Cincinnati Supper Club – October
Originally uploaded by dynamist.
Tuesday night was our eighth supper club gathering (more photos here), and I continue to be surprised at what a success this whole endeavour has been. To think how worried I was back in March that nobody would ever come!
I hosted for the first time since the inaugural supper club. For some reason, the cooking and preparation for this one seemed such a breeze. Here’s what I made:
Chicken and mushrooms in a cream sauce – very easy. I browned chicken tenders in olive oil (butter would work, too) and then poached them in stock the night before. The day of the dinner, I cooked chopped onions and mushrooms in the stock, then added cream and the chicken, plus lots of black pepper. This was wonderful, and would be great over fresh egg noodles or rice (I used couscous, as it is easier, faster, and worked with my other main course.)
Shrimp korma – even easier! I used a jar of Trader Joe’s korma sauce, adding only chopped coriander. The sauce got soaked up by the aforementioned couscous.
Pizza-esque frittata – another make-ahead wonder. I used diced sweet peppers, onion, and pepperoni, with a healthy dash of Italian herbs and a mixture of Parmesan, mozzarella, and fontina, to make this one. I baked it earlier in the day and re-heated it in a warm oven before serving.
Green salad with walnuts and feta – all I had to do was toast the walnuts.
Chickpea, pepper and okra salad – the improvisational hit of the night! I had one tin of chickpeas, which I drained and combined with some diced sweet peppers (very tiny ones) and pickled okra which I’d sliced into rounds. The pickled okra is quite spicy and comes in a jar; it is also surprisingly addictive. I added chopped coriander, lemon juice, and olive oil to dress this.
Miniature pecan and pumpkin tarts with freshly whipped cream – the easiest of the lot. These came in a big box from a company called The Caterer’s Secret. They were priced 48 for $9, which is a fabulous deal – especially as they require no baking. You just take them out of the freezer and leave them on the kitchen counter for an hour. I warmed them in the oven before serving with a big bowl of cream I’d whipped before everyone arrived. Everyone loved these, too!
It really was a pleasure to cook for this one, especially since I really had no idea what I was going to make until the last minute. I think it took me longer to write this post, actually!