After an unnecessarily long, drawn-out hiatus, warm weather is finally on the horizon. Let me just say in addition - what a relief to lose an hour. There may still be fits of snow hiding in the shadows, there may still be frost in the morning, but hey - it's light out after 7 p.m. And that is a good thing.
This warm weather actually fills me with the urge to get out and do something, rather than be cooped up in the house. For the first time in months, I have a desire to get out, be social, and live a little. Which is why I was more than excited to get an invitation to a certain dinner party last weekend. With everything going on in the news, from heated emotions to natural disasters, it is always comforting to have an inviting place among close friends. After all, isn't that what life is about?
First came the phone call - would Ashley and I be interested in attending this get-together, the premise being a hands-on Iron Chef cook-off? Until last weekend, I have never attended a "themed" dinner party. You must realize that I am barely coming out of the age when the term "dinner party" still means a case of cheap beer and greasy takeout food. Don't get me wrong - I love to cook, but I have never done so under pressure. Still, good food, excellent company; what's not to like?
I am writing about this, because it turned out to be an exceptionally festive, social evening. Ashley and I enjoyed ourselves so immensely, that we are considering doing the same thing - perhaps someday when our kitchen is actually larger than a closet, and thus able to accommodate more than one person. We, along with three other couples, were invited to the host and hostess's home for a hands on cook-off; there would be 1- guests total. The only stipulation being, that each couple was to bring a "mystery ingredient", which I shall explain in a minute.
Ashley and I arrived to the company of friends from Monroe, Milwaukee, and Chicago. These were all close childhood friends, but people whom I have not seen in awhile. After a brief social beverage, we moved to the kitchen. There, the terms, conditions, and ingredients were laid out:
We were divided into groups of two, so that spouses were split up. Each team volunteered to make a dish. One team had "appetizers and salad," another had "side dish," another "main dish," while the final team was to organize dessert. Oh yeah - you could only use the items provided.
Laid out on the table was a collection of raw ingredients, including potatoes, fruits, veggies, cheese, ribeye steaks, bacon, garlic, onion, leafy greens, avocados, tomatoes, berries, and kiwi fruit.
Did I mention the "secret ingredient"? Each couple was to bring a special ingredient to the dinner party. It had to be unique, something special to that particular couple's taste; perhaps something they used frequently in recipes. For example, I brought a gallon of full Brown Swiss cream from the farm. With full cream, you can do anything - it is a wonderful base for cooking main and side dishes, as well as dessert. If nothing else, whip it and add sugar. Just let me lick the beaters. The other couples brought equally unique ingredients, including artichokes, horseradish root, taro root, and curry leaves.
Sharing the kitchen, all teams had one hour to devise and cook their respective dish. Additionally, each dish had to include at least one "secret ingredient." And that was it - ready, set, go.
My team was to make the side dish. No problem - my quick-thinking mind remembered a creamed potato dish, easy to improvise. My partner Erica pared the potatoes and taro root, while I sautéed an onion and garlic in oil. I added some cream to the skillet, and then cheese. When the mixture became bubbly, I poured it over the potato slices laid out in a baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes - piece of cake. My team even had time to make a dish of green bean almandine for the bonus round.
The kitchen was a hive of activity; it is amazing how quickly an hour can pass. Conversation with good friends added to the tantalizing smells, which was the best part - we got to sit down to eat our creations. Amazing, how four teams working independently can put together such a complimentary meal. For appetizers we had goat cheese and bacon-stuffed jalapenos, with a green salad and raspberry vinaigrette. The main course consisted of grilled bacon-wrapped steaks with a horseradish and curry leaf garnish. Of course, steak is accented with the creamed potato dish and green beans. Finally, dessert was brought out - a strikingly beautiful bowl of whipped blueberry cream, garnished with fruits and berries.
The thought was not lost on me that the ingredients of this meal were all simple and easy to obtain. It did not take a lot to create something truly memorable, complementary, and unique.
Long after dishes had been put away we retired to the living room. The only conversation stopper of the evening occurred close to midnight. Suddenly we realized, don't we lose an hour?
For all the benefits of extra daylight, I have to say that the next morning was tough.
- Dan Wegmueller of Monroe writes a column for the Times each Monday. He can be reached at dwegs@tds.net.
This warm weather actually fills me with the urge to get out and do something, rather than be cooped up in the house. For the first time in months, I have a desire to get out, be social, and live a little. Which is why I was more than excited to get an invitation to a certain dinner party last weekend. With everything going on in the news, from heated emotions to natural disasters, it is always comforting to have an inviting place among close friends. After all, isn't that what life is about?
First came the phone call - would Ashley and I be interested in attending this get-together, the premise being a hands-on Iron Chef cook-off? Until last weekend, I have never attended a "themed" dinner party. You must realize that I am barely coming out of the age when the term "dinner party" still means a case of cheap beer and greasy takeout food. Don't get me wrong - I love to cook, but I have never done so under pressure. Still, good food, excellent company; what's not to like?
I am writing about this, because it turned out to be an exceptionally festive, social evening. Ashley and I enjoyed ourselves so immensely, that we are considering doing the same thing - perhaps someday when our kitchen is actually larger than a closet, and thus able to accommodate more than one person. We, along with three other couples, were invited to the host and hostess's home for a hands on cook-off; there would be 1- guests total. The only stipulation being, that each couple was to bring a "mystery ingredient", which I shall explain in a minute.
Ashley and I arrived to the company of friends from Monroe, Milwaukee, and Chicago. These were all close childhood friends, but people whom I have not seen in awhile. After a brief social beverage, we moved to the kitchen. There, the terms, conditions, and ingredients were laid out:
We were divided into groups of two, so that spouses were split up. Each team volunteered to make a dish. One team had "appetizers and salad," another had "side dish," another "main dish," while the final team was to organize dessert. Oh yeah - you could only use the items provided.
Laid out on the table was a collection of raw ingredients, including potatoes, fruits, veggies, cheese, ribeye steaks, bacon, garlic, onion, leafy greens, avocados, tomatoes, berries, and kiwi fruit.
Did I mention the "secret ingredient"? Each couple was to bring a special ingredient to the dinner party. It had to be unique, something special to that particular couple's taste; perhaps something they used frequently in recipes. For example, I brought a gallon of full Brown Swiss cream from the farm. With full cream, you can do anything - it is a wonderful base for cooking main and side dishes, as well as dessert. If nothing else, whip it and add sugar. Just let me lick the beaters. The other couples brought equally unique ingredients, including artichokes, horseradish root, taro root, and curry leaves.
Sharing the kitchen, all teams had one hour to devise and cook their respective dish. Additionally, each dish had to include at least one "secret ingredient." And that was it - ready, set, go.
My team was to make the side dish. No problem - my quick-thinking mind remembered a creamed potato dish, easy to improvise. My partner Erica pared the potatoes and taro root, while I sautéed an onion and garlic in oil. I added some cream to the skillet, and then cheese. When the mixture became bubbly, I poured it over the potato slices laid out in a baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes - piece of cake. My team even had time to make a dish of green bean almandine for the bonus round.
The kitchen was a hive of activity; it is amazing how quickly an hour can pass. Conversation with good friends added to the tantalizing smells, which was the best part - we got to sit down to eat our creations. Amazing, how four teams working independently can put together such a complimentary meal. For appetizers we had goat cheese and bacon-stuffed jalapenos, with a green salad and raspberry vinaigrette. The main course consisted of grilled bacon-wrapped steaks with a horseradish and curry leaf garnish. Of course, steak is accented with the creamed potato dish and green beans. Finally, dessert was brought out - a strikingly beautiful bowl of whipped blueberry cream, garnished with fruits and berries.
The thought was not lost on me that the ingredients of this meal were all simple and easy to obtain. It did not take a lot to create something truly memorable, complementary, and unique.
Long after dishes had been put away we retired to the living room. The only conversation stopper of the evening occurred close to midnight. Suddenly we realized, don't we lose an hour?
For all the benefits of extra daylight, I have to say that the next morning was tough.
- Dan Wegmueller of Monroe writes a column for the Times each Monday. He can be reached at dwegs@tds.net.
