Synopses & Reviews
Have you ever accompanied an evening of game-playing with a bowl of salty chips or slabs of pizza? If so, you know that greasy fingers can be a distraction, with players interrupting the game to grab napkins or even lick their fingers—immediately before grabbing the communal spinner.
Gourmet Game Night has the solution: instead of relying on conventional convenience snacks and standbys, you’ve got imaginative, homemade options; instead of greasy hands and game pieces, you’ve got mess-free, bite-sized snacks.
Cookbook writer, magazine contributor, and culinary blogger Cynthia Nims offers inventive alternatives that make hands-clean dining easy, including:
• Edible wrappers around savory centers (Shrimp Cakes in Shiso Leaves, page 66)
• Bite-sized versions of unwieldy classics for easy grabbing between moves (Caesar Dip with Big Croutons and Romaine, page 18)
• Edible bases to support tender ingredients (Tuna Tartare on Daikon Slices, page 58)
• Innovative mini containers such as shot glasses for liquid fare (Chilled Avocado Soup with Roasted Poblano Cream, page 112)
• Neat sweet treats paired with gooey dippers (Brown Butter Pound Cake with Caramel Dip, page 34)
• And of course, party-friendly drinks poured by the pitcherful (Pomegranate-Mint Fizz, page 138)
Cynthia Nims’s creative and contemporary recipes will liven up any event where free hands are of the essence, whether you’re gathering friends for a poker night, rolling those dice for a board-game party, spicing up your bridge club, planning a family Scrabble tournament, or impressing your book club or knitting group! Indeed, Gourmet Game Night proves that you don’t need a fancy night on the town to have fun; instead, gather your friends for satisfying small bites—and hopefully a winning streak—at home.
Synopsis
Cookbook writer, magazine contributor, and culinary blogger Nims offers inventive alternatives that make hands-clean dining easy. With these recipes, readers will be ready to play games and snack without the mess.
About the Author
Cynthia Nims studied at La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine and assisted owner Anne Willan with various cookbook projects. She has authored or coauthored twelve cookbooks, including Memorable Recipes, Rover’s, and the Northwest Homegrown Cookbook series. Cynthia has been editor of Simply Seafood magazine and food editor for Seattle Magazine. She contributes to Cooking Light, Coastal Living, and Sunset. Cynthia and her husband live in a house with a game-lover’s basement in Seattle, Washington.
Table of Contents
Contentsx Acknowledgments
1 Introduction
3 Getting Game
5 About the Recipes
7 The Essentials
8 Basic Techniques
10 Serving Tips
11 Menu Planning
Dips and Spreads
18 Caesar Dip with Big Croutons and Romaine
19 Edamame Purée in Cherry Tomatoes
20 Crostini with Wild Mushroom Tapenade
22 Oven-Baked Potato Chips with Onion Dip
24 Radishes with a Trio of Dips
27 Homemade Pretzel Sticks with Three Mustards
29 Crostini with Chicken Liver Mousse and Kumquats
30 Green Pea and Mint Spread with Crispy Pancetta
32 Individual Cheese Fondues with Apples and Ham
34 Brown Butter Pound Cake with Caramel Dip
36 Personal Chocolate-Port Fondues
Skewers and Picks
39 Pickled Grape and Blue Cheese Skewers
40 Grilled Garlicky Mushrooms
41 Wasabi Pea–Crusted Tuna
42 Pork Saltimbocca
43 Herb-Marinated Shrimp
45 Swordfish and Fennel Skewers
46 Spicy Meatballs with Yogurt-Cucumber Dip
48 Lamb and Olive Kebabs
49 Peppered Steak with Balsamic Red Onions
50 Beef Yakitori
52 Mole Flank Steak with Pickled Peppers
All-Edibles
55 Aged Cheddar with Dried Cherry–Almond Chutney
56 Artichoke-Stuffed Mushrooms
57 Mini Tostadas with Cumin Black Beans
58 Tuna Tartare on Daikon Slices
59 Herbed Biscuits with Smoked Salmon
60 Salmon Poke in Endive Leaves
62 Polenta Squares with Spicy Sausage and Spinach
64 Stuffed Large Pasta Shells with Kale-Ricotta Filling
65 Baby Baja Tacos
66 Shrimp Cakes in Shiso Leaves
68 Roasted Red Potatoes with Bacon-Chive Crème Fraîche
69 Meringues with Fresh Berry Filling
70 Orange Tuile Cones with Cassata Filling
72 Mocha Cheesecake Bars
73 Cinnamon Meringues with Chocolate Mousse
Sandwiches
76 Petits Croque Monsieurs
77 Chicken Salad Sandwiches with Orange and Walnuts
78 Itty Bitty BLTs
80 Pimento Cheese Tower Sandwiches
81 Pork Tenderloin with Rhubarb Chutney
83 Lamb Burgers with Feta
84 Walnut Sablés with Maple-Walnut Cream
86 PB&J Blondie Bites
89 Ice Cream Sandwiches
91 Banana Bread with Hazelnut–Cream Cheese Filling
Pastries
95 Almost Bite-Sized Pizzas
97 Olive and Cheese Crackers
98 Roasted Fennel Focaccia with Pecorino
100 Beef Empanadas with Black Beans and Jalapeño
102 Mushroom and Goat Cheese Tartlets
103 Empanadas with Chicken and Walnut
105 Chocolate Tartlets with Brandy Cream
106 Nutella and Banana Galettes
108 Raspberry and Cream Cheese Turnovers
Small Dishes
110 Cumin Spiced Nuts
111 Sage Popcorn
112 Chilled Avocado Soup with Roasted Poblano Cream
114 Green Gazpacho
115 Lentil and Carrot Soup with Cilantro Purée
116 Celery, Radish, and Parsley Salad with Lemon Dressing
118 Fennel and Corn Salad
119 Baked Clams with Smoked Paprika
121 Curried Coconut Soup with Shrimp
122 Masala Crab Salad with Mango
124 Mini Shepherd’s Pies
126 Kir Royale Floats
127 Butterscotch Panna Cotta
128 Coconut–Star Anise Rice Pudding
Drinks
130 Manhattans with Spiced Cherries
131 Fresh Greyhounds
132 Rosemary Martinis
134 Lava Lounge Punch
136 Strawberry-Ginger Champagne Cocktails
137 Bloody Marys with Fresh Horseradish
138 Pomegranate-Mint Fizz
140 Key Lime Gimlet Cocktails
141 Orange Negronis
142 Watermelon-Rosé Sangria
143 Mocha Almond Java
144 Appendix: Game Stores
146 Index