After the sad closing of our Glenview store, it's hard not to think about other things that are being lost to the constant clamor of change. In conversation with a new acquaintance, an antique dealer, we were both lamenting the architectural swing to "open plan" homes, where the kitchen, the kids, watching TV, and all dining takes place in one big room. There isn't really a place to have a nice dinner party.
It seems that many younger people would prefer just to meet friends at a restaurant, of which there are many these days. They don't want to bother with cooking or cleaning up.
'What's wrong with that?' you ask...
How can you have a really good conversation in a place where there's noise all around you, and wait staff is constantly bringing you things and asking if you want more? How can you relax, when it becomes apparent that there's someone waiting for your table? How can you bring together a group of people who may not already know each other?
Don't get me wrong, I love a good meal out in a restaurant with friends, but I also love to have friends over for a nice meal that I've cooked myself. And, of course, I generally serve seafood for the main course, because it's delicious, and because it cooks quickly, so I don't have to hang out in the kitchen all evening.
We recently had 9 people for dinner - 2 Chileans, a French chef, a Finnish post-doc at Northwestern and various significant others, plus some beloved neighbors. Not everyone knew the other attendees, but they all found things in common and the conversation flowed. As did the wine.
It's extremely intimidating cooking for a French chef, but in this case, he is incredibly appreciative of anyone cooking for him - he says the only people who invite him for dinner are other chefs.
Here's my advice to anyone contemplating a dinner party:
1) Choose foods/recipes that you can prepare mostly ahead of time.
2) Ask guests in advance if they have any allergies or food issues and adjust your menu accordingly.
3) Don't try out new recipes when entertaining (though I have broken this one myself). If something goes wrong, there may not be a Plan B.
4) Take advantage of seasonal items for the best flavors and freshness.
Here's what I served at the party:
Appetizers:
Oysters on the half shell with lemon or cocktail sauce (opened just before guests arrived)
Fresh farmer's market melon cubes wrapped in Italian prosciutto (done in advance, refrigerated)
Sparkling wine - always a festive start
1st course:
EZ peel shrimp in fresh garlic & basil marinade (did on the grill while we enjoyed appetizers on the deck - recipe is on our web site) served over fresh greens
Main Course:
Salmon baked with fennel, garlic, red onion & cherry tomatoes (vegetables are roasted in advance, you just add the fish and bake for about 15-20 minutes - this is what's in our Provencal Papillotes - buy those and save yourself a lot of chopping!)
Farmer's market multi-colored potatoes roasted with fresh herbs (done that morning, re-heated while cooking the fish)
Choice of Fume Blanc or French Pinot Noir
Dessert:
Fresh peach cake with vanilla frozen yogurt
Decaf espresso
All the food was consumed, almost everything was prepared in advance and only needed a few minutes of cooking time, so I got to enjoy talking to our guests.
Don't be intimidated by the challenges of getting food on the table for a crowd - with a little planning and some convivial people, you can give your friends a night to remember! If I can cook for a French chef, you can cook for your friends.
There were a lot of dirty dishes, but the Fishhusband does those - works out well at our house. Something I negotiated on the honeymoon.
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