Category Archives: Blog

Tapas Are Fun

Tapas menus are great for supper club dinner parties because they promote interaction. I am in the process of writing a Tapas menu and we had a trial run party this week in preparation for three dinner parties for our neighborhood supper club. The party was a lot of fun because:

  • Everyone helped out
  • The food was great
  • Tapas require interaction
  • I got good feedback on the menu
  • The menu brought back great memories

Tapas Menu

Involvement Is Key

Most people like to help. If you are in a supper club chances are you like to cook, and even if you don’t, you want to help. The way the party worked was:

  • The mise en place had been prepared and the goal was to get the cooking out of the way and serve the Tapas all at once.
  • As people arrived we gave them a drink, showed them the menu and told them what their responsibilities would be.
  • After a “drinks-worth” of direction, the whole group went to work.
  • We set up work-stations with ingredients and cooking apparatus:
    • Annie had the oven station to warm the Tortillas and bread.
    • Jim and Kim had the two stove top stations:
      • Gambas. Peppers & Salad
      • Meatballs & Tomato cream sauce
  • Steve dazzled us with his skills at the fry station:
    • Calamari
    • Ravioli
  • Linda had the wine station
  • Susan was in charge of coordinating serving dishes and utensils
  • Mom had responsibility for dessert
  • I acted like a clueless camp counselor and bounced from station to station pretending I knew what I was doing.
  • In an amazingly short order everything got cooked to perfection and was served all at once.

We started with 10 items and I had intended to cut it down to 6, but the group only wanted to cut one item. The kale salad (the only item close to healthy) didn’t make the cut. (shocking) The crispy squid (Calamari) was a big hit, but I cut it because it is difficult to  make without a sizable fry station.

I made several other changes to make it a better fit for a supper club.  I will make the spinach ravioli and provide them frozen to all three dinner parties. Making ravioli requires having a pasta maker and ravioli mold that most people don’t have. The recipe called for fried ravioli which is easy with my fry station, but boiling water is easier and safer for the average cook.

The Tapas brought back memories of our recent trip to Barcelona. Linda and Steve just happened to have been in Barcelona at the same time as us and we had a  real Tapas dinner together there. It was one of those nights where the waiter and chef took over and we were smart enough to just shutup and let them do their magic. We had had tapas before, but never quite like the real thing we had that night.

Tapas are fun, whether you are in Barcelona  Spain or Bartlett TN

(Steve, Linda, Susan and Paul in Barcelona with a wonderful array of Tapas)

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.

Tis The Season

The holidays are a lot about family and food. We were lucky enough to have our children in town for Christmas this year with their kids. With grandchildren: Max (5) Emma (4) Dylan (20 months) and Declan (3 weeks) it is just easier to eat at home versus going out to eat. This led to a wonderful seven days, and a fair amount of work in the kitchen. I keep reminding myself, it is all about the mise en place.

I have developed a reputation. You write a book about food and people expect you to cook. The good news is that we never have problems getting people to come over. When our kids come back into town around the holidays, we get their friends to come by as well. The Friday night meal (below) was a classic example where we wound up with 13 adults and 8 kids. My standard steak, French fries and salad dinner is always a crowd pleaser and serves 20 people very easily. I went shopping at 3:30, welcomed guests at 5:30, served dinner at 6:30 and said good night at 8:00. Preparation was quick and easy. With young kids involved and bedtimes approaching things end earlier, which is a good thing!

After seeing the following, one question gets asked: Who wants to be invited Next Year?

The Seven Days of Kenny Christmas

(Click on the hot-links below for recipes and pictures)

Saturday

  • Flammkuchen (German pizza with Gruyere cheese and caramelized onion)
  • Char Roasted Ham
  • Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage With Apple, Bacon and Onion
  • French Fries

Sunday

Monday

Christmas Eve – Feast of the 7 Fishes (6 Shrimp Two Ways  & 1 Calamari)

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday (Christmas with Mom Mom)

  • Rack of Lamb Provençal
  • Cauliflower Risotto and Balsamic Glaze
  • Blanched Asparagus with Mignonette sauce
  • Sautéed Haricot Verts

(The Kenny Clan: Seated – Max, Susan, Jenn, Dylan, Dorothy, Declan, Lauren, Emma, Standing – Ethan, Paul, Brian)

Friday – Standard Steak & French Fries

I have had a few followers asking why there hasn’t been any blogs for a few weeks. Well I have busy working on my mise en place. After a wonderful seven days of Christmas, we are all looking forward to going on a diet.

The holiday was made extra special by the arrival of our fourth grandchild. Declan Andrews Kenny arrived on November 23rdand has been a bright light through the holidays. Declan is a lucky guy in that he has 3 great grandmothers alive. (Good genes to have). My mom Dorothy (96) arrived on the 27th and has delighted in seeing her 7th great grandchild for the first time.

The holidays can be stressful whether you cook or not. Somehow Christmas can bring out the best and worst of just about every family dynamic. The following Saturday Night Live skit  THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER cleverly captures many of the special moments that the holidays bring. TIS THE SEASON.

Next year we might do takeout.

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.

Hostess Gift Ideas

 You have been invited to a dinner party or a beach house for the weekend and you have to bring something for the hostess. What should we bring? It is never an easy answer. We all have been given and received things we really don’t need or want. There are two gifts with which you can’t go wrong (wine and flowers) and past that there are gifts for the person and the occasion.

A Guide To The Perfect Hostess Gift

Here are a few suggestions that could help:

1. Wine

You can’t go wrong with a nice bottle of wine. Even if the hostess has recently returned from rehab she can always re-gift a good bottle. My favorite gift came from a friend that knows her wine. She wrote a note on the bottle saying that it is one of her husband’s favorites. The bad part is that I am still saving the bottle waiting on the right occasion.

2. Flowers

My daughter has a friend from London. Amy is very proper and always brings flowers tied together with a nice ribbon. Everyone loves flowers and the ribbon cuts the expense.

3. Candy

If you are being invited to an out of town dinner party bringing a box of candy from a good candy store from your home town always works.

4. Cheese Board/Serving Set

You can get a nice cheese board at a gift shop relatively inexpensively that makes a nice gift. We have friend that is the queen of the great hostess gift that once told me the best reaction she has ever received was on a cheese board. For the record, we have at least five.

5. Bees Wax Candles

This falls into the category of “You can always use one”. Candles are a safe gift.

6. Packaging

While packaging is key to all gifts, it is worthy of its own category. A great example comes from my mom. My dad was a college dean. His University bought a college that used to be a catholic college and had a convent on the property. At Christmas dad made my mom buy gifts for the 30 nuns at the convent. She bought them a small nic-nac from Bergdorf Goodman. The packaging made the gift and the nun’s are still praying for my father. Another reason packaging is worthy of its own category is that there are great gift bags and wine bottle sacks that are worthy of re-gifting.

7. Holiday Baskets

Around the holidays there are all kinds of gifts that come into play. Ornaments and candy dishes are just a few examples.

8. Napkins

So you have been invited to a dinner party. It is pretty safe to say that your hostess entertains. She can always use some interesting napkins. Many gift shops even sell napkins with initials on them.

9. Titleist Pro V 1’s

OK golf balls aren’t exactly a hostess gift. But Titleist Pro V 1’s are as good as currency to just about any golfer and they are expensive. The good news is that Titleist and now other manufacturers run promotions every spring where you buy 3 dozen and get a 4th dozen free. The one caveat is that you need to have them personalized so that they can’t be resold with the lower price. I get them personalized with “THANKS” and then give as gifts when I get invited to someone’s club or want to make a dinner party host really happy.

10. Object D’art

A really nice piece of art (some may call them chotskies) makes a great hostess gift. This type of gift is a little risky and can get very expensive. Last year we were in Poland where the local currency is 4 to 1 to the US dollar and we saw some beautiful art that would cost hundreds in the USA, but was under $20. We bought a few pieces, but wish we had bought dozens. The risk falls into the category of “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder so it helps to know your audience.

Earlier I mentioned my friend who is the queen of the hostess gift. A few years ago she moved to a new town. When she hosted her first dinner party she received a wide array of gifts. She told me that now that her new friends know her they just bring wine.

When you are hosting a dinner party people usually ask “What can we bring?” We always say bring a bottle of wine. You will wind up with a wide array. Chances are you will get a few gems and some may even be inscribed. The rest, you can re gift to your sisters.

Of course, the perfect hostess dinner party gift is a great book. Impromptu Friday Nights – Guide to Supper Clubs published by Morgan James Publishing in January and is available through every main channel that sells books.

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.