5 Favorite Dishes to Make for First Time Guests by Ariana Morgenstern
Ariana Morgenstern, Morning Becomes Eclectic Producer.
I love to cook. I cook everyday. I spend endless hours thinking about meals and one of my favorite pastimes is pouring through my cookbooks and modifying recipes. I’ve taken classes, apprenticed at 72 Market St in Venice in its heyday and volunteer my services to friends.
As a child, my mom made 3 square meals a day so it’s hard for me to open a box and put the contents in a microwave. I’ve never even owned one. I’m more inclined to have a simple cheese sandwich over frozen food. That’s just not how I was raised. While I am not a fancy cook, there is great beauty in simple hearty fare.
It’s easy to get stressed out when guests are about to land on my doorstep so I try to prepare meals I’ve made before. My mom told me long ago to never experiment with a new dish on guests. I learned that the hard way when I made a quiche — the crust was so hard and dense my guest actually picked it up and started banging it on the table.
Here are five recipes that are simple and inviting. I’ve chosen them because they are tasty and the books that they come from are some of my favorites. The recipes are easy to follow and with a little creativity they can become your own.
Roast Chicken with Lemon and Garlic from In Julia’s Kitchen with Master Chefs (Alfred A Knopf)
This dish is simple comfort food. When paired with roasted or mashed potatoes and a salad, it’s hard to beat. I like to substitute oranges for the lemons on this one because they add a subtle sweetness that caramelizes the bird.
Salad Nicoise from Julia Child’s The Way To Cook (Alfred A Knopf)
Julia Child is my hero! She argued that canned tuna is the way to go and fresh just wouldn’t be a "nicoise." The Way To Cook is a great book that is filled with wonderful recipes and includes funny and helpful tips. It’s also a great housewarming gift and perfect for newlyweds.
Spanish Omelette from Picasso: Bon Vivant (Rizzoli NY)
To make great art, Picasso needed sustanance. This is a simple traditional dish that is light and served at room temperature. It’s a favorite for lunch or brunch and makes a tasty snack.
Summer Salsa Forte From Viana LaPlace & Evan Kleiman’s Pasta Fresca (Morrow)
This is a delicious and easy pasta salad that can be made an hour before guests arrive, but is best when made the day before. It’s also a great vegetarian dish that can be served as an entree or side plate. I bought this book years ago before meeting our Good Food host, her love of Italian cuisine is evident here.
Genoa Cake from Monet’s Table: The Cooking Journals of Claude Monet (Simon and Schuster)
I’m not a baker — baking is chemistry and I’m an intuitive cook. The Genoa Cake is a slightly sweetened dense cake that is perfect for tea or a nice finishing touch at the end of a meal. I like to cut it lengthwise and add dulce de leche as a filling and cover it in powdered sugar to make it my own.
