Category Archives: Blog

Soup Du Jour, Or If Business Is Slow, Soup Yester-Jour

This line was from a great sandwich restaurant in Burlington Vermont back in 1970’s. I can’t remember the name of the place, it isn’t open anymore, but I can remember,… and use, the line.

Soup has become the forgotten first course. For a variety of reasons, salad has become the first course of choice for American diners. When developing menus, don’t forget about soup. A good soup is a great crowd pleaser. When in doubt go for the daily double, soup and salad. The combination makes a perfect meal.

My daughter’s in-laws, Rick and Helene Begun, hosted us a few weeks ago in Montauk for dinner. We have a great tradition that I call the “Home and Home” series. Our kids and grandkids will come in for two weeks in the Hamptons. One week in Montauk and the next in Westhampton. The two towns are only 45 miles apart so we will travel one night to Montauk for dinner and Helene and Rick will come in to Westhampton for dinner  the following week.

Helene is the originator of the “I don’t cook but I know where to buy” school of entertaining. The evening in Montauk consists of drinks and appetizers (Grilled Roasted Shrimp & Gorgonzola Aioli) out on the deck overlooking the ocean with a broad spectrum of family and friends. Then around 6 pm Rick will sneak out and source a fully cooked dinner from a local restaurant. Rick took on a dual role for this year. He ran out to Gosman’s to pick a lobster dinner and he also made great corn chowder that we enjoyed as a first course.

Check out the recipes for Grill Roasted Shrimp and Gorgonzola Aioli

The soup really set up the tone of the meal. It was a rustic chowder with plenty of flavor coming from the corn and mirepoix. The great texture came from the blended potatoes. After the chowder no one was overly hungry, but at the same time, everyone enjoyed the lobster. There is something about a lobster dinner accompanied by a cool ocean breeze on a warm summer evening.

The star of the evening…THE SOUP DU JOUR…CORN CHOWDER

Check out the recipe for corn chowder

My daughter’s family at the beach. Above: Dylan, Ethan, Max & Jennifer

The other stars for the evening, the lobster, the birthday boy (and his bourbon) and the chocolate cake from Citarella’s (Helene really knows where to buy).

By the way, business wasn’t slow as every last drop of soup was enjoyed.

If you enjoyed this blog and similar other stories/supper club lessons follow me on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to get future blogs at www.impromptufridaynights.com/blog and check out my book Impromptu Friday Nights a Guide to Supper Clubs. Published by Morgan James Publishing and available through most channels where books are sold.

Grilling…It’s a Guy Thing – Or Not!

I don’t get it. Why is grilling a guy thing? The tradition in American society is that the women do the bulk of the cooking, but the guy is expected to do the grilling. It doesn’t make sense to me. One thing I do know is that one question I get asked quite often by wives is: Can you teach my husband to grill? He overcooks everything. I don’t care who does it. Put that all aside because…

It’s Time To Grill!

Nothing says summer more than food cooked on the grill. The summer is officially here and it is the perfect opportunity to be grilling. Everyone loves a menu of grilled items and they are great for a dinner party.

One common denominator of most dinner parties is everyone cramming together in the kitchen. Cooking on a grill outside is a wonderful alternative to spread out your guests. You just need to be careful that it doesn’t become…the guys by the grill and the girls in the kitchen. It is time to break from the stereotypes. Get everyone involved in the preparation and have a good time socializing over a meal.

Here is last night’s menu:

Westhampton Grilled Menu

One thing I love about visiting my mom in Westhampton is all the great seafood and fresh produce options. This year we came up a little early, Memorial Day versus Fourth of July) so the produce is probably from California or Chile, but it doesn’t matter. We are in the Hamptons and we going to enjoy foods cooked on the grill.

Note: Susan chilling out by the pool

A great thing about cooking on the grill is that with a little preparation, you get most of the work done in advance and when it is time to cook, you are out of the kitchen. The biggest piece of the Mise En Place was getting the compound butter, Gorgonzola aioli and tarter sauce made. Even that was quick and simple with common ingredients and all being made in the food processor. Grilling also leans to a healthier menu with focus on proteins and vegetables, there is less of a need for carbs.

The goal is to get your prep done in advance. Turn the grill on preheat as your guests arrive. Get everyone a cocktail and conversations going and then grill up a feast. I gave the swordfish, eggplant, asparagus and corn a brushing with olive oil and a sprinkle of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.

If there is anything you might want to take from this menu, I recommend that you give the Gorgonzola Aioli a try. It is a new creation that has gotten rave reviews. I have waxed profusely about compound butter previously.  This Gorgonzola Aioli works really well as a sauce, a dip or a salad dressing. It definitely falls into the category of “you could put it on shoe leather and it will taste good”.

No matter if you are a guy or a girl, it is time to get out and grill. While you at it, give the Gorgonzola Aioli a try.

If you enjoyed this blog and similar other stories/supper club lessons follow me on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to get future blogs at www.impromptufridaynights.com/blog and check out my book Impromptu Friday Nights a Guide to Supper Clubs. Published by Morgan James Publishing and available through most channels where books are sold.

Special Recipe For Potato Salad

My mother’s potato salad is legendary (in our family). My mom is German and my father used to say: In WWII, if the Germans had bombed with your mother’s potato salad, they would have won the war! Yes my father was prone to hyperbole (Some would say: like father, like son), but the truth is that mom’s potato salad is fantastic and a great addition to a summer supper club menu.

Like many great family dishes, the recipe is somewhat unique tothe author. The truth is that my mom makes this dish a little different every time. She uses the same basic formula, but will taste as she goes along and add something here and there to get it the way she wants it. Sometimes she will add lemon juice, sometimes not. Sometimes she will add a little mustard, sometimes not. It isn’t that she is being secretive, it’s just that flavors vary. She knows what she wants it to taste like and has a few tricks to get the results she wants.

You can ask Mom’s 6 grandkids what is their favorite dish that mom-mom makes at the beach and potato salad is way up on the list. As stated, the potato salad is legendary, but there is also the fact that dish brings them back to the great memories of their youth, growing up at their grandmother’s beach house.

My father claimed that coffee and tea tasted better in a glass cup. The truth is that he remembered having tea at my mother’s mom’s lake house when my mom and dad were first married. Tea and coffee in a glass cup reminded him of the good times and of course, the memories made things taste better.

Mom’s potato salad is more than great memories. It is great. Here is the potato salad recipe. There are some basics that she does that are different and repeatable. For one, she marinates the potatoes first:

Check out the video of the prep and marination.

There are also some tricks in her final dressing of the potato salad

Check out the video on her final dressing

After we made the video, mom continued to taste her potato salad and couldn’t help herself and commented “Boy this is good!”.

Check out the potato salad recipe

We enjoyed the potato salad along with a menu of other salads as part of our Home and Away series of visits with our daughters in-laws. Every summer we visit my mom in Westhampton and Helene and Rick live in Montauk which is the east-end of the Hamptons. We are only 40 miles apart but with summer traffic it can take two hours. No matter what it is always fun with the grandkids, good food and great times.

Check out the video of the pre-meal festivities 

Helene & Rick Menu

Appetizers

  • Roasted Pepper Rolatinis With Salami, Goat Cheese And Pesto
  • Smoked Salmon Spread Canapés

Salads

  • Curry Chicken With Apple, Toasted Pine Nuts, Raisins and Fresh Dill
  • Mom Mom’s Legendary Potato Salad
  • Caprese With Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella, Pesto and Basil
  • Grilled Peaches With Creamy Blue Cheese And A Balsamic Glaze
  • Poached Asparagus With Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar, Pepper & Onion

Dessert

  • Peach Cobbler Tart With Vanilla Ice Cream

If you enjoyed this blog and similar other stories/supper club lessons follow me on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to get future blogs at www.impromptufridaynights.com/blog and check out my book Impromptu Friday Nights a Guide to Supper Clubs. Published by Morgan James Publishing and available through most channels where books are sold.