dinner party on shelterrific

Today I've got a post over at Shelterrific on a hearty pasta that's perfect for this time of year: ziti with butternut squash, radicchio, bacon, and ricotta salata. All this dish needs is a green salad and a bottle of red and you've got a cozy fall dinner that's totally dinner party-worthy. Click here for the recipe!

fried liver and pepper jelly crostini

So now that we have a dozen jars of homemade pepper jelly on our hands, what are we doing with it?

When writing about our encounters with pepper jelly in New Orleans restaurants, I mentioned eating fried rabbit livers with spicy pepper jelly from Cochon restaurant. It was by far the best bite of food I had the entire trip--totally memorable. The spiciness of the jelly cut the fattiness of the livers, a small herb salad on top added a bright note, and the toast was the perfect crunchy vessel. After Dan and I tried it, we looked at each other with our mouths full and said 'wow'. More accurately, "Mmmmargugh, woowumaugh."

The real reason I wanted to throw a Southern-themed dinner is because I wanted to try this recipe for myself, using easy-to-find chicken livers instead. Even with a few tweaks, this recipe totally lived up to our vacation memories.

At Cochon, chef Donald Link serves this as an appetizer, with about four liver-topped toasts per person. I decided to make lots of little bites and serve them on a big platter. The effect was slightly more messy, but also slightly more impressive.

The recipe calls for buttered slices of white bread that you toast in the oven. I didn't want to buy a whole loaf of bread that we wouldn't finish, so I opted for premade toasts instead. Any crackers would work for this, really. You could also buy a jar of spicy pepper jelly if you don't want to go to the trouble of making it, even though it really isn't that hard and makes great gifts.

I recommend serving this immediately so the livers don't get cold and lose their crunchy texture. Even though I made the crostini by myself while everyone was having a drink in the living room, it's the perfect recipe to recruit an extra set of hands to help you out. While one person fries up the livers, the other can make the herb salad and top the toasts with jelly. Before you know it, you'll have a plate of deliciousness on your hands.

Fried Chicken Livers with Hot Pepper Glaze
Adapted from Real Cajun by Donald Link
(Serves about 6 people as an appetizer)

1 lb. chicken livers (about 12 to 15), trimmed into bite-sized pieces
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp. hot sauce
salt
black pepper
Peanut oil or lard, for frying
*4 slices white bread, crusts trimmed (or storebought crackers, optional)
*1 tablespoon melted butter (or storebought crackers, optional)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 mint sprigs
Leaves from 3 or 4 flat-leaf parsley sprigs
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. sherry vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
3/4 cup hot pepper jelly

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken livers, buttermilk, hot sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and marinate at least 1 hour or overnight in the fridge.

Heat the oil in a large, deep pot to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, cut each bread slice into four equal squares, brush with butter, and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

Place flour in a shallow dish. One at a time, lift the livers out of the marinade, shaking to remove excess buttermilk, and coat in the flour, shaking off excess.

Fry the chicken livers in small batches for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown and just cooked through; transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. To serve, place the toasts (or crackers) on a platter and top each one with a dab of pepper jelly and a fried liver. Toss the mint, parsley, and onion with the oil and vinegar. Spread another dab of pepper jelly over each liver and top with some of the salad.

spicy pepper jelly

When Dan and I went to New Orleans earlier this year, we noticed a particular ingredient on several restaurant menus around the city: hot pepper jelly. I didn't realize it was a trend, but it went so well with the area's hearty, fatty food, like foie gras, charcuterie, and fried rabbit livers.

My mom used to make pepper jelly. We ate it on Ritz crackers with cream cheese, a truly delectable combo. She liked to give the jars away as gifts but always kept a few for us to eat. I'm not sure what inspired her to make it in the first place (Mom, can you enlighten us in the comments?) but she loves to can and create handmade things. Her recipe called for red peppers, jalapenos, and sugar, creating a condiment with sweet, bright, back-of-your-throat heat.

Now that I'd seen it served in ways other than on a cracker, I started to think about the possibilities of pepper jelly. It would be dreamy with goat cheese, it could make a tasty condiment spread thin on a sandwich, it could lend heat and sweetness to fried chicken. Dan says he wants to make pepper jelly pappardelle, but that sounds more like smarty pants wordplay than dinner to me.

Inspired by our recent pickle-making session, we decided to tackle pepper jelly. Like pickling, making jelly is really not that hard. For a little chopping, boiling, and stirring, you're rewarded with golden jars of spicy, fruity, tangy jelly flecked with bits of peppers. Whether you decide to make a small batch and keep it in the refrigerator, or make the jam shelf-stable by preserving it, this is an easy, fun afternoon project.

Before it even really solidified, we ate several spoonfuls of the jelly, and had a taste test with a piece of Bûcheron goat cheese (on paper towels--classy!), which Dan pronounced "&@!&*%G amazing." The highest endorsement. We may even put it on the label if we go into the pepper jelly business.

I will warn you of one thing. When handling the jalapenos you should WEAR GLOVES. I know, you might not have a clean pair hanging around the house. But a quick trip to the store for a package of gloves will prevent you from having to sleep with your moisturizer-slicked mitts dangling off of the side of the bed lest you touch your (or your husband's) face or eyes. Not to mention the tingling, burning sensation that lasted for a few days. This is starting to sound like a Cialis commercial.

So, yeah. Protect your hands, please. This jelly is so delicious, it is worth the price of gloves.


Spicy Pepper Jelly
Adapted from Real Cajun by Donald Link. He says to let the pureed vinegar-pepper mixture sit in the refrigerator overnight, so plan to do that step in advance.
(Makes about 5 pint-sized jars)

2 red bell peppers
10 jalapeno peppers (we used about 8; taste your peppers to determine how hot they are)
1 1/2 cups white distilled vinegar
1 1/2 cups apple juice
1 (1 3/4 ounces) box powdered pectin powder
1/2 tsp. salt
5 cups sugar

Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers and cut into half-inch pieces. Combine the peppers with the vinegar in a blender and puree. Transfer to a 1-quart container, add the apple juice, and refrigerate overnight to develop flavor. Make sure that there are 4 cups; if not, add enough apple juice to make 4 cups. Add the pectin and salt, bring to a boil for over medium heat while stirring. Add sugar and return to a rolling boil for 1 minute while stirring. Remove from heat and skim any foam that has risen to the surface. Ladle into four hot *sterilized 8-ounce canning jars (see note), seal, and process according to the jar manufacturer's instructions. Let cool on a rack and check that the jars have sealed properly.

*Notes on sterilizing: Wash your canning jars, lids, and screw bands in hot, soapy water, then rinse them well. Use a clean towel to dry the bands. To sterilize, place the empty jars on a rack in a boiling-water canner or a deep stockpot and add enough hot water to cover them completely. Bring to a boil, then boil for 10 minutes. Similarly, heat the lids in the water until a thermometer registers 180°F (do not let boil), then remove from heat. Canning tongs will help with all of this.

what's for dinner, good. food. stories.?

Today we have a two-for-one Q&A with the ladies of Good. Food. Stories., a great new food blog. Run by writers Casey Barber (left, in photo) and Danielle Oteri, it is quickly becoming one of my favorite sites, and not only because Casey is a good friend. Good. Food. Stories. is full of helpful restaurant recommendations, useful cooking tips, must-bookmark recipes, and immensely enjoyable personal stories. It's an eclectic mix of food writing and that's part of the fun of reading it--you never know what will pop up from day to day. No matter what they are writing about, these talented women live to eat and cook and it definitely comes through on their site. Here, they share their tips and tricks for entertaining (hint: spaghetti and meatballs, Van Morrison, and homemade ice cream). Enjoy!

1. Name, occupation, and city
DO: Danielle Oteri, art historian, writer, illustrator, New York City

CB: Casey Barber, writer, cook, and cat mom, Clifton, NJ

2. When was the last time you threw a dinner party, and who was invited?
DO: I had a small gathering on my birthday this past August for just 8 people. The year before I had a birthday dinner party in which all of the 25 guests showed up...and almost everyone brought someone which I had not planned for! It was fun but a little scary and kind of like cooking on a line.

CB: I cooked for 16 family friends a few weeks ago to celebrate the exterior repainting of our house - we threw four whole spice-rubbed chickens on the grill, made lots of cold salads, and served up a bunch of Dinner Party's best dips like the charred onion and spicy yogurt. [Ed: Nice!]

3. What is the best menu you've ever made for company?
DO: My favorite was a traditional, table-side prepared Caesar salad in honor of my guest of honor named Cesar. I put the mustard, the anchovies, the beaten eggs, the salt and pepper, all in little glass ramekins and brought everything out on a big, wooden board. The ceremony of making the salad for the table became the evening's main event. I liked including the guests on the prep of part of the meal. (The salad was preceded by spaghetti and meatballs.)

CB: I wish I kept logs of all my menus over the years, but one of my favorites (and one of my simplest menus) is a grilled ribeye with homemade shoestring fries, bearnaise sauce and a good bottle of red wine. Perfect for a lazy two-person dinner.

4. What's your preference: wine, beer, cocktails?
DO: Oh, definitely wine. I can't handle more than a corkscrew in the midst of a dinner party. Whomever arrives first is usually who I put in charge of popping open and pouring those first glasses of wine.

CB: It depends on the situation, but we are more or less 50 percent wine, 50 percent beer in our household. And no, that is not divided by gender.

5. What's your favorite dinner party soundtrack?
DO: I try to put on not well known music by well-known artists. Last party I played Paul McCartney's Flowers in the Dirt, an album co-written with Elvis Costello. I also like Elton John's Songs from the West Coast, or Tori Amos' Scarlett's Walk.

CB: For Sunday morning brunch parties, I have to go with Uma Thurman in Beautiful Girls and choose Van Morrison. For outdoor cookouts, my oldies mix (everything from Sam Cooke to the Doobie Brothers to the Lovin’ Spoonful) gets a lot of rotation. And for actual dinner parties, I’ll make a playlist from a bunch of my favorite sensitive Guys With Guitars - Pete Yorn, Ben Gibbard, Mike Doughty, Rhett Miller, Howie Day, Josh Rouse....

6. Some friends are coming over for a last-minute dinner tomorrow night. What do you make?
DO: The aforementioned spaghetti and meatballs. It's inexpensive, pleasing to everyone and I could make it in my sleep! You would be surprised how creative you can get with this simple dish. I once made garlic bread, toasted it, then smashed the toasts with my meat tenderizer and incorporated it into the meatballs. Plus everyone tends to assume that my spaghetti and meatballs are the best simply by virtue of my Italian background.

CB: I always try to have some homemade pasta and pasta sauce in the freezer, but should we be bereft, I would do a make-your-own-panini bar with whatever's in the fridge and our awesome Whole Foods ciabatta. (Also, my husband works nights, so could I cheat and send him out for groceries during the day?)

7. Do you usually cook everything yourself, or do you have help?
DO: My friend Lara is the only one I'll really let COOK. Well, and Casey of course. She taught me how to make carbonara. But anyone who wants to help chop, rinse, slice bread, or prepare a salad is a friend o' mine.

CB: I do it all, baby! If you want to help, you can mix a cocktail.

8. Do you ever buy store-bought food, or is everything on your table made from scratch?
DO: I try to keep with scratch as much as possible. Things I'll buy from the store and serve are olives, cheeses, and salami.

CB: For the most part, it’s made from scratch - my long, unwieldy motto is "why buy it when you can make it for twice the price and three times the effort?" However, you will never tear this Pittsburgh girl away from her Heinz ketchup.

9. What do you like to serve for dessert?
DO: Home-made strawberry ice cream with a drizzle of my really fancy balsamic vinegar.

CB: Usually I’ll do a tart or pie that can be made en avance and served with some homemade ice cream (always wins you brownie points and is no harder than making a custard or pudding!). And I have a weakness for lemon desserts, as anyone who knows me can attest.

10. If you could invite anyone over for dinner (living or dead), who would it be? 

DO: Lucy and Ricky Ricardo

CB: I'd like to invite Jack Kerouac, but instead of eating, he'd probably just drink all my Scotch and hang out morosely in the corner with my cat Lenny in his lap. So instead I'll go with the Barenaked Ladies, who would be hilarious conversational companions and also ready to play our traditional post-dinner game of Rock Band.

[Photo: Jessica Scranton]

water, water everywhere

File this tip under "obvious yet important": when you're throwing a dinner party, don't forget to put out water.

It's easy to get caught up in the cocktails, or wine, or beer, or whatever special drinks you're serving. At our house, people usually get started on their first drink before they even sit down. But making sure there is water on hand--even if people don't want to drink it right away--is really important. Otherwise, no one will get hydrated, they'll just get crocked. And you don't want a bunch of overserved friends on your hands. Trust me.

Instead of having to keep an eye on everyone's water glass like a waitress, I just put a pitcher or carafe of water and some glasses out where everyone can see them. I like using a glass lemonade bottle, which I washed to remove the paper label. It can be resealed and adds a certain charm to the table, even though it's just an old bottle, otherwise destined for the recycling bin. (This bottle also works really well for transporting drinks to other people's parties or for picnics.)

Totally a no-brainer but something I often forget myself!

lemon bars, and a little history

For our Southern dinner, I went with a dessert that's probably not all that Southern. Lemon bars strike me as a product of the Midwest, like casseroles and Jell-O salads. That is not to say that they aren't delicious. Lemon bars are one of my favorite desserts of all time.

My Nanny always used to make these for family dinners, but from a box mix. Also good, but lemon bars can be improved considerably if you make them from scratch. I think lemon desserts need fresh lemon juice and zest to really shine. And really, it's not that much more work to go the handmade route.

I like the recipe in Joy of Cooking for lemon bars Cockaigne. I never knew what this word "Cockaigne" meant or why it was used in certain random recipe titles in Joy, like another one for brownies. The lemon bars were so good, I didn't really care. But kind of weird, right?

Turns out, it is actually a secret code for some of the best recipes in the cookbook. Cockaigne is a medieval word for "land of plenty," where no one works and has every sort of luxury and pleasure imaginable. Over time, it turned into a fictional utopia, like Atlantis, referenced by poets and even the Brothers Grimm.

Tying it back to lemon bars, Marion Rombauer Becker, daughter of the original Joy of Cooking author Irma S. Rombauer, had a country home in Ohio that was named Cockaigne. Many Joy recipes are coded with the word, referencing the place they came from but also that they were personal favorites of the author. There are recipes for brownies, Cincinnati chili, fruitcake, meatloaf, almond torte, and creamed eggs and asparagus Cockaigne, among others. If you see this word, chances are the recipe is worth trying.

This lemon bar recipe is my go-to because it's supremely easy (no mixer required!) and always works. In a little over an hour, you get a pan of perfectly tart bars with a gooey, lemon curd-like filling and slightly sweet shortbread crust. There's also a nice ratio of filling to crust. I like extra filling you can really sink your teeth into.

And who knew the story was so good too?

Lemon bars Cockaigne
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking
(Makes about 18 3-inch by 2-inch squares)

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
pinch salt
12 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the filling:
6 large eggs
3 cups sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. lemon juice (about 5 lemons)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Sift the flour, sugar, and salt into a large bowl. Using two knives or your fingertips (recommended) cut in the butter until the mixture is the size of small peas. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9" by 13" baking pan, and about 3/4" up the sides of the pan to keep the filling from leaking during baking.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

To make the filling (you can do this as you are baking the crust), whisk eggs and sugar together until well combined. Add the zest and juice; whisk well. Sift the flour over the top and stir until well blended. Pour filling over the cooled crust. Bake until set, about 30 to 35 minutes. (They should be slightly jiggly.) Let the pan cool completely before cutting into bars. Dust with confectioner's sugar, if desired.

southern comfort

I love Southern food. Barbecue, collard greens, fried chicken, fruit pies, shrimp and grits--I love it all. So why don't I make this kind of stuff more often? That's a good question. Southern fare is perfect for dinner parties; it's homey, comforting, happy-making food.

I've made all sorts of dishes for dinner parties--risottos, roasted pork loin, short ribs--but there's a certain level of excitement when you tell people they'll be eating macaroni and cheese. And the perfect time to indulge in some mac and cheese is when you have a few other people to help you eat it.

A few Saturdays ago, our friends Colin, Anne, and Chris joined us for dinner. I debated a lot over which direction to take this meal. I considered making fried chicken, but worried it would be too messy. Chicken-fried steak? No. Some sort of homey casserole? Nah. And then I thought about macaroni and cheese, something I could cook while everyone ate some appetizers, something I hardly ever make. And then the rest of the meal fell in place. Sauteed kale and black eyed peas with bacon would provide a nice vegetable counterpart to the cheesy pasta. A simple tomato salad would also be a nice seasonal side. We'd have deviled eggs to start and a fried chicken liver crostini I'd had my eye on for awhile.

And you know what? This menu was really, really good. It was filling, but not a total gut bomb. It was highly caloric, but the cheese and fried livers and eggs were slightly countered with fresh vegetables. In my mind, successful meals are all about harmony and balance.

Sure, this isn't something I'd make every night--my cholesterol is already high enough. But if you're looking for an inexpensive menu that will definitely make everyone full and happy, break out the mac and cheese. And bacon. And uh, deviled eggs.

Between his new album and amazing 9-11 concert, Dan and I have been on a Jay-Z kick lately. So we all listened to some Hova as we ate, which led to a discussion about rap music, and homophobia and misogyny in the music industry. Let me tell you, Kanye West is a polarizing figure, even before his latest kerfuffle at the VMAs. All serious stuff, until I threw a diamond sign during "Death of Autotune" and knocked over my plate, macaroni bits scattering all over the rug. It was the sort of slow-motion spill that stopped conversation and held everyone's attention for what felt like minutes.

And then we laughed and had more beers and lemon bars. Knocking food on the floor always seems to lighten the mood.

Southern supper for five
Deviled eggs
Fried chicken livers with pepper jelly on toast
Macaroni and cheese
Kale and black eyed peas with bacon
Tomato salad
Lemon bars

Easy baked macaroni and cheese
From The New York Times, via Smitten Kitchen. I followed this recipe pretty closely, save for replacing a cup of milk with a cup of buttermilk, just because I had some on hand. It was pretty subtle, but I think it added a little extra tang and richness. This recipe really was easy, as promised.
(Serves 6 to 8)

2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup cottage cheese (not low fat)
2 cups whole or 2 % milk (or, 1 cup milk, 1 cup buttermilk)
1 tsp. dry mustard
Pinch cayenne
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 lb. sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 lb. elbow pasta, uncooked.

Heat oven to 375 degrees and position an oven rack in upper third of oven. Use one tablespoon butter to grease a 9-inch round or square baking pan.

In a blender, purée cottage cheese, 1 cup milk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg and salt and pepper together until smooth. Add in the second cup of milk (or buttermilk) and blend until combined. Reserve 1/4 cup grated cheese for topping. In a large bowl, combine remaining grated cheese, milk mixture and uncooked pasta. Pour into prepared pan, cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes.

Uncover pan, stir gently, sprinkle with reserved cheese and dot with remaining tablespoon butter. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes more, until browned. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Kale and black eyed peas with bacon
If you don't like kale, you could use any leafy green like chard, or of course, collards. You could also omit the bacon, but it lends a nice smokiness (as well as a nice porkiness).
(serves 6 to 8)

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeno, minced
6 strips bacon, cut into small pieces (about 1/4-inch)
2 large heads of kale, washed and leaves removed from the stems
1 cup of water
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper to taste

In a large stockpot, heat your oil over medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer. Add the onion and saute until it softens, but before it turns brown. Add the garlic and jalapeno, and saute for a minute more. Add the bacon and saute until it browns. Add the kale and the water, stirring as much as possible to incorporate. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot, stirring occasionally to help the kale wilt. After the kale is wilted and cooked down, add the vinegar and the beans. Keep cooking on low heat until the kale is tender, about 10 to 15 minutes more. Add salt and pepper to taste and more vinegar if needed.