Potluck Contest: Wish Me Luck

So, the New York Times has a contest to submit your “Signature Pot Luck Dish.” My spouse once advised me that we needed such a thing.

“We need a signature dish,” he said. “You know, for parties.”

Wow, few thoughts on this. First, I am so married to the metrosexual. Which is not a bad thing, it has its benefits. But, as the down-to-earth type with probably a wardrobe too heavy in flannel shirts, I find irony in these moments of how opposites can attract.

My approach to potlucks, like my flannel attire, is practical. Here’s some tips, some of which I learned from screwing up. But never numbers 2 and 5. Never.

1. Your hostess does not have room in her oven, on her stove, or in her fridge for your item. Think about last Thanksgiving when Aunt Martha showed up with her ingredients in a bag for Stewed Brussels Sprouts, left it all on your counter with her cheap wine gift, poured a huge glass of your good stuff and tottered off to the couch leaving you with another dish to prepare? Yeah, it’s like that.

2. Which reminds me of another “Signature” effort for parties. If you bring the cheap stuff and drink the good stuff, you will not be invited back. Unless you are family. In that case, they will start hiding the good stuff and opening your wine to pour for only you. Just sayin.’ Choose wisely. You’re drinking it.

3. So, arrive with your dish prepared and ready for the table. This includes all the items required for service; platter, bowl, basket, serving spoon, fork or shovel. All of it.

4. Be prepared to take it all home with you unwashed. Really. Look around, isn’t there enough for the host to clean up as it is?

5. I don’t care if you don’t cook. Leave your one half-eaten bag of chips offering at home if that’s all you are bringing. See item number 2 and join Netflix. You’re going to need entertainment for staying home alone with your box wine and chips.

6. Finally, consider food safety. We’re looking at a maximum window of four hours between 40 degrees and 140 degrees. For long parties, someone may barf and it won’t just be from the cheap wine. If your signature dish is hot, invest in a chafing dish or a crockpot that can be transported easily. If cold, bring a small cooler with ice and put out only what will be eaten fairly soon. Refresh as needed with chilled items.

7. Finally, is there ONE signature dish? Not really. What you bring should vary with the time of the event, type of event (meal, party, brunch, shower), and the season or holiday. So, with that said, here are two of my go-to dishes and the events I would bring them for.

Fennel, Orange and Pomegranate Salad

Best for Thanksgiving, Christmas Brunch or Dinner

Why: Citrus and Pomegranate are in season and at their best. The light, tangy salad is a good foil for all the heavy dishes that are typical of these holiday gatherings. As a bonus, the salad is colorful and gorgeous especially for Christmas with the gold, red and green colors.

When Not: Long events like cocktail parties. The greens won’t hold up and will wilt, requires two hands to eat and a fork, and the greens may end up in your teeth. It happens.

Orange, Fennel and Pomegranate Salad
5 oranges, rind cut off and sliced
3 medium fennel bulbs chopped, plus 2 tbs. of the fennel fronds
1 pomegranate, seeded
6 cups mixed greens

For Dressing, Whisk Together:
Juice of 1 lemon, about 1/4 cup
2 tbs Champagne vinegar
3 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. honey
salt and pepper to taste

Combine everything but the greens, including the dressing. At party, place greens on your platter. Add the other items on top.

Red Pepper and Kalamata Tapenade

When: Best for Fall and Winter cocktail parties

Why: Combined with pita wedges, a block of Manchego, and some salami, sopressta, prosciutto, etc. this makes a nice antipasto platter that will hold up to transport and sitting out for a bit. This is what to make when you don’t have time to actually MAKE anything. Easy and still classy.

When Not: Hmmm. I guess if you are hanging out with anyone who can’t eat salt or cured meats. It’s not as good for summer meals, either.

Red Pepper and Kalamata Olive Tapenade
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, drained
1-1/2 cups pitted kalamata olives
½ cup pine nuts
1 clove garlic
Black pepper to taste

Process all in the food processor. Taste and adjust for the black pepper. Chill for at least two hours to allow the flavor to marry. Be sure those olives really are all pitted. I’ve lost a food processor blade this way before. This makes a great sandwich spread, too, so save yourself a bit for home.

School Lunch the Next Big Challenge

I've been living in a comfortable little nook. That's over now. See, we (by which I mean the kiddo) has transitioned to public school. The Big K. Now most moms do their sobbing next to the school bus as it pulls away, as for me, the panic clinched my gut when I perused the menu.

Here's the first page.

Not so bad right, look these kids are learning about healthy food choices. Look, there is that confusing pyramid thingy.

Funny thing about today's school lunch. Kids can actually CHOOSE from five options. My kindergarten student could be daily making nutrition choices on her very own. And, hey, they apparently spent ten minutes of one day educating our kids on smart choices, so we're all ready, right?

Here's the choices:

At this point, I have a few questions.

• Where are the healthy choices?
• Um, does sweet yogurt and a muffin count as a meal, really?
• Where is the actual food?
• Who is Tony and why would he be making our kids pizza? Why would branded frozen food be on the menu?
• In the first half month of school, why are chicken nuggets or a fried chicken item an option 11 of 13 days?
• Sides offered had some healthier, but “bland and canned” options. Even so, sides also included baked Cheetos, fruit snacks, sherbet, and “tri-taters.”

I have made my own healthy choice since my kid really isn't ready for making her own — if there were decent options available. My choice? We're going to keep packing lunch.

But, thanks to the fantastic school lunch system, I get to have daily struggles over my choice and my child's questions like:

• Why do the other kids get pizza and I don't?
• I want to get school lunch like my friends
• My friend gets juice instead of milk, why don't I?
• What's a corn dog?

Honestly, I have no clue what a corn dog actually is or contains. As for the other questions, I did some soul searching (and pantry searching). I have a few options for dealing with these questions.

1. Give in, let my kid eat this junk. Undo all the good I have done so far.
2. Let her try it and pray she knows it tastes bad.
3. Do my best to make sure her teacher understands my point of view and does not let her eat junk. Like she isn't busy enough as it is.
4. Argue. Persist. Educate.
5. Find options that both my kid and I are happy with.
6. Fight the system. They’ll get better food maybe by the time my kid is out of college.
7. Become a lunch lady and just fix it myself.

It’s going to be a blend of options 4&5. It’s a challenge, but I am up to it. Dust off the cookie cutters and make a few star-shaped vegetables. Start cooking interesting lunch entrees on top of all my dinner cooking. Get creative. Go team.

Maybe, just maybe, I am even up for number 6 — changing the school food system — now that I am a card-carrying member of the PTO and a Room Mom.

Seven’s out. Really, the whole hair net thing doesn’t work for me, and I can’t fix other folks’ kids in just one meal a day.

Next posts:

School Lunch: A History Lesson

Dark Secrets of School Lunch. It'll scare you more than Halloween. Or corn dogs.

Anchovy Bread Crumb Pasta

I have to admit, I never liked anchovies. At least not the very fishy ones that always managed to find their way onto my half of the pizza. But white anchovies? With the light, clean "seawater" taste? Okay, those I like. Once again, I remember that maybe if you don't like something the first time, well, you should always be open to second chances.

This recipe is especially nice with heirloom cherry tomatoes that are in season now. You can really taste the tomatoes, lightly cooked instead of the long-simmered traditional pasta sauces.

Pasta with Anchovy Bread Crumb Topping
6 slices rustic Italian bread

1.5 lbs. cherry tomatoes, sliced in halves
1 shallot, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
6-8 white anchovies
2 tbs. fresh oregano
2 tbs. olive oil, plus 1 tbs. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1 lb. pasta
4 oz. parmesan grated
2 tbs. chopped fresh parsley, optional

Heat the oven to 400.

Pulse the bread slices in the food processor. Spread on baking sheet. Place the tomatoes, shallot, oregano and salt and pepper on another baking sheet and toss with the olive oil. Bake the bread crumbs for about 3-5 minutes or just until golden. Remove from oven. Roast the tomato mixture, checking often and tossing to prevent burning. About 10 minutes, toss, another 5-10. Just until a bit golden on the edges.

Heat the remaining 1 tbs. olive oil in a skillet. add the garlic clove and saute for 1 minute. Add the anchovies, breaking the anchovies up with the garlic as you saute them for another 2-3 minutes. Then mix in the breadcrumbs.

Prepare the pasta. Toss the pasta with tomatoes and the breadcrumb mixture. You may need to add 1-2 tbs. of the pasta cooking water to keep the dish moist. Top with parmesan and parsley.

Summer Fruit: Sweet Bounty Goes Savory

I went to a farm to table dinner this summer, with a local beer pairing for each course. The long table was set at an angle so we could watch the full moon rise as light faded from the flowering garden. In this perfect setting, I had the company of the most lovely of friends, new friends and the farmers who grew the food seated all around. Next to us a trio of violinists played Swedish folk music, and the warm summer day was kept bearable by a cool breeze.

In short, it was perfect.

The chef's favorite course was a cherry soup made fresh from morello cherries on the farm. You can read more about that original version of the soup here, written by my lovely friend, Simran. I also liked the beet vinaigrette on the salad of mixed greens and herbs with crisp bits of pork belly and a soft egg.

These are my versions of two of the favorites from that dinner.

Summer Cherry Soup

3 lbs. pitted cherries, fresh or frozen

3 cups cherry juice, (no sugar added brand like "Just Tart Cherry")

3 cups red wine, a shiraz or syrah, big with cherry and blackberry works best

Juice of 1 lemon, plus teaspoon of zest

1 sprig rosemary

2 star anise, whole

1 cinnamon stick

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1/8 tsp. white cardamom

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup honey

pinch salt

2 tsp. corn starch, mixed well with 1 tablespoon of water

1/2 cup whole milk Greek-style yogurt, plus 1/4 cup for garnish

Place ingredients cherries through the pinch salt in a stock pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes to cook the fruit a bit and marry the spices. Remove the cinnamon stick, rosemary sprig and star anise.

Use an immersion blender and carefully blend the soup to a puree with some bits of cherry for texture. Carefully, unless your walls happen to be a nice dark red, that is. Add the corn starch "slurry" and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Cool the soup to room temperature. Mix the yogurt in with the blender. Chill well for at least four hours before serving. For each bowl, add a dollop of the yogurt to garnish, or use sour cream if you want to have more tanginess. Serves 10. And, you can freeze the leftovers into some really tasty popsicles ...

Beet Vinaigrette

1 large beet, roasted and peeled (see below)

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

To prepare the beet, wash it well. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and wrap in foil. Roast in 400 degree oven until fork tender, about 40 minutes depending on size of beet. Unwrap beet and take an old kitchen towel or paper towel and wipe the beet to remove the peel.

Place ingredients in blender. Again, be sure the cap is on unless you have dark red walls. Blend to a nice, thick dressing. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.