A Rachael Ray Dinner
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Hosts: John & Robin Wentz; David & Cheryl Rindfleisch

You know her, and you love her. Rachael Ray has become as ubiquitous as hamburgers. Her personal lingo has worked it's way into everyday English - we all know what EVOO means. Whether it's 30 Minute Meals, $40 a Day, Tasty Travels, or The Rachael Ray Show - she makes gourmet food accessible for everyone.

We pay homage to this "Everyday Julia Child" with our February Gathering. You get the chance to whip up your favorite Rachael Ray recipe and make everyone else say, "Oh, my gravy!"

Just in case you've been living under a rock and don't know any Rachael Ray recipes, you can find quite a few at this Food Network link .

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Siesta Key Beach Party
Saturday, March 8, 2008

We're having an old-fashioned beach barbeque at the Siesta Key Beach Pavilion. Bring your grills, your favorite dishes and your appetite! This is our quarterly Gathering with everyone at one location, so make sure you are there. It's a casual evening of beach food and beach fun. Come, join the Gourmets you don't get a chance to see every month.

There will be a $5 charge per person to cover the rental of the pavilion. 

Also, bring your favorite libation, but remember -  the Parks Department doesn't allow glass bottles.

Recipes
    Jerk Chicken
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TexMex
April 19, 2008
Hosts: Warren & Jan Witte, Bonni Brown

Get ready for a hot time with Get Together Gourmets! This month we celebrate all things spicy with our TexMex theme - just in time for Cinco de Mayo. Dust off your favorite recipes from south of the border and plan on attending this monthly Gathering. Sign up for your favorite dish and grab your favorite bottle of wine, Mexican beer, or other thirst-quenching libation. With this four-alarm menu, something tells me you're going to need it this month!

This month you also have an additional option: 
    The Witte's are hosting a traditional dinner gathering: You'll bring your finished dish, just like always. Dinner will be at 6:30, and you'll have lots of time to socialize after dinner.
    Bonni Brown is organizing a hands-on cooking evening. At Bonni's, you'll bring the ingredients for your dish and cook dinner as a group. Dinner may be a little later, but you'll have a chance to socialize while you prepare your meal.

Recipes
Appetizers
    Grilled Margarita Shrimp
    Guacamole
    Chile Nuts
    Salsa Cruda
    Shoreview Salsa
Entree'
    Borrego-Pasilla Chile
    Chow Down Shredded Beef w/ Red Sauce
    Enchiladas Suissa w/ Sauce
    Steak with Mole
Side Dishes
    Frijoles Negros
Dessert
    Pumpkin Flan w/Pumpkin Seed Praline
    Tradtional Flan Flavored w/ Orange & Lime
Cocktails
    Byerly's Margarita Punch

Photos

Tapa (the plural is tapas) is the name for a wide variety of appetizer in Spanish cuisine. They may be cold, such as mixed olives and cheese, or warm, such as puntillitas, or fried baby squid.

According to legend, the tapa tradition began when Castile's King Alfonso the Wise recovered from an illness by drinking wine and nibbling small dishes between meals. After regaining his health, the king ordered taverns to serve their guests food along with wine and the tapas became a kind of loophole in the law to allow drinkers to drink. 

 The Joy of Cooking points out that tapas were originally the slices of bread which sherry drinkers in Andalusian taverns used to cover their glasses between sips. This was a practical measure meant to prevent fruit flies from hovering over the sweet sherry. But soon, enterprising bartenders were putting small snacks on the bread, and the lowly tapa (from tapa derived the verb tapar, "to cover") became as important as the sherry.

Since tapas is meant to be varied, we are going to do something a little different this month:  plan on making 1 type of tapa per person (that means if you’re a couple, make two different dishes) Each of our Gatherings is 12-14 people, so plan on making about 25 pieces of each tapa. So join us on Saturday, August 16 as we celebrate the Spanish tapas tradition. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas for your tapas, then click here, and take some help from the Food Network recipe database.

Recipes
Appetizers
    Crab & Goat Cheese Empanadas
    Lamb Meatballs in Almond Sauce
    Fig & Manchego Bites
    Garlic Shrimp 
    Portobello Bruschetta with Rosemary Aioli
    Tortilla de Patata (Spanish Omelet)
Cocktails
    Red Sangria
    White Sangria

Photos
    Sorry. We all forgot to bring our cameras this night...

A Get Together Gourmets Special Event
Apron's Cooking School @ Publix

• Sofrito Crab Cakes with a Roasted Red Pepper Beurre Blanc
• Roasted Garlic-Dijon Encrusted Rack of Lamb
• Risotto Caprese
• Tiramisu

Because it's a special event, a $55 registration fee is required per person. Because of the nature of the event, registration is limited to only 40 people. Registration is also required by September 21, 2008 -that's the day I have to give them a final head count. Boy, that seems like a lot of rules, doesn't it? Sorry about that.

So hurry up - seats are going fast. Come, join us for dinner...

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October, 2008
Death by Dinner - A Murder Mystery

You are invited to the party of the year, Hosted by Mr. Ined Viagara! The party will be held at Old Hallow’s Inn, on October 18th, 2008, at 6:30 pm.

Mr. Viagara convinced the caretaker to permit him to hold the party at the Inn, even though it has been closed for almost 40 years. Forty years ago, on a night much like this one, a terrible series of events befell Old Hallows Inn. By morning all were dead! In total, eleven guests and the two innkeepers lost their lives that night. The police believe that the owner lost his mind, murdering his wife then each guest as they slept. He was found sitting at the dining room table, cause of death unknown…

The Inn has remained closed ever since that terrible night. It still sparks a type of morbid curiosity for many. There is even a story that a young woman entered the Inn on a dare a few years back and never came out. She has never been seen again.

Mr. Ined Viagara would personally welcome you to his dinner; however, it seems he was murdered last night. The local authorities have narrowed the field of suspects to those who are present this evening as well.

So, please take your coat off, enjoy the food and beverages, and by all means, don’t take a back seat! Jump with both feet into the mysterious atmosphere. If you have questions, Inspector Burrows will be busy interrogating the suspects; however, he will absolutely take time to attend to your needs.

HAPPY HUNTING, MY FELLOW SLEUTHS

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Recipes
Bonni's Basic Sugar Cookies
Bonni's Classic Royal Icing
Spiced Polenta Crackers with Brie & Pomegranate

Photos