Dinner Party Panic

[Portia_Smith]

A friend is invited for dinner.

I had planned a casual, low impact menu of whole wheat pitas stuffed with halmoumi and toasted til all the cheese is melty and fabulous - served alongside beetroot and basil relish.

Grilled halibut with cumin roasted potatos and lemon coriander salsa. Steamed green beans and carrots.

A fancy schmancy cake.

However.. I've awoken with a head ache and a bad attitude, the arrival of my new job contract with it's surprise 8 week notice period and the incipient end of my enjoyable leisure filled days schlepping around the house has not proved beneficial to choosing or baking fancy schmancy cake.

Not to worry - a quick scout around some cook books meant that I could easily do poached spiced figs in red wine, served with vanilla ice cream and amaretti.

But I've just been to my local Waitrose and the halibut was going to set me back £25... WTF? It didn't even look particularly good either. That's what happens when you only buy gutted mackeral from the wet fish counter and start to believe all fish has to be that cheap.

So - I've changed the halibut main to a kinda southwestern influenced (and by that i'm not meaning cornwall) marinated chicken thigh creation, wrapped in bacon and baked.. same sides.

Sigh - so who else plans these events and then has to re-arrange their menu at the last minute???

I better get marinating!

[Anna N]

But I've just been to my local Waitrose and the halibut was going to set me back £25...  WTF?  It didn't even look particularly good either.  That's what happens when you only buy gutted mackeral from the wet fish counter and start to believe all fish has to be that cheap.

So - I've changed the halibut main to a kinda southwestern influenced (and by that i'm not meaning cornwall) marinated chicken thigh creation, wrapped in bacon and baked.. same sides.

Sigh - so who else plans these events and then has to re-arrange their menu at the last minute???

I better get marinating!

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I do, frequently. Most of the time I have a Plan B but last week I had decided on chicken - who needs a Plan B when you are serving chicken? Guess what - my local supermarket's chicken order had not come in!

[Portia_Smith]

Ahhhh.. Plan B! It must be admitted that I was without the plan B.

So Anna- when the chicken wasn't at the store, what did you do? Chicken surprise.. The surprise being - there's no chicken?

I have to admit, the preparation hasn't been too bad so far - the chook is marinating in a mix of lime and orange juice with chile powder, loads of garlic and coriander, paprika and cumin. It's in the fridge for the next few hours when I'll have to wrap it in bacon prior to roasting.

The figs are simmering in the red wine.

But the coriander and lemon salsa has raised another issue. I whizzed up a load of fresh coriander with a green chile, some lemon juice, salt and green onion. But there is no coriander smell at all emanating from the concoction. To my mind, it should reek and be green, grassy and herbaceous.

Nothing.

Now - I don't have a cold - so I've eminated my sense of smell being up the creek. The next thought was that the chopped flat leaf parsley I bought was used insted of the coriander. But nooooo.. that's still safely in it's little baggie.

(note - in the area I live, the fresh herb is unknown outside of the sealed plastic 50 g bag imported from spain or israel)

Then I thought - maybe the producers have commited a horrendous act of mis-labelling. On opening the flat leaf parsley, it is absolutely identical to coriander. That's not right is it? AAAARGH..

To add to the mystery - as one herb is from spain, and the other from israel - it would take a big mix up for that to occur.

Well - it's a salsa verde. Perhaps coriander, perhaps parsley.

bugger.

[Bridgestone]

Sorry to make matters worse but isn't halloumi perhaps the only cheese in the world that WON'T get "melty"? I've grilled halloumi and even pan-fried it but haven't succeeded in melting it...

[racheld]

Reminder of my college roommate's invitation: Let's go over to the cafeteria and if they have any ham, we'll have ham and eggs if they have any eggs.

And I'm shuddering at the US exchange---25 pounds for fish for TWO? To cook at home. And provide all the sides and dessert. Wow.

And the sauce sounds greenly scrumptious and refreshing. Maybe a forever-found serendipity recipe you'll use and use.

[Portia_Smith]

well- i've had the salsa verde covered and in the fridge for a little while now - and i've just gone and tasted it. it now tastes of coriander - which is a relief.. i was getting a little paranoid!

i know - the price of fish is INSANE! Admittedly it's for three of us (my hubby will be eating too) but there was no way i was going to pay that. I did a very, very bad thing too... she wrapped up the fish for me. I saw the price... panicked and hid it in the dairy section case near the yogurts. I will go to hell, won't I?

Re the haloumi - let's just subsitute warmed for melty. Do you think the beetroot relish thing is ok?

The figs have turned out fabulously - they're going in martini glasses with the ice cream and amaretti balanced on the side.

time to HOOVER....

[ludja]

Great 'recovery' in process, I'd say!

...

Re the haloumi - let's just subsitute warmed for melty. Do you think the beetroot relish thing is ok?

...

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I think the beet relish sounds great with the cheese. I really like marinated/vinegary beets with either goat cheese or feta as well.

[Portia_Smith]

liebe ludja!

i'm such a huge fan of beetroot/vinegar and herbs - in australia it is de rigeur to have on a burger along with a fried egg! I had toyed with the idea of a vinagrette with pumpkin seed oil and cider vinegar along with some parsley.. but figured i had enough green herb stuff happening already.

i feel a bit of a fraud as most of the interesting bits of the meal have been purchased - i should really have made the biscotti, the pita bread....etc, etc. But hey - as explained upthread. I wasn't in the best mood and i can imagine that transmitting itself to the biscuits.

I had promised my friend that I'd do an Austrian themed meal.. znaimer goulasch, noodles, krautsalad and chestnut schnitte for dessert.. but it's impossible to get proper cucumbers here. I do have a lot of slivovice and borovicka to finish off the night with though..

i walk up to meet my husband at the station at 6:15 - and the guest is to arrive around 7 - so i can chuck the pitas in the oven when he arrives, have a beer - and then put the chicken and spuds in then too..

[Chufi]

Sigh - so who else plans these events and then has to re-arrange their menu at the last minute???

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but ofcourse. All the time!

having a plan B is good, but failing that there will always be a plan BB presenting itself when you need it the most. You just have to let go of the concept you had in your mind about the dinner. And one very important thing.. I think.. is to never ever let your guests know they are on plan B (or BB), except if they are really very good and close friends and you can have a laugh about it. Otherwise: don't say to your dinner guests "you know, this was supposed to turn out so and so but it didn't, it came out quite different, oh if you only knew what I had planned for you!"

If you believe in the meal you're serving, so will your guests. No-one has to know about the halibut in the dairy section. Chicken was predestined for your dinnertable!

[Portia_Smith]

my friend is a free lance IT geek and has been all alone in his apartment working away on something involving flash.. so i think he'll be delighted to be fed and watered. Chufi, you're right! I believe in this meal! - and what else do they say? better good friends at table in humble circumstances that dining on truffles with your enemy.

Chook is in the oven - as are spuds.

My husbands train is horribly delayed - there have been lightning strikes in London and all the signalling has been affected - but that buys me some time as i won't have to go up and meet him.

My only timing problem was that I forgot that I can't hang around in my alluring socks/birkenstock sweat pants combo that has been my uniform this rainy week. I've MADE AN EFFORT!

My toilette has been attended to. I have been arranged. I am wearing a tres expensive pair of boots I bought in Bath last year that can't be worn outside the house as I'll be crippled and/or fall over.

I have banished the halibut from my mind... poulet all the way!

[Rehovot]

It sounds like you have everything under control... Pour yourself some wine, prop your gorgeous boots up on a chair, and relax.

I go through Plan B mode all the time; living without a car and somewhere where nearly every store that sells weekend-dinner-party food is closed from Friday afternoon through Saturday night has made me start thinking about Saturday dinner parties on Tuesday.

Around Friday morning, I work out the major kinks (but not all, of course) and am usually on Plan Z.

Lots of wine, good food, and guests who are good friends will make up for most snafus on the part of the chef, who should also get to enjoy the process and results.

Cheers! Attagirl!

Edited for spelling

Edited March 9, 2006 by Rehovot (log)

[lmarshal1]

Portia: I'm eager to hear how your evening turns out!

I love pickled beets. How do you make beet relish? I keep good-sized jars of pickled beets in my refrigerator all the time. So easy to prepare and Yum! But I've never made beet relish or seen a recipe for it.

Hoping that your evening is fine! lkm

[ludja]

...

My only timing problem was that I forgot that I can't hang around in my alluring socks/birkenstock sweat pants combo that has been my uniform this rainy week.  I've  MADE AN EFFORT! 

My toilette has been attended to.  I have been arranged.  I am wearing a tres expensive pair of boots I bought in Bath last year that can't be worn outside the house as I'll be crippled and/or fall over.

I have banished the halibut from my mind...  poulet all the way!

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Too funny.

A perfect situation regarding the boots-- as long as they don't impair your cooking. Finding a great opportunity to use an extravagantly singular purchase is always deeply gratifying.... I find each successful use, against all odds, a triumph. I guess we could apply the same logic to extravagantly unique kitchen gadgets, etc. that we fall in love with.

I love Chufi's advice and your embracing of it with gusto. I sometimes find myself needlessly and annoyingly, I dare say, apologizing for any "plan B's"...

Hope you are all enjoying your dinner!

[judiu]

<snip>

i know - the price of fish is INSANE! Admittedly it's for three of us (my hubby will be eating too) but there was no way i was going to pay that. I did a very, very bad thing too... she wrapped up the fish for me. I saw the price... panicked and hid it in the dairy section case near the yogurts. I will go to hell, won't I? </snip>

As a former supermarket employee, I can wholeheartedly say "NO!" to your post-demise destination! You only get sent to hell for stashing the hunk of ocean-going protein behind the fullest row of tins in the veg aisle and letting it stay there until every one who walks past looks to see what died!

[Chufi]

So, Portia, please let us know how the dinner went! I'm guessing, a happy guest and a tired but content hostess??

[Portia_Smith]

It went really well! Thank you!

The chicken was actually a far better choice than the fish would have been. I really like fish - but I'm not a confident fish cook. Also, I think I failed to mention that the bone in chicken thighs that I bought were £2.30 for 8. Compared with the price of the halibut it was a bargain.

The beetroot relish is actually a bastardised version of a beetroot pesto recipe from Marlena Speiler's pasta book. Mine is much simpler - roasted diced beetroot, balsamic vinegar, a few spoons of pesto stirred through. In her book it's served with a blue cheese mac and cheese bake - it does go very well with that, but I also like to serve it with roasted lamb or sausages. We are members of an organic veggie box scheme based in Devon and have been getting lots of beetroot lately. I should do more things with them - like borscht or beetroot dip with creme fraiche.. but I always go back to the beetroot pesto! It was a great match for the haloumi pitas.

We ended up watching Crufts dog show on the tv while eating - I highly recommend huge amounts of wine and pastoral dog judging combined.

The figs were also a triumph - I should really have people around more often as I really enjoyed cooking it all last night and seeing my husband and our friend enjoy themselves so much. As most of our friends live a fair distance away, we tend to meet up in London or spend time together on holidays and eat out.

Oh - I would never put my deli, fish or meat purchases near the tins. I feel bad enough about abandoning them away from their home in a refridgerator case - but do people really dump stuff where it will go bad? That's terrible. Wow - I have the moral high ground now!

Oddly - despite only 2 glasses of wine I had the weirdest dreams. In one of them, I started my new job which instead of being located in London was an open railway platform in Swindon. It was snowing and there were many russians running beer concessions on the platform. My new boss was discussing various chinese sociological issues and i was confused, because i was pretty sure i'd been hired to be an adjudicator for the ombudsman. I was handed a whole sheaf of stapled journal extracts which I was required to photocopy and couldn't operate the machine or find that vicious little implement that takes out the staples. I started to cry.

Then. FUCHSIA DUNLOP of szechwan cooking fame turned up on the platform to talk to my colleagues and I really really really wanted to hear what she had to say. but I couldn't because I was faffing around with the bloody photocopier and I was sure I was going to get fired.

Now - I don't have the fuchsia dunlop book - am a terrible chinese cook (although enthusiastic eater!) and have no idea why i had this dream.

I am now even more bloody nervous about the new job on Monday though.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions - I wish I'd taken pictures though..

[ludja]

Thanks for the report on your dinner. It sounds like a wonderful Thursday evening for a lucky husband and friend.

...

I had promised my friend that I'd do an Austrian themed meal.. znaimer goulasch, noodles, krautsalad and chestnut schnitte for dessert.. but it's impossible to get proper cucumbers here.  I do have a lot of slivovice and borovicka to finish off the night with though..

...

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This dinner does sound wonderful. In fact, I think I'll add it to "menu idea" file.

I've never had Znaimer Gulasch, There is no mention of it in my Austrian cookbooks, but googling around to find out more about it brought me back to a few mentions on egullet! Is it basically a Viennese paprika beef gulasch garnished with sour pickles on top? Where would the cucumbers be used in this menu? I love all chestnut desserts, I need to make some "Kastanienschnitten".