06/19/2012
Illustration: iStockphoto
Rosemary Black, editor of dash magazine, is currently helping to plan her daughter's DIY-style wedding, and is preparing the appetizers and desserts to be served on the big day. Read about her her recipe tests over the next week in her blog series: DIY Wedding Eats & Treats.
When we began talking about making the appetizers and desserts for my daughter Molly’s wedding (this Saturday!), the family's numerous cooks were unanimously in favor of the idea. My daughters, my sisters, Molly's fiance’s mom, and his aunts all love to cook. Molly has celiac disease and diabetes and Mark, her fiancé, has a lactose intolerance and doesn’t eat red meat or shellfish. Planning DIY apps and desserts sure would simplify things for the caterer, who’s doing a barbecue picnic for the main course.
As the date approached for the wedding, which will take place the field of a tiny town in Connecticut and at the home of a dear friend, we devised our menu. We emailed recipes back and forth. We had a taste test at my house, at which six proposed appetizers were eliminated. We tried freezing some of the others to see if they could be made ahead. Along the way, we learned that white bean dip on gluten-free crackers gets mushy in an hour, mini frittatas turn watery when frozen, and skewering mozzarella and grape tomato kebabs for 200 guests was way more labor-intensive than we felt we could handle.
Ultimately, we narrowed our menu to six appetizers and six desserts. Since we only have one large refrigerator in my friend’s kitchen, we wanted to reserve that for egg-based apps and plan for some that would hold well at room temperature. Since all of us work and do our wedding cooking mostly at night, we were looking for make-ahead appetizers.
Desserts proved an easier undertaking since nearly all can be frozen (with the exception of lemon blueberry gluten free mini cupcakes, which one of my daughters will make this Thursday night and frost on Friday.) More on the desserts tomorrow.
Right now, I’d like to share my recipe for Spicy-Sweet Mixed Nuts. It’s make ahead, it does not require you to turn on your oven, and it’s easy to adapt – add or subtract a little cayenne, and feel free to use your favorite nuts. We ordered teensy paper cups that I’ll be filling with these nuts this Saturday morning. I’ve made this recipe six times in the past week, so I’m actually getting quite good at it. In fact, I could probably make it in my sleep. And you don’t have to be a wedding planner to serve it. Try putting out a bowlful of these savory nuts at your next barbecue and watch them disappear. Click here to get the recipe.
–Rosemary
Shoot us your kitchen queries, share your opinions, or just come and say "Hi!" on Facebook and on Twitter @dashrecipes
 RECIPE: Spicy-Sweet Mixed Nuts |
As the date approached for the wedding, which will take place the field of a tiny town in Connecticut and at the home of a dear friend, we devised our menu. We emailed recipes back and forth. We had a taste test at my house, at which six proposed appetizers were eliminated. We tried freezing some of the others to see if they could be made ahead. Along the way, we learned that white bean dip on gluten-free crackers gets mushy in an hour, mini frittatas turn watery when frozen, and skewering mozzarella and grape tomato kebabs for 200 guests was way more labor-intensive than we felt we could handle.
 RELATED: Delightful Dips for Any Occasion |
Desserts proved an easier undertaking since nearly all can be frozen (with the exception of lemon blueberry gluten free mini cupcakes, which one of my daughters will make this Thursday night and frost on Friday.) More on the desserts tomorrow.
Right now, I’d like to share my recipe for Spicy-Sweet Mixed Nuts. It’s make ahead, it does not require you to turn on your oven, and it’s easy to adapt – add or subtract a little cayenne, and feel free to use your favorite nuts. We ordered teensy paper cups that I’ll be filling with these nuts this Saturday morning. I’ve made this recipe six times in the past week, so I’m actually getting quite good at it. In fact, I could probably make it in my sleep. And you don’t have to be a wedding planner to serve it. Try putting out a bowlful of these savory nuts at your next barbecue and watch them disappear. Click here to get the recipe.
–Rosemary
Shoot us your kitchen queries, share your opinions, or just come and say "Hi!" on Facebook and on Twitter @dashrecipes
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