And Here They Are: My Nominees for “Best Dressed” at the Disco! (Work with me here, I’m evoking my inner Joan Rivers)

As I said in an earlier posting, our friends always “bring it” when it comes to costumed affairs! This night at the Dinner Club disco was no exception! Everyone scrounged their closets, thrift-store shopped and internet-browsed to come up with some seriously entertaining ensembles!

Our darling Desiree and
her fondue appetizer!

My winner for the ladies is my dear friend, Desiree… Shining in her peach chiffon creation she was everything authentic 70’s discotheque. The dress reminded everyone so much of the type of outfits that John Travolta’s love interest, Stephanie, wore in Saturday Night Fever! This dress was a thrift-store find that was inexpensive and perfect for the evening. She topped it off with a flowing scarf about her neck and some false eyelashes to draw attention to her beautiful eyes. The hair, as well, was an authentic, time-honored, feathered-back do! Kudos to Desiree for winning the prize (although I have nothing for her but appreciation for her efforts)!

Speaking of appreciation for effort, I must congratulate ALL of the men in our group for theirs. These guys put forth some serious dedication toward growing out their facial hair and then artfully shaving it into the pork-chop sideburns and ridiculously long moustaches of the real 1970’s! A few even dyed it to match their afro-style wigs! (Thank you Just For Men) How many men have the guts to go that far for a good time? Ours do! It truly does make the whole night of a costume event the BEST if you go “all out” on your dressing! The days of concern over “looking silly” have passed. We’re all adults now. One privilege of being an adult is the ability to act (or dress) like a complete child when the mood suits you!

Great job Jon!

The cream of the crop among the men, however, would have to go to our friend, Jon! Besides the afore-mentioned ridiculous moustache, his (also cheap thrift-store) printed Montgomery-Ward-style shirt and faux leather jacket paired beautifully with polyester pants. The slim cut of the entire ensemble was so very 70’s and with the effort on his moustache and his carefully combed hair he reminded me of Travolta himself in the opening scenes of Saturday Night Fever as he struts down the street. Congratulations Jon on bringing your “A Game” to looking foolish! We love you for it!

There you have it folks! I’ve included pictures below of all our couples so that you can appreciate the wonderment that was our Night at the Disco! Everyone looked fantastic! More next week on our “best dish” of the night and a recipe or two, then it’s on to our next Dinner Club plan for February!






John and Andrea



Chad and Molly




Sarah and Eric (love
the matching clothes!)



Cindy and her
stand-in, John

Jon and Shelly

Andy and Desiree

The Disco Was Groovy!



Cheese Fondue



It was another memorable Dinner Club Night – for many reasons! Not the least of which is the seven or eight inches of snow we received from late afternoon and through the next morning! Our group, as always, was undeterred by adverse weather conditions – or anything else for that matter – that would distract us from our fun. We showed up at the “disco” donning wigs, interesting beards and mustaches, false eyelashes and enough polyester to offend even the Partridge Family!

We danced the night away before, during and after dinner to the sounds of the Village People, ABBA, the Bee Gee’s and so many others and truly feasted on a meal of fondue appetizers, dessert and entrée with some delicious side dishes!



My mashed potato and root
vegetable casserole.

The recipe I was assigned to make for the night turned out divine; however, me being me, I didn’t exactly prepare it as the directions stated. I love to experiment in my cooking and “go with my gut” so to speak! I made a few simple changes when preparing my ‘Mashed Potato, Parsnip and Rutabaga Casserole with Caramelized Onions’ (recipe posted to this blog on January 11^th – see the blog archive). Personally, I felt when preparing it, that it was an awful lot of onions. I love the taste of caramelized onion, but I feel most people don’t want to be overwhelmed with them. I took it down from three onions to two and even then I didn’t end up using them all in the dish.



To incorporate the flavor of the onion, without overwhelming amounts of them on top of the casserole as the recipe stated, I took about half of the onions and pureed them in my food processor. I then incorporated them into the root vegetable mash mixture before spreading into the prepared dish. Flavor without overwhelming hunks of onions; Perfect! I put the small remaining amount of onions on top which made a lovely presentation without overdoing it and I added a sprinkle of parsley for color. Another note on the dish; I doubled the garlic! A must do!

We enjoyed two separate and very different cheese fondues for appetizers and they were fantastic starters to our meal. We also noshed on raspberries, strawberries and pound cake that we could self-serve at will from a chocolate fountain. We dipped, dined, chatted and discoed while enjoying every stage of this dinner!

The table was set perfectly
to accommodate twelve
of us cooking our fondue
entree at the table!

The flow of the evening was perfect! Our host and hostess had set a fun and funky 70’s table with a fondue pot for every four people. We were able to easily enjoy our appetizers and dessert while dancing and moving around, yet the main part of our meal was together at the table where we could talk and enjoy one another’s company! It was fantastic and well thought out! Watch for more this week on the “best dish of the night” and some notes on “best dressed nominees” for this crazy costume affair!

Our Dinner Club always “brings it” and they certainly did this time! It was great to be back together and it always makes me anxious to enjoy the next - and the next - and the next! What fabulous friends we have!

Raspberries dipped in
chocolate - great
party fare!

One of our members prepared a side dish for with our fondue (in addition to my root vegetable mash) that was fantastic! You could truly enjoy the individual vegetable elements and it provided a gorgeous balance of color on the plate. Although I didn’t confirm with her that this is the EXACT one she prepared, she did mention it was a Julia Child recipe and, therefore, I’m attaching something similar (if not exact) here for you to try.

Ratatouille (Eggplant Casserole With Tomatoes, Onions, Peppers and Zucchini)

From: “Favorites from Julia Child That Withstand the Test of Time” – Article in the Washington Post

Found at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57749-2001Oct2_4.html

For 6 to 8 people

1/2 pound eggplant
1/2 pound zucchini
A 3-quart, porcelain or stainless-steel mixing bowl
1 teaspoon salt
A 10- to 12-inch enameled skillet
4 tablespoons olive oil, more if needed
1/2 pound (about 1 1/2 cups) thinly sliced yellow onions
2 (about 1 cup) sliced green bell peppers
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, if necessary
2 cloves mashed garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound firm, ripe, red tomatoes, peeled, seeded and juiced (makes 1 1/2 cups pulp)
Salt and pepper
A 2 1/2 quart fireproof casserole about 2 1/2 inches deep
3 tablespoons minced parsley
Salt and pepper

My friend's delicious and beautiful Ratatouille!

Peel the eggplant and cut into lengthwise slices 3/8 inch thick, about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide. Scrub the zucchini, slice off the two ends and cut the zucchini into slices about the same size as the eggplant slices. Place the vegetables in a bowl and toss with the salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Drain. Dry each slice in a towel.

One layer at a time, sauté the eggplant and then the zucchini in hot olive oil in the skillet for about a minute on each side to brown very lightly. Remove to a side dish.

In the same skillet, cook the onions and peppers slowly in olive oil for about 10 minutes, or until tender but not browned. Stir in the garlic and season to taste.

Slice the tomato pulp into 3/8-inch strips. Lay them over the onions and peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until tomatoes have begun to render their juice. Uncover, baste the tomatoes with the juices, raise heat and boil for several minutes, until juice has almost entirely evaporated.

Place a third of the tomato mixture in the bottom of the casserole and sprinkle over it 1 tablespoon of the parsley. Arrange half of the eggplant and zucchini on top, then half the remaining tomatoes and parsley. Put in the rest of the eggplant and zucchini and finish with the remaining tomatoes and parsley.

Cover the casserole and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover, tip casserole and baste with the rendered juices. Correct seasoning, if necessary. Raise heat slightly and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes more, basting several times, until juices have evaporated leaving a spoonful or two of flavored olive oil. Be careful of your heat; do not let the vegetables scorch in the bottom of the casserole.

Set aside uncovered. Reheat slowly at serving time or serve cold.

Per serving (based on 6): 116 calories, 2 gm protein, 13 gm carbohydrates, 7 gm fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 gm saturated fat, 135 mg sodium, 4 gm dietary fiber





Fondue

Making Music Center Stage: Notes on Ambience For any Food Occasion

“You eat first with your eyes.”

I’ve no idea who first said it, but restaurateurs, chefs and other industry folk seem to ‘get it’ in a way many others often miss. Our Dinner Club, for the most part, does a pretty fantastic job of keeping the old adage (wherever it came from) in mind. The décor, the plate garnishes, the lighting, the music… They all matter very much to how satisfying – or how boring- a meal can turn out.

I’ve discussed some do-it-yourself decorating tips before in my blog, but I’ve yet to mention music. Sounds simple, right? However, it’s not so simple as turning on the stereo before guests arrive. Our Dinner Club this weekend is an extreme example of making the music ‘occasion appropriate’, but in this blogger’s opinion, music always matters!

Our Dinner Club disco night is sure to be filled with all of the recognizable tunes of that era. We did the same era-appropriate selecting for our “Back to your 80’s Prom” theme for one of last year’s gatherings! But what about the rest of our meals? What about when we simply gather for cocktail hour and sit down at the table for a sumptuous meal paired with terrific conversation and lots of laughter – no crazy costumes or specific music theme?

Music is a part of the overall aura and ambience. You may not even consciously notice it, but its sets the mood for an evening. It helps everyone relax; it starts conversations in a quiet-to-begin-with room. Take a little time before your next meal with friends or upcoming family gathering to hook up your iPod or CD player and select a song list that suits your occasion. Do you want everyone upbeat and ready for a party? Maybe you want it to be romantic or simply soothing and relaxing. Consider it; and be ready!

If the party amps up a notch and your friends decide they’ve come in their dancing shoes after all, do you have a change of music ready? Can you switch it up and make your guests happy regardless which direction the evening takes? Entertaining is about playing what makes you AND your guests at ease. You simply must be ready to move out of your own comfort zone, if necessary, and play what they all love and suits THEIR mood for the night! Take a moment and do the same with your lighting before guests arrive. Usually less is more; at least for a dinner party. Don’t have every light blazing when you’ve set a gorgeous table and put on some soothing tunes. Turn it down a notch and the party will turn up!

This Saturday we’re groovin’ right on into our 1970’s flashback weekend! I’ll blog next week about how it goes! In the meantime, If you’re looking for something to “remember the days” through fun, casual fare, try this recipe over the weekend and think of our Dinner Club while you’re enjoying it! Fondue is easy and fun self-serve food; perfect for during a playoff game – just for example! Invite some friends over (that’s what this blog is all about, after all) and enjoy!

Pizza Fondue

Found at: http://www.tasteofhome.com/

16 ServingsPrep/Total Time: 25 min.

Ingredients

• 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
• 1 can (8 ounces) pizza sauce
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded pizza cheese blend
• 1/2 cup chopped pepperoni
• Italian bread, cubed and toasted

Directions

• In a large saucepan, combine the first six ingredients. Add cheese
• and pepperoni; cook and stir over medium heat until cheese is
• melted.
• Transfer to a fondue pot and keep warm. Serve with bread cubes.
• Yield: 4 cups.

Nutrition Facts: 1/4 cup (calculated without bread) equals 96 calories, 8 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 17 mg cholesterol, 523 mg sodium, 5 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 5 g protein.

© Taste of Home 2010

Costumed Dinner Parties: Advanced Prep is the Key!

This month’s Dinner Club should present quite the costume creations! I can’t wait to see what all of our incredibly creative friends come up with! Having said that; a few notes on our thought process when planning food for a costume party…

The biggest focus is that we try to come up with food that doesn’t require a ton of last minute preparation. (See below for a delectable make-ahead recipe) Most of our Dinner Clubs are spent with our group chatting in the kitchen prior to the meal, while everyone sips their beverage of choice. Some of us are chopping, sautéing, or stirring as we converse. This is how we enjoy doing it and it works well for us. We do as much of the advanced preparation as possible before we arrive, but for the sake of freshness of the served meal, we like to work (lightly) together just before presenting it at the table.



These rich and saucy "Stout Braised Short Ribs"
(recipe below) were a key make-ahead element in a previous
Dinner Club costume bash; actually prepared the day before,
they required only re-warming in the oven to serve!



In the case of a costumed theme party, we kick up the “advanced preparation” portion even more. For this month’s dinner, much of the planned menu is fondue. This makes it easy for us to dice up the elements or pre-mix the fondue ingredients prior to getting into our ridiculous disco garb! The other mainstay elements of the meal are designed as casserole-type dishes that need only be placed in the host and hostesses’ oven upon arrival; no last minute flambéing with your angel-sleeves in the way; yikes!

Another focus is on keeping the menu elements simple, yet delicious and true to purpose! For our “Roaring 20’s” costume party a few years back, we researched popular foods or ingredients of that time (we even found the original menu for the Cotton Club online) and designed a meal that incorporated those elements, yet was thoughtful to keeping the meal simple so we could pour our energy into playing roulette in our feather boas and fedoras!

We enjoyed terrific cocktails of the 1920’s and dined on stout-braised short ribs (See the recipe for these below: they were slow roasted in the oven all day the day before and then re-warmed for the party – no last minute work); squash casserole (also a make-ahead dish); a lovely celeriac soup (prepared in advance and allowed to sit in the refrigerator – soup is often better that way as it allows the flavors to meld together more fully), and on and on… See what I mean?

Our meal quality didn’t suffer in the least (trust me!) and we danced the night away and gambled our hearts out with piles of fake money! If you’re looking for a rich and hearty winter entrée for guests or just your own family, give this one from our 1920’s bash a try! Yumm!

Stout-Braised Short Ribs

Found at: http://www.epicurious.com/

Gourmet |  March 2005

Stout and brown sugar give these tender ribs a hint of sweetness.

Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 4 1/2 hr
Servings: Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon paprika (not hot)
1 tablespoon curry powder (preferably Madras)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
4 to 41/4 lb beef short ribs, cut into 4-inch pieces
4 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped (2 cups)
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 medium carrots, chopped (2 cups)
3 celery ribs, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
1/4 cup chopped garlic (5 to 6 large cloves)
1 3/4 cups beef broth (14 oz)
2 (12-oz) bottles stout such as Mackeson or Guinness
2 (14- to 15-oz) cans diced tomatoes

Special equipment: a wide 6-qt heavy nonreactive pot with a lid
Accompaniment: buttered egg noodles tossed with chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.

Stir together brown sugar, paprika, curry powder, cumin, pepper, salt, and mustard in a small bowl until combined.
Pat ribs dry and arrange in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan or a shallow dish, then generously coat all sides of ribs with spice mixture. Marinate, uncovered and chilled, 1 hour.
Wash leeks in a bowl of cold water, agitating water, then lift out leeks and drain in a colander.
Heat oil in pot over high heat until hot but not smoking and quickly brown ribs on all 3 meaty sides (but not bone side) without crowding, in batches if necessary, about 1 minute per side. Transfer meat to a large plate, then add leeks, carrots, celery, and bay leaves to pot and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
Add broth, beer, and tomatoes with their juice, then add ribs with any juices and remaining spices accumulated on plate and bring liquid to a boil, uncovered. Cover pot and transfer to oven, then braise until meat is very tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Skim off excess fat from surface of sauce. Discard bay leaves.
Cooks' note:
Short ribs improve in flavor if braised 1 day ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Reheat, covered, in a 350°F oven until hot, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.


Beef Shortribs

Balancing our “Disco Dinner”: Thoughts on a Well-Paired Plate

Our upcoming “Night at the Disco” Dinner Club, as I mentioned in my last post, is not the typical format for our meal - we usually have a served meal that is more easily defined into “courses”. This Dinner Club will be a more active one; filled with music and, hopefully, some serious demonstrations of classic disco moves!

So how to plan the food for an evening where everyone is up and moving most of the time? When we sat down to design our menu for this Dinner Club, fondue was the first and obvious choice for all of us involved. Not simply because it evokes memories of those times (yes we’re getting old) – for me the memory of my mother preparing “pizza fondue” for us kids to share in the basement together while she was hosting adults upstairs – but also because of the portability of such food and the ease in serving without making everyone feel they must sit down to the table the entire time. “Grab a plate and go”, so to speak!

But fondue can be tricky… There’s no earthly way to fill yourself up on such fare. Not unless you stand all night at the side of the buffet or station and feed yourself continually. Now, I’m not saying my husband won’t do just that (or a few of the guys involved for that matter), but to save him and anyone else from feeling they have to cook their own meal piece by piece, table-side over the course of four or five hours, our group has integrated some terrific 70’s foods that are satisfying, filling accompaniments to the fondue we’ll be enjoying throughout the night.

Two of the Dinner Club couples (myself and said hubby included) are bringing casserole-type dishes that can be easily spooned onto the plate to accompany the fondue. When cocktails are involved – as they always are with our group – it’s important to make sure you’re serving something substantial enough to hold up! My dish for the night is a “Mashed Potato, Rutabaga and Parsnip Casserole with Caramelized Onion”.

That title is quite the mouthful, but the point is that so is the dish! A couple of good, hearty spoons-full of this amped-up-mashed-potato creation will be the perfect filling side dish to our Fondue Bourguignonne! Add a serving of the colorful and veggie loaded Ratatouille another couple is contributing and you have a perfectly balanced plate that will satisfy and sustain you through hours of disco fever dancing!

Below is the recipe (which I have never made before – that’s another reason I so adore Dinner Club - trying new things!) Give it a try yourself paired alongside a simple steamed vegetable and roasted or braised meat entrée! Root vegetable creations are always hearty and delicious in winter!

Mashed Potato, Rutabaga and Parsnip Casserole with Caramelized Onions

Found at: www.epicurious.com

Bon Appétit | November 1994

Yield: Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:

7 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds rutabagas, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/4 pounds parsnips, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
8 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature

3 large onions, thinly sliced

Preparation:

Butter 13 x 9x2-inch glass baking dish. Combine first 7 ingredients in large pot; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes. Drain well. Transfer vegetables to large bowl. Add 1/2 cup butter. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until mashed but still chunky. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer mashed vegetables to prepared dish.

Melt remaining 1/4 cup butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions and sauté until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and sauté until onions are tender and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spread onions evenly over mashed vegetables. (Casserole can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Preheat oven to 375° F. Bake casserole uncovered until heated through and top begins to crisp, about 25 minutes.

The Disco-Era Descends Upon Us: Dinner Club in All it’s Polyester Glory!

Yes, Dinner Club is back this month! It’s so great to return to normal life after the swirling craze of the holidays… But alas, “normal” in our group means that it’s time to get ready for our one big costume affair of the Dinner Club season! Let me just say that normal is anything but!

This month’s Dinner Club theme is “A Night at the Disco”. We’ll be donning our bell bottoms, tube tops (ok maybe not!) and platform shoes for this evening with friends. We have a group of true participators; this is one of the reasons, I believe, that our Dinner Club has been so successful over the years. Everyone throws caution to the wind and is completely on-board for whatever we plan together.

As I’ve mentioned before, most of our Dinner Clubs are just that – Dinner. We nearly always have a theme, but it’s typically a theme centered around the food. Once a year, however, we break from that norm and have a full-out costumed party. Our first one was a few years ago when we had our “Roaring 20’s” party. (You can see a few pictures of “the crew” by clicking on the photos page of this blog in the right-side margin.) We did it that first time and then agreed that it was such fun we should include one-a-year if possible.

We do “dress up” for other theme dinners throughout the year, but to make it fun, rather than a burden on everyone, we try to only really get crazy once per season. For example, on luau night we all wore what we already had in our closet that was luau appropriate. Once we did a “Last Dinner on the Titanic”. We dressed up for that Dinner Club, but only in what we already had around the house that was appropriate or we borrowed a few small elements (aka – a cocktail dress you already own and borrow some long gloves, jewelry or a hat).

ONCE per year we encourage everyone to go “all out” and make the costumes key. This is that time! That doesn’t mean that food isn’t our focus – We are Dinner Club! We still have a very 70’s menu planned for the night (see below for our menu of fondue and other era-appropriate elements), but we keep the food simple on these costume nights. Who wants to prepare something difficult or time-consuming when your crazy 70’s angel-sleeves and afro are in the way?!

For this one, we’ve planned the food as “stations” so that people can eat, dance, mingle, etc. as they like. Our host and hostess can decide the details of how they want to handle it, but we won’t be sitting at the table throughout, with served courses, as we typically would. Can’t wait to see how it all comes out, but in this group, it’s usually zany and fun! More info is coming in the next few weeks! Keep an eye out for some great recipes, tips and follow-up photos!

We’re back!

One Last Weekend of Celebratory Eating, Then Dinner Club is Back!

Yes, it’s the New Year…. Time to pack up the decorations, get back to a normal family routine and return to eating habits that are within the boundaries of maintaining a waistline rather than it appearing as though my resolution was to look by Henry VIII by 2012!


This blog is one of encouraging you to entertain via food in your home, whether it be starting your own Dinner Club group or simply making it more of a focus to invite friends to dinner. That doesn’t mean that I “cook like we’re kings” day in day out around my own home! I do keep focus on experimentation and keeping my weekday menus fresh and ever-changing (because I enjoy the cooking so much), however, I prepare healthy, simple meals much of the year. Dinner Club is our splurge once a month to be more decadent! Besides, it’s a blast to spend time with our friends – the true purpose of the group to begin with.

Garlic Baked Oysters and White Wine!

Later this week on the blog I will re-enter the Dinner Club realm. I can get back to keeping you informed about what we’re planning for food and fun (and let me tell you January 2011 is sure to be a doozie of a good time!). For now, I wanted to give you one more “entertaining worthy” item that my own family enjoyed this week as a last hurrah to the holiday eating we’ve been so enjoying around here. Invite some friends or family over and try it out!


The reason I’m posting this one is that it is special. It’s special but SO EASY! You really do have to be a “seafoodie” for this, but for those of you that are, give it a try. My family - children included – always dispute over who gets the most, and unfortunately, if you live in Nebraska, it’s just never enough to satisfy us it seems! We enjoyed these “Garlic Baked Oysters” before a simple meal of steamed Gulf shrimp, basmati rice, and a simple- to-prepare gratin of zucchini and tomatoes with a little breadcrumb and parmesan topping. Delicious! Plus I threw the entire thing together in about 20 minutes - no kidding – this weekend.


One tip for this… If you do like oysters and you DON’T like shucking them while stabbing your hands over and over again until you look as though your pitiful palms are part of the meal…. (say that three times fast!)…

Zucchini and Tomato Gratin

Shuck oysters once. I repeat, shuck them once then keep the shells for future use. I make Oysters Rockefeller each year for my holiday party and, unless some end up in the trash can at the end of the night, I re-use the shells – same shells for these Garlic Baked Oysters. All you have to do is wash them gently, rinse and dry them well and keep them in open-topped zip top bags (don’t seal the bags unless you know the shells are COMPLETELY dry).


Once every few uses you can boil them in water with a bit of lemon juice before storing again; this keeps them fresh and sanitized for use after use! I simply buy already shucked oysters (the fresher the better) and use my same shells each time. When a few get broken or thrown in the trash I’ll buy more oysters and shuck them myself, but why do it each and every time?

Freshly Steamed Gulf Coast Shrimp

If you are afraid to try oysters, don’t be! These are so delicious and yummy garlicky good! Try them as an appetizer before any meal. Sometimes instead of baking them, we put them on the grill in the summertime! Also, I like to remove the tough “adductor muscle” from each oyster before placing them on the shells. (You can feel it on the raw oyster in your hands). I don’t prefer the chewiness of this part of the oyster in this particular dish. In other applications (with thicker sauces or more ingredient elements) it doesn’t bother me. You be the judge for yourself; make it the way you like it!


Garlic Baked Oysters the Way Mama Taught Me

Approximately 24 – 30 shucked oysters (separated from shells, shells scrubbed separately)


1 stick of butter
6-8 cloves of crushed garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
2 dashes of hot sauce; like Tabasco or Frank’s Red Hot
Bread crumbs
Warm baguette to serve with the oysters for mopping up any extra sauce


Place the oyster shells on a baking sheet. I like to crumple up some aluminum foil on the surface of the sheet and press the shells down onto it so the oysters will stay upright on the sheet. This reserves all of the delicious liquor of the oyster and the garlic butter – it won’t tip and spill over.


Melt the butter and garlic in a microwave safe dish. Add salt and pepper to taste and a couple dashes of hot sauce – don’t overdo the hot sauce – you want to taste the oysters! Using a spoon, place a drizzle of the garlic butter in each shell. Top with an oyster on each shell. If the shell is especially large, I put two or three oysters on the shell. Top the oysters evenly with spoons of the remaining garlic butter. Sprinkle about ½ tablespoon or so of breadcrumbs over the top of each filled shell depending on the size of the shell.


Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake at 375 degrees for about 10-15 minutes or until the butter sauce is bubbling hot. Serve with the baguette bread for mopping up the extra sauce!

Eastern Oyster