5 Reasons to Book your Holiday Party in August

With the hot sun, humidity, summer breezes and finally getting a little bit of a tan it may be hard to concentrate thoughts on Christmas plans, but here are five great reasons to reserve now.

1) More people are booking corporate parties early to avoid the crush of activity during the last two weeks before Christmas, and dates are going to fill quickly.

2) Many venues will offer a discount for early deposits.

3) Booking early takes a big task off the planner's plate, allowing time to think about the fun things in greater detail....like food and fun!

4) Booking early captures the attention of your event planner at a time when they have more free time to focus on your party in particular.

5) Booking your party early will give allow you to also book entertainment, photographers and other vendors will they still have open dates.

We at Pomegranate Parties are truly seeing a trend this year of early interest in securing dates for both personal and corporate Holiday parties. Don't get left out in the cold by waiting too long. The Danforth Inn will provide a beautiful backdrop for your Holiday entertaining needs. All of our menus are created specifically for your guest list. Please feel free to make an appointment for a tour of the Inn to see our newly renovated spaces.

It's Official: A Fabulous Venue for Pomegranate Parties

The grande dame of the historical Portland Maine Inn scene the Danforth Inn, located in the Olde Port district of Portland, is the most recent addition to the family of Bed and Breakfasts owned by Kimberly Swan of the Swan Agency, Bar Harbor, Maine. We are thrilled to offer Portland this beautiful venue for intimate, elegant and contemporary events.

Currently closed for renovations, we plan to open to the Public by May 15th.

An ongoing supply of updates will be available here, and also on the Danforth Inn Blog, and also via our page on Facebook entitled: Danforth Inn.

We look forward to carrying on the rich history of the Inn both as a Bed and Breakfast, and stunning backdrop for many of life's most celebratory occasions.

Open That Bottle Night 2009 (At the Carriage House)

Our form of celebration of "Open that Bottle Night 2009"
was a subdued one.

My dining partner is well over a week into

a cold that just won't let go.

The challenge was not only to find a delightful bottle of wine to mark the evening, but a light wine to accompany a healthy, recovery producing meal. I decided on a butternut, white bean and kale soup with a fried goat cheese garnish. There is a surprising little twist in this recipe of an unexpected bite of tart and salt with the addition of kalamata olives. I love the contrast....I believe the jury is still out with Marc.

I love this pic....I hope the steam shows up when I post...hmmm, makes me want another bowl.

Oh yes...the wine....We enjoyed a bottle of Chateau St. Michele 2005 Reisling. The sweetness was a nice back note with the saltiness of the olives in the stew. Normally I think I would prefer a bold red with this particular stew.

Recipe:

Butternut, White Bean and Kale Stew

1/4 cup olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
3 gloves minced garlic
3-4 cups 1" chopped butternut squash
1 red bell pepper in 1" dice
1-1/2 cups vegetable broth
3 cups kale, thick stems removed, and sliced into thin slices
1 TBL dried rubbed sage
1 -15 oz can cannellini beans
3/4 cup kalamata olives, halved
freshly grated Romano cheese

Fried Goat Cheese:
one small log goat cheese
1 egg, beaten with small amount of water
1 cup flour
1 cup bread crumbs seasoned anyway you like
1/2 cup safflower oil

Stew:
Saute onions for about 5 minutes in olive oil, then add garlic and peppers, sauteeing for 5-8 more minutes. Add in squash, stirring for 5 minutes. Add small amount of salt and pepper at this stage and half of sage. Pour in broth, to almost cover vegetables, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, remove cover and simmer for 10-15 more minutes until vegetables are tender. If you like a thicker stew, use a potato masher to rough mash some of the vegetables at this point. Add in kale and cook for 10 minutes or until kale is tender. Add beans, olives and sage, cooking for 5 more minutes. Check seasonings at this stage.

Goat Cheese:
Slice log of cheese into 1/4 " slices, using a wet knife. Re wet knife for each slice to get a nice clean piece of cheese. Let come to room temperature. Whisk egg and add a small amount of water. Dip cheese in flour, tap off excess, dip in egg and bread crumbs, and repeat the egg and bread crumb stage so you do a double dip. This is one time it is OK to double dip. Heat oil just until a drop of water skips around the pan and carefully add half the slices of cheese. Cooking time completely depends on how thick the slices are. Cook till golden, use two small offset spatulas to turn and then remove cheese to paper towel lined plate.

NOTE: Do not add fried cheese to stew until just time to serve. The breading immediately starts to soak up all the lucious broth in the stew.

Its Pancake Week...Have a Party!

What a great way to have an economical party! Celebrate Pancake Week by having a little Pancake Party. This is so easy, you can simply throw it together after you get home from work for a last minute get together...or celebrate with a more leisurely brunch over the weekend.

The combinations are endless, but don't get caught up or overwhelmed by all the choices. How about a build your own pancake buffet? You make the basic batter, and have a few bowls of additions for guests to choose their own combinations, like blueberries, bananas, or sugared pecans and cook to order. A few sides of bacon or sausage....some breakfast style cocktails like mimosas or bellinis and you have a ready made good time.

Do you know the history of pancake week? During the Middle Ages it was common practice to rid the pantries of all the extravagent food supplies like eggs, butter, flour and sugar in preparation for Lent. These ingredients frequently became big batches of glorious pancakes.

A few basic techniques to remember, and you will be the celebrated pancake host of the neighborhood. Pancakes are a bit like brownies...they are sooooo easy and delicious to make from scratch, why would anyone ever compromise with a mix from the store?

Here's all you need to know...Mix your dry ingredients thoroughly before adding any wet. Once you have added the wet ingredients into the dry...only mix enough to combine ingredients. Over beating will result in a tough pancake. Buttermilk is always a great choice, as it creates a light and fluffy pancake. Most importantly...

Take the time to separate your eggs, and beat the egg whites till stiff. Quickly and gently fold those stiff egg whites into your completed batter just before cooking. The result will be the lightest pancakes you will ever have.

As a Senior in High School...on awards day when everyone was receiving accolades....you know, the academic awards for the studious braniacs, the athletic awards for the coordinated jocks, the arts and music awards for the gifted students.....I received an award for the best pancakes ever. Peach pancakes I believe was the award winning flavor. I thought it was kind of a joke at first, but when I made them for my peach loving Dad, I remember him sitting back in his chair, rolling his eyes, and exclaiming, "Oh yeah, these ARE award winning."

Your friends will love the idea of a dinner breakfast party, so break out the bowls and whisks and let me know what creative combinations you come up with!