I will take a short break this week and promise to be back next year with my New Year’s resolutions and hopefully a brand new-looking blog. Yes,  I attempt to give it a facelift. Crossing my fingers. Administering botox…

I’m sure I have shared how Frederick enjoys bourbon so much. His first love to bourbon started when we were invited to a bourbon tasting back in 2008. Ever since, he’s been following bourbon news. Thankfully, he’s still within his limits when it comes to drinking. This year, he got a little surprise from his buddy at work – Breaking & Entering Bourbon Whiskey. Apparently, it’s not pure bourbon like knob creek rather a sweet flavorful bourbon, made up of as many as 80 bourbons from 5 to 7 years years of age. Hmmm…interesting, don’t you think? So, to make it fun and for me to enjoy, I’ve added more ingredients and make it extra special.

This Breaking & Entering bourbon has some sweetness and light fruity taste, which complements a hint of coffee. This cocktails is definitely  a great companion on New Year’s Eve – something that keep us awake and warm to start a whole new year.

Coffee Bourbon Cocktails
Serving: 1

Ingredients:

• 3 oz. Breaking & Entering Bourbon Whiskey
• 1 drop to 1 oz. coffee liquor (or brew 2 tbsp. ground coffee in 6 oz. of water)
• 1 tsp sweet-n-low sugar (if you want an extra sweetness, you can add more sugar)
• Ice cube

Directions:

1. Add ice to the shaker.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, and then shake.
3. Strain the ingredients into a well-chilled martini glass and drink up.

This post is part of a DailyBuzz Food Tastemaker program with Sweet’N Low.

The weather has been unbelievably cold and for me, that means something warm, something quick, and something close to the heart – crab and asparagus soup. We normally share this meal on special occasion since we rarely have family gathering.

Each year, when we get together for Christmas, Mom asks each one of her kids what we want to have on that day. Yeah, she tries to cook every meal on special occasion; and this soup is always listed on the menu. The fresh flavors of asparagus and crab definitely show a contrast in textures and something that can be enjoyed at anytime.

Crab and Asparagus Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 cups asparagus (combination of fresh asparagus and canned white asparagus)
• 1 tbs sesame oil
• 1 tbs chopped scallions
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 lb crabmeat, flaked
• 2-3 tbs light soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Optional: dark soy sauce and chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Rinse the spears and break off the tough ends from the fresh asparagus. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces and cook in boiled water until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Drain and rince under cold water and set aside.
2. In a saucepan, add the oil over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and cook until fragrant about 30 seconds.
3. Add the chicken broth, asparagus, crabmeat, and soy sauce. Bring to boil over high heat.
4. Add the egg , stirring constantly over high heat to form egg flowers.
5. Add the pepper and sprinkle with scallions.
6. Garnish with cilantro and dark soy sauce.

There is breakfast,  appetizers, snacks, side dishes, desserts, as well as drinks. Take a look what the team is bringing.

Breakfast
- Orange Refrigerator Rolls by The Wimpy Vegetarian
- Eggs Benedict by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Holiday Cream Cheese Tea Ring by That Skinny Chick can Bake
- Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake by Small Wallet Big Appetite

Appetizers & Snacks
- Chicken Liver Pate by Tora’s Real Food
- Bindaetteok {Mung Bean Pancakes}by Kimchi Mom
- Crab and Asparagus Soup by The Urban Mrs.
- Roasted Chestnuts by Curious Cuisiniere

Sides
- Potato Salad {Schwaebischer Kartoffelsalat} byGalactopdx
- Italian Orange Salad by Shockingly Delicious
- Sweet Potato Casserole by Magnolia Days
- Lightened up Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes by Real Nutrition
- Carrots au gratin by Juanitas Cocina

Main Dishes
- Char Siu Bao – Chinese Roast Pork Buns by
The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
- Christmas Eve Pizza & Martinis by The Webicurian
- Savory Crepe Cake by Vintage Kitchen Notes
- West Indian Curried Goat by The ROXX Box
- Pot Cheese and Potato Cheese Pierogies by
Cupcakes and Kale chips
- Seafood Gumbo and Grilled Oysters: A Louisiana Christmas
Tradition by the Catholic Foodie
- Mom’s Paella by What Smells So Good?
- Portuguese inspired Chorizo Crown Pork Roast by
The Family Foodie
- Dorie’s Chicken in a Pot by Gotta Get Baked
- New Year’s Eve Buckwheat Noodles with Mochi by The Ninja Baker
- Crab Cakes for Christmas Eve by Daddy Knows Less
- Mile High Lasagna by Cravings of a Lunatic
- Red Chile Pork Tamales by Home Cooking Memories

Desserts
- Pizzelles {Italian Wafer Cookies} by Chocolate Moosey
- Fudge by Dinner Dishes and Desserts
- Crescent Cookies by Cookistry
- Christmas Stollen by Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks
- #GlutenFree Cookies for Santa by The Cooking Underwriter
- Pfeffernusse by The Foodie Army Wife
- Creme De Menthe Cake by I Run for Wine
- Panettone Bread Pudding by the Country Girl in the Village
- Spiced Gingerbread Gooey Butter Cake | A twist on a St. Louis
Favorite by Daily Dish Recipes
- Chocolate Gingerbread Layer Cake with Eggnog Cream Cheese by
Crispy Bits and Burnt Ends
- Jamaican Christmas Pudding by Lovely Pantry
- White Chocolate Cranberry Santa Cookies by Mooshu Jenne
- Christmas Tree Cookies by Damn Delicious
- Old Fashioned Lady Fingers {Creamhorns} by The Meltaways
- Rose Milk Almond Falooda {Indian Dessert Drink} by
Sue’s  Nutrition Buzz

Drinks
- Wine Pairings by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
- Cinnamon Infused Hot Chocolate with Southern Comfort Whipped
Cream by Mama Mommy Mom
- Mint Chocolate Cocoa by Mama’s Blissful Bites

Today we are honoring the victims, families, and community of Newtown by doing a post in their honor. Cookies and Crafts for Sandy Hook will be one way we can show support in the aftermath of this unimaginable event. If you don’t have a blog, you can still participate by sharing something for Sandy Hook. Take a picture and post it on your Facebook wall, your Twitter feed, share on Instagram or your Google+ or wherever you can in order to unite us in our tribute.

Something people always think about in times like this is how they can help monetarily. After some searching Dorothy of  Crazy for Crust and Ashton from Something Swanky found the Newtown Youth and Family Serviceswebsite. According to their website, Newtown Youth and Family Services, Inc. is a “licensed, non-profit, mental health clinic and youth services bureau dedicated to helping children and families achieve their highest potential. NYFS provides programs, services, activities, counseling, support groups and education throughout the Greater Newtown area.” All donations made to them are going to go back to those affected by the school shooting. You can go to their website here to donate.

Many bloggers have Etsy shops or businesses and have expressed a desire to donate some profits from sales on Friday, December 21 to this organization or others to help the victims, their families, and the community. If you own a shop and would like to contribute some of your profits on Friday, December 21st, please add your link to the list on Dorothy’s Blog.

Let’s come together as a community, a country, a world this Friday. We can show our support for the victims of this through our words, our prayers, and our support. Thank you.

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
Courtesy of Duncan Hines

Servings: 24
Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 box Duncan Hines Red Velvet cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• Powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Combine one box of Duncan Hines Red Velvet cake mix, eggs and vegetable oil using a hand blender or wire whisk.
3. Form teaspoon size balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet or baking pan about 1″apart. Sligtly pat down the top of each ball.
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes (the top of the cookie will crack).
5. While hot, lightly sprinkle the top of the cookie with powdered sugar (optional).

Like many of you, Christmas means family to me. It’s time where we gather as one big family. Though we live in the same city, we rarely make time to get together; hence we tend to use Christmas or Chinese New Year as a family gathering. I’ve been thinking of what I’ll be serving during that time and I choose this dish as part of the appetizer. This persimmon dish is very light, comforting, fresh, and pretty much a good opening for your party. When I first tasted it, I fell in love with the combination of flavors – seriously, this feels holidays in your mouth!

Persimmon, Burrata, Pomegranate Carpaccio
Makes: 15 to 16 servings as an appetizer

Ingredients:

• 8 ripe fuyu persimmons
• 4 (4 oz pieces) burrata cheese (can substitute buffalo milk mozzarella)
• 2/3 cups toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
• ½ cup pomegranate arils (seeds)
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup aged balsamic vinegar
• Maldon sea salt or another good quality finishing salt

Directions:

1. With a small, sharp knife, trim the calyx 9stem piece) from the persimmon and discard it. Slive the persimmon into thin disks and remove any seeds, as necessary.
2. Tile the persimmons onto a serving plate and place the burrata in the middle.
3. Scatter the hazelnut and pomegranate seeds around the plate and drizzle persimmons with half of the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add a pinch of some good-quality finishing salt.
4. Just before eating, cut the burrata in half, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and serve.

I have the best security guy in the building. He’s super nice and knows every one of us. Well, it’s a small building with a lil’ bit over 100 people working here, but he knows most of us pretty well. When I first came to this building, he already knew that I would be working here and he showed me what’s good and bad in the neighborhood, the best way to spend lunch hour, and he even shared his biography.

What surprised me was when he handed each of us christmas card…on his behalf. That’s very sweet of him and definitely extra miles! To be honest, I rarely send out cards, and mostly Frederick handles this part. He diligently lists and writes personal message on each card, yeah, he’s very thoughful.

…and with the holidays around us, what is the best way other than sharing our own homemade edible gifts. So in return, I made this chocolate truffle with a combination of baileys and vodka. I used this recipe as the foundation and use dark chocolate instead of milk so the flavor is well-balanced.

Couple weeks ago I got a chance to meet Aida during her book tour, Keys to the Kitchen. I love her book tour concept because she shared a bit of her book and let us had fun in the kitchen so we got a chance to get dirty and met some new friends. It was so much fun, especially since the group was about 16-18 people so we had plenty of time to mingle and chit chat.

We were broken down into groups of five or six, and assigned to prepare different courses – appetizer to desserts. During the preparation, Aida and some friends showed us how to prep this and that. So yeah, it was fun, especially we got a chance to mingle and tasted what we made in the end.

My take was appetizers which was pretty easy and that way I could hop to the other team and help them. I really enjoyed this appetizer and it was so simple! So, if you’re hesitant to make a mess in the kitchen, you definitely should try this recipe. Please excuse all low res images since this was an impromptu event.

Prosciutto and Manchego Handrolls
Makes: 40-45 appetizers

Ingredients:

• ½ pound (8 oz) prosciutto, sliced paper thin
• 6 oz baby arugula, watercress, or other peppery green, washed and thoroughly dried
• 12 oz manchego or another aged sheep’s cheese, sliced paper thin
• 3 oz quince paste or fig jam

Directions:

1. To assemble, spread bresaola out on a clean work surface.
2. Place 3 pieces of peppery greens in the center of the piece, top with a very thin silver of cheese and a thin slice of quince paste or a dollop of fig jam. Roll each bresaola piece up into a cylinder (or cigar form) to enclose filling.
3. Place on a serving platter and repeat until all the bresaola is used up.
4. Tip: keep the serving platter in the refrigerator until you have assembled all the rolls so that they stay cool. This can be made up to 4 hours ahead and stored refrigerated in an airtight container.

Yesterday *sigh* we finally got a parking ticket. I know I sound like it is a big deal. It’s been years since we got our ticket so we were bummed when that happened. We went to a store nearby and parked for 20 minutes. The sign reads no need to pay for parking after 5.30pm and we got there 5.28pm. We came back around 5.50 and we found the parking ticket stamped at 5.47pm. We were so puzzled and the ticket actually did not come from the city, but the facility (we parked in a lot for bank that is also open for public). Oh well.

Well, speaking of holidays, have you planned anything yet? I am so excited that we’ll be going on a mini getaway. Not for too long, just 3 days and 2 night. It’s been a while since we went on a trip so I am looking forward to it. …these cranberry lime cookies. I love the combination so much, very refreshing with a twist of Summer. So, if you’re not into something too sweet like toffee chocolate chip, this is definitely for you!

Cranberry Lime Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plus 2 tbs flour
• 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, sliced and chilled
• ¼ cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• 1 tbs grated lime zest
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat to 300F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a food processor, mix the flour, baking powder, butter, vanilla, sugar and salt for 20 seconds. Add the grated lime zest, cranberries and pulse for about 20 seconds more.
2. Turn out the dough onto a work surface and make it into a smooth, compact ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 7-by-8-inch rectangle, about ¼ inch thick and make round shape using round cookie cutter. Prick each cookie 3 times with a fork.
3. Using a metal spatula, place the cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Bake until light golden-brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely; sprinkle with sugar.

Woohoo! I am super duper excited for this week’s Sunday Supper menu. After seeing cookies after cookies every day, I think we all deserve a little break…not from eating them, but from baking them. Today is my limit – I baked over 500 cookies of 4 different kinds and made chocolate truffle. Well the weather has been very very cold lately that I need to wear 4 layers when I go out. I literally was having problem to get the butter in room temperature. I definitely need an expert to share this. So what I did was get them into 1 container and left them in the bedroom and turned the heater on. I tried so many ways and that seemed to be the best so far, especially since my bed room is the only place where we turn on the heater.

Now let’s talk cocktails. As you can tell from the title, I love cookies-n-cream so much – from ice cream to cookies, I’m always down for anything that has swirl of chocolate and vanilla. So, when this idea was brought up, I definitely used this as my excuse to have my own little party!

Cookies-n-Cream Cocktails

Ingredients:

• 5 oz. Baileys Irish cream
• 1 oz vodka
• 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
• ½ cup ice cube
• 1/8 cup oreo
• Optional: Simple syrup and crushed oreo

Directions:

1. To create rim: dip the glass once in simple syrup without twisting to get proper coverage. Turn it upside down and dip it in the crushed oreo firmly, as if the glass rim has ink on it and you’re trying to stamp a perfect circle. Shake off the excess when you’re done.
2. In a blender, combine all the ingredients and enjoy!

Party Beverages

• Glühwein from Magnolia Days
• Cookies-n-Cream Cocktails from The Urban Mrs
• Cranberry Fizz from Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
• Rosemary Orange Punsch from Glactopdx
• Candy Cane Martini from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Raspberry Hot Chocolate from Momma’s Meals
• Chocolate Peppermint Eggnog from The Daily Dish Recipes
• Jamaican Sorrel from The Lovely Pantry
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate Spoons from Chocolate Moosey
• Gingerbread Hot Chocolate fromCravings of a Lunatic
• Homemade Eggnog fromFlour on my Face
• Moroccan Mint Tea from MarocMama
• Cherry Bomb fromNoshing with the Nolands
• Wassel from There And Back Again
• Cranberry Sparkler Mocktail fromCupcakes & Kale Chips
• Pomegranate Cosmo fromSupper For A Steal
• Poinsettia Mimosas from Big Bear’s Wife
• Caramel Apple Cider-tinis & Procrastination fromKelly Bakes
• Egg Cream for Adults from Fast Food to Fresh Food
• Mulled Wine: Spiked and Steamy from Daddy Knows Less
• Hot Chocolate Party fromPippi’s in the Kitchen Again
• Poinsettia Cocktails fromThe Catholic Foodie
• The Red Carpet Diva from Cooking Underwriter

Appetizers or Hors d’oeuvres

• Cheese Ball Wreath fromThe Meltaways
• Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tarts fromMy Catholic Kitchen
• Prosciutto Goat Cheese Rolls with Fig Preserves and Arugula from Shockingly Delicious
• Muenster and Spinach Pinwheels fromThat Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Drunk Moose Meatballs from The Foodie Army Wife
• Smoked Salmon Blinis with Cranberry-Spiced Feta from Chattering Kitchen
• Sticky Wholegrain Mustard & Ginger Cocktail Sausages from girlichef
• Potato Leek Soup fromWhat Smells So Good
• Firecracker Shrimp and Samosas fromCrispy Bits & Burnt Ends
• Cheesy Mushroom Pull Apart Bread fromSmall Wallet Big Appetite
• 5 Quick & Easy Appetizers for Your Holiday Party from Webicurean
• Bacon Peanut Caramel Corn from Gotta Get Baked
• Crostini topped with Voodoo Chicken Cream Dip from Country Girl in the Village
• Mushroom Strudel from Vintage Kitchen
• Roxanne’s Shrimp & Andouille Sausage Queso Dip from The ROXX Box
• Herbed Holiday Party Mix fromCurious Cuisiniere
• Old fashioned Swedish Meatballs from I Run For Wine
• Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Bites fromCindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Saucy Asian Meatballs fromDamn Delicious
• Baked Philo Appetizers fromMy Cute Bride
• Fried Green Beans with Wasabi Ranch fromJuanita’s Cocina
• Salsa Baked Cheese fromHome Cooking Memories
• Cookie Dough Dip fromThe Cookie-A-Day Challenge
• Parmesan Onion Rounds from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Lip-smacking Cranberry Cocktail Meatballs from In The Kitchen with KP
• Hot Spinach Parmesan Dip fromComfy Cuisine
• Indian Spiced Tuna Balls from Soni’s Food
• Onion marmalade with Bacon from Ruffles and Truffles
• Roasted Cranberry Beet Borsch Shooters from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Sweet Potato Dip from Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Festive Cucumber & Ginger Sushi Rolls from The Ninja Baker
• Baked Brie from Family Foodie

Can you believe all those goodies? I can’t wait for this party to start!

Do you have a favorite dish or beverage to take to a party?  Please join on us on Twitter throughout the day during#SundaySupper on December 16th.  In the evening we will meet at 3 pm AKST/7 pm EST for our #SundaySupper Party live chat.

All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat.

We’d also love to feature your recipe for holiday parties on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board to share them with all of our followers, too.