As a single empty nester, I’ve had to adjust to the reality
of cooking for one. It’s been a
challenging and not altogether successful process. I’ve tried cutting recipes in half, but I’ve
found that quantities are still too large.
I’ve tried freezing copious amounts of leftovers, which end up forgotten
in the freezer. On too many occasions,
I’ve forced myself to eat same thing five or six days in a row. Unfortunately, even the most delicious food
loses its appeal after two consecutive days.
As a result of these failures, I somewhat grudgingly gave up
cooking over the summer, getting by with endless variations of salad dinners on
those warm, muggy evenings. However, a
couple of weeks ago, I realized how much I missed cooking. I had an overwhelming compulsion to plan new
menus, try new recipes, and spend hours in the kitchen. Looking back over the years, I realized that
preparing good food and sharing it with people has been one of my lifelong
passions. Immediately, I recruited a few
friends for a dinner party.
Since the date I chose was a Friday night, I decided on a
Sephardic Shabbat dinner. I started
planning the menu about a week ahead of time, searching for inspiring ideas in
cookbooks, online, and in folders of recipes I’ve cut out from magazines and
newspapers over the years. Since my
newest eating craze is plantarian (a term I prefer to vegan), I was looking for
recipes that used plenty of seasonal produce.
A seven vegetable couscous sounded like the perfect choice. While I was in Whole Foods, I spotted a
display of organic Tuscan kale, for only a dollar per bunch. How could I refuse? And why would I bother trying to refuse, when
I was eager to try a Wegman’s recipe for braised greens? Okay, that made two veggie-centric
dishes.
Since the guests I invited didn’t share my vegan
inclination, I decided to add a fish dish to the menu. The Sephardic dish from Joan Nathan’s Jewish Cooking in America is simple to
prepare and bursts with the flavors of Morocco, which made it a natural partner
for the vegetable couscous.
As for salad, I was looking for something light and
fruity. When I saw pomegranate vinegar
in Trader Joe’s a few days before the dinner, I immediately thought,
“Pomegranate vinaigrette!” I’d pour it
over sliced oranges arranged on a bed of baby spinach, and sprinkle roasted
pistachio nuts on top. It would look
bright and autumnal and the flavors would harmonize with the fish and vegetable
dishes. Dessert wasn’t a major
concern. Actually, I’m not a big dessert
fan. Just give me a few squares of dark,
dark chocolate, at least 85%, and I’m satisfied. I hoped my dinner guests would feel the same
way.
Once the menu was set, I gathered the recipes and made up a
detailed shopping list, organized by what to buy when and where. Then it was time to let the grocery shopping
begin. I could barely contain my
excitement. Then I made up a battle
plan, i.e. a schedule of what to prepare when.
The night before the dinner party, I chopped veggies, cooked the vegetable
stew, braised the kale and sautéed some mushrooms.
 |
| This 7-vegetable stew goes with the couscous. Can you guess the 7 vegetables? (answer appears at the end of the post) |
On the day of the party, I set the table
after lunch. Then all I had to do an
hour before dinner was to pop the vegetables into the oven to warm, start the
fish dish, and make the salad and couscous.
Honestly, it was nearly stress-free.
While I took care of the final steps, I was able to enjoy chatting with my
friends in the kitchen, where we munched on hors d’oeuvres (the usual suspects,
i.e. hummus, Akmak crackers, crudités, and olives).
I must admit that my guests were impressed by my efforts and
were very complimentary about the food.
We finished off the meal with coffee, dark chocolate, and small glasses
of port that I’d brought back from Portugal.
I couldn’t have been happier. I’d
enjoyed the preparation, the food itself, and the company. True, I had some leftovers, but I was making
progress. And I’m already looking
forward to hosting another dinner party next Friday evening.
Answer: onions, cabbage, tomatoes, turnip, zucchini, yellow summer squash, chickpeas
