Amuse Bouches

Fall is in the air and after lazy summer months where salads and anything grilled turn a get-together into a dinner party, entertainment season looms large. Who hasn't uttered the one-too-many-drinks-induced, enthusiastic outburst: "Come over for brunch/dinner/Thanksgiving" only to realize in sobriety and panic the next day that you'll need to produce enough edible and relatively coherent dishes for six people.  Take a deep breath. Have an om moment. Throwing a lunch or dinner party is really like yoga - you start off thinking "I could NEVER do that" but as you get into it you realize that you are actually more bendy than you ever thought you could be. Never mind that you're a tad sore after the first couple of times - you get better with practice.

Hosting with the most (fun) comes down to one thing: making a plan and sticking to it. Follow this rule and you'll have a blast, enjoy the company and food, and look like you put it all together without batting an eyelash. Make lists. I'm serious. Picture what you would want to serve and how you would want the evening to go, and write down everything: food, drinks, dishes and platters and utensils you'll use, background music, what kind of napkins, what you need to do. Be as exact as possible: slice bread, fill up salt and pepper shakers, replace light bulb, and so on. Once you're done with your list you can stop thinking - simply check off what's done as you shop, cook, and prepare.

Here's what goes on top of my list: Know Your Limits! I'm no Martha Stewart. I always pick one course that I don't make myself. I'm not a great baker so I usually focus on appetizers and the main course and leave dessert to the expert hands of others. Regulars on my shopping list include rich chocolate cake that I garnish with raspberries, or chocolate and vanilla gelato with berries and good biscotti.  I also don't spend too much time on nibbles. To stave off the munchies while I put finishing touches on the food and catch up with guests over cocktails, I serve big juicy olives, good quality hummus, toasted pita chips and assorted nuts.

Another great tip: serve dishes that can sit cooling in the oven until it's time to eat. Roast lamb or beef actually taste better if you take them out of the oven when they are still very rare and leave them resting for a while, covered with foil. Stews are another great option since they can be made the morning of or even the day before and left to fully develop their flavors as they steep.

For side dishes I like potato salad or couscous which taste great at room temperature, or something like orzo that I cook ahead of time and then quickly toss in olive oil and fresh herbs to warm up, right before people sit down to eat. I keep printouts of successful recipes in a drawer by the stove and clip together recipes for appetizers and desserts I served alongside, for easy reference the next time someone comes for dinner.

And if I have a little extra time I add some glamour to our plain white china through fancy dinner napkins in bright, seasonal colors and a few small decorative objects depending on the time of year - wooden, pastel-toned eggs in the spring, orange and green candles in the fall, and small, jewel-toned globes in December.

Here are some of my favorite, tried and tested recipes for entertaining - check back for updates.

Quick tip: Dessert for breakfast

Any Italian restaurant worth its flag will have some version of mascarpone with figs or berries on its dessert menu. I like to start my day with a healthy, just as yummy version that packs a punch with protein, complex carbs, and lots of vitamins and antioxidants. It takes longer to read this post than to make this dish, so skip the excuses, not breakfast!

A sweet way to start the day

Dessert for breakfast

• Two slices of crisp bread like Wasa or whole wheat bread, toasted
• 1 individual serving of non-fat plain Greek yoghurt (creamy, packed with protein and firm enough to hold up on bread - all that for about 80 calories)
• Half a cup of fresh fruit, halved or sliced if needed (I use fresh ripe figs - 'tis the season! - or try mixed berries or sliced bananas)
• Chopped almonds or hazelnuts (optional)
• A drizzle of honey (optional)

Spoon yoghurt onto bread. Add fruit and sprinkle with nuts and honey if desired. Have with a cup of very strong coffee and start your day with all of the taste and none of the guilt.

Three Times a Charm

It's A Girl!

Apparently good things do come in threes. Since the beginning of the month we've enjoyed beautiful flower arrangements in our home from the most unlikely sources: an extra arrangement from a baby shower, a leftover centerpiece from a client luncheon, and a thank you from our next door neighbors for helping them stem a flood in the middle of the night.

I recently learned that it's actually a cinch to make fancy, inexpensive centerpieces. I offered to bring pink and white flowers to a friend's baby shower and set out that day to buy ready-made arrangements at our neighborhood flower shop. It was a bright sunny day and walking  around and poking at this flower and that inspired me to bring home a few bunches and arrange them myself. I got lots of tips from one of the helpful florists, and also learned that shops will add a 40 percent mark up on arrangements. If that's not motivation to do it yourself I don't know what is! At the end of the day I had three very pretty arrangements, two vases that I will use time and again, and lots of fun playing with different options, all for around $75.

Office Souvenir

The key is to choose colors and flowers that reflect the season and mood - calla lilies will set the tone for an elegant dinner while a playful mixed assortment reflects a more casual gathering. Pick a few stand-outs like fully opened roses, plump hydrangeas or bright daisies, and mix them with less expensive fillers like babies breath and mini carnations which come in all sorts of pretty colors and last for ages. Use short, cylindrical vases and swirl a few beargrass leaves around the inside before filling half way with water. This is the secret to an arrangement that looks finished and professional.

Good Neighbors

Trim all flower stems to a similar length, about 10 inches, so that the buds don't get in the way of eye contact and conversation, and begin filling the vase, alternating flowers. If you're not sure of the height just set the vase where you want it and sit or stand next to it, depending on whether you're using it on a dinner or cocktail table. Buffet centerpieces should be tall enough to stand above food, including things you're serving on higher pieces such as cake stands.

Buy enough flowers to fill the vases so the stems sit tightly against each other. You may need to snip off a few leaves here and there. And don't forget to ask if your florist has any special deals, particularly on flowers that are in season. Take cues from what you see in magazines and take pictures of arrangements you really like for future inspiration. And most of all, enjoy and be creative! 

Passage to India

After last week's gourmet tour of the world I made a second attempt at curried lentil and potato stew with spiced okra. It turned out even better though the okra was not as nearly as tender as the previous batch from the Farmer's Market. As we put away the dishes after licking clean the serving spoons we agreed that this recipe was so addicting it should definitely make regular appearances throughout fall and winter. Later I sat on the sofa listening to the hum of the dishwasher and regretfully wishing I'd eaten the rest of the lentils rather than saving them in a Tupperware for tomorrow's lunch. Hmm. I may need to double the portions next time.

Curried lentil and potato stew

Ingredients (serves two with leftovers, maybe)

Stirring in potatoes and cilantro

• Two cups of green lentils
• Yellow curry powder
• A pinch or two of cayenne pepper
• Salt to taste (if there's one thing I learned about curry is that it needs a lot of salt to bring out the flavor, so this is not the food for people watching their blood pressure)

• 2 small gold potatoes, cubed
• Fresh cilantro, about two handfuls, torn
• A cup of strained tomatoes
• White wine (optional)

Almost ready

Put lentils in a large pot and cover with five cups of water. Add plenty of curry powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, covered. When lentils start to boil reduce heat to medium. After ten minutes add potatoes, half the cilantro, the tomatoes, half cup or so of white wine and more salt.

Stir and cover. Cook for another 10 minutes or until lentils and potatoes are tender, adding water as needed to ensure a slightly moist consistency. Right before serving add the remaining cilantro.



Dinner is served


Serve with spiced okra (courtesy of Top Cheftestant Kevin Gillespie, this recipe is delicious even though I skipped the fenugreek and substituted garam masala for the ground fennel seeds - if you do this you can leave out the cinnamon) and a dollop of plain yoghurt if you like. The lentils taste even better at room temperature or the next day.

Everything is Illuminated

When Michael Phelps was training for the Beijing Olympics he ate two pounds of pasta. Per. Meal. His side dishes were usually a couple of ham and cheese sandwiches or a pizza. Of course he was also burning something like 10,000 calories a day. I'm lucky if I exercise that much in a month and despite my love for Italian food I stayed away from pasta for many years because frankly, who can resist a huge plate of it enticingly slathered in butter, cream or some other decadent goodness?

I don't have that kind of self control and envied anyone who did until a lightbulb went off and I realized that the key to guilt-free pasta is to make it at home, creatively using healthier ingredients and controlling portions. As a result I'm constantly experimenting with new ideas for fast, lower calorie recipes that still taste like a treat. Life is so much better now that we eat pasta once or twice a week, though I make just enough for two and when it's gone we tend to regretfully hover of the empty pot bartering over who gets each last drop of sauce.

Here's my newest addiction: simple and healthy pasta infused with bright taste, beautiful color and lots of vitamins. Each ingredient will really shine in this dish, so use really fresh greens, whole milk ricotta, and good parmesan.

Green ricotta pasta (serves 2)



Tossing the greens

 Ingredients

• 1/2 pound whole wheat pasta (any shape will work)
• 2 cups fresh basil, roughly chopped
• 2 cups fresh arugula, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup ricotta
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Zest of half a lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A pinch of nutmeg (optional)
• Parmesan to taste

Preparation

Fold in the ricotta mixture

Bring to boil a large pot with plenty of water. When the water is boiling add some salt and the pasta. Cook according to the label, about 8-9 minutes or until al dente. Stir every once in a while.

While the pasta cooks, in a small bowl mix the ricotta, wine, zest, and salt and pepper. Add the pinch of nutmeg if you like.

• When the pasta is al dente, strain and reserve half a cup of the cooking liquid. 

Return pasta to the pot and add the reserved cooking liquid. Slowly add the basil and arugula and toss gently, using tongs. The warm pasta will wilt the greens.

When the greens start to wilt, add the ricotta mixture and toss gently.

Serve in bowls with a generous sprinkling of parmesan.