link-o-rama

Happy Friday! I don't know about you, but it's been a long week for me. Let's start with some links:

Serious Eats tracks down cheap liquor for lean times. They recommend rum, rye whiskey, bourbon, or Gordon's Gin (ideal for a Gordon's Cup). [via Serious Eats]

Breakfast for dinner can be very economical. Gourmet has a round-up of tasty-sounding ideas [via Gourmet]

A super-easy (and fairly cheap) first course from Mark Bittman: sliced oranges topped with olive paste [via the NYT]

Another simple salad of endive, fennel, and parmesan with anchovy-date dressing, from the Kitchn. The writer was inspired by a dish she ate at Mozza, Mario Batali's L.A. pizza place (that we couldn't get into over a month in advance!). I am constantly inspired by dishes eaten out, so I find it fun to read about what other people are cribbing from restaurant menus. [via the Kitchn]

And just because I love him (and because he loves cupcakes, which is sort of related, right?) I give you....Stains, the Australian Shepard!

(Also, I know he hates the attention, but: Happy Birthday, Daniel!)

no-cook appetizers

As I've mentioned here before, I like serving a snack or two before dinner. It gets everyone in a relaxed, comfortable mood (nothing like stuffing your face if you're having a hard time making conversation) and tides their appetites over until dinner, which might not be served right away. I know I've arrived at many parties absolutely starving after a long subway ride and just wanted a cracker or two instead of the glass of wine that's usually handed to me immediately.

But when you're cooking a full meal, it's easy to cross snacks off your list. Sometimes it just requires way too much energy to think about or make fussy finger food when you've already got all this other food you're making. Who's got time for puff pastry or bite-sized quiches? Not you!

And who needs that stuff anyway? Unless you really love using a piping bag, I say forgettaboutit. I like to assemble things that don't require any cooking at all on a big platter and call it a day. Stuff that's a bit more thoughtful than opening a bag of chips, but nothing that requires too much fiddling. And you know what? That's what people genuinely want to eat. I cover events for a living, and almost every time I'm at a party and there's a big cheese plate or charcuterie bar, that's where people gravitate. Hot passed hors d'oeuvres are nice, but also sometimes sloppy and hard to eat in one bite. And when you've got a full meal ahead, they are pretty unnecessary in my humble opinion.

Here's two snacks from last weekend's Indian dinner. Both require no more work than slicing and displaying. So you can actually eat with your friends and not get (too) drunk before finishing dinner.

Goat cheese with mango chutney and aloo paratha
(Serves 4 to 6 people)
This snack doesn't really require a recipe. I think it goes without saying (does it?) that I did not bake this bread. I bought it at the Indian market and cut it into triangles. If you don't have an ethnic grocery store near you, soft flatbread or pita will do the trick--or plain old crackers.

Other combinations:
Goat cheese + fig jam + sliced baguette
Farmers cheese + jalapeno jelly + Ritz crackers
Brie + tapenade + whole wheat crackers
Feta + roasted pepper slice + pita triangles
Cream cheese + smoked salmon + mini bagels

Mango with spicy, salty sugar
I stole this idea from a party awhile back. It's a twist on a Caribbean or Mexican snack of mangoes sprinkled with salt or cayenne pepper. This combines both, but with a bit of sweetness and tang from fresh lime juice. You could subsitute fresh pineapple or melon for the mango, but I like the mango the best.
(Serves 2 to 4 people)
One mango, peeled, pitted, and sliced into bite-sized pieces
1/2 lime
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Put the cut-up mango in a bowl and squeeze the lime over it. Stir until the mango is evenly coated. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper. Serve alongside the mango, with plenty of toothpicks for spearing and dipping.

dinner on the cheap: an indian feast

I try to eat meatless dishes a few nights a week, but I don't typically cook vegetarian when people come over. I'm not sure why, exactly. Somehow serving meat seems more special, even though it's something most people eat every day without even thinking about it.

Last weekend, our friends Ajla and Devin came over for dinner. They are both vegetarian, so it finally forced me to come up with a meatless menu. I wanted to make something interesting that also could stand on its own--no meat dishes with extra veggies to hide the fact that the protein is missing. And no icky faux meats or tasteless tempeh.

Luckily, Ajla and Devin are adventurous eaters (she took me to an Afghan restaurant recently that was fantastic) so I started to think about types of cuisine that I don't typically cook: Indian was the first thing that came to mind. After an inspiring trip to Kalyustan's, a gem of a market in Murray Hill, A.K.A. Curry Hill, I left with a bag of spices, chai, lentils, and other Indian treats, all under $20.

I also have sort of an ongoing personal quest to get Ajla to cook, specifically salad dressings and other easy things she can make instead of ordering in or going out to eat. She's definitely coming along--she says she's added some soups and hummus to her repertoire. And after last weekend, now she can add Indian. (At least I think so...she mainly stirred things and helped me clean up broken glass when I accidentally dropped my wine glass. Good times.)


On the subject of Indian food being cheap, it's definitely a low-budget way to eat if you have a few staples already on hand: namely spices. For this menu, I used tumeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and garam masala. If you have none of these, it might cost a bit. But if you already have a well-stocked spice rack, everything else came in under $30--which, for four people (with leftovers), is a steal.

Vegetarian Indian feast
Mango with spicy salt and sugar
Chutney and goat cheese with aloo paratha
Yellow dal
Indian baked rice
Indian spiced cauliflower and potatoes
Raita
Chai tea

Yellow dal
Smitten Kitchen calls this recipe (adapted from Ruta Kahate) "everyday yellow dal." It's pretty foolproof to make--just yellow split peas, spices, and a red onion--but the time involved would make this a weekend or Sunday night dal in my book. It's really all in the simmering, which takes a good 45 minutes. If you're making this menu, I'd get this dish started first and then work on the other ones while it cooks.
(Serves 4 to 6 people)


1 cup yellow split peas, soaked in cold water for 1 hour
1 large tomato, cut into 8 wedges
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 medium red onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
5 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp. coriander seeds, finely ground
3/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1/4 cup minced cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter (I added an extra tablespoon, making it 2 Tbsp.)
1 tsp. salt (this was not enough salt for me, I would taste as you go and add extra)

Instructions: Drain the dal (split peas) and place in a large saucepan. Add the tomato and 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until peas are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Pick out any tomato skins and whisk dal to emulsify it. Keep warm over very low heat.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the cumin seeds, covering the pan with a lid or splatter screen. After the seeds have stopped sputtering, add the onion and saute over medium heat. About 3 minutes later, add the garlic and saute until most of the onion has turned dark brown, about 5 minutes altogether. Add the coriander, turmeric and cayenne, stir and pour mixture over the dal. Add the cilantro, butter and salt to the dal and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Indian baked rice
This dish, from Gourmet, was the sleeper hit of the night. It tasted like restaurant rice: perfectly steamed, aromatic, and with just enough seasonings to keep it from being bland.
(Serves 6 to 8 people)
2 1/2 cups basmati rice (19 oz.)
5 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 large onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 small jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups chicken broth (or water), heated

Wash rice in 6 or 7 changes of cold water in a large bowl until water is almost clear. Drain in a large sieve 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heat oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy ovenproof pot over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook almonds, stirring frequently, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, then add onion to pot and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until pale golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, jalapeño, garam masala, ginger, and salt and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Add rice and cook over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, 6 minutes. Add broth and simmer briskly, uncovered, until top of rice appears dry, about 8 minutes.

Cover pot and bake rice in middle of oven until tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand, covered, 15 minutes. Taste and add extra salt, if needed. Serve sprinkled with almonds.

Indian spiced cauliflower and potatoes
From Smitten Kitchen via Gourmet, this is a nuanced dish full of deep, layered flavors, but it comes together very easily. The roasted cauliflower and potatoes get tossed with an aromatic mixture of onion, garlic, jalapeño, and ginger. One tip on doing this ahead of time: you can roast your veggies (I wouldn't do it any earlier than the day you plan to eat them), set them aside, and then add them to the hot oil and aromatics when you're ready to serve them.
(Serves 4 to 6 people)

1 (1 3/4-lb) head cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch-wide florets
1 1/4 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds (I used ground cumin)
3/4 tsp. salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp. minced fresh jalapeño, including seeds
2 tsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/2 cup water

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and place a shallow baking pan on rack. Preheat oven to 475°F.

Toss cauliflower and potatoes together in a bowl with 3 tablespoons oil, cumin seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread in hot baking pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender and browned in spots and potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes.

While vegetables are roasting, cook onion, garlic, jalapeño, and ginger in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until very soft and beginning to turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in water, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of skillet, then stir in roasted vegetables. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.

Raita
The lemon juice in this recipe is not traditional, but I like to thin the yogurt a bit and it adds a nice acidity. Serve this on the side to cool everyone's mouths off.
(Serves about 4 people)

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup chopped seeded English hothouse cucumber
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
optional: 1/2 lemon, juiced

Combine all ingredients in a bowl; mix.

stirring the pot

A few weekends ago, we had our friends E and Jessica over for dinner. They had never met before, which is always a little risky, I think. What if your guests have completely incompatible views on gun control, or favorite U2 albums, or whether season two of The Wire is better than season four? No one wants to break up a fistfight in their own apartment, especially before dessert is served.

Luckily they got along just fine. Whew.

In general, all of our friends get along (enough to survive a meal together, at least) but I'm always a little nervous about bringing those different worlds together. There's my work friends, and Dan's work friends, friends from back home and other random places, Dan's grad school friends, and of course, friends of friends. This is why I don't have Facebook. For the most part, I like my friends the way I like my peas and carrots—separate.

But bringing people together is kind of the point of throwing dinner parties. It's a no-brainer to have your usual group of friends over, but sometimes you need to be brave and inject some excitement into things with new blood. Stir the pot, as they say.

Speaking of stirring pots...wow, risotto is not dinner party fare! What was I thinking? It's a perfectly lovely dish to eat in a restaurant, or make by yourself at home, but it is not conducive to entertaining. And not because it's complicated to make—because it requires you to be in the kitchen. (Duh.) While everyone was sitting in the living room, enjoying their drinks, I was standing over the stove, stirring, stirring, stirring. At first I was able to dash in and out of the kitchen between stirs and keep up with the conversation, but eventually I gave up because I didn't want to burn everyone's dinner. Not ideal.

I can see risotto being great dinner party fare if you have a big kitchen where people can congregate and help stir. Or at least a kitchen that looks into the area where everyone is hanging out. But our tiny galley kitchen isn't really designed for socalizing, much less two people in there at the same time.

Oh well. Live and learn, I guess. One consolation: the risotto was very, very good.


Saturday night winter supper
Winter caprese salad
Red wine risotto with bacon and radicchio
Hot chocolate and ambrosia macaroons

Red wine risotto with bacon and radicchio
If you like risotto, I'd recommend making this now, before the weather warms up. Unlike white wine-based risottos, which I find very delicate, this red wine version is hearty winter fare. The smokiness of the bacon melds well with the red wine, and the bitterness of the radicchio cuts the richness of the dish and brightens it up a bit.
(Serves 4 to 6 people)

About 5 cups stock (chicken, vegetable, or fish)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 shallots (or 2 medium onions), finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
14 oz. Arborio rice
3 glasses of your favorite full-bodied red wine (I used a bargain bin cabernet)
6 strips bacon, sliced
1 medium-sized head of radicchio
1 handful fresh rosemary, chopped
salt and pepper
5 Tbsp. butter
4 oz. parmesan cheese, grated

Heat the stock in a medium-sized pot. In another pan, fry the bacon in a little olive oil until slightly golden. Add the radicchio and rosemary to the pan with the butter and cook gently with the lid on until wilted.

In a separate pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots or onions, garlic, and celery, and cook slowly, about 4 minutes. When the vegetables have softened, add the rice and turn up the heat.

Stir the rice. The rice will fry and turn translucent after about a minute, keep stirring. Add the wine and keep stirring. (Pour yourself a glass of wine while you're at it.) Once the wine evaporates, add a ladle of hot stock (I use a measuring cup) and a pinch of salt. Turn the heat down to a high simmer so the rice doesn't cook too quickly. As the stock evaporates, add another ladle, and keep stirring. This should take around 15 minutes. Taste the rice and see if it's cooked. It should be soft but still have a slight bite. When you get the right texture, remove the risotto from the heat and add the bacon-radicchio mixture, butter, and parmesan. Stir gently. Place a lid on the pan and let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes, so the risotto becomes creamy. Serve immediately with extra parmesan on top.

dinner party on shelterrific

Today I've got a guest post over on Shelterrific, a really great home blog. It's about a snack and drink to make for an Oscar night party (or if you're just watching the awards by yourself). To find out what movie these treats are inspired by and get the recipes, click here.

Many thanks to Angela for letting me contribute!

pick a pepper

Our friend Julie came over to watch Dr. Horrible recently. It's a very funny musical by Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and subject of Dan's fanboy crush). If you like superheroes and Neil Patrick Harris and clever songs about the laundromat, this might be your new favorite movie.

Julie graciously offered to bring cheese and crackers, which would have been fine for some pre-dinner movie watching, but of course, it's never enough in my book. I would normally round out the cheese with some olives and spiced nuts and be done with it, but I had some time on my hands that afternoon and really felt like making something. You know, idle hands...hors d'oeuvres.

But what's a snacky-type item that goes well with cheese that's not cheese? Or olives or nuts?

My mind immediately lept to a page in a wonderful cookbook on my shelf, Andrew Carmellini's Urban Italian. I've tried a few recipes since getting the book as a gift a few months ago and every dish has been a winner, but there was one dish in particular I had had my eye on: tuna-stuffed Peppadew peppers. Other than the peppers, I had almost everything else in my pantry that afternoon—obviously, it was meant to be.

Have you ever tried Peppadews before? I really think you'd love them. They are sweet and mildly spicy, with a slightly smoky flavor. And they have a firm texture and cute, round shape which makes them ideal for stuffing, whether with cheese, ground meat, or as this recipe calls for, tuna.

Andrew Carmellini's version calls for a tuna salad-like mixture with mayo, scallions, basil, a squeeze of lemon, and a few spoonfuls of the briny mixture from the peppers. Although this sounds like something you'd eat on white bread (minus the Peppadew juice, I suppose) Carmellini insists it's actually a very authentic Italian combo. Whatever, dude. These peppers tasted fantastic—a perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and savory—and that's enough for me.


Tuna-stuffed peppers
These peppers make an impressive appetizer, but I could also see serving them with a salad and some cheese as a light meal, or as a side dish with some rice and grilled meat.
(Serves about 4 to 6 people)


1 6 oz. can of tuna in oil (I really suggest using oil-packed instead of water-packed for this. It gives the dish an extra richness.)
2 scallions, white part, minced, plus 1 Tbsp. extra
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. juice from the Peppadew peppers
juice of 1 lemon
6 basil leaves, chopped (about 2 Tbsp.)
30 Peppadew peppers (about 1 jar)

Drain the oil from the tuna. Combine the tuna and scallions in a small bowl. Add the mayo and olive oil to the tuna and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the Peppadew juice, lemon juice, and basil. Mix well. Using your fingers (spoons are actually too cumbersome for this), stuff each pepper with the tuna mixture. Place them on a platter and sprinkle with the extra scallions. Serve immediately.

link-o-rama

Hi, there. Let's kick off the week with some links, shall we?

A subject near and dear to me: how to throw a dinner party in a tiny kitchen [via Domino, RIP.]

Non-toxic ways to remove red wine stains if tispy guests make a mess on your sofa. (Not my super classy friends, but you never know...) [via Re-Nest]

Party-worthy chocolate-banana cupcakes [via Shelterrific]

Not food-related, but we do talk flowers around here, and I am LOVING Design*Sponge's new floral design column Weeder's Digest. Sarah, the author, runs Brooklyn-based floral design shop Saipua and in addition to being able to make gorgeous arrangements, she's totally hilarious too.