

We got 20+ inches of snow this weekend...

...so this happened.

If you love Funfetti cake I think you will be obsessed with the cookies! 

Sometimes the recipe is on the box but not always. If it's not on yours just go here. That is the original Funfetti cookie recipe that I normally top with Funfetti frosting and sprinkles.

However,

I found this recipe on Pinterest and knew I had to try it out. They were really easy to make and I've included some tips on what I will do next time to make sure they are 100% perfect. The greatest thing about this recipe? You could really make any kind of cookie and put the Nutella filling in them and they would be delicious!

Recipe from Not Your Momma's Cookie

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• 1 box of Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Approximately 1/2 cup Nutella (about 1 teaspoon per cookie)

Line a cookie sheet with tin foil (or parchment paper). Scoop teaspoon size balls of Nutella onto the sheet. Freeze for about 20 minutes.

Next time I'm going to make my scoops a little smaller

When the 20 minutes is almost up pre-heat your oven to 350 F. Mix together the Funfetti mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.

Remove the Nutella from the freezer. 

With your hands, roll a walnut sized ball of dough and place a frozen Nutella ball into the center. Roll the dough ball in your hands until it is smooth and no Nutella is exposed. 

Place on the cookie sheet.

I sprayed my cookie sheet with non-stick spray but you can also use parchment paper

Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden. Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

They might look too soft when you pull the sheet from the oven but they are fully baked

Pinterest Faves: Week of 2/3/13 - 2/9/13

I can't find the original site these rings came from but I really want the little bird one!

Animal Rings

I love these because you can make them with whatever you have in the fridge. Serve them with these.

Spinach and Mushroom Egg Cups

Then serve this for dessert. #PerfectBrunchmenu

Raspberry Chocolate Coffee Cake

I want to do this project under my bathroom and kitchen sink.

Self-adhesive vinyl tile under used under sinks

Every summer we see Kenny Chesney play at Gillette Stadium. This year's countryfest tailgate is going to have to include these pre-made drinks in mason jars, chilled on ice.

Can't wait to drink one of these while tailgating next to this.

Featured Recipe: Sweet Basil's Onion Soup

I am really excited to be sharing this recipe with you today courtesy of Chef and owner Dave Becker from Sweet Basil located in Needham, MA. 

Featuring an ever-changing menu of Italian cuisine with hand-made pastas and ingredients sourced from local New England farms, Sweet Basil has a loyal following of repeat customers who come back time and time again for the quality food and comforting atmosphere.

Chef Dave recently launched his brand new cookbook, Stewed, featuring handmade takes on classic soups, stews, and braises. Using simple fresh ingredients, he builds on flavor and focuses on fundamental cooking techniques. 

This kicks off a trio of posts you will find here for the next few Thursday's that will be focused around Sweet Basil and Chef Dave's Stewed cookbook. With what seems like never ending cold winter weather what's a better way to warm up than with some hearty soup recipes?

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Photo credit: Nina Gallant

Sweet Basil's Onion Soup:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 Spanish onions, sliced thin
• 2 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 ½ cups tawny port wine
• 1 quart Veggie, Beef or Chicken Stock
• 2 tablespoons plum tomatoes, ¼” dice
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
• 4 slices stale bread, ½” dice
• 1 ½ cups grated Gruyère or Manchego cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Garnish: Sliced scallions, Grated Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. As soon as it melts, add the onions, increase the heat to medium-low, and saute for 30 minutes, or until the onions begin to brown. Add the garlic, sage, and rosemary, saute for 1 or 2 minutes or until the garlic just begins to brown, and then stir in the balsamic vinegar. Add the port wine, and reduce until the pan is almost dry. Add the stock of your choosing, along with the plum tomatoes and the maple syrup. Bring the soup to a boil, remove from the heat, and season to your liking with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, arrange the bread chunks on a broiling pan, sprinkle with the grated Gruyère or Manchego cheese, drizzle with some olive oil, and toast until the cheese is bubbling and brown.

Evenly distribute the soup among serving bowls, top with the cheesy bread, garnish with
scallions and Parmesan, and serve.

Sweet Basil is located at 942 Great Plain Ave., Needham, MA 02492.

If you are interested in purchasing Chef Dave's newest cookbook, Stewed, or any of his cookbooks, you can find them here: www.sweetbasilneedham.com/cookbook

Chef Dave will also be hosting a cooking demonstration and book signing on Wednesday, February 27th from 6:00 - 9:00pm at Boston University. If you are interested in attending you can purchase tickets here: www.bu.edu/foodandwine