December 23, 2010

Truly fast entertaining

All the articles on the web about appetizers ready in half an hour! For entertaining a the drop of a Christmas ball! Just annoy the daylights out of me, and there's not much daylight left in December. Sometimes there's half an hour to prepare for guests, sometimes there's not, and sometimes that time is spent frantically cleaning.

Most important are the no-time nibbles: anything in the pantry of refrigerator that can be whipped out and plopped on a holiday plate, something a bit more festive than the usual chips and dips:

• good cheese and crackers
• jarred fancy olives
• melba toast or crackers with jarred tapenade
• a selection of your own cookies or breads
• a bowl of nuts
• any drinks that friends and family like to drink, keeping some sodas, beer, wine and sparkling wine on hand

Next come the things that require slicing or defrosting:

• the veggie tray (I like the veggie tray) with bottled salad dressing for dipping
• sliced apples and caramel or peanut butter dip
• a good German cake kept frozen
• toast up some frozen puff pastry hors d'oeuvre, home made or store bought

If there are five or ten minutes before everyone arrives, or no one minds hanging in the kitchen, the options expand to:

Hummus or white bean dip, for veggies or pitas

In a food processor, whiz together a drained can of garbanzo or cannelloni beans, one or two crushed cloves of garlic, a pinch of salt, a squeeze of lemon juice. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until everything forms a smooth paste. Throw in some tahini for the hummus if you have it. Pitas can be stored in the freezer until you need them.

Tapenade, for melba toast or slices of baguette

Because I make puttanesca sauce so often, I always have black olive, capers and anchovies on hand. Another whiz together recipe: 1 cup rinsed & pitted black olives, 6 to 7 anchovy filets or a tablespoon of paste, 1/3 cup rinsed capers, a crushed clove of garlic, squeeze of lemon juice, pepper, sprinkle of dried thyme, dollop of Dijon mustard, olive oil to make a paste (about 1/2 cup).

Guacamole

Scoop the flesh of a ripe avocado into a bowl; don't mash yet! Squeeze the juice of half a lime over and quickly mix in. Don't worry if the avocado hasn't turned into paste. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and mix. Mix in one or two crushed cloves of garlic, then two or three green onions chopped (or half a small onion, minced).

Roasted-pepper bruschetta

If there is a baguette on hand (pretend we're all Julia Child), or there's time to run to the grocery: Crush a clove of garlic and let it sit in a couple tablespoons good olive oil. Slice the baguette diagonally about half an inch thick and brush with the garlic oil. Toast in the toaster oven or under the broiler. Top with chopped roasted peppers mixed with a little olive oil, another crushed clove of garlic and a sprinkle of basil.