San Francisco Holiday Party

I was very fortunate to be considered to prepare some appetizers for a last minute holiday party for the Executive Producer of a feature film currently being shot in our beautiful city of SF.  With not a ton of time to prepare, I decided on a simple menu pulling from some old ideas and also modifying some entree recipes.  

Let me first speak of this gorgeous home. The picture on the right is the view from the kitchen window... not too shabby! The party called for lots of champagne and some light appetizers.  On the food menu:

Toasted bar nuts (http://kellanskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/02/mmm-bar-nuts.html)

Brie wonton cups (http://kellanskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/10/easy-appetizer-brie-won-ton-cups.html)

And, a take on my crab rolls, but minature:
(http://kellanskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/12/crab-rolls.html)

But first, the champagne needed a buddy.  My friend Muffy organized this event and asked me to make something that would go well in champagne.  I browsed the market for fruit, tried a few, and came across some gorgeous raspberries. I decided to make a compote that would go into a squeeze bottle so people could spice up their champagne with some nice sweet flavors.  In the reduction went fresh raspberries, orange zest, orange juice, sugar, a dash of white balsamic vinegar, and plenty of time. This mixture was cooked, reduced, then ran through a strainer to separate the seeds.  

The brie cups were assembled ahead of time, and a second batch was in the fridge for round two... but the main assembly came with the mini crab rolls, which were dubbed "SF Crab Crostinis."  Taking a few crabs, and marinating the meat in my sauce of lemon juice, soy sauce, and brown sugar, these guys were assembled very carefully on Acme Sourdough croutons. First layered with slices of avocado, the a big portion of crab, the to top, some jullianned radish. These guys flew off the plate! 

From what I hear, the party was a huge success! Many thanks to Muffy and Trish for having me over to cater this event! I look forward to more in the future.