Year of the Dinner Party: The Melting Pot

The first rule of dinner parties is never, ever use an entirely new menu for a dinner party.  I break this rule most of the time. For November,  however, I actually made a main course I've made frequently. So I decided  to channel all risk into the guest list and dessert. 

Our small group had never met until the Melting Pot Dinner Party. Great conversationalists + fancy cocktails ensured that everyone enjoyed themselves through dessert. OMG! Dessert!

MENU

Cocktails

• Rosemary Fizz from Dave's Dinners 

Appetizers

• Crudites with green goddess dressing from Martha Stewart 
• Dates wrapped in bacon from Dave's Dinners 

Salad

• Fennel, walnut & apple salad from Dave's Dinners

Main 

• Lasagna
• Handmade foccacia from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

Dessert 

• Peanut butter banana pie from Epicurious

Wines

• 2007 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Bosche
• 2010 Brachetto di'Acqui
• 2001 Rosso Ca' del Merlo

THE PREP

Prep for this meal spread over 2 days. Friday night I prepped lasagna,  rosemary syrup, salad dressing and Green Goddess dip.

Saturday I started EARLIER THAN PLANNED and for once, ran ahead of the below schedule. 

10:30 - Make pie crust

11:00 - Start bread

11:30 - Cut veggies

12:00 - Pre-heat oven

12:00 - Make pudding

12:30 - Put bread in oven

 1:00 -  Take bread out of oven

 2:00 -  Make peanut butter filling/finish pie

 3:00 -  Prep dates & grate cheese

 6:15  - Bake dates

 6:30  - Prep salad ingredients

 7:00 -  Lasagna goes in oven

THE VERDICT

The dessert was, as predicted, the best item on the menu. The lasagna was perhaps the best I've made yet. I dialed back the cheese not to be named in front of Kent  ricotta, and used a fairly shallow tray. Two layer, not three layer lasagna is my new go-to. The dates packed more flavor pleasure than I expected. I could have made twice as many and we would still have finished them all. 

My bread was the biggest disappointment, but since it was my first and remotely edible, I considered it a win. It was not nearly as light and fluffy as I hoped. Turns out, whole wheat flour is not for beginners.

THE EYE CANDY
More on Flickr!

THE RECIPE

Epicurious already did all the work for me. Go check it out there!

Year of the Dinner Party #9: Invasion of the Parents

After following my dinner parties from afar, my parents demanded suggested a Dinner Party for their October visit. Happy to oblige, I centered a menu around the King of the Roasted Meats - a standing rib roast. The menu was nothing but decadent.

My mom saved dinner - twice!

MENU

Snacking Treats

• Mixed olives
• Mixed nuts
• Cheese, salami & crackers

Appetizer

• Spicy Shrimp from Silver Palate (and featured recipe from July Dinner Party) 

Main

• Mustard Seed-Crusted Prime Rib and Roasted Balsamic Onions from Bon Appetit December 2010 issue
• Potato & Leek Gratin from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone 
• Braised Carrots from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

Dessert

• Apple crisp and vanilla ice cream from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

Wine

• 1998 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Bosche
• 2009 Unti Segromigno
• 2009 Copain Syrah  

THE PREP

8- 11 am Grocery store, make crisp, cut carrots  Laying in bed cursing myself and moaning after late night out with fellow mofos.

2- 5 pm My mom saved dinner the first time. If I didn't have help in the kitchen, we would have eaten at 10 pm. There was quite the amount of peeling and slicing to do. With 2 people we made quick work of my long list of preparations since I didn't spend my morning as planned. 

THE VERDICT

Delicious. All of it. It was well balanced fall menu. The meat was the clear winner, but the gratin came in a close second. Cooking potatoes in milk = heaven.

My mom suggested I check the roast long before I expected to be done after an accidental oven turn off. I found a perfect medium rare roast.  Once again, mom saved dinner. 

My only criticism was of the horseradish creme fraiche sauce accompaniment for the roast. It made about 12x the amount we needed. I had over 1 cup, and we used a tablespoon each. It was a nice accent, but the meat was so good on it's own with the au jus, the creme fraiche was just interference.

THE EYE CANDY

Complete set on Flickr.

THE RECIPE

The Prime Rib (of course)

2/3C + 1 t Dijon mustard divided

4 medium onions, cut into 3/4 inch wedges with some core attached

5 very large shallots, quartered through root end

3T balsamic vinegar

2T olive oil

1.5t coarse kosher salt + additional for sprinkling

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 9.5 bone-in standing prime rib, trimmed That serves 8. I used a 5.5 lb (2 rib) roast, which was plenty for 5 with leftovers

2T yellow mustard seeds

1/4C brandy

2C low-salt beef broth

** This recipe included a creme fraiche dip that I am not including here. ** 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss onions, shallots, vinegar, oil, and 1.5 teaspoons coarse salt in a large bowl. Sprinkle roast lightly with coarse salt and generously with pepper. Stir 2/3 cup mustard and garlic in a small bowl. Rub over roast. Place roast, bone side down in roasting pan. Sprinkle mustard seeds over, pressing to adhere. Roast 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees.

Arrange onion mixture around roast. Return to oven. Roast until thermometer inserted into center of meat reads 120 degrees, stirring onion mixture occasionally - about 2.25 hours for medium rare. My roast took about 1.5 hours. The math said it would take 2 hours. 

Transfer roast to work surface. Tent with foil, let rest for 30 minutes. If necessary increase oven temperature to 450 degrees and return onions to roasting pan and roast until deep brown and very tender. I didn't need to do this. Using a slotted soon, transfer onion mixture to serving bowl.

Place roasting pan on 2 burners on medium-high heat. Add brandy, stir 30 seconds. Whisk in broth and remaining 1t of mustard. Boil until reduced to 1 1/4 cups of au jus, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

Slice & serve roast.