Speedy Hostess 3 or Cheese Platter Decalogue

by Karolina, 5th October 2012

Really speedy post today...It's been really crazy and busy week...Uffffff.........
And the best part- we decided for last minute holidays. Yay! We're leaving tomorrow. So actually I should be packing right now...but I'm an "almost" good blogger and I'll write a few words before leaving for a week.

So, I thought that Speedy Hostess post would be perfect for speedy post :)

Today, one of my "to go" entertaining tools. Good, old....Cheese platter!

Couldn't really be quicker, right?
But there are a few things you should remember when preparing a cheese plate.

So here's my...

Cheese Platter Decalogue:

1. Have at least 3-4  different cheeses to offer
2. Vary the cheese by type of milk (cow,sheep,goat)
3. Have a variety of tastes - from smooth and silky to pungent (OK, not too pungent because you have to live in your home afterwards)
4. Offer different cheese textures - hard cheese & softer ones
5. Remember that eyes are eating first - think about different shapes and colours of cheese
6. Try local or unusual cheeses (makes a nice twist and a good conversation starter, in case you've run out of subjects after mains ;))
7. Don't forget about additional items for your platter - fruits, nuts etc.
8. Good bread is a MUST.
9. Try something new - like honey or quince membrillo with your cheese
10. Let the wine flow!

How is your cheese platter? Did I forget about some important rule?

Let me know!

Summer entertaining

by Karolina, 19th August 2012

I love having friends over for dinner, I really enjoy preparing bigger parties and I especially adore summer entertaining. With long evenings, friendly weather and bountiful of produce summer entertaining is definitely the most enjoyable.
I try to keep menu simple - nobody feels like eating roast dinner when it's hot outside!
So I stick with salads, cold platters, cold soups (you'll see some later this week), fresh fruits.

Today, I wanted to show you a classic...

Watermelon + feta + basil

The best of summer really - fresh sweet fruit, salty cheese which reminds us holidays in Greece and beautiful green basil.

If I prepare a buffer I would just cube cheese and watermelon and hold them together with basil using a toothpick. This is the version you can see today.
Finish it off with fresh pepper and sprinkle of olive oil for the best taste.

Don't you just love the colours? Vibrant and fresh - definitely perfect for summer



You can as well cut out different shapes out of watermelon, or prepare bigger portions if serving as a starter for dinner party.

So, go on - prepare these tiny morsels of summer before it's gone!

Speedy Hostess (2)

by Karolina, 8th July 2012

Speedy Hostess is back :)
Today, I wanted to show you a perfect entertaining idea which will make your party preparation or last minute entertaining stress-free.

Pretty little pastries...Quick and cute.
This is really no-brainer.
A few simple ingredients combined together + pretty presentation.

OK, this involves cooking shortcut, kind of baking cheating...Store-bought pastry shells. I always keep pastry shells in the cupboard. They're life-savers for last-minute parties! Seriously, if you don't have them in your pantry yet, go and get them...now!
Don't get me wrong, I really like making things from scratch, but sometimes little shortcut means that you have a few more minutes to prepare something yummy or that you actually have time to do your hair before guests arrive, or just that you have 5 minutes before the party to chill out with glass of wine instead of frantically running around the kitchen.

So, how to create these tiny beauties?

It's just assembling job really...(and simpler than Ikea stuff, I promise :))

You need:
- pastry shells
- whipped cream or mascarpone
- fruits for topping

Fill the shells with cream or cream cheese (depending what you have on hand) and top with a few fruits. I used variety of fruits to have nice colour palette - blueberries, red currents, strawberries. But actually any berries will be great. In winter when it's much more difficult to get hold of nice fruits , I would use cut pieces of peaches in syrup or even dried fruits. Really, the choice is huge and sky is the limit when it comes to different variations. Arrange cups nicely , decorate with fruits or leaves (I used some red currants and mint leaves). And you're ready to go!
5 minutes and pretty little tea snack or dessert buffet option is ready.

Do you use any shortcuts in the kitchen?
I'd love to hear about it from you.