A Shower of Treats

A bridal shower--or the increasingly celebrated bride-and-groom shower--is an excuse for even the most progressive-minded women and men to act frilly, sometimes silly. That doesn’t mean that shower hosts should feel free to have guests dress the bride-to-be in a wedding dress made of toilet paper. Inflicting shower games and other embarrassments in the name of party fun should be done carefully.

The food, of course, can be just about anything from ethnic takeout to catered elegance. We prefer something light, delicious and, yes, just a bit frilly. The shower recipes devised by Mayi Brady, Julie Tantum and Alisa Schwartz in The Times Test Kitchen, with a dessert adapted from chef Joyce Goldstein, are meant to be served buffet-style for easy mingling--something lovely to nibble between the opening of the gifts and those blush-inducing party games.

MENU

SALMON MOUSSE

FRUIT SALAD WITH MINTED MANGO VINAIGRETTE (LOW-FAT COOKING)

TOMATOES STUFFED WITH GREEN BEANS (LOW-FAT COOKING)

WARM CHICKEN AND ASPARAGUS SALAD

RASPBERRY-CITRUS ICED TEA

BLOOD-ORANGE CREME BRU^LEE

COUNTDOWN

Day before: Make salmon mousse and refrigerate. Make raspberry-citrus iced tea and refrigerate. Cut up cantaloupes, pineapples and papayas for fruit salad and make vinaigrette for salad. Prepare creme bru^lee, but do not broil.

Morning of shower: Make salad dressing and refrigerate. Prepare asparagus, wash and dry greens, cut tomatoes and refrigerate all. Prepare marinade and marinate chicken breasts. Slice cucumbers and mince chives for salmon garnish. Keep chilled. Fry shallots for salad and set aside at room temperature. Crumble goat cheese and refrigerate. Cut up remaining fruit for fruit salad and toss to combine. Prepare stuffed tomatoes but do not put on platter.

1 hour before: Grill chicken and keep warm, covered, in oven. Unmold and garnish salmon mousse. Return to refrigerator. Prepare bowls for fruit salad and vinaigrette. Finish stuffed tomatoes.

Just before guests arrive: Toss and assemble chicken salad. Caramelize topping of creme bru^lee and serve after dinner.

INGREDENTS

STAPLES

Butter

Whipping cream

Eggs

Garlic

Orange juice

Lemons

Dijon mustard

Olive oil

Black pepper

White pepper

Salt

Chicken stock

Brown sugar

Granulated sugar

Balsamic vinegar

Rice vinegar

White wine vinegar

Vegetable oil

White wine

SHOPPING LIST

5 pounds asparagus

2 cantaloupes

20 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1 bunch chives

1/2 pound goat cheese

1 (8-ounce) container creme frai^che

1 cucumber

1 (1-ounce) box unflavored gelatin

1/2 pound French green beans (haricots verts)

2 pounds mixed baby greens

10 kiwis

Limes

1 (8-ounce) bottle orange-flavored liqueur

1 mango

1 (8-ounce) can mango nectar

1 bunch mint

3 oranges

4 blood oranges

2 papayas

2 pineapples

1 (12-ounce) can pineapple juice

1 bunch rosemary

5 large shallots

1 (1-liter) bottle club soda

1 (3/4-pound) salmon steak

2 pints strawberries

20 raspberry hibiscus tea bags

1 bunch thyme

1 3/4 pounds red teardrop or cherry tomatoes

1/4 pound yellow teardrop or cherry tomatoes

15 plum tomatoes

20 small round red tomatoes, preferably vine-ripened

5 large yellow tomatoes

SALMON MOUSSE

This recipe was developed by Mayi Brady in The Times Test Kitchen.

1 3/4 cups chicken stock

1 (3/4-pound) salmon steak

2 (1/4-ounce) envelopes unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt, white pepper

1 cup whipping cream

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

1/4 cup minced chives

1 cup creme frai^che

Bring chicken stock to simmer in medium skillet. Add salmon steak and cook until fish is cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Remove steak and allow to cool to room temperature.

Soften gelatin in white wine, then add to simmering stock and stir until dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.

Remove skin and bones from salmon and place salmon meat in blender. Add stock-gelatin mixture and blend until smooth as possible, about 30 seconds.

Strain into large bowl. Add lemon juice and salt and white pepper to taste. Stir well. Refrigerate until almost set, 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Whip cream until stiff but not dry and gently fold into salmon mixture. Spoon into greased 1 1/2-quart ring mold and refrigerate until completely set, at least 3 hours.

Set mold in warm water 2 to 3 minutes to loosen, then unmold and serve garnished with sliced cucumbers, chives and creme frai^che.

20 servings. Each serving:

96 calories; 100 mg sodium; 29 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.12 gram fiber.

WARM CHICKEN AND ASPARAGUS SALAD

This recipe was developed by Mayi Brady in The Times Test Kitchen.

DRESSING

3/4 cup orange juice

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced rosemary

2 teaspoons minced thyme

3/4 cup olive oil

Salt, pepper

SALAD

10 cloves garlic, crushed

3/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons minced rosemary

1 tablespoon minced thyme

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

20 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

5 pounds asparagus

2 pounds mixed baby greens

1 1/2 pounds red teardrop or small cherry tomatoes

5 large shallots, minced

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 pound goat cheese

DRESSING

Combine orange juice, balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, mustard, garlic, rosemary, thyme, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste in bowl and whisk well. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

SALAD

Combine garlic, olive oil, rosemary, thyme, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste in large shallow bowl. Stir well. Add chicken breasts and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours.

Trim tough ends from asparagus and cut asparagus into thirds. Steam, in batches, over simmering water until crisp-tender and bright green, 3 to 4 minutes. Refresh in cold water, drain and set aside.

Wash and dry greens and set aside.

Cut teardrop or cherry tomatoes in half and set aside.

Fry shallots in butter until dark golden brown and crisp, being careful not to scorch. Drain on paper towels and reserve.

Break goat cheese into pieces and set aside.

Grill marinated chicken, in batches, until just cooked, about 6 minutes per side. Keep cooked chicken warm in 300-degree oven. Combine asparagus, greens and tomatoes in large bowl and toss with half of Dressing. Place on serving platters and top with warm chicken, fried shallots and goat cheese. Serve with remaining Dressing on the side.

20 servings. Each serving:

480 calories; 340 mg sodium; 97 mg cholesterol; 33 grams fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 35 grams protein; 1.38 grams fiber.

RASPBERRY-CITRUS ICED TEA

When planning the nonalcoholic drinks for a party, a good rule is to allow about 2 glasses per person. For a garnish, you could float lemon, lime or orange slices in the pitcher or bowl of iced tea. Or freeze fresh raspberries inside ice cubes made from the iced tea. Raspberry Zinger is a brand of raspberry hibiscus tea.

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 gallons plus 1 1/2 cups water

20 raspberry hibiscus tea bags

1/2 gallon orange juice

1 (1-liter) bottle club soda

1 1/2 cups canned pineapple juice

4 lemons

Combine sugar and 1 1/2 cups water in small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved and syrup just comes to a simmer, about 5 minutes. Remove syrup from heat, let cool, then cover and refrigerate.

Fill large container (or several pitchers) with remaining 1 1/2 gallons water and add tea bags. Let tea stand at room temperature at least 4 hours. Remove tea bags, cover liquid and let chill 1 hour.

When ready to serve, add orange juice, club soda and pineapple juice. Squeeze juice from lemons through sieve into tea and stir well. Add reserved syrup to taste. Serve chilled.

2 1/2 gallons or 40 cups. Each cup:

57 calories; 6 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.06 gram fiber.

FRUIT SALAD WITH MINTED MANGO VINAIGRETTE (LOW-FAT COOKING)

Choose any assortment of seasonal fruit, keeping an eye out for different colors and shapes. Some fruits, like pineapples and cantaloupes, can be cut a day ahead to save time.

VINAIGRETTE

1 mango, peeled, pitted and diced

1 cup canned mango nectar

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup rice vinegar

Juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint

FRUIT

2 cantaloupes

2 pineapples

10 kiwis

2 papayas

2 pints strawberries

VINAIGRETTE

Combine mango, mango nectar, sugar, vinegar and lime juice in blender or in bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade and process until smooth. With motor running, add oil in steady stream until incorporated.

Pour vinaigrette into bowl and stir in mint. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Makes about 2 cups.

FRUIT

Trim bottoms and tops off cantaloupes, slice off rinds and remove seeds. Cut cantaloupes into 1-inch dice and place in large glass or other nonreactive bowl.

Twist tops off pineapples, trim tops and bottoms, slice off skin, cut out core and cut into 1-inch dice.

Slice ends and skin off kiwis and cut kiwis into quarters.

Skin, halve and seed papayas and cut into 1-inch dice.

Clean and halve strawberries.

Gently mix all fruit in bowl, being careful not to mash.

To serve, fill large bowl with crushed ice and nestle bowl of fruit into ice. Serve vinaigrette alongside fruit.

20 servings. Each serving, with 1 tablespoon dressing:

124 calories; 8 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 1.61 grams fiber.

BLOOD-ORANGE CREME BRU^LEE

This recipe was adapted from the “Williams-Sonoma: Festive Occasions Cook” by Joyce Goldstein and Chuck Williams (Weldon Owen, 1993).

1 3/4 cups orange juice

1/4 cup blood orange juice or regular orange juice

1 cup orange-flavored liqueur

4 cups whipping cream

Grated peel of 4 blood oranges or regular oranges

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

14 egg yolks

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

Cook orange juice, blood-orange juice and orange-flavored liqueur in small saucepan over high heat until reduced to 1 cup, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

In separate saucepan, cook cream, orange peel and granulated sugar,stirring, until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let steep at least 45 minutes.

Beat egg yolks until light. Strain cream mixture into yolks, stirring with whisk to combine. Stir in juice mixture. Pour mixture into 13x9-inch baking dish. Place baking dish in slightly larger baking pan and add hot water to halfway up sides of baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees until just set, about 1 hour. Remove from baking pan and refrigerate.

When cool, cover and chill thoroughly. To serve, sprinkle brown sugar over custard. Place in baking pan and broil until sugar caramelizes, about 3 or 4 minutes. Alternatively, heat brown sugar topping with propane torch until melted. Set aside until sugar hardens, about 1 minute.

Serve by scooping out of baking dish into individual dessert dishes.

20 servings. Each serving:

311 calories; 25 mg sodium; 257 mg cholesterol; 22 grams fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.03 gram fiber.

TOMATOES STUFFED WITH GREEN BEANS (LOW-FAT COOKING)

20 small round red tomatoes, with stems attached

5 large yellow tomatoes

15 plum tomatoes

1/2 pound French green beans (haricots verts), trimmed

Salt, pepper

1/4 pound yellow teardrop or cherry tomatoes

1/4 pound red teardrop or cherry tomatoes

Olive oil

1 bunch chives, finely chopped

Cut shallow X in bottom of each round, yellow and plum tomato using tip of sharp paring knife. Blanch in rapidly boiling salted water until skin begins to pull away, about 30 seconds. Remove tomatoes and plunge in ice water to stop cooking. Remove; set aside.

Blanch green beans until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Plunge in ice water to stop cooking, remove and cut green beans in half. Set aside.

Use paring knife to peel skin from round tomatoes. Keep skin in 1 piece, pulling skin toward top of tomato. Skin will form flowery bundle on tomato top.

Carefully slice top off each round tomato and set aside. Scoop out centers, including seeds, with melon baller.

Peel and seed yellow and plum tomatoes.

Puree yellow tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste in blender to make part of stuffing. Set aside. Repeat process with plum tomatoes to make garnish.

In medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook yellow and red teardrop tomatoes in 2 tablespoons olive oil. When tomatoes “pop” their skin, remove from pan.

Stuff round tomatoes with green beans, filling halfway. Fill rest of way with yellow tomato pure. Top with single teardrop tomato and garnish with chives.

Thinly spread plum tomato puree on serving plate and drizzle with olive oil to create pattern. Place tomatoes in middle. Season lid with salt and pepper and drop of olive oil for shine. Rest top on side of tomato.

20 servings. Each serving:

36 calories; 24 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.81 gram fiber.

* Glass tableware from Simon Pearce availble at Gearys, Beverly Hills and Feast in Pasadena.