The Parlor and the Kitchen- Weeknight Entertaining

I know a lot of people who accuse me of entertaining on weeknights as a way of flaunting my self-employed status. Of COURSE I can have people over on a school night, I have all day to shop and prep and get the house ready, unlike NORMAL people who have to work all day and cannot conceive of getting home and starting to get ready for a party.



But to those who doubt me, I say NAY! For I spent the first fifteen years of my career working long days offsite just like you, and yet, I found that weeknight fun with guests actually perked me up, instead of being a drag. It feels a little bit decadent to have people over mid-week, like a tiny little piece of weekend. I promise, with a few little tips and tricks, you won’t hesitate to call your gang and invite them over some random Tuesday or Wednesday. 


Staples: Having some basic supplies that you always keep on hand can take a lot of pressure off of having guests on a weeknight. This is especially important in the area of pre-dinner nibbles. At an after-work gathering, there should be less time spent over cocktails and snacks, in favor of sitting down to dinner. It may be a social event, but people are less likely to overindulge in booze (more on that in a minute), and less likely to stay longer than you would prefer if you get to the main event sooner rather than later. Towards that end, I keep things like pretzels, chips, mixed nuts and olives in my arsenal for quick snacks. Want to go even more basic? Try popcorn. Freshly popped popcorn, tossed with salt or parmesan cheese, drizzled with truffle oil or given a shake of an herb mixture can take as little as 6 minutes and is an ideal snack, not overly filling and not expensive! My favorite recipe is below.

(thanks to Mama Says for the pic)

Paper or Plastic?: The company is the most important thing, so don’t be afraid to serve good food on disposable dinnerware, especially if you don’t have a dishwasher. No one wants to say goodnight to guests at ten, and still be up at midnight washing dishes, or worse, facing them in the morning before your coffee. Want some awesome stuff to keep on hand? Try Mozaik. They have very cool plastic plates, flatware, and serving stuff…disposable never looked like this! But they are sturdy enough to reuse if you decide to give them a second life, you can even put the plates in the top rack of the dishwasher. The flatware is tough and stands up to almost anything you are likely to serve, the plates are solid, and the servingware is contemporary and stylish.




Check out the Plates:

And the flatware:

I love this appetizer set!:

And which is best, you can get it in bulk, making it very affordable.

Mangia!  When in doubt, think pasta. Nothing is easier or quicker to get on the table than pasta, and nothing is more satisfying at the end of a long day than a bowlful of steaming strands. If you buy the fresh stuff, it cooks in less than 2 minutes, but keep a box or two of angel hair in the pantry which is 3 or 4 minutes from pot to plate. Sauce can be as simple as a jar of decent marinara…the one I use is Rao’s, but Lidia’s, Fanny’s and Bertucci are all good options, buy a few and do a taste test. Feeling guilty about sauce from a jar? Be sure to perk it up with really top quality parmagiano reggiano, freshly grated, and some fresh basil leaves torn roughly on top. You can mix in some chunks of fresh mozzarella or crumbled goat cheese for a richer dish. Want a heartier sauce? Saute some mild Italian sausage meat out of the casing, drain the extra fat and stir it in. Not a red sauce fan? Splurge on a small package of truffle butter or a bottle of truffle oil, and stir that in with some chopped chives and shredded meat from a rotisserie chicken. Can’t find truffle butter or oil, or it falls outside the budget? Use a fruity olive oil and lemon zest instead. Have slightly more time to cook? Check out this post on or pasta with chicken and zucchini, light and delicious.

(thanks to My Veggie Kitchen for the pic)

All pasta needs to round itself out is a loaf of good bread and a simple salad, and one of my personal go-to dinner party classic salads is below, an unexpected mix of celery, green apple and parmesan, it is fresh and crunchy and very easy to make. But feel free to buy a bag of pre-washed greens of your choice, and a good quality bottled dressing, the Newman’s Own are always a crowd pleaser.




School night sweets: If my family had a crest, the motto would be “Dulcis usquequaque!” which is “There is always room in the dessert compartment!”. And no, I am not remotely suggesting you bake on a Tuesday, unless you love to do it and the party is on Wednesday. You can always let one of your guests bring dessert to take the burden off you, or you can go with a classic stand-by, a freezer full of ice cream or sorbet! Basic, classic vanilla is easily topped with some fresh berries or a drizzle of a sweet liqueur to gussy it up…Kahlua, Chambord, Frangelico and bourbon are all great toppers. Want more of a show stopper? Try the recipe for Red Wine Caramel sauce below, it is a fantastic way of using up an open bottle.


In Vino Veritas: Speaking of wine, it is a weeknight, so no one is looking to party till the wee hours or have to head into the office hungover the next day. Stick with wine or beer, and be sure to offer sparkling water or other non-alcoholic beverages. I find that if there are bottles of cold water on the table in easy reach, my guests will help themselves and drink less.  I killed two birds with one stone by buying a case of  French Sparkling Lemonade in glass bottles with the cool flip tops.  That way I could offer it as a non-alcoholic option, and also save the bottles which I cleaned, removed the labels, and use and re-use for cold water.  I just fill up about 4-6 and stash them in the bottom of the fridge and then pop them on the table, about one for every two people.

I keep mine in a lovely old wooden wine crate that was a gift from Charming Suitor.

No luck like potluck! Want to have your gang over, but afraid that their elevated tastes will be let down by jarred sauce pasta and store bought ice cream? Toss the challenge back at them. Assign dishes to guests, those who can cook, will, those who can’t can buy the same bakery breads and desserts you would, but taking one more errand off your plate.



No day like today: Weeknights are great for socializing with that couple who keeps trying to make weekend plans, but your calendar is always booked. Weeknights are perfect for meeting your significant other’s friends for the first time, less pressure and shorter time to have to be on your most impressive behavior! Or a perfect night to get the girls (or guys) together without losing date night.


Go on.  I dare you.

And for a special treat, the best tip or recipe for weeknight entertaining posted in the comments section will receive this set of Mozaik serving bowls:

 





Herbed Popcorn






3 T peanut oil


¾ c popcorn kernels


3 T nutritional yeast (this will be with the dietary supplements at your local Whole Foods or health food store, and while it sounds like a strange addition, it has a nutty flavor that is reminiscent of parmesan cheese and pairs great with popcorn…if you can’t find it, you can substitute grated parmesan)


1 t ground mustard powder


1 ½ t salt (and more to taste)


1 t dried thyme leaves (or Herbes de Provence or Italian herb mix)


½ t garlic powder


¼ t cayenne pepper (optional)






Mix all of the spices and herbs with the nutritional yeast in a small bowl.






Put oil and popcorn in a large pot, shake to be sure all the kernels are coated, cover pot with tight fitting lid and turn the stove burner on high. Leave the pot alone until you hear the popping slow down, and then give it a shake or two just to be sure that you are getting all the kernels popped. When the popping slows to three seconds between pops, turn off the heat, remove the lid, and pour the popcorn in a bowl large enough for you to mix it around easily. Sprinkle hot popcorn with about 1/3 of the yeast/spice mix and toss popcorn thoroughly. Taste. Add more yeast mix and salt until you get the flavor you want. Once you have the right balance, let the popcorn sit uncovered at room temperature until completely cool. Store in Ziploc bags or Tupperware containers for up to 36 hours. You can toast on sheet pans in a 400 degree oven for 3-4 minutes to recrisp or if you want to serve warm.






Celery Green Apple Salad






2 heads celery with hearts, cleaned and sliced on the diagonal about ¼ inch thick, but long pieces


2 granny smith apples, sliced into thin slices


½ lb parmagiano reggiano shavings (you can also use manchego, cheddar, or gouda)


Juice of one lemon


¼- 1/3 c extra virgin olive oil


Salt and pepper to taste






Toss celery and apple with lemon juice and olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange cheese on top.






Red Wine Caramel Sauce


3/4 c sugar


3/4 c red wine


2 T water


In a medium saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil over medium high heat. Cook without stirring until a pale-amber caramel forms, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully add the red wine. Place back over heat and cook, stirring to dissolve the hardened caramel, until it is slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl or pitcher and serve warm.


The red wine caramel can be refrigerated for up to 1 month. Bring it to room temperature or heat slightly before serving

Yours in Good Taste,
The Polymath


Don't forget to make a comment to win!

Feasting Friday- Zucchini Pasta with Chicken

Finally it is summer. Well, sort of summer, the weather in Chicago cannot make up its mind, and I have yet to spend any time in a pool, which always seems the true harbinger of summer to me. But I am delighted to report that the official kick-off of summer cooking has hit me.

Gone (mostly) are my cravings for macaroni and cheese and roasted root vegetables and braised meats, and arrived is compelling desire for fresh veggies and fruits and lighter fare. Cherries, a favorite fruit, have begun to come in, as has watermelon. Asparagus is everywhere. And zucchini and other soft squashes are tender off the vine and utterly without the tough bitterness of the versions you get in the colder months.

Since Charming Suitor and I are both committed to eating reasonably healthy when we cook at home (so that we don’t have to worry as much when we eat out), it has been a time of experimentation and discovery. It is hard to believe we didn’t know each other last year at this time (or since birth), but CS didn’t come into my life till the Fall, so we are enjoying the revelations of our mutual love of summer cookery. CS is a grill master, a tamer of the flames, and is mostly in charge of proteins…a lovely stream of perfectly moist and juicy items have been coming off his Weber, well seasoned and delicious. I’ve been in charge of side dishes and salads, and between us, dinner is usually significantly above average. ( I will wax poetical in a future post about the ribs he made for our first jointly-hosted BBQ last weekend, but let me just say that if you do not have a pitmaster from Kentucky in your life, GO GET ONE RIGHT NOW! Yum.)

Sometimes, though, we just want a simple dish, no courses, minimal fussing, no coals. Dinner you can eat in one bowl with one utensil, preferably over your lap on the couch watching something mindless and fun.

When I was doing my intensive health program last Fall and Winter, this dish saved me. I made it at least two to three times a week. Since I will never give up carbs, especially pasta, it helped me get my fix without derailing my program. It is pretty simple, just pasta and chicken and zucchini in a light lemony sauce. But because there are equal amounts of pasta and zucchini cut into pasta-like strands, you get all the pleasure of twirling up large forkfuls with half the carbs. Plus, and this is really always the most important part, it is really freaking delectable!



(Thanks to gimmesomeoven.com for the photo)

It is a recipe I developed while working on GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT, the kind of dish the chef-heroine would be serving up at her healthy gourmet café. Whole grain or multi grain pastas work great here, as does Quinoa pasta for the gluten-free people. I use chicken breasts for maximum lightness, but boneless skinless thighs are great in this for deeper flavor, as is veal.

I made it a couple of weeks ago for the first time for Charming Suitor who did a massive euphoric eye roll and said “I just wanna stick my face in it and blow bubbles.” Which is pretty high praise for something that is actually good for you!

When it come to prepping the zucchini, you can certainly do it by hand, but I am less patient, so I love the Swissmar Julienne Peeler.  I got mine in a set of three, with a regular and a serrated peeler as well.  They are sharp as the dickens, the Y shape is very comfortable and easy to use, and they go right in the dishwasher.  For this dish it makes the zucchini "noodles" perfectly and in seconds.  They are very affordable, so I'm planning on getting another set for Charming Suitor's house!

What are your go-to healthy dishes that don’t feel like deprivation? Share with the class!

And because I am true and blue to my wonderful hometown…GO HAWKS!!!!


Zucchini Pasta with Chicken

3/4 pound dried linguini or spaghettini or other long strand pasta (I use whole grain or multi grain, but use what you like)
3/4 pound zucchini
1 T butter
2 T olive oil
1 small shallot, minced fine (opt)
¼ c dry white wine
½ lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips zest and juice of one lemon
¼ c chicken stock
S&P to taste
1 T coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 T fresh chive, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. (plan to reserve ½ c cooking water)

While the water comes to a boil and the pasta cooks, cut the zucchini into long strands that mimic the pasta…Again, the Swissmar julienne peeler is ideal for this, just running it around the outside of the zucchini and not using the pulpy seed part. You can also do this on a mandolin, or make long julienne by hand. (The idea is to be able to twirl the zucchini up with the pasta, but if you don’t care, you can cut it into half moons, it will still be delicious!)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the shallot, and cook till translucent. Add chicken and sauté briefly until light brown. Deglaze the pan with the wine and let reduce till almost gone. Add chicken stock, lemon juice and lemon zest. Swirl in butter. Taste for salt and pepper. Toss in zucchini strands and then immediately add cooked pasta and combine. Add the cheese and herbs and enough reserved pasta water to ensure the sauce is smooth, and toss to combine well. Taste again for seasoning and add salt and pepper, as needed. Grate about 2 more tablespoons Parmesan over the top and serve at once.

Yours in good taste,
The Polymath