How To Be A Guest

Source: Apartment Therapy

We talk a lot here about being a host, because if you're one of my readers, chances are you like to be the one steering the horse. But you're probably not always the host, so let's make sure we don't find ourselves in one of those situations where we can't.... be the horse. Here are some of my favorite tips for...

{BEING A TOP-NOTCH GUEST}

This Week's Sandwiches

Terra Sweet Potato Chips

I wrote at the beginning of last week that I was taking it easy when it came to lunches for my family and our house guests, but that doesn't mean I fed Bryn and Alex bologna (not to insult those of you who enjoy this childhood classic, of course.) Our mid-day munching consisted of sandwich buffets with a variety of fillers and sides to choose from, eating out, and delicious dinner leftovers. Here are some pics from the sandwich buffet that Shawn and I are still finishing off, including the applewood smoked cheddar with hand-pressed paprika I told you about. 

Oh so delicious applewood smoked cheddar with hand-pressed paprika. Pairs very well with roast beef, and is also a perfect cheese for veggie sandwiches.

Fresh, classic hummus from Wegman's. Use as a sandwich spread in lieu of mayo or mustard.

Are you licking your lips?

Missing Our Guests, and What I Learned This Thanksgiving

The house is quiet. There's always something bittersweet to the calm that follows entertaining good company. I wait until the car pulls away, then I close the front door, and my home is still and completely my own again. Yet I know it won't be more than a week before my dining room and I start to get antsy again for more visitors. We're so glad the Culattas live near by and hope we'll eventually convince the Lazars to move to D.C.

Thanksgiving was a fantastic success. Between our three families we had six adults and five little ones. The two eldest had their own kids' table, and we had one baby in a highchair, one taking a nap (lucky parents!), and one getting over a cold snuggling with mom (which I didn't mind at all since she spent most of the day with Shawn while I cooked, so I really missed her.) Check out our table and yummy eats!

Thank you, Alex for a perfect carving job. That bird was CLEAN.

One of Shauni's contributions to the meal. Her first homemade cranberry sauce and it came out perfect!

Ina Garten's classic "Homemade Gravy" recipe,

Garlic and thyme roasted sweet potatoes.

Roasted brussels sprouts. So simple and soooo good.

Another Shauni contribution. She made this yummy apple pie and a frozen raspberry pie.

Some of these foods will work beautifully for Christmas dinner or other Winter dinner parties you may be planning to host. Watch for the recipes in upcoming posts!


Here's what I learned this Thanksgiving:
1) To delegate. I admit that I can be a little white-knuckly when it comes to what gets served at my table. But if Ina Garten delegates at Thanksgiving, then, dang it, so will I. Since the Culattas are such great cooks, it really didn't take much twisting of my arm to give them assignments. And, man, am I glad I did! It saved me and my oven a lot of work, and I must say the collaboration really added to the spirit of Thanksgiving. Plus, it allowed me to try some yummy recipes that I don't already have in my repertoire!
2) Prepping the night before makes for a much more successful and much less stressful Thanksgiving Day. Before going to sleep I set the table, washed and put away all the dishes, did some light cleaning, washed, dried, and cut up my vegetables, made the chicken broth, and got the appetizers ready to serve. Yes, I lost some sleep. But it was worth it to not have "Stay away from the crazy lady with the knife and heavy cookware" written across my forehead the next day. Also, it meant that once the turkey was in the oven, I literally had nothing to do for a couple of hours and I got to enjoy my guests! Seriously!
3) The Lazars' baby is an extrovert and ours... isn't.

Happy Holidays!

Happy Birthday! - Chocolate Mousse Cake -

Get ready for a treat, because it's the birthday of one of my house guests, and that means cake. Alex rarely gets to take a vacation and works very hard at his job, so he wanted to spend his birthday lounging. Fine by me! We had a wonderful rainy day of chatting, playing with our baby girls who're just two months apart in age, and, yes, eating yummy food. Speaking of which, stay tuned for the recipe of tonight's dinner, Chicken Coconut Curry Soup. Humina, humina, humina....  Okay, let's talk dessert. Lucky for us, Alex is a chocolate lover, so I knew just what to make: chocolate mousse cake. This is very dense and rich so move aside, chocolate light-weights. One thing I love about this recipe is that it's absolutely delicious without any embellishment. But it's also so easy to build upon. Try a little rum or cognac in the mousse, or teaspoon of almond extract. Top it with fresh raspberries, strawberries, or curls of shaved milk chocolate.

The mousse recipe comes from none other than my amazing mother, and the devil's food cake from food science genius Alton Brown (with a couple of slight alterations from moi.) Once you've tasted it, I think you'll agree that they should go into business together.
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Chocolate Mousse
1 pint heavy whipping cream
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli)
(If you like a fair amount of mousse like I do, up the quantity by 50%.)

In a medium sauce pan heat heavy cream and chocolate on medium-high heat, whisking constantly until it reaches a boil. Turn down to a low boil and continue whisking for another minute. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Let cool to room temperature, cover and place in refrigerator overnight. When it's time to frost the cake, whisk the mousse so that it's easier to work with. Do not over-whisk or the cream will begin to separate.
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Devil's Food Cake
Nonstick spray
1 cup boiling water
4 ounces Dutch-process cocoa
10 1/2 ounces dark brown sugar
5 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour
4 ounces cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup vegetable oil
4 1/2 ounces sour cream, at room temp.
2 large whole eggs, at room temp.
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
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Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Spray 2 8-inch round metal pans with nonstick spray. Set aside. Whisk the boiling water and cocoa powder together in a small bowl and set aside. Combine the sugar, flours, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Whisk the oil, sour cream, eggs and egg yolks in a large pourable vessel. Add the oil mixture to the cocoa and water mixture and slowly whisk to combine. With the mixer on low speed, add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture over 30 seconds. Continue to beat on low speed for another 30 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue to beat on low speed until the batter is smooth, 10 to 15 seconds. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the cake springs back when pressed and reaches an internal temperature of 205 degrees F, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes, and then remove cake from the pan, wrap, and place in the refrigerator overnight or for several hours.

Assemble the cake a few hours before serving. Top with chocolate or fruit of choice and set in the refrigerator to cool. Enjoy with good friends and a scoop of Haagen Dazs or Kirkland brand vanilla ice cream.

Night #1 - Simple Beef Stew & Sourdough Bread with Irish Butter

27 hours with Bryn and Alex as house guests and I am in absolute h.e.a.v.e.n. I'm also a bit exhausted because we couldn't get ourselves to stop talking until 2:00 a.m., but still. Heaven. I know the week will pass too quickly.

Here's how the cooking's going. 

First, let me say I have confirmed anew to myself that it pays to go simple in a situation like this. When your guests are staying with you overnight or for several nights, they're in your presence for all your prep-work and all your cooking. You don't want them to feel like they're placing a major burden on you, so it's not the time for anything overly time-consuming or elaborate. Slaving away in the kitchen is not the only way to produce great food and communicate to your guests that they're special. Simply by choosing a few fresh, seasonal ingredients on which to base your meal, you set yourself up for success. Why fresh and seasonal? Not many fruits or vegetables can be found at their peak year-round, especially in areas with varied, dry, or cold climates. Most really thrive for 1-3 months and the rest of the year they want to hibernate. If you try to wake them up or ship them in, you're going to get produce that tastes slightly tired or jet-lagged. Buying in-season and locally means your produce will be vibrant and have flavor that really sings. Am I crazy strict about this? No. In fact you'll see some Summer produce in my cooking this week. But I stick to it as often as I can. After you have your few ingredients, choose a menu you're comfortable with enough with to be able to prepare while carrying on a basic conversation, because, chances are, that's exactly what you're going to need to do. 

Okay, I completely forgot the quiche while out shopping, so I had to improvise with breakfast a bit. Thank goodness I had the ingredients to some delicious mini chocolate & almond croissants, which I will share later this week! They were a smash hit, as they always are.  I did manage to offer Bryn and Alex folded pillow cases instead of cloth napkins which are almost an identical shade of ecru and had somehow made their way into my stash of napkins. We had a really good laugh. Brynley commented how she thought they were such perfect napkins because they more than covered her lap! Oh, dear... At least we're creating memories, right? Otherwise all is going as planned and the meals have been satisfying and delicious! 

For the night they arrived I chose to go with a very simple beef stew and warm-from-the-bakery loaf of sourdough bread with Irish butter. The weather has turned cold and I wanted to welcome them with something unpretentious, warm, and comforting. Why Irish butter? It's so smooth and delicious and it's that extra something special you're looking for to make your guests feel special. The recipe is adapted from Jane Maynard's This Week For Dinner. 

BEEF STEW
- beef stew meat / round steak (appx amount: 1 1/2 lb)
- butter/olive oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped 
- beef broth (appx 4-6 cups)
- celery (as much as desired)
- carrots (as much as desired; I use whole baby carrots)
- skinned russet potatoes, cut into eighths (as much as desired)
- flour/water thickening
- salt & pepper to taste

Dry each piece of stew meat using paper towels. Brown the meat over medium-medium/high heat, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. (Make sure the pan is nice and hot before adding the meat, or it won't sear properly and may overcook. Each piece should only be turned once.) Season to taste.  While meat is browning, bring broth to a low boil and turn down to a simmer. Add meat to the broth. Without cleaning the pan, add the onions and more olive oil if needed. Cook until they start to become an iridescent color and add to the pot. Let simmer for a few hours until the meat begins to fall apart. Add remaining vegetables. When they’re not quite done, add thickening. Taste test and add additional seasoning if needed. Serve with a fresh loaf of sourdough bread and Irish butter.

My Guests Arrive Tomorrow!

Thanksgiving: the food holiday, and an appropriate place to start our blog, don't you think? This year I'm hosting not just Thanksgiving Dinner itself, but we are having guests at our home for the entire week, starting tomorrow! Thank Heaven we finally finished the brunt of the renovations in our basement where reside our guest bedroom and bathroom. We still need to install the toilet, which will have to wait until just hours before they arrive (*fingers crossed all goes smoothly*), but otherwise we're in good shape.

We're not doing Thanksgiving with family this year even though Shawn's family lives just 45 minutes away and the holidays with them are always beyond wonderful. However, since we'll be having Christmas with them and spent both Thanksgiving and Christmas with them last year, they've graciously agreed to do without us this time around so that we can host our friends Bryn and Alex from Boston who we haven't seen in two years. And as luck would have it, mutual friends of ours Shauni and Richard found themselves without family this year as well, so they'll be joining us on Thanksgiving Day, too! For me, both couples are family, so I'm thrilled.

Whenever I have special meals or events to host, I always make a Google document so I can plan everything out and keep track of my progress. Preparing for Thanksgiving is stressful enough, but to be also in charge of a week's worth of meals surrounding Turkey Day...

As always, my imagination gets carried away with me when I first start planning. I imagine myself making quiche from scratch for brunch one day and rising early to make gourmet pancakes and scrambled eggs for breakfast the next. But I am not a morning person. So, I end up having to discipline myself enough to simplify, knowing that if I don't, I'll become my own (and my husband's) worst enemy. Besides, who wants to forgo precious visiting time with friends to stress over a quiche crust, especially with Thanksgiving around the corner? So, I've decided to make breakfast and lunch incredibly easy and just worry about dinner. For now I'll just give you what we're having for breakfast and lunch and then document our dinners throughout the week. Here's what's on the menu:

Breakfasts for the Week:
-Quiche- Buy ready-made and ready-to-heat from a reputable bakery. Costco also sells yummy ones in sets of two.
-Fruit- Apples, Oranges, and Pears are in season. Cut some up and put them in a nice bowl.
-Greek Yogurt- To be mixed with quality honey and topped with dried cherries and good granola. Set out a little yogurt station of sorts if you want to make it special.
-Cereal- We keep a good mix of all-natural and standard varieties on hand. I know this isn't glamorous, but some people are very simple breakfast eaters (like me) and will appreciate the option.
-Hard-boiled Eggs- Make sure they're fresh so the shells are easily removed. Make them ahead of time, and consider peeling them so your guests don't have to struggle though it. Pat them dry with a paper towel and place them in a sealed container in the fridge. They'll last up to a week. Serve with salt and pepper shakers in case they prefer to eat them that way.
-Apple Cider- Find a brand you love. If you're willing to indulge, order a gallon or two from Cold Hollow Cider Mill in Vermont. You'll thank me.

Lunches for the Week:
-Sandwich buffet- I keep my favorite sliced wheat bread on hand. If you want to go the extra mile, run out and grab a good loaf of fresh bread from your local bakery. A crisp, French baguette (should make a nice crunchy sound when you squeeze it) sliced once lengthwise and then three or four times horizontally makes sets of sandwich ends that your guests can fill as they choose. Ciabatta, focaccia, and quality pita breads are great options as well. Here's what I'll be offering as fillers:
      Sliced cucumber, (room temp.) sliced vine tomatoes, sliced avocado, sliced red onion, sliced apples (granny smith or fuji,) plain hummus, mayo, yellow mustard, brie, applewood smoked cheddar (or muenster or havarti, if you can't find this,) bourbon ham, roast beef, and roast turkey (all from the deli, and organic if the budget allows, since it tastes best.)
-Terra brand Sweet Potato Chips, or plain kettle chips
-Sliced fruit
-Baby carrots
-Ice water- Just put it in a nice pitcher and nobody will think anything lacking!

This is all I'm planning because, not only might we eat lunch on the go while touring museums in the District, but we'll also have plenty of dinner left-overs from the night before that can make for great midday eats. 

Wish me luck!