This weekend we had a housewarming party to break in our new apartment. We’ve thrown several parties in the past few years with very similar guest lists. This weekend’s party was easily the best of my entertaining career and all of my friends agreed. It was a fantastic party. Everyone, including myself and my husband, was relaxed, joyful, excited and celebrating. People were embracing the interaction, the conversation and each other. There was more laughter, more group dynamics and the most fun atmosphere of any we’d held before. More than any other party, nearly every guest at some point said to me “Your friend Jane Partyhearty is fantastic! What wonderful people!” In short, everyone had a blast with each other and most were strangers at the beginning of the evening. But by 1 a.m. Sunday morning, guests were leaving feeling like they’d made wonderful and exciting new discoveries and nuggets of personal connection. During the post-party cleanup and exhaustion fog, I began to think about why this party was so good. (Other than the FANTASTIC FOOD and liberal drink, of course.)
I attribute much of the vibe, the vigor, the boisterous and bubbling conversation to a brand new guest, a silent visitor who never joined in our parties before; THE KITCHEN. In all parties, whether they’re cocktail, pot-luck or four-course dinner affairs, people always congregate in the kitchen. The kitchen draws us all with its sensory stimulation and creates a sense of home, community and intimacy. As well, the kitchen is often where the action is, so those of us who are social like to be in the thick of it.
Our new kitchen is PERFECT for entertaining. With an open layout that flows directly into the living room there was plenty of space for our 18 guests. The island was laden with food as was the table we’d set up next to the island. The entire evening, that kitchen was the guest who was making the connections, putting people on common ground, bridging interests and distributing delicious morsels of taste and sustenance. It was transforming people from being a little shy and uncertain of each other into outgoing and raucous partiers sharing themselves personally and opening the door to new friendships. Many people told me they talked for hours to other guests and never even discussed their professions or jobs. In NYC, this is rare: it’s my experience that MOST cocktail parties the constant theme is work. When people don’t really know each other but are socializing they often start with work and then tentatively explore other topics. In this case, however, our friends showed up and were delighted by our gorgeous new home and one of the first areas greeting them is the kitchen. As they began congregating in it, feeling it, living it, they got that sense of giddiness I have felt since we moved in. This kitchen inspires creativity, fun, intimacy, beauty and celebration. I thank all my dear and glorious friends for making our home just packed with joy that night and I thank the “silent guest”, THE KITCHEN, for bringing out all those qualities within my friends that make me grateful they are in my life.
Due to the vibe of the party, I completely forgot to take photos of the food. My menu was a hit:
• Homemade pizzas of mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and basil with mushrooms or Italian soprasetta
• Italian cipolata pork sausages rolled in puff pastry with homeade sweet/spicy mustard and tomato/curried dipping sauces (my take on pigs in a blanket and the favorite of the meat lovers)
• Green bean, chickpea and cannelini bean salad with herb and red pepper vinaigrette in endive and radicchio cups
• Fresh baguettes and polenta chips and various snacks with homemade dips: mascarpone, crème fraiche and dill, artichoke pate (This was my own creation, I’ve included the recipe below – it was favorite of the vegetarians) and vine-ripened tomato “salsa” with gorgonzola, sea salt, pepper and tarragon
• Strawberry sandwiches made from mini brioche, fresh strawberries in a lemon and sugar simple syrup with fresh whipped crème
I don’t own a food processor, so I made this pate in my blender. It took a looooong time. I did no more than 3-4 tablespoons at a time and then dumped into a large bowl. When all batches were blended, I pureed it together again. I would recommend using a food processor. Many people thought this dip was hummus when they first saw it, that’s how smooth I made it. It was velvety and delicious, we gobbled it up.
Recipe for Stephanie’s Artichoke Pate:
2 cans artichoke hearts in water, drained and coarsely chopped
1 shallot, minced
6 pepperoncini de-stemmed and coursely chopped
1 lemon, juiced
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (approximate, use only enough for desired texture)
Sea salt to taste (approximately 1 tsp.)
freshly ground white pepper to taste (approximately ¼ tsp.)
Blend or puree the artichokes, shallots and pepperoncini into a chunky texture. Squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon taking care not to let the seeds go into the blender or processor. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, making sure not to go too quickly and stopping at desired smooth texture. I didn’t measure this, but I’m guessing it was about ¼ cup. You don’t want too much olive oil; it would be greasy. Add sea salt and white pepper to taste. Again, I didn’t measure, but aim for a good and deep flavor while still maintaining balance. Pour the pate into a serving bowl or dish and garnish with a whole pepperoncini. Refrigerate at least 4 hours to get the flavors to intensify. Remove from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving to bring to room temperature. Tastes excellent when served with polenta crisps and traditional baguettes.
What are your thoughts -- why is the kitchen such a powerful guest?