To get the fiesta started, invest in some small plates. Modern white plates feel springy and fresh against the rich dishes, but I love the idea of using traditional terra-cotta dishware, too, for a touch of undeniable authenticity. Keep in mind when writing your guest list and buying ingredients that each recipe is meant to be shared, so to keep everyone satisfied, I’d suggest offering up to six dishes per person.

To help you kick off your planning, we’ve snagged a recipe from Ken Oringer’s much-adored Boston tapas spot, Toro: the classic and ever-popular gambas al ajillo (grilled garlic shrimp with chilies).

Gambas al Ajillo
Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients

• 20 medium shrimp, peeled & deveined
• 3 shallots, thinly sliced
• 10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 4 cups white wine
• 3 dried cascabel chilies, stems & seeds removed
• 4 cups lobster stock
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Canola oil, to grease the pan
• Chili threads, for garnish

 
Instructions

1. Combine shallots, garlic, and white wine in heavy-bottomed stockpot. Reduce over medium-high heat until almost all of the wine has evaporated.
2. Add chilies and lobster stock and reduce by three quarters. Let cool slightly, then put contents of pot into blender.
3. Blend on high until smooth. Add lemon juice and slowly incorporate softened butter while blender is running. Taste sauce and add salt if needed. Keep lobster sauce warm, but not on direct heat.
4. Place heavy cast-iron pan over high heat with a thin layer of canola oil until very hot. Season shrimp with salt and pepper and add to pan without overcrowding.
5. Cook for 1 – 2 minutes per side and transfer to a mixing bowl. Toss with lobster sauce, then plate, garnish with chili threads, and serve.

 
Along with the shrimp, try a menu including chicken-stuffed avocado, seared chorizo, fried chickpeas, and sautéed vegetables for a variety of delicious flavors. And of course, don’t forget to embrace Spanish tradition with a batch of springtime sangria.

Our The Professional Kitchen: Stainless Steel Cookware, Spotlight On: White & Wood Serveware, and Prep Like a Pro: Cutlery & Kitchen Gadgets Boutiques open Wednesday, April 3, at 3PM ET.

By Jess Huckins, Staff Writer

Have a question about party hosting or food prep? Comment below or tweet us at @ruelala, then check back every Wednesday for more on Food & Entertaining.

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1. DustJacket Attic
So many beautiful photos and images – we don’t even know where to begin. Inspiration definitely starts here.

2. Roost
Combining delicious recipes with artful photography, this blog has us wasting away hours. (Sorry, boss.)

3. The Forest Feast
A New York food photographer moves to a cabin in California… and we’re obsessed with her fresh recipes and food styling.

4. Note to Self
A combination of fashion, food, and inspiring quotes, all created in perfectly pinnable designs.

Who are we missing? Tell us on Twitter at @ruelala #bloggerswelove. 

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The latke. (Or, if you must, the “potato pancake.”) It’s the ultimate Hanukkah comfort food, and everyone has their very own “best” way of making it. Here, peep how we whip up this savory holiday treat in the Berliner household (then replicate with abandon). From my family to yours, enjoy.

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients

6 potatoes (I swapped a white potato for a sweet potato, but don’t tell latke traditionalists)
2 large eggs, well-beaten
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
Oil for frying

Directions
1. Peel and coarsely grate potatoes, then throughly press all liquid out of them.
2. Toss all ingredients together, and refrigerate to keep cold.
3. Heat oil on medium-high in a frying pan, then add batter by spoon to oil without crowding. Gently flatten with a spatula.
4. When latkes are crisp and brown on both sides, remove and drain on paper towels.
5. Reheat in oven just before serving, if necessary.
6. Serve with sour cream, applesauce, or both. Tip: make your own applesauce. It makes all the difference. (This recipe is to die for.)

By Joanna Berliner, Editor 

Have a favorite holiday recipe? Share it in the comments below, or tweet us at @ruelala.

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Turkey, cranberry sauce, basic stuffing, mashed potatoes. If eating the same thing every year (no matter how tantalizing the tastes) sometimes gets you down, try adding a new dish to your Thanksgiving spread. One or more of these scrumptious sides – straight from our tables to yours – could be the answer. Just click on the titles below for printable cards to add to your recipe box.

Serve in contrasting-colored dishes – orange-hued stuffing in a turquoise bowl, for example, or nice, dark green beans on a bright red platter – for a table that’s as attractive as it is delicious.

Chorizo Corn Bread Stuffing
Makes 4 – 6 servings
“This sweet, savory, and spicy take on stuffing is a hit year after year. Use organic or all-natural sausage to boost the health factor – and the flavor.”

Ingredients
1 pound hard chorizo, diced
1 white onion, diced
1 large carrot, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 cups corn bread, crumbled
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions
1. Cook chorizo in a skillet over medium heat, about 5 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
3. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to the chorizo and cook until the vegetables have caramelized, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the corn bread, chicken stock, and cilantro. Mix until the bread is just coated – not too dry, not too wet.
5. Transfer to a buttered casserole dish and bake until heated through and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

Firemen’s Potatoes (Potatoes au Gratin)
 “Remember to place the baking dish on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Otherwise, expect voluminous amounts of smoke and a visit from the fire department – hence the name. Despite that one incident, this rich, creamy dish has become a holiday favorite.”

Classic Baked Acorn Squash
 “Variations on this recipe call for adding sausage, bacon, pecans, or cheese, or using amaretto or molasses rather than sugar. Modify to suit to your tastes!”

Tarragon-Almond Green Beans
 “The balsamic tang mixed with the crispness of the almonds makes this dish a Thanksgiving go-to.”

Apple Cake
 “It’s not a side dish, it’s a dessert, but it’s easy + great for Thanksgiving – and for breakfast the next day, too.”

By Jess Huckins, Staff Writer

Do you have a cherished Thanksgiving recipe? Share it in the comments below or tweet us at @ruelala.

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Sweet Salad
Remember Waldorf salad? This easy-to-prepare candy bar apple salad has the same idea – luscious flavors doused in a creamy dressing. Rather than the Waldorf’s classic combination of grapes, walnuts, and marshmallows, this one uses apples, SNICKERS®, and vanilla pudding to create a caramel apple–flavored treat.

Substitute with abandon to suit your tastes (or your pantry). Some suggestions include using a mixture of SNICKERS and HEATH Toffee Bars, pears rather than apples, and different flavored puddings.

Delicious Drinks
When your little monsters return home with bags stuffed full of colored candies, look no further than Skittles®-infused vodka. With each flavor individually bottled and ready to drink, you won’t have to search for a sweet end-of-day treat. But if chocolate and peanut butter is more your style (or you’re only in the mood for a quick nip), try a peanut butter cup martini.

Bite-Sized Baking
No matter your preferred taste – sweet or salty, nuts or toffee – trick-or-treat bags are sure to offer a complement to every craving. Use sugar-loaded confections to create candy-recycler blondies, Halloween candy cookies, white chocolate candy corn cookie bars, peanut butter and toffee candy bark, or frozen peanut butter cup banana pops (the fruit makes them healthier, right?). With these desserts on hand, you’ll wish All Hallows’ Eve came around more than once a year.

By Jess Huckins, Staff Writer

Have any Halloween-inspired treats made it into your recipe box? Share them in the comments below or tweet us at @ruelala.

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Here are two ways to create flavor combinations that will entice banana lovers and tolerators alike.

Core Ingredients
2 bananas, frozen with peels on for about 15 minutes (they should have some give when you squeeze them, but still retain that frozen consistency)
Honey, to taste

Batch 1 (for banana tolerators, or fans of sweets)
Also add peanut butter, NUTELLA®, and chocolate chips, to taste

Batch 2 (for banana lovers, or those who prefer simpler flavors)
Also add peanut butter, to taste

Feel free to create additional flavors by adding pumpkin puree, nuts, strawberries – whatever you want.

Directions
1. Peel the bananas, using a sharp knife to cut off the ends and slice through the frozen peel.
2. Cut each banana into thirds and place in the blender or food processor.
3. Add the honey and blend until the mixture has the consistency of ice cream. If needed, scrape the sides of the blender or food processor with a spoon, then blend again. Add in any other ingredients and blend once more.
4. Scoop into bowls immediately, or place in the freezer until chilled to your liking.

Makes approximately two servings.

By Jess Huckins, Staff Writer

What’s your favorite healthy treat? Let us know in the comments below, or tweet us @ruelala.

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By Emily Gibbons of LuckyLittleLove.com, Staff Writer

Have a favorite Halloween recipe? Share it in the comments below or tweet us @ruelala. 

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In honor of my three favorite Food Network chefs (who doesn’t love Rachael Ray, Mario Batali, and Wolfgang Puck?), I’m sharing a mouthwatering recipe from each that I can actually pull off – which means pretty much anyone can. Bon appétit!

I’m a huge fan of Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals and just about every kind of wine, so this Drunken Spaghetti recipe is right up my alley.

Spicy grilled pineapple salsa? Just pass the whole bag of tortillas. It’s dishes like this that actually get me excited for Monday Night Football.

Everyone should have a good eggplant parm recipe up their sleeve, and this one by Mario Batali is how I wow the parents when they come to visit.

Our Five-Star Kitchen: Chef-Selected Cookware Boutique opens Friday, October 19, at 11AM ET.

By Keriann Coffey, Associate Blog Editor

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Nothing’s better on a crisp fall morning than curling up in your comforter and having breakfast in bed. Whether it’s waffles doused in maple syrup or pancakes with a chocolate chip smile, it’s this kind of home cooking that always starts the day off right. Check out these sweet recipes, then treat someone you love (or, yourself) to a tasty, home-cooked wake-up call.

Give kids a spooky breakfast with mummy sausages that just scream Halloween.

Not a morning person? These sticky buns are sure to rouse even the latest sleepers. Trust me, with this much gooey goodness they’ll have to get up.

These crispy, warm popovers (topped with a little jam, of course) are sure to please every overnight guest.

And lastly – well, this isn’t actually a recipe, but who can resist crazy pancake faces?

Our Sundays in the Kitchen: Comfort Food Essentials Boutique opens Friday, October 12, at 11AM ET.

By Keriann Coffey, Associate Blog Editor

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Photo Courtesy of Bakerella

Sure, we’d love first-row seats at New York Fashion Week, but let’s be honest, it’s not always in the cards. The next best thing in my book? Cookies. And not just any cookies, I’m talking NYFW-worthy morsels.

Simply take your favorite peanut butter cookie recipe, follow the steps here, and add chocolate. Good taste with conversation-starting design? It’s a guaranteed win-win at every party.

By Melissa Mann, Staff Writer

Have a fashion-forward recipe of your own? Share it in the comments below or Tweet us @ruelala.

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