The Ratatouille

I started first on the ratatouille. I was very happy with my produce choices until I realized I bought red peppers instead of green (oh well, as you can see from above, the red peppers were very pretty).

The first step was to prep the eggplant and zucchini and then toss them in a bowl with salt for 30 minutes to pull the water out of them.

Reaction from my sous-chef/husband Jeff when I tell him to do this:
Jeff--"Can I just put a hairdryer to them?"
Me--"No."
Jeff--"What if it's a French hair dryer?"
Me--(groan)

And so began the cooking marathon.

Appealing to the Crowd...

The challenge: Cook recipes from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking

The catch: 5 of 9 dinner party guests are vegetarian or vegan

After a lot of thinking and thumbing through "the book," I came to the conclusion Julia Child (and Julie Powell for that matter) would take care of her friends with special dietary needs (much to the chagrin of my red meat-hungry husband). After all, true hospitality is making everyone feel welcome and comfortable. So in that spirit, I compiled a menu with something for everyone (I even bought non-dairy ice cream for the vegans--I REALLY wanted to make creme brulee with my blow torch, so that had to stay on).


Here's what I came up with:

Canapes aux Epinards (Spinach and Cheese Canapes)

Ratatouille (Eggplant casserole--with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and zucchini)

Tomates a la Provencale (Tomates Stuffed with Bread Crumbs, Herbs, and Garlic)

Aubergines Farcies Duxelles (Eggplant Stuffed with Mushrooms)

Moules a la Mariniere (Fresh Mussels Steamed Open in Wine and Flavorings) (for those that would want a little more than veggies)

Creme Brulee

Two of the guests brought additional vegan-friendly dishes to supplement: an olive tapenade and a potato and fava bean salad. (Something else I've learned about dinner party-throwing--when someone offers to bring something, take them up on it!)

After a trip to Whole Foods to get the ingredients (only the best produce when you're cooking for vegetarians), I started cooking on Friday night--a full 24 hours before the first guests started arriving.

The Julie/Julia Dinner Party

People who know me know that I have been just itching to have a dinner party. I just got married a few months ago, and the wedding gifts are just begging to be used: the fine china and handheld mixer and creme brulee blow torch whisper to me every time I walk into the kitchen. So when I saw this, I knew it was a sign. Time to throw my dinner party!

My Weehawken Kitchen

I can't say that my life is particularly interesting. Or that anyone might actually care enough about my wacky kitchen messes enough to visit here regularly. But I find humor in myself. Life is too short to be taken seriously.

So if this blog only serves to amuse me and document the insanity that ensues as I attempt to create edible masterpieces, then so be it. Laughing at yourself in the middle of a kitchen wrecked with olive oil and tomatoes (on an Italian day) or flour and butter and sugar (on a baking day) or all of the above (on a dinner party day) is fun (and helps ease the cleaning process), but looking at the photos a few weeks later and reliving the moment is what drives you to do it all over again.

Welcome to my Weehawken Kitchen!

Ashley