smoked salmon on puff pastry

Smoked salmon, creme fraiche, dill, and a shower of lemon zest. What's not to love? And it's pretty nice-looking, to boot.

Continuing the "Dan's favorite foods" theme, this appetizer is inspired by lox and cream cheese on a bagel, but uses a puff pastry base. So it's sort of a bagel, pizza, puff pastry hybrid. Which equals delicious!

All you have to do is bake a sheet of puff pastry according to the package directions (about 15 minutes at 400 degrees), then spread on a layer of creme fraiche (let the container sit out for 30 minutes or so, so it softens up) and top with smoked salmon slices, a few sprigs of dill, and the zest of one lemon. Slice it up into pretty little squares and serve while still warmish.

Don't like smoked salmon? I'd substitute prosciutto and basil, with maybe some minced, dried figs on top? Don't like creme fraiche? You could use any number of soft, spreadable cheeses, or even cream cheese in a pinch. For a vegetarian version, you could top the puff pastry with roasted mushrooms, or pickled red peppers, or sauteed greens. The charm of this recipe is that it is infinitely flexible. And edible.

birthday-worthy devil's chicken thighs

Another year, another birthday party for my husband.

Actually, scratch that. I didn't make a special dinner for him last year. Just this outrageous mess of a cake. I think we went out for barbecue instead. Probably a smart move, given that cake. Yikes.

The year before that, I made a greatest hits menu of Dan's favorite foods: short ribs, chicken liver pate, chocolate-hazelnut cake. It took a lot of cajoling to get that list out of him, something I didn't want to repeat again this year. After asking oh, two...or five times, "Is there anything special you want for your birthday?" and getting no feedback, I gave up and decided to figure it out myself. I live with the guy, I know what he likes.

Namely: chicken thighs. 

dinner party on facebook

Dearest readers,

For those of you who are Facebook-inclined, Dinner Party now has its own page. So click on over if you wish (bonus points for "liking" this site) and say hi!

Not entirely unrelated, Dinner Party will be getting a little facelift soon. Nothing drastic, just a nip and tuck, some fillers, Botox, permanent eyeliner, etc. (Kidding, kidding. Dinner Party is not old enough to need Botox.) So if there's anything specific you'd like to see more or less of here, or if you have any thoughts in general, please let me know in the comments section or on FB.

Happy weekend!
Lisa

greatest hits

When planning dinner party menus, I usually gravitate toward new and untested recipes. Partially because I have a huge backlog of dishes I want to try, and partially because it gives me more fodder for this here blog. So I tend to experiment when friends come over, and reserve my favorite recipes for weeknight dinners. But sometimes you just want something you know is going to come out perfectly, either because you're short on time, or want to really wow the people you're feeding. Or in my case last Friday, both. 
 

In an effort to reclaim my weekends a bit more, I've started having people over on Friday nights--which seemed crazy at first, but it's actually not a bad way to go. On one hand, you have to be a bit more organized and plan ahead. I tidied up the house the night before, cleaning the bathroom, and setting out plates and glasses. On the other hand, people are so ready to unwind on a Friday night that they won't expect an elaborate spread.

For a dinner with some work friends, I made a seriously no-brainer menu of my favorite recipes: a salad of winter citrus, olives, and fennel, the truly fabulous Zuni Cafe roasted chicken and bread salad, some roasted veggies, and my favorite cake: torta di pere. This wasn't a simple menu exactly, but it was something I knew I could easily execute after a long day of work and a few glasses of wine.

A greatest hits list is something good to have up your sleeve when these situations arise or when you have the dreaded 'what am I going to make for dinner' brain freeze. Which happens to the best of us. And there's something sort of wonderful about having an arsenal of recipes at your fingertips. It's like that one outfit that always makes you look awesome, or the go-to cocktail you can always order at a bar.

What are your greatest hit dishes when entertaining? Please share in the comments.

Greatest hits menu
Cheeses
Salad of winter citrus, olives, and fennel
Zuni Cafe roasted chicken and bread salad
Roasted carrots and parsnips
Chocolate pear cake with whipped cream

what's for dinner, jennifer hess?

Once you start reading food blogs, you'll find that a lot of what's out there is all kind of the same. When I came upon Last Night's Dinner sometime last year, it was like a breath of fresh air. Like a lot of bloggers, Jennifer Hess writes about what she cooks, both simple pasta dishes and more complicated fare like homemade duck proscuitto. She also takes beautiful photographs. But unlike many bloggers, she doesn't include recipes, choosing to make her site more of a culinary record of what was going on in her life. She also thinks that avoiding recipes might promote a freer, more instinctive way of cooking. Recipes are great--it's how I do most of my cooking--but sometimes when I look at Jennifer's site, I come away with a nugget of an idea about flavors or presentation that I might use down the road. And in some ways, those little tricks are what make us good cooks.

1. Name, occupation, and city
Jennifer Hess; desk jockey by day, home cook and food blogger by night; Providence, RI

2. When was the last time you threw a dinner party, and who was invited? 
It has been far too long for my liking. My husband and I are currently in a tiny carriage house that isn’t really set up for indoor entertaining, but we have shared some wonderful alfresco meals with our neighbors during the summer months in our shared yard. Very casual and fun, but I dream of the day we can have friends over for a proper sit-down dinner.

3. What is the best menu you've ever made for company?
I really love having people over for brunch – its such a fun and relaxed way to entertain. I set out a spread of bagels and home-cured salmon with all the trimmings, yogurt and seasonal fruit, a pitcher of Bloody Marys, juices and chilled Cava, then serve one or two heartier dishes: a custardy breakfast bread pudding, a frittata or Spanish tortilla, or a sausage, fennel and potato hash. And of course, you can’t forget coffee and plenty of thick-cut bacon.

4. What's your preference: wine, beer, cocktails?
My husband Mike is a cocktail writer, so spirits are always in the mix, but when left to my own devices, I’m perfectly content with a nice glass of wine. For now, though, I’m off the sauce – we’re expecting a baby in September. (Ed: Congrats!)

5. What's your favorite dinner party soundtrack?
We have a large and varied music collection, so party tunes can range from old school soul to power pop, from Dylan to Cash or Sinatra, from swing to ska to classic punk.

6. Some friends are coming over for a last-minute dinner. What do you make?
Something classic and unfussy – roast chicken, creamy buttermilk mashed potatoes and pan gravy, or a simple pasta dish. Add a big green salad and plenty of wine, and you’re good to go.

7. Do you usually cook everything yourself, or do you have help?
I can be pretty Type-A in the kitchen, so if I’m taking on responsibility for a meal, I typically do it myself.

8. Do you ever buy store-bought food, or is everything on your table made from scratch?
A well-curated pantry is a cook’s best friend. I’m absolutely okay with serving well-made store-bought items as part of a spread, especially when entertaining. As type-A as I can be in the kitchen, I’ve learned that trying to do it all is a recipe for disaster! That said, the majority of what comes out of our kitchen is homemade, especially now that Mike and I have started canning and fermenting (and since he has been making much of our bread).

9. What do you like to serve for dessert?
A cheese course. I’m not big on sweets, and I don’t like to bake, plus we have a killer cheese shop here (Farmstead in Wayland Square).

10. If you could invite anyone over for dinner (living or dead), who would it be?
My grandma. She turns 90 in May, and she’s my biggest inspiration - the reason I started cooking. I’ve cooked with her but never for her, so it would be a real treat.

[Photo: Lauren Martin]

communal table

Everyone's talking about digital media these days, but there's another publishing trend I'm really excited about: the rise of small, independently published books and magazines. If you're into food and entertaining (and I think you are!) I highly recommend Communal Table, a new series of cookbooks about the experience of eating and gathering together. The first edition, "A Casual Setting," which is beautifully illustrated by Caroline Hwang (one half of the NumNum Chronicles), features stories and recipes from Cathy Erway, the Jewels of New York, Tom Mylan of Brooklyn's Meat Hook, and more. An added bonus, the proceeds from each book in the series will benefit a food nonprofit, starting with Philadelphia-based The Food Trust.

Happy weekend! 
Lisa

bittersweet chocolate-orange mousse

Chocolate mousse! Doesn't that just scream 1980's dinner party?

Like many other delicious yet passe desserts, I don't think chocolate mousse appears on many menus anymore. Which is a shame--it's wonderfully decadent, and downright edgy when you think about what's in it: raw eggs, booze, heavy cream chocolate. Wild stuff, that chocolate mousse.

I have to admit that it's not the kind of thing I normally serve because it does seem like something that someone's dinner party-throwing mother or very stylish aunt "who loves to entertain" would make. But that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with it. The dinner parties of the 70's and 80s's have been on my mind lately after reading a very interesting piece over at Gourmet Live titled "Whatever Happened to the Dinner Party." (Answer: uh, it's right here.) 

The writer laments that she doesn't throw the type of carefully planned parties that her mother used to do. In fact, she doesn't entertain at all, or go to dinner parties at other people's homes. She writes, "I don’t think I have ever been invited to a meal at someone’s house where the table was laid with china, tablecloth and flowers, the hosts dressed up, the food prepared, the guest list a balance of new people and old friends." Huh. In the writer's world, people are too busy to cook, clean, set a table, host a group of guests. It's easier to go out for dinner or order in food, even if we don't enjoy it as much as we imagine we will. 

There's something romantic about the dinner parties of the past, whether you're thinking about a kitschy 1950s cocktail party or friends gathering around a fondue pot in the '70s. Maybe I'm wrong--clearly, I wasn't there--but there seemed to be a bit more care taken when it came to entertaining. On the positive side, our palates have evolved quite a bit since then. And we, meaning women, don't feel the pressure or burden of entertaining (In heels! And lipstick!) as much. There's a lot more freedom in general, which leads to less formality, which can lead to not bothering with any of it at all.

But I think there can be a happy medium. Why not do things your own way? Use your fanciest vintage tablecloth, or the cheapy one you bought at Ikea. Or don't eat around a table at all! Serve something appropriately seasonal and local, or go for the throwback dishes our mothers served. Like chocolate mousse. There may be fresher, cooler desserts in the world to serve, but there's something about chocolate mousse that evokes warm feelings of celebrations from a different time. It may sound corny, but I like the idea of embracing the entertaining traditions of the past, but doing it on my own terms.

Bittersweet chocolate orange mousse
Adapted from Gourmet magazine, via Smitten Kitchen. You can flavor chocolate mousse with lots of different liquors, but I like the classic combination of chocolate and orange. For a modern twist, I added a bit of blood orange zest to the mousse and on top. One note: this recipe, while extremely simple, requires dirtying many bowls and an electric mixer.
(Serves six to eight people)

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% cacao), chopped
3/4 stick (3 oz.) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
3 large eggs, separated
2 Tbsp. orange liquor (or Cognac, or rum, or Chambord, or liquor of your choice)

2 Tbsp. orange zest, plus 1 Tbsp. extra for garnish
1 cup very cold heavy or whipping cream
1/8 tsp. salt
Sweetened whipped cream

Set a large bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water and melt the chocolate and butter in it, gently stirring it until smooth. Carefully remove the bowl from the heat and add the zest. (Or you can use your microwave, stirring at 30 seconds and every 15 seconds after until the mixture is smooth.)

In a small bowl, beat the yolks with an electric mixer for about three minutes, until they are thick enough to form a ribbon that takes a few seconds to dissolve. Whisk the yolks into the chocolate along with the liquor, then let the mixture cool to warm.

In another bowl, beat the cream with cleaned beaters until it just holds stiff peaks.  

In another bowl, beat the egg whites and salt with cleaned beaters until they just hold soft peaks.

Fold the whipped cream and beaten whites into the chocolate mixture, gently but thoroughly. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure you're not missing anything. Spoon the mixture into individual cups, ramekins, or glasses. Top with the extra whipped cream and garnish with orange zest. Refrigerate for at least three hours.