New Salon every Friday – and you’re invited
C’mon in and help yourself to tasty resources
Hosted by Barbara J Nosek
Cocktail Hour Buzz 
sundowner snacks, drinks, chat, and . . .
whenever I can, related resources & goodies on Amazon
whether for a crew, or for two, or just for you
{links within my items go to the sources shown in red – any links underneath items take you to Amazon unless otherwise indicated, and then only ones with the lock icon}
♦♦♦ This is like nachos and poutine meet up and party on a sheet pan. The basis is Disco Fries which first emerged along with the dance craze, reportedly in NJ as a fortifying dish that became
popular in late night diners serving folks who got up and boogied into the wee hours. This version starts with the classic trio of fries, cheese and gravy but then adds toppings. It’s called Breakfast Disco Fries because those toppings are bacon and fried eggs. Mine shown here has a somewhat simpler gravy, but still bacony and creamy and yum. For this
prep, a shoo-in for our end of the year fave list, and 20 others, thanks to . . . MyRecipes
I usually use a lot more gravy but wanted you to be able to see all the ingredients. Btw, I love poutine, making my version with tots or fries or diced baked potatoes, sharp cheddar, and beef gravy. And leftovers are almost always joined by fried or poached eggs.
Other Disco Fries recipes on Google ♦ Sheet pans in many styles
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♦♦♦ Chilled wine + hot day + patio = warm wine. Noooooo. Here’s a clever fix, though in some households it may elicit a chuckle and, Can’t work for us. The Secret to Chilling Wine Fast on Hot Days, According to a Winery Chef. Food and Wine
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♦♦♦ What I really like about these Best Easy Chicken Croquettes is that the celery, onion, and
poultry seasoning give the patties a flavorful stuffing vibe that’s a natural with the chicken. Part of the “easy” is that instead of having to cook up a roux as a thickener, you simply use some cream of chicken soup. Even better the rest of it forms the basis for the sauce. All very tasty. I made them them smaller than the prep specified so they would be a good fit for the snack table. AllRecipes
Chicken appetizer cookbooks, 4 stars & up
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♦♦♦ Well how fun is this, a conversation piece taking up residence right in your cocktail. Round ice cubes! 
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years, in the Southern states it’s been a staple for what is apparently 
forever. And while my experience came out of a jar, that would be a NO if you want to truly as they say, “Put some south in your mouth.” Talking here about 
as she used it, to stuff big burgers on the grill {recipe at link above}. Thanks Kardea! 
lie down, some make pockets for flatware, some hold place cards – one actually looks like an
envelope. And some look like something else entirely – fans, flowers, containers, a tie, tree, heart, placemat, centerpiece. All 27 become easy peasy with this demo, with mine here taking about a minute. 
Thanksgiving turkey napkin fold, securing the top with a yellow paper clip, the bottom with a key chain, and pulled the bottom folds back a bit to stabilize the fan {guessing Martha didn’t need these props but just in case like me, you do . . .}
bolillos instead of pizza dough. I first layered a mozzarella and cheddar mix, then some marinara along with garlic salt and Italian seasoning, then pepperoni, then topped with more cheese mix. Into the toaster
oven at 375 just until the cheese melted and the roll had crisped a bit. Check after 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile cook the eggs. For an evening version I used the same idea, just replacing the pepperoni with Italian sausage cooked with onion and green pepper, skipping the egg, and cutting into snack size pieces. Btw, used lots of cheese so they’re nice and sturdy{or, any excuse will do}. 
also a crowd filler which is to say it makes A LOT. But that can be quite
good news for the next morning and maybe even the next one after that. May we present Exhibits A & B. Topped with a poached egg. And, turned into extra flavorful potato pancakes, based on your own recipe or one of those in the link below. All you creative CS-ers will likely find other ways too, always ready to make leftovers sing a tasty new tune. 
prep shows a preference for the brand sitting right on my pantry shelf. So much good going on here. First, and as usual foremost, the taste is phenomenal, and would be even without the chocolate chips I added. Now just look at the photo and you can see how tender this is, the way it curves onto its platemate. And because it bakes in a 9×13, you can feed a lot or freeze a lot. 
breakfast vibe. Sort of like an early cocktail hour. And wowsie does this dish fit the bill. 
cream cheese layer and the flavor bombs that are cherries,
and it’s destined to be a crowd pleaser. And, yep, it’s big enough to serve a crowd too. As you can see, I used a rectangular pan instead of the springform, though. Great for breakfast of course, but add a big scoop of ice cream and it transforms right into dessert. You really do want to let it cool completely before removing it from the pan. 
fame. But here they’re joined by more good stuff – bacon, chives, parm and seasonings, cheese stuffing, sour cream topping. And it’s an easy prep. Ingredients that are few, familiar, likely already at hand. No complicated techniques. And a pan probably pretty much all of us already own. And by varying its platemates it can move from breakfast/brunch to lunch to dinner. Btw, also a great opp to use up leftover mashed. 
three pieces, each blended with food color, then formed into “balls” that are slightly flattened and baked. The finishing 
touch is a sprinkling of sanding sugar. “Fessing up, I did use refrigerated dough. Then, this Painted White Chocolate Bark comes not surprisingly from Trisha Yearwood who just excels at making food fun. The chocolate mingles with different colors of candy melting wafers, all merrily swirled together into these edible works of art. 
Loaded Vegetarian Nachos
like little snow balls, quick freeze, dip in melted chocolate, refrigerate, done. They are so, so, easy to make and that might be the bad news because, mercy, they are rich and even luxurious. And they’re fun, the round shape ready to become sports balls, funny heads, bling, and in fact star pastry chef Buddy Valastro turned them into pretty eyeballs. As an alternative, you can just pat the mixture into a pan and use the chocolate chips to make a ganache frosting, as seen here. Like the richest ever brownie. 
served cups of this chili gratis to their patrons. I don’t know the dates of operation for those establishments. The family was sort of vague about that. So, this was passed down to me by my Aunty Peggy who actually won a recipe contest with it conducted by the Chicago Tribune. I do like a bit more chili powder and a couple of tablespoons of cumin. And depending on the heat level in the chili beans, I may add some hot sauce. It’s even better with such toppings as cheddar, sour cream and a bit of green onion. 
pretty plate. It all began when I cam across this magnetic headline :
Lasagna Bites
tradition though with pretty much classic lasagna ingredients. It calls for ground turkey, but notes the original used
ground beef, and so did I. As you can see, its versatility carries it all over the hours. A great appetizer for sure. But also, send it morningside with a poached egg, so satisfying for breakfast or brunch. Add some sides and it moves right on in for lunch or dinner. 
with one layer that blends in melted chocolate chips & a second one of sweetened peanut butter, each separately whirled in the food processor till silky smooth. I did add a drizzle of melted chips, also cut the prep in half and used a deep dish pie plate. FYI, Amazon offers a ready-made chocolate peanut butter cheesecake, quite showy but also quite pricey. What you might find surprising though are all the other choc/pb items on the page including even coffee. 
from the same source. Hatch chilies also get in on the act, along with butter, veggies, aromatic seasonings and a full package of bacon. 
of Dijon. 
it’s time. The glorious mix of flavors in the filling is all wrapped up in thin slices of beef that simmer to fall-apart tenderness. 
Let’s Chat 
The title confection indeed is the catalyst in two sets of crossed paths – chef & boyfriend, chef & food critic – potentially closing one door and opening another. As with most romantic journeys, fictional and otherwise, there is a bump in the terrain but this one is more like a volcano, and that makes us gobble up the pages, anticipating that pivotal moment when it will inevitably erupt. It’s 4 1/2 stars on Amazon, multiple formats. 
sautéed in butter for breakfast, or joined by veggies for lunch or brunch.