Jackson Laura - Round to ours: setting the mood and cooking the food: menus for every gathering

photography by kristin perers

Publishing Director: Sarah Lavelle
Creative Director and Designer: Helen Lewis
Editor: Imogen Fortes
Photographer: Kristin Perers
Food Stylist: Aya Nishimura
Recipe Testing and Development: Kat Mead
Prop Stylist: Tabitha Hawkins
Additional Styling: Rosie Birkett and Linda Berlin
Production: Emily Noto and Vincent Smith

First published in 2017 by Quadrille Publishing,
Pentagon House, 5254 Southwark Street,
London SE1 1UN
www.quadrille.co.uk

Quadrille is an imprint of Hardie Grant
www.hardiegrant.com.au

Text Laura Jackson and Alice Levine 2017
Photography Kristin Perers 2017
Design and Layout Quadrille Publishing 2017
With thanks to Ken Kirton at Hato Press and Rose Reeves.

The rights of the authors have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher.

Cataloguing in Publication Data: a catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

eISBN: 978 178713 094 4

Note: All oven temperatures refer to conventional ovens. For fan ovens reduce the temperature by 20 degrees.

CONTENTS

Like all the best and most famous partnerships, we met at a jumble sale while wearing bumbags. From our first words to each other, commenting on a vat of chilli that was being sold by the paper cup, it was clear that our common ground was food: buying it, cooking it, eating it. We were both struggling to forge our careers in similar industries TV and radio so we had a lot of time and not much money. Wed either cook for each other every week, or try a place for a cheap lunch that we couldnt otherwise afford for dinner (daytime set menus are the frugal restaurant-lovers secret weapon, it turns out).

Hosting was our mutual passion getting everyone around a big table, laying out a feast and creating that warm feeling that comes from full stomachs and noisy chat. The beauty of having people round for a meal is the bustle and commotion of an evening shared, coupled with the intimate feeling of being a guest in someones home. A few months after we met, we decided to set ourselves a challenge: could we make our lunch club bigger and open the doors to our homes to cook for other people? Not just friends, but complete strangers?

When we started our supper club we didnt exactly know what a supper club was. So we made up the rules. To the first one, we invited as many people as we had chairs (16); we decorated the table with hyacinth bulbs and served slow-cooked lamb and lemon posset. We accidentally grilled the lamb and the room was so warm that the flowers wilted before the dessert came out. But people stayed until the wee small hours and staggered home with new friends numbers in their phones. We marked that one up as a success.

Fours years on and we have learned a lot. As home cooks we know the pitfalls of throwing a dinner party (we once had to make 12 lemon tarts before we got a single one that was successful), but having run the supper club we also know great cheats, shortcuts and tips that make hosting that bit more breezy. Here they are in one place.

This is a book of menus: 24 occasions when we have welcomed people round to ours, and we hope to make you feel like you might want to do the same. It will help you decide what to cook, but also how to set the mood and make the most of your space. It will, we hope, take the stress out of entertaining.

Im sure, like us, you have a shelf of recipe books that you rely on. If we want the ultimate chocolate fudge cake, we dig out a Nigella. If we need a great vegetarian curry, we turn to Anna Jones. But if we are racking our brains for a full spread for six friends on a Friday night, we sometimes struggle to find one source. So we thought wed write just that book.

The food is really important but dont forget, having people round is about sharing a great night. Its hard to go wrong with fun people, lots of booze and a killer playlist even if you do serve pineapple and cheese on sticks.

Use Round to Ours as a guide for inspiration, ideas and insights. Its not meant to be dwelled upon too much, if were honest its only dinner, after all. Theres no point in crying over spilt milk, never mind burnt lemon tarts.

We dont just stick on music for when guests walk through the door setting the mood is as important for the person doing the cooking as it is for the people coming to eat. So while we are doing our prep we like to listen to something relaxing. French radio station Fip is a trusty choice; anchored by women with soft dulcet tones, they usually play music we have never heard before everything from rap to jazz. We have absolutely no idea whats going on though we have one GCSE in French between us! But being oblivious to the chat of the DJs actually helps us to focus.

On the night, music plays a really big role and no supper club would be complete without the record player. We delve into Jons (Lauras boyfriend) extensive Northern Soul record collection and guests are encouraged to put on records and bring their favourite vinyl.

Make sure the volume is low enough for conversation to flow but loud enough to create atmosphere.

Our top 10 soul records:

Two Can Have a Party | Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
Getting Mighty Crowded | Betty Everett
Soul Time | Shirley Ellis
He Was Really Sayin Somethin | The Velvelettes
Youre Gonna Need Me | Ted Ford
Night Train | James Brown
Green Onions | Booker T. and The M.G.s
Tainted Love | Gloria Jones
You Hit Me Like TNT | Linda Jones
Take Me In Your Arms | Kim Weston

If in doubt, or lacking a turntable, make a playlist on Spotify, or enlist your most dedicated muso friend.

There are, of course, those times when you just need something last-minute a guaranteed crowd-pleaser and a film soundtrack is perfect for such moments.

Our favourite film soundtracks for a dinner party:

Amlie
Drive
The Virgin Suicides
Trainspotting
The Graduate
Pulp Fiction
The Descendant
Help!
Purple Rain
Dirty Dancing
The Breakfast Club