Second City Soiree

Twelve Days of Cocktails - Day 1: Alexander

SecondCityJen — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:13:46 +0000

On the first day of cocktails, the barkeep gave to me...

As announced on Monday, the Twelve Days of Cocktails starts today! We begin with the Alexander. You've heard of the Brandy Alexander, right? This is its predecesor, on which Brandy and several other variations are based. Learn more about this classic drink, dating back to 1915.

Alexander

Shake over ice:
1 part heavy cream
1.5 créme de cacao (increase for more chocolate taste)
1.5 gin
Pour into a cocktail glass and garnish with crushed chocolate cookie.

(I must point out that I first found this recipe in my copy of Joy of Cooking, and it called for FIVE parts gin to one part cream and one part cacao. Can you imagine?? Tastes have certainly changed since then!)

Another cocktail on Monday...

Pretty Peacock Thanksgiving Table

SecondCityJen — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:08:56 +0000

Chris with Celebrations at Home has a really cute idea for the Thanksgiving table. Instead of pumpkins and autumnal hues, Chris took her inspiration from luxe-looking peacock feathers. Don't limit yourself to the usual decor for the holidays! Check out her site for more photos.

First Time Hostess: Free music for your party!

SecondCityJen — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:22:38 +0000

Over the summer I posted an entry about using the free music service Pandora for your party tunes, but of course, things change quickly on this crazy thing we call the internet. For some updated resources and ideas, check out last week's First Time Hostess article on Gals' Guide!

Do you have a favorite online music service?

Announcing...the Twelve Days of Cocktails!

SecondCityJen — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:21:24 +0000

I am SO excited to finally announce a project that's been a while in the works. Starting this week, SecondCitySoiree.com will publish a new cocktail every Monday and Thursday (except Thanksgiving) until December 21st....it's the Twelve Days of Cocktails! Twice a week, you'll get beautiful photos, a recipe, and in some cases, ideas for variations (sweeter, drier, non-alcoholic, etc). Each cocktail has been tested and tweaked for your holiday enjoyment!

Check out some behind-the-scenes pics. I'm always amazed at the amount of equipment that goes into a photoshoot.

Tune in on Thursday for our first cocktail - the Alexander!

Shoes off? Shoes on?

SecondCityJen — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:17:14 +0000

I don't wear shoes around my house (walking around the city streets and then spreading that all over my floors? Ew.) but by the same token, I don't ask my party guests to remove their shoes.

Why?

Primarily, because I have hardwood floors and few rugs. Cleanup after a party is really no trouble, and I don't mind sacrificing the time and effort if it means my guests are more comfortable while they're here.

Secondly....ok, because I identify with Carrie in that Sex and the City episode where she was asked to take off her shoes and cried "But this is an outfit!" I didn't just blindly pick shoe x to go with outfit n. Many minutes of thought and research went into the final selection. You betta recognize!

I'm kidding. A little bit.

On the other hand, winter is coming and with it, snow and slop. Most city-dwellers know that messy boots are to be removed at the door, and the most courteous guests bring a pair of heels or slippers, or removable overshoes. Likewise, a gracious host will leave a chair at the door to alleviate the shoe-removing-balancing-dance. If you're in the suburbs and your guests will only walk from their car in your plowed driveway to your front door, a towel to thoroughly dry any moisture accumulated on the short walk should be adequate.

But if you're really, really adamant about no shoes, ever! then it's very thoughtful to provide clean house slippers for your guests (especially if you have hardwood floors, which can be at best cold and at worst painful). Be prepared for a variety of responses when you ask people to remove their shoes. Some will assume that's what you wanted them to do in the first place, while others might feel a little put out. Afterall, they've got an outfit on. :)

So where do you fall on the Great Shoe Debate? On? Off? Depends?

Pumpkin, Nine Ways

SecondCityJen — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:38:31 +0000

Why is it that after October 31st, the noble pumpkin is all but forgotten, save for a pureed presentation during Thanksgiving dessert? Our favorite squash still has much to offer in the coming weeks! They're typically available in grocery stores until the end of the mouth, although according to the produce manager at the Whole Foods I'd Like to Move Into, they could sell out before Turkey Day. So get to buyin'!

Dish:

1) Eli's Pumpkin Cheesecake - a Chicago classic!

2) Spicy Indian Pumpkin Soup - Spicy spin on soup, from IndiaCurryRecipes.com

3) Vegan/Gluten Free Pumpkin Swirl Brownies - Watch your intake but still indulge, from TheFriendlyKitchen.com

Decor:

4) Pumpkins and Pomegranates - So pretty! From Sunset Magazine

5) Elegant pumpkins - Wouldn't this look great on your porch? Also from Sunset

6) Floral Centerpiece - Perfect for a small entry table, from Real Simple

Drink:

7) Pumpkin Caipirinha - A Brazilian take on American squash, from Leblon Cachaca (and it's pronounced "kai-pur-EEN-ya")

8) Pumpkin Juice one (from Ideas In Food...love the ginger ale idea) or two (from Mugglenet...Harry Potter would approve)

9) Pumpkin French 75 - A classic cocktail, pumpkin-style! From CocktailTimes.com

New shelter webzine: Nesting Newbies

SecondCityJen — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:16:32 +0000

Last night as I was researching my library for an upcoming SCS feature (you're going to love it...can't wait!), I found a few back issues of now-departed publications such as Domino (sob!) and Blueprint (double sob!). It seems that every few months, yet another beloved magazine in the home/food/entertaining genre bites the dust.

This is why I was SO happy to discover a new magazine to fill the void! Check out Nesting Newbies, a delightful web zine that just launched last month, and is full of decorating and entertaining ideas. Isn't the pumpkin on the cover beautiful? Really looking forward to a holiday issue.

While clicking arrows on a screen isn't quite the same as holding a glossy mag in your hands, I'll take it! Be sure to check out their main site, where you can view some helpful how-to videos.

What about you? What are you reading these days?

SCS on Windy Citizen's Chicagoween!

SecondCityJen — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:50:30 +0000

Looking for some last minute Halloween ideas? Head over to WindyCitizen.com's Chicagoween site, where they've gathered ideas from around the local blogosphere (including Second City Soiree!).

On the other side of Halloween - Dia de los Muertos

SecondCityJen — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:44:51 +0000

A lot has been written about the 31st and all its ghoulish festivities, but what about the days after? In the Catholic faith, November 1 is All Saints' Day, and the day after is All Souls' Day. All Souls' Day goes by many names throughout the world, but you might be most familiar with the Mexican version: Dia de los Muertos.

Far from being a spookfest, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a time for family and friends to gather together and remember loved ones who have passed. Some people hold Sugar Skull Decorating Parties, and decorate the skulls in a manner befitting their loved ones (grandpa with his pipe, your great aunt with the blue hat she loved). You can learn how to make sugar skulls at Adobo Grill in Old Town, buy them at most Mexican bakeries, or make them yourself.

Menus for these parties tend to be fairly traditional Mexican cuisine, but I can't imagine anyone would shun you for offering these goodies! (pictured above):

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

Beef tamales (ok, these are traditional...make them yourself or purchase at a Mexican grocery store)

Tres Añejo Macho
Rim the outside of a glass with lemon and dip into salt. Add 1 part Tres Generaciones Añejo tequila (my new fave! It's dark and has hints of vanilla), 1 part mineral water, and 1 part lemon juice over ice. Drop a dry chili into the glass for a spicy kick.

Halloween Costume Contest with a twist!

SecondCityJen — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:13:12 +0000

Hosting a Halloween party this weekend? Want to do something fun for your guests other than a traditional costume contest? How about Costume Voting, instead?

You will need
Open wall space
Poster Putty
White Cardstock (plain white paper works too, just not as well)
Black Cardstock
A pen with a clip
A Polaroid camera, or a digital camera and fast printer! (Polaroid is much, much easier and yes - it's coming back!)

Instructions

1) Using any word processing program, make ballots out of a half sheet of paper. Make it theme appropriate with Halloween borders and a spooky font. Print on white cardstock or paper.

2) Create an "example" like the one shown at left. I found Pink Bunny Man on Flickr a while ago, but you can use any photo you'd like. The sillier, the better. Mount it on black cardstock so that it stands out. Attach to the wall with putty, and clip the pen to it, as shown in the top photo.

3) Make a banner, as in top photo. Again, you can use any word processing program...just make sure the font is nice and big! Print on white, and temporarily mount onto back cardstock. Cut a jagged border, then pull off the white layer, offset it from the black, and then permanently reattach to the black layer. This gives you a nice shadow effect.

4) As your guests arrive, take their photo and attach it to a card. Encourage them to create their own superlative awards for others. As the host, be sure you vote for everyone to get the ball rolling. At the end of the night, guests can take their card as a momento of the party!