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Super-casual entertaining.


mskerr

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Hi all -

I am a very casual person. Not a single fancy or formal bone in my body. My partner and most of our friends and acquaintances are the same way. Also pretty young (26) and not experienced at all in entertaining guests. My parents don't really cook, so our rare occasional with guests involved something simple like a box of pasta and a jar of sauce and a basic iceberg salad and some garlic bread. Parties were potlucks, with the de riguer hotdogs, burgers, iceberg and three-bean salads, big bags of white buns, mud pie, etc. At the relatives', it was more like salami, cheese, crackers, a big cheesy lasagna, salad, and cake. I myself love trying my hand at all sorts of cooking - but not tackling too many ambitious projects on the same day.

How do you all handle feeding laid-back guests/ crowds?

I would like to do a bit more than I do now - usually putting out a plate with some crackers, cheese, and salami and then making a larger amount of one of our humble weeknight standards. I don't care to get too fancy or formal or over-involved, but do want to think beyond the cliches - the usual carrots and ranch, and chips and french onion dip sort of thing. (I should also mention, the men-folk are always keen to grill - i.e., stand around and drink beer- but usually by the time they get the coals just right and the meat slightly under- or over-cooked, its 11 pm.)

Cheers!

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I spend a lot of time in Denmark, which almost worships 'casual', and definitely does not have a food-focused culture like the one I grew up in (in Italy), so I go for large volume-dishes of things that have minimal prep., and that build flavour thanks to an extended cooking time, and that you can hold at the desired temperature for an extended time without hurting the result (so, a lot of braises; a heavy pot/dutch oven helps keep things warm longer on the table). Large salads (or other nice raw vegetable preps) with the dressing on the side, plenty of bread/rice/potatoes, and everyone is happy, including the one or two people who have tastebuds, and actually notice the food. Dessert is usually ice cream (possibly with a wide selection of toppings, so people get to play with it a bit) or some sort of spiced cookie. Tiramisu is good too, if you don't make yourself nuts prepping it.

I don't usually bother with appetizers; if the food is ready to eat, it's simpler to get everyone seated around the table and getting on with the meal; really late arrivals won't be left out, if you make plenty of food.

Some things sound like good options, but tend to get cold really quickly, and can't always be kept hot without cause the food to deteriorate in some way (pizza, pasta). Lasagne is a maybe; it can be very good even when it's cooled down a bit, but cold, it's pretty awful.

If I'm cooking for a large casual gathering (read 'nearly every gathering Denmark'), I tend to err on the side of making a bit too much, but making sure that whatever I've made makes for pleasant leftovers (again braises--root vegetables/virtually any kind of meat, it does wonders for the cheap, tough cuts, that have a lot of flavour--and salads without a dressing are winners).

Michaela, aka "Mjx"
Manager, eG Forums
mscioscia@egstaff.org

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Neither I nor my immediate family have ever held a "formal" dinner party with served courses or the like. Even big holidays are pot-luck and served on paper plates at my grandmother's house (there are usually around 30ppl - who wants to do dishes?). But just because the atmosphere is casual doesn't mean you can't do something unusual or creative with the food. It also doesn't mean that every single dish has to be over the top either. At your next gathering, start by bumping up the quality of the cheese / meats you put out and maybe add a few extras like fig preserves and grilled bread or pate like you would see in a restaurant. Or for your main dish, choose something new to try out - but still in your comfort zone. Slowly you'll expand your repertoire without going over the top all at once.

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I'm a big fan of cheese fondues and Chinese hot pots. Easy to do, but it's lots of fun, super casual, and looks cool with the steaming pot of cheese/broth and colourful bowls of veggies & meat on the table.

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I tend to keep things casual due to a lack of space (i.e. I can seat maybe 6 people at a table but possibly double that if I could rely on really nice weather and move the whole operation outside) and, too, knowing my audience. I know people who arrive consistently late. And me, I don't really care. I aim for the food and everything else to withstand that.

In your situation you could look at something like pulled pork or brisket. Or spit-roasted meat of some kind. Or, if that's not your idea of a good time, I'm fond of choosing a region or theme to focus on--i.e. the deep south or Escoffier. At the moment I'm in the process of abandoning several large dishes and moving towards canape-sized portions of many different things.

Chris Taylor

Host, eG Forums - ctaylor@egstaff.org

 

I've never met an animal I didn't enjoy with salt and pepper.

Melbourne
Harare, Victoria Falls and some places in between

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I do this every single Friday, for between 3 and 30 people, depending on who's in the neighbourhood at any given time. MJX has it exactly - potluck, braises, soups, and things that can keep without losing their yum factor, if somebody comes late. I do a lot of soup-based things, because soup just gets better the longer it simmers, and the nights when I do cabbage rolls (again, very easy to make large quantities and keep warm for long periods) are among the most popular dinner "parties" I've ever thrown. Pasta salads are also great, as are many small-sized finger-foodish things. Dumplings are definitely something to look into, as many of those can be served cold with no ill effect. And the Scandinavian staple Smörgåsbord is absolutely not only worth exploring the traditions, but also a great option that allows you to serve delicious cold things that won't be affected by timing.

Failing that, you can always make one main, say a hearty soup or stew, and then point your guests to the fridge and snack cupboard and say "have at it" (this works fabulously when you know the people you have over really really well) - a sort of "mi casa es su casa" thing that allows them the ultimate flexibility of food choices (and might also rid you of some pesky leftovers.... :laugh: )

Elizabeth Campbell, baking 10,000 feet up at 1° South latitude.

My eG Food Blog (2011)My eG Foodblog (2012)

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Pulled meat of any kind on small buns (that way you can have two) with sauces and roasted onions (less work than fried), cole slaw on the side. That's an easy meal. We tend to serve Tex/Cal/Mex. That's pretty casual.

Salads that keep a few days are terrific for casual entertaining, things made with beans, sweet potatoes, quinoa, bulgur, chickpeas.

Sometimes we do a Ploughman's Lunch for folks we are not sure of: cheeses, breads, fruits, cold meats (not for me), this and that.

Ed makes a terrific macaroni and cheese dish which his Mother made. With a green salad, that's about as casual as you can get.

I always have homemade ice cream in the freezer which makes a good dessert.

I guess the list is endless. Best of luck to you.

Edited by Darienne (log)

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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I grew up helping mom entertaining in the 70's and even then it was relatively informal. I did learn some tricks about passed around appetizers (the h word spelling escape me), pacing, and proper amounts. If there is not a set time spelled out for dinner, just arrival at say 7pm, it is nice to have some platters of items that hold for bit like toasts with a spread. If you want to do a sit down meal then it can be helpful in the beginning of your "career" to do it buffet style so that there are no plating issues. You put out the food and they pick up their plates and assemble. A little dessert is nice- don't over shoot at the beginning - cookie platters with coffee or a little ice cream station. The more relaxed you are, the more the guests will get into the mood of conviviality and food enjoyment which, to me, is the goal.

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I'm a big fan of cheese fondues and Chinese hot pots. Easy to do, but it's lots of fun, super casual, and looks cool with the steaming pot of cheese/broth and colourful bowls of veggies & meat on the table.

Just today I was thinking about getting a Fondue pot. This is extra motivation. Having been a bit too young to really remember the fondue craze, and only having had it twice, I would love some tips for fondue! Is it coming back in a retro-cool sort of way?

And I am totally curious about hot pots! Have only seen them on Bourdain. Again, any tips would be very appreciated!

Oh yes I love Chinese hot pots but I can't resist the urge to make it look pretty ;)

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Gorgeous photos Keith W!

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MJX has it exactly - potluck, braises, soups, and things that can keep without losing their yum factor, if somebody comes late.

Yes, definitely. Soups and braises are my favorite things to make for this very reason. Especially for the leftovers the next day.

I think we need a definition of "casual."

Sounds complicated. For myself, if it helps at all, I try to buy quality ingredients, but inexpensively. Haven't had foie gras or caviar or wine that costs more than $15 a bottle yet. I'm not up on modernist cuisine or anything avant- garde. I like making colorful meals that are nice to look at, but I don't care to get too involved with presentation and aesthetics, like making little precious stacks of food on dainty little plates with one little baby carrot placed just so. Substance over style, always. I don't care very much about the plates or the table- setting. I'm happy to drink out of a mason jar. Generally by the time we're eating, when there's guests over, everyone's got a bit of lowbrow beer under the belt. Not a lot of mixology going on around this house - not even limes in the Corona. When I think about the most satisfying and welcome meals in my life, they're all very simple. Most of them come from my backpacking days - a simple crockpot roast chicken made by a friend, or a plate of loaded nachos made by my bachelor housemate, or a simple greasy lamb steak with salt and pepper at a BBQ. So, when I cook for others, my only focus is trying to make a more-or-less simple, satisfying meal. Does that help at all?

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Things where I am now are so casual that guests will often bring a large portion of the food! I love the more casual way of entertaining, where nothing is particularly timed and guests can join in.

My most recent success was spaghetti and meatballs for 16 - yes, the big pot of a weeknight standard and all, but still very enjoyable. If you re looking for new ideas, one way to mix it up a bit might be to think along themes: say a winter lunch of perogies and cabbage rolls, and snacky things that go with it. Or a Chinese red-braised dish with rice and a few simple side dishes, and tea eggs and dumplings for appetisers. As far as desserts go, go with Heidi's approach and keep it simple. A fruit plate is nice in summer, and we often just do a big plate of little sweet things that are mostly purchased: broken up dark chocolate, special cookies/candies, dried fruit and spiced nuts served with coffee and maybe port.

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And I am totally curious about hot pots! Have only seen them on Bourdain. Again, any tips would be very appreciated!

Well, you need a hot pot set. It looks like this. That particular one is a traditional charcoal burner, which I definitely do not recommend because you can not control the heat. There are gas powered and electric alternatives - the one I have is electric. You could also use a hot plate or a portable induction cooktop - then you need a wide and shallow vessel. Something like a flat bottomed wok would do.

Suitable accompaniments are as shown in my photo. Because Chinese hot pot is so popular among Asian families (it is cheap and easy to do), there are shops that specialize in ingredients for hot pot. We typically get 3 types of vegetables, assorted tofu, shaved meat, fishballs, noodles, and eggs.

Then you have to make the broth. This is really easy - I buy a pack of chicken soup herbs from the Asian grocery, a few chicken racks, and a Chinese cabbage. Parboil the chicken racks to purge the impurities, then remove and refresh. Simmer the cleaned racks in the soup along with the herbs and half the cabbage for an hour. Season gently, and you are done.

There is a certain method to cooking and eating your food. Try it in a hot pot restaurant first before attempting it at home.

Another type of casual party I like to throw is the pizza party :) I make all the bases and sauces in advance, then cook the pizzas to order. Because I have a flaming hot kamado outside, I can cook each pizza in 3 minutes. It takes longer to place the toppings than to cook the pizza. Spare dough can be turned into foccacias which the guests can take home, and spare sauce and condiments can be turned into a bastardized version of bolognaise the next day.

Here is a mushroom, taleggio, and chermoula pizza:

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Edited by Keith_W (log)
There is no love more sincere than the love of food - George Bernard Shaw
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I've heard that a fondue pot will double for hot pot. Any experience with this?

Yeah, I think a visit to a hot pot restaurant is called for, as well as a visit to the nearby Chinese market.

On the dessert note - I agree with keeping it simple, and the fruit suggestions. I think grilled pineapple is the perfect dessert, maybe with some rum caramel sauce or something (which I haven't tried yet) if it needs a bit of jazzing up. I don't have much of a sweet tooth myself, so I'm way more fussed about the savory food, but my go-to dessert now is Chocolate Whiskey Cake (Paula Disbrowe's recipe) which is a definite crowd-pleaser and easy to make.

When we just have a couple friends over, I'm amazed at how quickly a bunch of thirty something dudes will devour a bag of tootsie roll pops. Too easy!

Edited because I forgot the dessert bit.

Edited by mskerr (log)
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I've heard that a fondue pot will double for hot pot. Any experience with this?

Yeah, I think a visit to a hot pot restaurant is called for, as well as a visit to the nearby Chinese market.

I'm not sure that a cheese fondue pot would work for hot pot, since you'd want the broth in a hot pot to be able to come to at least a good strong simmer. You want the raw seafood & meats to be able to fully cook in the broth at a not-quite-rolling boil. My fondue pot uses a liquid fuel in the burner, and it doesn't get hot enough to boil the broth (actually, it's only good for cheese, I can't even do the oil fondue in it).

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That's it, not inviting you over for hotpot! I don't make mine look pretty at all :blink:

Oh yes I love Chinese hot pots but I can't resist the urge to make it look pretty ;)

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Other than hot pot, I also love having Korean bbq with friends around. I don't use charcoal at home, just a portable stove. Since I have 2 stoves at home, we have had both hot pot and bbq going at the same time.

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