Sundried Tomato & Olive Tapenade

You may remember my tales of our Kentucky Derby slash Shaun's Birthday party last week, where I prepared the most chocolately, alcohol laced brownies of all time and a new twist on classic hummus. Of course, I didn't stop there.

For yet another chic cocktail food, I once again consulted Giada DeLaurentiis' Everyday Italian since all of her recipes are nothing short of classy, simple and delicious to boot. When I stumbled upon her Sun-dried Tomato & Olive Tapenade, I knew it was the perfect addition to my Derby spread. Though Giada serves it up with endive leaves, I personally am not a huge fan of the taste. Not to mention that I have an unhealthy obsession with crackers. I'll pretty much eat them with anything slathered on top. Anyhow, let's get down to the goods...

Sun-dried Tomato & Olive Tapenade
Adapted from Everyday Italian
3 cans black olives
1 jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil

In a food processor (or a blender would probably work as well), combine drained black olives and sun-dried tomatoes, including the olive oil they were packed in. Pulse until the mixture is smooth, but still with chunky bits of olives and tomatoes. If for some reason your mixture is dry, add a bit of olive oil and mix until smooth. Mine was very oily just from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes, so no extra olive oil was necessary. Serve with crackers, corn chips, endive leaves, crostini or pita chips.

Could this spread be any easier? The sundried tomatoes give a nice bite while the olives maintain a sublty salty flavor. This recipe makes a lot of tapenade, but can you ever have too much when hosting a party? Well, in my case, you can because I had a lot left over...but I'm chalking that up to the fact that my mother always taught me to have enough food for an army and then some when having company. I even served it up in a super sweet tea cup and saucer since there's nothing more unusual looking than a giant bowl of tapenade. Instead, opt for a small serving dish (or in this case, cup) and garnish with the dipping materials.

So what do you think? Are you a fan of tapenade? What's your favorite party food?

White Bean Dip

Though I'm fairly certain that no one could ever get tired of pizza dip, sometimes I feel the need to change it up a note. And while I could live the rest of my days on potato chips and onion dip alone (yup, the kind from the packet that gets mixed with sour cream...so simple, yet so delightful), I didn't think that would be quite enough for an afternoon/evening of debauchery with some of our closest friends. So I consulted Giada DeLaurentiis' Everyday Italian cookbook to add a little va-va-voom to my Kentucky Derby party (and Shaun's birthday party). Looking for something easy yet packed with flavor, I came upon Giada's White Bean Dip. Loaded with natural flavors like lemon, parsley and garlic, this dip is super simple and delicious to boot.

White Bean Dip
*Adapted from Everyday Italian
1 15oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 C + 1 tsp fresh flat leaf parsley
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 C olive oil

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the beans, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Pulse until it's coarsely chopped. Turn the food processor to ON. While it's running, slowly add the olive oil through the top opening and mix until creamy. Serve in a cute dip bowl and garnish with parsley. Enjoy it with crackers, pita chips or corn chips.

So what do you think? Could this be any easier? And isn't it a great dip to whip up at the last minute?

Psst...did you miss part one of Derby fun? Check out my Mint Julep Brownies...

Mint Julep Brownies

This past Saturday, May Day, was not only the Kentucky Derby but also Shaun's birthday. To ring in the big 2-8, we threw a Kentucky Derby cocktail party at our Jersey City apartment. In addition to dips, spreads and tea sandwiches, I wanted to cook up a special treat to mark both occasions.

When Shaun mentioned that a good, fudgy brownie was his dessert of choice, I got to work on finding a super brownie recipe in which I could add a Derby twist. The result? Mint Julep Brownies - triple chocolate brownies laced with bourbon and topped with mint whipped cream and pecans. I have to admit, along with my Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes, these Mint Julep Brownies are one of the most mouthwatering desserts I've ever concocted. To ensure that these were extra delish, I hunted down a serious throwback recipe from now-defunct Gourmet magazine. Check it out...

Triple Chocolate Bourbon Brownies
*Adapted from Gourmet circa 1992
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3/4 C unsalted butter
1 1/2 C sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 large eggs
1 tsp salt
1 C all-purpose flour
1 C semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
2 tbsp bourbon
1/2 C chopped pecans, for garnish

In a double boiler* slowly melt the bittersweet chocolate and the unsweetened chocolate with the butter, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat, and let the mixture cool for a few minutes. This is one instance where my favorite appliance won't be necessary.

Since brownies are based on a 'stir until just combined' mantra, the stand mixer is just overkill. Instead, use a little elbow grease and get 'er done yourself. Stir in the sugar, vanilla and bourbon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Stir in the salt and the flour, mixing until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips (Note: I had like 4 boxes of semisweet Baker's chocolate in my pantry. Instead of springing for a bag of semisweet morsels, I just chopped 2 oz of the Baker's chocolate and gently stirred it into the mixture. Delish). Pour the batter into a generously buttered and floured 13- by 9-inch baking pan. Smooth the top and bake the mixture in the middle of a preheated 350°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering to it. Let the mixture cool completely in the pan on a rack and cut it into squares. Serve with mint cream and garnish with pecans.

Mint Whipped Cream
2 C heavy whipping cream
1/2 C confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp peppermint extract

In the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, beat the heavy cream and sugar together. (Note: I used my stand mixer with the whisk attachment - not the paddle...a nice change, if you ask me). Add vanilla and mint and mix on medium speed until peaks begin to form. Mix until whipped cream like, but don't overmix, as the cream will eventually turn to butter. The whole process took about 3-5 minutes, but keep a close eye on it. Dollop onto brownie square and prepare to add Mint Julep Brownies to your all-time favorite dessert list. Oh, and don't even think that you'll ever be going back to canned whipped cream after this. Just toss that can of Redi-Whip right away. Whether mint or regular, homemade is really the only way to go.

So what do you think? Do you have any special Kentucky Derby traditions? What did you do for this year's race? And more importantly, what did you eat?

*Since I don't have stainless steel mixing bowls, I used a giant saucepan on top of a small saucepan filled with simmering water. Perhaps it wasn't the prettiest set up, but it got the job done-zo.