1970′s Theme
The 1970′s have been known as The Disco Decade, the decade of peace signs and flower power! The Vietnam War dragged on into the seventies and war protests continued. However, on April 30th, 1975, the longest war in American history ended. Inflation and unemployment soared the later part of this decade. This decade is remembered for the Watergate Scandal and Vietnam War. The nation was desperate to find a leader to give confidence back to the people. It was a decade of hope and dreams!
During this time, Billy Bush was born on October 13th, 1971. During this time Billy was living in New York. His mother cooked dinner every night, so I was inspired to do some of the classic homemade dishes, Chicken Pot Pie and Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes, his mother served with a fun twist of making everything miniature. During the 70′s, the Creamsicle was a huge fad, so I used that to inspire the 70′s cocktail.
Mini Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
Meat Loaf
Ingredients:
1 ½ cup finely chopped onion
1 celery rib, chopped fine
1 carrot, chopped fine
1 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ cup Ketchup
1 ½ pounds of ground chuck
¾ pound of ground pork or veal
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 large eggs, beaten slightly
¼ cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Directions:
- Preheat over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- In a large heavy skillet cook the onion, garlic, celery rib, carrot in butter over medium heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Cover the skillet and stir occasionally until the carrots are tender, about 5 more minutes. Stir in salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and ¼ cup Ketchup. Cook for 1 more minute.
- In a large bowl, combine the meats, eggs, vegetables, breadcrumbs, and parsley. Scoop the mix into mini loaf pans, top off with Ketchup and bake for 45-60 minutes.
Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
2 lb. baking potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 tbsp. butter
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes; drain.
- In a small saucepan heat butter and milk over low heat until butter is melted. Using a potato masher or electric beater, slowly blend milk mixture into potatoes until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To Make the Meat Loaf and Mashed Potatoes:
- Slice the mini meat loaf into halves.
- Top with a dollop of mashed potatoes
- Sprinkle with chopped chives
Mini Chicken Pot Pies
Ingredients:
3 cans Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup
2 packages of Grand Biscuits
2 9 inch unbaked pie crusts
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
- Using a mini muffin pan, fill the pans with unbaked piecrusts for 10 minutes.
- After allowing the pie crusts to cool for a few minutes, scoop the cream of chicken soup onto the baked piecrusts.
- Top with biscuit dough sealing the edges.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Personal Crudities
Ingredients:
Ranch Dressing
Carrots
Blanched Asparagus
Red Peppers
Directions:
- Using small votive candle holders, fill 1/3 of the way.
- Cut the carrots, blanched asparagus and red peppers into bite sized sticks.
- Fill the votive with the veggie sticks and serve.
Creamsicle Cocktail
Ingredients:
1 oz. vanilla vodka
½ oz. triple sec
orange juice
half and half
Directions:
- Pour the vodka and triple sec into a mixing glass filled with ice.
- Fill with equal parts of orange juice and half and half.
- Shake well.
Strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice.
1970′s Inspired Playlists
Here is a great playlist to get your party guests enthralled into the 1970′s.
- Disco Inferno – The Trammps
- The Hustle – Van McCoy
- Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees
- Shake Your Booty – The Hit Crew
- Bad Girls – Donna Summer
- Ladies Night – Kool & The Gang
- Turn the Beat Around – Vicki Sue Robinson
- Le Freak – Chick
- Don’t Leave Me This Way - Thelma Houston
- Knock on Wood –Amii Stewart
- If I Can’t Have You – Yvonne Elliman
- Hustle It – The Hit Crew
- Burn Baby Burn –Disco Inferno
- Rock Freak – GQ
- Toot Toot Beep Beep – Donna Summer
- Do the Boogie – FatBack
- Shake, Shake, Shake – KC & The Sunshine Band
2000′s Theme
The 2000′s were the age of technology and economic growth lifting millions out of poverty.
During the decade of 2000′s, Billy Bush is all grown up and living and working in LA. During this time, he and his wife, Sydney welcomed their three daughters into the world. Billy was also the host of Lets Make a Deal and Numerous Miss America and Miss Universe pageants during this time. During the 2000′s Billy became the host of Access Hollywood. Billy’s favorite restaurant in NYC is an Italian restaurant and loves to savor red wine.
Creaser Salad on a Skewer
Ingredients:
Romaine lettuce
Grape tomatoes
Parmesan cheese, cubed
Croutons
Caesar dressing
Directions:
- Using a small skewer, slide on the romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese cube, crouton, and grape tomato.
- Drizzle with Caesar dressing and serve.
Bruschetta
Ingredients:
6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 ½ lbs.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread
¼ cup olive oil
Directions:
- Prepare the tomatoes first. Parboil the tomatoes for one minute in boiling water that has just been removed from the burner and drain.
- Using a sharp small knife, remove the skins of the tomatoes and cut the tomatoes, remove the seeds and juice from their centers.
- Make sure there is a top rack in place in your oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- While the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes finely. Put the tomatoes, garlic, 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Slice baguette on a diagonal about ½ inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush. Place on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. Toast for 5-6 minutes or until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.
- Align the bread on a serving platter, olive oil side up.
- Either place the tomato topping in a bowl separately with a spoon for people to serve themselves over the bread or place some topping on each slice of bread and serve.
Shrimp Risotto served on an Asian Spoon
Ingredients:
1 cup risotto rice
3 tbsp. butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc)
8 oz. clam juice or fresh seafood stock
2 cups of the smallest pink shrimp you can find
1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
salt
Directions:
- Add the clam juice to 4 cups of water in a pot, heat until steamy. Do not let it boil.
- In a separate pot (thick-bottomed), heat 2 tbsp butter over medium heat, and sauté the minced shallot for 2-3 minutes, until translucent.
- Add the rice to the pot. Stir-fry the rice for 2-3 minutes, until all the grains are well coated in butter and are beginning to toast.
- Increase the heat to high and add the white wine.
- With a wooden spoon, stir the rice vigorously. Once the wine boils, turn the heat down until the wine is just simmering gently. Stir almost constantly. You are doing this to agitate the rice, which releases its starch and creates the creamy sauce you want in a risotto.
- When the wine is almost cooked away – under no circumstances should you let the rice sizzle on the bottom of the pot – pour in two ladles of the hot clam broth-water mixture. Stir well to combine, and add a healthy pinch of salt.
- Stirring almost constantly, let this liquid reduce until it is almost gone, then add another ladle of broth. Continue this until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Take the spoon to see if it needs more salt, if so, add a small pinch.
- Now add in the shrimp, parsley, and the remaining tablespoon of butter. Stir constantly until this last cup of broth is about half gone: Remember you want this risotto to be loose and creamy.
- Right before you serve, add lemon zest and serve at once. Best served with bowls and spoons rather than plates and forks.
Red Wine
Barbera d‘afti Wine
2000′s Inspired Playlist
Here is a great playlist to allow your guests a taste of the new decade.
- Black Eyed Peas – Let’s Get It Started
- Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out of My Head
- Avril Lavigne – Complicated
- Nickelback – How You Remind Me
- Nelly – Hot In Herre (Clean)
- Sean Paul – Get Busy
- Gorillaz – Feel Good Inc
- Dirty Vegas – Days Go By
- K-Os – Crabbuckit
- David Usher – Black Black Heart 2.0
- Len – Steal My Sunshine
- TLC – No Scrubs
- Snow – Everybody Want To Be Like You (Edit)
- Usher – U Got It Bad
- Coldplay – Yellow
- Norah Jones – Don’t Know Why
