Mah Jongg Ah, What????

Here is a copy of an email message that I recently received.

Subject: 11DD 111DDD 1111 (Any like Nos. Matching Dragons)
Dear Member:
Re: 11DD 111DDD 1111 (Any like Nos. Matching Dragons)

This hand is to be played 3 Suits as 2 Pair - 2 Pungs and 1 Kong.
In no way can a single exposure contain numbers and dragons together,.

NATIONAL MAH JONGG LEAGUE, INC.
Thank you for playing Mah Jongg!!
Please do not reply to this email. This email is from an automated system and you will not receive a response.=

Clear as mud. And as stated in the email, I am not allowed to ask questions or send a response! This makes as much sense to me as it does to you! Gibberish!!

But I did not let this deter me from hosting a successful evening of Mah Jong at my house last night. Hosting anything is a powerful motivator in getting me to deep clean my house. Even the baseboards got a once over in prep for this. We had a fun evening and I served a pitcher of this delightful beverage called Crantini’s. These are a lot like a Cosmo and easy to prepare in advance. They are not too strong nor too sweet and everyone seemed to like them.

It’s funny, because I was warned to make sure I had enough wine on hand because these girls like to drink their wine. The Chardonnay was chilled and I opened a bottle of one of my favorite Reds, Coastline Cabernet Sauvingon and there it sat all night. Not a drop of wine was drank! The pitcher of Crantini’s however, disappeared. Here is the recipe if you would like to try something new at your next gathering.

Crantini’s

1 Cup Orange Flavored Vodka

3 Cups Cranberry Juice Cocktail

4 Cups Sprite or 7-Up

Mix the vodka and Cranberry Juice in a pitcher. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Right before serving, add the 4 cups of Sprite or 7-Up. Pour into individual martini glasses and garnish with a thin slice of lime.

These are as pretty as they taste.

I also served Orzo Salad with Chicken and Feta. I made a double batch so that we would have lots of leftovers. I posted this recipe last summer. I highly recommend it. Another thing I served was a Brie en Croute. I have seen these before and it has been awhile since I have had this. I need to make it more often. It was very good.

Brie en Croute

Take a wheel of Ile de France Brie and pile a handful of pecans or walnuts on top along with a handful of brown sugar, some dried fruit like cherries or cranberries, and a few dots of butter. Then take a tube of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls and unroll them into a rectangle and pinch all the seams together. Place the dough over top the Brie and tuck the ends underneath. (You could also do the opposite and set the Brie on top of the dough and then gather it up to look like a pouch. Some people get real creative and cut out shapes out of the extra dough like leaves and stars and “decorate” the their wrapped Brie. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 16 minutes. I served this with slices of French bread, crackers and sliced pears and apples. That’s all there is to it.

I got my first Mah Jong last night. I guess I must be catching on. Not bad for my 20th game attempt. And the best part is I don’t have to host again for at least 6 more months!

Orzo, Corn, and Chive Salad

This salad is from one of my favorite cookbooks called "The Beach House Cookbook" by Barbara Scott-Goodman. (It is filled with great recipes for fresh food and the photographs are wonderful.) I make this all the time and all year round. I added a diced red pepper to the recipe and like how the colors of the yellow corn, green chives, and red pepper all mix to make for a colorful salad. I usually serve this with Marinated Grilled Flank Steak. (Click for the recipe.) It is even better if you top it off with some feta cheese. Enjoy!

Orzo, Corn, and Chive Salad

1 pound of Orzo
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 to 2 cups corn kernels
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 cup minced fresh chives (take a bunch and start snipping with your kitchen shears.)
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
optional: feta cheese

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the orzo until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well.

2. Transfer the orzo to a large bowl, drizzle the lemon juice over it, and toss well. Add the corn and red pepper to the orzo and toss again. Add the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste and toss well to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary.

3. Using kitchen shears, finely snip the chives over the salad then mix well.

4. Serve cold or at room temperature. Refresh the salad with a dash of lemon juice and olive oil just before serving.