How Very Entertaining

 

 

We haven't done a lot of entertaining since moving west.  Work is always busy, plus there is a lot of travel and then we don't have many friends here yet.  But, we had a few friends over for cocktails on Saturday night and it was very enjoyable.  We had gone to the effort to decorate for the holidays, so it was nice to share the season plus fun to plan the food and service.  Of course, that meant digging into storage, because a lot of the entertaining accoutrement is still in boxes due to lack of space.  Or maybe it is due to having too much stuff!

Regardless, it was fun and I planned a simple menu with a few favorites to share.  For drinks, we had wine, a seasonal beer flavored with ginger and pomegranate Manhattans.  Now, I love a classic Manhattan, preferably on the rocks--but I will also enjoy them straight up.  However, one Christmas when a blizzard trapped us in Omaha, I took solace in the delicious pomegranate Manhattans served in our hotel bar.  The secret?  Pama liqueur which you simply substitute for the sweet vermouth.  You can garnish with fresh pomegranate if you like or stick to the traditional cherry and orange twist.  Very festive for the holidays!

Recipe: Pomegranate Manhattan
3 parts bourbon
1 part Pama liqueur
1 dash Angustora bitters per drink

Combine in a pitcher, stir gently to combine.  Serve over ice garnished with a cherry and twist of orange.  It's a simple proportion that allows you to make a little or a lot.  I like Weller's bourbon, but use what you like.

For eats, I pulled out some standards: Mushroom Pecan Pâté, Baked Artichoke Hearts and Hot Onion Soufflé to which I added a selection of cheeses, almonds, olives, my favorite bread sticks, crackers and some pickly things including dad's pickled okra, little cornichons and some carrot slices I made.  I just realized that although I have mentioned it repeatedly in posts, I've never shared the recipe for my Hot Onion Soufflé here, so I'm doing that now.  It's a favorite and couldn't be simpler.  I've tweaked the recipe a little over the years, but this is where it currently stands.

Recipe: Hot Onion Soufflé
20 oz. of cream cheese, softened  (That's two and half 8 oz. packages, what you do with the rest of that third 8 oz. package is between you and your god.)
4 oz. of plain goat cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
Pinch of salt
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese (get the good stuff) plus a little more for the top
14 oz. bag of frozen, chopped onion, thawed and water squeezed out in a colander or dishtowel

Okay, first you're asking yourself: why would I buy frozen, chopped onion?  Can't I just use fresh?  Well, yes, of course you can, but that is the beauty of this delicious crowd-pleaser: you don't even have to chop onions!

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  In a big yellow bowl, combine the cream cheese, goat cheese, mayonnaise, onion powder, garlic powder and salt.  Mix with a wooden spoon until combined.  Now you may think, "I'll just use my silicone spatula to mix this up," but save yourself the trouble and use a wooden spoon like I said.  It's not difficult to mix this together, but using the right tool specified by the author does make it a little easier.  Once that is smooth and creamy, add the onion and Parmesan cheese and continue to mix until well combined.  Taste and adjust seasoning.

Now here is where you have to make a decision: conventially, I usually put this in a glass pie plate, top it with more grated Parmesan cheese and bake it for about 20 minutes or until the top is golden and the entire thing is a bubbly, lava pit of creamy cheese.  But, if you're planning on serving it at a cocktail party with several waves of people, you can divide it between two dishes as I did with the small cast-iron skillets above to have one on the table and other in reserve.  Either way, you want a dish that is on the shallow side to increase the ratio of delicious browned topping to creamy, molten interior.

At this point, you're thinking, "This all sounds delicious and simple, but what do I serve it with?" And that my friend is the easiest thing of all: Hot Onion Soufflé is good on anything, from crackers to toast points.  But, I have learned by serving it with anything and everything, it is absolutely best on...Frito scoops.  Yes, Fritos.  Perhaps you think you're too classy to serve Fritos at a cocktail party?!  You're a foodie and you would never serve a dip made with cream cheese that also contains powdered onion and garlic the author is suggesting you serve with some chip you can buy anywhere and isn't even some artisnal item from a small-batch producer in northern California.  Well, I am not too classy.  And let me tell you something, your guests aren't either and they will eat every bit of this stuff WITH the Fritos and lick it off their fingers.  Promise.

If, and I repeat, IF there is any leftover, it is just as good cold the next day from the fridge while you are doing the dishes.  Heck, you might even think of cutting the crust off some bread and making tea sandwiches with it.  Or just a grilled cheese you can dip in tomato soup.  Or a Hot Onion Soufflé quesadilla?!  You can't go wrong.

Happy holidays!  Enjoy your time with family and friends...

Reminisence: Orphaned Fondue Cookbooks

I've talked before about how the Venn Diagram of my two blogs intersects with my cookbook collection. I love vintage ones. Let me rephrase: I am obsessed with vintage cookbooks and its always exciting to find something with fun and original illustrations. I enjoy reading the recipes and food suggestions from the past and occasionally take inspiration from flavor combinations I might see in an old text. But mostly, it is the thrill of the find and a peek into the old kitchens that fuel my pursuit.

There are several sub-groups to the vintage cookbook collection I would note as particularly important:

1. Anything by the trinity of 20th century cookbooks/food writing: James Beard, Julia Child and M.F.K. Fisher.
2. Pamphlet cookbooks from various manufacturers of food or kitchen products
3. Vintage Jell-O cookbooks
   

And a new subgroup is starting to take shape: fondue cookbooks! I had several (I have at least three others, but I think there are more. Part of the collection is currently in storage, so I don't have access to my full library.), but found an amazing one at the thrift store last week. Fabulous Fondues contains illustrations that are bold, graphic and utilize the unusual color combination of hot pink and orange. I love it. Plus, even though its small, this fondue cookbook has lots of wonderful advice and lore. Published in 1970, it's a keeper. It's also apt as I'm planning a dinner party around fondue for next week. A casual Friday night affair, I'll keep you all posted on the full menu and hopefully have some photos of everyone gathered around the pot.

Shopping: Fresh Market

Last weekend, I went to three grocery stores in Indianapolis: Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Fresh Market. I was excited because the Whole Foods was a newer, flashier one than where I usually shop in the city and I had never been to a Fresh Market before. You might remember it from Top Chef Miami, it's where they bought all of their groceries.

Visually, Fresh Market is very much like Whole Foods. It was kind of like, "what store am I in?" It's very green and white, with a dash of the organic, natural. They have their own store brand and lots of wonderful produce included great buys on blood oranges and pencil thin asparagus. I was surprised to find an array of Southern delicacies including several varieties of pimento cheese and some Southern vegetables you don't see everywhere, including Silver Queen corn. Yes, Silver Queen. It's really a family joke, which won't be funny to anyone but me: my family could have an entire dinner table conversation about corn, its varieties and the subtle differences in flavor and sweetness. When I was a child, Silver Queen was one of the preferred corns.

It was a fun shopping trip and I got some delicious things: chocolate-covered pretzels with toffee bits; an indulgent chocolate coffee which is the most aromatic I have ever had; a black and white cookie; tiny, thin asparagus; and blood oranges.

Recipe: Crispy Baked Kale

Last year, Katie was mad for baked kale. I remember her talking about how satisfying it was, crispy and salty. But I never attempted it, until this weekend. One of the food magazines had a recipe for it last month, which reminded me of Katie's then obsession (she was on Brussel sprouts last time I checked. And salmon, but has probably moved onto something else delicious by now.) and I decided to try it for myself.

I think this is the perfect starter for cocktails, the one you are always looking for. There are always creamy dips or an array of cheeses, and a million different nuts to choose from. But sometimes you are looking for something to round those choices out, something green and light. This is the recipe. It surprises people and they will say, "It tastes like potato chips!" happily munching on a piece of kale. On a piece of kale!

The recipe itself is the essence of simplicity, the most difficult part being the removal of the ribs from the leaves. I simply place all of the washed, dried and rib-free leaves on a baking sheet and give them all a good spray of olive oil (you can buy Pam-style olive oil spray now, or you may have one of those fancy misters that does the trick) then a sprinkle of salt. Turn, repeat, then bake in a low over for about thirty minutes. Delicious and good for you. You could also add some spices to the salt, perhaps a little red pepper or cayenne? A little lemon would also be nice.

Recipe: Kentucky Fried Kale in your Easy Bake Oven
1 bunch of kale (curly, Tuscan or otherwise)
olive oil (preferably in a spray can)
coarse sea salt

• Preheat oven 250 degrees.
  
• Wash and dry the kale, then cut each piece down the middle, removing the ribs.
  
• Place the kale on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper for easy clean up.
  
• Spray lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Flip the leaves and repeat.
  
• Bake for 30-33 minutes, until light and crispy.

Mangez!