Party food

Guy and I know a LOT of musicians. Guy is in fact a better than average amateur musician himself. I've observed that, at this time of the year, no one is busier than musicians, with cooks up there vying for first place. I have a problem standing for long periods of time, and by the time we get through New Year's my ankles are going to be very, VERY angry at me. Musicians of course have their own list of ailments that occur from overwork during this very busy season.

Yet, we ALL do it, every year. Is it the endorphin rush, the need for approval, a love of pain, or all of the above? Who knows? And when we do it, all of us try to do as good a job as we possibly can. Whether that is singing something new, or playing something new, or cooking something new, all of us are looking for that sense of internal satisfaction that goes beyond seeing people smile when we offer them the gifts we have.

Still, there is a need, and there always WILL be one, to offer the familiar. If there is a minority of people who want to go to a Christmas music concert and hear only 20th century atonal songs, it's a very small one. At this time of year when, let's face it, we are ALL looking for reassurance, especially in a very scary world, something comfortable, and easy, like a pair of worn out slippers is very very appealing.

For folks who cooks, that means on the one hand, trying something new out in the kitchen, but also, sticking to what's familiar, and what you know people will like. If I'm cooking a meal, and I know I'm going to try out something that may not be a success, I want it to come later in the meal, rather than at the start. If you freak someone out with, say, sardine sushi and raw beet buns while they're drinking champagne, you can bake the best turkey the world has ever seen, and it will not make one bit of difference. They won't taste it. The idea of those over the top starters will be with them, for the whole party.

So this is where I pull out the "tried and true." I want to share two of them with you. Perhaps they will be the "sardine sushi" of your group, but if they aren't, bring them back out. You'll be glad you did.

The first, is prosciutto wrapped figs. Two ingredients that really, simply cannot fail you, if you've got good stuff. I really like prosciutto san danielle, but di parma is also really good. Use something you can afford, and get a GOOD salumeria to cut it for you. You should be able to read a newspaper through properly sliced prosciutto. And with respect to figs: they had a long season this year,but it's over for the fresh ones. If you happen to have some fresh figs when you're doing this, by all means, DO IT. But if you don't, use the dried ones. Get MOIST dried ones, and if they're not that moist, soak them in some hot water for about thirty minutes.

Whether you use fresh or dried, cut that little nasty tip at the top off, and then cut them in half. Long or horizontal, either will do. Then, wrap two halves in one slice of prosciutto. You don't have to be an artist here, just surround them as best as you can. A half pound of prosciutto should give you enough to do about 20-24 figs. When you're done, heat up a grill pan if you have one, or a frying pan if you don't. Use my savior: olive oil. It doesn't take long for the prosciutto to brown, and just rotate the little guys until they're toasty all over. Put them on a plate, and if you're feeling especially flush, drizzle some REAL balsamic vinegar over it.

Talk about comfort.

But even more than figs, I find that people who like mushrooms (and check with your guests, not all do, and then you have another sardine sushi situation), will eat their way through a pan of stuffed mushrooms faster than I'll do a bag of cheez doodles. I love exotic mushrooms,but for these, plain old white ones will do. And look for ones that have opened at the cap a little. It will make preparing the stuffing easier. You'll need all of the stems of the mushrooms you're stuffing, and then chop them fine. I use the food processor because I'm lazy. You can do it with a knife if you like. Then, add an equal amount of breadcrumbs, a very finely chopped clove of garlic (or two. or three), and some herbs. For this, thyme is best. Finish it all off by adding some salt, and just enough olive oil to bind the mix and make it nice and sticky.

Generously fill the mushroom caps, and then put them in a baking dish, wiped with some olive oil. If you want, you can grate some cheese over all of this, but it's far from necessary. Try to space the mushrooms apart from each other a bit, because they will give up moisture, and if they're too close, it won't evaporate, and you'll get a soggy finished product. Bake these at 375 for about twenty minutes, and if you like the toasty feel, then put them under the broiler for a minute or two, and bring them to the table, hot.

So you have two lovely finger foods, that go terrific with any drink you're serving. If you're ambitious and you also put out the artichoke cheese dip from the prior post, you've got such a nice spread, you may not want to sit down to the dinner. And ultimately, there's nothing wrong with a cocktail party and snacks, followed by something other than dinner....