Movie Night Snacks

 

Tonight I had a few friends over for a movie night, and decided to provide more in the way of snacks than the traditional buttered popcorn. I made peanut butter flax cookies, served pretzels with two types of mustard for dipping (Trader Joe's garlic aioli mustard and honey mustard) as well as some pretzels which I dipped in melted dark chocolate, spiced almonds, and spiced roasted chickpeas. I served these goodies on cake stands I put together with candlesticks and plates found at goodwill (one of those projects that seems to be contagious right now in the diy/home decor blogosphere, and couldn't be easier!) Also, it is of note that the roasted chickpeas are food blog fad I am a couple years late for, but glad I have finally made them! I used the spice mix suggested on Kalyn's Kitchen, and made extra to use later on vegetables or all kinds of things just like she suggested!

I also got well on my way today on two refinishing projects: turning an old window into kitchen art, and updating a vintage dining chair for use as a boudour chair in my bedroom. Sanding, reupholstering and painting, oh my! 

I hope you all enjoyed your weekends! What is your favorite movie night snack?

A Sunday Night Dinner Party

Last night I had the pleasure of hosting several of my friends for a dinner party. Spring has sprung, everything is in bloom, and I can't help feeling a little extra optimism this time of year. Maybe that is part of why I thought cooking for 12, when I have hardly ever even cooked for 4, would be an easy and relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon, which also happens to be my only day off this week. I have to say, though, for all the stress earlier in the day, and all the repetitive tasks (like trimming fat from 20 chicken thighs, and peeling 60 cloves of garlic) by the end of the night it felt worth it. It is wonderful to share good food with good company, and last night that is just what I got to do.

The menu for the night:

Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic
Rosemary roasted new potatoes
mixed greens with edamame, almonds and herb vinaigrette
Roasted asparagus with balasamico
fresh locally made bread



Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic is a recipe that has become almost impossible to avoid in the last few years. Many cook books, food blogs, cooking magazines and cooking TV shows have featured a variation of this recipe. Though this is a fairly traditional french style dish, its moment in the spotlight seems to have started in 2004 when Ina Garten, the ingenious Barefoot Contessa, featured a version of this recipe. I decided, after running into the phrase "40 cloves of garlic" in so many places, that it was time for me to try this recipe. I looked at several variations, and worked out a combination of ingredients that would be easy and inexpensive for me to acquire, without loosing some of the culinary appeal, as (in my opinion) some overly simplified versions of this recipe seem to.

The truth really is, in my mother's words "you can't go wrong with chicken cooked in white wine, garlic and fresh herbs." this is indispensable advice to me, really. And so far I have found it to be nothing but true. I used a Pino Grigio, abundant fresh rosemary and thyme, a couple bay leaves, chicken stock, bone-in chicken thighs, and of course, garlic. After trimming the fat from the thighs, I browned them in olive oil, and then browned the peeled garlic cloves (I suggest crushing at least half of them to help release the flavor), rosemary and thyme in the same. After those steps, all the ingredients went into a slow cooker (OK, 2 slow cookers) and they simmered away all day until the chicken was tender, and the garlic mild and sweet.

Simple Slow Cooker Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic:
I doubled the quantities below, and used two slow cookers to serve 12 people.
10 chicken thighs- seared on the stove in olive oil
40-50 cloves of garlic, peeled and half of them crushed, also seared in oil
fresh thyme and rosemary
1 cup of dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
salt and  fresh ground pepper to taste
2 bay leaves

After searing the chicken and garlic, simply add all the ingredients to your slow cooker, and allow to cook on low at least 6 hours.

The remaining liquid from the pot can be thickened with flour in a sauce pan (and a little cream if dairy is not a concern) and a few of the garlic cloves crushed and added to this for a simple gravy.


The simple but fresh sides worked very well with this. New potatoes with fresh rosemary make for such a distinct spring time flavor, and the bright green edamame and herb vinaigrette mixed with baby greens was simple, fresh and lively. The night had its bumps: from dropping one of our dessert tarts face down on the floor, to the not one but 2 dishes that broke. But I really think everyone who was present enjoyed themselves, I know I did.

weekday dinner for....whoever shows up

Who says weeknights have to be boring?
The menu for the night:

Steak with a sweet red wine shallot sauce
Arugula salad
Balsamic roasted cauliflower
Abundant red wine
Good company

This was a meal planed at the last minute. At 5pm on a weekday I sent out an email to a few friends saying essentially "hey, who wants to come over for dinner...in an hour and a half?" Not having time to wait for responses, I headed out to the grocery store.
Shopping when you don't know how many people you will be feeding can be stressful, but I was intent on enjoying the evening, and not allowing myself to be overwhelmed. Spontaneity is not so normal for me, I am a planner, hence putting together a last minute dinner for...whoever...is quite an adventure for me. And the night did seem adventurous, from the time I forgot about the cauliflower in the oven, to the time I lost the Parmesan cheese (it was kind of one of those days...), till the moment while cleaning up that I managed to slice my finger open (I was wiping down the counter, and somehow my finger collided with the sharp blade of a knife, don't ask me how...this led to fits of laughter while bleeding EVERYWHERE) things certainly weren't predictable.

Cooking in my kitchen is always an adventure, it is not for the weak of heart. The combination of gas burners that cannot be set to anything lower than a raging blaze, an overhead fan which does not turn off (which causes more problems than one would think), so little light from the overhead that we actually had to bring a reading lamp in to have enough light for any pictures taken of the food to turn out, and such delicate (and dangerous) electrical wiring that we cannot plug in more than one appliance at once for fear of tripping the main breaker really keeps things interesting. But, I suppose this is part of the experience. Ah, to be a 20 something sharing an apartment with 4 others in a rundown building in a bustling urban area. Pure bliss.

However, one advantage of this lifestyle is that there is always someone around to join you in the chaos. Break out a bottle of wine, set the table with candlesticks and flowers, and before long it feels like a dinner party.

Now, on to the food:

Steak with sweet red wine shallot sauce:
 (makes enough shallot sauce for 8-10 ounces of meat, approximately 2-3 full servings according to the deck of cards analogy) 
2 tbsp olive oil or butter
3 medium shallots
1 cup red wine
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic
Fresh ground pepper

+, of course, STEAK

heat 1 tbsp of oil in a small saute pan
Chop the shallots and add the oil when it is hot, but not smoking
cook until translucent than add the wine, vinegar and brown sugar, add one clove of garlic as well, chopped finely
let sit over low heat for at least 10 minutes, allowing the wine to reduce

rub the steak with fresh ground pepper
heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a second saute pan
add pressed or finely chopped garlic to the oil
add steak to the pan, and cook 5 minutes per side, or until it reaches your liking

Serve with the shallot sauce poured over it, and compliment with lots of vegetables. (Don't forget that nutritionists recommend that meat only take up no more than 1/3 of your plate.) I made a simple arugula salad (sprinkled with Parmesan and dressed with Trader Joe's Champagne Pear Vinaigrette) and Balsamic Roasted Cauliflower.