Dinner Party for my Book Club? (Difficulty Level: Hong Kong)
September 22, 2015 10:33 PM Subscribe
It's my turn to prepare dinner for my book club, but my challenge is my apartment is way too small to have all 7 members in my home at once. Instead, I'm planning to use a small common space for parties available on the ground floor of my apartment building. This is fine, but it means I will need to carry whatever I make up and down from my apartment in the elevator. Can you help me brainstorm an easy vegetarian starter, main course, and side dish which can be tasty given these conditions?
The conditions specifically:
I need to do all preparation after work or in the days before the dinner.
Food for 7 light eaters.
Tiny kitchen, so I can't cook more than one thing at the same time on my stove.
Tiny oven-- think toaster oven size.
My fridge is pretty big, luckily.
I live on the 39th floor, so it can be a considerable wait to get down to the common room, so foods which cool off quickly won't work.
I do have a food processor and a rice cooker, if either of those things help
lacto-ovo vegetarian recipes fine, but no peanuts
I will serve fruit for after the meal.
(I am considerably nervous about this as these are all really good cooks and I am only a so-so cook even without all of the limitations.)
The conditions specifically:
I need to do all preparation after work or in the days before the dinner.
Food for 7 light eaters.
Tiny kitchen, so I can't cook more than one thing at the same time on my stove.
Tiny oven-- think toaster oven size.
My fridge is pretty big, luckily.
I live on the 39th floor, so it can be a considerable wait to get down to the common room, so foods which cool off quickly won't work.
I do have a food processor and a rice cooker, if either of those things help
lacto-ovo vegetarian recipes fine, but no peanuts
I will serve fruit for after the meal.
(I am considerably nervous about this as these are all really good cooks and I am only a so-so cook even without all of the limitations.)
I think I have a starter that could work: Puff pastry tarte.
Takes 10 minutes to prep, 20 minutes to cook, you can do two half- sheets just as easily if the size of your oven is an issue. Looks fancy. I just linked to that recipe to give you an idea of the technique and cook time --- you can do anything you like for the topping. Cheese or pesto or tapenade for the base, tomatoes, peppers, spinach or onions for the topping. Whatever you like, really --- just make sure you have some strong flavours, a bit of colour, and slice everything thin so it cooks through quickly. Pretty easy to transport, just as good room temp.
For a main, in a completely different vein, I'd think something like sesame soba noodles would work. You can do the vast majority of the prep well ahead, it's pretty easy to present attractively --- cut some scallions on the bias and you're 80% there --- and it's meant to be served room temp.
posted by Diablevert at 10:59 PM on September 22, 2015 [3 favorites]
Takes 10 minutes to prep, 20 minutes to cook, you can do two half- sheets just as easily if the size of your oven is an issue. Looks fancy. I just linked to that recipe to give you an idea of the technique and cook time --- you can do anything you like for the topping. Cheese or pesto or tapenade for the base, tomatoes, peppers, spinach or onions for the topping. Whatever you like, really --- just make sure you have some strong flavours, a bit of colour, and slice everything thin so it cooks through quickly. Pretty easy to transport, just as good room temp.
For a main, in a completely different vein, I'd think something like sesame soba noodles would work. You can do the vast majority of the prep well ahead, it's pretty easy to present attractively --- cut some scallions on the bias and you're 80% there --- and it's meant to be served room temp.
posted by Diablevert at 10:59 PM on September 22, 2015 [3 favorites]
Just to clarify: the whole menu must be vegetarian?
posted by trip and a half at 1:18 AM on September 23, 2015
posted by trip and a half at 1:18 AM on September 23, 2015
Best answer: When my partner and I have people over, we get several types of pre-made tapenade and pesto and serve them with fancy crackers, olives, and maybe a hard cheese such as Pecorino. Maybe also some soft bread and good olive oil for dipping. No cooking required; you just have to put things into serving bowls.
Spaghetti alla puttanesca and spaghetti aglio e olio are both easy, elegant meat-free pasta dishes, though puttanesca does traditionally include anchovies. I usually eat them with a simple green salad dressed with oil and vinegar.
posted by neushoorn at 3:04 AM on September 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Spaghetti alla puttanesca and spaghetti aglio e olio are both easy, elegant meat-free pasta dishes, though puttanesca does traditionally include anchovies. I usually eat them with a simple green salad dressed with oil and vinegar.
posted by neushoorn at 3:04 AM on September 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Crackers and cheese, quiche, salad.
Olive tray, Tomato, basil and mozz on bread, side salad.
Pita and hummus. Greek salad.
Meze Platter of hummus, baba ghanoush, steamed spinach and garlic. Mini pizzas. Side salad.
Rice with heap of seasonal sauteed veggies on top.
posted by slateyness at 5:01 AM on September 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Olive tray, Tomato, basil and mozz on bread, side salad.
Pita and hummus. Greek salad.
Meze Platter of hummus, baba ghanoush, steamed spinach and garlic. Mini pizzas. Side salad.
Rice with heap of seasonal sauteed veggies on top.
posted by slateyness at 5:01 AM on September 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Do you have a crock pot?
I would make a big pot of meatless chili or black bean soup with a variety of garnishes like onions, cheese, cilantro, diced chilis, spaghetti (if you're a heathen).
Or crock pot lasagna with a side salad! Same idea--do the prep work hours before, then turn it on and forget about it. Transporting it down to the common room will be easy too, and if you have access to electricity there, you can plug it back in to keep it warm.
posted by chaoticgood at 5:19 AM on September 23, 2015
I would make a big pot of meatless chili or black bean soup with a variety of garnishes like onions, cheese, cilantro, diced chilis, spaghetti (if you're a heathen).
Or crock pot lasagna with a side salad! Same idea--do the prep work hours before, then turn it on and forget about it. Transporting it down to the common room will be easy too, and if you have access to electricity there, you can plug it back in to keep it warm.
posted by chaoticgood at 5:19 AM on September 23, 2015
Agree with quiche - it can be served at any temperature - I like room temperature.
No idea what available in Hong Kong - but a friend once served a delicious dish - medjool dates stuffed with goat cheese and a pistachio sticking out of each one. I'm now allergic to nuts, so I'll never eat it again, but it was magical and simple. You could probably put the goat cheese in a sandwich bag/ziploc, snip the corner and squeeze the cheese into each date.
posted by vitabellosi at 6:32 AM on September 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
No idea what available in Hong Kong - but a friend once served a delicious dish - medjool dates stuffed with goat cheese and a pistachio sticking out of each one. I'm now allergic to nuts, so I'll never eat it again, but it was magical and simple. You could probably put the goat cheese in a sandwich bag/ziploc, snip the corner and squeeze the cheese into each date.
posted by vitabellosi at 6:32 AM on September 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: If it were me, and I had those particular limitations, I'd probably make hummus with my food processor, and serve that with crackers, cheese, and possibly some nuts or olives on the side as a starter.
I'd see about a quiche as a main dish, with a light salad on the side. Making a simple vinaigrette yourself really does dress up a basic salad.
Alternatively, you could use your rice cooker as a slow cooker, which opens up more possibilities for either a main dish or a side dish.
posted by PearlRose at 7:49 AM on September 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'd see about a quiche as a main dish, with a light salad on the side. Making a simple vinaigrette yourself really does dress up a basic salad.
Alternatively, you could use your rice cooker as a slow cooker, which opens up more possibilities for either a main dish or a side dish.
posted by PearlRose at 7:49 AM on September 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you can get the wrappers, Vietnamese-style salad rolls are great party food. You set out bowls of different fillings (rice noodles, chopped lettuce, herbs, stir-fried tofu, etc.) and provide water to soften the wrappers and a dipping sauce. Everyone gets to pick what they want in their own roll, which is helpful when you're managing different food preferences. And figuring out how to roll them prettily is a bit of a bonding experience.
posted by yarntheory at 9:27 AM on September 23, 2015
posted by yarntheory at 9:27 AM on September 23, 2015
Best answer: In this situation, I'd do all cold foods, which have the advantage of you being able to prep ahead of time and leave in your fridge. If you want to stick to more of a Chinese/general East Asian cuisine here are my thoughts (I think all the cheese, hummus, mezze and Mediterranean ideas are great but in case those ingredients are expensive in Hong Kong):
- Smacked cucumber salad as the starter
- Taiwanese cold noodles (liang mian) as the main. I actually use the recipe in Cathy Erway's new Taiwanese cookbook, but there are plenty of recipes online that you can use as a reference. The nice thing about Taiwanese cold noodles is that you can just serve all the ingredients in separate bowls so people can mix-and-match to their needs or dietary restrictions; I make slivers of poached chicken, slice up ham and thin julienned egg omelettes, and use julienned cucumbers and carrots as the veggies, garnishing with cilantro and bean sprouts.
The dressing for this does use sesame paste. It's not clear to me if this is unacceptable to those with peanut allergies, but if it is, I still think you could make the noodles and make another sauce for the noodles instead.
posted by andrewesque at 9:40 AM on September 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
- Smacked cucumber salad as the starter
- Taiwanese cold noodles (liang mian) as the main. I actually use the recipe in Cathy Erway's new Taiwanese cookbook, but there are plenty of recipes online that you can use as a reference. The nice thing about Taiwanese cold noodles is that you can just serve all the ingredients in separate bowls so people can mix-and-match to their needs or dietary restrictions; I make slivers of poached chicken, slice up ham and thin julienned egg omelettes, and use julienned cucumbers and carrots as the veggies, garnishing with cilantro and bean sprouts.
The dressing for this does use sesame paste. It's not clear to me if this is unacceptable to those with peanut allergies, but if it is, I still think you could make the noodles and make another sauce for the noodles instead.
posted by andrewesque at 9:40 AM on September 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
Oh and if you do feel the need for a separate side (I would be OK with just the noodles) you could always make a tiger salad which is simply dressed cilantro and scallions, or a wood ear mushroom salad with edamame and lime. Both are cold/can be served at room temperature and made ahead of time, and wood ear mushrooms should be trivially easy to find in Hong Kong.
posted by andrewesque at 9:45 AM on September 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by andrewesque at 9:45 AM on September 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks a lot for the suggestions! I think I'm going to work with the all cold dishes suggestion. I'll post my menu and how it worked out at the end of the week.
posted by frumiousb at 9:57 PM on September 26, 2015
posted by frumiousb at 9:57 PM on September 26, 2015
Response by poster: So that was a complete disaster. I was mindful that I needed to have some time and quiet to prepare, so I had arranged to work from home during the day so I could prepare at leisure in the afternoon.
I had decided on the cold noodles for the main, with a kale/pear salad on the side and nice flatbread with cheese to start. But then:
1. Jet lag from my trip back from Europe three days before hit me like a ton of bricks, and
2. My boss called me at 7 for an urgent problem with an ongoing negotiation and I wasn't able to work from home after all.
I spent the whole day in a state of low-level panic, but finally around 4pm decided TWinbrook8 was right and let the nice gentlemen at Marks & Spencer food provide the whole damn meal. I felt kind of silly amidst all the serious cooks in the group, but I survived. :)
Thanks for your help!
posted by frumiousb at 5:15 PM on October 1, 2015
I had decided on the cold noodles for the main, with a kale/pear salad on the side and nice flatbread with cheese to start. But then:
1. Jet lag from my trip back from Europe three days before hit me like a ton of bricks, and
2. My boss called me at 7 for an urgent problem with an ongoing negotiation and I wasn't able to work from home after all.
I spent the whole day in a state of low-level panic, but finally around 4pm decided TWinbrook8 was right and let the nice gentlemen at Marks & Spencer food provide the whole damn meal. I felt kind of silly amidst all the serious cooks in the group, but I survived. :)
Thanks for your help!
posted by frumiousb at 5:15 PM on October 1, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 10:52 PM on September 22, 2015 [2 favorites]