Ideas for cooking competion? Theme is Occasions! ASAP!?!
Answers: At my school we're having a cooking competion and the theme is occasions. It can be as many dishes as we like but it has to be completed in an hour and a half. Its happening in Februray. Any ideas welcome - something original will help as a lot of people are doing Valentines Day!! Thanks and hurry!
A chinese theme could be Spicy speckled pork with saffron rice and sauted veg. Get a joint of pork loin slash the rind with lots of tiny cuts.Puree {whizz} up some red peppers and two chilles a pinch of cayenne pepper and a little pinch of nutmeg,rub all over the outside of the meat take care not to touch the flesh. leave to dry.you will need a catering syringe ,puree up some herbs any you like, with pork i use parsley basil oregano and chives once done pack into syringe,then put needle into pork and start to draw it out squeezing the plunger to leave herbs in the meat. wrap up meat tighty in foil with a little water in as well cook depending on weight.Boil up your rice spiking the water with saffron until just ready. Veg wise i par boil some baby carrots parsnips cut into small chip shapes and some french beans then stir fry in a little oil and garlic puree.
put you rice on the plate spread the veg over and put a couple of slices of spicy speckled pok on top LUSH.
Presidents' Day? Cherries?
Take advantage of the Valentines day sales, but do something different---50th wedding anniversary!
The "theme" for 50 is gold...so do golden foods, use gold leaf and gold baking powders to decorate the foods (can be bought at cooking supply shops)
You can use the red valentines glassware,plates and platters for serving---heart shapes are a bonus-- and set it up in a Moroccan/Indian style--think about the inside of a harem's boudoir...gold and red and fuchsia---shiny and luxe--very romantic and sensual.
It depends which country you live in. if it was Canada I would say Canada day and make foods red and white. If you lived in america I would suggest Independance day and make blue, red, white theme. People will love it
Hmmm... Occasions, occasions... AHAHA!
Baby's Birthday or Baby shower... Do mini cupcakes, mini hotdogs wrapped in phyllo dough, baby vegetables...
To start, I'd do a baby salad with mini quail egg - you can buy them at the regular grocery story. They take about a minute to fry sunny side up, on top of a mixture of spring greens. A touch of salad dressing would make it really pop - especially if you do a roasted red pepper one!
Then I'd move on to the " main " course... Buy cocktail weiners and frozen puff pastry... Defrost the dough, and wrap individual weiners into a blanket. Brush with beaten egg yolk for a super shiny golden brown finish.
Side dishes could be baby carrots & potatoes - teeny weeny potatos and baby carrots, cook them seperately and combine. Add some tiny pearl onions to boot. Another great side dish would be frozen peas with a bit of mint... YUMMY.
Desserts could be mini cupcakes - easy to bake - decorated with pastel frosting and sugar flowers.
Good luck!
Super Bowl Party theme!
make spicy chicken wings, chili, sauerkraut stuffed brats wrapped in bacon, yummy burgers or mini burgers, potato salad, dips for chips, football shaped cake- stuff like that!
Alphabet Cookies
Ingredients
50g (2oz) butter or margarine, softened
75g (3oz) caster sugar
1 medium egg yolk
175g (6oz) plain flour
? tsp ground cinnamon
? tsp SuperCook Baking Powder
2-3 tbsp milk
100g (4oz) icing sugar
To decorate
SuperCook Hundreds and Thousands and Sugar Strands
Method
Preheat the oven to 180oC / 350oF/ Gas Mark 4. Line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper.
Place the butter or margarine in a bowl with the sugar and beat until light and creamy. Mix in the egg yolk.
Sieve in the flour, cinnamon and Baking Powder, then bind together with sufficient milk to form a firm dough. Turn on to a lightly floured surface and divide into 16 pieces.
Knead and roll each piece into a thin sausage shape and make letters of the alphabet, twisting the dough and trimming it as necessary.
Arrange on the baking sheets and bake for 15-20 minutes until firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl and gradually mix in 3-4 tsp water to form a thick drizzling icing. Spread, pipe or drizzle over the cookies and sprinkle with Hundreds and Thousands or Sugar Strands before the icing sets. Allow to set for a few minutes before serving.
Makes: 16
Hearts-filled-with-Love Cookies
Fill these favorites with raspberry or strawberry jelly.
Sift together:
2 1/2 c flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cream together:
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
Stir in:
1 well beaten egg
2 tablespoons Pet Milk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Chill overnight before using. Roll-out dough and cut with a heart cookie cutter. Each cookie needs a top and bottom. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
When cool, assemble cookies. Place a teaspoon of jelly on the bottom of a cookie, then cover with another cookie. (The tops of the cookies should be facing outward on both top and bottom.) Sprinkle with 4X Confectioner's Sugar.
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Chocolate Surprise
Blend together:
1 1/2 cup plain flour
1 1/2 stick margarine
1 1/2 cup chopped nuts
Press into 9" x 13" pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool
Cream together:
1 cup powdered sugar
1, 8 oz package of cream cheese
Fold in 9 oz. defrosted Cool Whip. Spread onto the cooled pastry layer.
Mix well:
1 large box of chocolate INSTANT pudding
Add 3 1/2 cups milk
Spread on top of the second layer.
Spread a 9 oz. container of defrosted Cool Whip on top of the third layer and refrigerate.
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Splendid Raspberry Spinach Salad
2 Tablespoons Raspberry Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Raspberry Jam
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
8 Cups Spinach, rinsed, stemmed and torn into pieces.
3/4 Cup coarsely chopped Macadamia nuts or toasted almond slices
1 Cup Fresh Raspberries
3 Kiwis, peeled and sliced
Dressing: Combine vinegar and jam in blender or small bowl. Add oil in thin stream, blending well.
Toss spinach with 1/2 of the nuts, 1/2 of the raspberries, 1/2 of the kiwi's and the dressing. Top with the remaining ingredients (nuts, raspberries and kiwis.) Serve immediately.
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Valentine's Day Cake
Cream together:
1/2 Cup of Crisco
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
Add 2 eggs - Beat Well
Sift 3 Times:
2 Cups flour
1 Tablespoon Cocoa
1 Teaspoon Salt
Fold In:
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda dissolved in
1 Tablespoon Vinegar - Quickly
Use 2, 9" Layer Pans that have been greased and floured.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes
Filling and Icing
Cook on low flame to pudding stage:
1 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Flour
Dash of salt
Cream:
1/2 Cup Crisco
1 Stick Margarine
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
Add to pudding and beat well. Spead between layers and on top and sides. Sprinkle with coconut.
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Victorian Gingerbread Valentines
In Victorian times lovers declared their affections via words, songs, pictures and foods. One such food was gingerbread "life cakes" in the shape of hearts.
2 1/2 cups unsifted flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup dark corn syrup
1 large egg
In large bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt.
Blend together margarine and brown sugar until smooth. Add corn syrup and egg; beat well. Add dry ingredients, about one-third at a time, mixing until smooth after each addition. Chill dough one hour.
Roll out half of dough on lightly floured surface to one-quarter-inch thickness. (Reserve other half for decoratins or for a second batch of cookies.) Using hear-shaped cookie cutter, press out cookie shapes or use knife to cut around a pattern. Place hearts on cookie sheet. Decorate as desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until golden. Remove and place on wire racks to cool. Store in covered container.
Makes about eight 4 1/2 inch cookies.