Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello

Solo Pollo

All of your poultry questions will be answered today because we’re serving the best and easiest birds around. It starts with our Crushed Chicken and ends with our fluffy meringue eggs in a green custard nest.

Gameplan
Day Before Party:

• Coat bread cubes to make croutons for Pea Panzanella


• Mix and blanche pea dressing for Pea Panzanella, refrigerate for party


• Pull croutons for Pea Panzanella, set aside

Morning of Party:

• Mix and puree pistachio custard for Meringue "Eggs" with Pistachio Custard and Chocolate Drizzle


• Mix and poach meringue eggs for Meringue "Eggs" with Pistachio Custard and Chocolate Drizzle

45 Minutes Before Party:

• Season and brown chicken for Chicken Ala Vendimia


• Mix pea dressing with coated croutons, pour into spring mold for Pea Panzanella


• Reduce sauce for Chicken Ala Vendimia

At Party:

• Unmold Pea Panzanella, top with salad


• Add grapes to Chicken Ala Vendimia and serve

• Assemble and serve Meringue "Eggs" with Pistachio Custard and Chocolate Drizzle

Eat and Enjoy Dessert.

Mexican Fiesta

We honor our friends South of the Border with hearty, easy, spicy food that’s twice as nice: it’s easy to make ahead and makes great leftovers tomorrow! Ole!

Gameplan
Day Before Party:

• Mix, assemble, and refrigerate Felicitas’ Salsa.


• Combine sliced meat with spices and olive oil and place in refrigerator overnight to marinade for Carne Asada Tacos.


• Brown chilis and meat for Felicitas’ Posole.


• Combine water, posole, chilies and spices for Felicitas’ Posole, and simmer.


• Add browned meat to the posole, simmer 2 hours then refrigerate.


• Mix, assemble and puree Mango Margarita mix.

1/2 Hour Before Party:

• Grate lemon zest and mix mint salt for Mango Margaritas.


• Prepare all garnishes and salsa in bowls for serving at party.


• Prepare tortillas.


• Grill meat for Carne Asada Tacos.


• Mix Margaritas and chill in pitcher.

At Party

• Garnish glasses with mint salt and zest, pour Margaritas.

Eat and Enjoy!

Blind Date Singles Mixer

Play cupid by asking all of your single friends over for a cocktail party. Our food is delicious and easy to make, plus simple to manage as you meet and greet. And there’s always something to talk about at our special ice cream mix in station.

Gameplan
Day Before Party:

• Place tray filled with water in the freezer for Ice Cream Mix In Station


• Prepare tomatoes, peppers, mix with seasonings and place in the oven to broil for Roasted Tomato and Pepper Sauce


• Mash together and refrigerate Mint Salt for Lamb Lollipops


• Pull tomatoes and peppers out of the oven, and puree for Roasted Tomato and Pepper Sauce


• Precook pastina for Pastina Risotto with Roasted Tomato and Pepper Sauce


• Saute and crisp prosciutto for Crostini of Prosciutto to accompany Melon Soup


• Peel, puree and strain Melon Soup, place in pitcher and refrigerate


• Strain pastina, cover with olive oil and refrigerate for Pastina Risotto with Roasted Tomato and Pepper Sauce

1 Hour Before Party:

• Season with mint salt, and brown frenched lamb in sauté pan for Lamb Lollipops with Mint Salt


• Begin to slice day old bread for Parmesan Crostini


• Remove lamb from stove top, place in oven for Lamb Lollipops with Mint Salt


• Top and coat Parmesan Crostini and place in oven to brown


• Add merlot to browned lamb rack sauté pan to create a glaze to top Lamb Lollipops with Mint Salt


• Finish pastina, combine with spinach and prepared sauce


• Carve lamb racks, top with glaze

At Party:

• Pour Napastyle Sunset Cocktails


• Pour Melon Soups, top with Prosciutto Crostini


• Place Pastina Risotto with Roasted Tomato and Pepper Sauce in spoons for serving

Eat and Enjoy.

At Party:

• Prepare ice cream mix in ingredients, crushed candy, chocolate sauce etc


• Place frozen tray on counter, cover with another, inverted tray. Cover both trays with plastic wrap


• Slice up vanilla ice cream with spatula, and use toppings to mix in

Eat and Enjoy.

Book Club Dinner

Michael may not read anything but cookbooks, but he's on hand to help a friend put together a Book Club dinner. Easy foods that can be eaten around a coffee table with one hand on the food and the other on the books. It’s a classic!

Gameplan
Day Before Party:

• Mix dough for Shortbread, place in refrigerator.


• Season and poach the salmon for the Smoked Salmon Rilettes, place in refrigerator to cool.


• Roll out chilled Shortbread dough, cut into squares and bake.


• Break up chilled poached salmon and mix with remaining Smoked Salmon Rillette ingredients. Blend, cover and refrigerate.

1 1/2 Hours Before Party:

• Slice, salt and drain eggplant for Stuffed Foccacia.


• Mix Fennel Spice Rub for Fennel Spice Chips.


• Heat potato chips in oven and then sprinkle generously with Fennel Spice Rub.


• Bake eggplant for Stuffed Focaccia.


• Assemble Stuffed Focaccia, place in oven to bake.

At the party:

• Prepare and assemble tea and steamed milk for Tea-Chino.

Eat and Enjoy!

Casino Night Cocktail Party

Black jack, roulette, and a whole lotta winning foods to help you keep your head in the game. All bets are on this elegant meal, served buffet style so you can move around from table to table while you eat. A classy meal made for a gamer.

Gameplan
2 Days Before Party:

• Mix Focaccia dough and allow to rise for Country Focaccia with Blue Cheese and Honey.


• Salt eggplant and set aside to soak for Roasted Eggplant Tomato Stack.


• Continue to knead Focaccia dough and mix in the rest of the flour for the Country Focaccia with Blue Cheese and Honey.


• Stuff and coat olives for Fried Olives, refrigerate to set coating.


• Spread out Focaccia dough into a cookie sheet and allow to rise final time for Country with Blue Cheese and Honey.


• Fry coated olives for Fried Olives.


• Cover Focaccia with rosemary and olive oil and place it in oven to bake for Country Focaccia with Blue Cheese and Honey.

2 Hours Before Party:

• Season swordfish and brown over stove top for Swordfish Prime Rib, place in oven to roast.


• Toss eggplant and tomato with seasonings for Roasted Eggplant Tomato stacks, place them in oven to brown.


• Stack Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Stacks to ready for serving.

At Party:

• Top baked Focaccia with blue cheese and honey for Country Focaccia with Blue Cheese and Honey.


• Mix Dirty Martinis and serve in pre-chilled glasses.

Eat and Enjoy!

Team Dinner

The team is getting together to celebrate the season and we’ve got a meal that’s a big winner. It’s got it all – easy to make, delicious to eat, and an inexpensive way to feed a big crowd!

Gameplan
Day Before Party:

• Prepare Snow Cone Lemon Syrup with zested and juiced lemons, refrigerate.


• Prepare Snow Cone Tutti-fruitti Syrup with chopped mixed fruits, refrigerate.


• Mince and simmer prosciutto bits for Shaved Salad garnish, refrigerate.


• Shave and grate vegetables for Shaved Salad, then pack into individual containers and refrigerate.


• Whisk vinaigrette for Shaved Salad and refrigerate.

1 Hour Before Party:

• Mix and simmer Sloppy Giuseppe filling.


• Pack up salad, Sloppy Giuseppe filling and buns in temperature-appropriate containers.


• Pack up beer, ice, and a baby pool to act as a cooler.

At Party:

• Pour Black and Tans for guests.


• Set out Shaved Salad and Sloppy Giuseppe components.


• Allow guests to assemble their own Sloppy Giuseppe, dress and toss their own Shaved Salad.

Eat and Enjoy:

• Pulverize ice for Snow Cones.


• Scoop ice into cups and then drizzle with syrup to assemble Snow Cones.

Eat and Enjoy Dessert!

Gaucho Gusto

It’s a trip to Argentina in a party that has mangos, tangos and great big gaucho steaks hot off the grill. So simple, so fun, it will bring out the gaucho in everyone. Tango lessons optional.

Ravioli/Pasta Party

One of the simplest parties to give, and one of the best! Bowls of steaming hot pastas and home made raviolis are set out with a choice of delectable sauces. Guests mix and match their own signature pasta dishes, then dig in with a side of hearty salad and garlic bread.

Gameplan
Day Before Party:

• Poach chicken thoroughly, transfer to a bowl, cover and chill in refrigerator for Mama’s Old Fashioned Ravioli.


• Blanche parsley and basil, mix with other ingredients for Blanched Basil Pesto, refrigerate overnight.


• Combine other ingredients with poached chicken, refrigerate for Mama’s Old Fashioned Ravioli.


• Assemble Mama’s Old Fashioned Ravioli, place on a cookie sheet, cover with a damp towel and refrigerate.

1 Hour Before Party:

• Poach and brown sausage for Spicy Sausage sauce.


• Mix Pasta Pomodorini sauce, and allow to simmer.


• Add other ingredients to Spicy Sausage Sauce pan, and allow to simmer.


• Slice and re-add browned sausage to Spicy Sausage Sauce, and continue to simmer.


• Pull Blanched Basil Pesto Sauce out of the refrigerator before reheating.

At Party:

• Reheat sauces.


• Boil pasta.


• Keep pasta warm.

Eat and Enjoy!

Burger Smackdown

It's another faceoff between the Italian Stallion, Michael Chiarello and the Ragin' Cajun, Jan Birnbaum. The challenge this time? We're going all American with a contest to make the best burgers ever. Gentlemen, start your grills!

Gameplan

Day Before Party:

• Put 2 ½ cups of water in bowl, with salt, and lemon juice for Poached Peaches Della Nonna.


• Cut vanilla beans in half for the boiling water.


• Peel peaches and poach for 4 or 5 minutes.


• Cut potatoes into 6 wedges for steak fries.


• Put potatoes in cool water, with salt and bring to boil.


• Remove peaches and let cool.


• Put pint of raspberries and poaching liquid into a blender and puree. Strain.


• Mix hamburger meat with olive oil, and pre-peeled roasted garlic pieces. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge.


• Toss potatoes into mix of olive oil and barbeque spice.

2 Hours Before Party:

• On a pre-heated pan place potato wedges into a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes.


• Cut up portabella mushrooms and put in pan with 6 tablespoons of olive oil.


• Mix Dijon mustard, garlic paste, thyme, salt, pickle juice, pickles, and peppers for a condiment.


• Add a ¼ cup of shallots, 2 tablespoons of sliced garlic, and two teaspoons of thyme, salt, and pepper. Add a cup of red wine.


• Toss in a ½ cup of parsley.


• Cut onions. Marinate with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and red wine.


• Mix hamburger meat with tobassco sauce. Mold into patties.

At Party:

• Put hamburgers and onions on grill. Baste hamburger with garlic oil.


• Top burger with blue cheese.


• Mix Wet n’ Slippery.


• Top burger with condiment and sautéed mushrooms.


• Top burger with onions.

Eat and Enjoy!

Appetizers for Dinner

Invite your friends over for appetizers that are really dinner! Instead of 2 larger dishes, we’ve got 4 small dishes with all the intense flavors you love, plus an easy dessert to just pop in your mouth. We're breaking all the rules today with this easy sit down meal.

Gameplan
2 Days Before Party

• Scoop out individual balls of ice cream for Creamy Orange Bon Bons.


• Melt chocolate to coat Creamy Orange Bon Bons.


• Chop vegetables, combine with tomatoes and lemon juice for Gazpacho.


• Coat re-frozen ice cream scoops in powdered orange, coat in melted chocolate, and re-freeze for Creamy Orange Bon-Bons.

1 Day Before Party

• Coat and braise artichokes and place in oven for Roasted Artichoke Pesto on Crostini.


• Saute shrimp, halibut and clams on the stovetop to combine in the Gazpacho.


• Leave mixture on oven on stovetop to reduced.


• Coat and refrigerate goat cheese rounds to top tomatoes for Grilled Goat cheese on Tomato Rounds.


• Puree and refrigerate Roasted Artichoke Pesto.

1 Hour Before Party

• Combine blue cheese and cream with other ingredients, and begin to reduce for Blue Cheese Fondue.


• Skewer and marinate skirt steak for Pesto Marinated Skirt Steak Skewers with Blue Cheese Fondue.


• Remove Fondue from heat. Reheat right before guests arrive.
  
• Grill Pesto Marinated Skirt Steak Skewers.


• Saute Goat Cheese Rounds for Tomato Steak, place on tomato slice, top with herb salad.


• Mix seafood and popcorn with gazpacho and serve.

Eat and Enjoy!

Surprise Party

Hosting a surprise party shouldn't stress you out. We'll show you how to make an easy get together that your guest of honor will never see coming.

Gameplan
Day Before Party:

• Assemble, mix and refrigerate Blue Cheese Caesar Dressing for salad.


• Mix topping for Strawberry, Rhubarb and Banana Crostata, refrigerate.

2 Hours Before Party:

• Blind bake tartlet shells for the Caprese Tartlets.


• Mix, whisk and refrigerate Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette for Shrimp Spiedini.


• Slice tomato and mozzarella for the Caprese Tartlets.


• Assemble and then bake the Caprese Tartlets.

1 Hour Before Party:

• Chop and mix filling for Strawberry, Rhubarb, and Banana Crostata, place in baking dish, sprinkle with topping. Set aside till ready to bake.


• Wash then shred the salad greens, toss with Blue Cheese Caesar dressing and place in Romaine leaves for serving.


• Wrap, skewer and grill shrimp for Shrimp Spiedini. Top with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette.

At the party:

• Place the Strawberry, Rhubarb and Banana Crostata in the oven to bake.

Eat and Enjoy!

Lazy Breakfast in Bed

Surprise Mom, Dad or anyone you love with a sumptuous breakfast in bed, dressed up with Michael’s take on a silky Eggs Benedict, a savory potato tart and brioche with preserves made right on the spot!.

Gameplan
Day of Breakfast – 1 Hour Before:

• Slice potatoes, mix olive oil coating and assemble Potato Torta with Olives.


• Bake Potato Torta on stovetop then in oven until brown.


• Melt butter and olive oil for Blender Hollandaise. Blend eggs, lemon juice and cream with warm butter and olive oil to emulsify sauce. Season and keep warm until service.


• Remove Potato Torta from the oven and un-mold onto a plate. Slice into quarters and set aside.


• Slice and grill brioche toast. Spread toast with butter. Wash and dry berries.
• Mashed Berries with Honey. Blend berries with honey. Roast berries and mash with a fork.


• For Eggs Benedict: Butter ramekins and poach eggs in water bath. While eggs poach, grill prosciutto until crispy.


• Oil and grill pita rounds. Assemble Eggs Benedict: Place one pita on plate, top with prosciutto and un-molded eggs. Top all with Hollandaise sauce and rosemary.


• Plate brioche toast and mashed berries. Plate Potato Torta.


• Mix Bellini.


• Set up breakfast tray.

Eat and Enjoy!

Bake Sale

Whether you need to raise money for disaster relief or the school computers, nothing beats a bake sale. The gang comes over to make it, bake it and take it. . . . . to sell at school. Do something good and turn it into a get together!

Gameplan
1 Day Before Bake Sale:

• Mix batter for Lemon Sandcake and bake it. Cool cake and store until bake sale.


• Mix dough for Apple Bomboloni. Refrigerate Bomboloni dough.


• Slice apples and simmer applesauce filling for Bomboloni.


• Slice apples for Bomboloni filling and marinate in lemon juice and sugar. Refrigerate.


• Cool applesauce filling.


• Remove Bomboloni dough from fridge, roll out and cut individual Boboloni crusts.


• Fill Bomboloni crusts with applesauce and apple pieces. Form Bombolonis, cover and refrigerate until firm.


• Mix topping for Bombolonis.


• Remove Bombolonis from refrigerator, top with butter and sugar topping and bake.
  
• Heat cream and butter, grate chocolate for Chocolate Muffin batter.


• Mix muffin batter and bake. Pull from oven and add chocolate chunks to center.

Day of the Bake Sale:

• Sprinkle Lemon Sandcake with confection sugar.


• Pack baked goods for the sale.

Eat and Enjoy!