1990′s Theme
The 1990′s is the Decade of Disasters because lots of disasters happened. The Y2K bug, the earthquakes, the Gulf War, etc. This is the Decade of Discovery. Scientists discovered how to clone animals, and they released the Hubble Telescope.
During the 1990′s, Billy Bush was a student at Colby College in Maine. I was inspired to do some New England style foods and a “White Mule” cocktail which is the mascot of Colby College. In 1998, Billy Bush married his lovely wife, Sydney.
Mini Lobster Roll
Ingredients:
hot dog buns
chives
premade deli lobster salad
Directions:
- Cut hot dog buns into thirds.
- Fill hot dog buns with lobster salad.
- Garnish with chopped chives.
Dirty Fries
Ingredients:
1 package frozen crinkles fries
Old Bay Seasoning
Tarter sauce
Directions:
- Sprinkle the fries with Old Bay Seasoning.
- Follow the instructions on the back of the package to bake the fries.
- Serve in paper cones.
- Cut a circle out of paper.
- Fold the circle into quarters.
- Cut one triangle out of the circle.
- Fold the circle, overlapping the edges a bit.
- Tape to close together.
- Serve with a dollop of tarter sauce.
Gazpacho with Guacamole and Crème Fraiche
Gazpacho
Ingredients:
6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 purple onion, finely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper (or green) seeded and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1-2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. sugar
6 or more drops of Tabasco sauce to taste
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 cups tomato juice
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients.
- Blend slightly to desired consistency.
- Place in non-metal, non-reactive storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, allowing flavors to blend.
Guacamole
Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
½ red onion, minced (about ½ cup)
1-2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced
2 tbsp. cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp. of fresh lime or lemon juice
½ tsp. coarse salt
a dash of freshly grated black pepper
½ ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
Directions:
- Cut avocados in half. Remove pit. Scoop out avocado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl.
- Using a fork, mash the avocado. Add the chopped onion, cilantro, lime or lemon, salt and pepper and mash some more. Chili peppers vary individually in their hotness, add the amount of your choice.
- Keep tomatoes separate until ready to serve.
- Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidations from the air reaching it.
- Refrigerate until ready.
- Just before serving, add the chopped tomato to the guacamole and mix.
To make Gazpacho with Guacamole and Crème Fraiche:
- Fill a votive holder 1/3 of the way.
- Garnish with a dollop of crème fraiche and guacamole.
White Mule Cocktail
Ingredients:
2 oz. vodka
1 oz. crème de cacao
light cream
Directions:
- Pour vodka and crème de cacao over ice cubes in an old-fashioned glass.
- Fill with light cream and serve.
1990′s Inspired Playlist
Here is a great playlist to bring your guests to the 1990′s.
- Mr. Jones – Counting Crows
- Hey Jealous – Gin Blossoms
- Sex and Candy – Marcy Playground
- Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Deep Blue Something
- Runaway Train – Soul Asylum
- All I want – A Day To Remember
- Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong - Spin Doctors
- Brick – Ben Folds Five
- Everything Falls Apart – Fee
- Lump – The Presidents of the United States of America
- Freshman – The Verve Pipe
- No Rain – Blind Melon
- Pets – Porno for Pyros
- Steal My Sunshine -Len
- Fade Into You – Mazzy Starr
- Mother Mother – Tracey Bonham
- Save Tonight – Eagle Eye Cherry
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
