If there’s one thing I
really enjoy, it’s throwing a dinner party.
When friends are in town,
it’s so much nicer to have them over rather than going out to a restaurant.
It’s quieter, more relaxed and I take delight in preparing food for friends.
When I was in college my
room-mates and I would host big spaghetti dinners. As we were always short on
funds, we would save aluminum cans for a month or two, cash them in and head to
the grocery store for pasta, sauce, and of course beer.
Depending on the amount of
cans turned in, we night even get ground beef for meatballs. This was served on
paper plates and after dinner more people would arrive and it would turn into a
big party------good times…..
They were simple, fun and
apparently memorable. Once in awhile, I run into a blast from the past, they
say “Remember those spaghetti dinners you used to have?”
Well things have certainly
improved since my college days but my one guideline is to keep it simple. After
all, I want to enjoy the party too.
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| In the kitchen. |
Here’s how I keep it simple.
Typically, I only make
dishes that I can prepare ahead of time and either reheat or pop in the oven
when the guests arrive. The salad is made a few hours in advance and kept in
the refrigerator covered with a damp towel. If something has to be cooked after
the guests arrive, it’s something quick and easy like garlic shrimp or pasta.
The key thing to remember is
that you’re not trying to impress anyone; you are simply preparing a meal to
share with your friends.
What could be better than
that?
Here’s a recipe for one of
my favorite things to make. This can be prepared the day before and assembled
several hours before the guests arrive.
I got the recipe from a
friend but embellished it a bit because I can’t seem to stop myself from doing
that.
Do you like to keep it simple when throwing a dinner party? Feel free to leave some of your tips in the comment section.
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| The Feast! |
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| The host and hostess and the crazy guests. See how much fun we're having? |
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| Special thanks to the guest of honor, Thomas Dang Vu, for the beautiful photos. |
Spinach Torta
Filling:
4-10 oz. packages of frozen
chopped spinach thawed with all moisture removed.
(you have to squeeze,
squeeze, squeeze it)
4 tbl-butter
½ medium onion chopped
3-scallions trimmed and sliced
thin
8oz-mascarpone cheese at
room temperature
1/2c freshly grated parmesan
cheese
¼ c milk
2 cloves garlic finely
chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs beaten (reserve ¼ of
the beaten eggs to brush on the crust)
Toppings:
These can vary but mine are:
Sautéed mushrooms
Roasted red pepper
Crust:
2 c flour
½ tsp salt
½ c plus 1 tbl water
4 tbl olive oil
Parchment Paper
Make the Crust:
Put flour and salt in a
bowl, add olive oil and water and mix until a dough is formed.
DO NOT OVERWORK THE DOUGH
Let dough rest for 20
minutes or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
If you refrigerate it, form
it into a crude rectangle first. It will be easier to roll out.
To Make the Filling:
Place drained, moisture free
(this is important, you don’t want a soggy torta) spinach in a large bowl.
Sauté onions, garlic and
scallions in the 4 tbl of butter until translucent.
Combine cheeses, cooled
garlic onion mixture, milk, salt and pepper (to taste).
Add the beaten egg.
I normally mix this
all-together using my hands. It’s way easier.
To Assemble:
Roll out dough on a piece of
parchment paper that is a little larger than the size of a cookie sheet. The
dough should be about the thickness of thin cardboard and as large as the
cookie sheet.
Spread the spinach mixture
over the top of the dough leaving 2-3” on all sides. Again, I use my hands for
this.
Fold the edges of the dough
over the top of the spinach mixture and brush with the reserved egg.
Top with the sautéed
mushrooms and peppers.
Bake in a 425 degree oven
until crust is golden brown (about 20 minutes)
Let rest a bit, cut into
squares and enjoy!
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| What the torte looks like before going into the oven |
