The One-Handed Chef
May 4th, 2008 by Marilyn
We hosted friends on Saturday night, our first true dinner guests in the new old house. Yes, all you parents, we’ve hosted you, too, with pleasure – but I’m talking appetizers, and wine, and plated desserts and more wine. Dinner guests. I know we had a good time, because I went to bed late, stuffed, and dizzy.
The kitchen performed beautifully – I’ve finally mastered its corners and burners, and the timing to yank the right drawer for the right tongs. This made me very, very happy.
We’ll look at dinner later this week (Tell Simmer on Monday, up first) but to preview, we ate: chicken with cherry-shallot sauce, steamed asparagus, and the highest calorie potatoes known to man. You heard right, chicken – asparagus – potatoes again. Only these mashed potatoes were loaded with herbed chevre, Canadian white cheddar – stay with me – golden Beemster and a pound of melted butter. Perhaps I should have tossed in a lobster and some Oreos to put it over the top?
We lingered over simple dessert – sponge cake with vanilla pastry cream and fresh fruit. Unfortunately, photographing dessert tends to keep me from eating dessert – these days I’m usually cooking with one hand and shooting with the other, an acrobatic and ridiculous sight. But last night one of my guests graciously grabbed the camera, allowing me to both finish dessert and pipe pastry cream on my tongue.
This too made me very happy – honestly, I’d forgotten I could work with two hands. Thanks, J & J, for a lovely evening and an extra hand. As promised, I give you credit for this sugared and tasty look:
It turns out that Marilyn’s cooking tastes even *better* than it looks on this blog. Jo and I talked all day Sunday about what a good time we had — and mused on the possibilities of recreating some of your recipes in our own relatively plain kitchen.
Plus, we got to watch Marilyn actually cook the food. It was like being at a cooking show, only getting to sit right on the set and enjoy a glass of wine with it. Fabulous!
The downside: I re-learned that *some* of my stories just aren’t appropriate at the dinner table. Then again, I’ve been learning that lesson my entire life — and somehow it still hasn’t taken. Sorry about that.
yum. as usual. i’m hungry now. as usual.
you always do this to me, marilyn!!
Marilyn, I just have to tell you that watching you prepare dinner made me catch the cooking bug again. Brunch on Sunday morning was lovely and varied. I had such fun putting it together! (Yep, even more reasons I’m glad I didn’t actually go to culinary school way back when.)
And yes, that sponge cake was every bit as good as it looks. I’m going to have to learn the serious baking, and soon…
Will there be leftovers? Cause like, I could head to the airport now…
Sounds delectable. Especially chicken with cherry-shallot sauce.
I don’t know, I always thought the Silver Palate Cookbook mashed potatoes that we used to make for Thanksgiving were the highest calorie potatoes known to man: they included butter, sour cream, and cream cheese. Damn, they were good.
“The kitchen performed beautifully – I’ve finally mastered its corners and burners, and the timing to yank the right drawer for the right tongs. This made me very, very happy.”
Oh how I long for this to happen with me. I am still hunting for things, still wondering if I can throw half of the utensils out that I have manged to acquire. Don’t get me wrong, I love my kitchen. I haven’t had a big dinner party yet, but I did do heavy appetizers for 8.
Mmmmm, glorious obscene mashed potatoes…
I make them with herbed cream cheese, orange and white cheddar, and bacon. Now I can’t wait for an occasion to make them again, yum!