Entertaining

On Saturday Kee and Todd came for dinner. We’ve only been meaning to get together for a year, so the event was right on schedule. They’re both Southern, so I took it upon myself to violate one of their most sacred culinary traditions in that reckless and insensitive way that I have. It’s one of the reasons we have to keep inviting new people over.

The white beans from the other night, whirled with garlic and olive oil in the processor, turned into a pretty skippy Crostino Adornment Paste® which we enjoyed while chatting, looking at the floor, and surreptitiously checking our watches. Milo and I had been out earlier, and bought some littlenecks, and I defrosted a quart of fish stock. Using the 10-grain mix from Wild Hive Farm- which I love, and have written about before- after a soak, I made a paella-flavored “risotto” with the fish stock, saffron, pimentón, and the liquor from steaming the clams over the grains at the end.

Having polished off the Spanish white I asked them to bring (a Rias Baixas albariño) with the crostini, I popped a 1983 Drouhin Chassagne-Montrachet to see if it was drinkable. The place where I get them has a bunch of old Burgundies that have dubious provenance, and some of them are completely cooked. But the ones that aren’t make up for all the rest; this bottle cost $20 with the case discount and was pure plummy gorgeousness- like a lipstick that Lancôme only wishes they could have developed for Isabella Rossellini if they hadn’t fired her for being over 40 because they’re gigantic assholes.

Next up were country pork ribs with an espresso-based rub and an applesauce-vinegar based BBQ sauce; I tried to give a nod to the Carolinian in the house by leaving tomato out of the sauce. This is all pretty hilarious if you understand that just a few years ago (about 4) when I first started smoking ribs, my wife said “for a Jew who was a vegetarian for 18 years, you make some pretty fucking good ribs.” In other words, I have no idea what I’m doing. But the smoked pork does seem to elicit strongly favorable reactions, so I continue.

To accompany said heresy, roasted beet salad, the first parsnips I’ve been able to get out of the garden (we like to leave them alone until now so there’s something to enjoy from the ground in March) and discs cut from the neck of a butternut squash that I steamed until just tender. We drank a Pleiades XVI, since they love Thackrey too. Then we had some pistachio ice cream and blood orange sorbet that they brought (because I was too lazy to make dessert) along with some fortified Australian muscat that has been living in the door of the fridge for an age, as fortified wines are able to do so well.

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7 Comments

  1. Heather
    March 4, 2009

    I love how you pander to your audience by evoking Isabella Rosellini.

    I don’t know – I can’t really wrap my mind around going from paella grain pilaf to ribs, which is strange, since I love turquoise with orange.

  2. Brittany
    March 4, 2009

    A yankee cooking ribs for southerners. Ballsy.

    They look amazing, but just so you know- Paula Dean is probably gonna have you shot.

  3. Zoomie
    March 4, 2009

    Food looks great and I enjoyed Kee’s site, too, especially the bubble chandelier, which makes me want.

  4. Brooke
    March 4, 2009

    I love you for serving roasted beet salad. I know way too many people who would have scoffed and left my home in a huff…because of the beets, not me. Pussies.

  5. cook eat FRET
    March 4, 2009

    i’m in town the first week of may
    and i’m officially a new person…

  6. genevelyn
    March 4, 2009

    Isabella love her and the “vamp” Chanel lipstick that met an untimely death. If only we could get those two together…

  7. peter
    March 5, 2009

    Blanche: “Mommy, Mommy- what are these?”

    Brittany: She can kiss my grits.

    Zoomie: She has a great eye.

    Brooke: I don’t understand people who don’t like beets.

    Claudia: Hooray! I’ll try to make it down for a meal.

    Genevelyn: I’ll take your word for it. Have you tried ebay?

Comments are closed.