Tips for Holiday Entertaining

For many people, entertaining family and friends for the holidays can be time consuming and very stressful. Trying to find food items that your guest will enjoy can be a difficult choice and quite honestly, often very boring. Sure I like a good dip with chips, deviled eggs, meatballs with a sauce etc. but why not create fairly simple dishes that will WOW your family and guests?

With that in mind, I decided to go to Spaggi’s in Upland and speak to Executive Chef Henry Gonzalez for some ideas on making foods that are gourmet restaurant quality that will not only WOW your guests, but will not overwhelm and stress you out, as well as making the dishes affordable for most peoples budget.

Before we see some examples of some of the delicious dishes that Chef Henry has for you, I thought that I would give you a little background of Chef Gonzalez. The Chef started his culinary Journey at age 9 when he helped his father cook at a restaurant his father worked at as a chef. He liked cooking so much, after graduating from high school; he enrolled in the Los Angeles Culinary Institute. After graduation, he became the Executive Chef at Rosa’s Fine Dining Italian Restaurant in Ontario and for the next 5 years, he not only honed his culinary skills, he dazzled the many loyal customers of this popular fine dining restaurant with his delicious and exciting dishes. Chef Henry then went to work at the historic Melvyns Restaurant at the Ingleside Inn in Palm Springs, and after a two year stay, Chef Henry worked at Wolfe’s Gourmet Market in Claremont where he was responsible for their upscale catering and take out menu items. After 7 years at Wolfe’s Market, he decided that it was time for him to open his own restaurant, so off he went to open Spaggi’s Restaurant in Upland..

Spaggi’s has been serving some outstanding classic and traditional regional Italian cuisine with “An innovative and modern approach”. Over the years, Spaggi’s has developed a devoted following of clients while his catering business increased each year. In response to his customers always asking him to teach them about cooking some of his marvelous dishes, Chef Henry offers cooking classes about eight times a year. Chef Gonzalez is very passionate about the quality of the food he serves as well as making sure each guest who dines at his restaurant or at one of his catered events has a memorable dining experience. He is active in supporting various community events with his food and time and remains one of the most distinguished chefs in the Inland Valley.

Now that we know a little bit about Chef Henry and Spaggi’s, let’s take a look at some of the important tips on entertaining and some of his recipes that have received raves over the years whenever he serves them.

Kris Kringle Martini
1 Martini Shaker
Ice
¼ Cup Cranberry or Pomegranate Juice
1/3 Cup Sweet Sparkling Wine or Champagne
(Recommend J. Fillipi Almond Sparkling Wine)
A Splash of Grenadine
A Splash of Soju Vodka
Flavored Sugar Rimmer or Regular Sugar-Mix all ingredients together in shaker with ice
-Pour into sugar rimmed martini glass, garnish with red or green maraschino cherry

Asiago Potato Appetizer
10 Medium Size Red Potatoes, poached and cut in half
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
½ cup Asiago Cheese
½ Bunch of Baby Chives, finely julienned
Tiny Pinch of White PepperDirections:
Start by poaching potatoes or boiling them for 10-12 minutes. Run over cold water, and cut in half. Using a melon-ball scooper; scoop out the center of the potatoes. Blend together with mayonnaise, Asiago cheese, baby chives and white pepper. Place mixture in a pastry bag and fill the potatoes with filling.

Place on a cookie sheet and cook at 375º or until golden brown, about 8-14 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Fig & Bacon Crostini Appetizer
1 French baguette bread
6 oz. fresh goat cheese
4 slices cooked & fine diced bacon
4 fresh figs, if not available then dried is acceptable
2 oz olive oil
1 pinch of kosher salt
1 pinch of white pepper
1 oz honeyDirections:
Slice bread to a little less then ½ inch, and then drizzle the olive oil and season with kosher salt and white pepper. Put bread in the oven until lightly toasted. Allow bread to cool and place a piece of goat cheese, then place the sliced fig on top. Using a lemon zester, put some lemon zest and lime over the figs. Finish it off with a drizzle of honey on top of the bacon and figs to add a little sweetness.

Bacon Wrapped Scallops or Shrimp-Entrée or Small Appetizers
12 scallops or jumbo shrimp
6 pieces of apple wood smoked bacon
½ oz olive oil
½ tbsp butter
1 pinch of kosher salt
1 pinch of white pepper
1 oz shot of brandy or cognac
2 oz of vegetable broth or white wine
8 oz cleaned snap peas
1/3 cup sliced mushroomsDirections:
Wrap bacon around scallop and push toothpick through to hold everything together. Place scallops and olive oil in a pre-heated braising pan. Braise both sides and then put in the oven at 350 for 8-10 minutes removing any excess bacon fat.

Sautee the snap peas and mushrooms. Taking the pan away from the open flame add cognac and then put back on stove. Allow the alcohol to burn off and add the vegetable broth or white wine. Allow the mixture to reduce and add butte once the liquid has reduced down. Place the snap peas on each plate. Remove the toothpick from the scallops or jumbo shrimp and place them on top of the snap peas. Drizzle the sauce around the scallops to keep the crunchy texture and for eye appeal.

Crème Brule-Dessert
15 Egg Yolks
½ cup Raw Sugar
2 cups Heavy Cream
½ Vanilla Bean, sliced long ways
Zest of 1 Lime
Zest of 1 OrangeDirections:
In a sauce pan, heat up the cream and place the vanilla bean in the cream. Add the zest from the orange and lime. Bring to a simmer.

In a Medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and raw sugar. Temper the eggs by adding a little bit of the cream mixture to it. Then mix in the remainder of the cream mixture.

Divide the custard between 5oz oven proof forms, such as soufflé cups or Ramekins. Be sure to fill the forms to the top because the custard will settle after cooked. Place the forms in Hotel Pans or any suitable pan and fill half way with hot water.

Bake at 310 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until custard sets. Remove from water bath and let them cool slightly before placing them in the refrigerator.

Sprinkle enough raw sugar on top of each cup to lightly cover. Caramelize the sugar in a broiler or Salamander and place the form on a dessert plate lined with a doily

I hope you enjoy these delightful treats. Remember, it’s all about having fun and making your guests feel special.