My generation married soon after college. We gave dinner parties, the table set with wedding china and sterling silver, if we had it. Dinner forks, salad forks, seafood forks. We scrimped to pay fo…
My generation married soon after college. We gave dinner parties, the table set with wedding china and sterling silver, if we had it. Dinner forks, salad forks, seafood forks.
We scrimped to pay for pricey ingredients. Laborious menus required untold hours of kitchen work; each course was meticulously plated with fancy garnishes. Afterward, we were pooped.
My grown daughters and their friends take a far more user-friendly approach to home entertaining. Sharing the work, the host provides the protein, a simple meat main dish such as roast chicken or grilled steaks. A self-serve bar is set to provide guests with choices of wine, water, beer or a pitcher-made cocktail (Sangria is a favorite) .
Guests bring the starters, side dishes and dessert. Unlike an old-fashioned potluck, the menu is discussed and dishes that complement one another are agreed upon. Special dietary needs are hashed out. And because the dishes are passed family-style at the table, it’s agreed that they can’ t be overly fussy.
Chef Chris Santos’ book “Share: Delicious and Surprising Recipes to Pass Around Your Table” (Grand Central Life & Style, $40) celebrates the theme of casual entertaining served at a communal table. Santos, restaurateur and judge on the Food Network’s “Chopped, ” provides over 100 big-platter recipes that are creative twists on old-school favorites, each easily passable. Rick Rodgers, acclaimed author of more than 40 cookbooks, teamed with Santos to make sure that the recipes are flawlessly written with home cooks in mind.
Guests with prep time might like to tackle either this salad or dessert from the book. The Cobb Salad Bites take the bacon-egg-avocado-blue cheese theme in a mouth-watering direction. The bacon, the star of the concoction, is baked atop mini muffin pans to form individual bite-sized “cups.” Shredded Brussels sprouts are used in place of the traditional Iceberg lettuce, a crunchier, more robust alternative. And the perky Avocado Vinaigrette lightly coats the salad, yielding a just-right amount of acidity. The vinaigrette and bacon can be prepared a day in advance. For transporting it to the party, the salad components can be stored separately and assembled at the destination.
Good news for Chef Santos fans. He is bringing his east coast Beauty & Essex concept to Los Angeles later this year. So if you prefer to sample his cuisine in a restaurant setting, it will be a drivable distance.
Cobb Salad Bites
Yield: 24 pieces, about 6 to 8 Ingredients
Bacon Cups:
Vegetable oil cooking spray, for pans
6 slices thick-cut bacon, each cut crosswise into quarters to make 24 pieces
Avocado Vinaigrette:
1/2 ripe Hass avocado, pitted, peeled, and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
About 2 tablespoons water, as needed
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cobb Salad:
1/2 ripe Hass avocado, peeled, pitted, and finely diced (1/4-inch)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
10 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed
2 Roma (plum) tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
3 tablespoons finely crumbled blue cheese, preferably Maytag
2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
Special equipment: Two 12-cup mini-muffin pans
Procedure
1. Bacon cups: Position racks in top third and center of oven; preheat to 375 degrees. Turn two 12-cup mini-muffin pans upside down and lightly spray the upturned cups with oil. Center a bacon piece over each cup. Place each muffin pan on an 18-by-13-inch half-sheet pan to catch the rendered fat. Bake until the bacon cups are crisp and browned, about 20 minutes. Let the cups cool briefly on the pans. Using kitchen tongs or a small sharp knife, carefully lift bacon cups from pans and transfer to paper towels to cool. (The bacon cups can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
2. Vinaigrette: Puree avocado, lemon juice and mustard in a blender (or food processor) . Mix vegetable oil and olive oil together. With the machine running, gradually pour the mixed oils through the hole in the blender lid (or processor feed tube) . Add enough water to thin the vinaigrette to the consistency of heavy cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Makes about 1 cup. The vinaigrette can be tightly covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day.)
3. Salad: Toss diced avocado with lemon juice in large bowl. Shred the Brussels sprouts in a food processor (or with a large knife) . Add them to the avocado, along with the tomato, onion, blue cheese and eggs. Add about 1/2 cup vinaigrette (or more to taste) and toss gently. (Reserve the remaining vinaigrette for another use.)
4. Arrange the bacon cups on a large platter. Divide the salad, heaping it in tall mounds into the bacon cups. Serve immediately.
Source: “Share” by Chris Santos with Rick Rodgers (Grand Central Life & Style, $40)
Rosé Sangria
Yield: 6 to 8 servings Ingredients
1 (750 ml) bottle rosé wine
1/2 cup pomegranate juice, such as Pom
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup superfine sugar: see cook’s notes
3 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 tablespoon Cognac or brandy
Water and ice, plus extra ice for serving
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
8 large fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
2 red plums, pitted and sliced 1/4-inch thick, or 1 orange, halved top to bottom, sliced Cook’s notes
To make superfine sugar, pulse granulated sugar in food processor for 30 seconds.
Procedure
1. Combine the rosé, pomegranate juice, lemon juice, sugar, Grand Marnier, Cognac, 1 cup of water and 1 cup of ice in a large glass pitcher. Stir in the raspberries, strawberries and plums (or orange) , cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.
2. When ready to serve, fill wine goblets or highball glasses halfway with ice. Pour the sangria over the ice, spooning some of the macerated fruit into each glass. Serve ice cold.
Source: adapted from Ina Garten’s “Make It Ahead” (Clarkson Potter, $35)
Black-Bottomed Butterscotch Pots de Crème
Yield: 6 servings Ingredients
Chocolate Base:
2∕3 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons whole milk
3 large egg yolks
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (about 70 percent cacao) , finely chopped
1 1/2 ounces milk chocolate (about 40 percent cacao) , finely chopped
Butterscotch Crème:
3 cups heavy whipping cream, heated to steaming
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2∕3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup water
9 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1∕16 teaspoon fine sea salt
Whipped Coconut Topping:
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sweetened coconut flakes, divided use
2∕3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Special Equipment: 6 (1-cup) glasses or jars Procedure
1. Chocolate base: Heat cream and milk together in small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Whisk egg yolks well in medium heatproof bowl. Very gradually whisk in the hot cream mixture. Return this to saucepan and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard reaches 185 degrees on an instant-read thermometer and is thick enough to coat the spoon (a finger swiped through the custard on the spoon will cut a swath) , about 3 minutes.
2. Combine the bittersweet and milk chocolates in medium heatproof bowl, and place a wire sieve over the bowl.
