It's a Halloween tradition in Michael's neighborhood - every home serves a special treat so the parents can socialize while the kids tank up on sugar. Michael's got peanut butter cups, s' mores, vampire blood punch with eyeballs, and Garlic Soup to Go.
Gameplan
2 Days Before Party:
Coat muffin cups with chocolate for Peanut Butter cups and refrigerate.
Boil vegetables in salted water for Poached Garlic Soup until soft
Puree for smoothness, cover and refrigerate
Freeze hand and face ice cubes for Vampire Punch
1 Day Before Party:
Prepare peanut butter mixture for hardened cups
Add banana chip on each cup, refrigerate for hardening
Cut graham crackers into Halloween shapes for S’mores
Morning of Party:
Blend sweets for the Slimedoo Fondue until melted
Mix in green food coloring, place in fondue pot for serving
Re-heat soup, mix in cream, and serve in warm bowls
15 minutes Before Party:
Mix juices for Vampire Blood Punch, put in body ice cubes and serve
Giada joins the cast & crew of The Sopranos to celebrate the launch of their final season. The gang will be gathering at one of New York City's landmark venues for the kickoff bash, and needless to say they'll be expecting a feast! As the design team transforms the space into an Italian street fair, the catering team will be busy bringing new spins to Italian favorites like Mama's Baked Ziti, Sausage & Peppers and a very special "Soprano" Cake. Knowing the potential consequences, the catering team is on their toes to pull off this monumental bash.
Plan a Sopranos Party Sad this season of The Sopranos is over? Enjoy one more night with your favorite Italian family when Giada goes behind the scenes at one of their premiere parties. Use our Italian wine primer to pick out a perfect wine, and plan a multi-course Italian meal that would make Carm proud. Then kick back and enjoy the show!
• Italian wine primer • Menu ideas
Jack asks Frederic for some fresh and easy pasta salad recipes.
Episode Guide
Below you’ll find a helpful episode guide for cooking along with Frederic and Jack, as well as tips and recipe rescues.
Equipment List:
Large pasta pot
Colander
Rubber spatula
Cutting board
Chef’s knife
Pairing knife
Pepper mill
2 large bowls
Measuring spoons
Zester or vegetable peeler
Medium saucepan
Liquid measuring cup
Dry measuring cups
Wooden spoon
Tips:Cooking pasta:
Cook any type of pasta in boiling, salted water; the salt adds flavor to the otherwise bland pasta.
You need about 6 quarts of water per pound of pasta.
Stir the pasta as soon as you dump it into the boiling, salted water to keep it from sticking together.
Extra-virgin olive oil:
Produced from the first cold-pressing of olives
Has a low (less than 1%) acidity
Has a more assertive olive flavor than virgin olive oil or olive oil
No chemicals are added
In general, the most desired and most expensive type of olive oil.
Couscous:
Though couscous looks like a grain, it is in fact a tiny type of pasta.
Couscous is usually made from granules of semolina, but it can be made with other grains such as barley, corn, millet, or even crushed acorns and breadcrumbs.
Recipe Rescues:If your couscous is clumpy – Fluff it with a fork to separate the individual granules.
If your fusilli is overcooked – Drain pasta as soon as it is al dente, meaning that it is still slightly firm to bite into yet tender. Overcooked pasta is mushy and may fall apart in the salad.
To make pasta salad into a more complete meal – Serve either the pasta salad or couscous salad with chicken or shrimp.
For leftovers – Both the pasta salad and couscous salad will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Chef Jan Birnbaum and Michael go head to head to create their versions of this spicy classic; then the neighbors get to judge who does it best. It's a hot pot party complete with the fixins!
Gameplan
Morning of Chili Challenge Cook off:
Chop, season and brown meat and vegetables for Chiarello Chicken And White Bean Chili With Veggies.
Add vegetables, thin out with wine, broth and paste, simmer for one hour.
Pit, peel, and grill avocadoes on open flame for Green Goddess Dressing.
Mix, puree and refrigerate Green Goddess Dressing.
Mix, puree and refrigerate Bloody Bull mix.
Add final red peppers, white beans and other vegetables to Chiarello Chicken And White Bean Chili with Veggies, simmer for another few minutes and refrigerate until serving.
2 Hours before Chili Challenge Cook off:
Brown meats, sauté with vegetables, chilies, spices and flour, thin out with broth, beer, and ground tortilla mixture and allow to simmer for one hour for Green Duck Chili.
Assemble and serve Bloody Bull cocktails.
Cut iceberg wedges, top with Green Goddess Dressing, and serve.
Garnish and serve chilies side by side, or separately.
Beverages: Bloody Bull Cocktails, Beer
It's a trip to the Kasbah as Michael goes Moroccan with a party that just sounds exotic. With recipes for Tagine of Lamb Stracotto w/ Spring Onions, Ceci with sage & garlic,Couscous, Dates & figs for dessert with mint tea.
Gameplan Day Before Party:
Salt, stack and soak lemon slices for Preserved Lemon.
Cut lamb and combine with herbs and oils and allow to marinate for Tagine of Lamb Stracatto with Spring Onions.
Rinse and refrigerate Preserved Lemon slices overnight.
Slice and par boil potatoes to go in the Tagine of Lamb Stracatto with Spring Onions.
Slice and add carrots to onions and continue cooking for Tagine of Lamb Stracatto.
Remove lamb pieces from marinade, and dredge in flour, sauté until brown for Tagine of Lamb Stracatto, then use oil from browned lamb to caramelize par boiled potatoes and carrots.
Reduce wine and chicken broth for simmering sauce and combine in large pot for Tagine of Lamb Stracatto, place in oven to cook, clean and peel spring onions.
Combine and prepare all ingredients for Ceci alla Siciliana and refrigerate overnight.
Remove Tagine of Lamb Stracatto from oven and refrigerate overnight.
1 Hour Before Party:
Boil water and add cous cous for Cous Cous with Preserved Lemon.
Reheat Tagine of Lamb Stracatto, add cleaned and peeled spring onions.
Prep and add cilantro and Preserved Lemon for Cous Cous with Preserved Lemon.
At the party:
Grill bruschetta and cover with olive oil to serve with Ceci alla Siciliana.
Eat and Enjoy!
Wine Recommendation Trefethen Double T 2002 Napa Valley Red Ravenswood 2003 Vintners Blend Zinfandel
It's a quiet dinner at home, filled with some of your all-time favorite comfort foods and served TV dinner style! With Michael's recipes for Cup of Quick Minestrone , Turkey Polpettone Sandwich in Marinara, Parmesan Fries oven baked, Warm Bananas w/Brown Sugar & Bay leaf over Chocolate Cake
Gameplan Day Before Party:
Assemble and sauté soup (without pasta) for Super Quick Minestrone.
Mix and simmer sauce (without sliced bananas) for Warm Bananas with Brown Sugar Sauce to top Chocolate Cake.
Skim the simmering Minestrone and refrigerate it overnight.
Remove Warm Bananas with Brown Sugar Sauce from the heat and refrigerate overnight.
Prep, par-boil, drain, coat and refrigerate the potatoes for Parmesan Fries.
Mix raw turkey with other ingredients and for Turkey Polpettone, refrigerate overnight.
One Hour Before Party:
Boil Pasta for Super Quick Minestrone, remove from pot and cover with olive oil to keep moist until ready to add to soup.
Put Super Quick Minestrone on the stove to get back up to a boil.
Take Par boiled potato sticks and bake them in the oven to bake.
Begin to sauté the turkey patties for the Polpettone, and place the marinara on the stove to heat to combine with sandwich.
Grate parmesan and top baking fries in the oven for Parmesan fries, place them back in the oven to melt cheese.
Flip the turkey patties to brown on the other side, then lift and put them in the heated marinara sauce. Top with extra mozzarella.
Slice crostini bread and place sauteed patties from the sauce in the sandwich bread for serving.
Pull fries form oven to cool.
As Guests Arrive:
Add pasta to Super Quick Minestrone.
Reheat and add bananas to Warm Bananas with Brown Sugar Sauce.
Eat and enjoy, serving in TV Dinner trays if possible.
Eat and Enjoy!
Wine Recommendation 2001 Trefethen Merlot