MENU GUIDE FOR BOOK CLUBS

I’ve been a member of book clubs most of my adult life. In all of them, we consumed food and wine as well as words as part of our gatherings. This history combined with an odd affinity for antiquated “entertaining guides” prompted me to put together a menu guide for clubs reading The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry.

Serving notes

For appetizers, consider a grazing selection of cheese, olives, prepared paté and baguettes, and perhaps Provençal spread (page 133). One main course that says it serves from six to ten, a cheese selection, a side, and a salad should be plenty for most gatherings of twelve or less. If you have more than twelve guests, solicit a member to bring a second dish. Of course, if it’s a portioned thing, such as the steaks with red wine sauce (page 247), then you’ll need one per person.

Allow about a half ounce of greens per person, and about two ounces of cheese (see the “elusive cheese tray” below). For dessert, persuade a member or two to bring a fruit tart, an assortment of chocolates, or a cheesecake (invoking the cheesecake disaster from chapter 18), either homemade or purchased.

Most popular book club recipes

Often it’s hard to know exactly who will show up, so main dishes without specific portions serve admirable function. Poulet à la Moutarde (page 80) is straightforward enough for a weeknight, and inexpensive to prepare for a group. Other than the long cooking time involved, Sharon’s spaghetti bolognaise (page 141) is undemanding yet satisfying. The coq au vin (page 162) can be time consuming, but made a day ahead (see notes below), it needs only to be reheated. Ditto for beef bourguignon (page 63).

Don’t let the idea of making a leg of lamb scare you from the olive-marinated grilled lamb with white beans (page 147). Elegant and easy, the bulk of the recipe can be done ahead of time and serves a crowd. It’s my favorite recipe in the book.

With all these main dishes, you can serve braised endives (page 258) as a side dish, although you need only a simple salad to round out the meal. Try arugula drizzled with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, coarse salt, and freshly ground pepper, which is Mike’s favorite.

Make-ahead/potluck

These are recipes that lend themselves to being brought to or served at a club as the bulk of the work can be done ahead; I’ve included some tips on how to make each work

• Quiche (page 53): This reheats well in a low oven (225 degrees)

• Provençal spread (page 133): Make up to two days in advance; used in recipe below.

• Puff pastry with tuna ceviche (page 175): The ceviche needs to marinate at least six hours but not more than twenty hours. Then just bake the pastry, layer the spread, and top with the ceviche. Or you can always serve the ceviche on its own.

• Gumbo (page 100): The roux can be made up to a month in advance and frozen. The gumbo can be made a day ahead up to the point of adding the shrimp, cool and refrigerated, or even frozen for up to a month. Thaw if necessary, and then reheat slowly to near boiling before add the shrimp.

• Spaghetti Bolognese (page 141): Make sauce up to two days in advance.

• Chicken cordon bleu (page 72): Prepare bundles a day ahead except for breading; store in airtight container in the fridge until just before cooking; bread packages and continue with recipe.

• French onion soup (page 229): Prepare onions and broth the day prior and prepare croutons. (Don’t grate the cheese though; it may dry out.) Before serving, reheat soup, add to bowls, and continue recipe. Note: Make sure you have enough ovenproof bowls for all your guests.

• Crêpes (page 208): Prepare crêpes, cool and separate with pieces of parchment paper, then place in sealable plastic bags. Keep up to three days in the fridge or frozen for about a month.

THESE DISHES ARE BETTER THE SECOND DAY:

• Cassoulet (page 181): Make up to point of adding bread crumbs, cover and refrigerate. Add bread crumbs when reheating and continue.

• Grilled lamb, white beans with artichokes, and tomatoes (page 147): The beans can be made up to two days in advance and reheated. The marinated lamb can be grilled before guests arrive and kept warm in a low oven covered with foil. (Or it can be roasted in the oven, 14 minutes per pound at 450 degrees; let rest before carving.)

• Coq au vin (page 162): Make the whole dish except parsley a day prior, cover and reheat in the oven at 275 degrees until hot, about 20 to 30 minutes.

• Beef bourguignon (page 63): Same as the coq au vin above. Always a crowd pleaser.

• Minestrone soup (page 33): Make up to two days in advance, also freezes well; check seasonings before serving.

Hands-on approach

In London, I belonged to a club that liked to make dinner together. We’d talk and sip wine as we cooked, then discuss the book as we ate. The grilled pizza (page 156) is a fun option in good weather. The crêpes recipe (page 208) can be used with both savory fillings such as chicken in cream sauce, or simple ham, cheese, mushrooms as well as sweet stuff. The chicken cordon bleu (page 72), the mushroom-crusted steaks with red wine sauce (page 247), and the red snapper stuffed with Provençal spread wrapped in prosciutto (page 218) are all elegant anchors for a dinner. Pair with sautéed or mashed potatoes and braised endives (page 258), and end with chocolate soufflé (page 89) for dessert.

Virtually no cooking method

Too busy to cook? Call a local French bistro and see what they have to offer. A lot of restaurants will do takeout even if they don’t advertise it. Otherwise, make a calculated stop at a deli or quality supermarket. Prepared duck confit makes its own entrée when paired with mixed greens. (If you can’t find it locally, it can be ordered from dartagnan.com.) Many cheese shops also have collections of pâté and spreads, an easy appetizer when paired with sliced baguette. Roasted chicken makes an easy main course when paired with simply prepared green beans.

Vegetarians unite

These recipes can be prepared sans meat: Golden onion quiche (page 53), Provençal spread, grilled pizzas (page 156), Crepes with bananas and Nutella or jam (page 208). The white beans with artichokes and tomatoes (page 147) are good even without the salt pork.

Mastering the elusive cheese tray

Once, I suggested “bring some cheese” to my book club. All seven brought brie.

Select three or four from the groups below for a group up to eight people, and four or five for larger groups. Allow about two ounces per person. Round out a cheese platter with a baguette, sliced apples, pears, quince paste, figs, baguettes, and crackers. There’s no science to it, just go for an interesting mix—say a goat, sheep, and cow’s milk mix—or focus on all French or American artisanal.

• Goat or sheep’s milk cheese: Chevre, Montrachet, and feta, among others.

• “Monastery” cheese: Typically semisoft and mild, these include Port Salut, Chaumes, and Belgian Chimay. Look for a monk on the label.

• Cheddar-ish: Mostly English or American made. Cantal is a French version.

• Soft-ripened cheese: Camembert and brie are easy to find. Consider St. Albany, Sainte Andre, or even a flavored Boursin.

• Swiss-style: Emmathaler is the Swiss version, Gruyere and Comte are French varieties. Gouda is a distant cousin.

• Something blue: Roquefort, Stilton, gorgonzola, et al.

 

You’ll find more suggestions for book club menus, including additional recipes, discussion points, and more at kathleenflinn.com . . . or share your own.

 

Best,

 

Kathleen Flinn

Anna Maria Island, Florida

March 2008