Playing with Brie

So recently a firend introduced me to baked brie. I love it and with so many different possiblities for what one could do with this kind of recipe, it got my creative cooking juices flowing. This weekend I decied to play around with a wedge and see what different combinations I could come up with, here are a few.

Basic Recipe

1/4 a wedge of Brie Cheese from a wheel
Toppings of your choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use a baking dish that is easy to clean and place Brie and topping in dish, cook for 8-10 minutes until cheese is bubbling.

Topping Ideas -
Carmel Sauce with Pecans (our favorite)
Apricot Jam with Red Peppers
Rosemary, Olive oil, and Walnuts
Roasted Red Peppers and Garlic
Sun dried Tomatoes and Basil

Serve with mini toasts, baguette slices, and fruit. Enjoy!

Busy Summer

It has been such a busy summer that finding the time to post has been really hard. I have been grilling up a storm and eating tons of great salads. I have also rediscover doing some things semi-homemade. One of my new favorites is to use store bought humus and serve that with veggies and grilled meats. I have also been playing around with Chinese cooking. I have lots of posts back logged, but I figured that I will give a preview of some of the recipes to come.

Fine Fried Chicken
Spanish Sandwiches
Mrs. Dash Grilled Chicken
Green Herb Salad
Super Simple Cukes
Char

Cinco de mayo with Uncle Ben's

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a package of Uncle Ben's Whole Grain White Rice. It had been years since I have tried any Uncle Ben's product and I was not sure what to use it for. I decided to save it for today and make some Mexican style rice in honor of Cinco de Mayo. So, here is the recipe and I am happy that I got a chance to try a great new product too. I really did like the flavor of the rice, the nutritional value according to the package is much better than other Uncle Ben's products, but I am not used to the flavor of any rice other than good old white cali rose rice cooked in a rice cooker.  Happy eating and I hope that you give this product a try.

1 package of Uncle Ben's Whole Grain White Rice

1/2 of Jarred Salsa (I like Pace)

1 can of black beans rinsed and drained

1 can of diced tomatoes, drained

1 onion, diced

1 tablespoon of chili powder

1 tablespoon of cumin

Cook rice according to package, add in salsa, chili powder, and cumin, stir and mix well, add in black beans, tomatoes, and onion. Stir well, and serve with chicken, steak, pork, or fish. I recommend either of these recipes: Carne Asada, Tequila Lime Chicken, Mexican Chicken

Experimentation

So tonight, I am doing something a little different for dinner and praying that it come out. I am making sesame crusted ahi tuna with mango, green onion, and avocado fried rice. I am using an Uncle Ben's product that the company was kind enough to send me a sample of, Whole Grain White Rice. I have cooked the rice according to the directions on the box, and let it cooled. I am getting ready to chop up some green onions, heat up a pan and throw in the rice and green onion until it is nice and fried, after that slightly cools I will add in the mango slices and avocado. That will be the base that I serve the tuna on top of. If all comes out great or even edible, I will post the recipe for your enjoyment. Wish me luck in my experimentation and as always, Happy Eating!

Orecchiette with Braised Broccoli Rabe and Sweet Italian Sausage

Last night for dinner I thought that we would try something new. That new thing was broccoli rabe and cooking with anchovies. I have never had the rabe before but figured that I would like it since  I love most leafy greens. This one did not disappoint. I have some issues with canned fish of any kind and I will sometimes use anchovy paste, but touching those little hairy things and watching them cook, I was not so sure about. I decided to give it a try and I reviewed a ton of recipes and came up with this delicious meal. I hope that you will go out of your comfort zone like I did to make this and give the recipe a try. Happy Eating!

Orecchiette with Braised Broccoli Rabe and Sweet Italian Sausage

1 bunch of Broccoli Rabe, stems trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 pound orecchiette pasta

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound Sweet Italian-style sausage, casings removed (I prefer turkey or chicken sausage for this recipe)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 onion, minced

3 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry

a Pinch of dried crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Cook the sausage, breaking it up into pieces with a spoon, until browned and juices form, about 12 minutes. Set aside in a large bowl and cook the orecchiette according to package directions. In the same pan that you cooked the sausage in add olive oil and heat to medium high. When the pan is hot add in garlic, onions, anchovies, and pepper flakes. Cook until the anchovies break up and the onion and garlic are soft, about 5 minutes. Rinse the Broccoli Rabe and add to the pan. Cook stirring frequently until the broccoli rabe is wilted and tender around 10 minutes, add to the sausage in the bowl. Drain the pasta and add to the bowl with the sausage and broccoli rabe, stir to mix and top with cheese.

National Grilled Cheese Month! Get Grilling Folks

Every year when April rolls around I forget that it is National Grilled Cheese Month. When I first heard about this, I thought someone was pulling an April fool's joke on me, now I am just happy that I remember before the month is gone and I get to play around and make some super awesome grilled cheese sandwiches. So here are some ideas for you to enjoy during National Grilled Cheese Month, of course knowing me most of them are internationally inspired, but oh well, Happy Eating!

Spanish Grilled Cheese

Grab a loaf peasant bread or even better grab a Barra Gallega, shred up some Manchego and Iberico cheeses, spread on some Spanish olive tapenade, add a slice of Jamon Serrano, Cantimpalo-Style Chorizo, or Bellota Iberico Salchichon Sausage, or even better one of all three and get grilling.(All of these items can be found at LaTienda) 


Irish Style Grilled Cheese

Grab a loaf of thick sliced potato bread, pile on some shredded Irish cheddar cheese, a slice of corned beef, a little mustard, and some onions and you are good to get grilling. Or keep it simple and use a Cahill cheddar (I love the Irish Whiskey, and the Ballintubber Cheese with Chives) on potato bread.


French Grilled Cheese

Roast up some squash, red onions, and zucchini sprinkled with herbs de Provence, grab a French baguette and get slicing, shred some Beaufort (if you can't find it you can use gruyere, munster, or Swiss cheese instead), pile it all on and get grilling. Or go traditional and whip up a Croque Monsieur just don't forget the béchamel sauce!


The Kali
Oh, yeah! I saved the best for last, this is THE grilled cheese when you aren't going the bread and cheese alone route! Bacon, avocado, tomato slices, and sharp cheddar cheese, piled onto sliced San Francisco sourdough bread. One bite of this one and you will be giving three cheers for National Grilled Cheese Month!


If this was not enough to get you grilling up some super grilled cheese and doing your part to enjoy and support National Grilled Cheese month well then I hope that the Grilled Cheese Academy  can get you looking at bread and cheese in a different way. Get grilling folks and celebrate a month that tickles your taste buds, but packs the pounds on. :)

Homemade Sushi

Well, I have figured out why I pay good money to have other people make me sushi, it is time consuming to make, and if you do not have all the right tools, it is messy too. I will say that Inari is fun and easy to make but when you get into everything else that goes into making rolls it is so much easier to just have someone else do it for you. Anyways,if you are in the mood to make some sushi here is my recipe for spicy crab and avocado Inari. Please note that a trip to a local Asian grocery store may be needed.

1 package of Inari Wrappers
1 package of crab sticks
sushi rice (recipe follows)
1 avocado, sliced
1 lemon, sliced into 8 segments with peel on
Sriracha hot sauce to taste
Wasabi and soy sauce (optional)

In a small bowl open crab sticks and mix meat with sriracha until you have reached the desired level of spiciness. Drain Inari packets. Open each packet after it has been drained, if you desire place a dollop of wasabi in the bottom of the packet and then fill with sushi rice. Leave a small amount of room at the top. Place about a tablespoon or two of spicy crab mixture on one side of the Inari, then drape an avocado slice over the top of the entire packet. Repeat until you use all of your packets. Serve with wasabi, soy sauce, and lemon slices.

Sushi Rice
Cook rice as you normally would, while rice is cook mix 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar with 2 tablespoons of sugar. When rice is done cooking blend with vinegar mixture, let rice cool to room temperature.

Quick, Easy, Healthy Side Dish

So over the weekend I had a great group of friends over to help get the house painted. To show my appreciation for all of their hard work I made dinner for everyone after we were done with the painting. One of the things that I made was a great healthy side dish that is really easy and quick to make. I hope that you give it a try.

Wild Rice Salad

1 package of Mahatma Long Grain and Wild Rice
1/4 cup of chopped green onions
1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup of dried cranberries
1/4 cup of toasted chopped walnuts or pine nuts
4 tablespoons of orange juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook rice according to package directions. While rice is cooking mix all other ingredients in a bowl. Let rice cool slightly and mix into the bowl with other ingredients. Serve warm or chilled.

OMG!

Can I just share that I am so busy right now that I have not been able to post at all. I have a ton of great new recipes that I am just dying to share, but I need to finish up with school before I will have the time to post again. I am two weeks away from my BA and I can't wait. I have been in school for years now and the idea that I am done (well if I can find a job) is so nice. I expect to have something to share this weekend, but for now I sign off hoping that you are eating great!

Super Food Day 7

Wow game day is right around the corner. I have to say that this has been fun, but it is time to get the house cleaned up and run out to the store for any last minute ingredients that I may need. If all of these ideas seem like too much work for you, K.I.S.S. it. Head out to the store and buy some pre-made dips, chips, and most importantly whatever you need to make the game a winner for you. I hope that the commercials don't let us down and that Green Bay looses. Hope that you have a great and safe Super Bowl Party!

Super Food Day 6

You can't have a Super Bowl party wiithout wings and let me tell you that mine have even gotten approval from people from Buffalo. These are bettter for than most since they are not fried. They are time consuming but well worth it and by using thighs and drumsticks, you get to eat more of the yummy meat. 

Hot Baked Wings
4 pounds of chicken thighs and drumsticks with skin


1 bottle of your favorite wing sauce (I use Frank's Red Hot Original)

1 bottle of hot sauce (I like Texas Pete's or Louisiana)

1 tablespoon of Creole seasoning (Tony's for me)



In a large bowl place thighs and drumsticks and cover with sauces and seasoning, cover and refrigerate for at least one day but up to two. When ready to cook place thighs, drumstick, and marinade in 9x13 backing dish. Heat oven to 425 degrees, and cook for an hour. You want the skin to be crispy and slightly browned. Serve with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks.

Super Food Day 5

Keep it super simple with a spread featuring some classic Antipasto items. This is so easy because all you have to do is open some packages and spread out the items on your favorite serving trays. I like to serve Genoa salami, mozzarella cheese, a few kinds of olives, pepperoncinis, roasted red peppers, and some different kinds of crackers and breads. The best part about this is that clean up is simple and so is restocking.

Super Food Day 4 - Game Day Chili

Super Easy Chili


I recently was sent some free samples on Pace salsa and I thought that as a game day chili pace would make this recipe quick and easy. All I needed to do was add some jalapeño, diced onions, and garlic and I was good to go. This makes a great addition to game day as you hardly have to do a thing.

Pace Black Bean Chili

2 pounds of ground beef

2 tablespoons Worecestershire Sauce

1 onion diced

2 gloves of garlic diced

2 diced jalapenos

8 tablespoons of chili powder

1 large jar of Pace Salsa, your choice in heat

1 can of black beans



Heat a large pot on medium high and brown ground beef. Season with Worecestershire sauce and salt and pepper. Once the meat is browned add in onion, garlic, jalapenos, and chili powder, cook for 3 to 5 minutes then add in salsa and beans. Cook on low for about 30 to 40 minutes serve with corn bread and enjoy.

Super Food - Day 3

Today's recipe is actually one of my husband's we call it the Devil's Balls or Heuevos Diablo. These spicy deviled eggs are a great game time snack and really pack a punch.

12 eggs
4 tablespoons of mayo
2 serrano peppers, deseeded and diced
4 tablespoons of hot sauce, like tapatio
1 tablespoon of pico de gallo seasoning (available at most international stores)

Place eggs in a pot and fill it halfway with the water. Bring the water to a boil on high heat, and then turn the stove off right away. Set the timer for 11 minutes. Use the slotted spoon to scoop the eggs out of the hot water and a mixing bowl. Run cool water over them until they're comfortable to handle. Roll each egg on the cutting board to crack the shell, and peel the shells off. Make sure you clear all the little pieces of eggshell out of your work area, so they don't accidentally end up in the food. Dump the water out of the mixing bowl. Cut each egg in half lengthwise, and then scoop the yolks into the mixing bowl. Set the egg whites aside. Now add the mayonnaise, hot sauce, seasoning, and serranos to the yokes. Mash and stir with the fork until you have a fluffy mixture. Then add salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon the filling back into the egg whites. Sprinkle paprika or more Pico De Gallo seasoning on the deviled eggs if you like the way it looks.

Super Food Day 2

I am stuck, I do not know which recipe I should share with you today, do I give wings or do I give you the dip that everyone asks me for the recipe for, or do I give you something else all together. I think that I will give you the dip. Trust me on this one, if you serve this buy extra crackers this will be a hit, you may even want to double the recipe if you are going to be having lots of people over. The best thing about this recipe is that it is super simple and can be served warm or cold!

Jalapeno Artichoke Dip

1 can on artichoke hearts, drained
1 tablespoon of mayo
1 8 oz. package of fat free cream cheese
1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of pickled jalapeno slices, drained (adjust for your desired heat level)
1 Package of BIG wheat thins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place all ingredients in a food processor pulse until mostly smooth but with some chunks of artichokes. To get larger chunks, place everything but artichoke hearts in processor, blend then add artichokes and pulse until desired consistency is reached. Place mix in oven proof dish bake for 30 minutes, serve or chill and then serve with wheat thins.

7 Days of Super Food!

It is that time of year and while I could care less about the teams playing, I still love having friends over and sharing great food and fun while watching football and maybe even more importantly for me this year great new commercials. So in honor of the Super Bowl I am doing my first annual super food countdown to game day. Each day for the next seven day enjoy a great recipe that will be sure to score a touchdown with guests at your game day party. Today's recipe is a a spicy red pepper hummus. This is super easy to make and the level of heat can easily be adjusted to suit your taste buds.

Spicy Red Pepper Hummus

 3 cups of canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons of Tahini
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/2 cup of roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry
2 tablespoons of red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons of cayenne pepper
a dash of paprika

Place all ingredients but olive oil in food processor, turn on and add olive oil until mixture is smooth. Serve with pita chips, slices of cucumber, cheery tomatoes, and baby carrots.

Breakfast Muffins

One of my favorite things to cook up for breakfast is a breakfast muffin. This is a great brunch food and the possibilities are endless for what you can put in. All you need is a package of  Pillsbury Crescent Rolls and your favorite breakfast items. In my house this is scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheese. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take a muffin pan and spray some Pam into the tin. Unroll your dough and place a square in each muffin base so that the largest part of the dough is in the bottom of the tin. Top with some bacon, eggs, and cheese then fold the rest of the dough over the ingredients so that all the filling is covered with dough. Place in the oven for about 18 to 20 minutes and serve. I tend to serve these with my version of these Homefries. Hope that you find your family's favorite breakfast muffin.

Rena's Spring Frittata

So this is much more of a spring recipe, but with the winter weather wearing on me, I am really in the mood for some food that brings the warmer weather and fresh flavors of spring to mind. This recipe is from my "sister" Rena who has made this for me a few times and after begging for the recipe this has become a favorite in our house. This frittata is great for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a quick snack. Give it a try and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Rena's Spring Frittata:




6 eggs, scrabbled

1 cup fontina cheese - shredded

1 lb small potatoes sliced thinly

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 bunch of chopped asparagus

1 1 1/2 cups chopped ham



in fry pan cook potatoes and onion on medium/low for 45-60 minutes or till tender, turn up heat to brown for 5-10 minutes - remove potatoes from pan and set aside. Saute asparagus and ham for 5 minutes, add the potatoes mixtures to the pan. In a bowl beat eggs and fold in the cheese - now pour over the potato /asparagus mixture in fry pan and let set for 7-10 minutes, then finish it in the oven at 350 for 5-10 min.

Go Bears!

Yea! Da Bears are in the playoffs and let me tell you that means that it is party time at my house. Guests are coming over and what better way to root for my team then by serving a traditional (well as close as I can get it) Chicago Dog? Now if it was the Super Bowl I would be dropping the cash and having Vienna Beef and having them "cater" for me with the real thing. But for those of you who can't get the real thing or have never tried the Windy City Classic Dog, here is a great way to get the flavors.

Chicago Dog's
A traditional dog is

Poppy Seed Buns
Celery Salt
Plochman's Yellow Mustard
Sport Peppers
Bright Green Relish
Skinless Hot Dogs
Dill Pickle Slice
Diced Onions
Tomato Slices

Most of these items are hard to find outside of the Chicago Land Area however with a few modifications you can enjoy the flavors of the dog still. By substituting dill relish for the bright green, and jalapeno slices for the sport peppers you get almost the same hot dog. Next time your favorite Chicago sports team is playing give the Chicago Dog a try.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

We recently hit a place in Hampton called Six, while I thought that it had great food, I was not impressed with their Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese. I thought that theirs had no flavor and was really plain. I was determined to make my own and make it taste like something other than just pasta with a bland cheese sauce. Here is what I came up with....

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

1 pound of butternut squash
3 tablespoons of fresh thyme
2 shallots, diced
1/8 cup of olive oil
1 cup of chicken broth
1/4 cup of bread crumbs
2 1/2 cups of good cheddar cheese (I used Black Diamond)
3 sage leaves, diced
1 box of elbow macaroni

Roast squash at 400 degrees for 30 minutes with olive oil, thyme, salt, pepper, and shallots. Remove squash from oven and let cool, but keep the oven on. When squash has cooled put squash into a food processor, add chicken broth and cheese and puree. Cook pasta according to directions on package and drain. In a casserole dish mix cheesy squash and pasta. In a small skillet take a little bit of olive oil or butter and add sage cook until the sage is crispy and fried. Top mac and cheese with bread crumbs and sage oil or butter. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake the mac and cheese for 30 minutes. Serve with ham or chicken and enjoy.

Pasta Fagioli or Spaghetti O's

So my friend Christy makes up this great looking pasta fagioli to feed her large family all the time. I had watched her make it a few times and without a recipe to guide me I wound up creating something totally different. My pasta fagioli came out looking like "grown up or really good spaghetti o's" according to John (my six year old). While mine tasted good, it definitely was not pasta fagioli. So here is my recipe and Christy's, decide if you want some really good spaghetti o's or if you want to try the real thing. Hope you enjoy....

Christy's Pasta Fagioli -

11 cups beef stock

2lb ground beef
3 tsp oregano
1 ½ cups chopped onions
2 ½ tsp pepper
1 ¾ cup shredded carrots
5 tsp parsley
1 cup chopped celery
1 ½ tsp tobacco
3 - 15oz.cans stewed tomatoes
6 cups spaghetti sauce
1 – 15oz can red kidney beans
1 – 15oz can white beans
1 tbsp Italian seasons
1 ½ cups fagioli pasta

Brown ground beef, and onions, carrots, celery and tomatoes. Simmer about 10 min.
Put all other ingredients in, except pasta. Simmer until veggies are tender.
Add Pasta cook until done. Enjoy!

Kirsten's Really Good Spaghetti O's

1 pound of ground beef
28 oz of canned diced tomatoes
1/2 onion diced
24 oz of marinara sauce
32 oz of beef broth
4 tablespoons of Italian seasonings
1 box of ditalini
1 can of great northern beans

Brown meat and onion together in a large pot, season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, cook until browned. Add rest of ingredients and cook on low until pasta is done. Serve and enjoy.

Everybody Needs A Neighbor Like Mine

As I mentioned in a earlier post one of my neighbors gave me a large amount of lobster stock, since she provided one of the main ingredients of that meal, I thought it only right to share some of the Lobster and Corn Chowder that I made with her and her family. Well in return, I got a bowl filled with Chicken and Dumplings. It is so nice to be able to take a night off kitchen duty and enjoy the fruits of someone Else's labor, especially when it is good food that is fitting for the weather. So a huge thanks to Renee, the best neighbor anyone could ask for!

Playing with My Food (not really just recipes)

I tried a great recipe for chicken cacciatore the other night. I played just a bit with it, but I have found that Giada knows her stuff. Check out the great recipe here.

I also was given a lovely gift from my neighbor, about 8 plus cups of lobster stock, I had no idea what to make and had narrowed it down to three different recipes, one for Lobster Risotto, Braised Salmon, and Lobster and Corn Chowder. I chose to go with the chowder as on a cold and rainy night what sounds better that some warm soup?

Here is how I modified the recipe.......
The ingredients called for in this recipe are
3 live hard-shell lobsters (1 1/4 pounds each) I did not need these as I had stock and bought some langostino meat to use instead of the lobster meat. This was cheaper and added the same flavor.


3 medium ears yellow or bi-color corn I used two cans of sweet corn instead

4 ounces slab (unsliced) bacon, rind removed and cut into 1/3-inch dice I just used 1 teaspoon of bacon fat instead. I have found that when bacon is used to this degree it can take over the flavors of the other ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large onion (10 ounces) cut into 3/4-inch dices

2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped (1 teaspoon)

2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika

1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold, Prince Edward Island, or other all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice

1 1/2 cups heavy cream (or up to 2 cups if desired)

Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

I added 1/2 cup of diced celery, 1 teaspoon of sherry and 1 tablespoon of flour and used them to add flavor and get a thicker chowder. The sherry I added when the onions and celery where almost done cooking in the bacon fat and butter, I then added the flour and potatoes. I love the way this turned out and would make it again.

Cheese Tasting

So As I mentioned I had a small gathering for New Year's and we decided to have the food be wine and cheese pairings. For each wine we had two cheeses. For the pairing ideas I must give a shout out to one of the places that I miss most in San Diego and one of the best cheese shops that I have ever been to Venissimo. If you are in the area it is worth a stop or if you are looking for a special cheese, check them out, they ship!

So here are the cheeses that we tried along with various wines....

We started with the reds.. The first batch was some Stilton and P'tite Basque with a Bordeaux. None of were fans of the wine, but the flavors of the wine definitely brought out the flavors of the cheese.
Next up where two cheddar cheeses, one a black diamond and the other the reserve from Trader Joe's, these where paired with a red blend, Menage a Trois, and stout. All of us preferred the Trader Joe's cheese over the Cabot, and thought that the stout was a better pairing than wine.

Our next cheeses where a manchego and Iberico that we drank with a Spainish Sauvignon Blanc. This was a great pairing and all of us loved the cheese and wine combination especially the manchego with the wine. This was a pairing that I would highly recommend.

Next up where two Stilons one with Cranberries and the other with Apricots, these where paired with a Riesling and most of this cheese and wine was finished off. The next pairing was a honey goat cheese and a cranberry goat cheese served with a moscato d'asti, we had Bug Juice, which is one of our favorite varieties of this wine.

This lead us up to about 11:30 and at that time we were ready to start drinking some champagne. We made up some smoked salmon on crustinis and some caviar on potato chips and also served some St. Andre cheese and another Triple Cream cheese, this one a Brie. At this point of the night we were all enjoying the good time we were having and all loved the way the wine complimented the cheese and food selections.

I hope that your New Year's was as good as ours and that the next time you entertain think about hosting a small cheese and wine pairing party.

Happy New Year!

Champagne and Food Pairings

So, I said I would write about some of my favorite thing to serve with Champagne and here is the shortlist....

Strawberries - the flavor of the fruit reacts great and tend to enhance the flavor of the Champagne

Triple Cream Cheeses - I adore the flavor combination of a good brie, St. Andre or other French triple cream cheese with champagne. I don't know what it is about this combination but all I can say is yum, and more please.

Smoked Salmon - I have no idea what it is about smoked salmon served with cream cheese, capers, and red onion that does it for me, but this has got to be one of the absolute best things to eat while drinking champagne.

Caviar - In my opinion this is the only thing that tops smokes salmon with champagne. A super easy way to serve this is by using kettle cooked potato chips, putting a dab of creme fresh on there, topping with some caviar and sprinkling chopped chives on top. This to my is a decadent and lovely way to enjoy bubbly.

Now as for the Champagnes well it really depends on what you like, my absolute favorite is Dom Perigion, after that is Veuve Cliccquot, followed by Domain Carnaros. 

I hope that you get a chance to serve some of these great food and Champagne pairings. If you did not try one for your new year's eve party why not share something special with your loved one on Valentine's Day, or have a nice in home date night.