On Entertaining

I love to entertain. I don't know all the rules about forks and napkin folding, but I enjoy having friends over for a few laughs and plenty of delicious food. I often struggle, however, with my fondness for the formal and today's propensity for laid back dining and entertaining. As with all things, the key seems to be striking the right balance.
There are ways to maintain a structured dining experience without creating a stuffy atmosphere. Choice of menu can be quite homey, and served family style, but a set table with fine dishes and formal decor can strike a contrasting note. Nothing is more appealing than a simple beef stew served in a china bowl accompanied by a top tier red wine. On the other hand, very dainty food can be brought down from its lofty bone china rafters by serving with simple garnishes at a laid back potluck. My point is that the lines of formal home dining have become quite blurred. In these days of trendy cooking, many of the rules we once knew were flexible. The most important thing is to know your crowd; make your guests comfortable.
A gracious host will always, within reason, put the needs of his guests above his own. When you decide to throw a dinner party, make sure that there will be pleasant chemistry within the group. Accommodate your guests' diets and preferences. Incorporate their style with your own, allow them to bring something (wine, at least), and remember to have fun. Your friends will remember your company more than your menu, but that doesn't mean that the food doesn't matter.
Try something different from time to time. I'm the first one to bring out the classics for a holiday or Sunday supper, but why not throw the occasional curve ball?  A good example is making a batch of pizza dough and dividing up a number of toppings and letting everyone make their own pizza. Put a new twist on a family favorite, and don't be afraid of making something the night before. If you don't feel like making dessert, buy one, or skip it altogether and serve coffee after dinner. Ultimately, you can shape an experience for you and your guests that need not fit a traditional mold.
If you're afraid of making dinner, throw a cocktail party. Afraid of cocktails? Buy some appetizers and serve beer and wine. Just be yourself, give it your best shot, and the rest will take care of itself.

Brisket Braised with Beer and Onions

Brisket has become one of my favorite cuts of beef. I've posted one recipe already, but why not another? Along with short ribs, it's one of my go-to meats for braising. While it's traditional at any Jewish holiday or Friday night dinner, I have taken to preparing a brisket the evening before a weeknight dinner, as well. It feeds a crowd for just a dollar or  two per person and can sit for almost a week in the fridge. It's my idea of a dressed up pot roast. This version is a little off the beaten path, and much better made the night before... or even a few nights before.

Braised Brisket with Beer and Onions
Serves 8-10
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours, plus overnight to chill

• 1 large brisket (5 - 7 lbs), trimmed of most fat
• 2 large onions, peeled, halved, and sliced
• 1 12 oz. bottle of stout or brown ale such as Guiness or Newcastle
• 6 cloves garlic, smashed
• 6 whole sprigs thyme
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Allow the meat to come to room temperature, leaving out on a clean counter for 30 minutes to an hour. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Season the meat on all sides with the salt and pepper.
In a deep roasting pan (or large Pyrex style glass baking dish), add the stock, beer, thyme, garlic, and tomato paste.
Layer in the onions, creating a bed for the meat.
Place the meat on to of the onions and cover tightly with foil (or the lid to your dish).
Braise in the oven for 4 hours - until meat is completely tender.
Carefully remove the meat from the pan and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, degrease the sauce and puree until smooth. Set aside.
Chill the brisket overnight.
Before serving, trim any remaining fat and slice to desired thickness. A very thin slice is customary, often cut with an electric knife. I use a traditional slicer.
Reheat the sliced brisket in the sauce until heated through -- usually around 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven covered, immersed in the sauce.
Serve with mashed potatoes, potato latkes, or even noodle kugel. Enjoy!
 

Potato and Onion Kugel

One of the side dishes that people request most at the meals I serve around Jewish holidays is my broccoli and leek kugel. I have not posted the recipe here because it's still being refined for publication, but here is a version of the basic potato and onion kugel that I think you'll love.

Potato and Onion Kugel
Serves 6-8
Prep Time: 20 min.
Cook Time: 1 hr. 30 min.

• 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and grated
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tsbp vegetable oil (to saute the onions)
• 4 cups prepared mashed potatoes
• 1 cup flour or matzah meal
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup water or vegetable stock
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together the flour / meal, eggs, oil, and water / stock. Set aside.
Saute the onions in a large pan in a few tbsp of vegetable oil until softened, but not brown.
Toss the onions with the grated potatoes. Fold the onions and potatoes with the flour mixture and the mashed potatoes until smooth and the shredded vegetables are evenly distributed.
Spread mixture in a greased baking dish (9 x 13) and bake at 350 degrees for an hour until golden on top and fluffy.

Homemade Applesauce

Homemade Applesauce
Yield: 4 cups applesauce
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour

• 6 large apples - peeled, cored, and roughly diced
• 2 tbsp - 1/4 cup sugar, depending on your preferred sweetness and the selection of apples
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup reserved apple peel or 2 tbsp cranberry juice

Toss the apples with the salt, sugar, apple peel, and cinnamon in a large baking dish. Roast at 350 degrees for an hour, until apples are tender. Mash through a food mill or with a potato masher, allow to cool, and store in the refrigerator or serve warm.

Basic Focaccia Bread - With Variations

I am breaking my long-standing silence because of an especially pleasant culinary victory this week. I apologize to all of my friends for not being attentive to my blog, but I am thrilled to have the time to dedicate again to sharing recipes and thoughts with you all on a regular basis. Thank you for reading.

This is a recipe I adapted from Epicurious, but made my own with a few flavor additions.

Focaccia Bread
Makes 1 large loaf
Prep Time: 2 hours (including rise time)
Cook Time: 25-35 minutes

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for topping
• 2 tsp salt + 1 tsp coarse sea salt for topping (optional)
• 1 2/3 cups warm water (100-110 degrees)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano or thyme

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and allow to become cloudy and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the dry ingredients with the paddle attachment in the bowl of a standing electric mixer (or a standard mixing bowl with a whisk).
Add the yeast mixture and oil to the mixer and mix on medium until a sticky dough forms. Switch to the dough hook.
Knead on medium to high (my mixer tended to dance around my counter a bit) for 5 minutes.
Turn out on to a floured surface and knead for another 5 minutes.
Toss the dough in an oiled bowl until coated and allow to rise, covered, for an hour and a half or until doubled in volume. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.
Turn the risen dough out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and make indentations in the top with your fingers evenly throughout the loaf.
Brush with oil and sprinkle with salt or additional herbs. Bake for 25-35 minutes until golden brown. Allow to rest for 30 minutes before cutting.

Serve with olive oil for dipping.

You can get creative and top the bread with sun-dried tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, or parmesan. Some people find the salt crust a tad overpowering, so do what works for you.

Grilled Individual Meatloaves

After a summer of grilling on the porch, you may be tired of hamburgers. I know I am. Here's a good way to switch up the regular hamburger -- and feed a crowd. The recipe can be doubled, tripled, or multiplied as many times as you need it.

Grilled Individual Meatloaves
Serves 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

• 2 lbs ground beef, 80% lean
• 2 tbsp grated onion
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 tsp ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Form into 4-6 individual meatloaves, no more than 1'' thick.
Pre-heat the grill over high heat for 10 minutes. Brush the grates with vegetable oil.
Grill  the meatloaves over direct heat for 6-8 minutes per side. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Mustard Rubbed London Broil

I know I have lots of recipes for grilled meat on the blog, but I have an affinity for cooking outdoors during the summer. I like to think creatively and find ways to bring new flavors to a familiar cut of meat and cooking technique. I wrote this recipe down a few months ago and was able to re-test it a week or so ago to make sure it works as well as I remember. This is an incredibly simple way to bring new life to an inexpensive and ordinary cut of beef.

Mustard Rubbed London Broil
Serves 6
Prep Time: 5 minutes, plus 2 hours to marinate
Cook Time: 15 minutes

• One 5 lb London broil
• 1/2 cup dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced finely
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp cracked black epper

Combine the seasonings for the marinade until roughly the consistency of a loose paste. Rub liberally on both sides of the meat and allow to sit in a dish for 2 hours at room temperature to overnight in the refrigerator.
Pre-heat a grill or oven broiler to high for 10 minutes.
Grill or broil for roughly 8 minutes on one side, 7 on the other for medium rare. Make sure the meat isn't too close the broiler in the oven and keep checking the meat to not overcook. Allow to rest for 10 minutes under foil for even cooking. Serve sliced thinly against the grain.