Pink of Perfection

Left to my own devices, yes, I will stay up until 2 a.m. the night before a party making minted pea mousse to put on canapés the size of pennies. Which is unfortunate, because “high-strung” isn’t a terribly festive vibe. I think I’ve identified what causes hostess hysteria, though: those blasted “countdown to success!” articles that urge you to start prepping, like, 2 weeks in advance. My solution? Take it easy on the weekends and entertain on week nights.

Why it works: Lower expectations. Your friends will just be so grateful that you’re preparing actual food, instead of asking them to meet you for a drink at a bar that serves free hot dogs. Unless, of course, you’re serving hot dogs. Guests like to feel helpful, though, so let them pick out the wine.

My friends Eric and Karen are in the midst of a 3-year, 100,000+ mile roadtrip from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, so during their brief NYC-area sojourn, I thought the least I could do was feed them. Little did they know that although they abstain from fast food (and major highways) while traveling, fast food my way–to borrow a phrase from Jacques Pepin, whose autobiography you really must read–was the order of the day.

First we took a tour of the barn. Now, under normal circumstances, you would turn to music to create a mood. But we were at my parents’ place, and their CD player is stocked with good ‘ol Linda Ronstadt so I turned to livestock instead. Then we settled into the dining room, a room with low ceilings and exposed wooden beams. As for the meal itself, it felt so easy, it was like being inside an “It’s takeout, but I wiped flour on my nose so you would think it was homemade” sitcom plot. Plus, it enabled me to stay at the table and listen to Eric and Karen’s amazing stories about man-eating leopard–which, come to think of it, is why I have dinner parties in the first place.

The Menu:

Cocktail Hour is mandatory at my place, but only because I can’t stop buying rooster-embroidered cocktail napkins at rummage sales. Sometimes the best thing is to skip over the part where you ask people what they’d like to drink and instead, just hand them something. Is that presumptuous? Oh, well. On weeknights, one needn’t stand on ceremony. I made simple rum and ginger ales for my guests and set out a bowl of popcorn. If you arrived at your place at the same time they did, start preparing the main course while they drink.

Soups are nice and can be very easy. Have you tried making lentils with chicken stock and then throwing them in the blender with a couple of fresh tomatoes, cilantro, some curry powder and a bit of sour cream? Fresh and hearty. Have someone clear the bowls while you plate the entrée:

Sausages over raw fennel, apple and cabbage salad: Buy a package or two of fancy-looking sausages and cook according to package instructions. While that’s underway, chop up a large head of fennel, half a head of green cabbage, and 2 apples. Toss with a salad dressing made with oil, vinegar, a generous amount of mustard and honey. Divide among plates. Top with sausages cut into thirds, on the bias. The crispness of the salad really balances out the rich meat.

Dessert: It’s not laziness that prevents me from preparing pastry, it’s a sincere belief that one cannot improve upon the deliciousness of small batch ice cream. As for becoming more sophisticated: I’m working on it.