Sex and the City Party

Cosmopolitan 1

The drink made famous by Carrie, Samantha and the rest of the girls on Sex and the City is refreshing any time of year. Best enjoyed with high heels, slinky dresses and girl talk.

Dish Details:

INGREDIENTS:

2 measures vodka
1 measure triple sec (or Cointreau)
1 measure lime juice
1 measure cranberry juice
ice
strip of lime peel

PREPARATION:

Shake together all the ingredients except the lime. Strain into a Martini glass and garnish with the lime.

Cosmopolitan 2

4 parts vodka
2 parts triple sec
2 parts cranberry juice
1 part fresh lime juice

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with cracked ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Enjoy your cosmopolitan martini

The biggest difference is the ratio of vodka to the foo-foo stuff!

Cosmopolitan 3 - to mix things up

Blood Orange Cosmo recipe

1 1/2 oz Stoli® Ohranj vodka
1/2 oz triple sec
1/4 oz fresh lime juice
1/4 oz blood orange juice
1 splash cranberry juice

Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a slice of orange, and serve.

Bottoms up!

Stuffed Mushrooms

INGREDIENTS
20 mushrooms, stems removed
2 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams, drained
1/2 cup melted butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup melted butter

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with a sheet of aluminum foil, and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Clean the mushrooms carefully with a damp paper towel or a soft mushroom brush, and place into the prepared pan upside down.

Place the clams, 1/2 cup of melted butter, onion, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Season with parsley, Italian seasoning, and pepper; mix well. Fill the mushroom caps with the clam mixture, and round over the tops. Sprinkle with the shredded mozzarella cheese, and drizzle with the remaining 1 cup of butter.

Bake in the preheated oven until the mushrooms are tender, and the mozzarella cheese has lightly browned, 25-30 minutes.

Restaurant Style Buffalo Wings

INGREDIENTS
oil for deep frying
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup hot sauce
1 dash ground black pepper
1 dash garlic powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 chicken wings

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). The oil should be just enough to cover wings entirely, an inch or so deep. Combine the butter, hot sauce, pepper and garlic powder in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir together and heat until butter is melted and mixture is well blended. Remove from heat and reserve for serving.

In a small bowl mix together the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper and salt. Place chicken wings in a large nonporous glass dish or bowl and sprinkle flour mixture over them until they are evenly coated. Cover dish or bowl and refrigerate for 60 to 90 minutes.

Fry coated wings in hot oil for 10 to 15 minutes, or until parts of wings begin to turn brown. Remove from heat, place wings in serving bowl, add hot sauce mixture and stir together. Serve.
Editor's Note

Double Tomato Bruschetta

INGREDIENTS
6 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 French baguette
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven on broiler setting.

In a large bowl, combine the roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.

Cut the baguette into 3/4-inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.

Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.
Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Restaurant Style Beef and Broccoli


INGREDIENTS:
1 pound flank steak
2 red bell peppers
1 cup canned straw mushrooms
1/2 pound frozen broccoli

Marinade:
2 tablespoons dry sherry or cooking sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 green onion, chopped

Other:
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup beef or chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed

PREPARATION:
Partially freeze the meat. Cut across the grain into slices.
Cut the red bell pepper in half. Remove the stem and seeds and cut into thin strips. Rinse the mushrooms under warm running water and slice.

Thaw the frozen broccoli. Drain.

Combine the meat with the dry sherry, soy sauce, ginger and green onion. Marinate the meat for 20 minutes.

Heat a wok or frying pan and add 3 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and stir-fry briefly until fragrant. Add the sliced beef. Brown briefly, then stir-fry until it is nearly cooked through. Push up to the side of the wok.

Add 1 tablespoon oil in the middle of the wok. Add the broccoli. Stir-fry briefly, then add the mushrooms and the red pepper.

Add the beef broth and the cornstarch/water "slurry." Turn up the heat and stir to thicken. Sprinkle the sugar over top. Mix everything together and serve hot with rice or noodles. Serves 4.

Recipe Courtesy - About.com

Quotes by Carrie.....

As Carrie comments in series three, 'There are very few things this New Yorker loves as much as Sunday brunch. You can sleep until noon and still get eggs anywhere in the city, alcohol is often included with the meal, and Sunday is the one day a week you get the single woman's sports pages: the New York Times wedding section.'

"Maybe mistakes are what make our fate... without them what would shape our lives? Maybe if we had never veered off course we wouldn't fall in love, have babies, or be who we are. After all, things change, so do cities, people come into your life and they go. But it's comforting to know that the ones you love are always in your heart... and if you're very lucky, a plane ride away"

Miranda

I once was broken up with by a guy's doorman: "I'm sorry, Ms. Hobbes, Jonathan won't be coming down. Ever."

Do any of you have a completely unremarkable friend or maybe a houseplant I could go to dinner with on Saturday night?

Charlotte

Charlotte: They were supposed to say I'm sorry, I love you' not 'You're dead, let's disco!.

Charlotte: I can't believe you're dating a politician. You're not even registered to vote!

Samantha

Samantha: Oh please! There's always a contest with an ex. It's called "who will die miserable."