What recipes do you use to impress someone? I have a couple of fallback dishes that I love to use to impress special folks:

Ahi poke (simple, but delicious ... Just 5 or 6 ingredients)
Homemade salsa
Homemade hummus
Ceviche
Crab crepes with dill hollandaise
Choc chip walnut banana bread

10/22/2010 9:18:24 PM

I must say all of those sound delicious

10/22/2010 9:19:41 PM

Food is the way to the heart.

10/22/2010 9:25:51 PM

i use a nice big bowl of cock-salad. works every time

10/22/2010 9:26:23 PM

^^ Feel free to cook for me anytime boo

[Edited on October 22, 2010 at 9:27 PM. Reason : Damnit]

10/22/2010 9:26:46 PM

Last time I saw iheartkisses and asked her for some grub, she handed me a raisin and told me to drink from the water hose out back.


pwnt. I see where I stand now

10/22/2010 9:27:31 PM

It doesn't take much to impress EMCE. He was happy to get a break from dat gubment cheese.

10/22/2010 9:29:39 PM

DAMN!

10/22/2010 9:29:55 PM

...depends on who you're trying to impress.
Some people down-right hate "fancy" food.

10/22/2010 9:32:17 PM

When it comes to those folks, Indy, my fallback recipes are:

Crab dip
Artichoke dip
Buffalo chicken dip

But I can't eat any of those due to the high dairy content and/or chicken.

10/22/2010 9:37:24 PM

My pumpkin challah when I have time to bake bread.

10/28/2010 3:13:08 PM

hey send me that recipe again


I frequently do chicken cordon bleu or some variation of stuffed chicken breasts if i am hosting a dinner. you can do most of the work in advance.

10/28/2010 3:14:51 PM

Ok...you can't be naming all this stuff w/o giving out the recipe. Post em up ikisshearts and co.

10/28/2010 3:15:20 PM

Here's my challah recipe:

1 small pie pumpkin (halved and baked, then mashed) or 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 envelope (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground allspice
3 and 3/4 cups flour
2/3 cup warm water
1/3 cup brown sugar (sometimes I use honey and less water)
1 and 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg, beaten
Optional poppy seeds; optional extra egg to brush loaves with

Mix the yeast in the warm water along with the spices and 2/3 cups flour. Let the mixture stand for 10-20 minutes, until it starts to foam a little. Whisk the sugar, salt, oil, egg, and pumpkin into the dough. Stir in the remaining flour, then knead for at 5-10 minutes. Dough should be firm, easy to knead, and neither dry nor sticky.

Let the dough rest while you wash and dry your bread bowl. Oil the bowl lightly, put the dough in it, cover the bowl with saran wrap, and let it rise in a warm place until the dough has tripled (2-3 hours). Punch it down and shape as you wish (I usually do a double braid. Good video on how to do it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22p3wIHLupc) Oil baking sheets or sprinkle them with cornmeal; let the loaves rise until at least doubled in size (ideally tripled, if you have time), probably 1.5 hours.

Optional: Glaze the loaves with beaten egg if you want, and/or sprinkle them with poppy seeds. Bake the loaves at 350 (F) for 40-45 minutes.

10/28/2010 3:22:48 PM

I keep a full bar stocked at the house and have some ridiculous cocktail recipes...anything from a cucumber infused tequila/ginger/lemon cocktail to a mojito with brown sugar simple syrup and Clement. The ladies like tasty cocktails. Then there's the Nuts n Berries Martini for the girls who are really picky with the liquor.

Tequila Cocktail:

- Cucumber infused tequila (or muddled cucumber if I'm out of the infused stuff)
- Splash of ginger beer (or ginger ale if I'm out)
- About a tsp of lemon juice
- Dash of simple syrup

Mojito

- Bacardi Gold rum
- Bout 1.75oz of brown sugar simple syrup
- 3 or 4 fresh squeezed lime wedges
- Bout an ounce of Clement liquer
- 5 or 6 leaves of mint

Nuts 'n Berries:

Equal parts Frangelico, Baileys, Chambord, Amaretto, and Stoli Vanilla. Shake and strain.


I'll make all of these while I drink a beer. Liquor is for the ladies and late night.

I can also bake a few things...most notably a rum cake. Ladies like sweets.

Rum Cake:

Rum
Eggs
Cake mix
Jell-o Vanilla Pudding mix
Sugar
Butter
Corn Oil
Water
Milk

I think that's it. Two part recipe, with the cake and the glaze. Don't know if off the top of my head. Shit is delicious though.

[Edited on October 28, 2010 at 3:32 PM. Reason : LEFT OUT THE MINT]

10/28/2010 3:23:55 PM

^ Dang! Now I'm impressed. I heart a good mojito or two!

However, I recommend that you master the "skinny mojito", made with artificial sweetener. It's not as good, but it will please the ladies who like to watch their figure.

[Edited on October 28, 2010 at 3:31 PM. Reason : d]

10/28/2010 3:30:05 PM

Quote :

"However, I recommend that you master the "skinny mojito", made with artificial sweetener. It's not as good, but it will please the ladies who like to watch their figure."

When bartending, I hated it when a girl ordered a "skinny margarita" or some other skinny drink. Always made me end up having to squeeze a lot more fruit wedges into it. Pain in the ass. Eat a little less, exercise a little more, and drink regularly.

10/28/2010 3:34:00 PM

i make amazing salsa

10/28/2010 3:40:11 PM

Chicken Marsala
Shrimp & Grits with Tomato Jam
Trout Meuniere

Chocolate mousse is the easiest thing in the world and yet it still impresses folks too...go figure.

10/28/2010 4:38:38 PM

i got pumpkin challah rising in my oven

10/28/2010 5:53:57 PM

^yay

10/28/2010 6:13:47 PM

steamed hams

10/28/2010 6:15:34 PM