| |
 |
| Seasoned GrEATings |
| |
|
 Happy Holidays
from Parties That Cook!
We’re still working on Thanksgiving
leftovers and it’s already time to send out the holiday party invites
and stock up on bubbly for New Year’s! If you need help planning your
special occasion this holiday, it’s not too late to plan a holiday cooking party. Book this month and
get free cooking
party aprons!
In this month’s issue of The SideDish
Newsletter, we share decadent holiday dessert recipes and reveal 12 Essential Holiday Baking Tips
that will help you save time this holiday season. With all the time you
save, you can help provide holiday meals to those in need this month.
For donation and volunteer ideas check out our blog article: 5 Easy Ways to Give Thanks This Year.
From
all of us here at Parties That Cook, we wish
you a Happy Holiday and prosperous New Year!
Cheers,
Executive Chef Bibby Gignilliat &
The Parties That Cook Team
|
|
Back to the Top
|
| Holiday Cooking Tips |
| |
|
12 Essential Holiday Baking Tips From the Pros
 1. Mise en place is a French phrase
meaning “put in place.” In the kitchen, this refers to the measuring out
of ingredients in advance, which saves time especially when baking.
2.
Remember to preheat the oven, adjust oven racks and prepare baking pans before starting the batter.
3.
Sift flour, cocoa powder and
confectioner’s sugar to avoid lumps in the batter.
4. Bring all
ingredients to room temperature
for even baking (except when separating eggs, in which case it is best
to chill first because it makes them easier to separate).
5. Cream butter with sugar for at least 3
minutes to properly aerate the butter. Mixture should look pale yellow
when ready to add the next ingredients.
 6. Be careful not to over mix when adding flour –
you will exercise the gluten in the flour, which makes for a tough end
product.
7. Stir in nuts, chocolate chips and dried fruits after the batter is mixed to prevent bleeding.
8. Make
uniform-sized cookies by using an ice
cream scoop.
9. Bake cookies on parchment paper or a silpat to prevent sticking and for easy clean up.
10.
Use your senses in baking
(sight, smell, taste). Even if a recipe states a certain baking time,
check regularly since every oven is calibrated differently.
11.
Make cookie dough in advance and freeze
in a log-shape. Cut and bake on-demand for the freshest cookies.
12.
After washing, place muffin tins and pastry brushes in the warm,
turned-off oven to dry out and prevent
rusting or mold.
Click here for Parties That Cook's Recommended Kitchen
Tools
|
|
Back to the Top
|
| Cooking
Classes & Events |
| |
|
 San
Francisco: Tantalizing Holiday Appetizers
This Thursday, December 4, 2008
@ Sur La Table Union Square
6:00 – 8:30 pm
Learn expert cooking tips and prepare festive holiday
appetizers. Enjoy complimentary champagne and a sit-down meal of
appetizers that include seasonal favorites like Sweet Potato Galettes
With Sage Creme Fraiche and Ahi Tuna Tartare In Sesame Won Ton Cups.
This evening class makes a wonderful holiday gift, date night or small
company outing! $85 per guest.
Sign Up Now!
|
|
 San Francisco: Cooking Crush - Cooking Class
& Wine Tasting for Singles
Wednesday, January 14, 2009 @ Crushpad Winery
6:30
– 9:00 pm
Join us for another spectacular Cooking Crush singles
event at Crushpad
Winery in San Francisco. Guests will be treated to a tour of the
winery, learn key steps in the winemaking process, then mix and mingle
over blind wine tastings. Glasses in-hand, we’ll shift into the kitchen,
where co-ed teams will cook up a meal of delicious international
appetizers and get to know each other between slicing and dicing. $95
per guest.
Sign Up Now!
|
| |
|
 San Francisco: Couples Date Night
"Classic California Comfort"
Monday, January
26, 2009 @ Sur La Table Union Square
6:30 – 9:00 pm
Grab
your partner and join Chef Bibby Gignilliat
in making a meal that's sure to be both romantic and memorable. Have
fun together as you learn to create starters, sweets and everything in
between--it's the perfect date night, Californian Style! Four-course
menu includes Molasses-Cured Pork Chops with Caramelized Apples,
Gingerbread Cakes with Aunt Mimi's Bourbon Cream Sauce and complimentary
wine. $170 per couple.
Sign Up Now!
|
|
Back to the Top
|
| The SideDish Special |
| |
|
 Cooking may get messy, but you don’t
have to!
Receive free cooking aprons for your guests when you book a
cooking party, holiday party or team building event by December 31st,
2008. Our stove is filling up fast – to reserve your date, call
1-888-907-COOK or email info@partiesthatcook.com. Be sure to mention The SideDish
Special coupon. Not valid with other discounts.
Click
here to start planning your cooking party!
|
|
Back to the Top
|
| Shop |
| |
|
Stocking
Stuffers, Hostess Gifts and Discounts!
 Tired of roasting chestnuts on an open fire? Pick up a
copy of The Sumptuous Small Plates Recipe Deck, a
collection of our 30 most popular appetizer recipes with easy to follow
instructions and enticing photos. Makes a great stocking stuffer or
hostess gift this holiday season at only $17.95 and qualifies for
Amazon.com’s Super Saver Shipping!
Click here for more Parties That Cook holiday gift
ideas
|
|
Food Lovers Tour through San Francisco’s
neighborhoods
 Take
to the streets this holiday for a "Food Lovers Tour" through San
Francisco’s neighborhoods with food writer and radio personality
GraceAnn Walden. In her popular tour of North Beach, Walden tells the
history ofthe vibrant Italian neighborhood – takes you behind the scenes
in twobakeries and a stylish restaurant, visits a butcher shop, pastry
shop and ceramic store. Gift certificates available for tours of North
Beach ($80), Chinatown ($90) and the New Mission ($80). Visit www.graceannwalden.net or call (415) 302-5898 to
reserve tickets.
|
|
Numi Organic Tea
 After cooking
up a holiday feast, relax with a cup of Numi Organic Tea.
Give the gift of warmth and comfort this holiday season. It's the
perfect treat for teachers, moms, sisters and yourself!
Special
for Parties That Cook customers: Save 15% on any
purchase on www.numitea.com, when use offer code NM4N8. Offer
expires 12/31/08. Valid for one purchase only.
|
|
Back to the Top
|
| Cooking
Party Venues |
| |
|
Host
your holiday cooking party or team building event at these fantastic San
Francisco Bay Area and Chicagoland venues. Each of location has a Parties
That Cook-approved kitchen and dining area perfectly suited for our
cooking parties. Check out what each of these locations has to offer
this holiday season!
|
|
 Pedro
Point Creative Kitchen
Our newest event space, Pedro Point
Creative Kitchen, is a beautifully modern kitchen and intimate dining
venue nestled in the serene beauty of Pacifica. They've wooed us out of
San Francisco city limits with a brand new, state-of-the-art
professional chef's kitchen. The space is ideal for groups up to 25
people, so check out Pedro Point Creative
Kitchen for your next cooking event!
|
|
 Dacor
Design and Culinary Center
Stylish professional-quality
kitchen appliances abound the Dacor Design and Culinary Center in South
San Francisco. Their sparkling demo kitchen is the perfect match for our
cooking parties. Now you can bring the convenience and style of Dacor
to your home: Through June 30, 2009, Dacor is offering a free warming
drawer or microwave with the purchase of any wall oven and eligible
cooktop. For more information visit www.dacor.com/hot.
|
|
Back to the Top
|
|
|
 |
| |
|
© 2008 PARTIES THAT
COOK. All rights reserved. Design by MOCD
|
| |
|
GET MONTHLY RECIPES & NEWS
CONNECT WITH US