Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Unblogging and DIY Dinner Party



Dear Readers, please forgive my longish absence after that last bomb-dropping style post on will writing! I didn't mean to be away for so long! Things have been busy with my new full-time job which is trying to land a new full-time job. Add in a few computer crashes timed right as posts were just about finished and a certain adorable toddler needed rescuing from daycare and you have my best excuse for why nothing has appeared here in a while.




I received a special request from my guests to share the recipes used for an impromtu dinner party that I hosted last night. 

In order to convince you that really anyone regardless of their skill in the kitchen can have dinner guests:

Over the Christmas holiday, I was invited to a dinner party that featured a menu that absolutely topped any easy DIY suggestion from every single magazine and website that I have ever read! What did these clever hosts serve? Pea soup a la Habitant (meaning "from a can"), baguette with a tray of cold meats and pie from the grocery store with home made whipped cream. Add in a touch of wonderful company and genuine lack of cooking skills and you have the easiest DIY dinner party every. I rate it 10!




If you are a small step more ambitious than that, you can try out my menu from last night, which worked out to be a low-stress quick dinner idea that seemed to impress my guests:

Tourtiere a la Alex Trebek
Oven French Fries
Steamed Broccoli

I have no idea whether this recipe actually originates with Alex Trebek, but I discovered it a few years ago and here it is with my adaptations:

1 pound ground pork
3/4 pound ground beef (or veal)
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
salt and pepper
1/4 cup red wine, beef stock or water
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inch)
(I use tenderflake frozen pie crusts)

In large pan, combine meat, onions, seasonings and wine; cook over low heat for 1 hour.

Drain fat. Stir in bread crumbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Let cool for about 45 minutes.

Defrost pastry according to instructions. Spoon in filling; cover with second pastry shell. Cut steam vents in top and seal edges. Bake in 350degrees F (180 degrees C) oven for 1 hour or until pastry is golden brown.

Serve with maple syrup

This works out to be a one-pot meal, with little labour and a longish inactive cook time and finally, an impressive home-baked/home-faked dish.

Unfortunately, no leftovers were available for a photo-opp today!

DIY Rating: 10 
This tourtiere is easier than it may look and comes out quite yummy! 

Stick to the "keep it simple" mantra and dinner 
entertaining can be a DIY for just about anyone.


6 comments:

  1. That tourtiere sounds very good. The biggest problem (apart from the long list of ingredients that I don't have) is the cooking time: I need to eat before 10 pm. It would have to be made on a weekend.

    As for the dinner party a la Habitant, it sounds brilliant to me.

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  2. Cut the ingredient list down massively by choosing either pork or beef or veal. Cut the seasonings down to salt and pepper. If you don't have a single onion or water, well, I'm worried about you and buy the pre-made pie crust. Yes, this is a weekend type dish for sure.

    My sources tell me you are the king of a la Habitant...

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  3. Well, after a post about how you have a completed will, followed by a long absence, I was beginning to wonder if one of your beneficiaries had murdered you. I am glad to find you are well.

    We made a new recipe today that was a huge success, and very DIY: homemade playdoh. I will email you some pics.

    cburrell, when I read about the Habitant party, I assumed that you were the host. Clearly we have other like-minded friends too.

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  4. No spices, but penguins cb?

    There is also the option of making two pies (same amount of cooking time and mess) and so living on nothing but meat and pastry all week.

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  5. I am at least glad that our cooking skills are genuinely lacking! That takes some of the pressure off.

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  6. Just to clarify, dear readers, cburrell was responsible for a recipe this week on his blog including penguins as a main ingredient...

    http://cburrell.wordpress.com/2011/02/20/puffy-penguin-omelette/

    KvD - yes, I was wondering whether anyone would think I'd gone off to the heavenly housekeeping project in the sky, but it seems I'm still here!

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