Emily Post's Great Get-Togethers (8 page)

Summer.
Fill a glass bowl with lemons or peaches; put bright zinnias or garden flowers in canning jars; place heirloom tomatoes of different colors in a wooden bowl. Straw or raffia place mats or runners give a summery feel, and outside, colorful oilcloth is cheery and practical.

Lobster dinner.
Sprinkle beach glass and shells down the center of the table; use new dish towels for “lapkins.” Butcher paper on the table is fun for lobster, crab, and crawdad dinners, and makes for easy cleanup.

Easter.
For the centerpiece, surround a tray of green grass with a scattering of dyed or colored eggs in varying sizes; use tiny pots of tête-à-tête (mini) daffodils as place cards.

Let the cuisine determine the decor.
For example, a Chinese menu could be enhanced by a black tablecloth, white plates, and red napkins wrapped with white bands printed with fortunes; hang Chinese lanterns and arrange a centerpiece of red chrysanthemums.

Winter white.
Simplicity can be stunning. Set the entire table in different textures and shades of white and off-white, with one, two, or three coral red camellias for color.

Fall harvest dinner.
Lay clipped bay branches or other local greenery directly on a bare wood table, radiating out from the center on a round table or down the center on a rectangular table. Nestle tiny apples, quinces, pomegranates, the last of the season’s small peaches, and purple grapes with lots of bloom (that delicate mistiness) among the greenery. Scatter votives around the table.

Setting The Buffet Table

Traditionally, the meat is first, then side dishes, with any gravies, sauces, or condiments at the end. We actually like to do the reverse: green salad first, then side vegetables or starch, and then the protein, which can nestle on top of the other elements if need be. Condiments go near their intended accompaniments—chutney or salsa verde alongside meat, herb butter next to biscuits—so it’s clear what they’re intended to be used for. Why do we prefer to do it this way? Aesthetically, guests tend to compose a more balanced looking plate when they serve themselves in this order. And psychologically, filling the plate with salad and sides first avoids the my-eyes-are-bigger-than-my-stomach syndrome, in which people load their plates with more of the meat or fish course than they can actually eat, helping to ensure that the salmon or steak won’t go to waste.

Beverages And Napkins

If you’re eating at the table, guests who have filled their plates at the buffet table now head to their places, which have already been set with wine and water poured ahead of time.

When eating lap style, wrap utensils in cloth napkins by making a pocket so they don’t fall out, and place them at the end of the buffet table. That way, guests’ hands are free for filling their plates. Similarly, drinks—poured glasses of wine or water—can be set up on a separate table for pickup when hands are free.

S
ometimes food is the main reason to have a party—like the summer day we collected so many mussels that our parents called the neighbors over for an impromptu spaghetti with mussels party or the make-your-own pizza parties we have to celebrate just about anything. Sometimes all it takes to spark our party imagination is an enticing recipe in a food magazine, seeing fresh peas at the farmers’ market, or watching lobstermen bring in a fresh catch. It makes us want to share the wealth and celebrate with friends. Whatever the spark, let it inspire your menu, whether it’s a simple luncheon or an elaborate buffet. As you do, you’ll want to keep the following basics in mind:

• C
  ELEBRATE THE SEASONS.
  Let your menu celebrate the here and now: Plan your menu around the seasonal foods in your local markets. Soft-shell crabs, peas, and asparagus are a sure sign of spring. Fresh sweet corn, tomatoes, and berries abound in summer. Mushrooms and squashes herald the fall. Even winter has bay scallops to offer. By using fresh, seasonal food, you’ll get the best results with your recipes and you’ll save money, too. You can also plan a menu that plays off the seasons: Salads and cold soups are refreshing foils for summer’s heat; stews and braises warm us from the inside out in winter.
  
• A
  LWAYS LOOK FOR BALANCE.
  Your menu doesn’t have to be an item-for-item mirror of the USDA food pyramid, but you don’t want to serve your guests too much of one food group either. A balanced meal includes
  protein
  , usually in the form of meat, fowl, or fish, (though it can also be beans and rice, dairy, cheese, eggs, yogurt, or other vegetable protein like tofu),
  fresh vegetables
  , and a
  starch
  , such as rice, grains, potatoes, beans, or bread.
  
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  OMPLEMENT AND CONTRAST.
  Choose dishes that complement each other: Pair roast pork and garlic mashed potatoes, for example, or wild salmon and sautéed corn with cherry tomatoes. Think about contrasting elements as well, such as tart and sweet, sweet and savory, spicy and cooling. Serving your guests one spicy dish after another may only overwhelm their palates. Avoid repeating the same ingredient over and over—unless the theme of your party is celebrating one food. Anna was once served a meal whose every dish used Mexican chocolate.
  
• C
  ONSIDER TEXTURE AND TEMPERATURE.
  Contrast raw with cooked, for example, or pair a crisp or crunchy element with something soft or sticky (pulled pork on a soft roll with buttermilk coleslaw) or hot and cold (warm apple pie à la mode or hot lentil soup with a dollop of cold crème fraîche).
  
• C
  ONSIDER COLOR AND APPEARANCE.
  Have fun with color. Pair lightly sautéed spinach with butternut squash; sprinkle steamed snap peas with black sesame seeds; serve swordfish with red pepper coulis. Garnish an all-brown dish like a winter stew with a sprinkling of chopped fresh herbs.
  
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  E KIND TO YOURSELF.
  Be realistic about what you can handle. You don’t have to cook the entire meal; don’t be afraid to use prepared foods. Remember, as important as good food is, entertaining is really about getting people together—not about being a gourmet cook.
  

Menus 101

C
reating a menu for your party can be delicious fun, whether you cook the party food yourself or have it prepared for you. For inspiration, look to cookbooks, food magazines, TV cooking shows, or food Web sites, like epicurious.com. Make a note of restaurant meals you particularly enjoyed. Look to your own repertoire as well. We like to take our favorite ingredients and mix and match, creating variations on a theme and seeing just how many menus we can create from these building blocks.

Take, for example, a classic fall combination—butternut squash, mushrooms, and fall vegetables; pork; tomato, arugula, and goat cheese salad; pears and walnuts. Let’s see how many menus we can build using these and similar elements.

Menu 1:
For a simple supper or lunch, substitute bacon for the pork and make a sophisticated BLT:

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Sage
(page 81)

Grilled Bacon, Tomato, and Goat Cheese Sandwiches with Arugula

Menu 2:
Now let’s create a three-course fall supper out of our main ingredients, substituting a hearty salad for the sandwich and adding a dessert:

FIRST COURSE

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Sage
(page 81)

SECOND COURSE

Arugula Salad with Crumbled Goat Cheese, Cherry Tomatoes, Red Onion, and Bacon with Red Wine Vinaigrette

Artisanal Whole Grain Toasts

DESSERT

Roasted Pears with Ginger and Crème Fraîche

Walnuts in their shells for cracking

Fresh Mint Tea

Menu 3:
For a more substantial dinner party, soup can be passed in little cups or glasses as an appetizer. A smaller, plated version of the arugula salad makes a pretty first course, but try a variation, using pomegranate seeds and toasted walnuts instead of the cherry tomatoes and bacon. Substitute baguette toasts brushed with extra virgin olive oil for whole grain toasts. Feature pork tenderloin for the main event, and pears for the dessert.

APPETIZER

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Sage
(opposite)

FIRST COURSE

Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese, Pomegranate, and Walnuts

SECOND COURSE

Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Pan Gravy
(page 82)

Roasted Fall Vegetables
(page 83)

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
(page 84)

DESSERT

Buttermilk Feather Cake with Nutmeg
(page 85)

Roasted Pears with Ginger and Crème Fraîche

We created three menus from our theme ingredients. By using a little imagination and substituting similar ingredients—bacon for pork, pomegranate seeds for cherry tomatoes—and mixing and matching different types of bread, we built a fall repertoire that covers many occasions, from a simple lunch to a four-course dinner. As you add new recipes to your repertoire, think about how many ways you can put them to use.

Roasted Butternut Squash And Apple Soup With Sage

This soup has fall colors, fall flavors, and even “fallen leaves” by way of garnish. Its apple-sage and squash-allspice flavor combinations may well have thoughts of Thanksgiving dancing in your head. Full-flavored and silky—but without cream—it’s elegant enough to be served as the first course of a dinner party, but hearty enough for a soup and salad supper on a busy weekday night. Serves 6 to 8

2½ pounds (2 medium) butternut squash, halved, seeds and strings scooped out

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 small tart apple, such as Granny Smith, cored and chopped

4½ cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium canned chicken broth, preferably organic

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

20 Crisp Fried Sage Leaves (page 84) as garnish, optional

1.
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.

2.
For easier cleanup, line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper or foil. Brush the squash halves all over with the oil and lay them cut side down on the prepared pan. Bake until tender when pierced with a knife, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven. When cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh out of the peels and roughly chop it.

3.
In a medium pot over moderate heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and apple, partially cover, and cook, stirring once or twice, for 10 minutes. Add the stock, chopped sage, ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper, and the allspice and bring to a simmer. Partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Add the squash and simmer uncovered, stirring once or twice, until the squash is very tender, about 10 minutes.

4.
Cool slightly, then in a food processor or blender, puree the soup until smooth. The soup can be prepared up to 3 days in advance. Cool, cover, and refrigerate.

5.
To serve, rewarm the soup over low heat, stirring often, until steaming. Adjust the seasoning. Ladle into bowls, garnish with fried sage leaves if you are using them, and serve immediately.

Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Pan Gravy

Serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons chopped thyme

1 tablespoon Dijon or whole grain mustard

4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 pork tenderloins, about 4 pounds total

3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1 small onion, finely diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound any type of fresh mushrooms, or a variety such as cremini and chanterelles, brushed clean and roughly chopped

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon flour

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.
In a small mixing bowl, mix together the herbs, mustard, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Mix into a paste and rub all over the tenderloins. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan (not a nonstick pan) over medium heat. When the pan is good and hot, add the tenderloins and brown slowly on all sides, being careful not to scorch anything in the pan. This may take about 8 minutes.

3.
When the pork is golden on all sides, transfer to a roasting rack and bake to an internal temperature of 145°F. This may take 15 to 18 minutes. Cover loosely with foil and rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice crosswise into ½-inch medallions and serve.

for the gravy

1.
While the tenderloins are roasting and resting, pour out any excess oil in the pan and place over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the onion and cook until the onion is soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic, cook for 2 minutes, and add the mushrooms. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mushrooms have cooked down and browned a bit. By now a nice layer of browned bits called fond should have formed on the bottom of the pan. Be careful not to let this burn.

2.
Remove the vegetables, set aside, and add the wine. Cook for 5 minutes, scraping up the fond with a metal spatula or wooden spoon. Add the chicken stock and continue to cook over high heat, reducing the wine and stock until only about a cup of liquid remains.

3.
In a small dish, mix the flour and remaining tablespoon of butter into a smooth paste. Whisk this paste into the wine and stock, and boil for 3 more minutes, stirring constantly, to thicken the gravy. Add the mushroom and onion mixture to the pan, return to a boil, then hold over very low heat until ready to serve.

Roasted Fall Vegetables

Serves 4 to 6

1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice

2 red onions, cut into large 1-inch dice

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

4 teaspoons salt

1¼ teaspoons pepper

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 pound zucchini, cut into 1-inch dice

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the parsnips, carrots, and onions. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and parsley. Pour about three quarters of this mixture over the vegetables and toss until they are evenly combined. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet pan (parchment-lined for easy cleanup), using more than one if necessary. Roast in the oven for 30 to 45 minutes, until soft and lightly browned, stirring the vegetables three times during cooking.

3.
Combine the remaining seasoning mixture with the zucchini and roast in the same manner as the other vegetables, but for only 10 to 15 minutes, until soft but not mushy. Combine the zucchini with the rest of the vegetables, toss lightly, and keep warm until ready to serve.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Serves 4 to 6

3 pounds (5 or 6) russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter

10 garlic cloves, minced (or more to taste!)

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

½ cup heavy cream

1.
In a large heavy saucepan, cover the potatoes with lightly salted cold water and gently boil over medium-high heat until tender but not falling apart.

2.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When all the butter has melted, add the garlic and continue to cook until the garlic is soft and golden in color, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, and cream, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to very low and keep warm until the potatoes are done cooking.

3.
Strain the potatoes. Press them through a sieve, food mill, or ricer into a large mixing bowl. Fold in the warm cream mixture using a rubber spatula, working quickly and gently so as to keep the potatoes as light in texture as possible. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately.

Crisp Fried Sage Leaves

These make a nice garnish for the Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Sage (page 81) and are a great little appetizer, too. Makes approximately 20

1 bunch fresh sage leaves (about 20 medium leaves)

Vegetable oil like canola or safflower for frying

1.
Rinse and pat dry the sage leaves. Pour an inch of oil into a medium skillet and heat until very hot (the surface should appear wavy but should not smoke). Test one sage leaf to see if it fries crisp quickly, without absorbing too much oil.