by Christina Pirello
It’s the holiday season...and it’s party
time. How about throwing an elegant dinner celebration?
I know what you’re thinking. With all of the holiday
obligations mounded on top of our day-to-day stuff,
we can just about get dinner handled each night. At
best, we’re lucky if we can keep all the little
balls in the air until the New Year.
But deep inside all of us is a five-star chef, with
a touch of Martha Stewart. We all envision the perfect
meal being served on a beautifully set table. We’re
dying to be the calm, collected host who has created
the ultimate dinner party.
Well, breathe out. Creating a lovely party evening
is not as complicated as we’d like to think. With
a bit of thought, you can host a stylish event that
you’ll actually enjoy. Party planning is exactly
that, planning. From choosing the date to creating the
menu, thoughtful planning will be the difference between
an event that sails along effortlessly and an event
that leaves you wondering why you have to entertain
all your stupid friends anyway.
When I plan a dinner party, I make a list--it’s
the only time in my life that I do. From the centerpiece
to music, I write down everything that must be done
and begin at the beginning. What do I want this dinner
to look like? Is there a theme? A color that I want
to carry through the evening? How many friends will
gather for the evening?
For me, I like to max out at eight people. With that
as the high end number, I can manage the cooking easily;
clean-up won’t take six days; the party will maintain
a sense of intimacy, but be exciting at the same time.
I think in terms of a countdown to the big evening.
Once the date is chosen, a timeline begins to fall into
place for me.
One month ahead, I set the date, giving me plenty of
time to send out invitations, decide if I’ll need
any help. During the holidays, there are lots of options
for guests, so the more notice the better. Then I sort
of forget about the evening for a couple of weeks.
A week before the party, I plan my menu, looking at
availability of food of the season and designing my
meal around what will be freshest and most delicious.
Once that’s completed, I shop for all my non-perishables--wine,
place cards, candles, any decorations I may want to
use. I also take the time to clean and press any linens
I might be using, so I don’t have to worry about
it at the last minute.
Two days before the party, I clean the house and begin
getting it ready for the party. I buy and arrange the
flowers, create my centerpiece. This one’s important...the
centerpiece is not meant to be a distraction or an obstacle
in the center of the table.
From a simple spray of flowers to an beautiful tray
with three perfect pears or a few candles with seasonal
greens, the centerpiece is meant to complement the table,
not overshadow the food and guests. Keep it simple and
elegant. Finally, I finish most of the shopping--all
the perishables that will come together to create the
meal.
The day before my dinner is the most important for
me. I pick up the final ingredients--fresh bread, any
delicate herbs, etc. I spend a good part of the day
preparing any dishes that can be worked on ahead of
time--hors d’oeuvres, desserts, preparing ingredients
for assembly into dishes the next evening. I set the
table the night before the event, including place cards
and usually arrange for a take-away dinner, so that
I don’t have to stop work to prepare a meal at
home.
The morning of the party, I set out all my serving
platters and utensils, matching dishes to recipes, based
on textures, colors and presentation. I relive my restaurant
training and prep all ingredients that I will be using
to create the meal, placing them in containers in the
refrigerator until I am ready to cook. From mincing
garlic to toasting nuts, the more I can do ahead, the
calmer I will be as the time draws near for me to prepare
the meal.
The afternoon of the party finds me cooking whatever
dishes can be prepared ahead and cleaning up the kitchen.
If the kitchen is neat and orderly, then I’ll be
calm and cool when I get ready to make the last minute
dishes as my friends arrive. If all goes well, I give
myself plenty of time to relax, take a hot bubble bath
and get ready for the big night.
As the magic hour approaches, I return to the kitchen
to begin preparation of the more delicate dishes of
the evening, along with the assembly of others, adding
finishing touches where needed. About thirty minutes
before the party is set to begin, I light the candles,
turn on the music, open the wine and make one final
sweep of the room to check on everything. By the time
the guests arrive, my kitchen and I are calm and ordered,
ready to enjoy the evening.
The holidays are said to be a time that brings out
the best in us. Heaven knows we need it this year. Try
these ideas to give your party profound meaning and
to promote kindness in your own community. Make your
party favors into just that--favors. Ask each guest
to bring a newly wrapped toy to donate to a children’s
hospital...or better yet, some new books.
Place a cup at each place at the table for the guests
to make a donation, with all proceeds going to a charity
or relief fund. At each place setting, lay a folded
name card, inside describing a charitable act--from
shoveling snow for a neighbor, to visiting a sick friend,
to simply smiling at a stranger or carrying someone’s
groceries. All hearts at table will swell with the sentiment
of the season and your celebration will take on a sweet
tenderness that each guest will take with them out into
the world.
And now...dinner...
Menu
Chipotle Hummus on
Toasted Bread
Fig and Walnut
Tapenade on Daikon Rounds
Creamy Parsnip
Bisque with Hazelnut Pesto
Polenta Triangles
with Rosemary
Seitan and
Root Vegetable Stew
Broiled Apples
and Pears with Watercress
Lemony Endive
Salad
Pear and Fig
Strudel with Ginger Cream
Sparkling
Peach Cocktails
Chipotle
Hummus on Toasted Bread
2, 15-ounce cans organic chickpeas, drained, rinsed
well
1/3 cup sesame tahini
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons brown rice syrup
½ (one half) chipotle chile, split, seeded, finely
minced
2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/3 cup minced, fresh parsley
2 whole grain baguettes, sliced into one half-inch rounds
½ (one half) red bell pepper, roasted over an
open flame, peeled, seeded, minced, for garnish
Combine beans, tahini, lemon juice, oil, syrup, chile,
garlic and cumin in a food processor or blender. Pulse
until smooth, slowly adding water to achieve a thick,
creamy consistency. Transfer to a mixing bowl and season
to taste with salt. Stir in parsley. Cover tightly and
refrigerate until ready to serve.
Preheat oven to 400o and line a baking sheet with parchment.
Arrange bread slices on sheet and drizzle lightly with
oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake until crisp, 7-10 minutes.
Spoon hummus generously onto toast slices and garnish
with roasted pepper. Makes 15-20 servings.
Note: Hummus can be made a day or two before the party
and refrigerated. The toast is best made just before
serving.
Fig
and Walnut Tapenade on Daikon Rounds
1 cup minced, stemmed, dried figs
1/3 cup spring or filtered water
½ (one half) cup coarsely chopped oil-cured black
olives
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ (one half) tablespoon capers, drained, but
not rinsed, minced
1 ½ (one half) teaspoons minced, fresh parsley
sea salt
½ (one half) cup walnut pieces, lightly pan toasted
20-30 1/4-inch thick daikon rounds
To prepare the tapenade, combine figs and water in
a sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, uncovered, until
the figs are soft and the water has dissipated, 7-10
minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in olives,
vinegar, capers and parsley. Season to taste with salt
(remembering that the olives and capers will flavor
with salt). Mix well to combine. Set aside.
Pan toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium
heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a
bowl and set aside.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook daikon rounds
until crisp-tender, 4-6 minutes. Drain and arrange on
a platter. Cover and chill completely.
To serve, arrange daikon rounds around the rim of a
platter. Just before serving, fold walnuts into tapenade
and mound in the center of the platter, allowing guests
to serve themselves. Makes 10-15 servings.
Note: The tapenade can be made a couple of days in
advance of the party, but do not stir in the nuts until
serving time, as they will get soft. The daikon can
be cooked the morning of the party. You may also choose
to serve the tapenade already mounded on the cooked
daikon for a more elegant presentation.
Creamy
Parsnip Bisque with Hazelnut Pesto
1 onion, diced
1 small leek, split lengthwise, rinsed well, diced
6-8 parsnips, diced
3 cups plain rice or soy milk
3 cups spring or filtered water
1/4 cup mirin or white wine
2 ½ (one half) teaspoons white miso
small bunch fresh parsley, minced for garnish
hazelnut pesto
1 cup hazelnuts, oven toasted, skinned
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup loosely packed fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
leaves
3 shallots, diced
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons white miso
2 teaspoons umeboshi vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon brown rice syrup
Layer vegetables in a soup pot in the order listed.
Gently add rice or soy milk, water and mirin. Cover
and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to
low and simmer until parsnips are quite soft, about
30 minutes. Remove a small amount of broth, dissolve
miso and stir into soup. Simmer, uncovered, for 3-4
minutes to activate enzyme activity.
While the soup cooks, make the pesto. Combine all ingredients
in a food processor and puree until smooth. You will
have more pesto that you may need for this recipe. It
will keep, refrigerated, for about a week.
Transfer soup, by ladles, through a chinois or food
mill, to create a smooth puree. Return to pot and simmer
for 1 minute. Serve, garnished with a generous dollop
of pesto and sprinkled with minced parsley. Makes 6-8
servings.
Note: To roast hazelnuts, arrange nuts on a baking
sheet and bake at 325o for about 15-20 minutes, until
fragrant. Transfer nuts to a paper sack and allow skins
to loosen in the steam or about 10 minutes. Then rub
nuts in a towel to remove the skins.
Both these recipes can be made the day before the party
and the soup simply re-heated. Just let the pesto come
to room temperature.
Polenta
Triangles with Rosemary
5 cups spring or filtered water
pinch sea salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup yellow corn grits
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, ground
Combine all ingredients (reserving one tablespoon oil)
in a large sauce pan and whisk briskly to combine. Over
medium heat, begin cooking polenta, stirring constantly.
When the mixture boils, reduce heat to low and continue
to cook, stirring frequently to prevent lumps. When
the center of the polenta bursts, spoon into a lightly
oiled, shallow baking dish. Set aside to cool until
set, about an hour.
To serve, preheat the broiler to high and line a baking
sheet with parchment. Cut the polenta into 3-inch triangles.
Transfer to baking sheet and drizzle with remaining
oil. Place polenta under the broiler and cook until
the edges brown, 3-5 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 8-10
triangles.
Note: Polenta may be cooked the morning of the dinner
party, but the broiling stage is best done just before
serving.
Seitan
and Root Vegetable Stew
light olive oil
yellow cornmeal
sea salt
1 pound seitan, cut into bite-size pieces
2 yellow onions, thick wedges
2 carrots, large irregular chunks
2 parsnips, large irregular chunks
2 cups 1-inch cubes winter squash (buttercup is best)
1/4 cup mirin
spring or filtered water
2 small handfuls green beans, tips trimmed, left whole
1-2 tablespoons kuzu or arrowroot
small handful fresh parsley, finely minced, for garnish
Heat about 2 inches oil in a deep sauce pan, over medium
heat. While the oil heats, combine cornmeal with a generous
pinch of salt and cut the seitan. Dredge the seitan
in cornmeal. When the oil is hot, fry the seitan until
it is golden and crispy. Drain on paper and set aside
while preparing the vegetables.
In a heavy pot (I prefer clay, if possible), layer
the onion, carrot and parsnips. Add a generous pinch
of salt and about a cup of water. Cover and bring to
a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and cook
until the parsnips are just tender, not soft. Add squash,
mirin, more water, if needed and another generous pinch
of salt. Cover and cook until squash is tender. Add
the fried seitan, but do not stir. Add green beans,
season to taste with salt, cover and cook until the
green beans are bright green and tender. Dissolve kuzu
in a small amount of cold water, stir in and continue
to stir gently until the kuzu thickens and clears, forming
a shiny glaze over the stew. (The amount of kuzu needed
will depend on the amount of liquid left in the stew--more
liquid, more kuzu; less liquid, less kuzu.)
If cooking in a clay pot, the stew can go from stove
top to table. Simply stir in some parsley. If cooked
in a heavy pot, transfer stew to a serving bowl and
garnish with parsley. Makes 5-6 servings.
Note: Heat the oil over medium-low heat to insure it
is hot through and through. You know the oil is ready
when patterns appear on the bottom of the pan or if
you submerge chopsticks in the oil, bubbles gather.
The seitan can be fried the morning of the party and
chilled. The stew is best if made an hour before dinner
and served freshly cooked.
Broiled
Apples and Pears with Rosemary
3 Granny Smith apples, cored, seeded, cut into small
chunks (leave peel on)
3 ripe pears, cored, seeded, cut into small chunks (leave
peel on)
sea salt
rind of 2 fresh lemons
extra virgin olive oil
barley malt
juice of 1 lemon
Preheat the broiler to medium.
Place apples and pears in a mixing bowl. Add a light
sprinkle of salt and lemon rind. Drizzle lightly with
oil and generously with barley malt. Mix gently to coat.
Transfer fruit mixture to a shallow baking dish, avoiding
too much overlap. Place fruit under broiler, uncovered,
to broil until tender. When the fruit softens, raise
the broiler temperature to high to brown the fruit.
Pay attention at this point, as the fruit will burn
easily. Remove fruit from broiler and gently stir in
lemon juice. Transfer to a serving platter and serve
immediately. Makes 6-8 servings.
Note: The apples and pears can be prepped and dressed
the afternoon of the party, but this is a dish that
tastes best when served fresh from the broiler.
Lemony
Endive Salad
4 Belgian endive, bottoms trimmed, leaves separated
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
juice of 2 lemons
Place endive leaves in a mixing bowl and drizzle generously
with oil. Season to taste with salt and add lemon juice.
Stir to coat the leaves and chill thoroughly. To serve,
arrange on a large salad platter or on individual salad
plates. Makes 6-8 servings.
Note: This salad can be prepared the morning of the
party and chilled throughout the day.
Pear
and Fig Strudel with Ginger Cream
3 ripe pears, cored, seeded, diced
10-12 dried figs, soaked until soft, diced
2 tablespoons arrowroot
light olive oil
granulated maple syrup
3 sheets thawed phyllo dough
Ginger Cream
2 cups vanilla soymilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ (one half) teaspoon powdered ginger
2 tablespoons kuzu or arrowroot
candied ginger
1/4 cup brown rice syrup
20-24 thin slices fresh ginger, fine matchsticks
Preheat oven to 350o and line a baking sheet with parchment.
Combine pears and figs in a mixing bowl. Add arrowroot,
2 tablespoons oil and 3 tablespoons maple granules to
the mixture. Toss to coat the fruit. Set aside.
Lay out one sheet of phyllo on a dry work surface.
Brush lightly with oil and sprinkle with maple granules.
Repeat with the remaining sheets of phyllo. On the long
side, closest to you, mound the fruit mixture, going
from one end to the other, leaving about an inch at
each end. Roll, jelly-roll style, tucking in the outer
edges, wrapping the fruit in phyllo. Place on the baking
sheet, seam side down. Using a sharp knife, cut deep
slits, marking slices and allowing steam to release.
Bake until the dough is crispy and golden and the fruit
is tender, about 45 minutes.
While the strudel bakes, combine Blend, vanilla and
ginger in a sauce pan. Warm through over low heat. When
warmed through, dissolve kuzu in a small amount of cold
water. Stir into ginger mixture and stir until the cream
thickens, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
When the strudel is close to done, combine rice syrup
and ginger in a small sauce pan and bring to a high
boil over high heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
Remove strudel from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes
before slicing. Serve with a dollop of ginger cream
and some candied ginger slices. Makes up to 12 servings.
Note: The ginger cream can be made the day before
or morning of the party and chilled. You’ll just
need to loosen it with a whisk for serving. The strudel
filling can be made the afternoon of the party and chilled,
but the strudel itself is best if you can put it in
the oven as you sit down to dinner and served warm.
The candied ginger is best made just before serving.
Sparkling
Peach Cocktails
1 quart natural, unsweetened peach juice
1 quart sparkling water
lemon slices
Chill juice and water thoroughly. Mix individual servings.
Serve with lemon slices.
To make this cocktail more festive, use champagne in
place of sparkling water and lemon slices. Chill, mix
and serve in champagne flutes. Makes 8-10 servings.
Note: It’s best to make this beverage as needed.
