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Donatella Cooks: Simple Food Made Glamorous - Hardcover

Arpaia, Donatella

 
9781605296425: Donatella Cooks: Simple Food Made Glamorous
Hardcover
ISBN 10: 1605296422 ISBN 13: 9781605296425
Verlag: Rodale Press, 2010

Inhaltsangabe

Dubbed "the hostess with the mostest" by Zagats, Donatella Arpaia is a ubiquitous and striking presence on the national food scene. Literally raised in the business, she knows precisely what makes a guest feel welcome, whether in one of her wildly popular restaurants or one-on-one in her home. Yet every day she meets would-be home cooks—sophisticated, confident, successful women with discriminating palates—whose confidence evaporates at the kitchen door.

For these discerning diners, Donatella has written Donatella Cooks, a sassy, spirited guide to cooking and entertaining with flair. Writing with humor, wit, and practicality, she covers every element of a great evening, from super simple yet delectable food to the perfect music, drinks, and décor. Her foolproof recipes are brimming with bold flavor yet so easy to prepare even novice cooks can pull them off without breaking a sweat. Whether it's a romantic dinner for two or a cocktail gala for dozens, Donatella Cooks has the winning formula for the perfect evening.

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

DONATELLA ARPAIA is the co-owner of restaurants in New York City and Miami and a judge on Food Network's Who Will Be the Next Iron Chef?

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

chapter one

HORS D'OEUVRES

Winter

Pecorino Fonduta with Lavender Honey

Bagna Cauda

Baked Buffalo Ricotta

Mixed Italian Salumi with Artisanal Jams

Sauteed Spicy Cracked Olives

Donatella's Popcorn

Spring

Baked Figs with Prosciutto and Gorgonzola

Salmon and Caviar Crostini

Sicilian Tuna and White Bean Bruschetta

Simple Crostini

Bresaola Purses

Summer

Farinata with Fontina and Rosemary

Grilled Swordfish and Watermelon Skewers

Mini Caprese

Seafood Salad in Radicchio Cups

Fall

Zucchini alla Scapece

Greek Pizzettes

Pear and Cinnamon Compote with a Selection of Cheeses

Gorgonzola Dolce, Bacon, and Onion Crostini

Any great dish can be miniaturized. That's probably the most important thing I learned when I was first faced with serving hors d'oeuvres. Even though I was in the restaurant business, the idea of creating the kind of passed canapes that are made by cooks with serious knife skills was daunting. So, at first I turned to the same tried, true, and tired cocktail party solutions--though let the record reflect I never, ever went as far as that horribly mealy shrimp ring that seems to be everywhere. As I began to work closely with chefs, I had a culinary epiphany: It wasn't the ingredients that made a dish an hors d'oeuvre; it was the size. I could miniaturize just about any of the dishes I loved: arugula rolled in a salty strip of bresaola, swordfish steak cut into chunks and threaded onto a little skewer with fruit and cheese, a shot glass or teacup of soup, or risotto served in Asian soup spoons. With a little creativity, nearly any dish can be turned into an hors d'oeuvre.

There are a few rules, though. Technically, an hors d'oeuvre shouldn't require a fork or plate and it shouldn't take more than two bites to eat. I'm all for improvising, but these are important points to keep in mind. I know you know what it's like to try to balance a small plate and a drink while engaging in riveting conversation--not fun. Or elegant. I also strongly suggest that you refrain from offering any seriously DIY dishes. Anything that requires more assembly than spreading some dip or placing a piece of cheese on a cracker falls into this category. After all, you're not hosting craft night. As a corollary, avoid leaky, bulky, or otherwise cumbersome hors d'oeuvres that might wind up on a guest's dress or tie.

As for premade items, I once read that Julia Child regularly served Pepperidge Farm goldfish crackers at cocktail hour. That's confidence. You, too, can serve cheese crackers to your guests--once you've thoroughly mastered French culinary techniques as she did! Until then, you'll need to do more than open a package of snacks and dump them into a bowl. I don't mean that you can't open a few containers and boxes of top-quality ingredients and assemble them artfully. In fact, I highly recommend it! If you can count the number of cocktail parties you've hosted on one hand, then 80 percent of your menu should consist of recipes you assemble. If you're chronically time-strapped, that's another perfectly valid reason.

Pulling together a spread of hors d'oeuvres with as little actual cooking as possible is really the way to go if you're a novice--or nervous-- hostess, because you need to focus on the rest of the meal. Spooning a partially prepared seafood salad (for which you make the dressing) into a radicchio cup or baking fresh ricotta in a foil packet can make you look like a genius in the kitchen. If you do use premade items for your hors d'oeuvre spread, don't broadcast the fact that it didn't come from your kitchen! Replate or decant every single thing onto a platter or into a container. I have a set of beautiful little wooden bowls with matching wooden spoons that I scoop purchased spreads and pestos into. With a quick drizzle of beautiful olive oil and a basket of sliced walnut bread, it appears to have come from my own kitchen. This isn't about taking credit for other people's work, but about making what you serve seem special and in keeping with the style that you want to convey.

There are two characteristics that separate really good hors d'oeuvres from the bad and the ugly: size and packaging. You can make the most delicious hors d'oeuvres in the history of cocktail parties, but if they're thoughtlessly presented--wrong vessel or worse, wrong size vessel--there goes your entertaining cred. A basic rule of thumb: Go for a look of plenty without overcrowding. Putting 2 cups of olives in a 4-cup bowl makes them look skimpy; piling them in a 1 1/2-cup bowl gives an impression of abundance. Pull together a decent collection of platters, bowls, plates, trays, and serving utensils in varying sizes, then supplement with unusual pieces. Restaurant supply stores (check out www.jbprince.com) are my go-to source for mini cast iron skillets, ramekins in every size, stands for holding paper cones (that you can fill with my over-the-top popcorn, page 14), and so much else. In fact, when I'm navigating the offerings online, I relent on my "no plastic utensils" rule a bit because some of the mini plastic items are adorable. Bamboo items are also plentiful; among my favorites are skewers (no more toothpicks!) and tongs (so cute). Asian soup spoons are another fabulous vehicle for holding pasta, risotta, etc.... Hit the bath, office, and storage departments at IKEA for unusual serving pieces, and don't snub other mass retailers such as Crate&Barrel (great for plain white tableware), Pottery Barn (for an occasional decorative table accent) and The Container Store (for an excellent selection of serving vessels). Florist shops and even the hardware store (think slabs of glass, pieces of slate, ceramic tiles to use as platters) are also great places to stock up.

donatella do's

* Dress up a cheese platter with an artisanal honey--chestnut, lavender, or acacia, for example for instant culinary credibility. Serve it with a honey spool or, if it comes on the comb, set it directly on the serving tray with a small knife for spreading.

* Indulge in a proper shrimp cocktail. Put peeled, poached shrimp in a huge bowl filled with crushed ice and lots of lemon wedges. Buy cocktail sauce (usually the fishmonger sells a nice one) and grate fresh horseradish into it to suggest it was homemade.

* Smoked fish is a no-brainer hors d'oeuvre. Skip the expected smoked salmon, and try smoked sturgeon or trout.

* Always taste purchased spreads--such as artichoke, sun-dried tomato, and olive-- before serving them to guests. There are hundreds of brands to choose from, some far superior in taste and quality than others. My favorites are Bella Cucina for the artichoke spread and Colavita for tapenades.

* Use paper cocktail napkins if you're serving a crowd; for any fewer than eight, use linen.

* Empty the garbage before everyone arrives. You don't want to be dragging it out in front of guests!

* Help your guests to be as elegant as you are: If toothpicks or pits are involved, provide an obvious vessel in which to dispose of them. No one wants to spend the night with a fistful of napkins and pits! I set out small bowls and rattan baskets in various spots around the room for discreet disposal.

I often find an evening-long cocktail party is the most modern way to entertain. It's partly a reflection of the small-plate trend on restaurant menus and also a matter of practicality: Many who are new to entertaining don't have the gear or the real estate to seat more than eight people comfortably. For an evening-long cocktail party, a mix of light and substantial hors d'oeuvres is a must, as is a tantalizing spread of hors d'oeuvre-size desserts from your favorite patisserie. All of the same presentation rules apply--I have several glass slabs from...

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Verlag
Rodale Press
Erscheinungsdatum
2010
Sprache
Englisch
ISBN 10 
1605296422
ISBN 13 
9781605296425
Einband
Gebundene Ausgabe
Anzahl der Seiten
248
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Verantwortliche Person
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