Gourmet group has its merry little dinner

By LISA L. BELL

It’s fun to get together with friends and family, no matter what time of year it is, but sharing meals during the holidays with the people you love is almost magical.

For more than 20 years, members of the Gourmet Group out of Canfield have been getting together for a Christmas Champagne dinner.

In 1986 Sharon Harpster, who had been a member of the Canfield Welcome Wagon, founded what was then the Couples Gourmet Club.

“I really enjoyed it, and more and more people have joined over the years,” she said. “Everyone knows each other and really enjoys each other’s company.”

According to Harpster, every August or September, she and co-coordinator Susan Silvashy get together to plan the year, choose recipes and decide on a theme for each dinner.

In September, members get a list of particulars for the coming events.

This year they chose spices for the fall theme. December is always a Christmas champagne dinner; January will feature hot and spicy dishes; February is the annual Super Bowl party; the spring theme will be edible flowers; and May is always “ladies night out,” which is planned and coordinated by the men in the group.

“Over the years many people have moved away and come back,” said Harpster.

The group now has about 30 people. For each dinner, with the exception of Christmas and the Super Bowl Sunday, there are typically three hostesses, each at a different home, and eight to 10 people assigned to each home.

The hostesses are given the theme and the menu, and members are given the recipe of the dish they are to prepare for the meal. At the end of the evening, said Harpster, they all meet for dessert and talk about the meal they shared and their favorite dishes.

She said that many dishes were so well received that they have become tradition.

Over the years, themes have included foods from different countries; favorite dishes of first ladies; and pasta night, where everyone pitches in to help make homemade pasta.

When it’s the the men’s turn, Harpster saud, they often have their event at a restaurant.

“They plan the whole evening,” she said. “It’s always very nice.”

As with Super Bowl Sunday, the group celebrates Christmas together, at one home, instead of splitting up into smaller groups. This Christmas, the Champagne dinner will be at the home of Tony and Anita Gestosani.

The Christmas menu will include beef tenderloin; sweet potatoes with applesauce and pecans; Gorgonzola cheese and rosemary cream puffs; crab mousse morsels; layered fruit salad with cabbage and lettuce; smashed red potatoes; broccoli and red pepper almandine; a cake roll; and a lemon curd tart.

“We have a pretty interesting menu,” said Harpster. “We always have different thing. … Even some of the guys like to cook and make some of the dishes. We have a lot of fun cooking and trying new things, learning about different countries and teaching each other to make different dishes.”

According to Harpster, over the years she has taken pictures at all of the events and she likes to take the photo albums to the large dinners to share with the other members.

She has also saved all of the menus and recipes she has collected over the years. “There were some that were just so good that we have to have them every year,” she said.

Crab Mousse Morsels

36 slices party rye bread

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon sugar

2‚Ñ3 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons cocktail sauce

Pepper pieces

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon minced parsley

1 (6-ounce) can crabmeat, drained and finely flaked

1‚Ñ4 cup finely chopped red pepper

1‚Ñ4 cup whipping cream, whipped

Thin cucumber slices cut into wedges

Red pepper or snipped parsley for garnish

Cut shapes from bread with mini cookie cutters. Cover and set aside. Combine gelatin, bouillon, sugar and 1‚Ñ2 cup water in small pan, let stand 5 minutes. Cook and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat. Combine mayo, cocktail sauce, lemon juice and parsley. Stir in gelatin mixture. Chill until partially set (like unbeaten egg whites). Fold in crab, red pepper and cream. Chill until mixture mounds. Spoon into pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe mousse onto each cutout. Garnish with cucumber, red pepper pieces or parsley. Chill 4 hours. Makes 36 appetizers.

Brie in Puff Pastry with Cranberry Sauce Cranberry sauce:

1 cup fresh cranberries

6 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon orange juice

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon grated orange peel

Brie in pastry:

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1‚Ñ3 cup sliced almonds

1 frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed

1 round (14- to 15-ounce) Brie cheese

1 egg, beaten

Assorted crackers or fresh fruit

In pan stir cranberries, brown sugar and orange juice until well mixed. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring frequently until mixture thickens and cranberries are tender. Stir in orange peel and remove from heat. In skillet melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Cook almonds in butter, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Remove from heat. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. On lightly floured surface, roll pastry into 16x9 rectangles. Cut out one 81‚Ñ2-inch circle and one 7-inch circle. Place cheese round on center of large circle. Spoon cranberry sauce and almonds over cheese. Bring pastry up and press around side of cheese. Brush top edge of pastry with egg. Place 7-inch circle on top, pressing around edge to seal. Brush top and side of pastry with egg. Cut decorations from remaining pastry and arrange on top, brush with egg. Place on cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with crackers or fruit. Serves 12.

Champagne Risotto

4 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

Spinach

1 cup Champagne

3 cups uncooked white rice

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

3 cups chopped arugula, watercress or chopped parsley

3‚Ñ4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon black pepper

In large pan melt butter and cook onion until tender. Reduce heat and add Champagne, cook until liquid has evaporated. Stir in rice. Cook uncovered 5 minutes, stirring constantly. In saucepan heat broth and water over medium heat. Pour 1 cup broth mixture over rice. Cook uncovered until liquid is absorbed. Repeat with remaining broth mixture, once cup at a time, until rice is tender and creamy. About 5 minutes before risotto is done, stir in arugula, cheese and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley before serving. Serves 15.

Holiday Rice Pilaf

1 tablespoon margarine

1 cup chopped red pepper

11‚Ñ2 cups white rice

3‚Ñ4 cup sliced green onions

1‚Ñ2 teaspoon salt

3 cans chicken broth

2 garlic cloves, minced

1‚Ñ3 cup chopped pecans

Melt margarine in a large skillet and add peppers, onions and garlic. Saut for 5 minutes. Set aside. Combine salt and broth in a pan and bring to a boil. Add rice and cover, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Stir in pepper mixture and cook for 1 minute. Stir in pecans. Serves 12.

Apricot Ginger Glazed Carrots

2 bags baby carrots

2 tablespoons margarine

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1‚Ñ3 cup apricot jam

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1‚Ñ4 teaspoon salt

Place steamer basket in deep, 12-inch skillet with 1 inch water. Heat to boiling over high heat. Add carrots and reduce heat to medium. Cover and steam until carrots are tender. Remove carrots, rinse with cold water and then drain. In a skillet, melt margarine over medium heat and add green onions, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring often. Add apricot jam, vinegar and salt and continue stirring. Add carrots to glaze mixture and cook for 5 minutes until carrots are glazed. Serves 10.

Chocolate Bundles

6 sheets frozen puff pastry

3 (12 ounce) packages semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 cups chopped walnuts

Confectioner’s sugar, sifted

Thaw pastry for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On lightly floured surface, roll each sheet of pastry to 12-inch square; cut into four 6-inch squares. In the center of each square, place 1‚Ñ4 cup chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon walnuts. Bring pastry corners together just above chocolate, twist and turn. Fan out corners and place on ungreased baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar. Makes 24.

Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes

4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 stick melted butter

1‚Ñ2 cup half-and-half

1 egg, slightly beaten

1‚Ñ2 cup bourbon

1‚Ñ2 cup orange juice

4 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1‚Ñ2 teaspoon nutmeg

Butter a 2-quart baking dish. Place the potatoes in a large pan and add enough water to cover by one inch and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium high and cook the potatoes for 25 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain the potatoes and place in a large bowl. Beat the potatoes using an electric mixer on medium speed. Add butter, cream, egg, bourbon, orange juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat until mixed. Put the potatoes in the baking dish and bake for 20 minutes or until heated. Serves 8.

Buttercream Buche de Noel

11‚Ñ2 cups toasted hazelnuts

1‚Ñ4 cup flour

6 egg yolks

2‚Ñ3 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel

6 egg whites

1‚Ñ4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Powdered sugar

Caramel-orange butter cream

Sugared cranberries and chocolate leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan; set aside. In a food processor bowl, combine nuts and flour. Process until nuts are finely ground and set aside. In a bowl beat egg yolks with mixer on high until thick. Add 1‚Ñ3 cup brown sugar, beating on medium until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peel and set aside.

In a large bowl beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add remaining brown sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold yolk mixture into beaten egg whites. Sprinkle flour mixture into egg mixture and gently fold in by hand. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake 15-20 minutes. Invert onto a towel sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Roll up warm cake and towel, starting from short side. Cool. Gently unroll the cake and spread 11‚Ñ4 cups caramel orange butter cream on cake within 1‚Ñ2 inch of edge. Roll up without towel, starting at short side. Cut a 2-inch diagonal slice from one end. Place slice at side of log to form a branch. Frost cake with remaining butter cream. Using a fork, score cake lengthwise to resemble tree bark. Garnish with cranberries and chocolate leaves. Serves 12.

Caramel Orange Butter Cream

In pan stir together 1‚Ñ3 cup packed brown sugar and 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Stir in one and 1‚Ñ4 cups half and half. Cook until thickened. Stir half the mixture into 2 slightly beaten egg yolks. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add 2 teaspoons orange peel. Cover surface with plastic wrap and cool. In mixing bowl beat 3‚Ñ4 cup softened butter, 3‚Ñ4 cup powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon orange juice or orange liqueur with electric mixer on medium heat until fluffy. Add cooked mixture, beating on low speed until smooth.

Sugared Cranberries

Dip cranberries in lightly beaten egg white, and then roll in sugar. Set aside to dry.

Chocolate leaves

Use non-toxic leaves, such as mint, rose, lemon or strawberry. For 12 small leaves melt two ounces of chocolate baking bar. With a small brush, brush melted chocolate onto underside of leaf. Wipe away any chocolate from top side of leaf. Place leaves on wax paper until dry.