I’m a stubbornly bad cook, so no one’s really coming over to my house for a gourmet meal. (It’s my sparkling personality!!) But I do have one thing on tap that’s always a crowd pleaser…
My kitchen is stocked with loose leaf lemon verbena tea. IMO, it’s a perfect after dinner drink, but, more important, it’s an easy way to keep people around a bit longer when I don’t want the night to end.
One friend of mine always has cold cans of seltzer waiting in the fridge; another friend hands out these fancy sodas. The first often cooks, the second usually orders us Ethiopian take out. Needless to say, I love visiting them both. My dad puts out Boursin cheese and pretzel crisps from Costco, which are a perfect combo.
Lily Sullivan, the writer behind Love and Other Rugs, has perfected what she calls A Big Spread. That way, she can finish all the work before anyone arrives, enjoy her own party without worrying about something in the oven, and just replenish things as needed. “I’ve been inspired by dishes at restaurants I love, like a stack of potato chips with prosciutto from Ernesto’s or a fennel and olive dish from Altro Paradiso,” she said. “I want a feeling of abundance.”
Jenny Rosenstrach (who needs no introduction) prefers what she calls the Store-Bought Starter Plate. Since she likes to cook, she tries to avoid guests getting full before dinner. “I’d rather serve snacks that ‘wake up the palette,’” she told me. “Salty potato chips (Cape Cod Kettle Cooked), bright gherkins (Trader Joe’s), and pistachios are the holy trinity for me.”
Next on her menu is one of two recipes. Says Jenny: “When I invite someone for dinner, my brain immediately goes to our house specialties, both of which are pastas: Diane Kochilas’s Pasta with Yogurt and Caramelized Onions and my Pappardelle with Pork Ragu (which was anointed a ‘genius recipe’ on Food52, partly because of how ridiculously easy it is to make). I cannot tell you how many times I’ve served them, and the amazing thing is, I never get tired of either one.”
When I was chatting with Joanna about signature snacks, she said I had to talk to Leah Wiseman Fink, who serves chips and onion dip, year round.
Curious, I asked Leah where she got the idea. “During college in Ann Arbor, I loved the feeling of walking down the street, seeing friends sitting on their porches, and hanging out for a while,” she said. “Chips and dip was an easy thing for my roommates and me to have on hand for visitors. I’ve been serving it ever since.” For chips, she goes with North Fork or Ruffles. For dip, it’s Lipton.
“What I love most about being the house with chips and dip is that it shows that we have an open door. You don’t need an invite or occasion; you’re always welcome, and I’ll feed you.” Isn’t that the best?
Do you have a house specialty? A crowd-pleasing snack or drink you make sure to stock, or a recipe people think of as yours? I love that you don’t have to be skilled in the kitchen to have one — and that you may have one without even realizing it.
P.S. The most fun host gift, and how Joanna taught her kids to chat at dinner.
(Top photo by Maria Manco/ Stocksy. Big Spread photo courtesy of Lily Sullivan.)
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