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From the Basic Cook Book (published in 1947):
The coming of guests into the home for dinner does involve extra work. It takes more time to set the table; it takes longer to shell the peas- and so through the meal. But the hospitable hostess of the small family considers that the extra time is well spent. In addition to the enjoyment of the guests themselves, there is the pleasure in having foods which the family can never dispose of alone- a roast perhaps, or a Persian melon. Then, too, the time required for preparing desserts such as pie or layer cake rules them out of the menu of the family of two, but is justified when there is company. To have guests is more work but worth it.
One suggestion the authors make, which I have been finding for myself, is to have a regularly 'company dinner.' This way you can also discover a routine to your company preparations that will make things flow more smoothly, ever more smoothly each time you have company. This is especially useful, say our authors, in a 'servantless household.' It does not matter
"If the same combinations are served more than once to the same guests providing that the food is sufficiently well cooked to justify its repetition. That is the way that reputations for good cooking are built up. We look forward to prune whip in certain homes just as we count upon onion soup at certain restaurants."While I agree with the principle there, when it comes to prune whip, I am not so sure. I've never had prune whip, but I feel instinctively that it is not a dish to which I should look forward with keen delight no matter how competent the cook. Oddly, there is no recipe for prune whip in this cookbook, and this I do not find reassuring. However much prune whip fails to excite anything but revulsion in me, the principle of having a small number of good, quick, easy, and tasty dishes and using them for company, not matter how often, is sound. If you choose these wisely, you will develop a reputation, and people will look forward to 'your' special potato salad, or nutmeg muffins, or herb bread....
When choosing your menus for your regular guest meals, keep in mind your own competencies. Are you a dab hand at quick breads, but hamfisted when it comes to yeast breads and indifferent over cakes? Then avoid yeast rolls and cake and make muffins or biscuits instead.
As for specifics, I think we would do better to consult our own modern tastes than those of 1947. For a sample regular company dinner they suggest a menu that includes a grapefruit mint cocktail and halibut creole- all flavors that are not sure of a wide welcome, at least in this day and age. For a hot weather meal they suggest a menu that includes clam juice cocktail, and jellied calves tongue platter (with a border of boiled eggs, tomato, and watercress.
Main dishes I have used for a regular menu for company or for potlucks include:
Chinese savory beef, with steaming rice and a vegetable tray on the side (main recipe from the More with Less Cookbook)
poppyseed chicken with rice or green beans and a salad
spinach lasagna with garlic bread and a salad
Chinese chicken salad with bread and perhaps deviled eggs or a fruit salad, as this is something we usually have when it is hot out.
Easy chicken pot pie- salad and green beans
Reuben chicken crockpot- rye bread and butter and a salad and pickles.
Desserts:
Eclair cake
dump cake
Banana cake
cobbler
Microwave fudge
These things have worked for me. What works for you?
8 comments:
I guess I'm a bit over-sensitized to the idea of trying to keep company meals simple and not risking anything that most people don't like--since certain beloved members of my own family have numerous intolerances/strong dislikes/what have you, and I am often anxious about that when we are invited out. Oh boy, we're having fish with a salad of raw onions and tomatoes, and a carrot cake full of nuts and raisins? Guess somebody will be filling up on bread...On the other hand, there are more unusual things that my kids do enjoy, like rhubarb pie.
Some things that have worked well more than once when we're on the hosting end: a fresh salad with homemade poppy seed dressing; yogurt pie served with fresh berries; brownies or homemade cookies; a dish of dried fruits and/or nuts on the table (my vegetarian brother-in-law appreciates that); the chickpea-pasta-spinach salad you posted here; and barbecued hamburgers (because you can also stick on a chicken burger, a veggie burger, or a hot dog for anyone who doesn't like beef).
Mainly I try to have a choice of things on the table so that nobody has to just eat bread, or has to skip dessert entirely.
DOB's family has numerous and varied allergies, and I have come up with two standbys to rotate depending on the weather: taco salad (with beans, too, which could be separate for vegetarians), and chili over baked potatoes. Then there's various toppings which people can load up on or not according to their allergies and preferences. Also, it's cheap, which is good when you're feeding five tall and hungry young men. And easy, which is good when your helpers are not so tall.
Then if it's a birthday we have eggless, milkless chocolate cake, and if it's not a birthday we have fruit crisp. Predictable, but always good.
With non-allergic company, I usually make baked parmesan chicken and mashed potatoes. I'm very good with mashed potatoes--the secret is plenty of garlic and yogurt.
Oh, your potluck/company meals sound delicious! When's dinner?
I try to think of as many special side dishes as possible that can be prepared ahead of time and then warmed in time for dinner. Broccoli and cheese casserole, twice baked potatoes, and corn pudding are some of our favorites.
I keep "stand-by" dinner ideas in the front of my recipe binder. For all four seasons (as well as holidays like Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas, New Year's) I have a list that includes: appetizers, starter, main, veggies and dessert. For example, my starter during the fall is always 'pumpkin pie soup', while in spring it's green salad, and summer is broccoli and cauliflower salad. Since we have family staying over at least once a month, it makes planning 'company' meals af lot less stressful!
Great advice! I invite people over for brunch so I have an excuse to bake cinnamon rolls! Our small family can't make it through a batch on our own.
Since I cook for 9 or 10 routinely, and have company almost weekly, you would think it would be easy by now. I still find it a lot of work, but worth it.
Some of the things I do are spaghetti, (you can make a lot at once) salad and rolls, chicken marinated in a orange juice/honey spice mixture and barbecued (ds takes care of grilling) with rolls and salad.
Also, I have in the winter done crockpot dishes using two large crockpot liners in the oven on low with such things as beef burgundy or chili or beef stew. That way I can do a main dish for about 20.
I usually ask about food allergies when I have new people over.
Other good vegetables are frozen french-cut green beans stir fried with sesame oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds. I have a large skillet and can do up to 5 lbs at a time this way, but even a small batch is good.
My wife made prune whip once.
It wasn't as bad as it looked.
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