girlfriends get together Food, Frolic and Fun Times!

by Berry, Carmen Renee; Traeder, Tamara; Hazen, Janet

• ISBN13: 9781885171535
• ISBN10: 1885171536
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-04-01
• Publisher: Council Oak Books

Summary

Gather all girlfriends! Here is the ultimate party planner from the best-selling authors of the girlfriends series. This delectable collection of what happens when girlfriends get together -- for any reason from creating to commiserating -- focuses on the special events and relaxed moments themselves. From crisis events like "you're better off without him" and TGIF parties to showers and hallelujah lunches, these fifteen girlfriend get-togethers include quick-and-easy planning hints, succulent recipes, and inventive ways to create unforgettable memories with your girlfriends. girlfriends get together provides all you need to turn an ordinary event into an extraordinary experience.

Author Biography

Carmen Renee Berry is a New York Times–bestselling author who has written or cowritten more than 25 books, including Aunties: Our Older, Cooler, Wiser Friends; Girlfriends for Life; A Girlfriend’s Gift; Girlfriends Talk About Men; and When Helping You Is Hurting Me. Her books have been translated into Chinese, Hebrew, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish. She lives in Orange County, California. Tamara Traeder is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She has coauthored or edited eight books, including Girlfriends: Invisible Bonds, Enduring Ties and Aunties: Our Older, Cooler, Wiser Friends. She lives in St. Helena, California. Janet Hazen is a chef, food writer, and the author of 14 cookbooks. She lives in Oakland, California.

Table of Contents

Just Us Girls
Women in the Wild	4	(12)
Friday Night Film Fest	16	(10)
Just Talk	26	(10)
Women on the Move
Moving Day Picnic	36	(8)
A Housewarming Dinner	44	(12)
A Hallelujah Lunch	56	(12)
Counting on Each Other
You're Better off without Him Supper	68	(8)
Take Comfort Dinner	76	(8)
Safety Net Social	84	(12)
Shouered with Affection
Wedding Shower Tea	96	(10)
Bachelorette Fete	106	(6)
Baby Shower Buffet	112	(14)
Endaring Traditions
A Sumptuous Birthday Feast	126	(10)
Perfect Pet Party	136	(8)
Holiday Cookie Classic	144

Excerpts

Chapter One

Women in the Wild

Females of all ages love to run in packs in the outdoors, whether we're teenagers on a nocturnal trek to spy on some boy's house, young women stuffing eight of us into a tent made for four on a camping trip, or grown-ups invading an urban mall on the hunt for the perfect pumps. We are our best selves when we're en masse , tapping into ancient wild women energy that often lies dormant when we're on our own. An outdoor annual Women in the Wild get together is the perfect way to celebrate our kindred vibrancy at the end of a dusty trail, in the comfort of our backyards, or at the close of a tough week. So kick off your shoes, feel the grass beneath your feet, and gather the sisters around for some scrumptious treats.

Menu

Grilled Wild and Domestic Mushrooms

With Herb Butter

Spiced Corn-on-the-Cob

Marinated and Grilled Butterflied

Cornish Game Hens

Roasted New Potatoes

Marinated and Grilled Flank Steak

Fresh Tomatoes, Green Beans

Bread, Butter, Assorted Cheeses

Fresh Figs, Apricots, and Melon

Peach-Blueberry Crisp

Imported Beers, Wine Spritzers, Sparkling

Water, and Soft Drinks

Grilled Wild and

Domestic Mushrooms

with Herb Butter

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Herb Butter:

8 tablespoons unsalted butter

(4 ounces), softened

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely

chopped

2 tablespoons each finely chopped fresh basil

and chives

1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

Grilled Mushrooms:

2 very large portobella mushrooms

(about 1 pound), cleaned and quartered

1 pound domestic mushrooms, cleaned

1 pound shiitake mushrooms, cleaned

and stemmed

1/2 pound chanterelle or other wild mushrooms,

cleaned

Salt and pepper, to taste Prepare the herb butter: In a small bowl combine the butter and herbs; mix well. May be kept in the refrigerator tightly covered for up to 3 days.

Prepare a charcoal grill. When the coals are medium hot (covered with a medium-thick layer of gray ash through which a red glow is visible), place the mushrooms on the grill and cook 15 to 20 minutes, rotating frequently to cook evenly. Cooking time will differ among the mushroom varieties because they vary in size and moisture content. Remove mushrooms as they become soft and aromatic, transferring them to a large platter. Immediately brush with the butter and season with salt and pepper.

Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

Fran Lebowitz

Metropolitan Life (1978)

Remember that

midnight picnic ...

My friends love my back porch--it's where I can be found all summer! It is nestled in the midst of our one-acre wooded lot. One night my friend and I, and our daughters, were having a wonderful time chatting and laughing. All of a sudden, we felt starved! It was very late, so we had to find an all-night grocery store. We bought every kind of appetizer and snack imaginable! Then we rushed home. While the appetizers were baking, we turned on the miniature white lights on the porch and lit every candle we could find. We set up a huge smorgasbord with our treats. There we were at one o'clock in the morning with the dark forest all around us, surrounded by light and food and friendship. We still say, "Remember that midnight picnic on the back porch?"

Sue

Spiced

Corn-on-the-Cob

Feel free to slather butter all over your corn once it comes off the grill; however, the sweet-savory spice blend and vegetable oil produce a terrific flavor. Makes 8 servings.

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon each Kosher salt and sugar

1/4 teaspoon mace

Juice from one lime

3 tablespoons corn or vegetable oil

8 large ears corn, cleaned

In a small bowl, combine the coriander, chili powder, salt, sugar, mace, lime juice, and oil; mix well. Place corn on individual pieces of aluminum foil large enough to wrap each ear in a double-thick layer of foil. Brush with the spice mixture and wrap tightly.

Prepare a charcoal grill. When the coals are hot (red glowing coals covered with a very thin layer of gray ash), place the corn on the edge of the grill and cook 30 to 35 minutes, rotating frequently to cook evenly. Check occasionally for doneness. Exact time will vary depending on intensity of fire and size of corn. Remove from grill when done and serve immediately.

Who knew?

Although many of us have struggled with the inconspicuous removal of impertinent kernels stuck in our teeth, we did not realize, until reading Amy Vanderbilt's Everyday Etiquette (the 1956 edition), that corn-on-the-cob presents considerable challenges to polite eating. Of the many rules included therein, we present some of the highlights here:

· You MAY break the cob in half.

· You MAY NOT butter and season the whole ear at once, but only a row or so a time.

· You MAY concoct a mixture of salt-and-pepper to season the corn, but only if it is piled unnoticeably on the edge of the plate.

· You MAY NOT roll the corn in the salt and pepper mixture but only apply it with a knife a little at a time.

· You MAY cut the kernels off the cob with a knife, but only if the cob is held on one end with the left hand and the kernels cut off a few rows at a time with the dinner knife.

Modern etiquette mavens tell us that it is okay to eat corn with our fingers, but buttering and salting should only be done a few rows at a time to keep the messiness to a minimum. Emily Post would clearly like to eliminate corn on the cob altogether, but reluctantly instructs: "[I]f you insist on eating [corn-on-the-cob] at home or in a restaurant, to attack it with as little ferocity as possible, is perhaps the only direction to be given, since at best it is an ungraceful performance and to eat it greedily a horrible sight!" Isn't it a relief to know that we do not need to be so formal with our girlfriends?

How do I know

when it's done?

One cannot think well, love

well, sleep well, if one has

not dined well.

Virginia Woolf

A Room of One's Own (1929)

Marinated and Grilled

Butterflied Cornish

Game Hens

Cornish game hens are usually sold alongside chicken in the poultry section of the grocery store. If you're unsure of how to butterfly the hen, ask your butcher to do it for you. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

4 Cornish game hens (7 to 8 pounds total), butterflied

Marinade:

2 cups orange juice

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup honey

2 teaspoons ground coriander

6 cloves garlic, minced

Place each butterflied Cornish game hen in a heavy, durable plastic bag. In a medium bowl, combine the marinade ingredients, stirring with a whisk to form a smooth emulsion. Pour the marinade over the hens, dividing it equally among the four bags. Seal bags tightly and place in a large, shallow container (in case the bags leak slightly) in the refrigerator overnight or for 24 hours.

Prepare a charcoal grill. When the coals are medium hot (covered with a medium-thick layer of gray ash through which a red glow is visible), place the hens, skin-side down, on the grill and cook approximately 20 minutes, rotating frequently for even cooking until juices run clear when meat is pierced next to the bone. Exact cooking time will vary depending on intensity of fire and size of hens. Do not overcook. Remove from grill and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Somehow everything always

tastes better when eaten outdoors

on a warm evening, accompanied

by great wine and great

company!

Wynn McClenahan Burkett

Author

To roast

wonderful potatoes

  Roughing It ...

I have a friend, Betty, for whom good food is always a priority in our gatherings. Once when we were about eighteen years old, Betty and I and two other friends went camping. We had very little camping equipment, but thanks to Betty, we had New York steaks, superbly seasoned and cooked on the campfire grill with sautéed vegetables, baked potatoes, and garlic butter. Before the night was over, we made lots of friends from the neighboring campsites and traded food and beer for such "nonessentials" as flashlights, toothpaste, and cooking pots.

Sherry

Marinated and Grilled Flank Steak

The combination of salty, tangy, and sweet flavors in this marinade add an enticing flavor to grilled meat.

Makes about 8 servings.

2 pounds flank steak, trimmed of excess fat

Marinade:

3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

3 tablespoons vegetable or light olive oil

2 tablespoons prepared mustard

2 tablespoons maple syrup

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons each paprika and crushed sage leaves

1 teaspoon ground thyme

Salt and pepper, to taste

Place the steak in a large, shallow container (glass, stainless steel, or ceramic) large enough to accommodate it in one layer. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; mix well. Spread marinade over both sides of the steak. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Prepare a charcoal grill. When the coals are hot (red glowing coals covered with a very thin layer of gray ash), place steak on grill and cook 10 to 12 minutes for medium doneness, rotating frequently to cook evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Remove steak from grill and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Wild Woman

Decorations

Women in groups often become a little bolder, a little less conservative than when they are alone. If you and your friends are feeling like "letting your hair down" in the outdoors, try some of the following:

* string some beads for anklets

* pin flowers in your hair

* apply temporary body tattoos with stamps and washable ink

Remember when applying temporary tattoos, the focus is on washable ink! Last summer some of our friends ended up wearing long-sleeved shirts and dark stockings to their very conservative offices after returning from a day at the beach (and stamping permanent ink on their bodies)!

Planning your

outdoors event

The whole point of entertaining is for everyone to enjoy themselves. When hosting a party for your friends, the procrastinators among us can get a bit behind in the plans, and end up doing everything at the last minute! Anyone who has been in this situation knows the difficulty of enjoying an evening when you have had to cram in all the preparations that day. When throwing a party for your girlfriends, you can always ask them to help (likely they will insist on it). But when you want to put on a special outdoors event at home, for your friends and without their assistance, we suggest the following party countdown schedule. It will reduce stress and allow you to be relaxed and spend quality time with your valued guests.

· Party minus seven to ten days Telephone your friends with an invitation.

· Party minus three days Buy all the ingredients for the recipes except for the tomatoes and bread.

· Party minus two days Make sure you have all the serving dishes, napkins, plates, glasses, and cutlery you will need. Do you need any citronella candles to keep the mosquitoes away?

· Party minus one day Marinate the Cornish game hens and flank steak and refrigerate. Prepare the spice blend for the corn-on-the-cob (don't put it on the corn yet) and refrigerate. Make the peach-blueberry crisp and refrigerate.

· Party day Earlier in the day, buy ripe tomatoes and fresh, crusty bread, and prepare the remaining food as much as possible before your guests arrive. Assemble all the eating utensils and serving pieces in one place in preparation for taking outside. Put any white wine or other drinks that should be chilled in the refrigerator, and if you are preparing any special mixed drinks, prepare enough to have a pitcherful ready about half an hour before your guests arrive. Later, as you prepare your grill, remember that the mushrooms and Cornish game hens should be cooked first over a medium-hot grill, then the flank steak and the corn-on-the-cob, which should be cooked over a hot grill. Turn your oven down to 300 degrees F after taking out the potatoes and warm the peach-blueberry crisp during dinner. While you are grilling, let your guests help you bring the remaining food outside. Enjoy!

Peach-Blueberry

Crisp

Makes 8 to l0 servings.

8 large peaches, pitted and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1 pint blueberries, stemmed if necessary

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup cornstarch (use 1/4 cup if you like the fruit portion a little runnier)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

16 tablespoons (8 ounces) chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

Generously grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch (3-quart) baking pan. In a large bowl, combine the peaches, blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice; mix well. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the fruit mixture and mix well, taking care to dissolve any small lumps. Transfer to a prepared baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, light brown sugar, and cinnamon; mix thoroughly. Add the butter in chunks. Using your fingers or two knives, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs (some pea-size bits of butter should remain visible). Do not overmix or the topping will be stiff and dry. Using your fingers, loosely sprinkle the topping evenly over fruit. Do not press it onto the fruit.

Place on lower shelf of preheated oven and bake 35 minutes. Move to upper shelf and bake 10 to 15 more minutes, or until topping is dark golden brown and fruit is bubbly. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature before cutting into serving pieces.

Outdoor Memories

Include here pictures or stories of your favorite time with your girlfriends in the outdoors--remember that the outdoors includes your backyard and the terrace of your favorite restaurant!

Friday Night Film Fest

Let your hair down--the workweek is over and an entire weekend is just beginning. Who better to gripe about your job, gossip about your romances, and compare weekend plans with than your girlfriends? After you slough off the week's troubles and dive into some tasty finger food, get ready to slouch on the couch and watch some favorite films. Thank goodness it's Friday!

Excerpted from girlfriends get together by Carmen Renee Berry, Tamara Traeder, and Janet Hazen. Copyright © 2001 by Carmen Renee Berry, Tamara C. Traeder, and Janet Hazen. Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.