Small Bites…Adventures in Downsizing

By Jan Kinzel

Holiday parties and small space solutions. In my former life, BD (Before Downsizing), twenty‐five for a sit‐down dinner was no problem at all, and a party for forty to fifty was easy. Space was not an issue. Now, however, we still have all of the old friends as well as several new ones in the condo and just one‐third the space. Still desiring to entertain, new ways must replace the old. Hosting an open house is one great solution for small space partying. By spreading the attendance over several hours a large group can be comfortably accommodated. Wonderful drink and holiday food, nice background music and lovely holiday decorations create a beautiful and inviting ambience for a Christmas party no need for a sit‐down dinner. The open‐house can be just as fancy, beautiful and delicious. But, maybe I still want to have a party with dinner being served. While the guest list must be limited, the dinner party can still be excellently executed. Here is one we hosted recently.

My husband, Chris, and I traveled to France last month. It was a wonderful trip and Chris, who is a very accomplished photographer, snapped the most amazing pictures. He spent several weeks organizing a slide show of the very best shots. Our neighbors, many of whom have also traveled in Europe, expressed an interest in viewing the pictures. Chris used a very huge screen, so large in fact, that it seemed as though we were all sitting under the Arc de Triomphe! When the sixteen guests arrived, they could graze at my table set with goodies and decorated with some sparkly Eiffel Towers! That part was easy to plan, but as to how to serve dinner took quite a bit of thinking.

Party Dinner Menu

Risotto with Stir‐ins
Caprese Salad on a Skewer
Individual Crème Brulee
French Macaroons
French Roast Coffee

Oversized latte cups were easy to manage and held the risotto. This avoided the awkwardness of trying to balance a plate. The stir‐ins, roasted asparagus cut on the diagonal, sautéed mushroom slices, peas, roasted butternut squash cubes, roasted shrimp and butter poached lobster, were set up as a mini‐buffet. Before starting the slide show, each guest received a scoop of creamy risotto in their latte cup and stirred in the desired additions. The salad skewers were easily picked up along with the risotto cups. The crème brulee, in easy to hold ramekins, were served after the slide show along with the macaroons. This way of serving dinner to a large group worked very well.

Creamy Risotto

2 Cups Arborio Rice, uncooked
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 Tablespoons Butter
1 Cup Onion, diced
1 Cup Dry White Wine
6 – 8 Cups Chicken Broth, simmering in a separate pan
1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoons Butter

Sauté the onion in oil and butter for 3 minutes in a 5 or 6 quart heavy pan. Add rice, stirring for 2 minutes until all of the grains are coated and hot. Stir in wine. Continue stirring until wine is absorbed. Stir in 1 cup of the simmering chicken broth. Continue cooking and stirring until liquid is absorbed. Continue this process making sure the liquid is absorbed before adding the next bit of broth. This cooking and stirring should take about 25 minutes. Test a rice grain to make sure it is tender. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese and butter. Yield is 6 cups of cooked rice. I like to keep the risotto plain and add in the other elements after the rice is finished. To do this, be sure to roast or sauté all ingredients before adding. For my dinner party, I made three batches separately, keeping them warm in a crockpot. To keep the risotto from gumming up, I added extra heated chicken broth diluted with a little water.

Caprese Salad on a Skewer

1 Basket of Grape Tomatoes
1 Basket of Medley Tomatoes
1 Carton Galbani Mozzarella Fresca
1 Bunch Fresh Basil

On each skewer, thread a grape tomato, a mozzarella ball, a dark colored tomato. Finish with a basil leaf on the top end. Two or three skewers per guest are plenty.

Crème Brulee

8 Yolks of Large Eggs
1/3 Cup Granulated White Sugar
2 Cups Heavy Cream
1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Vanilla Bean, Seeds Scraped from the pod (Optional)
Extra Sugar for the Caramelized Tops

In a large bowl whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Add cream and vanilla and whisk until well blended. Pour mixture through a fine net strainer into another bowl. Pour the mixture into 6 or 8 ramekins (depending on size). Set the ramekins on a baking tray with 1 inch lips. Set the tray in a 300 degree oven and pour very hot water to reach at least half of the height of the ramekins. Bake for 40 minutes. Longer baking time will be required for deeper dishes. When done, remove from oven and allow custards to sit in the water bath until cooled. Remove cups and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. When ready to serve, sprinkle a couple of teaspoons of sugar over each custard. Use a small, hand‐held torch to caramelize the sugar and create a crunchy glaze. Chill custards for up to an hour before serving.

The macaroons were purchased from Costco, the brand I found were Cocola. Nearly every coffee roaster has a French Roast, pick your favorite!

 

Tip: Where there’s a will, there’s a way!

Be hospitable to one another…I Peter 4:9