SERIOUSLY SIMPLE PARTIES: A Worry Free Guide to Make the Season Bright!

I've recently gotten back to my blog. Working on the creation of The Oregonian Cookbook put me out of the habit of writing about other cookbooks and I've been really rusty of late. Some great cookbooks got overlooked, and one of them is my good buddy Diane Rossen Worthington's SERIOUSLY SIMPLE PARTIES, published last fall.  My bad--but I'm hoping you'll notice that we're entering the biggest time of year for parties. If any one planner/organizer/blueprint/elf-on-your-shoulder-cookbook can get you through the rigorous party, from simple to the elaborate, this cookbook takes care of every contingency.

As far as entertaining is concerned, Diane is not about stress at all, which is why she created her Seriously Simple series.  The latest in this expanding library is SERIOUSLY SIMPLE PARTIES:  Recipes, Menus and Advice for Effortless Entertaining (Chronicle Books; $24.95; ISBN: 978-0-8118-7257-7). Like Seriously Simple and Seriously Simple Holidays, this new cookbook is meant "show you how to pull together a festive meal for a small or large group that is tasty and beautifully presented, but doesn't require hours of preparation." Diane's formula really is seriously simple and if you plan any type of social event with food from a sit-down dinner, a family-style event, a buffet or potluck gathering to an outdoor party, Diane provides attainable solutions.

Once you've decided what kind of event you'll want to host, follow the SERIOUSLY SIMPLE PARTIES blueprint:  choose your menu; select your beverages; check and replenish your pantry; make those lists; prep your kitchen a week or two before the party. "The Seriously Simple Party Pantry is all about having straightforward, uncomplicated ingredients on hand that can make a bold impact," writes Diane. "Even when you are putting together only a few simple dishes for an impromptu get-together." From syrups, broths, flour, pastas and marinades to olive oils, preserved meats, soy sauce, sugar, vanilla extract and various vinegars, here is everything you'll need to have on hand. With that out of the way, Diane gives advice on the kinds of plates, glasses, linens, serving pieces, and lots of other important details that count. Stocking the bar is essential to ensure a successful event--the more done in advance, the less anxiety in the execution.

There are twenty four menus in SERIOUSLY SIMPLE PARTIES with helpful sidebars on such things as crudités, doubling recipes, or serving cheese, with mix and match menus for other events such as birthday parties, a vegetarian dinner, a seafood menu for six, a birthday shower or luncheon or a dessert party for twelve or twenty-four. Then there are Diane's Seriously Simple recipes.  Today's artisanal cocktails often mean having way too much going on in the glass.  The Red Carpet Cocktail has three ingredients and it's delicious. The Mini-Corn and Crab Cakes with Grilled Tomato Aioli, pair beautifully here. Or in season how about the Prosciutto-Wrapped Figs with Burrata, Port and Balsamic Syrup? Cucumber, Pea and Mint Soup served in cups, is a good choice for a buffet. Diane's entrees always include a spectacular baked pasta dish, and this time, it's Baked Greek Pasta, which features lamb, eggplant, red wine, and the fragrant addition of cinnamon. Oven-Baked Paella, means no last-minute stirring on top of the stove. A Butterflied Dry-Brine Turkey with Maple Butter is a tenderizing way to ensure moist breast meat with crisp skin. Grilled Tri-Tip of Beef with Herb Rub, will feed a crowd for a barbecue. The cold leftovers are just as delicious.

Most of the recipes come with party prep--savvy advice, such as when to prepare a recipe--even if it requires advance multiple steps, how to store, etc. As in all of Diane's Seriously Simple cookbooks, many of the recipes also feature "The Clever Cook Could," tricks which are loaded with ingredient substitutions, advice on doubling the amount of a recipe, ideas for ingredients that enhance a basic recipe, serving hints, or tasty accompaniments, as well as presentation tips.

There is section on lighter entrees, which make for more casual events. Side-dishes, such as Israeli Couscous with Caramelized Leeks, Carrots and Zucchini and Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Winter Squash, offer fresh ideas for this category. For a party finale, every good host needs a grand chocolate cake in their rep, and Diane has found it with the Mocha Celebration Cake. The cake and the frosting are easy to prepare and make a stunning presentation. Basics such as Roasted Tomato Jam, Romsesco Sauce, and Seriously Simple Seasoning Salt make excellent pantry staples.

SERIOUSLY SIMPLE PARTIES ought be the go-to guide we all need to make our fantasies of entertaining a reality this season.

Mocha Celebration Cake

Mocha Celebration Cake

 serves 12 to 16

My dear friend Denny Luria shared this recipe with me, and now it has become our family tradition for many celebrations. This cake consists of one large round layer, which makes it easy to frost and serve. It looks beautiful sitting on a large cake platter. I have also served it for summer buffet luncheons and at dessert parties. You will need a 12-inch round cake pan, which you can find at any cookware or restaurant supply store. Look for the chocolate covered

espresso beans at a gourmet food shop. If you have any of this left over, you can freeze it and slice it after it has defrosted.

Ganache frosting

3/4 cup baker’s or ultrafine sugar

3/4 cup whipping cream

5 ounces good-quality unsweetened chocolate, cut into pieces

1/4 cup strong coffee

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and chilled

Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons good quality unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup boiling coffee

3 large eggs

2 cups baker’s or ultrafine sugar

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate-covered espresso beans for garnish

1. To make the ganache frosting: Combine the sugar and cream in a large

saucepan over medium-high heat, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Reduce

the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Add the chocolate, coffee, vanilla, and butter and blend together, stirring

constantly until the chocolate and butter are completely melted. Let cool

and then cover. Refrigerate until the frosting has thickened, at least 1 hour.

2. To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 12-inch round

cake pan. Line the edges of a 14-inch round platter with 3-inch-wide strips of wax

paper, which you will remove after frosting the cake.

3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Sift the

cocoa into a small bowl so it has no lumps, and then transfer to a heat-proof 2-cup measuring cup. Pour the boiling coffee over the cocoa and stir to dissolve.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs and sugar and beat on

medium speed until the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and

beat for another 1 minute, until blended. Add the buttermilk and vanilla and blend

again for 1 minute. Add the cocoa mixture and beat until incorporated and no streaks

remain, about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture and mix until blended, about 1 minute.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or

until a cake tester comes out clean.

6. Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a rack and then invert it onto the

serving platter.

7. With a metal spatula, frost the top and sides of the cake very thickly with half

of the ganache frosting. Let sit for 10 minutes to firm up, and then frost with the

remaining ganache. Remove the strips of wax paper and use a damp paper towel to

remove any excess frosting from the platter. Let the frosting set. Arrange a pretty

design of chocolate espresso beans on the cake, and serve at room temperature.

Party prep:

The cake may be prepared up to 1 day ahead, loosely covered, and left at room

temperature.

And for more in the SERIOUSLY SIMPLE series try these:

HOME-MADE CONDIMENTS IN ONE SWEET LITTLE VOLUME

Every once in a while, a cookbook comes along that just strikes you as something you've needed for a very long time. THE KITCHEN PANTRY COOKBOOK: Make Your Own Condiments and Essentials (Quarry Books; July 2013; ISBN: 978-1-59253-843-0) arrived on my doorstep at the perfect moment. My garden is raining tomatoes, and I have been so wanting to make my own homemade red wine vinegar. Erin Coopey, a chef, writer and food photographer based in Seattle, has created an excellent collection of recipes for all kinds of condiments, nut butters and spreads, ketchup and mustards, salad dressings, stocks, relishes and refrigerator pickles, and chips, dips and dunks.

Sure you can buy most of these condiments and our refrigerators are stuffed to overflowing with commercially processed mustard's, ketchup's, barbecue, Worcestershire, cocktail, and steak sauces, lemon curds, bottled salad dressings, relishes, pickles, salsas and hummus. But so many of them are really easy to make, if you know how. Homemade tastes better--I guarantee it, and is lot healthier too. In this attractive and well-photographed cookbook, Chef Coopey tells you how.

Homemade vinegar from THE KITCHEN PANTRY COOKBOOK aging in a dark and warm space

I tried to make red wine vinegar without a "mother" when I first moved to my Portland home four years ago. I followed instructions perfectly, but it never became vinegar, and after six months of looking at the wine, which refused to ferment, I tossed it out. I purchased a mother (from a local store specializing in canning supplies), and I hope to have my own vinegar in a few short months. It's time to make pickles, and the recipe for Nell's Mustard Pickles looks so easy. So does the Corn Relish, which I will make this weekend. I like the idea of making my own mayonnaise for special occasions and instead of having a lot of unused Mayonnaise, Chef Coopey's version makes one cup. Whatever isn't used, can serve as the basis for her excellent Tarter Sauce, which is vastly superior to any commercial version. There are seven different recipes for mustard, and homemade Ketchup is made vibrant with cinnamon, cloves, allspice and black pepper and dispenses entirely with corn syrup that is found in its commercial alternative. While it has a shorter shelf life, you'll want to have it on hand for those backyard barbecue socials featuring your favorite burgers.

In our time-stressed lives, we all rely on canned and cartoned meat and vegetable broths for cooking. But stocks from scratch are full of flavor. The chapter on stocks, including flavor boosters such as Chicken and Beef Glace is very well organized and clearly written.

Finally, salsas and dips have a fresher taste and appeal than those bought at your local supermarket. French Onion Dip, Scallion Dip, Herb Dip, Blue Cheese Dip and Clam Dip, were created to be scooped up with Homemade Potato Chips, Sweet Potato Chips, Root Vegetable Chips, and Pita Chips--all of them are included here. There are Tomatilla and Roasted Tomato Salsas, along with Middle Easter favorites, such as Hummus, Baba Ghanoush and Moroccan-Spiced Bean Dip.

Nearly every recipe has it's own gorgeous color photo, and the flexible binding of the book makes it easy to lay opened. In fact this highly attractive cookbook would make a very fine hostess gift.

I have a section of my extensive cookbook collection for favorite cookbooks I use all the time. This new volume will now join that elite group. Everybody love condiments, and THE KITCHEN PANTRY COOKBOOK is the perfect and practical guide to the category.

Easy Relishes and Pickles from THE KITCHEN PANTRY COOKBOOK

Sweet Pickle Relish

Bring on the hot dogs!

Yield: Makes one 1-pint (475 ml) jar

Ingredients

1 pound (455 g) pickling cucumbers (about 4 or 5), washed and cut into large chunks

1/4 red bell pepper, washed and seeded

1 medium-size onion, quartered

4 teaspoons (20 g) kosher salt

1 1/3 cups (315 ml) boiling water

1/4 teaspoon mustard seed

1/8 teaspoon celery seed

3/4 cup (150 g) sugar

1/2 cup (120 ml) distilled white vinegar

Directions

Place the cucumbers, red pepper, and onion into a food processor and pulse until the vegetables are evenly chopped and a fine relish consistency. For a coarser consistency, you can dice the vegetables small by hand.

In a medium-size nonreactive mixing bowl, combine the finely chopped vegetables, salt, and boiling water. Let stand for 1 hour. Drain well before using.

Place the drained vegetables and remaining ingredients in a medium-size, nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the mixture is thickened and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 20 to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

When the relish has finished cooking, transfer it into a sterilized pint (475 ml) jar, refrigerate until cool, and then cover. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Note: For a true sweet pickle relish consistency, I prefer to chop by hand, but using the food processor definitely saves time

Recipe courtesy of Quarry Books

HERE'S HOW YOU CREATE A KICK-ASS RESTAURANT EMPIRE

I had a blast reading RESTAURANT MAN (Viking; $27.95), Joe Bastianich’s raucous, deeply personal and entertaining memoir of growing up in the family business.  The son of successful restaurateurs, Lidia and Felice Bastianich, young Joe grew up as an entitled punk in Queens, New York. While his parents were running their first restaurant in Queens, and later as Lidia launched her own fabled restaurant and publishing success in Manhattan, young Joe was avoiding the family business, eventually going to college and landing a job on Wall Street. Unhappy in the world of investment banking, went to Italy instead and learned about food and especially Italian wine. It was Italian wine in particular (he owns his own vineyards in Italy, where he makes excellent wines) that drew Joe back to the family business.  When he returned to New York, Joe was ready to open his own restaurant. Becco, was his first venture, and in partnership with his mother, Becco became a success, a great deal of that success was the Becco wine list, with all of the very drinkable wines priced at an affordable $15 a bottle. Bastianich would innovate the concept of wines in his restaurants for the rest of his career. In a few short years, Joe and Mario Batali, then a hot young chef with his own restaurant and a TV show on the Food Network, teamed up to create Babbo, their brilliantly successful Greenwich Village modern Italian restaurant. It would be the start of a fabulous partnership with a string of legendary restaurants in New York City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Eataly, a multi-million-dollar Italian culinary retail and restaurant enterprise in the heart of Manhattan.

RESTAURANT MAN has often been compared to Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential, and the similarities are apt. Joe curses and struts up a storm like a sweaty stevedore but above all he is very  funny. Some have been put off by the crude language, the confidence, swagger and style he employs to tell his story. The restaurant business is a rough and tumble world and Joe gives it all the color it deserves. He captures all the magic, hard work and the headaches that go with running an incredibly detailed restaurant empire with a portfolio of multi-starred, critically acclaimed businesses that are the envy of the restaurant world. Joe also settles scores with grandstanding food critics, greedy landlords, and business associations that went bad. He’s been criticized for his salty language and the score settling he indulges in this book.  More power to him. We have all worked with people we didn’t like or found to be dishonest, or worse, mean-spirited. Getting even always feels good, or as I like to say, "Schadenfreude, baby!" Joe Bastianich is not above giving as good as he gets. 

I had a few quibbles. Joe claims it was Babbo that started the popularity of eating at the bar in restaurants in Manhattan. Danny Meyer’s Union Square Café was serving regulars with style, great food and wine years before Babbo opened. I’m still not sure why Joe decided to share his Bill Clinton story, which I felt was a tad bit petty, rather than illuminating. Those are minor stumbles in a remarkable success story in the cutthroat world. Joe is incredibly generous in laying out his own formula for success from finding a location, creating the vision for the kind of restaurants that Batali and he innovated, hiring the teams of designers and contractors that created their vision, as well as the chefs, kitchen and front-of-house waiters, busboys and managers who helped keep his restaurants humming day in and day out. He’s very detailed about the sort of pitfalls to be aware of and to avoid. RESTAURANT MAN is a true, first-generation story of a young man formed from his parent’s immigrant experience, and their success in the new world. Joe Bastianich is articulate and respectful about his parents hard work, and his own rejection and embracement of their traditions as he created his own path. One of the best truisms from Bastianich is his belief that male chefs cook competitively and females cook to nurture--a truly wise statement. He acknowledges both his mother and his father’s own unique contributions to his success. And in true Bourdain style, Joe keeps you turning the pages. 

By the way, I always liked Babbo, and all the other Bastianich/Batali restaurants in New York, but Del Posto has provided me with perhaps the best restaurant experiences of my life and I dined in New York City's best and most acclaimed restaurants for nearly four decades. 

ROOT VEGETABLES FINALLY GET THEIR DUE

My work on The Oregonian Cookbook has kept me away from my blog. That doesn't mean I ignored all the splendid cookbooks that continued to arrive at my door, and in the next few weeks, I'm going to be writing about a lot of them under the heading of...YOU OUGHT TO HAVE THIS COOKBOOK IN YOUR COLLECTION (and give it to a friend for Christmas as well!).  I'm starting with perhaps my favorite cookbook of 2012.

There is a whole new world to explore beyond such popular root vegetables as potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips, radishes and ginger.  Now there's a stupendous resource to this fabulous category with the publication of ROOTS: The Definitive Compendium with More than 225 Recipes by Portland-based cookbook author, Diane Morgan (Chronicle Books; $40.00).  Everything about this new work signals the arrival of something special and significant. Deborah Madison, a great cookbook writer about most-things-vegetable, has written the Foreword. Antonis Achilleos' museum-quality color photos have a physicality and a beauty that is breath-taking. Chronicle Books has generously loaded the book with lots of these photos, and given the whole book a package that gives these gifts from the ground the kind of tribute they have always deserved. Best of all, Diane Morgan has provided delicious, exciting and creative recipes that show off their versatility and deep flavors.

Even five years ago, it would be unthinkable to find burdock root, crosne, galangal, malanga, salsify, and turmeric in supermarkets. Ethnic and farmers markets helped us find our way back to them. Diane Morgan introduces these along with more common varieties, each to its own chapter, covering history and lore, varieties, nutritional information, seasonality, storage, basic uses and preparation.  She then immerses the reader in recipes using each vegetable, some familiar, but more often in surprising and interesting variations.

I don't think I've ever seen wasabi root in my local markets (not that I've ever made much of an effort to find it), but it's a beautiful rhizome and I'm going to investigate further because I love Wasabi Mayonnaise (recipe provided here),  and will even consider making Salmon Hand Rolls with Fresh Wasabi--something I've entrusted entirely to my local favorite sushi chef. I've often ordered Wasabi Mashed Potatoes at New York's popular Union Square Cafe, and now I  can make them locally here in Portland.

Like beet tops, I'm no longer tossing out those pretty green radish tops, which make a spicy and satisfying soup (Morgan suggests using them as soup shots for a "fun and unexpected appetizer"). Smashed Parsley Roots and Potatoes with Crème FraÎche, is both rustic and rich. Brown Sugar-Ginger Ice Cream is an intriguing new flavor to add to my repertoire, and Jewel Sweet Potato Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce has already made its way to my table (admittedly I'm lazy and used won ton wrappers for these voluptuous pasta pockets). I know dried ground turmeric turns rice yellow and has a mild flavor. Fresh turmeric is used in "Indian, Thai, Cambodian and other Southeast Asian cuisines," writes Diane Morgan, but the fresh stuff can infuse "classic Punjab recipe" of Indian Spiced Cauliflower Potatoes and Peas. We get a lot of halibut in Oregon, so Turmeric-Braised Halibut Steaks with Garlic, is an aromatically impressive use for turmeric and this popular fish.

Of course root vegetables have always been with us, but all too often we forget (and limit our regular use to the same familiar choices) what Europeans, Asians and Latin Americans have always known about these wonderful vegetables. The relatively new revival of the farmers market in cities and towns everywhere has brought many of these forgotten edibles back to us.  ROOTS restores them to their rightful place in our kitchen, and I'm grateful to Diane for rescuing them in a book that is both delightful to read as it is to cook from. This is an absolute must have for all serious cookbook collections.