Food & Wine — Parties

We officially kick off summer celebrating with one of the best ways we know how as Americans, with friendly gatherings and BBQ. This recipe takes an American classic and kicks it up with fusion toppings and favorite local flavors. Try these dogs one at a time or throw a potluck and serve all four! Luckily baseball season lends to more opportunities to try more topping combinations. Hot diggity dog, summer is going to be tasty.Start by cooking your chosen franks with your preferred method; boil, grill, campfire, etc. We chose to broil our franks in the oven for approximately 7...

We are huge fans of puff pastry! But really, who isn't? It's crispy, flakey, buttery and delicious. Puff pastry is incredibly versatile and can be shaped into so many forms. For this recipe, we've decided to focus on something that could function as a breakfast pastry or as little bite size cups at your holiday party. Get creative with different ingredients. Your guests will not be displeased. Try pairing these treats with a crisp and aromatic dry White wine. Ingredients:  1/2 cup Crème Fraîche 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice 6oz Porcini or Crimini Mushrooms 1/4 Onion 1/4...

Hosting parties can be stressful and worrying about serving wine properly may be the last thing on your mind. Even so, taking a couple simple steps to serve wine properly will greatly enhance any celebration. Selecting a special wine for the occasion and presenting it well will let your party shine as bright as that ball in Times Square. Here are a few easy suggestions to enlighten your guests and your taste buds. Sparkling Wines & Champagne, Rosé and Light Dry White Wines: These wines should be chilled to 40­–-50° F before serving. To achieve this temperature, leave the bottle...

  Holiday feasts and parties are a great excuse to indulge in artisan cheeses! This recipe for Honey Nut Roquefort is one of our favorites. We used Roquefort Papillion, a raw cheese from the AOC region of Roquefort from Milkfarm LA Cheese Shop. You can also find this cheese at the Claremont Cheese Cave. This fantastic import is strong and peppery in flavor with funky notes of earth and barnyard. If Roquefort is too intense for you and your guests, try a milder blue like Gorgonzola or Stilton. Any cheese shop or artisan cheese section will have some delicious options....

Are you looking for the perfect party hors d'oeuvre recipe that is quick and simple yet delicious? This Olive Tapenade recipe is the perfect accompaniment to your holiday party. Served on a toasty crostini, this snack is an excellent pair with a wide variety of wines making it very versatile for a festive holiday party environment with a wide variety of beverages. This recipe is something you can prepare well in advance to save yourself some prep time. Makes 1 Party Batch (Small Bowl) Ingredients: 2 x 6.5oz jars of Pitted Kalamata Olives 6.5oz of Spanish Manzanilla Olives with Pimentos...