My favorite way to cook for company is to try at least one new recipe,
which often leads to disaster: the onions stuffed with dried apricots
and rosemary that tasted like Mentholatum are legendary, as is the
chicken soup made with 10 quarts of water (in my defense, the cookbook
had a typo). So when Jenn Risko and I decided to try some recipes from Susanna Foo Fresh Inspiration: New Approaches to Chinese Cuisine
by Susanna Foo with Hermie Kranzdorf (Houghton Mifflin, $35,
0618393307, September 2005), for a birthday party, I was happy she made
her famous mac'n'cheese as a backup. Jenn, our husbands and I each
cooked one dish, so we got four opinions on the recipes and
instructions. There were ten other guests, and they all raved about the
food.
We started with Velvety Chicken Pumpkin Soup, which will be making a reappearance at our holiday dinners. Kabocha squash gives the soup an intense, sweet flavor, and fresh ginger gives it a little edge. Foo helpfully explains how to cook the squash--one of the first-rate features of the book is detailed explanations on ingredients and preparation. The soup was followed by Belgian Endive and Orange Salad--the cooked citrus vinaigrette was delightful, with fresh orange and lime juices, shallots and rosemary. Stir-Fried Chinese Beans with Fennel and Basil was excellent, and again, Foo's description of the beans and how to pick the best ones were helpful. The main event was Oven-Roasted Shantung Chicken, not only tasty but a good choice for a buffet. Jenn had a mystical experience when she added garlic, onion, fresh ginger, star anise, cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks to hot oil: "One of the best aromas I've ever experienced."
Susanna Foo's recipes blend techniques and ingredients of East and West, with a decided emphasis on fresh produce. She starts the book with three of her favorite pieces of equipment, quite refreshing after seeing the long lists in some other cookbooks. Her recipes are certainly eclectic, broadening the concept of Chinese cooking with Truffled Potato Dumplings and a Peach Crumble. I'm ready to follow her, having marked 18 dishes so far to try. The consensus of the four cooks was: well-written, delectable recipes. The consensus of the guests: "Yum!"
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Just in time to help with seasonal cooking agida comes Perfect Recipes for Having People Over by Pam Anderson (Houghton Mifflin, $35, 0618329722, September 2005), featuring recipes that are convenient, simple and fool-proof (maybe so--she even makes butterflying game hens sound easy). She is certainly practical. She says this about breakfasts for company: "Morning entertaining has its advantages. Since coffee is a whole lot cheaper than Châteauneuf-du-Pape and a dozen eggs are less pricey than a rack of lamb, it's economical. And most guests expect so little in the morning that even a small effort seems like five-star B-and-B hospitality." She also gives good advice: "Anyone who tries to serve sautéed spinach for a large dinner party does it only once."
The dishes do look delicious and straightforward, like the Easy Savory Strata. She tested the strata with every style of bread and discovered that cheap soft white bread works much better than higher-quality breads, which "remain aloof and distinct from the custard" instead of becoming one with it. Sounds like the perfect comfort food, and it can be made a day ahead. Dessert comfort appears with a recipe for Molten Chocolate Cakes--if you haven't discovered this terrific dessert, you must try it. It makes people very, very happy. The only quibble I have with her recipe is that Anderson doesn't suggest using really good chocolate, which to me is essential. The Perfectly Simple Pumpkin Cheesecake also looks excellent, as does a main dish called One Stew, Many Variations, including Hungarian and Indian.
Perfect Recipes has one feature that is invaluable: every recipe comes with suggestions on when to serve it, how to take shortcuts, how to vary it, what should be served with it, how far ahead it can be made, and what to do with leftovers.
This book would be an excellent early holiday gift for the anxious cook. Anderson reassures: "Even if things aren't perfect, people appreciate your gift of time and self . . . the food is not the ultimate point--the people are." So relax, go with the flow, and stop "entertaining"--just have people over. Make Lacy Cheddar Crisps a few days before, uncork the wine, and all will be well.--Marilyn Dahl
We started with Velvety Chicken Pumpkin Soup, which will be making a reappearance at our holiday dinners. Kabocha squash gives the soup an intense, sweet flavor, and fresh ginger gives it a little edge. Foo helpfully explains how to cook the squash--one of the first-rate features of the book is detailed explanations on ingredients and preparation. The soup was followed by Belgian Endive and Orange Salad--the cooked citrus vinaigrette was delightful, with fresh orange and lime juices, shallots and rosemary. Stir-Fried Chinese Beans with Fennel and Basil was excellent, and again, Foo's description of the beans and how to pick the best ones were helpful. The main event was Oven-Roasted Shantung Chicken, not only tasty but a good choice for a buffet. Jenn had a mystical experience when she added garlic, onion, fresh ginger, star anise, cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks to hot oil: "One of the best aromas I've ever experienced."
Susanna Foo's recipes blend techniques and ingredients of East and West, with a decided emphasis on fresh produce. She starts the book with three of her favorite pieces of equipment, quite refreshing after seeing the long lists in some other cookbooks. Her recipes are certainly eclectic, broadening the concept of Chinese cooking with Truffled Potato Dumplings and a Peach Crumble. I'm ready to follow her, having marked 18 dishes so far to try. The consensus of the four cooks was: well-written, delectable recipes. The consensus of the guests: "Yum!"
---
Just in time to help with seasonal cooking agida comes Perfect Recipes for Having People Over by Pam Anderson (Houghton Mifflin, $35, 0618329722, September 2005), featuring recipes that are convenient, simple and fool-proof (maybe so--she even makes butterflying game hens sound easy). She is certainly practical. She says this about breakfasts for company: "Morning entertaining has its advantages. Since coffee is a whole lot cheaper than Châteauneuf-du-Pape and a dozen eggs are less pricey than a rack of lamb, it's economical. And most guests expect so little in the morning that even a small effort seems like five-star B-and-B hospitality." She also gives good advice: "Anyone who tries to serve sautéed spinach for a large dinner party does it only once."
The dishes do look delicious and straightforward, like the Easy Savory Strata. She tested the strata with every style of bread and discovered that cheap soft white bread works much better than higher-quality breads, which "remain aloof and distinct from the custard" instead of becoming one with it. Sounds like the perfect comfort food, and it can be made a day ahead. Dessert comfort appears with a recipe for Molten Chocolate Cakes--if you haven't discovered this terrific dessert, you must try it. It makes people very, very happy. The only quibble I have with her recipe is that Anderson doesn't suggest using really good chocolate, which to me is essential. The Perfectly Simple Pumpkin Cheesecake also looks excellent, as does a main dish called One Stew, Many Variations, including Hungarian and Indian.
Perfect Recipes has one feature that is invaluable: every recipe comes with suggestions on when to serve it, how to take shortcuts, how to vary it, what should be served with it, how far ahead it can be made, and what to do with leftovers.
This book would be an excellent early holiday gift for the anxious cook. Anderson reassures: "Even if things aren't perfect, people appreciate your gift of time and self . . . the food is not the ultimate point--the people are." So relax, go with the flow, and stop "entertaining"--just have people over. Make Lacy Cheddar Crisps a few days before, uncork the wine, and all will be well.--Marilyn Dahl