SippitySup

Sup Sez 2 Sup’s! Up: @OpenSky Dinner Party Dream Team

Did you ever play that game? You know the one when somebody asks you if you could have dinner with anybody in the world, who would it be and why? People always answer with Einstein, Martin Luther King or sometimes maybe Bo Derek.

Well, if someone asked me to play I’d probably give him or her the names of some bloggers I admire. I am serious I probably would. Which may indicate a desperate need on my part to expand my little corner of the world, or it may prove what I have always suspected. I am a genius!

Dinner Party

Because envision a dinner party where all the guests were actual experts in the field of cooking, decorating and entertaining. Can you imagine what kind of fabulous dinner party this group could throw together?

OpenSky not only imagined this dinner party, they made it a reality (well a virtual reality, which is where I live anyway). They assembled a team of experts who know just how to throw the perfect dinner event. They call this group the Dinner Party Dream Team. Click on any of the products photos below to be taken straight to that shopkeeper! Or Follow this link to the promotional page for all the details.

The great thing about this dinner party is each member of this team is in charge of one aspect of this extravagant meal. They have chosen products they consider essential in getting this party started and have made these products available in their OpenSky Shops.

wine coolerLike any game, it’s more fun if there’s a prize! So if you visit any one of these OpenSky Shopkeepers and purchase one of these recommended products you will also receive Dinner Parties: The Complete Expert Guide for FREE. Which will make you feel like a dinner party winner. Because this guide provides tips and recipes for a complete and impressive dinner party.

Which brings me right back around to the guests in my virtual dinner party.

tablo trayIf I were playing the game (which I am) I’d start with Jay and Irwin of Design2Share. Their motto is “Dinner Parties Are Theatre”. I like that idea. I also like all their suggestions regarding logistics because everything always goes smoother with a plan! All this stuff is in the guide I mentioned. So I won’t go over it all here. Buy something and get a copy.

And since I have already invited them, Jay and Irwin may as well be in charge of the table and the place settings. They have great taste. I love the wine chiller they chose. Its jaunty angle is both ink Dish Cherry Inkinviting and irreverent. Now isn’t that the perfect combination for a party?

I guess there might be cocktails served at this party because I see Jay and Irwin have chosen a gorgeous tray as well.

But the items I most particularly covet are the place settings. They are Cherry Ink from Ink Dish and tahiniwere designed by Paul Timman, one of the world’s leading Tattoo artists. Sup! may be a trendy devil but the closest I’ll ever come to getting inked is through these dishes on my dining room table. Gifts accepted…

But what’s a dinner party with out food?

garbanzo beansThis party starts with a Hummus appetizer from Denise of DedeMed. As you may remember from yesterday I am on a Mediterranean kick lately. Be sure and check out my review of the latest cookbook in my OpenSky Shop, Turquoise A Chef’s Travels In Turkey.

But Denise is one person who may not need access to this great book because she is already an expert. Her recipe for Hummus will knock your socks off. It’s the easiest and tastiest hummus global chefs knifeout there. If you buy the tahini paste and garbanzo beans from her shop at OpenSky you will get this cherished recipe too, because it’s included in the guide.

Next up is the soup. You’ll need an Immersion Blender by Kitchen Aid, a Global Chef’s Knife and a Microplane Zester to get this soup to the table. Alison and Shannon from Cooking with Friends are making Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. It’s just the thing for these chilly nights and their microplane zesterversion is one for the records. I know you will want a copy of this recipe. And guess what? That’s right. Buy any one of these products from any one of these experts and you will get a copy of this guide I keep gushing about! This recipe has a prominent place in this guide so I know you are pleased.

What is food with out a little something green and tasty? Green and tasty and ZESTY!  I am excited salad tongsabout this course because it comes from Cory of Zesty Cook, one of the bloggers I read and admired for quite some time before I got the courage up to stick my foodie butt out into the blogosphere! It’s quite an honor to get inside his head (virtually speaking) and have him at my table (virtually speaking). I am most excited to know what products he chooses to get all that fabulous fare to his many readers.

salad set preparaHe’s presenting a gorgeous salad of Avocado and Orange. Bright and luscious; this salad wings and dings me. I live in California and these tastes are so seasonal that it makes me proud to be a Californian (by way of Oklahoma, Ohio, Utah, Florida).

By now I know you may have figured out that you can get all the details for this salad from OpenSky. The rules have not changed. Buy something from one of us. Any one of us, and you’ll whiskget the guide. The really cool guide that has Cory’s salad recipe in it. Cory recommends a Salad Chop Set and some Table Tongs from one of my favorite OpenSky vendors: Prepara. Do you remember my video for the Prepara ‘Power Scoop’? I think it’s up for an Oscar so you really should check it out. Of course, I may be confusing myself with George Clooney, but that’s understandable.

 

cast iron potShhh… ‘cuz there are vegetarians in the house and we need to feed them too. Don’t scare the vegetarians. They are our friends… because yes– they eat too. And I think I’ll join them because OpenSky thoughtfully included a non-meat entrée in this dinner party from Lori of Finding Radiance. When you get your copy of the guide you will see that you need a really good whisk for this recipe. Though I am guessing, it’s not to beat back any wild beasts because there aren’t any in this scrumptious recipe for Sun-Dried Tomato and Feta Frittata. I love to say frittata. I also love to eat frittata! I think I need to buy this whisk. I bet you hate your whisk too. I say get a new one. I say get this one! So act now!

Okay. We come to the main event. I am a little nervous. I am feeling a bit “not worthy”. But if I skip Michael Ruhlman (from the blog Ruhlman and so much more) he’ll think it’s because I don’t like him (actually I adore him, but that is a secret I am trying to keep to myself). So onward I must.

staub baking dishesI may play a cook on this here typing TV. I may spout my opinions loud and clear. But Michael is a man you must listen to. Typically you’d have to shell out big bucks just for a recipe in one of his books. Here you can buy something you need anyway and get the recipe for FREE (via the guide I think I may have already mentioned).

Michael knows the seasons. Because they certainly have a lot of those in Ohio. He also knows the mortar and pestlefoods that go with the seasons. He seems to know dinner parties as well. Because he has chosen a recipe that will impress. It will feel comforting, warm and oh so wintry. But it’s also the kind of thing you can do in advance– three days in advance. Not only is this fine, it actually makes the meal taste better. That is a real dinner party pro talking. So when he says you need a Le Creuset 3.5 quart French Oven, a Cuisinart hand blender, and Culinary Institute of America Side Towels to join the ranks of the likes of him; then you get your credit card out and quit asking questions. I mandolineknow I did… His recipe is for Pinot Braised Short Ribs. You’ll need a good pot for this recipe. But (of course, he already thought of that).

The next item in this exciting meal sits on the same plate as the entrée and was designed to be a side dish to Michael Ruhlman’s excellent short ribs. But is this dish worthy? I am not in a position to say because this recipe is mine (or at least mine through interpretation). And because I am afraid digital scaleMichael won’t like it, I am not going to tell you what it is.

But if you want to support me and my fellow Dream Teamers you can just buy something on this list and get a copy of the guide. My side dish recipe is there. But I will give you a hint. If you want to make this dish you’ll need Staub USA – Black Matte Oval Cast Iron 1.5 Qt Roasting Dish, a Libertyware – Granite Mortar & Pestle, and the OXO Good Grips Mandoline Slicer.

whip creamerIt might be fun if you made some guesses about what this recipe might be and let me know in the comments section. I may or may not tell you if you are close.

Lastly. Another true artist. This dessert comes from a professional of the highest order. Michael Laiskonis is the pastry chef at New York City’s legendary Le Bernardin and the master of his blog Notes From The Kitchen. Another one of my must reads.

confectionaty funnelHis dessert is a delightfully seasonal Grapefruit Panna Cotta with Greek Yogurt, Grapefruit Foam, & Vanilla Oil. Naturally a presentation this artistic takes some talent, skill and proper equipment. Michael recommends a Digital Scale, a 2- Ounce Squeeze Bottle, iSi Gourmet Whipped Cream Maker & Chargers, his best friend the Chinoise Strainer, a Confectionary Funnel, and his Wusthof Classic Knife. Any one of these indispensable items will get you the guide. Which means any one of these items will also get you the recipe; a recipe worthy of Le Bernardin. I don’t know about you– but this food-obsessed freak has goose bumps. Read more Here. GREG