Happy New Year! Champagne Cocktails! Broken Bells!

House parties are my favorite New Year's Eve celebrations.  I like to ring in the New Year with close pals over great music, witty banter, festive Champagne cocktails, delish appetizers, & either "Anderson Cooper 360" (with Kathy Griffin) or good ol' "Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve" (with Ryan Seacrest since Mr. Clark is an octogenarian plus, but looks good!). 

Of course, it's also fun to get swanked up & head out for a big NYE celebration... Whether you stay in with a few close friends or family, throw a huge party, or spend a night on the town, we will all likely drink bubbly!  

 As such, I bring you easy Champagne Cocktail recipes, which can also be made non-alcoholic by substituting sparkling water or tonic water for Champagne. Let's Toast, Friends!

Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail: Place a sugar cube in the bottom of a Champagne Glass, fill 1/2 of a glass with Champagne, & then top with pomegranate juice. Garnish with pomegranate seeds on top.  Sparkly!

Blueberry Champagne Cocktail: Same as above, except use blueberry juice.  I like Sparkling Blueberry Juice from Trader Joe's.  Float fresh blueberries on top. Sweet!

Raspberry Mint Champagne Cocktail:  Muttle together raspberries & mint with a splash of orange flavored liquor (like Cointreau or Triple Sec) to make a juice.  Fill a glass 3/4 up with Champagne; and then add the orange liquor, raspberry, mint mixture on top.  Garish with a mint leaf.  Minty!

Chambord Champagne Cocktail:  Fill a glass 3/4 full with Champagne, & top it off with a splash of Chambord.  Easy!

And finally my last music selection of 2010!!

Many great artists released excellent albums and songs this year - The Black Keyes, Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers, Florence and the Machine, Arcade Fire, Vampire Weekend, LCD Soundsystem, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Jason Derulo, (yes I do listen to some pop) but my favorite 2010 release is the first self-titled album from BROKEN BELLS. 

A Starbucks impulse buy one late March morning, I grabbed this album (and a latte) after hearing our intelligent & music savvy dept. intern raving about it.  He was right - it's a great album.  A combination of James Mercer from the Shins & Danger Mouse, this melodic duo transcended their collective genres to create an airy, wispy, quasi space-agey, but grounded and fresh sound.  I can't wait for James and Danger Mouse to give us the second album!

If you haven't seen the non-official Hall and Oates dubbed version of THE GHOST INSIDE, check it out below - it's funny!!


And now for the official version of THE GHOST INSIDE.



Finally friends, as 2010 comes to a close, I must say a heartfelt THANK YOU for reading and supporting The Rockin' Foodie blog on this food/music adventure.  I am happy to report that the Rockin' Foodie is global with readers in Denmark, Russia, China, UK, Spain, Australia, Malaysia, Brazil, Germany, Slovenia, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Canada, France, and of course, the US of A.  I deeply appreciate your time, readership, comments, and support.

I look forward to hearing more from you all in the New Year.  As such, please feel free to drop me a comment or an email, & let me know your thoughts & what you are listening to & cooking. 

Cheers to a sumptious, harmonious, and safe 2011!

Happy New Year!

Hugs and Kisses.

The Perfect Winter Soup & The Cozy Sounds of Belle & Sebastian...

Yesterday was the first day of Winter. The Holidays are here.  And in So. Cal, it's raining - A LOT.

Bad News: Rain makes Holiday mall traffic even worse because road are slippery and drivers are distracted with texting and holiday "To Do" lists.

Good News: This past weekend Z traversed LA and OC to attend 6 parties and only hit one inanimate object (GC - the white marks rub off the gate).  Success!  Nobody died on my account, and luckily my dad has a lot of white touch-up paint so front bumper will be A-OK!

The coming of Winter and the Holidays means holiday menu planning.  In case anyone is still pondering recipes for the upcoming holiday meal, I offer a humble suggestion - BUTTERNUT SQUASH, WILD RICE, SAUSAGE SOUP.  An Emeril recipe I stumbled upon from the Food Network website, I made this soup for my 4 wonderful best friends from high school for our annual potluck holiday lunch and it was a hit!

This comfy yet complex soup is perfect for Winter and something different for the holiday table.  The smoky sausage wonderfully compliments the toasted butternut squash, the rice makes it hearty, and the corn gives a touch of sweetness.  It's a special recipe that I plan to make into an annual holiday tradition.  

And speaking of comfy and complex, enter "WRITE ABOUT LOVE", the 8th and most recent studio album from Glasgow's 8 member chamber-pop group BELLE AND SEBASTIAN.  While chopping onions and sausage, roasting and pureeing squash, and occasionally stirring the rice, I was taking in this lovely album.  Like the melding of flavors in the soup, lots of elements go into B and S's sound (cellos, violins, flutes, trumpets, plus usual instruments) and the result is a harmonious symphonic-like sound.  Check out I'M NOT LIVING IN THE REAL WORD below featuring flutes.



Although Belle and Sebastian have been around since 1996 with great success, they are not a heavy radio airplay band, but were on the 2008 Juno Soundtrack with one of their popular hits PIAZZA NEW YORK CATCHER off their 2003 album DEAR CATASTROPHE WAITRESS (my favorite album).  Check it out below with it's quirky lyrics :
 

And for the piece de resistance video footage: NPR live stream of yesterday's Belle and Sebastian Holiday Spectacular concert from Glasgow.  They played a couple holiday tunes, their biggest hits, plus songs off their new album.   Not only is the show awesome, fans checked in from around the globe to watch - Brazil, Spain, US, Germany... We were a cozy community of fans watching over breakfast, late in the evening, or from our desks at work during the lunch hour.  I unfortunately cannot embed it, but to watch the show, click here.  Thanks NPR!

And now on to the soup recipe (Makes 10 servings so half this if you like.  I used 2/3.).  As fair warning, this soup takes at least 2.5 hours to make, but it is well worth it.  

Butternut Squash, Wild Rice, Sausage Soup

Here is what you need:

- 2 medium butternut squash, about 3 to 4 pounds, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks  (I used one 2 pounder).  For instructions on how to cut up a butternut squash since my previous 10/7 post below.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 12 cups chicken stock (I used 8)
- 2 1/2 cups chopped onions (I used one small yellow onion)
- 1 cup wild rice (I used 3/4) (Soak the rice and use 3:1 liquid to rice ratio)
- 3/4 lb. smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (I used 1/2 lb. Use turkey or veggie sausage if you like)

- 2 cups fresh corn kernels (I used 1 cup frozen kernels)

- 1 1/2 cups half-and-half (I used 1 cup)

- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
- Pinch (1/4 teaspoon to start) of nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne pepper (optional)

Here is what you do:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

 Season the squash with 1 tablespoon of the oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until tender. Remove from the oven and cool completely. In a blender or food processor, puree the squash with 2 cups of the chicken stock. I added a pinch of Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper for a kick.  Puree until smooth and set aside.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, bring 4 cups of the stock and 1/2 cup of the chopped onions to a simmer. Stir in the rice and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally with a fork. Remove the rice from the pan and cool. In a large saucepan, over medium heat, add the remaining tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the sausage and brown for 3 minutes. Add the remaining 2 cups of onions and corn. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 3 minutes. Add the remaining 6 cups of stock and squash puree. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface. Stir in the rice and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the half-and-half and reason with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley, serve, and enjoy.

MMMMM!!!! Warm, cozy, hearty, and inviting goodness.  An ideal recipe for a rainy Winter holiday. 

Much love and peace to all this holiday season.

I leave you with the great Diana Krall singing her rendition of Jingle Bells.



Hugs and Kisses.

Let's Be Kids Again! - Childhood TV, Songs, and Food...

I don't change my Facebook profile picture often, but in support of childhood violence awareness, I followed FB post instructions, & changed my picture to my fav childhood cartoon character - Lark from "Beverly Hills Teens." 

Unlike "Dora the Explorer" or "Sesame Street, this 1987 show about rich BH kids named Lark, Bianca, and Blaze did not involve teaching kids anything educational.  No sirree, Beverly Hills Teens was equivalent to high fructose corn syrup cereal - no nutritional value, just sweet and good.  I embarrassingly loved it, and I know ladies out there of Generation Z loved it too - admit it - it's ok.  And little did we know at the time, this little animated fruit-tart of a show was a pre-cursor to a larger cultural phenomenon - watching the rich and spoiled parade about town - enter "Beverly Hills 90210" & now "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."

In case you need me to jog your memory of Lark et. al. - see below. It's so bad, its good.


Moving from TV to music, I think we can all agree that the songs from youth stay with us always.  When you hear a favorite tune from 6th grade, the memories rush back so vividly, you can even SMELL the era -for me, Sunflowers perfume, Teen Spirit deodorant, and Hot Dog on a Stick corn dogs. 

As a kid, it was all about Paula Abdul (was a fan club member), Debbie Gibson (read her book even), Tiffany (specifically "I Think We're Alone Now"), the Bangles (my first record), NKOTB (had the poster from the Scholastic book order), Boyz II Men (First introduction to R&B), Vanilla Ice (early influence of rap), and I could go on...

I polled various guys and gals and the winners for best pre-teen songs for Z's generation are:

For the ladies, Paula Abdul's "OPPOSITES ATTRACT" (how could you not love the cat?).

For the fellas, Boyz II Men "END OF THE ROAD" (the best proverbial "slow song" of the jr. high dances).

See Ms. Paula and the cat below - Go Paula!



I even emulated the Paula style as well by wearing my dad's ties to school!  I was cool.

Now let's slow it down with soulful R&B.  Do you know that Boyz II Men sold more than 60 Million albums??? This is an INSANE amount for 2010 standards. WOW! 



And now the food - Kid food tastes good. 

At weddings and parties, I often see adults in evening wear pushing their stuffed chicken breast aside and sneaking food from the 'kids table' because fries, chicken nuggets, pizza, spaghetti, mac and cheese, hamburgers, and apple juice are yummy. 

After polling various folks, the favorite kid foods seem to be pasta varieties which is nice to hear since carbs have become Satan in the adult world (so sad).  Many people said that their favorite food as a kid was Mac and Cheese.  I love all things cheese so of course I approve, but truth be told, I never actually ate Mac and Cheese as a kid, but I love it now. In fact, I featured Mac and Cheese in the October 7 Rockin' Foodie posting (check it out if you are interested!). Spaghetti with meat sauce or meat balls was a close second amongst those I consulted  and was my favorite dish as well from my favorite childhood family restaurant - The Ol' Spaghetti Factory - such good Hamzeh family memories :).

As such, my two picks for the best childhood and adult spaghetti dishes (in fact I ate one of these dishes today) are good ol' Spaghetti and Meatballs and Yogurt Spaghetti (an Arabic style yogurt spaghetti sauce).

Let's recreate some childhood moments with these two tasty kid-friendly dishes.

SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS (serves 4)

I love making meatballs because they are fun and easy to prepare, great to make with kids, and versatile for spaghetti or an appetizer with dipping sauce.

Here is what you need:

1 2 lb. package dry spaghetti

1 jar spaghetti sauce

For the Meatballs:

1 pound lean ground beef

½ cup dry bread crumbs (Italian seasoned variety works well)

¼ cup milk

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 small onion chopped

1 large egg

Here is what you do:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees, mix all the ingredients, and then shape into balls. Place on an ungreased pan 1 ½ inches apart and bake uncovered for 20 to 25 min or until no longer pink in the center. Makes about 20 meat balls.

Cook the pasta per package directions.

For the sauce, you can of course make this from scratch or you can just go with the very famous Paul Newman sauces (there are many excellent choices) which is my preference.  However, to make from scratch, click here 

Once the meatballs are done, simmer them for a few minutes with the sauce and then simply serve over spaghetti. Add fresh Basel and Parmesan cheese on top if you like.

And now for the debut Arabic dish!  My mom used to make us spaghetti cooked in yogurt when we were kids and still makes it as a treat up until now. Although it may sound a little weird, it is SOOOOOOOOOOO good and super easy and cheap to make.

YOGURT SPAGHETTI (serves 4)

Here is what you need

1 2 lb. package of dry spaghetti
3 cups low-fat plain yogurt (not Greek-style)
4 cloves garlic minced very fine (if you have one, use a mortar and pestle and pour a little salt over the garlic and mash them up very finely)
salt and pepper
pine nuts
ground beef (optional)

Here is what you do:

Combine the yogurt and garlic. Cook the pasta until well done (not al dente) - about 10 minutes. After draining the pasta, don't rinse it because the natural starches on the noodles will help the noodles absorb the yogurt.  Pour the yogurt and garlic mixture of the warm pasta noodles.  The sauce should have a wet consistency.  Add salt and pepper to taste.   Fry pine nuts in a oil and pour on top with the oil.  Add cooked ground beef on top if you like.  This dish is the quintessential taste of my childhood.


Hope you enjoyed this little trip down memory lane. I am now going to grab some fruit snacks and goldfish crackers before I head to bed.

Hugs and Kisses.