Dress 4 Dinner

Posts Tagged ‘Theme’

Disclaimer – This post and the ones that follow are written by Alice Guess not  Andra Watkins.  After having the craziest dinner party while visiting my friends Lance Hiatt and Tim Parks in Atlanta, Ga.  I had to hijack her blog.

It was the mustache that started it.  Lance and Tim and I were discussing what we would have for dinner.  Cayleigh was preening her Salvador Dali mustache in the backseat of the car on the way to the Atlanta farmers market.   Lance looks over at Cayleigh and her ‘stache and says “Let’s have a surrealist dinner party tonight.”

Before I go much further, I guess I should explain where my eight year old daughter got her mustache.   The night before we had taken advantage of The High museum’s celebration of the fifth anniversary of their expansion.  All of the galleries were free including the exhibition “Salvador Dali: The Late Work.”  My daughter and I played a game where we would take turns going into the next room and creating a list of items from the paintings for the other to find.  Dali’s work certainly made these lists fun – a rhinoceros, a snake, a skull, a melting clock, a mustache…  There was no escaping the mustache, it was everywhere.   By the 1950’s  Dali’s persona was one of his most recognizable artworks.  He and his iconic facial hair were featured in many of his collaborations with photographer Philippe Halsman, and these were reproduced throughout the galleries.   At the end of the exhibit Cayleigh purchased a Dali Mustache of her very own.   It was black and bushy and could be bent into various configurations much like the artist’s own.

So it was the mustache that started it. Tim and I were cool to the idea at first.  I mean this wasn’t for a dinner party next week – this was for dinner that night.  It sounded complicated.  What the hell is a surrealist dinner party, anyway?  But then I thought about the photographs from the exhibition.  Dali with wet cats suspended in mid air,  Dali using his mustache as a paint brush – All had a sense of play, a merry exuberance.  Merry Exuberance -That seemed like a very good starting point for a dinner with old, dear friends.  What followed was well Surreal…

Related Posts:

• Kit Kat l’Orange
• Lollipop, Lollipop
• Trick or Treat?!
• It’s Halloween, and We’re Still Trying to Pick Out Our Costume!
• Salmon Cake Crunch

This time of year always seems very busy.   I know everyone always says they are SO BUSY but the few weeks before Thanksgiving seem to be packed with deadlines, last minute trips, and social events.  In honor of this frenzy, I want to explore dinner during the work week during this next cycle of D4D.  Of course, I am not going to elaborate on my favorite, but somewhat unsatisfying, default mid-week meals after a 12 hour day (like PB&J and beer) for myself.  Or am I going to catalog how to have a dinner party by way of take-out.  (have you tried www.SeemlessWeb.com?  not using the phone for take out seems weird)

I am leaning more towards the meal that can be prepared within a short time of your arrival home from work that you can share with a friend, colleague or neighbor during the week.  This does take a bit of advance preparation which  allows you to be creative but not overwhelmed for a communal meal.   There is something profoundly satisfying about taking the time to enjoy the process of making dinner during a busy week  for yourself and others and I hope to do that twice during this next stint on D4D.

Related Posts:

• And, The Price Tag Wasn’t a Fright
• Kit Kat l’Orange
• Lollipop, Lollipop
• Trick or Treat?!
• Giving the Brits the Bird

Lots of people don’t entertain at home because of the cost. Putting on the dog (well, not literally, people) can really add up when feasting at one’s own table, especially when the goal is to make it a memorable event.

Our Halloween D4D was an aggressive affair. We feasted on fresh salmon. We poured decent wine. We served five courses, each of which contributed to the bottom line, and, well, our bottoms.

So, how much did this dinner really cost? Readers might be surpised at how inexpensively we threw this party.

• Fresh salmon         $30
• Sweet potatoes            3
• Asparagus                     3
• Proscuitto                     3
• Lollipop fixings        10
• Animal crackers         2
• Wine                              20
• Kit Kat L’Orange       10

We decorated the table with mouldering decorations I found in a drawer. Because I don’t know how long they had been there, I can’t accurately include their cost. I’m just glad to have more space.

So, for a mouth-dripping grubfest with good friends, the tab came to a little over $80. But the meal is the sideshow. Lingering over the dinner table for as long as we want, dissecting every conceivable topic and bonding with good friends is priceless. It’s the reason we do Dress 4 Dinner, every single time.

Related Posts:

• Trick or Treat?!
• It’s Halloween, and We’re Still Trying to Pick Out Our Costume!
• Kit Kat l’Orange
• Butter•Scotch Salmon
• Animal Crackers

From the time the challenge was set down by one of our guests, we cogitated long and hard on the right way to approach this particular halloween candy transformation. The end result seemed to have just the right combination of chocolate goodness and flaky crunchiness, and the hazelnuts gave a nice little smoky sweetness to it all.

• Phyllo pastry sheets (5 layers)
• 6 tbsp butter, melted
• 1/2 cup ground hazelnuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup Mariebelle drinking chocolate
• 1 1/4 cup boiling water
• 4 orange supremes

Prep phyllo sheets according to package directions. Clear a work area and spread out a sheet of parchment paper larger than the phyllo sheets. Lay out one sheet of phyllo, brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with sugar and hazelnuts, Lay on another sheet of phyllo, brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar and hazelnuts. Repeat with more layers until all 5 sheets are used; do not butter top layer of phyllo.

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter four pots of a muffin pan. Using a 6″ dish or plate as a template, cut four 6″ circles of the phyllo stacks. Press each stack into a muffin pot to create a phyllo bowl. Bake the phyllo bowls for 10-12 minutes, or until crisp and just beginning to brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Make the chocolate sauce according to the product directions:  In a heat-safe container, add 1 cup of Mariebelle Hot Chocolate powder to 1 1/4 cup of boiling water. Stir until smooth and well melted. If chocolate pieces do not melt completely, steam, simmer, or microwave, for 30 seconds. Set to cool in the fridge.

When ready to serve, remove phyllo cups from muffin pan and place on plates. Divide chocolate sauce among the four cups. Top with a sprinkling of toasted hazelnuts and an orange supreme. Serve. [Somehow, in our eagerness to eat this, we forgot to take photos of the finished product...use your imagination!]

Related Posts:

• Butter•Scotch Salmon
• Animal Crackers
• Trick or Treat?!
• It’s Halloween, and We’re Still Trying to Pick Out Our Costume!
• Yankee Fried Chicken

Ok, we’ll concede that butterscotch candies in your trick-or-treat sack were about as desirable as those individually-wrapped orange and black taffy candies, or a toothbrush, for that matter. But for our D4D, the main event was going to have to be butterscotch….or should I say butter and scotch! That’s right, this grown-up trick-or-treat includes a dish inspired by the haunted moors and firths we sampled on our recent trip to Scotland. Wrap it up in parchment paper with just the right twists at the ends, and the less desirable butterscotch candies become a surprising mouth-watering savory main dish.

• 4 salmon filets, skin removed
• 3 egg yolks
• 4 tbsp butter
• juice of one lime
• 3 tbsp scotch whiskey
• 12 morels (fresh, or rehydrated dried)
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• sea salt and black pepper
• parchment paper

Filet and skin the salmon, and cut into individual portions. Set aside. Set a double-boiler up with an inch of water in the bottom, and heat the water to just below boiling; remove from heat and add three egg yolks and lime juice to the top section of the double-boiler. Whisk until smooth, then add the butter in 1/2″ cubes. Melt while constantly stirring with whisk. When butter is incorporated and the mixture is smooth, remove top section and add scotch whiskey and stir until smooth.

Preheat oven to 425°. Cut four 16″ lengths of parchment. Spread a dollop of the sauce in the center of one sheet. Lay the salmon on top, dress with three morels, a sprig of rosemary, another dollop of sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Wrap up by folding the parchment lengthwise around the salmon; generally you want to have at least two layers of parchment on each side. Twist the ends for the wrapped-candy effect, and set on a cookie sheet. Repeat for each piece of salmon. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Serve as a wrapped package, and let your guests cut them open at the table…the blast of butter•scotch aroma is intoxicating.

Related Posts:

• Kit Kat l’Orange
• Animal Crackers
• Yankee Fried Chicken
• And, The Price Tag Wasn’t a Fright
• Trick or Treat?!

Our first trick or treat D4D course was a version of animal crackers. Since I always think of crackers as a savory snack, the idea was to make something of the misnomer of sweet, cookie-like animal crackers. I guess the trick here is that our Halloween crackers came in costume, disguised as less-than-scary butterflies, chicks, rabbits and duckies: Andra only had Easter cookie cutters.

• 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup flour
• 4 tbsp butter, cut into 1/2″ cubes
• chives, snipped
• sea salt

Combine the cheeses, flour and butter in a food processor and process for 60-90 seconds, or until the mix starts to clump. Remove to a sheet of plastic wrap, and knead together. Wrap up in plastic wrap amd place in fridge for 1-2 hours, or overnight.

Remove dough from fridge and press flat on a sheet of parchment. Cover with plastic wrap and roll out using a rolling pin. The dough will be very dry, so you may need to work it a bit to get it to hold together. Once rolled out to a thickness of 1/8″, cut as many shapes as you can. Squeeze together the leftover scraps, roll out and repeat. For something less festive, you could roll the dough into a log, then slice rounds and use them as simple circular crackers.

Place cut crackers on a greased baking sheet, preferably non-stick. Sprinkle with snipped chives and sea salt. Heat oven to 350° and bake crackers until golden, about 12-15 minutes (you may want to rotate the pan once). Serve immediately, ideally with Kir Royales.

Related Posts:

• Kit Kat l’Orange
• Butter•Scotch Salmon
• It’s Halloween, and We’re Still Trying to Pick Out Our Costume!
• Yankee Fried Chicken
• And, The Price Tag Wasn’t a Fright

The Lollipop Lollipop course was a fairly simple transformation project: Come up with a spherical outer casing or something that can be made to hold the shape of a ball, and stuff it with something chewy/gooey at the center, just like your favorite Tootsie Pop. Poke a stick into it, and presto. While the different potential combinations are limited only by your imagination, the expectation for this dinner was that each would be savory, each would provide a slight differentiation in texture, and each would provide a complementary color palette.

 The three versions became progressively more involved in preparation, but each is still a relatively simple concoction.

Mushroom and Scallop Pop

• two bite-sized Cremini mushrooms per lollipop
• one small bay scallop per lollipop

Stem the Cremini mushrooms and carefully scoop out a bit more from the inside of the cap, leaving a good-sized indentation. Reserve the stems and other leftovers for the Risotto Pops. Heat a skillet on high and melt a dollop of bacon grease. Just before the grease starts to smoke, set in the scallops and sear until almost opaque. Turn once and sear a bit longer until fully opaque, and remove to a bowl. Set the mushrooms in the pan next, sear for a couple of minutes, turn once, and sear for a minute more. Remove and let cool slightly. Sandwich one scallop between two facing mushrooms, and run a skewer through it to form a lollipop.

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Tomato Basil and Mozzarella Pop

• bite-sized cherry tomatoes (heirloom variety, if available)
• fresh mozzarella, cut suger-cube sized
• basil leaves, whole
• balsamic vinegar
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Cut into the tomatoes around the stem and carefully remove the core and seeds (a small grapefruit knife is helpful for this). Drizzle a bit of balsamic and olive oil inside,sprinkle in some salt and pepper, then stuff with the basil leaf and mozzarella. Skewer to form a lollipop.

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Risotto Fritter Pop

• 3 cups water
• 6-8 threads saffron
• 1/2 cup arborio rice
• 1 tbls butter
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely diced onion
• 1/2 cup finely diced mushroom
• 1/4 cup finely diced tomato
• 1 tbls tomato paste
• salt and pepper
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbls grated parmesan
• breadcrumbs
• fresh mozzarella cut into sugar-cubed sized portions
• olive oil for frying (1″ deep in pan)

Bring the water to just below boiling, reduce heat to low. Add saffron threads to water. Melt 1/2 tbls butter in a heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add rice and stir to coat and continue stirring for 3-4 minutes. Add a ladle-full of the saffron water to the rice, stir and simmer until absorbed; repeat with more water, one ladle-full at a time, until the rice is just al dente (about 12-15 minutes). While the rice is cooking, set a saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil, and saute onions and mushrooms until soft. Add tomatoes and tomato paste and 1/4 cup hot water, saute down to a dry sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. Add to rice.

Beat two eggs with parmesan. Stir the remaining butter and the egg/parmesan mixture into the rice. Simmer two more minutes, or until absorbed. Remove from heat and spread out in a roasting pan to cool.

Best the remaining egg in a shallow bowl, and pour breadcrumbs into a separate shallow bowl. Scoop a tablespoon of the rice mixture into your palm, form into a ball, and make a depression in it with your index finger. Insert a cube of mozzarella, and close rice ball around it. Coat in beaten egg and roll in breadcrumbs to coat. Repeat once more in egg and breadcrumbs, then set onto a plate. Repeat to make as many pops as you need. Cover plate of finished rice balls with plastic wrap and set in refrigerator for one hour or more.

When ready to serve, heat oil to 325°. Remove rice balls from fridge, and set into hot oil, turning as necessary until crispy and lightly browned. Remove to drain on paper towels. Skewer to form a lollipop. Serve with a dollop of Slather-brand sauce, or other compatible sauce.

Related Posts:

• Trick or Treat?!
• Kit Kat l’Orange
• It’s Halloween, and We’re Still Trying to Pick Out Our Costume!
• And, The Price Tag Wasn’t a Fright
• Animal Crackers

You remember the experience when you were a kid…after an afternoon/evening of trick or treating, you race back home and first thing you dump out your largess to see what you got. Then the swapping begins, as you try to trick your friends/siblings into trading some of your less desirable treats for their more delectable ones.

Well, for our two guests Kristen and Brian, their plastic pumpkin contained a wild array of twisted Halloween treats:

“Healthy Snacks from Nerdy Neighbors”

Animal Crackers

gruyere, parmesan and chive crackers

Spago Nero Prosecco Veneto

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“Solid Standards with Good Trade Value”

Lollipops

heirloom tomatoes stuffed with basil and mozzarella

cremini mushrooms stuffed with bay scallops

tomato and saffron risotto fritter stuffed with mozzarella

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“The Big Haul”

Butterscotch

salmon in papillote wrapper with morels and rosemary in a butter and scotch whiskey sauce

Pixy Stix

asparagus spiral-wrapped with prosciutto

SweetTarts

sweet potato and ricotta tart

Santa Julia Innovación Torrontés/Pinot Grigio 2009

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“Bring on the Chocolate!”

Kit Kat

chocolate-filled phyllo baskets with toasted hazelnuts and blood orange

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“Not Your Grandparents Candy Dish Leftovers”

Candy Corn

layered liqueur, with homemade arancello, blackberry liqueur and rock candy syrup

Related Posts:

• Kit Kat l’Orange
• It’s Halloween, and We’re Still Trying to Pick Out Our Costume!
• And, The Price Tag Wasn’t a Fright
• Butter•Scotch Salmon
• Animal Crackers

Well, the date has arrived, and we are still assembling our menu. It would be great to be able to go to the store and buy several bags of candy for our Trick or treat dinner.

Well, what we have devised is actually a play off of the Trick or Treat bowl. In candy aisle terms, tonight’s meal will include:

• Three different kinds of Lollipops
• Butterscotch candies
• Animal Crackers
• Pixie Sticks
• Sweet Tarts
• Kit Kats
• Candy Corn

Now, how will we turn this into something adult and palatable? Let me put on my Mad Scientist costume, and see what we can’t cook up!

Related Posts:

• Kit Kat l’Orange
• Trick or Treat?!
• And, The Price Tag Wasn’t a Fright
• Butter•Scotch Salmon
• Yankee Fried Chicken

What do you do with a competitive trickster?

One of our two guests for this Halloween D4D is more clever than anyone deserves to be, especially with words. While I sometimes can come up with an interesting turn of phrase, this guy spews them out on a regular basis, which I guess explains why he is an award winning playwright. He is the husband of a longtime friend of Andra’s. Brian and Kristen live in Beacon, NY, and they have been kind enough to host us in their home several times, most recently when Andra sent me to the CIA for a cooking boot camp.

Well, when we learned that they were going to be in Charleston for a wedding over the Halloween weekend, we immediately extended an invitation to dinner. When they eagerly accepted, we asked if they had any food requests. Brian’s ironic response: “Kit Kat l’Orange”

Of course, our first reaction was ‘what is that’ or ‘where did he have that?’ Eventually we realized his riposte was half-satire/half-challenge, and then we took the bait: How can we create Kit Kat l’Orange? What would it be? Would it be any good?

Now this is where the convergence happens: the last post in D4D was truly an organic thinking-out-loud about how to develop a Halloween menu. I wrote about the proverbial 7-course meal I could’ve had as a kid on Halloween: seven courses of candy. Upon writing that, I instantly had an idea, and a plan for our menu, and a dessert for our D4D.

Related Posts:

• Trick or Treat?!
• Kit Kat l’Orange
• Animal Crackers
• Yankee Fried Chicken
• The Cuisine of their Former Colony