Re: [london.food] 2004-04-14 Dinner party - Tapas.

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From: James Bywater
Subject: Re: [london.food] 2004-04-14 Dinner party - Tapas.
Date: 15:11 on 16 Apr 2004
What is the username of your cooking livejournal?

James


On Thu, 2004-04-15 at 23:40, Kate L Pugh wrote:
> (Yes, this is a copy and paste from my cooking livejournal.  Another
> one of those dinner parties for 10.)
> 
> There weren't really defined courses this time, just little tasty
> dishes brought out at intervals during the evening. This list is in
> rough order of serving.
> 
> * Marinaded black and green olives (bought ready-made).
> * Hummous: http://www.earth.li/~kake/cookery/recipes/hummous.html
> * Baba ghanoush - bake three aubergines, whole, until soft. Cool,
>   chop, and puree with tahini, squeezy garlic, and lemon juice.
> * Spanish almonds: http://www.foodiesite.com/recipes/2000-06/spalmonds.jsp
> * Falafel (made from a mix).
> * Pitta bread:
>   http://web.archive.org/web/20010613202144/saudichef.terrashare.com/bread.html#Pita
> * Stuffed vine leaves:
>   http://www.lebaneserecipes.f9.co.uk/StuffedVineLeaves.htm
> * Taleggio (at room temperature) and feta (chilled), cut into
>   bite-size pieces and served with cocktail sticks.
> * Chickpea, red onion and orange salad with fresh mint.
> * Quinoa with green beans:
>   http://www.earth.li/~kake/cookery/recipes/quinoa-with-green-beans.html
>   (left out the basil, served at room temperature).
> * Okra in tomato and dill sauce:
>   http://www.earth.li/~kake/cookery/recipes/okra-tomato-dill.html
> * Patatas bravas - cubed potatoes roasted in olive oil with squeezy
>   garlic, paprika and chilli powder.
> * Spinach (chopped and cooked) and feta (crumbled) wrapped in filo
>   pastry brushed with groundnut oil.
> * Meatballs in almond sauce:
>   http://www.marga.org/food/int/andalusia/meatballs.html
>   (with a lot more almonds than the recipe specifies, and using
>   ready-made meatballs).
> * Vegetarian moussaka:
>   http://www.earth.li/~kake/cookery/recipes/veg-moussaka.html
>   (used grated carrot instead of the green lentils, since Marcus doesn't like
>   pulses, and yogurt instead of the soya topping, because it was less faff).
> * Gazpacho: http://www.earth.li/~kake/cookery/recipes/gazpacho.html
>   (left out the cucumber, served in shot glasses).
> 
> Pretty much everything was done in advance. I fried the falafel just
> as the first people were arriving, since they're best fresh. I started
> baking the pittas when most people were here, and served them as they
> came out of the oven in batches (they only take 9 minutes to bake). I
> reheated the okra in the microwave. I roasted the potatoes in advance
> until nearly done, then reheated them in the oven just before
> serving. Same with the spinach and feta pastries. I cooked the
> meatballs up to the point where I put the ground almond mixture in,
> and then cooked it further just before serving. The moussaka I
> assembled in advance and then just shoved in the oven.
> 
> I had Greek yogurt and dark Greek honey and chopped nuts for dessert,
> but nobody really wanted any, since as usual I'd made too much
> food. The moussaka didn't get much of a look in, since most people
> were full by then. It seems that even very full people can manage to
> fit meatballs in, though. I didn't make enough potatoes, but then
> there are never enough potatoes.
> 
> The falafel were a bit flat. I put too much water in the mixture and
> so they didn't keep their shape in the oil. I forgot to get around to
> eating any, but they went so they must have been OK.
> 
> The vine leaves were a great success. A little squashed, since I put a
> bit too much weight on top when I was cooking them, but very good. And
> the recipe makes loads, so I have plenty left over.
> 
> I'd not been looking forward to making the potatoes (done-ness and
> hot-ness faff), the pittas (don't like handling soft doughs) or the
> spinach-feta pastries (I had some irrational idea that filo is tricky
> to work with - it isn't), but they all came off perfectly smoothly.
> 
> I've decided I like serving chilled soup in shot glasses. I would have
> served the gazpacho earlier, but I forgot about it.
> 
> Later on I made gin fizzes:
>  http://www.earth.li/~kake/cookery/recipes/gin-fizz.html
> 
> 
> Kake
> 
> 


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