I've Been To A Marvelous Party

Sherry's Salmon and Scallops in Clementine Glaze

"I went to a marvelous party..." wrote Noel Coward in 1938, speaking of a bohemian bacchanal on the French Riviera.  I could say the same, with equal conviction, in 2011; last Saturday night, I went to my own birthday party, in my own home: didn't have to lift a finger to have the most delicious, intriguing meal, and an utterly fabulous time! (Click here to see more photos of the event.)

Izabel and Sherry Prep for Dinner

My friend Sherry Moore (click here for Sherry's bio) who, as I've often said, is an extraordinary human being in many, many ways, threw a party for me the like of which has not been known before—at least not in this neck of the woods.  She planned for weeks, she invited the guests, she arranged flowers and set a gorgeous table—the last with the invaluable assistance of our friend and household angel, Izabel B.  On the day, Sherry and Izabel cooked and served what Sherry modestly described as a 'tapas style dinner:' a series of mini-courses each more elegant and inviting than the last.

The Famous Grazing Menu Dinner Party

The Famous Grazing Menu Dinner Party

(a foodie fable)

Once upon a time, long ago and far away, we made a fabulous dinner. 

(Truth to tell, it wasn't far away at all: it was in Cambridge.  And it wasn't all that long ago, either, although it was before Labor Day, which feels like ancient history by now.)  Anyway, in that distant epoch, Colin and his lovely girlfriend, Eden, came to visit Anne and Ken in Cambridge,
and were joined there by Colin's mother, Su.  Both of us—Colin and Anne, that is—wanted to throw a party to honor Sherry, Anne's local best bud who helped Colin out of a jam last spring, inviting Sherry's partner, Joan, as the seventh guest. 
Talking this over weeks in advance, Colin had suggested a grazing menu: the kind of dinner made up of lots of smaller dishes, served casually and without the traditional sequence of courses.

Brown Sugar Shortcake with Grilled Fruit and Lime-Scented Goat’s Milk “Crème Fraîche”

Brown Sugar Shortcake with Grilled Fruit and Lime-Scented Goat’s Milk “Crème Fraîche”

Anne Milton
August, 2010

For Shortcakes:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup loosely-packed brown sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
Generous 1/4 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4” dice and chilled in freezer
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, thoroughly chilled
1 Tablespoon light brown or raw cane sugar (for sprinkling)

Quinoa Tabouli

Quinoa Tabouli

Based on an original tabouli recipe from David Killick
Adapted with quinoa by Anne and Colin
September, 2010

1 cup raw quinoa, (click here for online sources) rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 medium red or white onion, chopped
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
1 small bunch fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1 small mild green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large English cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 or 2 medium tomatoes, chopped (optional)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed (or more to taste)
juice of 3 lemons (or more to taste)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (or to taste)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste (optional)

Fennel and Radicchio Citrus Slaw with Pine Nuts

Fennel and Radicchio Citrus Slaw with Pine Nuts

Anne Milton
September, 2010

1/2 medium red onion, sliced in thin rings
juice of 1 lemon
2 clementines, or 1 small tangerine, zested
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 shallot, minced
2 heads radicchio, shaved thin with very sharp knife
2 bulbs fennel, trimmed and sliced thin
1 cup parsley leaves, chopped
feathery fronds from fennel, chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts (click here to find online)

Spiced Lamb Meatballs

Spiced Lamb Meatballs

Colin Killick
September, 2010

1 lb ground lamb
½ white onion, finely minced
½ bell pepper, finely minced
1 clove garlic, crushed
approximately ¼ bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
1-2 jalapenos, finely minced or 1 jalapeno and 1 chipotle pepper (optional)
2 sun-dried tomatoes, softened in boiling water and finely minced (optional)
2 tsp ground cumin (or more if you really love cumin)
splash Maggi seasoning (click here to buy) or Worcestershire sauce*
splash balsamic vinegar
salt to taste
dash black pepper
dash white pepper

Tomatillo- Cilantro Pesto

Tomatillo- Cilantro Pesto

Colin Killick
September, 2010

approximately 3/4 bunch cilantro
1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled  and cubed.
juice of 3 limes
¼ cup finely grated hard Mexican cheese (cotija is good) or use ricotta salata
½ cup shelled pumpkin seeds, toasted in skillet until lightly browned
½ cup caramelized onion* (optional)
1 Hatch or serrano chile, chopped.
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
splash red wine vinegar

Grilled Vegetable Crostini

Grilled Vegetable Crostini

Colin Killick
September, 2010

1 medium eggplant, unpeeled, cut in 1/2” thick slices
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt or kosher salt
1/3 cup olive oil (approx.)
1 red bell pepper, cut in half and seeded
1 small, fairly mild green pepper (cubanelle, poblano, etc.) cut in half and seeded
1 medium onion, peeled and left whole
1 large head garlic, unpeeled, wrapped in foil
1 lime, cut in half
4 oz soft goat cheese
black pepper to taste
dash paprika (smoked paprika—pimentón— is best)
1/2 teaspoon dried dill, or to taste
1 clove raw garlic (optional)
1 baguette (French bread), sliced on the diagonal about 1” thick

Chouriço and Green Olive Wontons

Chouriço and Green Olive Wontons

Colin Killick
September, 2010

3/4 lb mild to hot chouriço, according to taste
3/4 cup pitted green olives, preferably un-stuffed
Olive oil, as needed
1 pkg small-size wonton wrappers
Small bowl of water
Dash sweet paprika
Dash black pepper
A few sprigs dried rosemary, crumbled
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika)
Thin strips of leek, for garnish