Beard - James Beards Menus for Entertaining

James Beards Menus for Entertaining James Beard E DITORS N OTE Menus for Entertaining, first published in 1965, proved to be one of James Beards most popular cookbooks and showed off his flair for putting together innovative meals for a wide range of occasions. He once wrote that planning a menu is much like planning a theatrical production. The first course is a prologue that holds a promise of what is to follow, and the entree must top the first course in interest and be the high point of the meal. Beards earlier career as an actor no doubt kindled this perception of food as theatre. His own dinner parties and cocktail buffets were legendary. Menus for Entertaining was lightly revised for a new paperback edition in 1986.

The current revision has been more comprehensive, clarifying cooking instructions, updating recipes, adding a few where called for, deleting others, and bowing to political correctness with the abolition of the term ladies luncheons. Beards introduction, inadvertently dropped from the 1986 edition, is restored here. The most significant feature of this revision is the inclusion of ten more elegant Beard menus. These date mainly from the last years of his life, and though twenty years separated them from his original collection of menus, his commitment to well-presented, good, honest food was undiminished. John Ferrone (1996) C ONTENTS I NTRODUCTION Entertaining is my main pleasure, my forte; and beyond that it is essential to my livelihood. I do it frequently with little help and often with none at all.

It is not unusual for me to arrive home at 5:30 after a full days work, with eight guests due for cocktails and dinner two hours later. Whether you are entertaining at breakfast, luncheon, cocktails or dinner, you must plan carefully and make sure that most elementary chores are done in advance. Shop for food and liquor as far ahead as possible; check your linens or place mats, your silver and dishes a day or so before; get out any cooking equipment and serving dishes you will need. If you are lucky enough to have several hours before guests arrive, clean vegetables, set the table and arrange the centerpiece. If it is difficult, for one reason or another, to set the table in advance, try a serving method I often use. Simply put place mats and napkins on the dining table, and at the last minute put out plates and silver on a work area in the kitchen.

Then invite your guests to come to the kitchen and dish up for themselves. Into a dirty kitchen, you say? You can keep it clear as you work if you stack all used utensils in the dishwasher or, as does one hostess I know, hide them in the cupboard under the sink. If you cook in handsome, decorative pots and pans, the food can be served right from the stove. One of the most popular restaurants near Wall Street in New York serves in just this manner. Patrons are ushered into the restaurant kitchen, where they select their meals from the array of delectable dishes on the stove. The men love it.

Choose menus that call for no more than one or two complicated jobs to be done at the last minute. Other dishes on the menu should be simple to prepare, or they should be the sort that can be made a day or so in advance. Most cooks, when they think of dishes in the latter category, automatically come up with beef bourguignon or coq au vin. Ive become thoroughly tired of both dishes. There are fine terrines, cocottes, and other so-called casserole dishes available. But these must be cooked carefully and seasoned with discretion to achieve any kind of distinction.

In the long run, such dishes take far more time and attention than a fine roast, a quick saut, or a grill that is done at the last minute. I find that American hostesses try to serve too many dishes at dinner. There is no need, for example, to have four or five complicated hors doeuvre with drinks. Such lavishness takes the edge off appetites. One or two items, not too rich, are enoughperhaps just olives, or radishes with sweet butter. The first course can sometimes be served in the living room with a chilled white wine in place of cocktails.

A first course isnt absolutely necessary, but if you have planned a grilled main course, it can prove a help. Most grilled meats cook quickly, and you should start them as guests sit down to their fish or soup, or whatever you have chosen. If there is a short wait between courses, no one will mind, particularly if you serve a pleasant wine that the guests can sip as they talk. If you worry about timing and keeping foods hot, invest in an electric hot tray. With one of these you can hold a roast and vegetables for quite a few minutes at the right temperature. Also, there are many tasty dishes that can be prepared at the table in an electric skillet or chafing dish.

A sensible way to save yourself headaches in planning your menu is to take advantage of fine prepared foods available. If you live in a city of any size, investigate caterers and specialty shops that can supply you with first courses, such as pts, aspics, fish mousses and vol-au-vents with cream fillings, or desserts such as torten, pastries, and frozen sweets. Entertaining is expensive, make no mistake, and this book is not dedicated to economy in the kitchen, although many menus presented here are relatively inexpensive to produce. It is dedicated to hosts and hostesses who want to provide the best for their guests, to achieve the finest in pleasures of the table effortlessly, graciously, and with flair. To entertain successfully one must create with the imagination of a playwright, plan with the skill of a director, and perform with the instincts of an actor. James A. James A.

Beard New York (1965) E ARLY B REAKFAST Entertaining at early breakfast usually means overnight guestsunless you happen to be catching a friend on the wing, between planes; or you happen to be one of those extraordinarily busy people who must do business or entertain from the crack of dawn on through the day. Actually, a business breakfast makes a nice change from the usual, hurried luncheon. At no time are peoples eating habits more fixed and less creative than in the early morning. Gauge your guests appetites carefully: If you are faced with a continental breakfast appetite, at least find the best rolls and bread available and an interesting marmalade or preserve. If you think your guests might be afraid to stray too far from the bacon-and-eggs routine, try variations on these standards to give the meal a lift; offer a souffl, or quiche, or a good omelet. Here is a trio of menus for the early hours that are somewhat off-beat.

Three Light Breakfasts I Melon with Prosciutto Crisply Toasted French Bread Butter Marmalade Melon with Prosciutto Use any available ripe melon. Peel and cut into rather thin strips3 or 4 to a portion. Arrange on a plate with 2 or 3 slices of prosciutto over the melon, and serve with a wedge of lime or lemon. Have the pepper grinder handy. NOTE: Westphalian or Smithfield ham may be used instead of prosciutto. II Hot Fruit CompoteHeavy Cream Freshly Baked Brioche Butter Hot Fruit Compote Prepare a simple syrup, combining 1 part sugar, 2 parts water, and vanilla to taste.

Boil 5 minutes. Add mixed fresh (or dried) fruits: apricots, prunes, figs, peaches or pears. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer until tender. Serve with heavy cream. Freshly Baked Brioche See p.. III Sauted Mushrooms on Toast Bacon Strips Fresh Coffee Cake Butter Sauted Mushrooms on Toast 6 tablespoons butter1 pounds mushrooms (small caps)1 teaspoon saltteaspoon freshly ground black pepperDash WorcestershireButtered toast, as neededChopped chives and parsley