Linguine with Tuna Puttanesca

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 12 ounces linguine
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped kalamata olives
• 1 28-ounce can San Marzano plum tomatoes
• 4 basil leaves, torn, plus more for garnish
• 1 5-ounce can albacore tuna, packed in olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until slightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the capers and olives and fry 2 more minutes. Crush the tomatoes into the skillet with your hands and reserve the juices. Cook until the tomatoes are slightly dry, about 2 minutes. Add the reserved tomato juices, the basil, and salt to taste and cook until the sauce thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tuna with its oil, breaking it up with a fork, and season with salt.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water, and return it to the pot. Add the sauce and the reserved cooking water and toss. Season with pepper and garnish with more basil.

Ideas for Attractive Christmas Tables

Instead of just the usual red and green, consider combining a Christmas or winter color with a metallic for attractive Christmas tables this year.

Pull out the dominant theme color for your event, be it red, green, blue or white. Pair the dominant color with gold or silver as an accent color for your tables.

Using blue and silver as an example, start by covering tables in a couple of layers of blue gossamer and runners made of silver gossamer. If the tables are round, try criss-crossing two runners, which will frame four place settings and create a more opaque center square for your centerpiece, a really nice effect.

Tie bows around chair backs with the same two colors, making sure the top strip is folded to be half as wide as the bottom strip so both can be seen.

Start each place setting with a large silver plate from our solid color tableware collection, setting a smaller blue plate on top. Finish the place setting with blue tableware, except for mixing silver utensils or napkins into the setting.

Place a glitter snowflake centerpiece and dust the table top around it and the table settings randomly with silver sparkle powder and curled pieces of metallic ribbon. Finish with personalized snowflake votives at each place setting or tucked halfway into each niche of the 3D snowflake centerpiece; for safety, please consider using our LED flickering flame tea lights with this setup.

Your tables will still look like Christmas, but with that bit of extra elegance suggested by sparkling silver or gold.

Irish Cream

• 1-1/2 cup Rum
• 1/2 tsp instant coffee
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. Almonds
• 1-1/4 cup Half & Half
• 1 cup Eagle Brand Milk
• 1/4 cup milk

Mix, Refrigerate

Margarita Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (12 squares)
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• ¼ cup frozen (thawed) margarita mix concentrate
• 1 pint (2 cups) lime sherbet, softened
• 1/3 cup frozen (thawed margarita mix concentrate
• 3 tablespoons tequila, if desired
• 2 cups vanilla frozen yogurt, softened

Preparation:

In small bowl, mix cracker crumbs and powdered sugar. Stir in  ¼ cup margarita mix until crumbly. Press mixture firmly against bottom and sides of 9 inch glass pie plate.

In large bowl, mix sherbet, 1/3 cup margarita mix and the tequila. Gently swirl in frozen yogurt. Spoon mixture into crust evenly

Cover, freeze 4 to 6 hours or until firm

Berry Trifle

Ingredients:

• 1 (10.75 ounce) package prepared pound cake, cubed
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen blueberries
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen blackberries
• 2 tablespoons praline liqueur
• 1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Preparation:

1. Place cubed cake in bottom of large glass serving bowl. Layer the blueberries, raspberries and blackberries on top of the cake. Sprinkle with praline liqueur.

In a medium bowl, combine pudding mix, milk, condensed milk and 1 cup of whipped topping, stir well. Pour mixture over frozen berries. Top custard with remaining cool whip. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour or in refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours, enough for the berries to thaw before serving.

Mojito

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1 sprig fresh mint, crushed
• 1/2 cup crushed ice
• 2 fluid ounces white rum
• 4 fluid ounces carbonated water
• 1 sprig fresh mint, garnish

Preparation:

In a highball glass, stir together the confectioners’ sugar and lime juice. Bruise the mint leaves and drop into glass. Fill glass with crushed ice and pour in rum. Pour in carbonated water to fill the glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Perfect Martini

Ingredients:

• 1/2 fluid ounce dry vermouth
• 4 fluid ounces gin
• 2 pimento-stuffed green olives

Preparation:

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in the vermouth, followed closely by the gin. Shake while counting to 30. Divide into 2 cocktail glasses. Garnish with 1 olive each.

Brownie Recipe

Ingredients:

•  1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, melted
• 2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup Cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350°F.

Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in nuts, if desired. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Prepare Frosting; spread over brownies. Cut into squares.

Frosting:

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 3 tablespoons Cocoa
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup or honey
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Preparation:
Beat butter, cocoa, corn syrup and vanilla in small bowl until blended. Add powdered sugar and milk; beat to spreading consistency.

Bourbon Street Slush

Ingredients:

• 7 cups water
• 4 cups bourbon whiskey
• 12 oz frozen lemonade concentrate
• 6 oz frozen orange juice
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 cups strong tea

Preperation:

Mix all ingredients a day ahead and place in freezer (a large plastic container usually used to store cereal works great!). When ready to serve, take out of freezer and put desired amount in glass with a little bit of Sprite or 7 Up.

Witches Brew

Ingredients

• 1 (6-ounce) package lime gelatin
• 2 cups boiling water
• 3 cups chilled pineapple juice
• 1 (2 liter) bottle chilled lemon-lime soft drink or ginger ale
• 2 cups chilled vodka, optional

Directions
Pour the gelatin mix into a large bowl. Slowly stir in the boiling water. Stir at least 2 minutes, until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in the pineapple juice. Let cool to room temperature.

Pour the drink mixture into the punch bowl. Slowly add the chilled vodka and lemon-lime soda or ginger ale. Stir gently to mix