Archive: Entertaining
Whaddya Doin' New Year's Eve?
I got a crew of 10 or so coming over to my place Saturday night and I need to assemble the menu. Guests bring a favorite bottle and I reciprocate with substantial snacks. I want the lineup to be fun and festive but not too fussy with food that goes with party hats and a pair of jeans. In a way, I want everyone to feel like they're at a picnic . . . but without the ants. There's no culinary theme that I'm sticking to. I don't care if the dishes don't 'work' together. Instead, these will be a few of my favorite things that are shareable, soulful and probably a bit messy....
By kimodo | December 29, 2005; 10:37 AM ET | Email a Comment
Getting Punchy
I wish all holiday calendars could work like this year's configuration: long holiday weekends, with time for both pre- and post-party rest and recovery. How rare it is when we can eat and drink ourselves silly on New Year's Eve, with a bonus package of two whole days to nurse a hangover, extract that lampshade party hat and perhaps arrive at some sobering New Year's resolutions? With the extra time to prepare and recover, we have a perfect excuse to yip it up at home rather than taking trouble out into the streets. Today, I'll cover beverage options. Tomorrow, I'll follow up with some ideas for chow and festive snacks....
By kimodo | December 28, 2005; 11:14 AM ET | Comments: (3)
To the Meat of the Holiday Season
It's the Friday before a big long holiday weekend, and maybe you're still running around picking up guests or presents. Or maybe you're just like me and haven't EVEN begun to put together a menu for the weekend. I'm shooting to get to the store this evening, with list in hand and inspiration in my pocket. Since time is of the essence, and I've still got a bunch of work to do before the fun begins, the operative word is "simple" for preparing this weekend's festive supper. So I'm thinking main dish as the star, veggies, etc. as the supporting cast. I want cooking time to be minimal or, at least, low maintenance enough so that I can sip on a glass of wine without worrying if something is burning. Here's what I've got up my sleeve, representing various protein departments, and a possible meatless item as well, just in...
By kimodo | December 23, 2005; 11:41 AM ET | Email a Comment
Let's Celebrate -- Winter Has Begun!
According to the U.S. Naval Observatory, winter begins at 1:35 p.m. today. What this means is that today is the darkest day of the year, with the sun setting at 4:49 in Washington. (In Chicago, it's even earlier, at 4:22!) But don't let the darkness get you down. For those of us in the seasonal affective disorder club, the winter solstice is a day to celebrate, because it means that starting tomorrow, the sun will set later and later, bringing us closer to those longer days of sunlight and playing outside yet again. So, let's do a little dance. A little nosh wouldn't hurt, either. I'm thinking something tropical. Mango champagne cocktail, perhaps? I just got my hands on two new titles that are putting me in the mood for a little cha-cha-cha: "Mambo Mixers" by Arlen Gargagliano and "Latin Chic" by Carolina Buia and Isabel C. Gonzalez. "Mambo" is...
By kimodo | December 21, 2005; 10:55 AM ET | Comments: (1)
You Asked For It...
Greetings from Chicago, where it's snowing lightly. Nothing like the forecasters promised, but my friends' kids are begging me to take them sledding after school nonetheless. In Chicago, it seems like there is always enough snow for sledding. Phase One of the Gingerbread House Project will commence this afternoon, with the purchase of supplies and preparation of stencils. I'll keep you posted this week; apparently, the two cats, Lolo and Soda Pop, have volunteered to supervise the construction site. Photos to come as well. In yesterday's edition of What's Cooking, I promised to follow up on a few holiday items that required some legwork. After receiving a question from a reader in Capitol Hill about pre-shucking oysters for a party, I emailed my pal Jon Rowley, a former fisherman and oyster guru, based in Seattle. His thoughts on the briny matter: "Pre-shucked oysters are okay but are much better if...
By kimodo | December 14, 2005; 11:49 AM ET | Comments: (6)
Entertaining Calisthenics
I cooked for 30 on Friday night. It was a hired gig - a holiday party in the neighborhood. The hosts wanted an upscale but informal lineup, buffet style. Here's what I put together:For spreading or dipping onto crackers or bread-like items, smoked trout rillettes and a white bean-red pepper puree, flavored with rosemary and garlic; homemade cheddar-pepper crackers; tenderloin of beef marinated in a hoisin/black bean/garlic/curry paste marinade; Szechuan-style green beans, plus baguette-topped apple salsa and brie. For dessert, there was upside-down pear-gingerbread cake and chocolate bark, with dried cherries, walnuts and crystallized ginger. With the exception of two dishes, I had experience preparing the menu, which made life manageable and kept Kim's hair looking good. To keep costs down, I bought all the produce at Han ah Reum, the mega Korean grocery store in Merrifield, Va. Sweets were made on Thursday night, plus the meat went into...
By kimodo | December 12, 2005; 12:35 PM ET | Comments: (3)
Chat Doggie Bag
There were lots of leftovers from yesterday's installment of What's Cooking; here are a few assorted questions I pulled from the chat platter to add to the holiday conversation: Saratoga Springs, N.Y.: I need to plan an appetizer-only buffet for Christmas Eve. How does one put together a selection of appealing appetizers? Dear Saratoga Springs, without knowing the size of your party or any possible dietary issues, I will offer general rather than specific thoughts. A couple of considerations:...
By kimodo | December 7, 2005; 11:25 AM ET | Comments: (5)
Entertaining Clinic
I received the following e-mail from "Jennie," a reader in Alexandria, Va., who wants advice for throwing a holiday shindig away from home: "I've agreed to host a dinner party for 16 at a family apartment in Boston over the holidays ... there are relatively few kitchen tools up there, and I'll probably have to buy any ingredients I'll need. It's before a formal event, so everyone will be dressed up, but it's a smallish apartment so there won't be room at a table for everyone. We were thinking something buffet style but still elegant?"...
By kimodo | November 30, 2005; 11:21 AM ET | Comments: (3)
