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Any big plans tonight? Perhaps lots of yummy food, extra dessert and a cocktail or two? Never mind that it is a Tuesday, it’s Fat Tuesday – more lovingly known as Mardi Gras – and a day of decadence. It is the final night before 6+ weeks of the Lenten season, which includes fasting and self-denial, among other penitential preparations prior to Easter Sunday. At least for those good Catholics among us. For many – it is signal to wear yellow, green and purple, down the beverages and celebrate New Orleans!
We were lucky enough to begin the celebrations early, as our dear friends Catie & Jimmy had us over for Jambalaya last night. Catie is an excellent cook and happened to wing an out-of-this-world slow cooker version, but I believe she used this recipe and this one for inspiration. It was loaded with shrimp, andouille, chicken, rice and lots of spice — so good.
So its not too late – cook up some jambalaya (or red beans and rice), mix up a batch of sazeracs, throw some Louis Armstrong on the speakers and have yourself your own little New Orleans party!
xx
Next time you are looking for something to make for dinner with friends, I HIGHLY recommend David Chang’s Bo Ssam. It’s perfectly caramelized slow-roasted pork, served with lettuce, rice, kimchi and two knock-your-socks-off sauces, one garlic scallion and another with a Korean chili-paste base. And the oysters are a fun touch, if you live in a place they are easy to source.
Since reading about the Bo Ssam Miracle in the New York Times a few weeks ago, I have made it twice for friends and dreamed about it many times more. It makes ideal dinner-party food – super easy but appears much more complicated, and as an added bonus pork butt is pretty inexpensive.
The only thing I add to the menu is sauteed chinese broccoli with garlic just to have a bit more veg.
As for drinks, while I love wine and cocktails (and think you may definitely want 1 or 2 during apps), I think this dinner is perfectly suited for {lots of} ice cold beer. We had a fun mix of Singha, Tsingtao, Chang, Lucky Budda, Sapporo – but really just go with your fave. With that, and lots of napkins, you are set.
Thursday night, B and I went to dinner at Nopa with our good friends Catie & Jimmy, and while at dinner, the boys made plans to go out on Saturday night. By the time Saturday rolled around, their ‘wild plans’ had morphed into cooking at our house with a few beers and the UNC/Duke game.
It was a joint effort, as C+J picked up some some surf and turf (by way of skirt steak and sea bass) at the Ferry Building, we sort of split the veg based on our respective fridge’s, the farmer’s market selection (or lack there of) and the corner market, we covered drinks and sides and our friend Mike brought some goodies as well.
The spread turned out as follows:
Spicy roasted chickpeas, vegetable quesadillas and Micheladas {with a half-salted rim} à la Nopalito to start.
Steak tacos with grilled grass-fed skirt steak, quick-pickled onions, avocado and cilantro.
Fish tacos with sea bass that was so fresh it tasted like it was caught 5 minutes before dinner. The bass was grilled with a chile-cumin-aleppo pepper dry rub {with a teeny dash of cinnamon} and piled on tortillas with everyone’s FAVORITE chipotle-lime cream and cabbage.
Rice, Beans and salsa ~ brown rice, Rancho Gordo cranberry beans, and store-bought fresh salsa doctored up with some of the leftover chipotles, to be exact.
Salad of butter lettuce, radishes, tomatoes and pepitas with cilantro-lime vinaigrette
Whether or not we made Kim Boyce’s oatmeal cookies later while watching a movie, I’ll never tell. But what is more disturbing, is that for what is possbily the first time ever, people were able to drive home from dinner at out house. That combined with boys night equaling dinner and movie means I am likely much older than I think.
Don’t worry, I don’t expect this sort of maturity to last long. And at least it tastes good!
My love of a good dinner party is well documented. As much as I love restaurants, nothing beats eating with friends and/or family in the comfort of your (or their) home. You can sit and linger and open another bottle of wine long after the meal is finished, without worrying that someone is waiting for the table.
You can laugh loudly at stories without disturbing the awkward second date two tables over.
You open the wine during the cooking, so by the time we get to dinner, everyone is happy and relaxed. Restaurants and good chefs give me new ideas and turn out food that can be just about perfect, but it never feels as good as at home.
So if you don’t yet have plans for this weekend, invite a few friends over for dinner. Good peeps, good food & good tunes – what more could a gal want?
Ahhh … a menu perhaps!
May recommend this arugula lasagna? Since it can be assembled in advance, it is a perfect when having friends over, as the work is done before they arrive. And unlike a traditional lasagna, this one is light and almost delicate – both from the fresh pasta and the ricotta tempered down with some milk and cream – but still bright and interesting – from the peppery arugula and the gorgonzola in the cheese mixture.
To keep it a vegetarian dinner, just serve it with a simple salad or roasted cherry tomatoes (for some color too) – but if you have meat or fish eaters in the crowd, it pairs nicely with mussels or a thinly sliced steak would also be great.
But let’s be honest, this lasagna is best complimented by good wine and friends. And sitting at the table much longer than planned, enjoying the combination.
But then, that is {likely} why you are at home in the first place!
I know that in polite company, you don’t try out new recipes on unsuspecting guests. But since my dinner guests are often close friends, I figure they can handle the challenge of ‘sure hope this turns out okay.’ Plus, as good as roast chicken is, that can’t be the only thing I serve company.
But when I made these lentils with bacon early last week, I knew they would be perfect for our little dinner party come Sunday. Double win – know what to do & know it will be good!
On Monday, I made them without the fennel (per the recipe on Amateur Gourmet) and on Sunday I added it in (per the original Anne Burrell recipe). Sure, if you have one on hand it doesn’t hurt, but it is not worth an extra trip to the store. What makes these lentils shine are the bacon (obviously), the still crunchy veggies (unlike those found in lentil soup) and the perfectly bright and balanced finish of mustard and vinegar.
I thought these lentils matched perfectly with steelhead trout (Monday) and salmon (Sunday) which both received a pan-sear/oven-roast-finish treatment. (They were also great reheated for a little lunch the next day, which is always nice to know.)
Maybe I will get in the habit of trying things out before guests come over … or on second thought, maybe sometimes is a good place to start.
Recipe from Anne Burrell via Amateur Gourmet
In a few weeks one of my girlfriends is having a birthday cocktail party and I am helping her get it all together. It is not going to be too big, and we both love to cook and entertain, so it seemed natural that we would make all the goodies rather than cater.
A bonus when you do it yourself, you can splurge on better ingredients and better booze, rather than that extra going to someone bringing in the food.
And while the gathering will be intimate, it will be a bit decadent too. It is after all, a “big” birthday and smack in the middle of holiday season. And really, what’s wrong with a bit of simple, comforting decadence? Nothing, if you ask me!
One of the little nibbles we were thinking of is a truffled mushroom toast. My lady lives in Venice, and therefore Gjelina is obviously one of her faves. They have a fab-u-lous mushroom toast with hen of the woods, creme fraîche and truffles. Out of this world. So I wanted to channel that, but as a neat bite-size canape. (The real deal can be a huge, albeit good, mess).
Mushrooms and truffles go together beautifully – both woodsy and earthy, but while mushrooms (especially basic button and cremini) can be humble, a bit of truffle butter takes them over the top. Sliced truffles would add even more to that – but we aren’t going that far. Thankfully, truffle butter has actual bits of truffles, as opposed to the oil, which is just flavoring.
So this past weekend I did a trial run. Sliced the mushrooms super-thinly and sauteed them s-l-o-w-l-y with shallots, butter and oil. Once they were melt-in-your-mouth soft and golden, I took them off the heat and stirred in a touch of cream to make them more velvety and then a (good) bit of truffle butter (maybe a tablespoon).
Heavenly, I tell ya!
For the base, I cut triangles out of a rustic loaf, and baked them until slightly golden. I didn’t add butter or oil because I didn’t want it to compete with the goat cheese that was going to be added, and that may have been a mistake. Something was amiss.
As for the goat cheese, I folded in a bit of cream, to make it more spread-able and to tone down the tanginess of the cheese – to not fight with the silky mushrooms too much. Again – wasn’t quite right.
So – dear readers – please help. I know all the components are there and the truffled mushrooms are just right, but any ideas for the goat cheese crostini? How can it better compliment the mushrooms?
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
xxo
With Thanksgiving weekend coming to an end and Christmas right around the corner, I thought I would share with you five things that are making me happy right this minute.
And that doesn’t include the fact that my pants still button after all the festivities or things I am truly thankful for, just little things that are making me smile.
1. That I finally remembered to force paperwhites in time for Christmas. If you still want to plant them, or have been planning on it and just haven’t made it happen yet, it’s not too late — if you go for it right now. Here are some tips from Lauren at Pure Style Home to help you out, if need be.
2. That there is some smoked salmon in the fridge, for a break from turkey.
3. That my vision for the Thanksgiving table turned out just how I was hoping it would.
Thanks to a quick trip to Britex Fabrics, the Flower Mart having plenty of white and yellow flowers even if I showed up at the end of the day, and a crafty mom who figured out how to make the fabric work so I could play with the flowers. And …
that the flowers still look good today!!
4. That we made quite possibly the best ice cream that I have ever had – this Bourbon ice cream from Bon Appétit via Lottie and Doof. I am a bit nervous knowing how easy it is to have it in the freezer at all times.
5. And that we scored a few little finds on at the Flea Market with mom. Four milk glass compotes and a set of not-quite silver (silver plate, but I really like the color and weight) with super-long forks that I love.
Hope you have enjoyed the long weekend that that you have plenty of things that are keeping you happy!
xx
Last year while in NY, I made my first Thanksgiving without adults (I hope you don’t think I include myself in that category – ha!). My friend Meg and I whipped up a fabulous spread for friends who were staying in town – it was wonderful – both in taste and fun!
This year I am doing it again, except the help in the kitchen will be my mom. And I can’t wait! We are breaking in our new place with Thanksgiving AND house guests – so it has been a busy weekend getting it all together.
As for the menu, here is what we are planning. Just in case you are still looking for ideas – or have suggestions for me.
Butternut Sqaush and Apple Soup
- A little first course action to whet the appetite.
- Either with herbed croutons or herb popovers, depending on time and stress
Dry-Brine Turkey & Gravy
- This is how I did the turkey last year & it was the favorite amongst even self-proclaimed side-lovers. It is basically the same method as my favorite roast chicken, just salted earlier and cooked longer.
- For the gravy, get some turkey wings, back, etc. and make stock today so it is done and ready to go by Thursday. Makes for THE BEST gravy!
- I have never tried oyster stuffing, but it seems like something I should have made. Plus, there is a great little oyster shop down the street from me, and it may be the perfect place for lunch out of the house on Wednesday, while picking up the PRE-SHUCKED oysters. (Since they won’t be eaten on the half-shell, I can do things like that).
- Any tips for a first timer with oyster stuffing? (And yes, I know, guests should get tried and true recipes, and they mostly are – I just can’t help it!!)
Mashed Potatoes & Celery Root with Crispy Shallots
- I love the addition of celery root to potatoes – gives it a nice freshness that can be helpful with such a full plate.
- The crispy shallots are á la Ina, and add a nice textural component.
- An old favorite around here
Kale Salad with Persimmons and Apples
- A new favorite. Plus, it is great to have something a bit lighter and with crunch amongst everything else.
- Still deciding on dressing – vinaigrette vs. walnuts and blue cheese. The blue cheese is obviously tempting, but goes against that whole ‘lighter’ note. Thoughts?
Cranberry Sauce – two ways
- Homemade with a touch of orange and ginger. (Here is a fun play on the combo if you are looking for something a bit different).
- Ocean Spray with the ridges – you just have to!
Pumpkin Pie
- Not for me, but I think it is a requirement on the table – no?
Apple and Cranberry Crisp with Pecans and Bourbon Ice Cream
- I prefer crisps and crumbles to pies, so this one is for me. I am just gussying up a standard apple crisp with extra pecans in the topping and chewy tart cried cranberries in the filling.
- As for the ice cream – bourbon as the star? YES PLEASE!
Whew – I think that is it. Am I missing anything? What are you planning?
One of these years I want to do a super-traditional Thanksgiving, and by that I mean ditch the turkey in favor of lobster. Have you done that?
xx
I did not cook what you see here. I wish I did. Because it was damn good.
This past weekend Catie and Jimmy had a few friends over for a little end of summer dinner. And to say we feasted on summer’s finest would be an understatment.
It was one of those lovely dinners that just happened, with everyone helping to get things done, but nothing was so difficult that it required a recipe or couldn’t be made with vino in hand.
Catie and Genevieve brought out all the stops. Fresh tomato sauce made with local heirloom tomatoes and finished with basil and parmigiana served over fresh whole wheat linguine from the farmer’s market. Heaven.
Boy – I have really made this linger. I didn’t mean to, I promise, but sometimes that’s just what happens, ya know?
When we first started thinking about the dinner, I knew that we wanted to have a menu that was super simple. Things that required little to no cooking so we could really just enjoy being up at the lake for the weekend and not spending the whole day in the kitchen. Even so, dinner for 20, no matter how simple, takes at least a bit of time.
Thankfully we have awesome friends (who are great in the kitchen & out) and everything came together by committee.
What I was undoubtedly most excited for were the tomatoes. I had seen a few fun posts on Style Notes focusing on summer tomatoes (a tomato tasting from Martha Stewart and a tomato bar during cocktail hour at a wedding) and knew right away lots of heirlooms would be key for a low-stress summer dinner.
I thought it would be fun to highlight the different varieties will a plethora of salts and oils. Sometimes cool salts can be pricy, but when purchased in bulk (and without fancy-schmancy packaging) you can get some great finds at even better prices. We loaded all the salts (plus local crushed chiles and freshly cracked black pepper) in the little dishes from Chinatown and set them out in little grouping among the table for everyone to sample.
We had:
