Today is the 5th day of Julia Child Week at Foodista! There are so many delicious recipes, we really could go on for months! Looking through Julia Child’s recipes and watching her episodes, it’s clear to me that she wanted to take the fear and intimidation out of cooking. Her explanations are clear and well described. She offers excellent substitutions and make-ahead suggestions to help the busy cook. I can imagine hundreds of women watching Julia effortlessly create Caneton a’ l’ Orange or cook live lobsters like it was an every day occurrence and surely thinking to themselves okay, I can handle this, or at least some of it!

Cooking can be incredibly nerve racking and awkward when you are first starting out, but instead of tackling live lobsters or roasting whole ducks right off the bat, Julia has several other recipes that are far less intimidating to start out with. For example, nothing could be more simple than making Julia’s Roquefort cheese balls. Elegant, rich and delicious, especially paired with a nice red wine, it’s a recipe that is perfect for a potluck or a party, and although easy to make, they look and taste like you slaved half your day in the kitchen!

Bon Appetite!

Other inspirational recipes for Roquefort cheese appetizers you may be interested in trying:

A Roquefort cheese roll by Homesick Texan, a leek and Roquefort tart from Too Many Chefs or some Roquefort and wine pairing tips from Rhino Wino with a scrumptious recipe for Roquefort gougeres.

Photo by Kaytethinks

Possibly Related Posts:

• Friday Fun Links
• Young Winos
• What do vampires eat?
• What Celebrity Chefs Are Making for Thanksgiving
• 5 Food Games to Help Burn Off The Turkey

I love hosting cocktail parties, and the best advice I was given from a catering master for hosting such parties was this: make half of your hors d’oeuvres and buy half. Brilliant! All too often we get caught up in elaborate menus and are exhausted by the time the guests arrive. It’s really not pretty answering the door when you’re all sweaty.

One of the things I love to make, but one would think was purchased from some fine delicatessen, is a creamy delicious pâté. Over the holidays Barnaby created a chicken liver pâté that proved at more than one party to be a crowd pleaser. In fact, among the spread of hors d’oeuvres his pâté clearly stood out as the gold winner, and best of all it was inexpensive to make and took only a few minutes.

Easy Crowd Pleaser Pâté

1 pound chicken livers
1 small yellow onion, sliced
Olive oil
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup heavy cream
Sel gris for garnish

Heat about one tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and cook onions until soft. Add chicken livers and sauté until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add brandy and simmer until alcohol has cooked off. Toss into a blender and blend on high. Periodically stop the blender and push down larger pieces with a wooden spoon to incorporate. Add cream and continue to blend until smooth. Place a mesh sieve over a bowl. Transfer mixture to the sieve and press through with a silicone spatula to remove any unsmooth pieces. Spoon pâté into one serving bowl or a few small ones, and smooth out the top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 20 minutes.

Garnish with a sprinkle of sel gris or other fine salt. Excellent served with cornichon, Dijon mustard and a grainy mustard on the side.

Possibly Related Posts:

• What do vampires eat?
• The Great Stuffing Debate!
• Wine from Scratch: Wine in the Kitchen
• 5 Food Games to Help Burn Off The Turkey
• Tonight Chef and Mixologist Kathy Casey at Nightschool