Before Ina owned the Barefoot Contessa, she would spend hours making hors d'oeuvres for a cocktail party. After, she found it more important to have fun and spend time with her friends. She now has several guidelines:
- All the fixings for drinks are on a table in the room where cocktails are served. Pick one or two drinks. Don't overcomplicate it.
- Don't leave the room. Choose appetizers that can be served at room temperature. Put everything out on the table for serving before the first guest arrives.
- A cocktail party is not about the food. It's about the guests. Focus on the guest list. Be intentional but leave room for "surprises" too.
- Serve five to six different kinds of appetizers and three of each kind per person. Plan the menu like a meal: seafood, veggies, meat, with a dessert platter at the end.
I tried her Roasted Eggplant Spread from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook and liked it. She touts it as a recipe that is not only good but good for you (so you can save your calories for dessert!). My husband is not a fan of eggplant. I thought, surely, roasting and blending and chopping he would not even taste the eggplant, but...he's still not a fan of eggplant. :)
Ina suggested serving this recipe alongside other Mediterranean specialties like hummus, pita bread, olives, feta cheese, and stuffed grape leaves. In her cooking show, Ina also recommends reimagining your leftovers - so I took my lucky black eyed peas left over from New Year's and made Black Eyed Pea Hummus. (This was my husband's favorite!)
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