Jonie
01-16-2004, 09:26 PM
I hosted our January Supper Club on Saturday January 10th at my home in SE PA!
My chosen theme was "Now That's Italian".. as so not to stray too far from my roots!
Appetizer made by Nancy was the Pepper Swirled Chick Pea Dip. (CL 12/99)
http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/display/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=223342
I had asked her to bring veggie dippers & she willingly obliged & I had supplied some romano crackers & soy protein bread sticks, too. This dip was very tasty & very pretty! Nancy swirled this together in a milk glass pedestal glass & there wasn't much left at the end of the party! She said it was quick & easy to make, too. It was commented that some of us preferred the crackers/breadsticks to dip instead of the veggies..
Soup was prepared by Kathleen..who thankfully is past the throes of morning sickness & was happy to join us again! The Quick Fall Minestrone was from the CL 10/03 issue http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/display/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=549834
This is an incredibly delicious soup! Kathleen reported it was easy to make & we agreed sweet potato could be substituted for the squash (easier to peel & chop). Since this was part of a large meal, we only served 1/2 c & it was filling.. It was commented this could be a meal in itself.
Kathy made the Caesar Salad from CL 10-03
http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/display/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=549799
She substituted anchovies for the anchovy paste in the dressing.. this dressing was very tasty! I had always shied away from "true" Caesar dressings due to the raw egg factor.. & was intrigued by this one since it called for egg beaters. She kindly left me the leftovers which I served with Sunday dinner & enjoyed the leftover dressing on salads f/lunch during the week!
I made the bread! Normally our hostesses do not prepare a course, but I had planned for 8 courses & only 7 members could make the dinner. I chose the Olive & Asiago Rolls from CL 12-02
http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/display/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=522320
I made the dough in my bread machine.. adding chopped black olives & grated asiago cheese part way through the kneading cycle.( I did not top the loaves w/the asiago) Since there were 8 for dinner, I made 8 individual small loaves of bread. After the 2nd rise, I omitted the egg wash & gave the loaves a shot of cooking spray & sprinkled some "dipping spices" on top. These were served on teh table w/cruets of different dipping oils: extra virgin olive oil; basil oil & a Mediterean oil that had spices & balsamic vinegar in it along with the dipping spices. All agreed this was a good bread!
Vicci, who hosted last month, prepared this months entree:
Chicken Cacciatore Pronto (CL 10-03)
http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/display/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=549786
The recipe called for boneless skinless chicken thighs & Vicci chose to prepare both thighs & breasts. She had doubled + added 25% to the sauce recipe since she had increased the amt of chicken. It took a very long time for the sauce to even somewhat thicken, even after we added a few TBS of frozen tomato paste. I would recommend not increasing the sauce ingredients unless the amount of chicken is significantly increased. This was a very good tasting dish. It was commented that the thighs were definitely more tender & flavorful than the breasts, but this recipe is definitely adaptable & good with either. We used all that sauce for....
....The Soft Polenta side dish made by Patty. This recipe is not on the website, but was from a CL magazine article I had clipped some time ago. We doubled the recipe; & Patty even brought white stone ground cornmeal she had bought in the Appalachians! It took a very long time (& many shifts of stirring!) for this to thicken. It may have been because we doubled the recipe and the fact that most polenta recipes call for a ratio of 3 parts water to 1 part cormeal & this one was 4 parts water to one part cornmeal. It was slightly firmer after sitting in the pan for awhile & was helpful in soaking up all that delicious cacciatore sauce!
The 2nd side dish , Crispy Zuchini Coins, (CL 10-97) http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/display/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=222601
was prepared by Meridee. We baked these on a parchment lined large baking sheet in the upper 3rd of the oven. These were easy to prepare ( we beat the egg whites in a bowl,then dumped them into a zip loc baggie, added the zucchini & then transferred the coated coins to another baggie that held the breading ingredients. The recipe called for these to baked in a single layer, but I have made similar recipes where the pieces were not in a single layer & still got good results. These were very good & enjoyed by all! Thanks go to Meridee for finding good zuchini out of season!
Now, a little explanation of the dessert I chose! Most Italians do not have the typical dessert after a meal that most Americans would think.. In Italy, dessert is usually fresh fruit, nuts, some cheese.. & most truly authentic Italian desserts are not ooey-gooey, but light & not very sweet. But Hey! This is America, right?!? :D
So, I chose the Cranberry Orange Gateau with Cream Cheese filling ( CL 9-03) http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/display/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=549728
The reason being this was a lighter dessert & the cake batter had cornmeal in it.. & there is a traditional Italian dessert that is called a cornmeal cake or sometimes a "crumbly" cake & this gateau made me think of that!
Jenni volunteered to make this & it was just fabulous! I had asked her to substitute FRESH cranberries instead of the dried & we all agreed this made a big impact on this dessert! It was gorgeous, too, as Jenni garnished the cake w/curls of citrus peel & some cranberries. This cake would be beautiful on a brunch table & I think it would be good at a wedding or baby shower, too... I plan to make this, doubling the recipe to make 2layers, one for now & one to freeze.
Other notes:
I had ordered a Taleggio cheese from www.igourmet.com ... & my comment on that is IF you could get beyond the smell of it ( which I could NOT!) maybe, just maybe you would be inclined to taste it..I doubt if I will buy cheese online again. This cheese was reviewed as an excellent snacking cheese w/crusty italian bread, to be melt on top of polenta etc etc.. Only a few were brave enough to try this, & it was commented that it would not be something anyone would buy!
Wine: a white Fontana Candida Frascati was the favorite...the red was a Biso Rosso Lunendi"
Chocolate hazelnut Italian candies were served along w/torrone & we had Italian coffee & assorted teas.
We all experienced intimate togetherness in my tiny dining room, but again, the food & company was excellent!
After dinner, the names of all members except myself & Allison who hosts next month, went into the biscotti jar & were drawn to see who hosts the remaining months of the year. We decided to do this so our hosting year would be committed to & of course , members willingly exchanged months as they saw fit.
Vicci did take some photos, so be on the look out for those, too!
Jonie ( who hopes to draw a spring/summer month to host next time!)
My chosen theme was "Now That's Italian".. as so not to stray too far from my roots!
Appetizer made by Nancy was the Pepper Swirled Chick Pea Dip. (CL 12/99)
http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/display/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=223342
I had asked her to bring veggie dippers & she willingly obliged & I had supplied some romano crackers & soy protein bread sticks, too. This dip was very tasty & very pretty! Nancy swirled this together in a milk glass pedestal glass & there wasn't much left at the end of the party! She said it was quick & easy to make, too. It was commented that some of us preferred the crackers/breadsticks to dip instead of the veggies..
Soup was prepared by Kathleen..who thankfully is past the throes of morning sickness & was happy to join us again! The Quick Fall Minestrone was from the CL 10/03 issue http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/display/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=549834
This is an incredibly delicious soup! Kathleen reported it was easy to make & we agreed sweet potato could be substituted for the squash (easier to peel & chop). Since this was part of a large meal, we only served 1/2 c & it was filling.. It was commented this could be a meal in itself.
Kathy made the Caesar Salad from CL 10-03
http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/display/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=549799
She substituted anchovies for the anchovy paste in the dressing.. this dressing was very tasty! I had always shied away from "true" Caesar dressings due to the raw egg factor.. & was intrigued by this one since it called for egg beaters. She kindly left me the leftovers which I served with Sunday dinner & enjoyed the leftover dressing on salads f/lunch during the week!
I made the bread! Normally our hostesses do not prepare a course, but I had planned for 8 courses & only 7 members could make the dinner. I chose the Olive & Asiago Rolls from CL 12-02
http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/display/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=522320
I made the dough in my bread machine.. adding chopped black olives & grated asiago cheese part way through the kneading cycle.( I did not top the loaves w/the asiago) Since there were 8 for dinner, I made 8 individual small loaves of bread. After the 2nd rise, I omitted the egg wash & gave the loaves a shot of cooking spray & sprinkled some "dipping spices" on top. These were served on teh table w/cruets of different dipping oils: extra virgin olive oil; basil oil & a Mediterean oil that had spices & balsamic vinegar in it along with the dipping spices. All agreed this was a good bread!
Vicci, who hosted last month, prepared this months entree:
Chicken Cacciatore Pronto (CL 10-03)
http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/display/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=549786
The recipe called for boneless skinless chicken thighs & Vicci chose to prepare both thighs & breasts. She had doubled + added 25% to the sauce recipe since she had increased the amt of chicken. It took a very long time for the sauce to even somewhat thicken, even after we added a few TBS of frozen tomato paste. I would recommend not increasing the sauce ingredients unless the amount of chicken is significantly increased. This was a very good tasting dish. It was commented that the thighs were definitely more tender & flavorful than the breasts, but this recipe is definitely adaptable & good with either. We used all that sauce for....
....The Soft Polenta side dish made by Patty. This recipe is not on the website, but was from a CL magazine article I had clipped some time ago. We doubled the recipe; & Patty even brought white stone ground cornmeal she had bought in the Appalachians! It took a very long time (& many shifts of stirring!) for this to thicken. It may have been because we doubled the recipe and the fact that most polenta recipes call for a ratio of 3 parts water to 1 part cormeal & this one was 4 parts water to one part cornmeal. It was slightly firmer after sitting in the pan for awhile & was helpful in soaking up all that delicious cacciatore sauce!
The 2nd side dish , Crispy Zuchini Coins, (CL 10-97) http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/display/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=222601
was prepared by Meridee. We baked these on a parchment lined large baking sheet in the upper 3rd of the oven. These were easy to prepare ( we beat the egg whites in a bowl,then dumped them into a zip loc baggie, added the zucchini & then transferred the coated coins to another baggie that held the breading ingredients. The recipe called for these to baked in a single layer, but I have made similar recipes where the pieces were not in a single layer & still got good results. These were very good & enjoyed by all! Thanks go to Meridee for finding good zuchini out of season!
Now, a little explanation of the dessert I chose! Most Italians do not have the typical dessert after a meal that most Americans would think.. In Italy, dessert is usually fresh fruit, nuts, some cheese.. & most truly authentic Italian desserts are not ooey-gooey, but light & not very sweet. But Hey! This is America, right?!? :D
So, I chose the Cranberry Orange Gateau with Cream Cheese filling ( CL 9-03) http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/display/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=549728
The reason being this was a lighter dessert & the cake batter had cornmeal in it.. & there is a traditional Italian dessert that is called a cornmeal cake or sometimes a "crumbly" cake & this gateau made me think of that!
Jenni volunteered to make this & it was just fabulous! I had asked her to substitute FRESH cranberries instead of the dried & we all agreed this made a big impact on this dessert! It was gorgeous, too, as Jenni garnished the cake w/curls of citrus peel & some cranberries. This cake would be beautiful on a brunch table & I think it would be good at a wedding or baby shower, too... I plan to make this, doubling the recipe to make 2layers, one for now & one to freeze.
Other notes:
I had ordered a Taleggio cheese from www.igourmet.com ... & my comment on that is IF you could get beyond the smell of it ( which I could NOT!) maybe, just maybe you would be inclined to taste it..I doubt if I will buy cheese online again. This cheese was reviewed as an excellent snacking cheese w/crusty italian bread, to be melt on top of polenta etc etc.. Only a few were brave enough to try this, & it was commented that it would not be something anyone would buy!
Wine: a white Fontana Candida Frascati was the favorite...the red was a Biso Rosso Lunendi"
Chocolate hazelnut Italian candies were served along w/torrone & we had Italian coffee & assorted teas.
We all experienced intimate togetherness in my tiny dining room, but again, the food & company was excellent!
After dinner, the names of all members except myself & Allison who hosts next month, went into the biscotti jar & were drawn to see who hosts the remaining months of the year. We decided to do this so our hosting year would be committed to & of course , members willingly exchanged months as they saw fit.
Vicci did take some photos, so be on the look out for those, too!
Jonie ( who hopes to draw a spring/summer month to host next time!)