When it comes to entertaining, sometimes I feel like a frustrated old Crabbyappleton ”“ even as a savvy culinary professional. Occasionally, nothing goes quite right in or out of the kitchen.
This past winter, for example, my husband and I hosted our annual Super Bowl party in our home media room. Naturally, everyone who attended was a New York Giants fan ”“ except for me ”“ the token New England girl. Growing up in Massachusetts with the “curse of the Bambino,” I was convinced something was going to go wrong with either the food, the New England Patriots or both.
Minutes before half-time, the intensity in the room reached a climax but not for the football game. All of the energy was directed toward our six-foot hors d”™oeurves folding table leaning against the wall. Like a 6.0 earthquake on the Richter scale, the table shook and the legs collapsed!
Our guests watched in horror as the blue cheese dip soared into hyper-space and ducked for cover from flying crudité, shrimp cocktail and hot artichoke dip. I jumped up in shock but became completely overwhelmed with embarrassment and was momentarily speechless.
Instantly, I wanted to pass the blame on to a Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction but it didn”™t fit the disaster. Now, when I reminisce about that party, I politely refer to it as “ugly entertaining.”
Moving forward to this past July, my husband and I were invited to attend an intimate cookout for 10, however, due to unusual circumstances, every one cancelled at the last moment. The hosts were dumbfounded.
Let”™s be realistic ”“ what do you do with 20 steamed ears of corn, layers of perfectly seared sushi-grade tuna and a mound of mouth-watering barbeque chicken when your dinner party has diminished in size? (I refer to that situation as “the bad.”)
Finally, “the good” about entertaining: Recently on a sultry summer night, our friends Denise and Joe hosted our quarterly regional potluck Italian dinner at their home in White Plains, N.Y. Everyone on the guest list was able to attend and every course was innovative and delicious. The eclectic menu included: chicken saltimbocca, Abruzzi cauliflower fritters and Bologna frittata. In addition, the background music included Billy Joel singing “bottle of red, bottle of white” and it felt like we were all dining outside in our favorite Italian restaurant.
I was assigned to bring a “dazzling pasta dish.” I broke out in a sweat. When I reviewed my kitchen pantry, I became a Crabbyappleton again. There was nothing exciting or new stowed away on the shelves. I wanted to prepare a pasta dish that would complement the saltimbocca main dish but stand on its own legs. I decided to telephone my favorite pasta importers, Manicaretti of San Francisco, Calif., and ask for advice.
Cathlin Brown Wolanske, Manicaretti”™s New England sales rep, quickly returned my call and answered my prayers.
“Nancy,” she said. “I know you are familiar with our full line of rustichella pasta and grains. How about trying something new called ”˜grattoni,”™ a small diamond-shaped egg pasta, from the region of Emilia-Romagna, Italy?”
“Brilliant!” I replied.
Wolanske referred me to Balducci”™s specialty store to pick up a bag. With a recipe in mind and a grocery list in hand, I was ready to spring in to action.
Nancy”™s Potluck Grattoni Pasta
(Serves 10-12 as a side dish)
1 large leek
1 large shallot
3 extra large portabella mushrooms
½-1 cup of chicken stock
1 stick of salted butter or margarine, melted
1 splash of da Rosario Truffle or Mushroom Olive Oil
Tuscan truffle pecorino cheese for grating
1 lb of rustichella grattoni egg pasta cooked al dente
Fresh chopped chives, parsley and basil
Salt and pepper to taste
*8 large ears of corn on the cob; steamed until slightly tender; brush with melted butter and finish on the grill for color and flavor. Set aside.
Chop the leek and shallot and sauté in extra-virgin olive oil until tender. Set aside. Grill the mushrooms until tender and slice. Add to the leek and shallot pan. Return the pan to medium heat and add ½ cup of chicken stock. Cook for a few more minutes. Add fresh chopped herbs to the mixture and pour over grattoni. Add a splash of truffle oil. Mix and set aside. Snap the ears of corn in half. Set aside. To assemble:
In a large paella-style pan, add the grattoni. Vertically arrange the ears of corn around the pan. Before serving: Cover the pan with foil and reheat in a hot oven until warm. Finish with grated cheese and serve. Note: Leave the cheese out with a small grater on the buffet table or dining room table for additional enjoyment.
Nancy Dacey of Ridgefield has more than 22 years of experience working in the food service industry. In Dishing It Out, she offers information and suggestions on an array of food-related topics. Reach her at nancyjdacey@msn.com.
