5th Dinner Club Meeting – Autumn Harvest
October 2003
R hosted our 5th meeting. This marks the end of our first round of hosting! That means, as of this meal, we’ve each had a chance to contribute an item in each of the categories. It’s been so much fun!
As you may have noticed there was a slight shift in theme for this meeting. In the past, the themes have been by country but this time R chose something a little more ambiguous. What is really odd about this, is that I have next month and was also planning on doing something similar! Our themes are different enough that I think I will still do mine but I’m jumping ahead! Back to this month ~
Our menu for this gathering is as follows:
- Appetizer: Wild Mushroom and Gruyere Tart with Fresh Herb Salad
- Cocktail: Dry Apple (recipe below)
- Salad: Asian Pear and New-Crop Walnut Salad (from Chez Panisse Fruit by Alice Waters)
- Main: Roast Duck with Prunes and Wine Braised Cabbage
- Side: Goat Cheese and Thyme Potato Cake
- Dessert: Dahlia Pear Tart with Caramel Sauce (from Tom Douglas’ Seattle Kitchen)
Wow! This was a really great dinner! The Wild Mushroom Tart was so earthy, warm and satisfying and the Dry Apple was a great contrast – clean and crisp. Several the members have used this recipe on various occasions and once other friends have tasted it, they want the recipe, too. You should give it a try.
The salad was a nice, light note. The pears and walnuts evocative of a fall day and the dressing tasty but not overbearing.
The duck was heavenly – good thing that R made two of them for the five of us! The cabbage was a brilliant jewel red – gorgeous AND tasty. I can take or leave cooked cabbage but I even had seconds! And the nice part about the cabbage is that it can be made a day or two ahead of time and then just warmed before serving.
The Potato Cake with Thyme was extremely fragrant with that lovely herb. And it provided another texture in contrast to the duck and cabbage.
And then there were more pears for dessert but these were entirely different! The caramel and almond cream added layers of rich decadence but the pear and fluffy puff pastry added a lightness and feeling that you were eating something very good for you. :-) Okay, that’s my story and I’m sticking with it. They were yummy.
Several of tonight’s courses could be made entirely or partly ahead of time – always a nice feature when you are planning a dinner party.
Dry Apple
- 2 oz Apple Schnapps
- 2 oz Gin
- Tonic Water
Pour first two ingredients into an old-fashion glass filled with ice. Top off with Tonic Water. Stir and serve.
ZigZag Cafe
If you appreciate a finely made, handcrafted cocktail you owe it to yourself to check out the ZigZag Cafe. While it can be a little challenging to find the first time, once you know where it is you’ll be amazed how easy it is to get to and wonder why you haven’t been there before.
The ZigZag is located on the steps of the Pike Place Hillclimb. If you are on Western Ave on the hill below the market, look for the Kasala store. Head down the steps to the 2nd landing. First you’ll see El Puerco Lloron (some of the best Mexican food in town) on the left side of the landing. Look to your right and you’ll notice a little patio and a door leading into the ZigZag.
Here you will find a crescent shaped bar (perfect for checking out who is sitting at the other end!) and Murray, Seattle’s premier bartender. Each cocktail is expertly and lovingly crafted. Watching Murray is like watching a great artist at work. Once you’ve been in a time or two Murray will understand your tastes and preferences and you can rely on him to suggest drinks that will fit you to a tee. In fact, even on your first visit if you tell him a little about what you normally drink he can suggest something with amazing accuracy. One of my favorite things to do is to walk in and ask, "Murray, what should I have tonight?". I’ve been treated to all kinds of cocktails that I would never have known to ask for on my own.
For those of you who have been around Seattle for some time you may remember Murray from his days at Il Bistro or the (now closed) Duke’s on Queen Anne.
In addition to Murray you will often find Kacy, one of the owners, helping out behind the bar. Kacy is also a great bartender and is an expert on rum – ask him about it sometime. I also occasionally run into Ben, the other owner, but I haven’t dealt with him as often – it might just be that my choice of days does not correspond with the days he most often works.
Anyway, give the ZigZag a try – you’ll be happy you did!
Chestnut Soup with Cognac Cream
Happy New Year! Hard to believe it’s 2005! Where did 2004 go?
I often like to start the year snuggling in at home, maybe watching the Rose Parade and football bowl games, or sitting by the fire reading. Sort of using the day to regroup, take a moment to enjoy and appreciate my life and think about all the adventures the new year will hold.
An important part of the day, of course, is food. I don’t like it to be too fussy – the day is more about simplicity – but I do want it tasty! This simple soup is flavorful, warms you inside and out and is perfect served with simple salad, a couple slices of crusty bread and your favorite glass of wine.
Chestnut Soup with Cognac Cream (adapted from a recipe by chefs at Ste. Michelle Winery)
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 small carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 tsp. fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 8 cups chicken stock (canned is okay)
- 22 oz (1 1/2 cans) chestnut puree* (available at DeLaurenti’s)
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. cognac
- Pinch of salt
Melt butter with oil in large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add celery carrot, onion and thyme and sauté until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add stock to the pan and simmer until 30 minutes.
Remove vegetables from broth and place in blender. Add a small amount of broth and blend until smooth. Return to the pan and place over medium heat. Add the chestnut puree* and whisk until smooth. Bring to simmer over low heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
While soup is heating whisk cream, Cognac and pinch of salt in medium bowl until cream is thickened but not stiff. Set aside until soup is warm.
Ladle soup into bowls. Swirl a spoonful of Cognac cream into each bowl and serve.
* Notes about chestnut puree
- Instead of chestnut puree you can use vacuum packed chestnuts (original recipe). Add to the pan when you add the stock and then blend the chestnuts along with the vegetables.
- The chestnut puree can sometimes be really stiff. If this is the case run it through the blender along with the vegetables and a little stock and then heat it up.
- Make sure you purchase plain puree. Chestnut is often used in desserts so some of the puree has added sugars or corn syrup, which you do not want. Check the ingredients carefully.
Other Notes
- The soup can be made one day in advance. Cover and chill until ready to use. Then bring to simmer and serve.
- This soup also freezes beautifully! I generally make a batch and then freeze any leftovers in bowl size portions.
- I’ve been meaning to try this with beef stock instead of chicken. The soup already is very hearty tasting and almost has a beefy flavor. I think the beef stock might really enhance this.
Napa in Seattle
I love when I can combine my love of food/wine/entertaining with support for a great cause! I just received notice of this upcoming event and it looks like a winner! 60 wineries, food from the Hyatt and proceeds going to places like Pike Place Medical Clinic.
Sign up to get advance notice of ticket availability!
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Napa in Seattle
Once every few years the internationally renowned Napa Valley Vintners visit Seattle to share their remarkable wines and to benefit the health of our community. This year’s Napa in Seattle visit will take place at the Grand Hyatt Seattle on March 17, 2005 from 6 – 9 pm. The event will include 60 vintners sampling their wines, an array of hors d’oeuvres prepared by the Hyatt and guest chefs, and a silent auction that could only come from the Napa Valley. Tickets will be sold beginning February 1, 2005, at $75 per person. But you can secure your place now by simply signing up on the Personal Reserve List. As soon as tickets are available you will be contacted to make your purchase. Napa in Seattle will benefit Puget Sound Neighborhood Health Centers, the leading provider of healthcare to low income and uninsured families in the Seattle area. For questions, contact us at josephs@psnhc.org. Click here to reserve your place at Napa in Seattle.
4th Dinner Club Meeting – Mexican
August 2003
K was the host for our 4th meeting. The theme for the meeting was "Mexican". It was a perfect choice for a beautiful summer day! We started with appetizers and cocktails out on the patio and then moved inside for the main meal.
Here was the menu:
- Appetizer: Ceviche
- Cocktail: Margaritas
- Salad: Sweet and Spicy Black Bean Salad
- Main: Chicken in Green Pumpkin-Seed Sauce & Pork Tenderloin with Orange Chipotle Sauce
- Side: Flour Tortillas, Blue Corn Tortillas, Avocado Salsa, Charred Tomato Mint Salsa, Orange Butter (recipe below)
- Dessert: Coffee Ice Cream and Mexican Chocolate Sundaes with Cinnamon-Sugar Tortilla Crisps
This meal was completely successful on all accounts! The ceviche and margaritas got it off to a great start. M had used a combination of scallops, shrimp and salmon in the ceviche which was a great combination of flavors. For the Margaritas she used the fresh Sweet and Sour recipe from Kathy Casey. I can’t tell you how much difference this makes in your drinks! We’ve all been using it since I took a couple of cocktail classes from Kathy and Ryan Margarian. (If you are in the Seattle area, I highly recommend these classes. You learn a ton and they are really fun!)
As K and V were putting the mains and salad on serving plates I was busy grilling the tortillas and brought them warm from the grill to the table. Before coming to K’s I had rolled out the tortillas and stacked them between wax paper. This worked fine for the flour tortillas but not as well for the blue corn. The batter is so soft it was hard to remove the paper from the tortillas. I recommend patting/rolling them out as you are putting them on the grill. The salsas were both good but everyone really loved the orange butter, which was something I remembered once having at some restaurant. The recipe is at the end of this entry.
Both mains were good but I especially liked the chicken. What was really nice was the way the black beans, chicken, pork, and salsas all really blended well.
We finished with the decadent and beautiful sundaes! Perfect!
Orange Butter
This is really a recipe that should be customized to your own taste – it can be made sweeter or with more orange, depending on your preferences.
- 4 Tbsp butter, softened
- 2 – 3 tsp. grated orange peel
- 2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
- 1 – 2 tsp. honey*
Beat until thoroughly mixed and butter is light and fluffy.
As you may be aware you can get honey from different types of plants/flowers. One of my favorites, and the one I used in this particular version of this recipe, was Wild Huckleberry Honey. It has just a slight, slight hint of berry. But any honey will work – just use whatever you have around.
Food Network Tour of NY City
I don’t know about you, but most of my friends have full time jobs. When I decided to take some time off in between jobs I discovered that although I had lots of time to do all kinds of things I didn’t always have someone to do it with! Although I’ve kept pretty busy with all kinds of little projects there are days I find myself watching TV – something I rarely do when working. My favorite channel is the Food Network and I’ve come to “know” many of the chefs. I have several favorites. The only thing that keeps me from being truly addicted to their shows is that they actually record a fairly small number of them and then those shows are played over and over. No matter how cute Tyler Florence is, I can only watch him show a single woman how to make interesting meals for one so many times! :-)
I haven’t been to Manhattan for some time and I’ve been thinking it’s time to get back. Several of the Food Network Chefs have places in New York. And I think, since I’ve made so many “friends” with those chefs, I may try to visit some of their restaurants while I’m there. Sort of a Food Network tour of NY City! I’d love to hear your ideas about where to go or experiences with any of these places. Keeping in mind that I normally visit for a long weekend (3 or 4 days), I’m hoping to visit 3 to 5 places. Here’s a bit about what I’ve been thinking:
Since I’ve already mentioned Tyler Florence, I’ll just start there. He’s been at several great restaurants in NY and was most recently at Cafeteria, although I do not believe he’s involved there any longer. Rumor has it that he was going to open a new place – I was thinking it was going to be this last fall but I haven’t heard or seen anything. I’d love any ideas or information about Mr. Florence’s whereabouts!
I didn’t start out being drawn to Bobby Flay but he has grown on me over time. I love grilled food and it’s pretty amazing how he manages to grill entire meals (sometimes including the salad). Bobby has two places in New York, Mesa Grill and Bolo. Maybe I can hit one for lunch and one for dinner.
Anthony Bourdain actually drives me crazy much of the time yet I like to see the places he travels. In NY he is at Les Halles, which is world renowned so I guess he knows what he’s doing!
Mario Batali has several places in NY. Babbo is the flagship, but he also has Lupa, Italian Wine Merchants, Esca, Otto Enoteca Pizzeria, Casa Mono and Bar Jamon. Casa Mono and Bar Jamon are fairly new and I’d love any insight anyone has on those two places. Mario was originally from the Seattle area and his dad owns Salumi, a place I frequent as often as possible!
I think I’d like to try Union Pacific and check out Rocco DiSpirito. Even after the failure of his new place and the bad reviews around the TV show that chronicled the opening, I think I’d like this place.
And finally, being a chef groupie of sorts, I’ve heard the place to go for chef sightings is the Blue Ribbon in Soho. Has anyone seen anyone interesting there or anywhere else?
If you can’t make it to NY, I’ve noticed that many of these chefs (and others!) are opening places in Las Vegas. And many of them have cookbooks or sell products they’ve developed. No matter where you live you can have a NY experience ~
Let me know what you think or recommend places for me! Thanks! B
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Hot Crab and Artichoke Dip
This recipe can be made early in the day or even the day ahead of your party and then as guests are arriving pop it in the oven. Depending on the size of your dish heat it for 15 to 30 minutes. It can be microwaved but very gently, otherwise the mayonnaise will separate and you’ll have a bunch of oil floating on the top of your dish – yuck!
Hot Crab and Artichoke Dip
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 1/2 pound Dungeness crab meat
- 4 oz thinly sliced onions
- 8 oz chopped artichoke hearts
- 4 oz shredded parmesan cheese
- 3 tsp. minced fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine and mix all ingredients except parsley. Place in one large baking dish or several small dishes. Heat 15 to 30 minutes, until mixture is hot and slightly bubbly.
Remove from oven, garnish with parsley. Serve with crackers or sliced baguette.
Spinach Pinwheels
As I mentioned in my Holiday Party entry, these are always a big hit at my parties. I think it’s due to a couple of things – they are good!, they are on the salty side and they are truly finger food – easy to pick up right from the platter and pop in your mouth.
They must be made several hours ahead of time and can be made up to a couple days ahead of time. Just don’t slice them until you’re ready to put them on the platter.
Spinach Pinwheels
- 1 packet Uncle Dan’s Original powder dressing
- 1c – 1 1/2 cups mayonaise
- 1c – 1 1/2 cups sour cream
- 1 3.5 oz jar bacon bits
- 1 bunch of green onions, chopped (both greens & whites)
- 1 10 oz box of frozen spinach, cooked and well-drained
- Tortilla shells*
Mix all ingredients except tortilla shells.
Spread thinly on tortillas and roll up. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Cut into 1" strips and place cut side up on platter.
*You can use any size tortilla shells but I generally use the largest. This recipe will make 5 to 6 of that size. Also, use flour tortillas not corn. You can use plain or any of the flavored shells – like spinach or garlic – experiment!
Holiday Party Post Mortem
After each party – big or little – I do a little post mortem of the event. I track things like who attended and how many, what items seemed to be favorites and what didn’t work so well, how much wine we used and anything that might be useful when planning in the future. I also sometimes record a little vignette or something that happened to help me remember the party – it’s amazing how years later that little bit of information can bring the whole party back to your memory!
Since I posted the menu a couple days ago I’m just going to jump right in…
I had a total of 24 guests, 8 people cancelled in the last 24 hours (always a little frustrating since by then I’m well into the prep and can’t really adjust amounts) and 2 no-shows, however, 3 who were “maybes” were able to make it, which was nice.
People were very good at mixing and mingling this year. I invite friends from different parts of my life and there are times that they get a little bunchy – with people only talking to those they know – but this year everyone made an attempt to talk to others, which I really appreciated.
Over the last year I’ve made some changes to my living room/dining room area including rearranging furniture and I thought the layout worked much better than past years.
The mini-flank steak sandwiches were good and went over well, although a couple people told me they stayed away from them afraid that they’d be too filling and wouldn’t allow them room to try all the other things. Also, the pure horseradish (on the side) took a couple people by surprise. I guess I should have put a “warning” label on it! :-)
The brie was good, but in the past I’ve used other types of caramel or toppings that might have been a little better. For some reason my pears went brown this year which was disappointing and I’m not sure why. I used D’Anjou’s and dipped them in lemon water after cutting but that did not do the trick this year.
The mushrooms, pinwheels and pork were big hits as they always are. The pinwheels especially amaze me because it’s such a “50’s” type recipe. I’ll post some recipes in the next few days and include that one, as people really love them!
The Turkey Tea Sandwiches were good but I had more left than in past years. Maybe because people chose either the Mini-Flank Steak Sandwiches or the Turkey Teas but not both.
The prosciutto-wrapped melon was the disaster of the night. I’ve done this before but not for awhile. Last time I used cantaloupe and it was great. This time I used a really beautiful, ripe, sweet honeydew. That was a mistake! The salty prosciutto had the effect of pulling all of the juice from the melon, which soaked the prosciutto and made it mushy. If you could get over the texture it still tasted great but they were slimy messes. Yuck!
The shrimp were okay but I used plain rice wine vinegar instead of sweetened and it was not as good. I need to replace this item as it’s really labor intensive and takes too much time right before party time. I’ll have to wean people from it.
The Pecan Chicken Salad is one of my favorites. I liked the idea of serving it on endive (normally I use cucumbers which is also good) but the endive at this time of year was not necessarily the best choice. I think I’d use endive in the summer but stick with cukes (or maybe crostini) in the winter.
The Smoked Salmon Platter and the Crab and Artichoke Dip are always big hits. They look great, taste great and are easy to prepare so they are pretty much perfect!
The bleu cheese was really wonderful! It was “St. Agar” and I got it at DeLaurenti’s. It was a smooth cheese and farily full flavored. I used Granny Smith apples – they are really crisp and tart this time of year. The contrast was great!
It’s been years since I’ve done a Meat and Cheese Plate but it was a nice addition this year. I used Mole, Winter and Finnocchiona salamis from Salumi. People always find the Mole fascinating with it’s slight hint of chocolate. For the cheese I used Cambozola, Fresh Chevre rolled in basil from Port Madison Farm and Gaperon D’Auvergne, that I picked up at Costco.
The gougeres were also a big hit. These were flavored with parmesan and poppy and are very good. Next time I think I’ll try some new flavorings, just for a little variety. I especially like these because you can make the batter a couple days ahead of time and then on the day of the party I set up a couple of baking sheets, which I pop in the oven throughout the party. The gougeres are really good hot from the oven! Yum!
The mini-Mocha Panna Cottas were a bit hit, too! I served them in tiny “sidekicks” with demitasse spoons – besides tasting good they were really cute!
We drank 5 bottles of champagne, 4 bottles of red wine and 1 white, quite a bit of coffee, about a quart of the Cranberry Toddy and some soft drinks. A little less alcohol than groups of this size in the past.
Overall, I was pleased with all of the food, except the melon. :-( However, I’ve been using many of these recipes for quite some time now, so next year might see a major shakeup in the menu!
Tonight’s Holiday Party Menu
Well, tonight is my Holiday Party and I’m very excited! I’m expecting 25 – 30 people at 7:00 pm. The prep work is done and I’m starting assembly this morning, then I’ll take a break until about 3:00 and then go like crazy until 7:00!
Here’s the menu for the evening:
Mini Flank Steak w/Grilled Onion Sandwiches
Warm Brie with Pear Carmel on Pears
Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
Turkey Tea Sandwiches
Spinach Pinwheels
Chinese BBQ Pork
Prosciutto Wrapped Melon
Pea Pod wrapped Shrimp
Pecan Chicken Salad on Endive
Smoked Salmon with
Cream Cheese, Onion, Capers
Salami and Cheese Platter
Hot Crab and Artichoke Dip
Pickled Vegetables
Bleu Cheese with Apples
Gougeres
Mocha Panna Cotta
Assorted Cookies and Candy
Champagne, Wine, Hot Cranberry Toddy & Assorted Soft Drinks
The menu is arranged in the same order as the items are arranged on the table so that people can identify the items if there are questions. If I have a little time later I’ll make tags to mark the types of cheese and meats on the Salami and Cheese platter.
I’ll give you the update on how it all went tomorrow!
Culinary Fool 