Entertaining Is My Love Language Your Guide To Parties

 Every home chef should have an entertaining guide, one that can help with every aspect of home party planning. Luckily there's a brand new book out that's a must have for home party throwers. It's perfect for gatherings large and small.

Dawna Pitts wrote Entertaining  Is My Love Language (Freisen Press 2023), a gem  of a book. It has everything , even how to prepare for a party .The book has an international vibe to it thanks to the author being born in Seoul , Korea . Her love of travel and international good food is evident.There are dishes with a nod to her Korean heritage along with dishes from France, Italy and  the Mediterranean. What I love is that she also includes the little things like the difference between  large and smaller forks and spoons, along with what plates are for each course. Another plus is that she includes water glasses which not even restuarants have these days.There are also how tos on writing the perfect place card - also important and what centerpieces to use for both large and small crowds. This section has excellent tips like try not to put out fragrant blooms . The aromas can interfere with guests' taste buds. She also has  tips on  house organization with telling readers how to have an uncluttered house and how to recycle everything  for a second use. However I think most hosts know how to look good for a party without her advice. That tidbit was just a bit condescending.

The recipes are interesting.They're grouped together so you can throw a party for any occassion . A summer birthday party can use her al fresco menu of mezze or hors d'oeuvres, grilled rack of lamb and an elegant overnight pavlova There's also tabbouleh and tzaki for extra dishes to this summery feast, reminiscent of Greece and the Middle East. Another fun, summery dinner is a salad buffet. Guests can choose from a variety of protein  like shrimp, turkey, and ham along with a a good array of veggies, cheese and bread. Ms Pitts puts an Asian twist on this with a bowl party. It's a salute to poke that Hawaiian classic full  of sushi grade fish like salmon and tuna and black seaweed or nori. The dessert for this is Yuja. jello ,a light gelatin made with citrussy Asian fruit yuja. Of course there are fun parties like  the sundae one with an array of ice creams, syrups and toppings. The breakfast get together is another neat idea with all the trimmings for a good hearty meal. There  are also inspiration tours tha include recipes. Ms. Pitts covers the globe with these, hopping from Viet Nam to France to Australia to name a few. The end of the book has interviews with party planners who give helpful advice.

All home chefs and party lovers should take a glance at  this book. Entertaining Is My Love Language is the definitive guide to anything party. Is it worth adding to your library? Possibly.

Celebrating Turkey

 Turkey has alwasy been an interesting country with an interesting cuisine. The food is a remnant of the Ottoman Empire, an amagam of Balkan, Middle Eastern and Central Asian cuisines. It's a comforting array of recipes that reflect centuries of home cooking and local ingredients.

Our thoughts are with the Turks and Syrians who suffered from that massive earthquake today. Both countries have always have been known for their excellent home cooking and feasts. Turkish cuisine,itself varies across the country which straddles both Europe and Asia.  The recipes of Istanbul, Bursa , Izmer and the rest of the Anatolia (Asia Minor) inhetrited many aspects of Ottoman court cuisine. There was a moderate use of spices and a preference of rice over  bulgur, a kind of cracked wheat and koftes or meatballs. Other recipes like dolmades and eggplant  may also have dericed from the Greek influence and occupation of the  area. The Black Sea region has fish primarily in their dishes.especially the Black Sea anchovy or hamsi and many maize or corn dishes. A popular street food is batter  fried hamsi but the anchovies cna also be pickled or baked too. Turkey's southeast cuisine, from Urfa, Gazientep, Adiyanman and Adana are famous for their kebabas and mezes or appetizer plates. There is even an Eastern Asian influence thanks to the Mongols. There is steamed buns or manti , a regular staple of Chinese and even Korean cuisine.

Yes, the Turks have many desserts but Turkish taffy isn't one of them. That was created by the Bonomo family in the 1920's. The family was Turkish but lived in Coney Island where it became a big Boardwalk treat. Real Turkish delights are baklava and  even rice pudding, Baklava is a heavenly layering of phylo dough , brushed with melted butter and then filled with a cinnamon spiced chopped pistachio or walnut mix. I'ts then soaked in a fragrant syrup consisting of rose water, cinnamon and lemon. Every family however, puts their own special spin on this dessert.Their rice pudding is thicker in texture than the American version. the top is also slightly burned, sort of like creme brule. One of the all time favorite sweets is Turkish delight, These are little squares  also called lokum and they're made with sugar and starch. They're often flavored with nuts, fruits and rose water. The most common is the pink rose water kind, filled with pistacchios and walnuts. There are only four ingredients, from cornstarch and citric acid to water and sugar. You could add a small splash of lemon or orange juice for a fruitier flavor.

Turkish cuisine is an interesting marriage of East and West. Hopefully very soon, they will get back to their normal cooking and baking. Our thoughts and prayers for better times ahead are with then.

Small Bites For A Summer's Night

Big meals seem superfluous in summer. No one wants to really eat when the temps hit the nineties which is why bite sized foods seems perfect. It's time to try the Eastern Mediterranean tradition of mezze. It's a light, tasty way to eat and enjoy the flavors of the season.

David Tanis covered this in his column A City Kitchen in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Mezze is basically a  selection of small plates, similar to tapas.It's a standard in Greece, Turkey and Lebanon where its' big in restaurants but even bigger at homes around the regions. Families gather around their Sunday tables that are laden with small but filled plates along with glasses of  Greek ouzo, Turkish  raki or Lebanese arak. The ingredients represent the regions. Grape leaves and cucumbers are used often. Eggplant is a big staple , especially in the Middle East mezze or mezedhess. Mostly it's served as a Turkish style dip with pita. Zucchini figures large too and it's prepared a variety of different ways.Most of the ingredients can be bought at any farmer's market or even the family garden. Mr. Tanis also recommends going to your local Middle Eastern grocery , not only to pick up the veggies but also buy pita and olives as well as dates and phyllo based desserts. More unusual ingredients such as sumac, pomegranate molasses and Marras pepper flakes, vital to the recipes, can be bought on line.

These recipes are purely vegetarian. There are meat based meze such as lamb, chicken and pork kababs and kefta ,balls of ground beef. You could make the kebabs on a grill and they would make a nice accompaniment to these recipes, however an all veggie meze is lighter fare, perfect for a hot midsummer night,The recipes are relatively easy and drenched in spices. Try the cucumber with feta , mint and sumac.It's taking two pounds of Persian cucumbers cutting them and dressing them in a savory  mix of garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Feta and sumac are added for creaminess and tang. There is also mashed eggplant with capers, scallions and parsley. It's cubing the eggplant, roasting it and then briefly pulsing it in a food processor. Pomegranate molasses is added along with yogurt for smoothness and cayenne pepper for heat. It can be used as a dip for warm pita bread or spread on rounds of French or Italian bread. There's also zucchini and cherry tomatoes with blanched zucchini strips in a tasty dressing composed of pureed red peppers.They're blended with olive oil, mustard, vinegar, Maras pepper and cayenne.The strips and sliced cherry tomatoes are arranged on a platter and then drizzled with the dressing.It's garnished with oregano, parsley and olives.

It's definitely the time of year for an all veggie mezze. Make the tasty dishes with the harvests of the season, drenched in exotic spices and flavors. Enjoy them on a warm, night , as they would do on a warm, starry night in the Middle East.