dinner party on tasting table

I was super excited to see this little ol' site listed in Tasting Table's recent e-newsletter about dinner party planning. How flattering!

The rest of the links are pretty interesting and I encourage you to take a look. There are resources for all the dinner party bases from digital invites to getting organized to choosing a playlist. And if you don't already subscribe to Tasting Table, it's worth a look. It is similar to Daily Candy, but about food, and covers websites, restaurants, trends, and other related stuff.

Happy weekend! I hope it's spring where you are.
Lisa

in praise of puff pastry

My baking mishaps have been well-documented on this blog. Fugly cakes, runny pies, soggy bar cookies. I'm not a pastry chef, what can I say?

But puff pastry? I'll take that over a layer cake any day. Puff pastry is not hard to work with, even for someone who doesn't have a baker's inherent precision and patience. All you have to do is defrost it, roll it out, brush it with oil or egg, and bake it off. For these small efforts you'll be rewarded with golden flaky perfection. It's not at all like its cousin, phyllo. Phyllo is one temperamental bitch.

Do I make my own puff pastry? I'll let you answer that for yourself. (NO.) I buy it in a box that says Pepperidge Farm and call it a day. Or sometimes in even larger sheets from the nice Middle Eastern grocer down the block.

Puff pastry is fantastic for dinner parties because there are endless ways to use it, both sweet and savory. Like this giant, beautiful specimen. Whoa, right?

This is a chocolate croissant/turnover-like dessert that I created on a whim one night. It's nothing more than puff pastry filled with squares of chocolate, brushed with some egg, and topped with a tiny bit of sea salt. Whipped cream on the side is recommended, but optional.

And then you take your fork and break into the flaky crust and this happens:

It is very, very, very good.

I also like to use puff pastry to make vegetarian tarts, either cut into little squares as an appetizer, or in more generous portions as a main course, usually served with a salad or some other side dish. The roasted tomato and goat cheese tart shown above looks and tastes very French and sophisticated but takes less than an hour to make.

How do you like to use puff pastry? Please share in the comments.

Chocolate pockets
The pockets above are a little huge. I would probably make them smaller next time, or possibly bite-size, which would be adorable. Use this recipe as a guide but play with the size of the pastry if you'd like. You can easily cut the strips of pastry smaller.
(Serves 4 people)

1 sheet of puff pastry, defrosted
12 oz. chocolate squares from your favorite chocolate bar, milk or dark
1 egg, beaten
flaky sea salt

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Unfold the puff pastry onto another baking sheet. Using a small knife, cut the pastry lengthwise into four equal strips. Place about 3 ounces of chocolate in the middle of one end of each strip. Be sure not to place the chocolate too close to the edges of the strip or it will leak out. Fold the dough over, and continue folding until you reach the end of the strip, creating a rectangular pocket. Brush each pocket with the beaten egg. Sprinkle each one with salt. Bake the four pockets for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pockets are golden brown.

Roasted tomato and goat cheese tart
Adapted from Dave's Dinners. If it's not tomato season, you could substitute strips of zucchini, some sauteed red onions, grilled eggplant, or whatever vegetable you like.
(Serves about 10 people as a starter)

8 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
Olive oil
salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
20 thyme sprigs
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
2 oz. goat cheese

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Put the tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle them generously with olive oil. Toss to coat evenly, then place them cut side up. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the garlic evenly over each tomato. Lay about 12 to 15 thyme sprigs over the tomatoes. Roast the tomatoes until soft but still holding their shape, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Then pinch off the skins, being careful not to damage the shapes of the tomatoes.

Unfold the puff pastry onto another baking sheet. Brush the surface of the pastry well with olive oil. Lay the tomatoes cut-side up over the pastry, creating a 1-inch border around the edge. Fold the pastry edges up, creating a 1/2 inch border. Press the edges to seal and brush with olive oil. Season the tomatoes with a little more salt and pepper and bake until the crust begins to puff and brown, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove the tart from the oven and crumble the goat cheese over it. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese starts to brown and the crust is golden, another 10 minutes. Allow the tart to cool slightly before cutting into squares and serving.

getting a jump on spring

I haven't written about flowers here in a long time, but now that spring is only a few days away, it seems like a perfect subject. In my neighborhood, grocery stores and bodegas are already trotting out the buckets of two-for-$5 daffodils, colorful tulips, fragrant hyacinth--all the usual spring suspects.

If you want to make a seasonal centerpiece for your dinner table or just a small arrangement to brighten up your house, here's my rule of thumb: go monochromatic. It's easy to get carried away by the sheer variety of flowers and all their pretty, Easter egg shades. But if you're looking for a sophisticated (and easy) look, choose one color and a pick a few different flowers in that spectrum, like the purpley-pink tulips and sweet peas above. It's a no-brainer way to make an arrangement look professionally arranged.

Why? A monochromatic look emphasizes the flowers and their different textures. Instead of a the look of a pre-mixed bouquet you picked up at the grocery store (not that there's anything wrong with that!) a single-color bouquet looks more harmonious. Flowers in similar shades naturally complement each other, you don't even have to think about it.

A few more tips: to keep the arrangement interesting, choose two to three different types of flowers in the same spectrum. If you'd like, add a little bit of greenery in the mix to set off the blooms. Change the water in your vase every other day to extend the life of your arrangement--it should last for at least a week if the flowers are fresh.

Happy spring!

dinner for one

What do you eat when you're alone? Cheese and a handful of crackers, straight from the box? Indian take-out from the place around the corner? A can of soup? Or maybe you set a plate at the table for yourself with a napkin, fork, and knife and eat a proper meal. A cheese omelet with salad on the side, a single pork chop, a bowl of spaghetti with homemade tomato sauce. Maybe some dessert if you've been good that day.

I fall into the former category. I like feeding other people, hence this whole dinner party blog thing. When I'm alone, I tend to make things like fried eggs, bowls of cereal...and fried eggs. For some reason, cooking for myself doesn't excite me. When I was single, I went through a gross phase where I ate quesadillas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I eventually threw away the bag of tortillas just to break the cycle. Thankfully, solo dining isn't an issue for me anymore. I always have someone to come home to and have dinner with, which is one of the best things about being married.

But Dan was out of town last weekend, leaving me to feed me, myself, and I. There was this guy too, but he's on a strict all-kibble regimen.
I won't lie. I ate a quesadilla. Okay, two or three quesadillas. I made them with pepper jack cheese, sauteed onions, and roasted butternut squash and they were delicious. And then I felt a little ill. Flashbacks, I guess.

Why do I spend so much time and effort making food for other people, only to slap together the most basic, mindless meals for myself? I love to eat and I actually really enjoy being alone (no offense, Dan) but for me, food is best enjoyed in the company of others. I think about special meals eaten with my friends and family almost every day. Those single-girl quesadillas, hurriedly wolfed down after work? Not so much. But maybe there's hidden pleasure in eating alone, eating whatever you want. You can eat stinky food, messy food, dishes that other people don't like, drink all the wine, sit on the floor in your pajamas (although I do that all the time).

I resolved to do better, to eat better. And so I made a dinner fit for watching the Oscars by myself. In my pajamas. I thought about what I would make for my usual Sunday night suppers--roast chicken and vegetables, a hearty soup or stew, a big chopped salad. The thought of buying one chicken breast kind of made me sad, so I went for something different, a recipe I've had bookmarked for awhile: roasted broccoli with shrimp.

Yes, I've waxed on about roasting's power to transform vegetables, especially broccoli. It really is the best way to cook it in my book. But this recipe added shrimp to the mix. And chili powder, and cumin, and a hefty dose of lemon. It was roasted broccoli times a thousand. I ate it with a side of steamed white rice and a significant amount of white wine. It was delightful. Although washing all the dishes by myself sort of sucked.

Roasted broccoli with shrimp
By Melissa Clark via the New York Times. I divided the recipe in half to feel little old me.
(serves 2 to 4 people)

2 lbs. broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
4 Tbsp. (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. whole coriander seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon ground)
1 tsp. whole cumin seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon ground)
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. hot chili powder
1 lb. large shrimp, shelled and de-veined
1 1/4 tsp. lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
Lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss broccoli with 2 tablespoons oil, coriander, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and chili powder. In a separate bowl, combine shrimp, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, lemon zest, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spread broccoli in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes. Add shrimp to baking sheet and toss with broccoli. Roast, tossing once halfway through, until shrimp are just opaque and broccoli is tender and golden around edges, about 10 minutes more. Serve with lemon wedges, or squeeze lemon juice all over shrimp and broccoli just before serving.

what's for dinner, mollie katzen?

Today's Q&A subject is someone very important to me. Mollie Katzen is the person who basically taught me how to cook. In high school, during a vegetarian phase, my mother gave me a copy of the Moosewood Cookbook and it became my kitchen bible, with its beautiful illustrations and satisfyingly healthy, internationally-influenced recipes. And I'm just one fan out of millions. She is one of the best-selling cookbook authors of all time, Health magazine named her one of the "five women who changed the way we eat," and she's been inducted into the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame. Mollie was a painter before she became an author and her artistic sensability is felt in all of her books. Each page feels so hand-crafted and special, like a friend in the kitchen guiding you through every step. Thank you for sparking my interest in cooking, Mollie, and thank you for participating in this Q&A.

1. Name, occupation, and city

Mollie Katzen, cookbook author, Berkeley, CA

2. When was the last time you threw a dinner party, and who was invited?
Three weeks ago for three girlfriends

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

Caribbean lentils with roasted tomatoes and olives

Coconut Basmati pilaf with chiles and limes

Caribbean composed salad (greens, mango, radishes, and more)

Artisan bread

Cheese platter

Chocolates

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

5. What's your favorite dinner party soundtrack?

I don't do background music...

6. Some friends are coming over for a last-minute dinner. What do you make?

Pasta with dried mushrooms, white wine, and a dash of cream.

7. Do you usually cook everything yourself, or do you have help?
I cook it all. Love the meditative quality of it, if I start early enough and can work methodically. (Caveat about the "no background music," above: I don't like background music when guests have arrives and we are having a conversation. I do like it when cooking ahead of time or if we decide to dance...)

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

9. What do you like to serve for dessert?

Cheese

Fruit

Homemade cookies or brownies (The latter would be a la mode. I would buy, not make, the ice cream. Fudge brownies with ginger ice cream are common at my house.)

Homemade pie or nut tart

(not all the above at once...)

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

[Photo: Lisa Keating]

link-o-rama

Looking for weekend dinner party inspiration? Here's a collection of links especially for you.

This risotto dinner for four is billed as being kid-friendly, but I think it's pretty sophisticated [via Bon Appetit]

A hearty "slow-cooked" dinner (kale and pecorino crostini, onion soup with sage brown butter, braised pork shoulder, roasted carrots, buttermilk spice cake) for eight [via Bon Appetit]

16 classic Southern dishes (buttermilk fried chicken, stir and roll biscuits, shrimp and grits) you can mix and match to create your own menu [via Southern Living]

A winter picnic menu: artichoke and spinach dip, Cuban sandwiches, black bean and quinoa salad, caramel pecan bars [via Food & Wine]

Healthy, seafood-focused dinner recipes (crab salad with corn chips grilled shrimp pizza, bourbon-glazed salmon) [via Cooking Light]

butternut squash and carrot soup

We still 19 days of winter to go and I can hardly stand to look at another root vegetable. I've made it through the season roasting cauliflower and brussels sprouts, caramelizing onions, pureeing parsnips. All have been delicious, but what I wouldn't give for a greenmarket tomato right now. And some sunshine. And green leaves on the trees. Instead, I've got carrots and butternut squash.

Roasting brings out the natural sweetness in winter vegetables and is the easiest way I know to make them taste really good with minimum effort. Tired of my usual olive oil-salt-roast-at-400-degrees-and-devour method, I decided to take it a step further and puree the roasted carrots and squash into a creamy soup. I barely added anything to the vegetables, just some water and a touch of cream, so the end result tasted purely of sweet, earthy squash and carrots. It tasted so light and healthy. I could almost feel the vitamins brightening my gray winter complexion. Almost.

The soup was a first course as part of my Indian-ish dinner, so I added a touch of garam masala and a dollop of cumin-spiced yogurt and chopped cilantro on top. If you don't like the flavor of curry, you could use a bit of thyme or basil instead. But keep the yogurt because it adds a nice creaminess.

The soup was a deep, gorgeous shade of orange. It reminded me of that big fiery thing in the sky that comes out sometimes. You know, that warms your face and makes you feel less depressed? What's that thing called again?

Butternut squash and carrot soup
(Makes 4 to 6 servings)

1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled chopped into 1-inch pieces
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. garam masala
1 cup of hot water or so
1/4 cup heavy cream, or to taste
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place the chopped squash, carrots, and onions in a baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil, garam masala and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking the pan a few times to keep them from sticking. Remove from the oven when tender and caramelized. (Brown spots are fine and add flavor.) Place the vegetables in a blender and add 1/2 cup hot water. Puree, adding an additional 1/2 cup water to get a smooth consistency. Add the cream and puree until blended. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. At this point, you can serve the soup as-is, or if you are not eating until later on, you can refrigerate it and re-heat it in a pot on the stove.

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, and add salt to taste. Pour the hot soup into bowls and top each one with a spoonful of yogurt and some chopped cilantro.