Old Dogs Can Learn New Tricks

There is something about classic dishes that work well at supper clubs. Classically prepared blanched asparagus makes a wonderful side dish.

I have watched great chefs blanch asparagus. I have enjoyed blanched asparagus at a 3 star restaurant in France. But it took a Christmas gift from my brother in law to motivate me to actually prepare the dish myself. My brother in law gives great gifts. One of my favorite knives came from him. My favorite pepper mill came from him. However, I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical when I he gave us online access to Thomas Keller’s Masterclass on Cooking.

Keller is the owner/chef at the French Laundry restaurant in Napa California. We have been to Bouchon, his more accessible and reasonably priced bistro and I am a fan. When I got the gift I wasn’t exactly in a rush to watch the videos. I finally got around to starting in mid-April and have really enjoyed them. Keller comes across as quite the authority and like most great French trained chefs he is opinionated and quite confident of his opinions. He really knows what he is talking about.

Check out Keller’s YouTube video on blanching.

The blanching process brings out the natural flavors and beauty of the asparagus. I had served a roasted asparagus at a dinner party last week and there is no comparison. The blanched asparagus is way better than the roasted version. I particularly like being able to blanch and then serve the asparagus salad at room temperature as a side dish.

Check out the recipe:

Made in advance is always a winner at supper club dinner parties. Serving blanched asparagus at room temperature will hold up well in your mise en place. The appearance on the plate is gorgeous and as most of us “Eat with our eyes” it will be a winner.

Yes I can be a bit of a “know-it-all” at times, but boy am I glad I took the time to learn and practice a new trick.

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.

CREATING MEMORIES

Supper Clubs are not always just dinner, if you are lucky, you can create a memory. We had a memorable evening with Phil and Peggy Rose in Nashville.

The theme for the evening was Parisian Bistro combined with Phil’a favorites. We had warned participants to bring an appetite as the menu consisted of:

Hors D’Ouevres

Pisaladieres
- Caramelized Onion with Olives
- Caramelized Onion & Garlic With Bacon

First Course

Romaine Wedge with Roquefort Vinaigrette, Croutons and Bacon

Main Course

Rack of Lamb Provencal
Potatoes Gran Mer
Roasted Asparagus
Béarnaise Blush Sauce

Desert

La Tartre Au Pommes with Grand Marnier Infused Berries & Sauce Anglais

The key to preparing for a dinner party for 11 people is in the mise en place. Said another way, do everything you can in advance. By the time guests arrived at 6 pm:

Pisalidieres had been cooked
Potatoes and the asparagus were in the oven
Rack of lamb had been prepped and the grill was preheating
The salad was staged ready to be assembled

All I had to do was to assemble the salad, cook the rack of lamb and serve.

Preparing the meal in Peggy’s kitchen was a delight. The Roses have top of the line stoves, ovens and grills. The kitchen is well laid out. Peggy is the gadget queen. Working in a strange kitchen can be hard, but in this case it was a delight.

The Rose’s friend are a fun bunch and were very appreciative dinner party guests. It was great to get to know them and give them the background on Impromptu Friday Nights. It was particularly fun to hear the color provided by Peggy and Phil. They shared their Supper Club memories bringing credibility and humor to the story being told. Even if the jokes were at my expense.

Check out the video

At the end of the night it was Phil that hit the nail on the head by saying:

“Tonight was not just a dinner party, we created a memory”

That pretty much said it all, and that is one of the beauties of supper clubs.

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.

Road Trip Supper Clubs

There are some that say I can be bought. Our friends Peggy and Phil Rose promised to buy some books if I would come to Nashville and cook for their friends. Guilty!

The truth is that we are on our way to Nashville to visit with our old friends. While we are there we will be catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. Phil and Peggy are original members of the Impromptu Friday Night crew. They were one of the five couples that we would call at 4 pm on a Friday afternoon and they would show up for a dinner party at 7 pm. The thing that was amazing was that these were busy people. For example, Phil was travelling the world as head of Supply chain for Pfizer. Yet for 9 out of the 10 times the Rose’s got the 4 pm call they would be there for the 7 pm party. I am not sure if it was the good food/times or just chemistry.

In getting ready for the trip, I called Peggy and asked if there wee any menu requests. She said Phil definitely wants your grilled pizza. For the second night we will have 11 people so I gave Peggy the choice between steak and rack of lamb. She said: “well we can have steak any time but your rack of lamb is special”.

Rack of Lamb Provencal

That rack of lamb is now one Phil’s favorites is just a little bit ironic. I remember the first time we served it to Phil. My good friend and chef Lucien Vendome and I hosted a dinner party for about 25 people. Before the party I told Phil that we were having rack of lamb. He told me that he didn’t like lamb. I can still see Phil as one of the “lamb haters” at the end of the evening fighting for the last lamb chops. A rack of lamb done the right way will turn “haters” into “lovers”.

There are two menus. One for Wednesday night that will be for 6 people. The theme is dinner in Tuscany. Both the Kennys and the Roses have been to Tuscany using the same travel guide so I am building on those memories. Thursday night we will have 11 people and will be built around a French theme and we have a few of Lucien’s creations as the core.

Here are the menus. I promise to write a blog next week to tell you how things work out.

Sending a message out to old friends around the world, promise to buy a few books and start a supper club, just remember… I can be bought!

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.