A Simple And Elegant Mid -Week Dinner Party

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There are ocassions when you have to entertain an out of town business associate or personal friend for dinner and the only time available is the middle of the week.  A lot of us work and the time we have available to put together a nice dinner party is during the weekend but circumstances arise and we just have to work around it.  In a way, entertaining during the week is easier for not as much is expected of you and these parties tend to be a little more casual and more relaxed than those we have on a Saturday night.  It also makes for an early evening since some of your guests will have to get up early to go to work. 

With a little planning and some creativity, you can pull off an evening like this with great success. Plan to make something you have cooked before, this is not a time to experiment, and make it easy on yourself by buying the dessert or the hors' d'oeuvres so you only have a couple of recipes to worry about.

You can set the table and make the main dish the night before and if you have had plenty of notice, even the weekend before.  I find winter and fall to be perfect times to entertain during the week.  There are so many hearty entrees that you can make ahead either the day before or on the weekend and freeze.

 Here's an elegant no hassle menu I often used when I lived in the city:

Scalloped Oysters

Boeuf Bourguignone With Buttered Noodles

Green Salad

Fresh Baguette

Fresh Pears served with Crackers, Stilton and Port

Chocolate Truffles

Coffee, Verveine

The truffles can be made the week before or bought. Make sure you buy very good  pears, they are the stars of the dessert course.  If you can't find, go with something else.

Wine:  Burgundy or Cotes du Rhone

Photo: Southern Accents

Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguinon Simplified

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This is one of Julia Child's most popular recipes and the one everyone complains about.  "So many pots and pans, my kitchen was a mess!" is the one I hear most often. I have made it so many times over the years that I no longer have to look at the directions, just the ingredients.  And here lies the trick.  There are a lot of steps you can cut out without sacrificing the dish by simply modifying her directions somewhat and using the same pan to saute some of the ingredients.  You will note that my directions only involve two pans, and frankly, if pressed, I could even make it in one pan by sauteeing the mushrooms first and setting them aside before I cook the bacon.

I know this is easy for those of us who have been cooking for a long time, but it just goes to show you that with time and experience, you gain confidence and cooking becomes much simpler and enjoyable .

Keep this recipe in mind as part of a casual yet elegant dinner party.
 

Servings: Serves 6

You will need:

9- to 10-inch, fireproof casserole dish , 3 inches deep*
Slotted spoon


Ingredients

6 ounces bacon

1 Tbsp. olive oil or cooking oil

3 pounds lean stewing beef such as sirloin or chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes

1 sliced carrot

1 sliced onion

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 Tbsp. flour

3 cups full-bodied, young red wine , such as a Chianti

2 to 3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

2 cloves mashed garlic

1/2 tsp. thyme

Crumbled bay leaf

18 to 24 small white onions , frozen

1 pound quartered fresh mushrooms

3 TB butter

1/2 cup cognac

Parsley sprigs


Directions:

Cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer  bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.

Dry the stewing beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, and herbs. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

Remove casserole from the oven and set on top of the stove.  Add the frozen onions.  Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned.  Add the cognac and ignite.  When the flames dies down add the mushrooms (with the butter) and cognac to the stew.  Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.    Remove the bay leaf. Let the casserole rest for at least 2hrs.

For immediate serving: Cover the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles, or rice, and decorated with parsley.

For later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

Accompany with Buttered Noodles or Spaetzel:  Cook noodles or spaetzel  in boiling water according to directions.  Add butter, stir ,and add 1-2 TB sour cream, dill, salt and pepper

*I use my Le Creuset enameled (orange) cast iron French oven

Photo Credit Saveurs du Monde
Recipe adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child et al

This Weekend's Family Dinner - The Perfect Roast Chicken!

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This weekend's family dinner is roast chicken with new potatoes and carrots.  It's a one dish meal so cleaning up is a breeze.  I am also enclosing the post on How To Carve A Chicken the way it's done at Daniel, the famous restaurant in New York City.

Menu 2/23/10

Roast Chicken With Herbes de Provence Garlic & Lemon

Roasted New Potatoes and Carrots

Brownies with Coffee Ice Cream

Tagliatelle With Ragu Bolognese, Ricetta Antica

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Everyone traveling to Bologna, in Emilia Romagna, is bound to eat ragù Bolognese, ricetta tradizionale and/or ricetta antica. Served with fresh tagliatelle, particularly spinach tagliatelle, it is the precursor to meat sauce as we know it, and still the main Sunday staple at a Bolognese Sunday meal. The ricetta antica, an old recipe, has milk added, while the sauce simmers, to give it additional richness and velvety texture. Today, it is mostly the tradizionale, without milk, that is cooked in Bologna. I prefer the antica, where the milk solids help break down the meat, allowing it to have a smoother, creamier texture and it is the one you will see in this post.

Garlic is not a typical ingredient, although both Mario Battali and Lidia Bastianich use it in their recipes.  I only use one clove mashed to flavor the oil.  The basil is definitely my idea and you can omit if you prefer.  I had a lovely bunch lying around that I didn't want to see go to waste.  The color of the wine is also a contested ingredient.  I typically use a red Tuscan since it is what I am going to drink with the meal but if you prefer white, go with it.  As to the tomatoes, here it is important to use good quality.  I buy  Cento San Marzano D.O.P. Certified. They are by far the best.

Another thing about ragu bolognese is the use of two different types of meat.  I typically use beef and pork but beef and veal is also a nice combination.  As with a lot of traditional dishes, you will be hard pressed to find two people who agree on one recipe for Ragu Bolognese.  The one constant is the use of onions, celery and carrots so make sure you don't skip that!  Check out Marcella Hazan's recipe in the country blog.

If there are only two of you, this quantity will be enough for two hefty servings of Tagliatelli alla Bolognese, with enough left for lasagna later on in the week. You can also double this recipe and freeze for a later use.

Printable Recipe


Servings 6-8

Ingredients

3 TB extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic mashed

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, leaves included,  finely chopped

2 laurel leaves

1 carrot, scraped and finely chopped

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

1/4 pound pancetta, minced

1/2 cup milk

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, crushed by hand, with the juices

1 TB tomato paste

1/2 cup dry red wine (you can sub white)

Salt and pepper

2 TB chopped basil (optional)

2 lbs tagliatelle (for 8 people)

Parmiggiano, Reggiano


Directions

In a 6 to 8-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil  over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, laurel and garlic and sweat over medium heat until vegetables are translucent. Add  pork, beef, and pancetta to the vegetables, brown over high heat, stirring to keep meat from sticking together for about 15 to 20 minutes. Add the milk and simmer until almost dry, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer 15 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until flavors are developed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and remove from the heat.  Add the chopped basil if using at the last minute, stir and serve.The longer you cook it the better it is. Let it rest while you cook the tagliatelle.

Cook the tagliatelle in plenty of boiling, salted, water for about 10 minutes.  When it's done, drain and add to the sauce.  Mix and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmiggiano Reggiano.

Chicken Fricassee With Morels And Vin Jaune

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If  there is someone in this life whom I would  love to exchange places it would definitely have to be Patricia Wells.  A well recognized author, restaurant critic and teacher since the late 1970s, Patricia Wells  won the James Beard Award for Best International Cookbook for At Home In Provence published in  1996. Wells is the only American and the only woman to be a restaurant critic for a major French publication, L'Express (1988–1991). She was also a restaurant critic for the International Herald Tribune from 1980 until 2007.  She is married to Walter Wells, former editor in chief of the IHT and divides her time between Paris and Provence where she runs a wonderful cooking school. They have lived in France for the last 30 years.

photo Steven Rothfeld

Granted, Patricia Wells doesn't have the fame or the empire that Martha has created but as to quality of life...I wouldn't think for a minute!! Can you imagine getting up in the morning and having to review yet another Paris bistro, brasserie or gastronomic temple?! Or being best friends with Pierre Gagnaire and  Joel Robouchon whose cuisine and cookbook she introduced in the United States? tant pis!

I know I have been writing a lot about chicken lately but somehow the cold weather and chicken seem to go hand in hand.  I've been thinking about morels a lot also...more on them in another post.

Photo Google

About Vin Jaune

Vin jaune (French for "yellow wine") is a special and characteristic type of white wine made in the Jura wine region in eastern France. It is similar to dry fino Sherry and gets its character from being matured in a barrel under a film of yeast, known as the voile, on the wine's surface. Vin jaune shares many similarities with Sherry, including some aromas, but unlike Sherry, it is not a fortified wine. The wine is made from the Savagnin grape and is usually served after diner with a good cheese, such as a Comte. Château Chalon is the oldest and most famous of the 6 Jura AOCs.

You will not find a wide selection in the US as the wine is not as popular here as it is in France.  If you live in a major metropolitan area do try to find it.   Sherry-Lehman in NYC carries it and you can order online. Dry sherry is a good substitute and it's what I used here at the lake

Cook Time:45 min
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 cups (2 ounces) dried morel mushrooms

1 fresh farm chicken (3 to 4 pounds), cut into 8 serving pieces, at room temperature

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground white pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 shallots, peeled and finely minced

2 plump, fresh cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced

2 cups vin jaune from the Jura, or sherry, or an oaky Chardonnay

1 cup heavy cream

Directions

Prepare the morels: Place the morels in a colander and rinse well under cold running water to rid them of any grit. Transfer them to a heatproof measuring cup. Pour boiling water over the mushrooms to cover. Set aside for 20 minutes to plump them up. Then, using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the mushrooms from the liquid, leaving behind any grit that may have fallen to the bottom. If any of the morels are extremely large, halve them lengthwise.

Liberally season the chicken pieces on all sides with sea salt and white pepper.

In a deep 12-inch skillet, combine the oil and 4 tablespoons of the butter. Place over moderate heat. When the fats are hot but not smoking, add the chicken, skin side down, and brown until it turns an even golden color, about 5 minutes more. Carefully regulate the heat to avoid scorching the skin. (This may have to be done in batches.) When all the pieces are browned, use tongs (to avoid piercing the meat) to transfer them to a platter. Season again with sea salt and white pepper.

Pour off and discard the fat in the skillet. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, the shallots, and the garlic. Cook, covered, over low heat, until soft but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and boil, uncovered, over high heat for 5 minutes to burn off the alcohol, which could make the sauce bitter. Add the cream and the morels, and stir to blend. Return the chicken and any juices that have accumulated to the skillet. Cover, and cook over low heat, turning the pieces in the sauce once or twice, until the chicken is cooked through and has thoroughly absorbed the sauce, about 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve

This Weekend's Family Dinner...Meatloaf

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This weekend's family dinner is Meatloaf, one of my family's favorites.  The whole meal can be prepared early in the day and heated or baked just before serving.  The combination of the baked yams with the meatloaf is out of this world, so try not to substitute!

Menu

Lipton's Meatloaf With a Twist

Baked Yams
Creamed Spinach

Caramelized Baked Apples

Leftovers

Meatloaf Sandwiches

The yams are baked at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until done.  When done, cut a slit across the top and place 1 TB of butter and salt.  The baked apples can be made early in the morning.

Tapas...Garbanzo Beans With Chorizo on a Crusty Baguette

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This is the fourth post on the tapas buffet and probably my favorite.  I Could have this for lunch on any winter afternoon.  It is a collaboration of my mother and me,  perfected this past Christmas during her stay with us.

Chick peas are the only beans I buy already cooked and canned.  I always have some in the pantry for salads, soups and tapas.  In half an hour you can be eating something that most people will think took you hours to cook.  If you want to eat them like the Spaniards do, place a spoonful on a piece of bread and enjoy!

Serves 2 for lunch or 4 for tapas

Ingredients

3 TB olive oil (preferrably Spanish)
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced green peppers
2 small chorizos sliced and quartered
1/2 Cup Pomi chopped tomatoes
1 15 oz can Goya garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1/4 cup Sherry wine
1/4 tsp Pimenton de la Vera (Spanish Paprika)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Crusty Baguette

Sautee the mashed garllic in the olive oil.  Remove from the pan and discard.  Add the onions and peppers, cook until translucent.  Add the chorizo and cook for a couple of minutes. Add  the Sherry and reduce.  Add the Pomi tomatoes, and about 3/4 cup of water.  Stir.  Add the garbanzo beans, the pimenton, salt and pepper to taste and cook for about 20 minutes.  You will see that the sauce thickens and reduces by about half.  At this point you can add a couple of TB sherry and cook another 5 minutes.

If you are having for lunch serve with a crusty baguette.  If you are serving for tapas, have a basket with slices of baguette next to it so guests can top with the garbanzos.

I just had it with a cold beer for lunch but a Rioja or Ribera del Duero is what you should serve it with.