I have always loved to entertain and share great food and conversation with family and friends. Weather its dinner for 2, family, friends or large groups I look forward to the whole event. Planning the menu, setting the ambiance, cooking the food and the anticipation of the nights conversation. I have learned over time that having notes and finding foods that can be made or partially made ahead of time really eased the stress and allowed me to actually sit and enjoy the evening.
Step 1: Plan your menu. knowing what to make ahead of time eases pressure in preparation.
Step 2: My dinners are always in the kitchen so I like to have all the clutter and dirty dishes put away, that's an important step in creating the ambiance for my guests (I actually am so used to this that I exercise this every day dinners)It makes all the difference, I hate eating and looking a mess I have to clean. When a room is filled with clutter that's all everyone will notice, it detracts from the whole dining experience and I do see dinner as a very important time of day. For me, having family together every night and sharing food entices conversations of the days events or jokes or whatever.
Step 3: Have all the dinner ware ready on the table either set or in a pile depending on whether your serving casual or elegant. TIP: if your not using the table do it in the morning or evening before. The table set in advance lets everyone know dinner will be served in that room and it looks so inviting.
Step 4: Have your beverage choices ready. Information on pairing wines or beers with foods is available on the internet or books so doing a little research will help you to choose. If your guests offer to bring wine tell them whats for dinner and savvy guests will know what to bring.
Step 5: Not necessary for every day but a center piece always adds that extra something special, it can be flowers, candles etc, just make sure its not at eye level making it hard to see across the table.
Step 6: Don't fret, doing things at your pace will keep you calm and don't cook things you've never made before unless your really confident. I like to test new dishes in advance for my family first, which they never seem to mind.
Step 7: Make the dinner last a while, having time to digest between courses makes for a more enjoyable experience, or course that all goes out the window when rushing through dinner to take the kids dance or hockey practice.
Most of all have fun, life is short and there is nothing more satisfying than sharing special moments with people you love while eating good food.
Rose Arangio
Friday, March 11, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Perfect roasted chicken and potatoes
I love roasted chicken. Its easy to make and delicious and leftovers are great for a multitude of other dishes. A basic roast chicken can be served in a rustic family style manner or super fine depending on how you present it.
Recipe:
1 roasting chicken-wash and pat dry with paper towels
1-2 tblsp olive oil
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
paprika
fresh thyme
4-6 potatoes peeled and cut
I like to put my seasonings in ramekins because I just season to my taste. If you are watching your salt intake just use what you think-less is best
after washing and pat drying the chicken put the thyme and some salt and pepper into the cavity and now its time give the bird a massage with the olive oil, this will help the seasonings to stick to the skin.
Place on a roasting tray, I like to line it with parchment and place into a 375 degree oven for about 1hour and half. Baste with it's own juices every 30 min (this will make it crispy and shiny.
If you want to add potatoes wash and cut into wedges, season with salt,pepper and paprika and put around the chicken half way through cooking (45 min). There is enough juices from the chicken to coat the potatoes no need to add any oil.
That's it, so easy all you have to add is some vegetables of your choice and serve.
My table setting choice would be "family style" using a large platter with chicken pieces and potatoes together. It looks so appetizing and gives people a choice of which piece and how much to take. Simple white plates and napkins will allow the food to be the focal point. Add some brightly coloured vegetables and bottle of white wine, some hungry people will be all you need.
Leftovers ideas: remove all meat from the bones and store for another day to make great sandwiches, soups or salads. If you love leftovers make 2 chickens at a time, that's what I do.
Recipe:
1 roasting chicken-wash and pat dry with paper towels
1-2 tblsp olive oil
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
paprika
fresh thyme
4-6 potatoes peeled and cut
I like to put my seasonings in ramekins because I just season to my taste. If you are watching your salt intake just use what you think-less is best
after washing and pat drying the chicken put the thyme and some salt and pepper into the cavity and now its time give the bird a massage with the olive oil, this will help the seasonings to stick to the skin.
Place on a roasting tray, I like to line it with parchment and place into a 375 degree oven for about 1hour and half. Baste with it's own juices every 30 min (this will make it crispy and shiny.
If you want to add potatoes wash and cut into wedges, season with salt,pepper and paprika and put around the chicken half way through cooking (45 min). There is enough juices from the chicken to coat the potatoes no need to add any oil.
That's it, so easy all you have to add is some vegetables of your choice and serve.
My table setting choice would be "family style" using a large platter with chicken pieces and potatoes together. It looks so appetizing and gives people a choice of which piece and how much to take. Simple white plates and napkins will allow the food to be the focal point. Add some brightly coloured vegetables and bottle of white wine, some hungry people will be all you need.
Leftovers ideas: remove all meat from the bones and store for another day to make great sandwiches, soups or salads. If you love leftovers make 2 chickens at a time, that's what I do.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Making pillows out of placemats?
While searching for bargains at a fabric store closing liquidation sale, I spotted 2 brown silk place mats for 2 dollars each. While Looking through ribbons and trims I found an entire bolt with about 10 meters of beautiful trim for a cost of $1.00. The place mats were perfect because they were double sided and had space in the middle for stuffing, you can check this by grabbing the center of both sides and gently pulling to see if it has this a cavity in between.
Step 1- using a stitch ripper gently open 1 end.
Step 2- fill cavity with a pillow filling
Step 3- restitch the side by hand.
That's it! You can leave it at that or add a trim to the edges. I went all the way around with mine because I had tons of it. Another suggestion is to just do the 2 ends. I use them on my bed as accent pillows.
Step 1- using a stitch ripper gently open 1 end.
Step 2- fill cavity with a pillow filling
Step 3- restitch the side by hand.
That's it! You can leave it at that or add a trim to the edges. I went all the way around with mine because I had tons of it. Another suggestion is to just do the 2 ends. I use them on my bed as accent pillows.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Create A Special Romantic Valentine's Evening for your Sweetheart
Are you the kind of person that loves to go decor crazy on every occasion? Some of us just cant wait for the next reason to spread the joy of love and happiness. If it weren't for these occasions life would be just too boring as far as I'm concerned. BUT we don't need to break the bank.
Since Valentines Day is quickly approaching and you want to make this evening memorable you'll need to do a few things.
Staging the room:
If your planning a romantic dinner for your sweetheart add some special touches to a room having a romantic table setting by using a long to the floor table cloth and draping a sheer fabric loosely over it, have helium filled balloons in reds, pinks and white, fragrant rose petals scattered on the table and maybe even on the floor.
Flowers for sure:
A beautiful bouquet in a vase on the table or a single flower on the plate or petals leading up to the table, any way you like it is the right way! Simple or extravagant, flowers say so much and come in many colours and price points. Use your imagination.
Setting the mood:
Lighting and music are your final touches and is very crucial. When you think romantic, its all about the lighting. Dim or turn off the lights. Add candles all over, the more candles the more romantic. Tea lights are very very inexpensive and last about 5 hours. Line a pathway, place around the room, on table, on a window ledge, anywhere you can think of. Candles create a beautiful glow and warmth to your room. If your lucky to have a fire place use it.
Now choose your favorite music and have it playing in the background softly.
(Please remember to use caution when using candles, never leave candles unattended)
OH! I forgot about the food. Well I don't think that's it's too important, even pizza will look great in a room like this. But for those of you that want to go all the way here's a recipe you can make. I was looking for something delicious, easy, quick and economical since I am spending time in staging my romantic room for the evening.
Gamberi Alla Romana / Roman style jumbo shrimp
using a recipe from Marinellisauce.com
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 Garlic cloves, peeled & minced
- 3 Red Chilies, fresh or 6 dried
- 1 jar Marinelli’s Tomato & Basil Sauce
- 1 lb Jumbo Shrimp (uncooked), peeled & de-veined
- 1 cup Fresh Basil (freshly chopped)
- Pasta Noodles (Linguine / Fettucine)
1. Over medium heat, in a large skillet, add approx. 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the 3 cloves of minced garlic & chilies, gently stir & let simmer, stirring occasionally. (In the meantime add your pasta to boiling salted water.) After the garlic begins to slightly caramelize add the jar of Tomato Basil Sauce and gently stir.
2. Adjust heat to medium-high heat, add the shrimp to the sauce and cook until they are pink, flipping half way, (approx. 2-3 minutes each side.) Drain the pasta and add to the shrimp. Add the chopped mint or basil, gently toss or stir. Adjust salt & pepper to taste. (If you find the sauce a bit too dry you may add a bit of the pasta water for moisture, gently stir.)
3. Garnish with basil, add a drizzle of olive oil on top. OMG TDF
This dinner can cost under $ 35.00 with wine,salad and a some chocolate covered strawberries that's less than take-out and it comes from the heart.
My wine choice: XOXO Cabernet/Shiraz about $9.00
Enjoy, I'd love any comments or pictures :)
Rose Arangio
Since Valentines Day is quickly approaching and you want to make this evening memorable you'll need to do a few things.
Staging the room:
If your planning a romantic dinner for your sweetheart add some special touches to a room having a romantic table setting by using a long to the floor table cloth and draping a sheer fabric loosely over it, have helium filled balloons in reds, pinks and white, fragrant rose petals scattered on the table and maybe even on the floor.
Flowers for sure:
A beautiful bouquet in a vase on the table or a single flower on the plate or petals leading up to the table, any way you like it is the right way! Simple or extravagant, flowers say so much and come in many colours and price points. Use your imagination.
Setting the mood:
Lighting and music are your final touches and is very crucial. When you think romantic, its all about the lighting. Dim or turn off the lights. Add candles all over, the more candles the more romantic. Tea lights are very very inexpensive and last about 5 hours. Line a pathway, place around the room, on table, on a window ledge, anywhere you can think of. Candles create a beautiful glow and warmth to your room. If your lucky to have a fire place use it.
Now choose your favorite music and have it playing in the background softly.
(Please remember to use caution when using candles, never leave candles unattended)
OH! I forgot about the food. Well I don't think that's it's too important, even pizza will look great in a room like this. But for those of you that want to go all the way here's a recipe you can make. I was looking for something delicious, easy, quick and economical since I am spending time in staging my romantic room for the evening.
Gamberi Alla Romana / Roman style jumbo shrimp
using a recipe from Marinellisauce.com
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 Garlic cloves, peeled & minced
- 3 Red Chilies, fresh or 6 dried
- 1 jar Marinelli’s Tomato & Basil Sauce
- 1 lb Jumbo Shrimp (uncooked), peeled & de-veined
- 1 cup Fresh Basil (freshly chopped)
- Pasta Noodles (Linguine / Fettucine)
1. Over medium heat, in a large skillet, add approx. 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the 3 cloves of minced garlic & chilies, gently stir & let simmer, stirring occasionally. (In the meantime add your pasta to boiling salted water.) After the garlic begins to slightly caramelize add the jar of Tomato Basil Sauce and gently stir.
2. Adjust heat to medium-high heat, add the shrimp to the sauce and cook until they are pink, flipping half way, (approx. 2-3 minutes each side.) Drain the pasta and add to the shrimp. Add the chopped mint or basil, gently toss or stir. Adjust salt & pepper to taste. (If you find the sauce a bit too dry you may add a bit of the pasta water for moisture, gently stir.)
3. Garnish with basil, add a drizzle of olive oil on top. OMG TDF
This dinner can cost under $ 35.00 with wine,salad and a some chocolate covered strawberries that's less than take-out and it comes from the heart.
My wine choice: XOXO Cabernet/Shiraz about $9.00
Enjoy, I'd love any comments or pictures :)
Rose Arangio
Monday, February 7, 2011
The first taste is with the eyes (staging your food)
My first passion, cooking began as a young married girl 30 years ago. Being a newlywed I found so much pleasure in preparing new dishes for my husband and myself and over the years have continued to grow and learn more and more about food. I have worked as a sous chef in a fine dining establishment as well which had inspired me even more as I learned so many new things. I always found a great need to plating the food so beautifully that I had put so much passion into making. The first taste is with the eyes and it was in a sense staging the food to make it look mouthwatering and appetizing as it tasted.
A beautiful Table setting is a must when serving a delicious meal and you don't have to go nuts, a nice table cloth or place-mats, a small center piece makes it special. I love using white plates because I feel they are classic and never go out of style and are in a sense the canvas. The food itself is is the main attraction anyway so why not show it off.
We don't all have all the time in the world to prepare an elaborate dinner but I know that even take-out can look more appealing when plated pretty and with the table setting.
I think I have always been an "inner stager", after all the whole purpose of staging anything is to make things look appealing to us.
Today's recipe is:
Stuffed roasted red peppers on a bed of Italian style scalloped potatoes.
8 red peppers (cut off tops and reserve,clean, and microwave for 2 min)
1 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice (makes about 3 cups cooked)
1 cup of lean pork
2 cups of tomato sauce
3 large onions,2 cloves garlic (sliced and sauteed in the olive oil for about 15 min and set aside)
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of corn
8 red skin potatoes (peeled, sliced half in thick and boiled for 15 min)
sea salt and pepper to taste I add hot chilies too
sautee pork in the same frying pan used for onion mixture then add tomato puree and season to taste, cook for about 20-30 min.
mix pork sauce with cooked rice and corn.
Fill peppers with rice mixture and top off with the tops of the peppers
Arrange boiled potatoes on the bottom of an oven proof pan and layer with the onion, garlic, oil mixture and season to taste.
Arrange all stuffed peppers on top of the potatoes and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and bake at 375' for about 1 hour.
I like to serve a salad with this meal and thats it. I make extra because the leftovers are great for lunch or a side for dinner the next day.
A beautiful Table setting is a must when serving a delicious meal and you don't have to go nuts, a nice table cloth or place-mats, a small center piece makes it special. I love using white plates because I feel they are classic and never go out of style and are in a sense the canvas. The food itself is is the main attraction anyway so why not show it off.
We don't all have all the time in the world to prepare an elaborate dinner but I know that even take-out can look more appealing when plated pretty and with the table setting.
I think I have always been an "inner stager", after all the whole purpose of staging anything is to make things look appealing to us.
Today's recipe is:
Stuffed roasted red peppers on a bed of Italian style scalloped potatoes.
8 red peppers (cut off tops and reserve,clean, and microwave for 2 min)
1 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice (makes about 3 cups cooked)
1 cup of lean pork
2 cups of tomato sauce
3 large onions,2 cloves garlic (sliced and sauteed in the olive oil for about 15 min and set aside)
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of corn
8 red skin potatoes (peeled, sliced half in thick and boiled for 15 min)
sea salt and pepper to taste I add hot chilies too
sautee pork in the same frying pan used for onion mixture then add tomato puree and season to taste, cook for about 20-30 min.
mix pork sauce with cooked rice and corn.
Fill peppers with rice mixture and top off with the tops of the peppers
Arrange boiled potatoes on the bottom of an oven proof pan and layer with the onion, garlic, oil mixture and season to taste.
Arrange all stuffed peppers on top of the potatoes and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and bake at 375' for about 1 hour.
I like to serve a salad with this meal and thats it. I make extra because the leftovers are great for lunch or a side for dinner the next day.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Why go neutral?
If you look up the word "neutral" in the thesaurus you will find words that define it like impartial, non committal and synonyms like calm, colorless, drab, detached, disinterested, impersonal, inactive. How boring can you get!
But aren't humans neutral? We come in all shades of neutrals and then we adorn ourselves with loads of colours in clothing, makeup, hair, nail polish etc. but our base is neutral and it works!
In home decor purchasing major items such as large furniture pieces, flooring and rugs its always smarter to go with quality, classic, plain and neutral colours. Big ticket items are not something you want to change often so just like we adorn ourselves with new clothes or change our hair colour, jewelry or nail polish it works in the same way. Its easy to change a look of a room inexpensively by changing the accessories and paint.
So what I'm saying is the basic bones of the room are going to be neutral and then add your personality by painting your favorite colours and add patterns and textures with accessories. Finally you need proper lighting to achieve your mood and also to see because in the dark there is no colour, and that's another topic.
A few of my favorite neutrals are:
Benjamin Moores edgecomb gray HC-173
revere pewter HC-172
kendall charcoal HC-166
manchester tan HC-81
willow CC-542
blackberry 2119-20
stone harbour 2111-50
gray owl 2137-60
Just my thoughts....
Rose Arangio
But aren't humans neutral? We come in all shades of neutrals and then we adorn ourselves with loads of colours in clothing, makeup, hair, nail polish etc. but our base is neutral and it works!
In home decor purchasing major items such as large furniture pieces, flooring and rugs its always smarter to go with quality, classic, plain and neutral colours. Big ticket items are not something you want to change often so just like we adorn ourselves with new clothes or change our hair colour, jewelry or nail polish it works in the same way. Its easy to change a look of a room inexpensively by changing the accessories and paint.
So what I'm saying is the basic bones of the room are going to be neutral and then add your personality by painting your favorite colours and add patterns and textures with accessories. Finally you need proper lighting to achieve your mood and also to see because in the dark there is no colour, and that's another topic.
A few of my favorite neutrals are:
Benjamin Moores edgecomb gray HC-173
revere pewter HC-172
kendall charcoal HC-166
manchester tan HC-81
willow CC-542
blackberry 2119-20
stone harbour 2111-50
gray owl 2137-60
Just my thoughts....
Rose Arangio
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
February is bedroom month
Stagionista says... February is a great month to redo the bedroom. Perhaps its just buying new bedding or adding a new accent pillows or repainting for a fresh new look. Paint and lighting is and inexpensive way to change the whole atmosphere of a room and give it new life. Evoking emotions is easy to do when using the right colours and accessories so depending what your looking for start with an inspiration piece.
Stand at your doorway and have a glance around the room. Take a picture of it and see what you think. In the bedroom the focal point should be the bed, so if your bed is not doing it for your go out and seek new bedding. Once you have your bedding use that for paint colour choices and accessories. It is easy to pick complimentary colours once you have an inspiration to guide you, this is how decorators do it.
If your going to paint choose your paint colours from inside you room not the paint store as the lighting is different and it will make all the difference.
Making a great bed is easy when you have all the tools. A Great mattress is a must for a good and restful sleep,sheets are equally important as that is the fabric next to your skin and must be luxurious and cozy and lastly the bedding, it creates the mood and ambiance and directs the colour choice of the room.
Keep it simple, clean and decluttered. This space is for rest, romance and regeneration. So get to it! and dont forget the chocolate on the pillow on the 14th.
My Benjamin Moore red colour pics are
red tulip 2000-30
berry wine 2003-30
salsa 2009-20
hot spice 2011-30
Have fun with it,
Rose Arangio
Stand at your doorway and have a glance around the room. Take a picture of it and see what you think. In the bedroom the focal point should be the bed, so if your bed is not doing it for your go out and seek new bedding. Once you have your bedding use that for paint colour choices and accessories. It is easy to pick complimentary colours once you have an inspiration to guide you, this is how decorators do it.
If your going to paint choose your paint colours from inside you room not the paint store as the lighting is different and it will make all the difference.
Making a great bed is easy when you have all the tools. A Great mattress is a must for a good and restful sleep,sheets are equally important as that is the fabric next to your skin and must be luxurious and cozy and lastly the bedding, it creates the mood and ambiance and directs the colour choice of the room.
Keep it simple, clean and decluttered. This space is for rest, romance and regeneration. So get to it! and dont forget the chocolate on the pillow on the 14th.
My Benjamin Moore red colour pics are
red tulip 2000-30
berry wine 2003-30
salsa 2009-20
hot spice 2011-30
Have fun with it,
Rose Arangio
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