Inaugural Post: Weekend Munchies

Ladies, thanks for welcoming me after all this time! Here are the recipes for the food from Jer's fabulous weekend. These are some of my favorite "feed a large group" recipes: fun, interactive, appeal to most folks, yummy, and can largely be made ahead.

**Sweet Chili-Glazed Chicken Wings**
take on recipe from Bon Appétit | July 1997

Yield: Makes ~6 App servings (I used 4 lbs for the weekend version)
Note: I make the glaze and marinade the chicken the night before, so all I have to do is pop them in the over before guests arrive.

Chicken & Marinade:
2 pounds chicken wings
1/4 cup peanut oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Glaze:
1 cup rice vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Cut each chicken wing in half at joint. Mix oil, cilantro, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons garlic, ginger and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper in large bowl. Add chicken wings and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Using tongs, transfer chicken wings to large baking sheet. (if available I like to bake them on cooling racks set in baking sheets so they crisp better) Bake until cooked through and golden brown, about 20 minutes each side, 40 minutes total. (bon appétit suggests 20 mins but I think 40 is necessary for nice golden result)

Meanwhile, combine vinegar, sugar, water, chili-garlic sauce, remaining 1/2 tablespoon garlic and remaining 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper in medium saucepan. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer until glaze mixture thickens to syrup consistency, about 20 minutes. (they say 20 but I find it takes up to 40 minutes+ sometimes, especially if doubling the recipe...)

Transfer baked chicken wings to large bowl. Pour glaze over; toss to coat. Sprinkle with green onions. Great served warm or room temperature-- making this perfect for app buffets.

Note: Alton Brown has a neat trick which was to steam the wings first for 10 minutes to render their fat, and make them extra crispy. I haven't tried this but seems like it could be a nice bonus technique to try


*Crepes**
alton brown's recipe

2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons melted butter
Butter, for coating the pan

Directions
In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. The batter will keep for up to 48 hours. (making it a perfect make ahead and cook on the spot dish! They are best fresh, but still really tasty up to 2-3 days later so great to make a pile for when you have weekend guests coming!)

Heat a non-stick pan (size will dictate size of crepe-- I use a medium pan typically. Add butter to coat. Pour ~1/4 cup of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. (technique tip: pull the pan off the heat and tip it upwards, then pour from one side and swirl. The few seconds off the heat gives you a bit more time to get it spread out correctly.) Cook for 30-60 seconds and flip (I use my fingers, and wait until the edges start to brown/curl just a bit). Cook for another 15-30 seconds and remove to the cutting board. Lay them out flat so they can cool. Continue until all batter is gone. After they have cooled you can stack them and store in sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to two months. When using frozen crepes, thaw on a rack before gently peeling apart.

*Savory Variation Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, spinach or sun-dried tomatoes to the egg mixture.

*Sweet Variation Add 21/2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of your favorite liqueur to the egg mixture.