Dining with the unknown

My recent series of posts covered a home-thrown dinner or party, giving some ideas on how to handle it efficiently, from (food) preparation to enjoying the experience - and, if possible, what is left after it. Such a dinner is a great source of satisfaction, both for hosts and guests and I am a huge fan of it. In the same time, I love - with a love that keeps being renewed, by definition - trying new tastes at a different place every time and, to a certain extent, with different people. Not only because tastes vary but also because I perceive dining as the ultimate way of socialising. Dancing, clubbing, sports, any other activity might be better for some and I am myself supporter of trying the biggest variety of activities possible, but I am by now convinced that the best chats, meetings, deals, even bonds are created over food, with a drink on the side.

Firmly believing in this, a couple of months ago, I registered for Social Dining and participated in one of the dinners organised for the occasion in my area. Not only was I not disappointed, I actually enjoyed very nice Asian food and met fascinating people, some of which I kept contact with and met again to get to know each other better and further explore our common range of interests - we actually hit a theatre play last week!

I am not the kind of person that will go to blind dates and the rest, so this whole concept was quite new to me. I have to admit though that I more than welcomed the experience and it brought to mind an article I came across about a month prior to that dinner. It describes a come-together on a totally different level, of course, but the message is exactly the same with the one I gained from getting outside my familiar zone and group of people for a bit: the main point is not the food as substance per se but stretching our minds and networks. Katya Andresen could not have put it better: we have to put our brains on the right diet if we really want to make things happen in our lives and in the world.

And then, about ten days after that social dinner, I read another article from another high-caliber CEO, giving me to understand that there are more people out there, from all levels of hierarchy, who share my idea of dining as means to bring people closer and generate relationships or ideas based on them. Peter Arvai calls them "Dream Dinners" and encourages everyone to have them, without any reservation, believing that there is more there for one to learn than through any other experience or manual. For him, and I wholeheartedly embrace his words, having dream dinners means being vulnerable on both sides and uncovering something meaningful in our relationships.

I wouldn't know if this way of dining is only a trend. To my eyes it should not be considered as such but, if this is the case, then I really hope it spreads. It seems to me anyhow that more and more people, in different areas of the world, understand the value of it. Only yesterday, an article on social dining networks appeared on The Times of India mentioning at least another four websites working in a similar way as described on LinkedIn, spreading their own positive message too. I am not so naive to neglect the fact that many of these meetings aim to business deals and profit but, well, if it is to be done, better do it with taste. Literally.

How would you value such an experience? Have you ever found friends through food? In a world where, at its biggest part, eating is no longer connected with plain survival, is it perhaps the time to reconsider our habits? 

Give it a thought and who knows, I might see you around a table somewhere out there!

Fancy Feeling the Fun?

For the first time here, let's talk about desserts. Or not. It is expected from a good host(ess) to present a dessert equal to what has preceded it, i.e. the parade of appetizers, entrées, soups, salads, main and side dishes. Or not.

First things first, before necessarily getting to the really sweet stuff, a nice platter of fruit and cheese should not be missing from any dinner, be it around the table or walking. In both cases, it is very easy to serve and consume, as long as cheese is pre-cut or the appropriate tools are provided to cut, spread, or in any other way combine with the fruit. As for this last one, all options are open: apples and pears match endless kinds of cheese, mandarins/tangerines too, figs are a guaranteed winner, and let's not forget the classic grapes, no matter the colour, while melon and, even more, watermelon stand up incredibly with some salty cheese of intense taste, such as Greek Feta (P.D.O.) or traditional Cypriot Halloumi.

But, yes, fruit aside, dessert is expected, especially if there are younger members present. And there are many ways to keep up to these expectations. One option is to choose from your recipe books, boxes, notebooks, internet links, friends, what other resources you may have, and create from scratch your preferred dessert or, following our reserving-some-energy-for-the-guests rule, the least energy-consuming one. The other option, that can be more fancy and I would not contest it, is to get something from a specialist, from a beautiful pâtisserie that will satisfy the taste buds as well as other senses, since it will definitely look stunning - remember, you opt for the professionals when you want to go for the impressive, so don't hesitate to pick their best piece, otherwise your kitchen and hands would do it too (though, of course, plenty of times the "amateur" gives better results than the pro). The third option is to pick the middle way. That is, you use both your creativity and craft based, however, on some basic ready-made material. This way, you are still having the joy and fun of presenting something of your own and, at the same time, you do not deviate too much from the energy-saving rule. Because, we might be discussing all these dishes separately but they all belong to that one same evening, therefore any little help that will give you less worry should be taken, if you ask me. 

The least time-consuming yet tasty solution for me, is a chocolate cake with the help of a mixture for Devil's Food (you can find my favourite here) and a matching frosting: I have tried most combinations and still believe that the Classic Vanilla is the best - for example I find chocolate on chocolate too much and strawberry rather artificial, but this is only according to my own palate and nothing more. A white frosting has also a nicer visual effect when decorated with colourful sprinkles or mini Smarties and the like. But if you make a double-layered cake, then you can use one taste of frosting for the middle and one for the top.

Now, if you find this too easy of a choice, then here is a small challenge for you: how about using this same mixture to make cake pops? Combining cake and lollipop sure sounds more fun, especially if the little ones are joining you (during preparation or consumption), and is definitely more impressive for the eye. Moreover, if your dinner is actually a party, where people walk around, then this might be the ideal solution for you. Again, depending on the style and theme of your little fiesta, except if it's named "Tux and Pops". Just remember not to take yourself too seriously. Instead, take the chance to present something totally childish to grown-ups who, most probably, will appreciate it more.

Nowadays, there are even special cooking devices to help you make cake pops in no-time or specially-shaped pans where the mixture is baked and takes the form of a little sphere. From my personal experience, I have noticed that these spheres are a bit difficult to remove from the pan without destroying their shape, unless you use a very good baking spray and you give them just enough time to cool down. After you put them on a stick, you can dip them in frosting or melted chocolate which will also take some time to solidify (I told you this is not your simple cake after all). Make sure you have found a surface where you can have them standing during this procedure (take a look at the pictures to see my impromptu base) so you won't get frosting and running chocolate all over your kitchen. They will lose a lot of it, but they will not remain bald if you are generous enough. When the melted chocolate or frosting has become more solid, you can decorate them in the same way as you would do with cupcakes and this is the perfect time to give an extra touch to the theme of your whole evening, if you can pull it through your pops. For example, you could have Christmas or Easter cake pops, girly or rock, disco-shiny or dark, and so on. One thing is sure: these deceivingly little balls made of cake, can keep you busy literally all day long. I suggest you start with them first, before even passing to the preparation of the main dish or other parts of the dinner, while, though fun, their decoration is not be left for a moment of stress or when racing with time.

Would these pops count for a dessert? To some, maybe not. To the one preparing them, definitely yes! Will they attract everyone's attention? Definitely yes! Will everyone value them? Most probably not. But this is the case for most things we put effort in in our life, isn't it now? The point is: did you have fun? Did you feel like a child? Do you fancy some more? If you have crossed out all three of these f-words, then mission accomplished! Enjoy it!