RECIPE: CHUNKY BLUE CHEESE and YOGURT DIP

Martie Duncan January 24, 2015

Blue Cheese always reminds me of my mom. We never had blue cheese at home because she was the only one who liked it... but on the rare occasion that we'd get to go out to a restaurant, mom would always order a salad with bleu cheese dressing. Over the years, I've come to love it and I'm especially in love with the Smokey Blue Cheese from Rogue Creamery in Central Point, Oregon. You can usually find it at most Whole Foods locations. It runs about $9 for about 4 ounces. Yes, a little expensive for a dip but whoa... it is good. You can use whatever blue cheese you like- this is the best all-purpose, non-Ranch dip I know for chicken wings, veggies, and crackers.

CHUNKY BLUE CHEESE DIP

Difficulty: Easy Category: Party Food

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: non-cook recipe

INGREDIENTS

½ cup chopped shallots

2 teaspoons minced garlic

3 Tablespoon lemon juice

¼ teaspoon lemon zest

2 cups Greek yogurt (you can sub sour cream if you don't like yogurt)

8 ounces (1 cup) Blue Cheese (okay to use crumbles)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon cracked black pepper

1Tablespoon minced chives

DIRECTIONS:

Add everything but chives to food processor. Pulse to combine. Pour into a bowl. Garnish with chives. Serve with veggies, chicken wings, chips, or crackers.

Yield: 2 cups

NATIONAL POPCORN DAY: DOUBLE CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE KETTLE CORN RECIPE

Martie Duncan January 19, 2015

National Popcorn Day!

Popcorn is one of my all-time favorite party foods. There is just so much you can do with it. I like to season it with different spices or even herbs. Rosemary-Sea Salt is one of my favorite combos. For something over the top and decadent, try this one. White and dark chocolate. Salt. Popcorn. What's not to love?

Double Drizzled Kettle Corn - white and dark chocolate over salty popcorn. Decadent. Delicious. Deadly addictive! Photo credit: Tamika Moore/Birmingham News

DOUBLE DRIZZLE KETTLE CORN

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup popcorn kernels

3 tablespoons sugar

1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt

½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips

½ cup white chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pot or stock pot with a lid, heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add the popcorn. When the oil begins to hiss, sprinkle the sugar over the kernels. Cover with the lid. Hold the lid down with a potholder and shake the pot over the heat until the popping begins. Shake vigorously until the popping begins to slow down. (It goes from popped to burnt very quickly) Remove from the heat; toss with the salt. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Spread the popcorn out onto the pans, being careful not to overlap the kernels.

Melt the chocolate separately in a heatproof bowl over a double boiler. Stir frequently and keep the heat low because the chocolate will burn easily.

Dip a fork in the chocolate and drizzle it over the popcorn. Do the same with the white chocolate. Allow to set until dry. Break into pieces to serve. You can store it in an airtight container in a cool spot for up to a week.

Ideas for Hosting an Outdoor Movie Night Party!

PARTY THEME: HOST AN OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT PARTY!

Martie Duncan June 7, 2014

Years ago, I saw an ad for a huge inflatable movie screen in one of those airplane shopping magazines and immediately thought---yippee! Drive-in movie party! This party is perfect for so many occasions. It’s a great casual get together for the big game or an easy birthday party for any age. It’s also perfect for that neighborhood party you’ve been putting off! For the bride and groom, it's a fun alternative to a boring rehearsal dinner or the perfect shower for movie buffs. I even had a movie night party for one of my Food Network Star viewing parties and everyone loved it. The menu is classic snack bar food and since it’s all self-serve, all you have to do is set it up and grab a good seat for the movie!

Thank you to the Sonnet House in Leeds, Alabama for hosting our party!

Using an inflatable movie screen to show movies out on the lawn is one of summer's best party ideas!

We screened an episode of Food Network Star at one party - so much fun to watch it on the big screen!

EQUIPMENT

The big star of our show was the twelve foot Airblown Inflatable Movie Screen. Fantastic! It self-inflates in a matter of minutes and presto! You have a movie theater in your yard! It was just as easy to take down as it was to put up and it stores in a tote bag. You can make a screen from an old white sheet if you don't want to invest in the inflatable screen but I ordered an Airblown brand inflatable screen for only $150. You do need a projector to show the movie but there is new technology out there. Search online for the type that suits your budget.

Be sure to check the length of the movie before you make your choice. I would recommend selecting a movie less than two hours in length and one that will appeal to men and women. If you have a large crowd, you’ll need speakers. If you’re not the technical type or if you’re having a large party, it is worth the money to hire an entertainment company. Not only will they set up everything to show the movie, they can play music to get the party started. Another fun idea? Have them instantly screen photographs of your guests arriving as they walk the red carpet! When I am in Birmingham, my great friend Geoff Carlisle from Jamm Entertainment always does the sound for the party and also provides some music before and after the movie. Makes the party a lot more fun.

DECORATIONS

Decorating for this party couldn’t have been easier because you can find “movie night” items like popcorn boxes and supplies almost everywhere, including the $1 store or the $1 bin at Target. Better yet, find one-stop shopping for movie night decorations at Oriental Trading Company.

Line the entrance to the party with colorful patio lights and you can probably score movie posters from a local theatre. Next, you’ll need lawn chairs, quilts, blankets, etc., or simply ask guests to bring their own seating. If you have a large yard or are holding the party at a park, you can even let guests drive up, drive-in style.

Ask guests to bring their own blankets, quilts, and lawn chairs to make sure you have enough seating.

Set up a special VIP seating area for the guest of honor with quilts, pillows, or chaise lounges. The sign is from Oriental Trading.

Make an authentic drive-in style snack bar with movie candy, popcorn, and other snacks.

Create a topping bar for hot dogs so guests can make their own favorite style dog.

FOOD AND DRINKS: Think snack bar favorites for this menu or select your own easy to make, easy to serve foods. We served deluxe hot dogs with tons of toppings so guests could create their own favorite combos.

Next, we built a huge candy and snack bar complete with boxed movie candy that I got on sale at Walgreen's. You can also find it at most discount or dollar stores. Make fresh, hot popcorn; put the popcorn in boxes to make serving easier. Roasted peanuts in small brown bags are another good choice.