Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

Can I just tell you that this past week was the best? The weather was divine, I ate super healthy, so I felt amazing, I stuck to my dinner plans all week, heck, I actually MADE dinner plans for the week, and I started my very first garden ever thanks to our ridiculously generous friends who decided to lower all of their garden beds and GIVE us their excess lumber and soil. Other friends of ours are letting us plant a separate garden at their house 'cause it gets way more light than ours. And SEVEN other friends of ours offered to help us with gardening. That's seven people from seven different families. Who are these people? Too cool. And I trimmed the bushes in our front yard and mulched. And Shawn went and did some service on Saturday morning which gives him automatic sexy points. And we had friends over for dinner last night. Thanks for coming, Rob, Heidi and Craig!

Guest-worthy Sandwiches: Ham & Cherry Sandwich

I do a whole lot of hand-puppeting and re-folding laundry and assuring that Diego will find all the missing pieces of the moon with my daylight hours. But sometimes I do things that feel ridiculously luxurious during the day like host little lunch dates with my girlfriends. When I do, I try to avoid PB&J's (no disrespect to the scrumptious classic) if I can help it. Instead, I like to serve a guest-worthy sandwich like this little number from Martha Stewart's crew at Whole Living.

I Smell Things

Not in an "I see dead people" kind of way, or in an I-have-the-skills-of-a-hound kind of way either. I'm just curious about and like to enjoy how things smell. Not everything. Just things like clean clothes, crayons, pencils, and leaves, and more obvious things like fancy soap and a good bisque.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Globs

I started young. My childhood friends Becky and Cally were older and wiser (and more normal) and helped me to rid myself of any of these sorts of tendencies which might have done long-term damage to my social life or created unnecessary paranoia in those around me. Thanks, Becky & Cally. (Sorry, Mr. & Mrs. R.)

Anyway, I was thinking of this because one of my birthday presents from my thoughtful parents-in-law was the latest cookbook by the ever-reliable Ina Garten. Before setting it on my display shelf of favorites I had to stop and breathe in its untouched pages. New or old, I love the smell of books.

In this instance, I also love the look. I mean, look at those crostinis!

Her dedication goes to her husband. "For Jeffrey, he's foolproof." Too cute.

Crispy English Potatoes

Accidental Turkey

Roasted Asparagus & Prosciutto

Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta

Sidecars with Dried Cherries

"Foolproof means so many things to me. Clearly, it means the recipe works-that goes without saying. But there's more to it than that. It's a dish that's deeply satisfying to eat; it's a company-friendly meal that can be made in advance to reduce your stress; and it's an outrageously delicious dessert that's so easy to make that it becomes part of your regular repertoire." -Ina

I plan to put her to the test, and to enjoy every bite (and whiff) of it.

Dinner Party Timeline- Menu #7

Last week I had the chance to interview a friend of mine, Cristi Breen, whose hosting skills are sparklingly polished. I'll be writing all about it in February, but for now I'll let you in on one of the things I've learned from our conversation: Her uncanny ability to put on an event with grace is a direct result of her type-A organization habits. Which means that my inability to host half so well as she after years of experience is a direct result of my type-B organization habits. That's oversimplified to some extent, but it remains true that careful planning is the most necessary of the evils required to pull off a successful party. Of course, there's a creative portion of the planning process, which, for many hosts, myself included, is nearly as much fun as the party itself. Developing a timeline, however, is not so much creative as it is something that makes you want to pluck. your. brain. out. of. your. head.

Well, I don't want any of you to miss out on the joys of hosting just because the timeline part is a headache, or because you have a type-B personality, and I certainly don't want any of you plucking out your brains. So, I've got you covered.

I take payment in the form of chocolate-covered pretzels, lavish praise, or high-end cookware. (Currently I'm seeking an immersion blender.)

As you look over this list, the hope is that you won't feel stress but that it will actually have the opposite effect; it should help you to breathe easy knowing that you've covered all your bases, and free you up to enjoy the process and enjoy the party!
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Menu #7- 
Cheese Platter 
Sparkling Apple-Cranberry Juice & Ice Water 
Rosemary Artisan Bread 
Fall Veggie Bisque 
Candied Acorn Squash 
Shawn's Mashed Potatoes 
Chicken Fricassee
Blackberry Cheesecake 
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Three Weeks Before

• Find a co-host and kitchen helper. You may find it very helpful to have two, one to help you with the cooking and one to help you keep the space tidy. (For this party, most of the heavy-lifting, so to speak, will be done on the day before, so you'll likely find an assistant useful during that time as well as on the day of the party. You'll want their help in the kitchen on the day of the party around the time you begin making the main course, about 2 and a half hours before the guests arrive. Make sure they feel comfortable with their responsibilities ahead of time.)
• Arrange for child care if desired/needed. (If you have children, you'll want someone else to be tending them on the day of the party, and possibly for at least part of the previous day while you're cleaning, baking, and engaging in all the prep-work.)
• Send out invitations. Be sure to mention if you desire dressy attire.

One Week-2 Days Before (Do as many of these one week out as possible, because you're going to want to feel rested for all the work you'll be doing on the eve of the party.)

• Deep clean the house.
• Follow up with any guests who have not given an RSVP.
• Choose an outfit and have it ready to go.
• Review recipes and make your grocery list as well as a list of all needed preparation and serving dishes.
• Shop for any non-food party necessities such as unscented candles for the dinner table, matches, cloth napkins, wood for the fireplace, or fresh soap for the guest bathroom. (Be sure to scan the list of serving dishes needed in the Day Before section in case there's anything you'll need to purchase or borrow.)
• If you're going with a playlist other than one you can find on Eats and Beats  make your preparations.
  
• Clear room in the freezer for purchased ice, or make the ice if you're planning not to buy it.
• Charge your camera battery, if needed.
• If you're using an entire bird for the Chicken Fricassee, purchase the chicken and have you butcher cut it into 11 pieces, cutting the breast in half, and keeping the wings attached but the tips clipped. (Do this 2 days out, because you'll want the poultry as fresh as possible.)
• Wash and iron any table and bathroom linens, including bath rugs.
• Make sure all dishes are clean and put away so your cookware and dish washer are ready for tomorrow's baking and prep-work!

Day Before (This is a VERY BIG DAY, so get an early start!)

• Go grocery shopping for ice and all food items, except for any bread you might be using for the cheese platter. That should wait until tomorrow so it's fresh. Pick up any specialty drinks you'd like to include in a beverage station to enjoy while eating the cheese platter.
• Make the cheesecake, including the topping, but do not top the cake until tomorrow or the juice from the berries will begin to soak into the cake slightly.
• Make the bread dough and refrigerate until tomorrow.
• Clean the house. Since you've already done deep cleaning, this should be a bit less time-consuming than it might be otherwise.
• Stock the guest bathroom. Include fresh towels, plenty of toilet paper, tissues, a scented candle, matches, new or refilled soap, (and it wouldn't hurt to tuck away a plunger so your guest doesn't have to request it should they find themselves in need.)
  
• Make sure all dishes are clean and put away so your cookware and dish washer are ready for tomorrow!
• Set the dinner table with place-settings and any decorations.
• Designate a beverage station for your guests to enjoy with the cheese platter.
• Set out serving dishes. You'll need a board for the cheese, cheese knives/spreaders, as well as a small dish for the mixed nuts. You'll need a soup tureen and ladle, water pitcher, ice caddy and tongs (for the beverage station,) and a basket or board for the bread. You'll also need a platter and serving utensil for the acorn squash, (perhaps a platter with a rim for extra support in case you want them all facing directly upward,) a bowl and spoon for the mashed potatoes, a bowled platter such as this one (or other nice bowl,) tongs and a ladle for the Chicken Fricassee, and a cake stand, knife, and pastry server for the dessert.
• Peel, cut and rinse the potatoes. Soak them in a covered, large pot of cold, salted water overnight until ready to boil tomorrow.
• If you're using only breasts for the Chicken Fricassee, now would be a good time to rinse the poultry and trim the fat. Cover securely and re-refrigerate until tomorrow.

Morning Of

• Review the remainder of the timeline, and go over the Chicken Fricassee recipe again if you feel you need to.
• Go shopping for baguette bread if using it for the cheese platter.
  
• Take out butter for the dinner table to be eaten with the bread.
• Place the cheesecake on the cake stand. Cover and re-refrigerate.

5 Hours Before 

• Make the Fall Veggie Bisque, leaving out the heavy cream for now, and allow to cool to room temperature. Place in the refrigerator until later.
• Bake the Rosemary Artisan Bread. I would bake two loaves for any party greater than 6.

3 and 1/2 Hours Before

• Get yourself ready for the party. (At this point I would definitely shower, do my hair, put on jewelry, and have my face ready. If  I were worried about spilling anything on my clothes while doing the remainder of the cooking, I might wait to put on my party clothes until just before the guests arrive. If I were worried I might not be able to pull myself away from the kitchen sometime in the last half hour of cooking, I'd just dress earlier and rely on an apron.)

2 and 1/2 Hours Before (This is Go Time. Make sure your co-host/kitchen helper is with you through this point forward so everything can be done on time! The time will pass quickly!)

• Prepare your mise en place. Get out all of the ingredients for the Chicken Fricassee, except for the chicken and the heavy cream. Pull out all of the ingredients for the acorn squash. There's no need to pull out any ingredients for the potatoes except for the butter. Get out all measuring tools, other prep tools, and cooking equipment. (I like to have a working surface or two and a separate surface for holding the ingredients.)
• Set out the cheeses so they can set to room temperature. Set out the mixed nuts and fruit as well. If you're serving sliced apples or pears, however, wait to slice them until the last minute as the insides will brown if exposed to air. Cover the platter until just before the guests arrive.

2 Hours Before 

• Rinse all the vegetables and fresh herbs for the Chicken Fricassee. This includes the mushrooms. (Alton Brown says you can rinse mushrooms with water, so that's good enough for me! Use your fingers to make sure you eliminated all the dirt!) Chop and measure vegetables as instructed. Prepare and measure all other ingredients as instructed.
• Brown the chicken and continue the process of making the Chicken Fricassee up until the point where you've tied your bundle of herbs and your sauce and chicken are simmering. (You're about to leave this to simmer while making the squash. If you're concerned you might overcook the chicken, leave the squash to check the temperature of the chicken. You do not want to cook the chicken beyond 165 degrees.)

1 Hour Before 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the acorn squash and begin the 45 minutes of baking.

• Make sure the chicken is cooked through to 165 degrees. Complete the remaining steps of the chicken fricassee, and turn the temperature down to low until ready to serve.
• This would also be a good time for your helper to begin cleaning up any dirty dishes or surfaces. 

40 Minutes Before

• Make sure there's only enough water to cover the potatoes and bring them to a boil over high heat.

30 Minutes Before

• Begin to reheat the veggie bisque by bringing it to a low boil over medium heat and immediately reducing the temperature to low.
• Make the butter/sugar/cinnamon mixture for the acorn squash.

10-15 Minutes Before (You're going to need lots of hands.)

• When the potatoes are fork-tender, drain them and complete the recipe instructions.
  
• Spoon the butter/sugar/cinnamon mixture into the acorn squash and along the rim (but not so that it's dripping over the edges) and return to the oven for another 20 minutes.
  
• Set out the bread.
• Set out the beverages and ice on the beverage station, and place sparkling juice on the table
• Uncover the cheese platter.
• Turn on the music.
• Top the cheesecake with blackberries.

10-15 Minutes After Guests Have Arrived

• Remove the squash from the oven and complete the recipe as instructed.
• Transfer all food to respective serving dishes, place on the table, and announce the start of dinner!

After Dinner

• Assess whether or not your guests need a bit of time to digest before dessert.
• When ready, serve dessert.

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Fancy Dinner Party Menu: Chicken Fricassee

It's been several months since I've introduced a new menu, so I'm making it up to you by giving you my favorite menu yet. 

In addition to being fun to say, Chicken Fricassee, and Martha Stewart's version in particular, is to. die. for. My mother-in-law made it for us in early Fall and I think I've made it four times since then, maybe five. Tarragon is one of those herbs that I'd always heard about and had eaten here and there at restaurants, but had never cooked with until making this dish, and it turns out I'd been missing out in a big, fat way. Let's not dwell on the sad past, though, but concentrate on our tarragon-filled future instead, shall we?

I knew as soon as I tasted this recipe that it was going to be the focus of my next dinner party menu, but I wasn't sure what surrounding dishes would be worthy of it. Very lucky for me, most of the dishes came to me thanks to my awesome friends who brought us dinner after Louisa was born. As always I'll introduce each dish properly in its own post, but suffice to say for now that your guests will leave thoroughly satisfied and impressed.

Some of the things I love about this menu:
- It's delectable. I know I always say that, but, boy, do I mean it this time.
- We're using all whole ingredients, and, with the exception of the blackberries on the cheesecake, everything is seasonal.
 - A few of the recipes are beyond easy and can be made in advance, saving you a lot of stress (and dishes) leading up to the first doorbell ring.
 - Since the bread will be baked in the morning, the only item that needs the oven during the final hour or two is the acorn squash, so there's no figuring out timing and temperatures for those of you without a double oven.
 -Even though it's an impressive menu, it gives off a very easy, welcoming, communal-type vibe. To me, it's exactly the kind of meal over which you invite someone to "break bread."

Here's what you have to look forward to over the next 2 weeks:

The Menu:
Appetizer: Cheese Platter
2st Course: Fall Veggie Bisque with Rosemary Artisan Bread
Main Dish: Martha Stewart's Chicken Fricassee over Shawn's Mashed Potatoes
Side Dish: Candied Acorn Squash
Beverage: Sparkling Apple-Cranberry Juice
Dessert: Blackberry Cheesecake

Martha's crew really does a beautiful job of writing this recipe.

Such an earthy meal!

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Chicken Fricassee (Fricassee de Poulet a L'Ancienne)
by Martha Stewart, with notes in italics by Janna Patterson

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 11 pieces (reserve back and wing tips for another use, such as stock) (I think it looks rustic and elegant to use the various chicken parts, but if you don't care to use a whole chicken, 4-6 chicken half breasts will work. For a sizable gathering, I usually multiply the recipe by 1.5 and use 10 half breasts.)

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 small yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 cup)

1 carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1/2 cup)

1 celery stalk, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1/3 cup)

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2/3 cup dry white wine

4 cups chicken broth

2 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2 large egg yolks, room temperature

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 to 3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh tarragon leaves

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Can't go wrong with butter, cream, eggs and wine!

Directions:

Brown Chicken- Season chicken (or just the breasts if you've elected not to use an entire chicken) on both sides with 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Preheat a Dutch oven or other large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter and the oil to pot. When butter melts and foam subsides, add half the chicken, skin side down, in a single layer; do not crowd pot. (If butter begins to blacken, lower heat.) Fry chicken, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes total, and transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Saute Mirepoix- Reduce heat to medium, and add mirepoix (onion, carrot, and celery) to pot, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Saute mirepoix, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown in places, 8 to 10 minutes.

Pretty maids, all in a row. "Mirepoix" sounds fancy, but it's simply a combination of chopped onion, carrots, and celery! See? French cooking isn't always as daunting as it seems!

Cook Mushrooms and Flour- Add mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms darken, become glossy, and begin to release liquid, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in flour, and cook until flour is absorbed by vegetables and is no longer visible, about 1 minute.

Pour in Wine and Broth- Add wine to pot, and bring to a boil, stirring until liquid just thickens, about 45 seconds. Add broth, and stir.

Simmer Chicken- Place chicken, skin side up, in a single layer on vegetables; pour juices that have accumulated on plate into pot. Tie parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf together with kitchen twine; add to pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover partially. Cook until internal temperature of thickest part of chicken registers 165 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes, (but check at about 20 minutes to make sure you don't overcook the chicken.) Transfer chicken to a clean plate. Simmer liquid, uncovered, until reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Discard herbs.

These are supposed to be tied into a bundle, but my kitchen twine was in the car! Don't ask...

Make and Add Liaison- To make the liaison (sauce thickener), whisk together egg yolks and cream in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, pour 1/2 cup cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, into liaison to temper it. Stir tempered liaison into pot.

"I see you..."

Finish with Tarragon, Lemon, and Butter Return chicken to pot.- Add tarragon, lemon juice, and the remaining butter. Bring to a simmer, stir gently to combine, and serve.

Cook's Note-

Have your butcher cut the breast in half, keeping the wings attached but removing the wing tips.

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Dried Apricot, Goat Cheese, and Pistachio Salad

"Ode to Goat Cheese"  by Janna Patterson, dedicated to Brynley Lazar who loves chevre
You're savory, yet somehow sweet
Without you a salad is incomplete
I'll take you on bread, I'll take you in stew
I'll take chevre just stacked on more chevre, times two!
Fluffy and white and completely spreadable
As great as Hugh Jackman, but totally edible
Monsieur Chevre, you're more than just cheese
You're my crumbly friend. Nay, you're my squeeze!
Goat cheese, oh, Goat cheese, apple of my eye,
Let my tongue be your home, but, please not my thigh.     (...not that you're not worth it.)
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Dried Apricot, Goat Cheese, and Pistachio Salad
Serves 2

Ingredients

4 cups raw spinach, rinsed and completely dried
1/2 cup dried apricots, sliced
1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled
1/8-1/4 cup shelled, salted pistachios

Directions
Combine all ingredients and serve with "Mighty Mint Vinaigrette." (Recipe follows.)
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Serve me with the main course of Menu #2!

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Mighty Mint Vinaigrette from "The Bride & Groom First and Forever Cookbook" by Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford
Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup firmly packed fresh mint leaves

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon plus ones teaspoon honey

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

Directions
Combine the olive oil and mint in a blender and blend until pureed, about 15 seconds.

Add vinegar, mustard, honey, kosher salt and pepper to taste and blend until just incorporated, about 5 seconds.

The recipe calls for white wine vinegar, but sometimes I like to change it up a bit and go with this raspberry wine kind.

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All dressed up and ready for my taste buds.

It's All Gravy

There is nothing I've feared more about making Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner than the gravy. Even though there's less of it than almost anything else you prepare, people love their gravy. And some people pour it over half their meal, which means that if you don't do it well, you could potentially be ruining half of someone's Holiday dinner. Humor me for a moment while I tell you about the first two Thanksgiving meals I made...

Thanksgiving #1
Age: 17
Location: Provo, Utah