what's for dinner, amanda hesser & merrill stubbs?

Today we are lucky to have the duo behind food52, an innovative new project by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs. Amanda (left, in photo) has contributed hundreds of stories about food to The New York Times, including the fantastic Recipe Redux column. She is also the author of Cooking for Mr. Latte, the editor of Eat, Memory, and the author of the upcoming Times cookbook, which will be out next year. Merrill has written for the Times, Body+Soul, Culinate.com, Edible Brooklyn, and is the food editor at Herb Quarterly. Through food52, Amanda and Merrill showcase the recipes of home cooks through weekly recipe contests ranging from the best chocolate cookie to the best brussels sprouts dish. After a year, the winning recipes will be published in a cookbook. Many thanks to both of these busy ladies for letting us have a peek into how they entertain at home.

1. Name, occupation, and city

M: Merrill Stubbs, co-founder of food52 and author, Brooklyn, NY

A. Amanda Hesser, co-founder of food52 and author, Brooklyn NY

2. When was the last time you threw a dinner party, and who was invited?
M: My last "dinner party" was actually a barbecue in Prospect Park at the end of the summer. I invited all of my good friends who live in New York, as well as a couple of out-of-towners. There were lots of small children, which meant the chocolate chip cookies disappeared in a hurry.

A. You've reminded me that it's been too long. The last big dinner I cooked was on vacation on Long Island with my husband's family. I made a giant bowl of pasta with roasted cherry tomatoes and corn, and served raspberry granita for dessert. (Also, I went to Merrill's barbecue -- she left out that she made a delicious green bean salad with dill!)

3. What is the best menu you've ever made for company?

M: While I was still in cooking school, I made a navarin d'agneau (lamb stew) and a gratin dauphinoise with a simple green salad for a dinner party of about 50 people. The combo went over well, and it actually wasn't that difficult to churn out enough for that many people. That was probably the most gratifying menu I've ever made. For a smaller group, I like to get a little more elaborate. One of the better menus I've served recently: pureed asparagus soup, seared goat chops with preserved lemon cream, pea shoot and sugar snap salad, and a rhubarb crisp.

A. I once made turducken (a turkey stuffed with a duck that's stuffed with a chicken), which was really fun because all of the work happens before people arrive and when the turducken is ready, it makes a great, sort of hilariously odd presentation, and is very easy to serve because you just slice it like bread. On a more practical level, I like making a Laotian catfish stew from the New York Times. It's very simple, can be made almost entirely ahead of time and the flavors are fragrant and unexpected -- a real crowd pleaser.

4. What's your preference: wine, beer, cocktails?

A. For the cocktail hour, my husband and I like to choose one special drink -- usually either a sparkling wine or a cocktail -- and then we offer single-malt scotch or sparkling water for those who don't want the special drink. I'm not a fan of the open bar theory -- I think people want to come and be taken care of and entertained, not to drink and eat everything that they have at home.

M: Wine, hands down. That said, my ideal dinner party would include a pre-dinner cocktail along the lines of what Amanda described above.

5. What's your favorite dinner party soundtrack?

A: That's my husband's department -- it's usually a mix of 1970s and 1980s music from his iPod. Although, he was into the "Garden State" soundtrack for a while.

M: Nowadays, classical or something else very mellow. Gone are the days in which I entertained with alternative rock blaring in the background.

6. Some friends are coming over for a last-minute dinner tomorrow night. What do you make?
M: Bruschetta with ricotta and thyme; roasted salmon or char with herb aioli; mashed potatoes; green salad; pears poached in red wine with mascarpone.

A. Bagna Cauda; pappardelle with arugula, creme fraiche and lemon zest; and caramelized figs (a recipe we just learned from one of our cooks on food52!)

7. Do you usually cook everything yourself, or do you have help?

M: Several of my friends like to cook, so if they show up early they'll help out. (I try not to be too bossy in the kitchen for fear of scaring them off.) I also have a couple of especially generous friends who often bring homemade desserts with them.

A: I cook and my husband sets the table, does the flowers and comes up with the seating arrangement -- and we chat while we're both working. We also keep a dinner party diary, in which we record the menu, the guest list, the flowers and the highlights from the conversation. We both write in it, and since we usually sit at opposite ends of the table during the party, it's fun to read each other's version afterward. Sometimes it's as if we were at two different parties.

8. Do you ever buy store-bought food, or is everything on your table made from scratch?

M: For a dinner party, I like to make everything from scratch if possible. One notable exception might be ice cream if I'm serving it with a pie or a homemade sauce or something.

A: I agree with Merrill, entirely.

9. What do you like to serve for dessert?

M: It depends on the season, and my mood. I love chocolate, but I also like making fruit-based desserts, e.g. a free-form tart or an applesauce cake. I also like coming up with variations on rice pudding and pavlova. My friend Naomi gave me this incredible molasses spice cake recipe reminiscent of sticky toffee pudding that you make right in a cast iron pan and serve with whipped cream -- that gets repeated often.

A. I always make dessert first, and I like a dessert that I can prepare the day before so it's done and is a psychic weight off my shoulders. One of my favorites is an almond cake recipe from my husband's mother. Its flavor actually improves after a day, so you have to make it ahead of time. And you can pair it with any seasonal fruit -- I particularly love blueberries in a grappa syrup with mint.

10. If you could invite anyone over for dinner (living or dead), who would it be?
M: Jane Austen. The post-party commentary would be epic.

A: I say on food52 that it would be Tina Fey, but I'm feeling a coin toss between her and Stephen Colbert.

[Photo: Sarah Shatz]

link-o-rama (& twitter)

It's about 20 days until Thanksgiving--can you believe it? I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that it's almost the end of the year, let alone that I need to think about turkey and stuffing options. For those of you who are also in denial, let's ease into holiday planning by starting small: pre-dinner snacks.

Food & Wine has a helpful round-up of Thanksgiving hors d'Oeuvres options: porcini mushroom tartlets, chicken liver crostini, toasted pumpkin seeds [via F&W]

And so does Saveur, including prosciutto-wrapped parmesan and pecan dates, stuffed celery, and bagna cauda [via Saveur]

Six "instant appetizers" from Bon Appetit featuring store-bought foods that are special enough for a holiday like fancy artichokes and peppers, foie gras with black truffles, and interesting crackers. [via BA]

Food Network has 50 ways to top a piece of toast, if you're going in that direction [via Food Network]

And a bit of unrelated news: I finally decided to jump on the Twitter bandwagon. Follow me to find blog updates and random musings, as well as ask dinner party-related questions. Need help figuring out how many pigs in a blanket to serve? I'm all ears!

mailbag: a French-inspired party

Hello my dear, sweet Lisa:

I am turning 30 this month...ahem, as you know. I am going to have a party--probably 20 to 30 people at my house--and I wanted to do something FUN, so I have decided to make it French themed. (Quelle suprise!) Beaujolais nouveau comes out soon, so I am going to grab some bottles (if not a case, LOL) and I want to have a signature drink. I will have an assortment of cheeses, maybe a cantaloupe and ham dish, and of course, pastries. Do you have any ideas to add to the mix?

Your friend,
Mme. Paulita

Dear Paulita,

Your party sounds so fun! And how smart to pick a theme around a limited-time-only wine.

It sounds like you already have a good start menu-wise, but here are some ideas based on whether you feel like cooking or shopping. After all, you should only cook a big meal on your birthday if you really feel like it.

If you feel like cooking:
Croque monsieurs (Perfect drinking food!)

How about a sweet or savory galette? Maybe butternut squash and caramelized onion or apple

Maybe some spiced nuts with herbes de provence?

One large quiche or mini quiches

Baked brie in puff pastry

Some fresh vegetables and dips like aioli and tapenade (or artichoke tapenade)

Or, for a more formal meal, how about ratatouille, some grilled sausages, and a big salad?

And for dessert, in my book, nothing is more birthday-worthy, and French-y than a chocolate soufflé cake

If you feel like shopping:
Pick up some pre-made tapenade and serve it with poached, chilled shrimp and crackers.

Serve pâté with cornichons and mustard with baguette slices

Ham and cheese sandwiches on mini croissants

Chocolate truffles (Whole Foods has really good ones)

Drinks:
Maybe something light and refreshing with Lillet, like Lillet au Citron?

Or a French 75?

Or a French martini

Does anyone else have French party food ideas for my friend? Help a mademoiselle out!
Lisa

[Image from James Beard's Fireside Cookbook]

girls' night in

When I was a kid, sleepovers meant staying up late, talking about boys, making beauty treatments with things like raw eggs and oatmeal, and watching Clue in our NKOTB sleeping bags until we drifted off to sleep. All pretty typical twelve-year-old girl stuff.

Last week, I had an early-morning haircut appointment in the East Village, so my co-worker and friend Courtney let me stay at her apartment, which is just around the corner from my hairstylist. Sleepovers are way more fun when you're an adult. You don't stay up quite as late, but there's no homesickness and teary calls home to Mom. There is wine, and good music on the iPod, and dinner is much better than delivery from Domino's.

That said, we kept the menu pretty simple. Unlike twelve-year-olds, we had worked all day and were pretty exhausted by the time we got to Courtney's apartment. So we kicked off our shoes and nibbled on cheese and crackers over wine, then cooked up fried chicken cutlets topped with a peppery arugula salad--a fast and tasty dish that has become one of my weeknight staples.

Dessert was chocolate chip cookies. Some things always stay the same.

Sleepover at Courtney's
Cheese and crackers
Fried chicken cutlets with arugula salad
Chocolate chip cookies

Fried chicken cutlets with arugula salad
The chicken is sort of a Milanese, dredged in parmesan and flour and fried in olive oil until golden brown. Instead of serving a salad on the side, I just toss some arugula in lemon juice and olive oil and pile it on top of the warm chicken. I also add whatever vegetable I have on hand--this time, cherry tomatoes, but I also like thinly sliced fennel, or roasted veggies like mushrooms. Feel free to mix it up.
(Serves 2)

1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup grated parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling on top
1 egg
1 package thinly-sliced chicken (about 4 strips, or two chicken breasts, cut in half and pounded thin)
2 large handfuls arugula
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 lemon
Olive oil
salt and pepper

In a small bowl, beat the egg and set aside. In another small bowl or plate, combine the flour, parmesan, and a pinch of salt. In a large pan, pour in olive oil until it is about 1/4 inch deep, covering entire the bottom of the pan. Heat over medium-heat. When the oil is ready, a bit of flour will bubble when sprinkled in the oil.

Dunk each piece of chicken in the egg and then in the flour, coating it in flour thoroughly. When the oil is hot enough, place the chicken in the pan. Fry the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Set aside the cooked chicken on a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with salt.

In a medium-sized bowl, toss the arugula and tomatoes with the juice of 1/2 a lemon and 2 Tbsp. olive oil.

To plate, place two pieces of chicken on each plate and squeeze the other half of the lemon over them. Add the salad on top and sprinkle with extra parmesan cheese.

kale chips

Have you ever eaten kale before? It used to remind me of the stiff green stuff used to line salad bars, but after experimenting with it a bit I've learned that it's actually really delicious, not to mention extremely good for you. Kale has an earthy flavor with a slight bitterness, a little milder than broccoli rabe. It's a nice way to replace your usual sauteed spinach side dish, or can be tossed into pastas.

But sauteeing and blanching is one thing. Kale chips are another. Until going to Jon and Lara's house for dinner, I had never eaten kale chips. While they may sound like bland hippie snack food, they're highly addictive--like crispy, dark green Lay's. I'm serious! Dan looked at the tangle of crispy green leaves skeptically but after one chip, I caught his hand returning to the plate again and again.

Try them for your next dinner party. Better yet, just make a whole bowl for yourself.

Kale chips
This probably isn't the exact recipe Jon and Lara used, but I think it's pretty close. Be sure to add the red pepper flakes like Lara did. They add the perfect amount of heat.
(Serves about 6 people)

12 large Tuscan kale leaves, rinsed, dried, cut lengthwise in half, center ribs and stems removed
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
Pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Toss kale with oil in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange leaves in single layer on 2 large baking sheets. Bake until crisp, about 30 minutes for flat leaves and up to 33 minutes for wrinkled leaves. Transfer leaves to rack to cool.Sprinkle with extra salt and red pepper flakes.

on being fed

Life has got me feeling a little burnt out lately. Some nights when I get home from work I just feel like curling up in a ball. My friend Mindi said something recently about wanting to hide under a blanket with a glass of wine, and that sounds about right too.

When you're going through a rough time, having someone put a plate of food before you is like slipping into a hot bath. It is one of the most soothing, comforting things in the world. Especially when the food is made by someone you know. Going to someone else's house for dinner can be even nicer than going out to a restaurant because it's personal. It's not some anonymous chef in a kitchen churning out your supper. It's something cooked for you by your friend, your father, your wife, your grandmother.

So when our friends Jon and Lara emailed to invited us over for dinner, I think it may have taken me all of five seconds to reply "YES!!!" They couldn't have asked at a better time.

Had I known what an impressive spread they were going to make, I would have replied even sooner. Wow, what a meal. The prettiest little vegetables and bright yellow aioli, perfectly roasted Cornish hens, lamb and rice stuffing spiced with nutmeg and coriander. If someone served you this meal on Thanksgiving you'd be completely wowed.

After a few glasses of wine and an extra helping of stuffing, I was as happy as if it was an actual holiday. I stopped worrying about work, stopped thinking about what I had to do the next day, stopped thinking ahead and just relaxed into the moment. Sitting around a table in Jon and Lara's apartment, laughing at YouTube videos, and eating ice cream may be the highlight of this whole difficult month. There's nothing like a home-cooked meal to make you feel good all over again. Or at least until Monday rolls around. Thanks, guys.

Dinner at Jon and Lara's
Crudite and homemade aioli
Cheese and crackers
Kale chips
Roasted Cornish hens
Lamb and rice stuffing
Roasted brussels sprouts
Salad
Ice cream with chocolate sauce

what's for dinner, luisa weiss?

Being obsessed with food, I read food blogs long before I had the idea to start my own. The first blog I remember reading and falling in love with was Luisa Weiss's The Wednesday Chef. And now, several years later, it is still one of my favorite places on the web. Luisa, a New York-based cookbook editor, consistently uncovers great recipes from newspapers, cookbooks, and her family in Italy and Berlin. But cooking inspiration is only part of what makes her site special. Luisa can turn a subject as mundane as pancakes into the most gorgeous prose. And I'm not alone in my opinion. This year, The Wednesday Chef ranked third on the Times of London's list of the world's 50 best food blogs. Highly deserved praise for a highly talented writer. Thanks for always inspiring us, Luisa.

1. Name, occupation, and city
Luisa Weiss, cookbook editor, New York City

2. When was the last time you threw a dinner party, and who was invited?
I had six friends over for an Easter brunch in the spring and made an artichoke-ricotta torte with a recipe from my Sicilian uncle, an arugula-fennel salad, and a cornmeal cake with cherries in syrup from my mother's trees in Italy.

3. What is the best menu you've ever made for company?
Actually, it was one of the first meals I made after starting my blog. I had some girlfriends over for dinner and I made an herbed pork loin (from Barbara Kafka's wonderful cookbook on roasting), roasted zucchini tossed with mint and feta from a recipe Melissa Clark had published in The New York Times, and a savory plum compote that I served with the pork.

4. What's your preference: wine, beer, cocktails?
For a dinner party, wine. For drinking on my own, beer. Cocktails are generally too sweet or too strong for my taste.

5. What's your favorite dinner party soundtrack?
It really depends on the meal and on the season. I love very old jazz standards as well as trip hop like Bonobo or Thievery Corporation.

6. Some friends are coming over for a last-minute dinner tomorrow night. What do you make?
If there's a day's notice, does that count as "last-minute"? [Ed: hmm, good point.] Either I'll make spaghetti with a cherry-tomato sauce spiked with hot chile flakes, garlic and good olive oil, all of which is usually lying around my kitchen anyway, or I'll roast a chicken and some cubed potatoes with rosemary. To follow, a nice salad is easy and quick (I like soft lettuces, a few herbs and farmer's market tomatoes in the summer or in winter thinly sliced fennel, orange slices and toasted walnuts) and a good vinaigrette always impresses guests.

7. Do you usually cook everything yourself, or do you have help?
I usually make everything myself, I'm kind of an alpha cook that way. Honestly, I like being alone in the kitchen. It's my meditative time.

8. Do you ever buy store-bought food, or is everything on your table made from scratch?
I buy bread for dinner parties since baking bread on top of making dinner party food is a surefire way to have a kitchen meltdown. And I've bought pre-made puff pastry without any shame (and a pie crust once, too, though that was just laziness). Other than that, I make everything myself. Well, except for the cheese.

9. What do you like to serve for dessert?
I love to bake, so if I'm feeling really ambitious on top of making dinner, I'll bake a cake or a fruit tart. But I'm also fine with buying a pint or two of premium vanilla ice cream and serving it with fresh berries. Or I skip dessert entirely and just serve cheese at the end of the meal.

10. If you could invite anyone over for dinner (living or dead), who would it be?
Barack, Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama. I'd love to make them dinner and just sit around talking for a while. I'm kind of in love with the four of them.

[Photo: Courtesy of Luisa Weiss]