Dipping In

In my last post, I shared the opinion that for a (dinner) party to be successful, one needs to have extras to avoid stressing when it comes to guests feeling satisfied  - foodwise, that is; what you do for your guests besides food is a whole other discussion and in fact more important than this one. In any case, this suggested cooking method also makes the host feel satisfied. The first and most important joy for me is seeing my guests happy with what they had and, if possible, on the verge of falling in a coma because of the quantities consumed. To be able to join in, however, and not feel exhausted half-way through the day/evening, the host should make sure that not all energy is dedicated to the preparations, but has also kept enough reserves for the moment itself. Even better, there shouldn't be much effort needed for when the guests have departed. Thus, back to my advice to prepare food that could still be used the day after, if there is any left. And if it didn't suck all your time and energy while preparing, then you have hit a jack-pot! Of course, let's be clear here and say that not all circumstances are to be treated equally: there is time for simple and there is time for extravagant, there are occasions to go fancy and others to be homely and cozy. Every now and then, do prepare something that will need your full attention, detailed work, even a little bit of studying beforehand. The feeling after you have presented something majestic, or outside your comfort zone anyhow, is irreplaceable! But for someone like me, who treats almost every meal as a small feast, quick but tasty ideas are always necessary and welcome.

Let's set up a fictional menu then, simple to prepare, filling when consumed, easy to re-use in case of leftovers. It would consist of one or two salads, one or two main with one or two side dishes accordingly, and a desert. You could also have some small bites for the time before your guests are actually seated around the table. These last ones are the easy part, since they can vary from small things like nuts, crackers, chips/crisps etc to something you might have prepared such as a spread for bread or a dip for sticks of vegetables. An easy dip, which you can prepare a bit before and only requires a small blender, needs the following ingredients: 

400gr of Greek yoghurt

150gr of Roquefort or Blue Cheese

two spoonfuls of mayonnaise

a small onion very finely chopped (preferably in the blender)

You only need to mix all the above together, after you have put the onion and the cheese in the processor so that you don't find chunks in your dip. Make sure you have battered the mixture really well to have a smooth final product. I know it is not the healthiest of all choices but it is not supposed to be consumed in big quantities. This will be already more than enough for quite a number of people, even for a light snacks buffet than a proper dinner, so you might want to halve the quantities if you prepare it for only a few and right before dinner. It can be a bit salty, depending on the cheese you will use, so it is best served with sticks of cucumber and carrot or vegetable chips, rather than the usual potato chips. For a bit of extra freshness, you can add some drops of lemon in the mixture. So far, it has been a huge success every time I prepared it and I have never actually seen it anywhere else but my sister's, who was the one who gave me this tip. Go ahead then and present something original instead of the usual tapenade.

How about the dinner table, now? Did you take a minute to visualise it yet? Are you using a tablecloth or something else? One set of dishes and bowls or more of a mixing-matching combination? Does the wine and water come in the original bottles or are you serving it in your own special ones? Same goes for salt & pepper and any extra spices and herbs. Before we get transferred to the dining table then, another load of things is to be taken care of in addition to the food. After you have decided on this, you will know exactly what kind of food you will want to prepare - or vice versa, the style of food you are thinking of may  define the setting. 

How does it work for you? Time to share your tips and come up with new ideas. And don't forget to preheat your oven! Fun, Frenzied, Fast cooking is on the way!