Strolling near the Pacific Coast Highway, Carpinteria. Brown Pelican, 2016.
If you’re ever in Aspen and receive an invitation to have dinner with Cathy O’Connell and her husband, Fred Venrick, say, “Yes.”
Until last September their back door was a short two blocks from my front door at The Gant. Although I never heard her complain, Cathy’s kitchen was tinier than my present mini-one. When they decided to move to a more sizable townhouse this fall, I threatened to throw myself in front of their moving van.
The Barefoot Contessa’s LEMON and GARLIC ROAST CHICKEN
Not only are CathyandFred (pronounced in one breath) personal friends, they’ve also constantly welcomed me to their table. For the 8 years Michael and I lived in Nevada, I returned like clockwork three days/twice a year to Aspen. After a nine-hour drive with my long list of to-dos, scheduled meals weren’t a priority. Happily there would always be a message waiting, “Hey, Mar, we expect you for dinner tonight.”
POTATO DAUPHINOISE from River Cottage VEG
I hope you all have friends like the Venricks who just love sharing delicious food and fine drink with others. They don’t know strangers. When Cathy meets an engaging skier on the lift or Fred encounters a potential hiking partner, they not only say, “Let’s get together.” but actually make it happen.
Katie Baillargeon, a UC Santa Barbara prof and her family came for lunch. Our menu included Asparagus Pizza from River Cottage Veg.
Cathy, like so many of my friends, serves up sensational. While Fred pops the corks, she manages to effortlessly turn out a meal. May I remind you again of that Lilliputian kitchen? When I once complimented her effusively on a braised lamb shanks and mashed potatoes with fennel dish, she shrugged off the praise, “I’m not such a good cook, Mar, but I am a really, really good picker.”
The New York Times’ Rosemary Shortbread is perfect for spring and summer.
Cathy explained she’d learned to spot good recipes, put together menus that are delicious and also manageable in her small workspace. Her response has become my mantra. I can never create recipes nor ‘just throw something together.’ I have neither the food science knowledge or knack for those skills. To be honest, I’ve never “cooked” confidently.
Lentils with Beets and Feta from River Cottage VEG
Admittedly, after five years of writing this blog, a different recipe every week, stirring the pot has become a simpler and more enjoyable chore. Every so often I even go rogue, climb out on that limb, changing up the spices or flavoring. Readers, that’s big. Chemist Jade Barker suggests that “trying a too complicated recipe doesn’t build skill faster. Rather, it’s like starting a diet by buying clothes a size too small. It’s forced and uncomfortable.” (For someone who’s done both, that’s good advice!)
Guess who requested a grilled cheese and french fries with ketchup for lunch.
With a nudge or two from Cathy, here are my 6 tips for making better choices: Choose Recipes…
1. that appeal to YOU;
2. with a comfortable number of easy-to-find ingredients;
3. which use recognizable measurements;
4. where you understand the directions/techniques;
5. which is pan/dish thrifty for less clean-up;
6. that work together, mixing complicated/time consuming with easy and make-aheads.
This Great Egret just caught his lunch of choice, some unfortunate aquatic creature.
I consider my five recipes this week as “good picks,” and worthy of any table. After 23 months of cooking through River Cottage Veg, our Cottage Cooking Club has almost cooked-through-the-book. Hugh’s simple and tasty recipes this month, POTATO DAUPHINOISE, ASPARAGUS PIZZA and LENTILS with BEETS and FETA are three I’ll make again.
It took 5 minutes to slice the potatoes for the dauphinoise with this safe, inexpensive OXO mandoline.
The Barefoot Contessa’s LEMON and GARLIC ROAST CHICKEN worked nicely with POTATO DAUPHINOISE. The New York Times’ ROSEMARY SHORTBREAD, created by Melissa Clark, adapted by Chris at The Cafe Sucre & Farine, seems too quick and easy for such deliciousness. Melissa baked Bars. Chris, a Tart. I’ve linked to both recipes.
A Shortbread Tip: Cut the shortbread into the desired pieces/slices while it’s still warm.
I used my oblong tart pan for these bars but any over-safe container will work.
Enjoy these recipes. Have any of you adopted some tips, have clues to lessen anxiety and have more fun in the kitchen? A penny for your Tips.
A Successful Meal.
POTATO DAUPHINOISE by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, River Cottage Veg
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
2 TBS butter
2 pounds potatoes
1 2/3 C heavy cream
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Rub a large casserole dish liberally with the butter.
2. Peel the potatoes and slice them thinly, either with a sharp knife or a mandoline. In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, garlic and nutmeg and season well with salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes in the creamy mixture, then layer them in the gratin dish, spreading them as flat and evenly as you can. Pour over any remaining cream.
3. Bake for 1¼ -1½ hours, pressing down with a spatula every 15 minutes or so to compress the potatoes and stop them drying out. The gratin is ready when the top is golden and bubbling and the potatoes are tender.
4. You may want to turn the oven up for the last 5 minutes to achieve a bit of extra bubbling crispness. Leave to stand for 5 minutes or so before serving.
TIPS & TECHNIQUES
1. Use half potato/ half celery root OR half potato/half turnip to add a new dimension to the dish.
2. You can use half cream and half milk for a healthier version.
3. I halved the recipe and used a smaller ovenproof casserole dish. I also sprinkled parmesan on top at the last moment because I had it. Not necessary at all. Save yourself the calories.
ASPARAGUS PIZZA by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, River Cottage Veg
The softened, caramelized sliced onions are this pizza’s “sauce”.
Makes 2 small or 1 large pizzas
INGREDIENTS
Pizza Dough, Make your own or use store-bought pizza dough.
TOPPING
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little extra to trickle
2 Onions, halved and thinly slices
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
About 12 ounces slender asparagus spears, trimmed
2 balls of buffalo mozzarella (about 4 ounces)
A little grated Parmesan, hard goat cheese, or other well-flavored hard cheese
DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare the dough according to package or your directions.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees°F.
3. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the onions. Once sizzling, decrease the heat to low and cook gently, stirring from time to time, until the onions are soft and golden, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Roll out the pizza dough as thinly as you can with a rolling pin and then by hand and divide in half if you wish.
5. Scatter a baking peel ( if you have one) or a baking sheet with a little flour and place the rolled out dough on it. Spread one-third of the onions over the dough, then arrange one-third of the asparagus over the top. Tear up the mozzarella and distribute one-third of it over the asparagus. Scatter over a little grated cheese, some salt and pepper, and add a generous trickle of oil.
6. Slide the pizza(s) into the oven if formed on a peel, or, if formed on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until the crust is crisp, the edges browned, and the asparagus tender. Check your pizza often after 12 minutes.
7. Immediately cut into slices or wedges. Serve hot.
TIP: Roasting asparagus on top of the pizza in a very hot oven makes it deliciously tender and a bit caramelized also. If you have thick spears, cut in half lengthwise…..Hugh
LENTILS WITH BEETS & FETA
Dress warm lentils with olive oil and some balsamic vinegar and toss with wedges of roasted beets and cubes of feta or goat cheese. To make a quick version of this salad, I used steamed lentils from Trader Joe’s (or, any grocery store) and pre-roasted beets sealed in vacuum bags.
The Black-crowned Night Heron hangs out during the day and forages at night.
Cottage Cooking Club is an international on-line group. led by Andrea Mohr of The Kitchen Lioness, which is cooking through Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Veg. If you’d like to join us as we explore more of Hugh’s cookbooks, go here.
As another member of the Cathyandfred fan club, I met Cathy on a ski lift about 15 years ago… Life changing experience for me and hubby.
Cathy is also the logistics queen,.. EG her
Recent trip around the world in a westerly path in 16 legs … But also how to shop at Costco before and after the Eagle county dem caucus and still make it back home with a cooked chicken for their dinner . She also knows best when to take which lift to
Maximize time on the ski slopes
Mary…You mention that you’ve never cooked “confidently” but Jim and I remember many wonderful dinners with you & Michael on Silver King Drive that demonstrated supreme confidence and yummy food! Loved your 6 tips and especially #5 & #6 that emphasize thrifty pan/ dish choices for easy clean-up and mixing complex recipes with easy ones.
My tips for everyday & our large family visits: My 7-day menu plan never requires a dinner with 3 last-minute sauté or steamed items. I always combine baked, braised, crock-pot or stove-top choices for all ingredients in a way that avoids frantic meal prep. Dinner parties are always great “do-aheads” with the exception of an occasional grilled item (by Jim) or a salad toss. No frantic entertaining in order to enjoy guests & our big family! Often “enhance” store-bought items with other good ingredients that can fool almost anyone (maybe not you!).
I’ve received several e-mails on Tips which I’ll share eventually but you win the Golden Toque so far. IMO, your best are the no-quick-3-minute steam or sauté before a dinner/family party and use store bought to enhance or in place of homemade. Call me crazy but I’ve always thought Knorr does a better classic Béarnaise Sauce than I do. A roasted chicken from Whole Foods or wherever is sometimes a perfect entrée. French women do it every Sunday. C’est la vérité.
Dear Mary, what a fabulous and detailed blog post – I do not even know where to start…but let me tell you that all of the food and all of those smiling faces on your pictures make me one happy person – so nice to see and read how much you all share a passion for food and friends and great company! Love your Hugh recipes as well as the shortbread and the chicken – delicious food for wonderful friends!
Thank you for all your kind comments and thoughtful words – it has been one hectic & eventful spring break…
Andrea
This post is full of great advice for cooks experienced and inexperienced. When I was younger, I used to take on great projects for the dinner parties I would throw – if people wanted to hang out, they had to come into the kitchen. It’s a great trick when you’re a shy youngster with lots of energy, but I appreciate doing things ahead and enjoying the company of my guests now that I’m older.
So many good tips Mary, I’ve said this before but I know that anyone who gets an invitation to dine with you is thrilled! Thanks for the link, your shortbread looks wonderful as does everything else!
I think you’re a lot like CathyandFred, Mary! You have friends everywhere you go and you invite whole families to your home for cocktails and even send them home with food!!! LOVE the 6 tips—I need to put them into practice! xo
Mary, what a great spread of food you’ve made this past month. I loved the potato dauphinoise and I hope you did, too. Yours turned out beautifully. And the best piece of advice that I’ll take away from this post is to not attempt very complicated recipes…..a great analogy to dieting and clothing size! : )
Hi Mary, love the tips for great recipe choices, especially when entertaining. Your posts are always wonderful to read there is always a little bit of everything. The recipes you chose all look amazing, another great month. Cannot believe we are almost done.
Mary, what a great post. OK, here’s my #1 tip for a dinner party – all of the dishes should be somehow related (one ingredient also appears in another – some can have similar, but kind of line a string) – I find that then they all seem to work well together, even though they will all taste different but complimentary. That probably didn’t make a lot of sense – it’s Friday afternoon! I used to do huge dinner parties too – now I’m a lot more laid back (or is it lazy?)
So happy that you had a great time with your dishes!
Your posts always make me smile. Everything looks great, and I especially love the picture of you with Katie and Noodles. I like your list of tips. I like to choose dishes so that when the guests arrive, all don’t have much left to do other than wait for things to finish cooking and transfer everything to serving dishes (or plate it up). I am not great at delegating when trying to finish up and really love to visit with my guests once they arrive. I’m off to check out the rosemary shortbread, both Melissa and Chris’s versions.
Mary, for someone not being a confident cook, you sure make some great food! Thanks for the nice photo of me here in the post (as opposed to a wonky one, of which there are many). 🙂 Alaia is still talking about our visit with Miss Mary and asks where you are. I love all the tips here in the post and in the comments! Like Teresa, I learned that I prefer to have 1 intensive dish with several easy ones if I’m making a dinner. And, if at all, I like to _not_ have anything left à la minute. If it’s unavoidable, then it’s 1 dish only so that I can drink a little wine and not worry about being too happy to cook correctly. 🙂
Mary, I’m not sure you know any strangers either, embracing friends along with the wonder of nature. Your writing is so beautiful and I too always have a smile on my face scrolling through your posts, the weaving in and out bringing then each of the components all into one whole. Your photos are quite beautiful too. Always a fun time and a special visit.
Choosing recipes is just as much a skill as cooking them, for sure. Nice post!