NYC Cooking Blog & Newsletter

Makes 8 Servings

Ingredients:

4 ripe avocados, roughly chopped
1 red onion, chopped
15 sun dried tomatoes, blanched and julienned
½ tablespoon ground cumin
½ tablespoon paprika
1 lemon, juiced
½ cup chopped cilantro
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1 egg
Water, as needed
1 quart frying oil
1 package square wonton wrappers

Method:

1. In a bowl mix the avocados, red onion, sun dried tomatoes, chopped cilantro, cumin, paprika and lemon juice.
2. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, beat the egg with a few tablespoons of water to create an egg wash.
4. Spread 10 wonton wrappers out onto a clean work surface in front of you. Place ½ a tablespoon of the avocado mixture in the lower center of each one; coax it into a log shape that runs horizontal across your work surface. Using a pastry brush, coat the edges of the wonton with egg wash.
5. Fold in the sides of the wonton first, bringing each one to cover a quarter of your filling. Then, starting at the bottom, roll the wonton up to create a mini `egg roll’.
6. As you finish each roll, set them aside on a floured sheet pan. Continue working until you have used all of your filling.
7. Preheat a frying pan filled with an inch or two of canola or vegetable oil to 350 degrees F.
8. Fry the egg rolls until they turn light brown. Set them aside on a cooling rack as they finish.
9. To serve, place a spoon full of jalapeno cilantro dipping sauce in the center of a serving plate. Using the back of a spoon, smear the sauce towards one side, creating a tear drop shape.
10. Stack the egg rolls three by three next to the dipping sauce and serve immediately.

JALAPEÑO CILANTRO DIPPING SAUCE

Makes 8 Servings

Ingredients:

2 bunches cilantro, cleaned
1 cup walnuts
1 large jalapeno
Water, as needed
Kosher salt
Black pepper
2 cups canola oil
½ cup honey

Method:

1. Place the jalapeno pepper and 3 tablespoons of water in a blender and mix for 30 seconds.
2. Add the cilantro, honey and walnuts and blend on low speed.
3. Add 1 cup of oil and 1 cup of water gradually. You’ll want this sauce to be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, make sure not to thin it out too much.
4. Taste the sauce for seasoning and add salt and pepper at your own discretion.
5. Store in an air tight container inside the refrigerator until ready to use.

MCP Flatiron is open for business, and we are ECSTATIC!

Here at My Cooking Party, the dropping of the famous Times Square ball meant not only the beginning of a new year, but also signified an exciting fresh beginning for the MCP family.

Guests can’t help but gush over the rustic charm of this new space. With the combination of the décor and our amazing staff, you can’t help but feel warm and cozy the second you walk in to the room.

 

Our venue is situated in a central location on a great Flatiron district block (on 26th between 6th and Broadway). Getting here from all points east and west is a breeze, and there are various subway stations surrounding the site.

 

It is so important that we take the time out to thank our AMAZING staff, our beautiful friends and our partners at Viking and AJ Madison. This move could not have been possible without their help, and we are eternally grateful.

If you would like to stay updated on the latest happenings here at My Cooking Party, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram (@mycookingparty) and Like us on Facebook. We are constantly updating them so that we can give our clients the freshest insight on our events.

We hope you’re as excited as we are. Here’s to a future filled with lots of cooking parties, photo shoots and shot-gun weddings!

AJ Madison    Viking

GLUTEN-FREE
the new black

As many of you know, MCP hosts a LOT of Bachelorette and Bridal events. We’ve always accommodated dietary restrictions, but what happens when the guest of honor is a gluten-free lady who doesn’t want her friends to suffer?

We rummaged through our recipe book and pulled all the possibilities for adaptable items. Our new sans-wheat list of selections is pretty impressive. Here is a snapshot of a super easy dessert that was tested and approved by the bride, and according to her flour-eating friends, is better than the original!

TRULY GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

14 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 ¼ Cups (2 1/2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter
6 large eggs
6 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cups powdered sugar
_ up unsweetened coco powder
¼ cup heavy cream
2 pastry bags
10 Individual 4 oz. aluminum containers
1 stick of butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
powdered sugar in a shaker
½ bunch of mint

Method

1- Brush eight 4 oz aluminum containers with melted butter, and then sprinkle with granulated sugar, then flip over to remove access sugar.
2- Stir chocolate, heavy cream and butter in a heavy, medium mixing bowl over a pot with boiling water until melted and smooth. Cool slightly.
3- Whisk eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla in a large bowl to blend.
4- SLOWLY Whisk in 1 cup powdered sugar, then chocolate mixture, then coco powder.
5- Transfer batter to prepared dishes using a pastry bag, filling _ to the top.
6- Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake cakes until batter has risen above dish, about 10-12 minutes.
7- Remove from the oven to a warm place.
8- Plating: Run a small knife around cakes to loosen. Allow cakes to rest in dishes for 5 minutes. Using an oven mitt or pad (cake and tin will be HOT), invert cake onto a plate.
9- Serve with your favorite coulis and créme chantilly or ice cream.

Learn the Secrets & Win Some!

We first discovered Pasolivio when we were vacationing in the Paso Robles Wine Region of Central California. We brought it back to our MCP Kitchen and have been obsessed with it ever since.

Handcrafted on a 45 acre family orchard, the olive oil is sustainably farmed; during harvest season, the olives are hand-picked and pressed within hours, and you can absolutely taste it. It’s our olive oil of choice, and we use it in everything can from our Mahi Mahi Ceviche to our Sweet Pea Soup.

If you’re in the area, go check them out — you can even watch them at work!. But for those of us stuck at our desks on the East Coast, we have a culinary Q&A for you below. Close your eyes and pretend you’re there. We do it all the time!

For more information: www.pasolivo.com

Q&A with Joeli Yaguda, Pasolivio Creator and Head Honcho.

Q: How did Pasolivio come to life?
A: About twenty years ago, in the part of California where we are located, everyone was putting in grapes everywhere and starting vineyards, and we realized that where grapes grow, olives grow too. So we decided to try it. We ended up planting 600 trees and now we have roughly 45 acres and 6000 trees!

Q: What should we be looking for when I taste olive oil?
A: Fruitiness, bitterness and pungency are the three positive attributes of fresh olive oil. Oils don’t have to have all three, and the attributes they do have should be balanced. Pasolivo’s oils are big and bold, so they’re a good example of fruity, bitter and pungent (peppery) oils.

Q: What causes it to go bad?
A: Light is very damaging to olive oil, as is heat. Oil can become defective from poor handling or processing of the fruit or from poor storage after bottling. Unlike wine, olive oil does not get better with age. It starts out at its most intense, and then softens over time until it finally turns. Your best bet is to keep your oil in a cool, dark place (and tin is an excellent choice for protection!)

Q: How long does olive oil keep and how should it be stored?
A: Olive oil may keep up to two years but it is usually best when used within 18 months. Keep olive oil stored in a cool, dark place in tightly sealed containers.
What’s your favorite Olive Oil recipe? Super simple: Toast Ciabatta bread on both sides. Spread nutella onto the bread then drizzle it with Pasolovia. Sprinkle with sea-salt. Done. So simple. So delicious.

Q: Do you ever use it for anything apart from food prep?
A: I do. My daughter has very curly hair and we make a concoction of salt, sugar and olive oil, and we do a sculp scrub once a month. It’s very gentle but it’s a really nice way to get your skin and scalp polished and for those with curly hair it helps create great curls!

MY COOKING PARTY’S
LATEST AND GREATEST PROGRAM OFFERING

the dinner duel^TM – Feeling really brave? Let My Cooking Party stage a culinary quest of epic proportions. After enjoying some small bites, guests will head into combat & be divided into two dueling teams. Once at their stations, each group’s three edible weapons will be revealed. These six main-stage items (two proteins, two veggies & two starches), will serve as a base for whatever the competitors decide to present at their feast. No Recipes – just 90 minutes and a desire to win. Each team and their MCP Chef will brainstorm, plan, cook, and execute large platters of food to be served at a post duel, family-style banquet. A few added twists from our Master of Ceremonies will help to create a memorable evening of laughter and rivalry – And if your group is as talented as they are courageous, you will enjoy six delightful dishes that are fit for a King. If not, there’s always dessert!

Please call 212.686.2433 for more information or to schedule your duel!