It's no secret—I'll use just about any occasion as an excuse to throw a party. But I have to admit, some my best parties are ones that I throw for no reason other than to satisfy my strong desire to cook for people. Last Friday evening was one of those nights. All week long I'd been feeling the urge to entertain (something that happens quite often with me), and Jay and I both know there is only one course of action we can take to get this craving out of my system: I must throw a dinner party! So—with a bit of planning, of course—I whipped up a few fun appetizers, baked some of my most recent cookie creations, and asked a couple friends to bring over the makings for some fruity cocktails. My cookies began the evening on a sweet note and were followed by a robust puttanesca fondue, spicy turkey taquitos, and a few delicious dips. A super fun night like this just goes to show that the only real excuse you need to throw a really fun dinner party is your own desire to do so.
Some Advice from Annie's Kitchen:
If you ask me, the key to a great dinner party is to keep the atmosphere fun and really relaxed. Here are a few tips to ensure you and your guests have an awesome, easy-going time:
1. Have almost all of the cooking done before the guests arrive. Choosing dishes that can be made ahead (for the most part) is a good idea. That way, during the party, your time can be spent having fun with your friends, mixing cocktails, and making sure everyone is comfortable.
2. Plan the menu at least a few days in advance. This enables you to figure out what cooking tasks can be done a day or two ahead of time and what cooking needs to be done the day of the party.
3. Ask a friend to come early to help you cook. For me, cooking with a friend is always a super fun time. My good friend Abby enjoys cooking and gives me lots of assistance with last-minute prep. This allows me to focus on things like putting finishing touches on the food and selecting tableware and serving dishes.
Here are a few of the recipes from last Friday's dinner party:
Annie's Chocolate-Oatmeal Cookies
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In medium bowl, sift together 1 1/4 cups flour, 1/2 cup Dutch cocoa, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; set aside. Microwave 2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate (chopped) in a glass bowl on 50% power for about 2 or 3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until melted; set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl (or the bowl of a standing mixer), beat together until fluffy 1/2 cup shortening, 1/2 cup butter (unsalted, of course), 3/4 cup brown sugar, and 3/4 cup granulated sugar. Add 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 2 teaspoons espresso powder, and the 2 ounces melted unsweetened chocolate (cooled to room temperature). Beat until combined. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, fold in 2 1/2 cups rolled oats and 1 cup chocolate chips.
3. Pour about 1 cup powdered sugar into a small bowl. Roll the dough into 12 1-inch balls and coat with powdered sugar. Place the sugar-coated balls on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass press each ball into a circle. Bake for 8 to 10
minutes, or until slightly puffed and cracked. Repeat with remaining dough.
Puttanesca Fondue with Parmesan-Garlic Focaccia Bread
You can make this sauce up to 2 days in advance. I also recommend making the bread dough 1 day in advance and then baking it the day of the party. Pictured above.
1. For the bread, follow my recipe for Open-faced Parmesan-Bolognese Bread (in my post from Dec. 3rd, 2008) through Step 1 (or purchase some bread or pizza dough from a local bakery or pizza place). Onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, stretch the bread dough into a large, irregular rectangle. Poke it with your fingers a bunch of times to create indentations for the topping to settle into. In a small bowl mix together 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese, and 2 cloves garlic (minced). Use your hands to spread the topping over the bread dough. Let proof for about 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375 F. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.
2. For the puttanesca sauce, in a medium saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add 2 cloves of garlic (minced), 4 anchovies, 1/4 cup pitted oil-cured black olives, a big pinch of crushed red pepper, and a bay leaf. Cook for about 5 minutes. Finely chop the tomatoes from a 28-ounce can of whole tomatoes. Add the
chopped tomatoes, along with the juice from the can, to the saucepan. Stir in one 6-ounce can tomato paste and about 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in about 2 tablespoons of capers and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
3. Transfer the sauce to a fondue pot set over low heat (I use a tea candle). Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. Serve with fondue forks.
Chile-Lime Turkey Taquitos with Creamy Guacamole
This recipe was inspired by the taquitos I used to get from the Schwann's man growing up. For a lively kick, I added some extra spice and lime juice. I recommend preparing the meat through step 2 one day in advance.
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Rub a 1 to 2 pound turkey breast half (preferably bone-in, skin-on) with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Place it in a baking dish a roast it for about 1 hour, or until it registers 165 F on an instant read thermometer. Let it cool until easy to handle.
2. Reduce oven temperature to 300 F. Remove the skin and bones from the turkey and cut or tear the meat into small pieces. Place the pieces of meat back into the baking dish and add 1 cup tomato juice, 1 jalapeno (thinly sliced), 1 onion
(minced), 2 cloves garlic (minced), the zest and juice of 1 lime, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Stir to thoroughly combine. Cover and roast for 1 to 2 more hours, or until the meat totally shreds when you stir it. Cool until easy to handle before next step.
3. To the cooled meat mixture, add the zest and juice of 1 more lime, a handful of parsley or cilantro (chopped), 4 ounces of Monterey Jack cheese (finely shredded), and 1 teaspoon Thai chile sauce. Warm about 25 corn tortillas in the microwave (about 2 minutes in a covered dish). Roll about 2 tablespoons of the filling into a tortilla; secure with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
4. Heat about 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches of 5 or 6, fry the taquitos in the hot oil for about 5 minutes, turning once or twice for even browning. Drain on paper towels. Place in a warm oven (about 200 F) in a covered baking dish until ready to serve.
5. Meanwhile make the guacamole: In a medium bowl, use a potato masher to combine 2 avocados (roughly chopped), 1 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup minced red onion, the zest and juice of 1 lime, 1 jalapeno (minced), a handful of cilantro or parsley (chopped), 1 roma tomato (seeded and finely chopped), 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Directly cover the surface of the guacamole with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve.
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