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| Guest Blogger Ryan Hussey |
After about 750 weekly dinners I thought it might be a good time to start writing about them. Every week I go to the market with a friend and we decide on a menu for the evening. This usually consists of about four to five courses. We see food as an adventure and feel there are really no bounds. On the evening of August 10, 2011 a dinner party of special importance was held. My friends from Texas were joining us, a couple of their friends, a friend that I had not seen in a long time and her significant other joined as well. When you know something about people you also know their likes and dislikes and usually that trickles down to the others in the group.
What makes food fun is the almost innumerable ways in which to combine, create, and extract the flavors. What makes it more enjoyable is the company that gets to enjoy and, in a way, help by adding substance to the food with camaraderie and the joy of great discourse that makes the time most enjoyable.
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| Our hosts' beautiful home and patio |
My motto is “have fun with your food.” Do not hesitate to experiment with new flavors or processes to deliver interesting dishes. Sometimes you may find your combinations do not harmonize in the most exacting fashion, but really when it comes down to it, who cares? As long as your friends and guests are happy, then so you should be as well. We all have recipes or dishes that we make that may not be three Michelin stars, but we all have different likes and dislikes and this is what makes it fun.
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| Our table |
While shopping for a dinner party, unless you are shopping for a caterer, we should not only look for extremely fresh produce, but do NOT be afraid of pre-made food items such as smoked salmon, frozen berries, etc. Not only can you use these items in the same fashion you would if you were to make them yourself, but it also takes time to do these types of specialties. It just depends on how much time you have to contribute to the preparation and cooking of the meal.
On to the party:
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| Tortilla chips; Blueberry-cabernet Reduction |
First Course: Home made tortilla chips and store bought guacamole.
Guacamole can easily be made at home, but the Fresh Market does an excellent job at both mild and spicy versions. For the price, you can’t beat it. I would have made my own, but we were cooking for nine and I felt that there were other items that I wanted to spend more time on. Tortilla Chips – I usually use canola oil and fill a frying pan with about 2 to 3 inches deep. I but whole-wheat tortillas and cut them into 8ths. I also don’t really pay attention to the temperature of the oil, but keep the flame on high till the tortilla browns on the bottom after about 20 seconds, then flip. Thank you to the sous chef Colby Shoop that worked the golden chip magic.
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| Salmon Florets |
Second Course: Salmon Florets
Using packaged smoked salmon, roll the individual pieces and cut in the center to make the petals. For this one I stabilized it with fresh crab dip, seasoned with smoked pepper and chives. For the ball, I finely chopped the salmon, mixed in some of the crab dip, and some bitter orange marmalade. Chill and add as tasty garnish.
Third Course: Grilled New York Strips
I took a fresh package of blueberries and placed them into a blender with 3 cups of cabernet, ½ cup of cointreau and a cup of cranberry juice. I reduced the liquid to about one quarter. The vehicle to this sauce was a grilled peppered New York strip steak. I also made some roasted garlic and used the garlic to spread on top of the steak before the saucing. Surrounding the steak was grilled spring onion, in which I marinated in olive oil and some spices before grilling.
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| Dark Chocolate Orange Souffle |
Dessert: Dark Chocolate Orange Soufflé. Recipe available upon request (just leave a comment or email foodplusfizz@gmail.com).
Thanks, f+f for letting me share!
