a dinner party built for ten
And after trips to the market (and to the crowded foodgeek event Foodprint City NYC), Catherine, Solana, and Keryn began making gnocchi,
turning baked sweet potatoes from this,
into these (aren’t they beautiful? It’s this Gourmet recipe.)
More guests arrived, Eva with her arms full of tulips,
and Solana and I cooked the soft gnocchi, crisping them a bit in a pan with butter and grating Parmesan on top before passing small plates to share.
Candy-hued chairs from the Brooklyn Flea, pulled around the little table that could, held friends that passed roasted brussel sprouts (Keryn’s handiwork) and fractal cauliflower, savory leek bread pudding, then Ad Hoc’s garlic-brined pork tenderloin with fennel mustard—and the smashed potatoes I almost forgot in the oven.
It was a second Thanksgiving, really, one to send winter off with warm food in bowls for seconds and thirds. I think I am happiest when my kitchen is crowded, full of loud laughter, and, ah,
flashed hand signals (Revaz to a skeptical Noah),
ice inspectors like Mario (these are space invaders),
and salted butterscotch pudding appreciators like Keryn and Liza.
The energy filled the kitchen and then moved out into the night, toward a dance club and more laughing—I hope Catherine will make return visits, to see Keryn more often (I’m going to Maine in April), that these friends will circle my table again and again, and that Brooklyn continues to amaze…
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Posted by Kristen Taylor on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010, 11:08 am * Filed in brooklyn, Entertaining, Food. * Tags: dinner, friends, kristen, kthread, party, taylor. Follow responses through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:55 pm
This is a feast! I’ve tried to get a few dinner parties together in Los Angeles – along with game night antics – but it’s been so difficult. I think NYC food gatherings are easier. Why is this?
March 2nd, 2010 at 1:30 pm
YUM!!! Never have I been so stuffed with glorious food as I was that night. Reading this post made my mouth water all over again. Thank you for hosting us all with such generosity and aplomb–it was beautiful to witness. I can hardly wait for your trip to Maine!
March 2nd, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Thank you so much! Amazing meal and great company, It couldn’t have been a better night. Gotta do it again soon!
March 2nd, 2010 at 2:39 pm
Mario, definitely. Thank you again for coming, happy you liked everything (the g5 is fun to cook for and with).
Keryn, very glad we had a weekend of adventures :) Brooklyn will need to see you again this spring—
Alex, I think it’s about public transportation and time in traffic, but also, my friends who live there throw dinner parties often, so maybe it takes some time to build toward that kind of a group—you were missed here.
March 3rd, 2010 at 10:11 am
What an awesome, awesome night! Thanks so much for having me. Next time I’d love to help cook!
March 4th, 2010 at 12:15 am
Liza, thank you for coming :) Always so fun to see you, and let’s definitely cook together soon—
March 8th, 2010 at 2:49 pm
That bread pudding was off the hook!! (and so was the melt-in-your-mouth-pig and the gnocchi and the caramel and everything else…I just have a thing for bread pudding). Feel free to invite us over for food whenever you want :).
March 8th, 2010 at 11:30 pm
Noah, so great to finally meet you. I didn’t know about your thing for bread pudding, but next time, we’ll make croissant pudding (you’ll be a fan). And I need Harlem tours when it’s warmer—
March 9th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
phenomenal meal, kristen! thank you so much for inviting us to your beautiful home and cooking up such a memorable feast. hope to see you again soon!
March 9th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
Laura, so lovely to meet you, glad you were in town too! Yes, let’s plan something for late March to celebrate spring—