Cena Americana!
So, a few neighbors came over last night for an american style meal. I would hope they actually like me, too, but I'm sure curiosity got the best of 'em, too.
Here's the menu rundown:
Appetizers on the terrace:
Prosecco (of course!) with finger PB&J sandwiches and 'Ants on a Log' (raisins, peanut butter and celery). We did have 2 young kids in attendance, I was trying to be user friendly. Plus, peanut butter doesn't really exist here, so people were fascinated.
'Wedge' salad with gorgonzola and toasted walnuts
Beef brisket with homemade bbq sauce and 'texas toast' - garlic bread
homemade potato salad
fried green tomatoes
Icecream with 'jimmies' sprinkles and watermelon for dessert.
The bbq sauce got rave reviews (and many extra helpings) from the Doctor, which was a relief (I was afraid it was too 'tangy'.) The meat was waaaaaaay too much work with constant basting for 7 hours, because it wasn't the same kind of meat I would have used in the states. It came out more like 'roast beef' (very dense, though thankfully not overcooked. Actually still a little pink inside, whew!). Really, I need to just buy a grill and just do hamburgers next time! Cooking in the house is too hot in the summer anyway. The surprise favorite of everyone was the fried green tomatoes, which I am tickled with! I couldn't find cornmeal, so I battered them in a mix of flour, salt & pepper, and ground up saltine-like crackers. Delicious!
You wouldn't recognize me, and Martha would have been proud -- I clipped a series of bright pink rose blossoms from one of my shrub roses and made a makeshift candle with floating roses centerpiece (in a giant mason jar since I couldn't find a hurricane), plus everyone had an individual rose in a short little glass vase at their place. To keep the 'americana' theme, I did have Garth Brooks on the stereo!
Of course, while we had been battling the heat all week, last night a front came through and it got really chilly - too much so to sit outside, so we had to move into the slightly-snug kitchen. But other than that, it all went according to plan and a good time was had by all! Once I got dinner on the table and relaxed a little, I actually was able to ask an intelligent question about politics (*what did they think of the French & Dutch rejection of the EU constitution), and understood MOST of the answer. Progress!
Living in my 650sq foot apartment in DC, I didn't do any 'full-meal' entertaining, and had TOTALLY forgotten how much work it is! I have renewed abject worship at how much of this The Mom did when I was growing up, she was always throwing THE party-to-be-at in our neighborhood. I hope I did her proud. Top the general work of a normal party with the fact that I'm trying to be the 'charming and witty ex-pat' in a language I'm barely transactional in while I put the finishing touches on a slightly too ambitious meal cooked on a foreign(CELSIUS!) stove in a tiny kitchen. Whew! I need a week to recover! Of course, I was up waaaaaaay too late unwinding (and finishing the champagne...) This morning, I took two of my 'advil ration' (did I mention Advil doesn't exist here, and even The Diplomat & RA have asked me to import for them?!?!), and deemed it a successful soiree.
Here's the menu rundown:
Appetizers on the terrace:
Prosecco (of course!) with finger PB&J sandwiches and 'Ants on a Log' (raisins, peanut butter and celery). We did have 2 young kids in attendance, I was trying to be user friendly. Plus, peanut butter doesn't really exist here, so people were fascinated.
'Wedge' salad with gorgonzola and toasted walnuts
Beef brisket with homemade bbq sauce and 'texas toast' - garlic bread
homemade potato salad
fried green tomatoes
Icecream with 'jimmies' sprinkles and watermelon for dessert.
The bbq sauce got rave reviews (and many extra helpings) from the Doctor, which was a relief (I was afraid it was too 'tangy'.) The meat was waaaaaaay too much work with constant basting for 7 hours, because it wasn't the same kind of meat I would have used in the states. It came out more like 'roast beef' (very dense, though thankfully not overcooked. Actually still a little pink inside, whew!). Really, I need to just buy a grill and just do hamburgers next time! Cooking in the house is too hot in the summer anyway. The surprise favorite of everyone was the fried green tomatoes, which I am tickled with! I couldn't find cornmeal, so I battered them in a mix of flour, salt & pepper, and ground up saltine-like crackers. Delicious!
You wouldn't recognize me, and Martha would have been proud -- I clipped a series of bright pink rose blossoms from one of my shrub roses and made a makeshift candle with floating roses centerpiece (in a giant mason jar since I couldn't find a hurricane), plus everyone had an individual rose in a short little glass vase at their place. To keep the 'americana' theme, I did have Garth Brooks on the stereo!
Of course, while we had been battling the heat all week, last night a front came through and it got really chilly - too much so to sit outside, so we had to move into the slightly-snug kitchen. But other than that, it all went according to plan and a good time was had by all! Once I got dinner on the table and relaxed a little, I actually was able to ask an intelligent question about politics (*what did they think of the French & Dutch rejection of the EU constitution), and understood MOST of the answer. Progress!
Living in my 650sq foot apartment in DC, I didn't do any 'full-meal' entertaining, and had TOTALLY forgotten how much work it is! I have renewed abject worship at how much of this The Mom did when I was growing up, she was always throwing THE party-to-be-at in our neighborhood. I hope I did her proud. Top the general work of a normal party with the fact that I'm trying to be the 'charming and witty ex-pat' in a language I'm barely transactional in while I put the finishing touches on a slightly too ambitious meal cooked on a foreign(CELSIUS!) stove in a tiny kitchen. Whew! I need a week to recover! Of course, I was up waaaaaaay too late unwinding (and finishing the champagne...) This morning, I took two of my 'advil ration' (did I mention Advil doesn't exist here, and even The Diplomat & RA have asked me to import for them?!?!), and deemed it a successful soiree.
posted by Viaggiatore | 6/02/2005
2 Comments:
Hi, gg! First, I can't tell you how tickled I am that you're such a frequent reader and commenter - (and of course I knew YOU would get the Waltons/Spencer Mountain ref... you and The Mom, so far, are the only ones I think!) I think it's very cool how much more connected we are now that I live even FURTHER away from the family roots, eh? (tho I'm beginning to think you're an insomniac, too!)
But I digress - Fried Green Tomatoes. Yup, a real thing. Delicious, really - very deep south (Georgia, I would guess?) The greenness of the tomatoes makes them really tangy. Slice 'em in about 1/4" pieces (not too thin), dip em in egg yolk, coat them in a mix of flour, salt, pepper, and crushed saltines, fry in a pan (olive oil of course) for about 3 mins on each side. Serve plain. Yummy! The kids present actually loved them, which surprised me. I don't know if you can find 'green tomatoes' on your coast, but it's worth a try! xoxo, V.
Hey, gg... yeah, it's a bit of a curse: the 'clever cleaver'ness: Probably too smart for my own darn good, as Papa would have said! While I must admit you DID have me going for a bit... tho you eventually gave yourself away! :D
Nice to know that even after a very long time, we can stay in touch so frequently as if no time had passed at all. *Really* glad you're here. In Italy, that might be considered an olive branch, no?!? Many smiles... xoxo, V.
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