September, Still Time for A Crab Orgy

THE CRAB ORGY
my photo, circa 1997

It's September and summer has sneaked past us one more time, but hold on, we can still have one last summer fling. While I've hosted this dinner party on Labor Days past and in the month of  August, there is no reason why the tradition can't be one of September(on any date). Actually, the main crab season(Maryland Blue per this blog posting) runs from Spring thru December, so feel free to indulge in any month in between.

That said, a massive pile of cooked crabs can only mean one thing. A Crab Orgy. There is no better way to describe this experience. After hours of  hammering, cracking and picking every morsel of sweet crabmeat with their fingers, guests become perfectly silent, except for the licking and sucking of shells. Total concentration on the task is essential if you eat one, two, three, four crabs or maybe dozens, until there are no more.  One guest even went foraging others’ plates to  find any forgotten, uneaten remains. This is a dinner table to behold. Red claws and shells are heaped everywhere.

 All you need for an orgy is a table covered with butcher’s wrap paper, ( I prefer this to newspaper) a mountain of steamed Maryland crabs, mallets, lap napkins, and fingerbowls with lemon. Anything else is superfluous.  Side dishes should be simple picnic fare like cole slaw or potato salad, and dessert definitely must be something chocolate with ice cream. Cigars and grappa optional.

This has become a summertime favorite. We started using numbers to announce our annual crustacean event-- Crab Orgy, #2, #3, #4,  and many more.

Journal intro from one Labor Day Weekend,  1997 

Menu

Once you decide on your menu, you can plan what serving platters , plates, utensils, and napkins to use. I take inventory of what I have and choose which items suit the theme. Then  I lay them all out and put little notes on each, labeling what goes on what platter.

Table Settings

Journal entry from Labor Day weekend, 1997 continued. Note the two different tables utilized, one for the pre dinner nibbles and another for the actual crustacean feast. In my journals I am sure to call out the food I have prepared and served, but also how it is served and actually - how it is presented... on what, with what, etc....

You can see the Nibbles before the Crab Orgy called out in my handwritten journal - tomato crostini, marinated goat cheese crostini, caponata, skewered cubes of smoked mozzerella wrapped in basil, with sun-dried tomato wrapped around mini cocktail onion,  grilled chorizo sausage with hot mustard. Of course it's not necessary to serve so many nibbles, but I guess I'm from the school, more is better, maybe you are too. Please see the recipes below...

Above...tools for the crab orgy, listed in my journal.  As always- I am sketching everything- down to the utensils and napkins!
For the purposes of this blog, I've added some photos too-- so you can truly see the food I've prepared.






Recipes

Marinated Goat Cheese on Crostini

1 baguette cut into 1/2 inch slices ( about 24)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the baguette into 1/2 slices.
Place on a baking sheet and bake until the edges are light brown about 10 minutes
Cool and place in an airtight container until ready to serve. Store at room temperature.


1 log of soft goat cheese (11 ounces) room temperature
1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon capers
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil just to smoke point, remove from heat. Add the next 5 ingredients to the olive oil. Cover the pan and let steep for 15 minutes. Arrange the goat cheese log on a serving plate and pour the infused olive oil over the cheese.
Cover with saran wrap and leave at room temperature until guests arrive.





Caponata on Crostini
 serves 8 

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 medium eggplants, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
Put into a colander, sprinkle with salt and let stand 30 minutes.
8 ounces of Italian black olives, pitted
1 tablespoon capers, drained
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1- 14 ounce can of Italian plum tomatoes
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons of sugar 
1 tablespoon pine nuts
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Put the cubes eggplant into a colander, sprinkle with salt and let stand 30 minutes.
Rinse the eggplant and pat dry.


In a large skillet heat 1/4 cup olive oil. Add the eggplant and cook until tender, 
8 minutes. Remove to a bowl.
Add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, and saute the remaining ingredients.
Add the eggplant to the pan and cook uncovered over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve at room temperature.






The Crab Boil Recipe
serves 10


5 dozen live Maryland Blue Crabs ( 6 per person)
3/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning
5 tablespoons kosher salt
3 cups white distilled vinegar
enough water to fill the pot 3/4 full


your favorite dipping sauce
lemons


In a large stockpot, add the Old Bay, salt, vinegar and water. Bring to a boil.
Add the crabs and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 20-30 minutes, until crabs are bright red. Remove crabs from pot and allow to cool down. ( You can serve them warm or cold, your preference)
Pile the crabs onto a large serving platter, or pile directly onto paper -covered table.
Let guest dig in and help themselves. Hammer the crabs right on the table.
Don't forget the eating tools and bowls for empty shells.

AND, FOR DESSERT...

Every summer, several times at least , I make this easy chocolate chip melt pie recipe.It’s the biggest hit. I love this recipe just as it is... 

Chocolate Chip Melt Pie a la Mode

with credit to "Mary Emmerling's American Country Cooking", 

plublished by Clarkson N. Potter. Inc.

Serves 6

Pastry for one 9" pie
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup chopped walnuts(optional)

2 large eggs, beaten

½ cup light brown sugar

½ cup sugar

8 tablespoons  ( 1 stick)  sweet butter, melted

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 9-inch unbaked pie shell (see recipe below)

vanilla ice-cream

First, make the pie shell... it's easy, I promise!
In a bowl of a food processor, combine the flour and salt. 

Mix in the butter one tablespoon at a time until the mixture resembles coarse meal. 

Add the ice water, one tablespoon at a time and mix until the pastry holds together, 

adding more water if needed for a smooth consistency.

Gather the pastry into a ball and flatten into a flat disc. 

Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 

. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and roll out

 on a floured surface to a thin round. 

Fit the pastry into an 8-or 9-pie pan. Trim and crimp the edges of pastry.

Preheat oven to 350 F. degrees

·      In  a large bowl, mix together the chocolate chips, nuts, and eggs.

·      Add the sugar, butter, and flour. Stir in the vanilla

·      Pour the filling into the pie shell and place the pie on a baking sheet.

·      Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is lightly browned
and the filling is bubbling.

·      Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.
NOTE: the top of the pie will be hard, but crack to the touch and the center will be ooey gooey! 
This is decadent! And, oh so easy! You must try it!

In my next blog I will share more pages from other September journal entries. 

Do check back! And, please share comments! xxoo, Sheila

Always start with a theme...

Why a Theme?

Each and every time I plan to entertain, I go through an inspirational thought sequence. It always starts with a theme. To me, it is the most important part in planning a party. A theme sets the mood and gives spice and flair to an event. The food itself is only one component, but you can focus your theme around its origin- Italian, Mexican, Indian, etc… 

journal excerpt from "July Feast with Fireflies"

However, an occasion such as the annual appearance of the fireflies in the garden, or the celebration of a new house, or the equinox or Christmas eve can provide wonderful thematic inspiration and be your best opportunity to entertain with panache.

A theme helps you get organized and becomes your personal style board for planning and producing a successful experience. From the invitation to the menu, to the table setting and the décor, a theme is almost like a special assistant who makes your lists and focuses your decisions so you can enjoy your party and your guests, which is really the point!

For big or small parties, I always follow the same check list.

The theme, the date, the menu, the guests, the tableware, the candles,  the decorations for each room where we will sit. I sketch it all out and make annotations like a storyboard or script for a commercial. Working as a Creative Director in the advertising business, where I had to organize photo shoots and manage the disparate elements of an ad campaign, has helped me to see the entire picture.

When the dinner party is over, I enter the details into a journal, drawing the table, the flowers, and what serving pieces I used. I note where I bought a particular decorative item and when. I list the guests who were invited. I write down the menu, the recipes, and the source.

My journals help capture these ephemeral evenings so that I can refer to them when I know my memory will not help with the details.

But most importantly, I wanted to have a record for me and my family to look back on years later. 

Since I began entertaining every single one of my dinner parties has been recorded. Every single one, including a Venetian Masquerade  dinner that I did for a feature in Bon Appetit Magazine, a Halloween body parts buffet, many Crab Orgies, country picnics, croquet matches and rematches, dinner after tennis, after the movies, after the harvest, before Christmas, Christmas Day, after Christmas Day, New Year’s Black Tie, the Super bowl, breakfast, lunch, dinner, buffets, and anything in-between. I’ve recorded them all in many, many volumes of journals.

some of the journals I've kept over many years.

I have been asked frequently for copies of these dinner party journals, which now cover the course of 30 years and are a real treasure trove of menus, decorating tips, and thematic ideas. Instead, I have selected from among them my very favorite pages, recording occasions I want to always remember and share. 

My hope is that every reader, whether a timid or enthusiastic host, will find this blog to be a truly unique guide for unforgettable fun with food and friends.

No pressure. Really.  

I can't wait! In my next blog I'll begin sharing entertaining menus (all taken from my journals that I've kept over the years). I'll provide a range of entries each month, from current dates or years past--- usually pulling entries by month (so, for instance- in September you can see what I've done recently in September or what I was doing in earlier years). 

I'll plan to post once every week, on Sundays(4 x per month).
With the exception of Sept. 11, I'll post that entry on the 10th.

I'll start with September and The Crab Orgy. 

Do check back again and, as always I'd love to hear from you! xxoo, Sheila

An intro to my dinner party journals

Before any dinner party I first decide on a theme, then I start calling friends. 

I’ve now had years of practice. I could be in the middle of a supermarket when 

I get an inspiration and immediately pull out my cell phone and begin to gather 

the guest list.

In the very beginning, my dinners were recorded in a wine journal(see below ) 
that Bill kept. We would list the guests, date, menu, wine, the number of bottles 
we had and their rating. We’d also give comments on the food and the evening. 

One of the first dinners we recorded was a menu of Steak Tartare, topped with 

sevruga caviar(a la The Four Seasons Restaurant), Spedini, 

Vitello Tonnato(recipe provided in previous posting), Escarole and 

Arrugula salad, frozen chocolate loaf and sherbet-filled orange snowballs. 

Since the early days of  recording my dinner parties, my journals have become more and more detailed.... I can't wait to share them(after one more intro post!!).

       

In the mean time, as a nod to "early on" try this:

 SNOWBALL RECIPE

 (Oranges filled with sherbet)

Serves 4

4 oranges

2 egg whites

1 ½ cups fine sugar

lemon sherbet

4 sprigs of mint

INSTRUCTIONS:
Slice a thin piece off the bottom of the orange so that it stands upright.

Scoop out the orange, leaving a lining of the white pith. Save orange pieces for another       
use.  Slice a top off the top of the orange to use later as a cover.

Beat the egg whites with a whisk and brush the outside and top piece of the orange 
with egg whites.Put the sugar on a plate and roll the outside of the oranges until they’re covered 
with a layer of sugary snow. Place them on a cookie tray and put into the freezer until frozen ( can be left overnight). 

 Take the oranges out of the freezer and  with a spoon, fill the oranges with the sherbet 
mounding slightly above the edge. Place the orange cover, slightly tilted on top and insert a sprig of mint.

       
Note: You can fill the oranges and put them back in the freezer until ready to
serve. 

Of course, You can opt to substitute lemons for the oranges or use any other
citrus.... you can play with color themes.... use a red hued berry sherbet or sorbet
to fill icy yellow lemons- for instance!

wine journal 

In my next blog,  Always start with a theme!

xxoo, Sheila

How it all Began Part II, Sept. 5 2011

How Did This Happen to Me?

Romeo Salta’s Northern Italian Restaurant

On West 56th Street in Manhattan, Romeo Salta’s was the first place I tasted the classic dishes of Florence, Milan, Genoa, Siena, Turin, Rome and Venice. As soon as I sat down, the crunchy, melt in your mouth, bet you can’t eat just one, Italian breadsticks were put in front of me. One by one these long and skinny delicious handmade breadsticks would disappear, beckoning the waiter to replenish the basket. You can still find me nibbling yummy breadsticks (grissini) today.

my autographed copy of Romeo Salta's cookbook

It was here that I tasted many firsts: Risotto alla Milanese, creamy, soupy, al dente chewy bites of flavored grains; Vitello Tonnato, Spedini, Mozzarella en Carrozza, Zuppa di Pesce, Lobster Fra Diavolo, Piccata di Vitello, Cotolette di Vitello Valdostana, along with al dente pasta in the memorable smokey Spaghetti alla Carbonara and the creamy white and yellow Paglia e Fieno. I would cook these dishes over and over, eventually fine tuning dishes to my taste and, on some occasions, creating my own versions.As I mentioned earlier my inspirations come from the restaurants in which I ate. Restaurants that earned stars. The way I learned to cook was to follow the recipes of those who where accomplished stars in the kitchen. From James Beard to Julia Child and too many more to mention right now. Once I decided on the menu or theme I would sit down with several cookbooks and compare the same recipe. I would analyze the ingredients, instructions and cooking time and then set off to adapt. As I cooked I would taste and edit ingredients or the amounts to my liking. I suggest you do the same.

Vitello Tonnato is a classic Italian dish served cold. It translates to Veal in fish sauce (tuna). It’s really best to serve this dish in the summertime or early Fall when it’s still warm outside and lighter fare is desirable.

The first time I made Vitello Tonnato was from the Romeo Salta cookbook. The second time I made it I changed from the boneless veal shoulder which is cooked for at least 2 hours to veal scallops and adjusted the sauce to my taste. I’ve made it this way many times and even make it with boneless, skinless chicken breasts halved and pounded very thin.

The milk-fed veal (for Veal Piccata) that Romeo raised on his own farm was difficult to find, but with friends in the restaurant business, I was able to get the name of a butcher who had the quality I needed.  When making Veal Picatta I would pair it with a simple steamed asparagus with Parmesiano Reggiano cheese. I even had a special asparagus server with a rack that sits in a silver tray to hold the asparagus, and a sauceboat cradled at the top for a sauce.

My Vitello Tonnato decorated with nasturtium flowers, chives and parsley from my garden. Anchovies, black pitted olives, piemento, and lemon slices.

You can vary the decoration to create your own version- simple or elaborate. 

My version of Vitello Tonnato

Serves 4

For the veal:

2 lb. veal scallops pounded very thin

salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

For the tuna sauce:

2 cans  tuna fish  in olive oil ( best quality or imported)

1 tin of flat anchovies

juice of one lemon

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed

1 ½ cups of mayonnaise

For the decoration: This is fun, you can create your own design with any of the following ingredients.

Lemon slices ( prettier if you remove any pits)

Capers

Flat leaf parsley

Edible flowers

Pitted black olives sliced

Anchovy

Cornichons sliced thin lenthwise

sliced hard-boiled egg

pimento

In a large sautee pan heat the butter and the olive oil until bubbly over medium heat. Season the veal with salt and pepper. Add the veal in one layer to the pan ( if needed cook in batches, adding more butter and olive oil as needed). Cook until golden brown on each side. Remove from the pan and place on a platter. Cover and set aside while making the tuna sauce.

In a food processor puree the tuna, anchovies, capers, juice of one lemon. Taste and adjust ingredients as desired. Mix in the mayonnaise until the sauce is smooth.

Assembly:

Take a serving platter and spoon enough sauce over the platter to cover it.

Add the veal scallops, overlapping slightly. Cover the veal with a layer of sauce and decorate.

* Can be refrigerated until ready to decorate.

///

Finding interesting serving pieces is nearly as much fun as preparing the dish. 

A copper fish pan with brass fish and tails for handles sits on a shelf in my kitchen today reminding me of the fish dishes I would order at Romeo Salta’s restaurant. Not only did I want to cook the striped bass I’d just eaten, I wanted to cook it in the same pot or pan that the restaurant used. So, when the fish was presented at table in this pan, I immediately asked if I could purchase it. I did. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know.

Once, when I was dining at a trattoria in Florence, I admired the plaid fabric napkins and when I asked where could I find them, they gave me a set of six.

The Asparagus Server with rack, tray and sauce boat. 

I love the elegant look.

The copper fish poacher with brass fish and tails on the side that I obtained from Romeo Salta's Restaurant.

 My fish was presented on the poacher rack).

The 6 napkins I was given at the trattoria. Still use them to this day! 

In my next blog post, How It All BEGAN PART III, I'll report on a time at Lutece, and an unforgettable evening in NYC. Again, all stories leading up to my dinner party journals and tidbits on lifestylings. Do check back again! Feel free to post comments and ask questions! xxoo, Sheila