Green & Black: A Graphic Table Setting

To say I was nervous about hosting a small dinner party during the pandemic would be an understatement. I know most people have ventured into this territory many moons ago, but JuanCarlos and I have been super cautious. And rightfully so, since we know plenty of people who have had COVID, some of whom we were attempting to meet with until luckily we found out their positive status prior to gathering. We’ve had a few of those close calls so you can understand our hesitation. Thankfully, everyone we know has recovered and is fine.

With our caution has come both a sense of safety and a deep sense of isolation. Therefore, it was time to step out of our shell, out of fear and into joy again. And so we did. And indeed joy we felt. I spent the day preparing food and thinking about a table setting. (Well, it only took me that long because I had to stop to photograph everything, not because I made a feast.) Even though our dinner party total would only amount to 4, I wanted to make it feel a bit elegant and momentous given it would be the first time I’ve set our dining room table in over 2 years!! It’s the dead of winter here in NY, and the temps have been frightful. I have plenty of tablecloths that evoke Spring and Summer, even Fall vibes. But oddly enough not as many for Winter. I wanted the setting to be appropriate for the temperature but not feel cold.

I settled on a very graphic green and black table cloth that set a strong tone. Next was figuring out all the other elements that would complement without becoming overwhelming. Believe it or not, I had a hard time deciding on what napkin to choose. And that is saying a lot since I have a fairly large collection of napkins.

Please, no judgement. I’ve collected these over the years. And pre-pandemic, we entertained ALOT.

The black napkins seemed like an obvious choice but quite frankly there was plenty of black in the main cloth. Plus they wouldn’t have added anything to the party in the way of color dimension. White was clearly too stark and didn’t blend at all. Orange, as you can see, was way too shocking and garish, and would have been too many strong colors competing. Sometimes choosing a napkin is instantaneous, but this time around it took some thinking.

The orange and white ones felt too harsh of a contrast to me. The black might have worked but just felt Blah.

I landed on a multicolored stripe cotton napkin that softened the tablecloth’s intensity and added a whimsy of muted colors. Even though these napkins tend towards a springtime feel, their tonality was the ideal softening agent. To bridge that creamy base color in the napkins I decided to include a soft beige placemat.

Like Goldilocks and the Bears. This choice felt “just right”.

Since this was not going to be a formal dinner party, but an easy Saturday night with my sister, Alyssa and brother in law, Peter, no charger plates were needed. But a little bling was essential. Choosing white plates with a gold rim would help with that. Now that gold was introduced, adding the votive candle holders that I hand painted would finish off that golden touch.

Yes, those are OUI yogurt jars that I saved and hand painted with gold. I have a ton in silver too. I like how the design works with the movement of the tablecloth. Happy coincidence.

Votives provide a lovely low light glow, but I also like height. Which brings me to the candle sticks. Simple cut glass would add the height I wanted and also some sparkle without pulling attention away from everything else going on. Ugh, but now what color candle stick??? I must be out of entertaining practice because these decisions usual come to me in a flash. However, I do think showing this process helps to serve as a great demonstration of how a simple choice can change a look. And that there are no wrong decisions here. Just preferences. I had several choices; greyish silver, maroony purple, yellowy gold, or green. I chose the yellow gold, but any one of them would have worked just as well.

I might have immediately chosen the green since it was a perfect match, but for some reason I only had one.

Ok,
Tablecloth, check
Napkins, check
Napkin rings, check
Plates, check
Glassware, check
Candles, check
Let’s set a table…

When using placemats, sometimes I like turning them in other direction so they don’t cover as much of the tablecloth.

Gather all your elements. Once you see them all together the picture becomes clearer.

First layer down. I started with all the place settings in the center of the table, but right before our guests arrived I rearranged the seating.

To add some additional height, I went vertical with the napkin. Using a simple napkin ring and pulling the center of the fabric through to create an octopus-like vibe. It’s super simple but makes a visual impact.

This is a simple napkin style. For more options, check out my post entitled: Napkin Folding - 5 Basic Folds - Countless Options

I wasn’t serving any fish or seafood, but I did think the napkin resembled an octopus. It created the height I wanted and was playful.

I love how the whole table came together. It’s elegant but not fussy.

Finish with silver and glass ware, some florals and my first in-house pandemic table setting was in the books.

Some random thoughts:

I absolutely love the movement of this tablecloth. The big, graphic swirls are so eye catching. When you take in the whole print from above, with the flowers perfectly centered, the roots of the tree really come alive.

I also adore the details of this print. Every time I see the figures on this cloth I can’t help but to think of the famous Robin William’s line in The Bird Cage: “Who sets a table and doesn’t look at the bowls?” For those who know and love this movie, no explanation is needed. For those who don’t, I implore you to watch this very funny movie.

I hope this has inspired you to take a chance on setting a table with a super bold, very graphic, intensely strong tablecloth print. With the right complementary elements It can be fun and is sure to make a statement that will impress. The first thing my sister said was, “Wow!” Unlike me, who is clearly very wordy, she is a woman of few words, but in this case, only one was needed.

And in case you were wondering what we served… Here are a few images, and the menu.

Cheese Board

(Hot Peppers, Olives, Mini Bread Sticks, Majorero Pimentón Cheese, Mary’s Gone Crackers, Murcia al Vino Cheese, Dana’s Nuts: Spiced & Candied, Goat Cheese with dried herbs, Jammin’ Onion Jam, Manchego Añejo, Apple Paste)

Tomato Tartlet

Tomato/Avocado/Hearts of Palm Salad

Cauliflower, Sweet Potato & Chick Pea Curry with Basmati Rice

Roasted Spiced Carrots & Onions

Oven Roasted Chicken

Apologizes, I didn’t take photos of the last two items to share.

Cheese Board

featuring my Jammin’ Onion Jam and Dana’s Nuts: Spiced & Candied

Manchego & Murcia al Vino Cheeses &Onion Jam

Heirloom Tomato & Avocado Salad

Salad with Hearts of Palm & Broccoli Sprouts

Tomato Tartlets

Entertaining - How I Miss It | Make Ahead Appetizers

Our Miami crew. How we love sharing time with them.

This has been a difficult year. And it’s certainly not over. Although statistics are improving, we are still grappling with the pandemic and its multitude of ripple effects on our lives. From the obvious life and death fears to struggling to stay employed to figuring out how to juggle Zoom calls with toddlers, it has been challenging. (Newsflash: I don’t have toddlers but can only imagine.)

There are so many issues relating to how our lives have been affected, but the one that seems to really hit most people at their emotional core is the isolation. The inability to freely move about and spend time with the ones we love. I know this has rocked me at my center. I miss hugging people. For those you know me, to say that I am a touchy, feely person is an understatement. Hey, not in a groping way, in a caring way. ( Alright, maybe I do want to see how big your biceps are.) It’s a known fact that human touch has healing qualities. Which highlights how counterintuitive it is to try to heal people through a pandemic without that essential restorative, mentally medicinal element. Ironic and heartbreaking, really. But I digress, or should I say wandered off the road a bit.

I miss people. I miss my family and friends, (or as we like to call them, framily) and the joy of sharing a meal and good time with them. JuanCarlos has joked about how much free time we now have during the weekends, since in his mind we used to spend every one of them hosting parties. Not true, and an over exaggeration . But true, entertaining is in my DNA. From as early as junior high and high school I can remember wanting to invite my friends over for a meal or to play games and enjoy snacks. I preferred it over going to a stale beer smelling bar, filled with billows of smoke, raucous noise and tons of other people with whom I didn’t care to share my time. What a nerd. That that nerd would grow up to enjoy entertaining as a later career shouldn’t come as such a surprise. But here we are, without the ability to do just that. Yet, as we learned from last post, I still found a way.

In all honesty, I’ve been struggling about which posts to launch since so many of them feature groups sharing food. To post them feels either disingenuous or taunting. I don’t want to be either. But as I rummaged through photos, rather than feeling sad and longing, I instead felt hope and anticipation. So, I’m posting this to put out the positive energy that this kind of gathering can resume soon. With that wish at hand, it seemed appropriate to provide some options for make ahead appetizer ideas for your future event. And so, lifting myself up by my house slippers, I’m sharing a moment when we gathered for a few nibbles with our dear friends in our Miami apartment. These handful of simple appetizers might be the perfect strategy to ease our way back into entertaining after a long reprieve.

Sometimes the best way to enjoy one another’s company is to make the food portion as easy and carefree as possible. Serving appetizers that can be enjoyed cold or room temperature allows the host(s) to remain with the party and not in the kitchen. Pre-made and/or ready to assembly right before guests arrive is the ideal way to have everything finished, and allow the fun and conversation from being interrupted. You know I love putting out a big spread. Whether it be a multi-course meal or tapas style, I’m known for my abundance. But there is a beauty to simplicity.
And that was the focus of this gathering several years back.

Skewers make it easy to grab and go.

And don’t forget the drink. It’s also important to have a partner that does their part in hosting. JuanCarlos is always at the ready serving up beverages. P.S. also one of my favorite shirts. It’s a party wrapped around a party!

Just because these were nibbles didn’t mean that it wasn’t substantial. On the contrary, it was filling and satisfying. Every one of these dishes were made ahead of time.

Cucumbers provide the cool and refreshing, grape tomatoes the sweet and the sardines bring the salt. An all in one bite.

Sardine Lettuce Wrap Skewers

Food that you can pick up and eat are perfect appetizers. Wraps fit that bill, so do skewers And this appetizer combines both.

Using a good quality Spanish sardine and some fresh, crisp veggies made this no cook appetizer fast to prepare and easy to enjoy. Spain is famous for its high quality conservas; fish in tins. One of my favorite brands is Cabo de Peñas. Simply skewer Persian cucumber* rounds, grape tomatoes. Then using romaine lettuce cut into 3” pieces, tuck a piece of the sardine in each creating a taco-like envelope to hold the sardine.

*Persian cucumbers are smaller and have less seeds and better for skewering. If you can’t find those, use English cucumbers and cut them smaller. If you can only find regular cucumbers, then scoop out the seeds, and cut them into small chunks.

Pulpo -Potato Skewers

Pulpo - Potato Skewers
Pulpo, Spanish for octopus, is one of those items that I always buy pre-cooked either in a tin or vacuumed sealed. Trust me, it’s delicious and SO much easier than cooking octopus. The Mediterranean countries are known for serving the most delicious octopus, so you can’t go wrong with any from Italy, Spain or Greece. I have two favorites: again , Cabo de Peñas in a tin and the vacuum sealed package from Don Bocarte*. (Even the famous NY Times writer Florence Fabricant agrees.)

To make, cut small new potatoes in half, boil until tender but not overdone or they will fall apart when trying to skewer them. Season with salt and pepper, then skewer them alternating between potato and octopus. Drizzle with good olive oil. It’s that simple.

*Please note that the Don Bocarte vacuum pack is only available at Despaña Soho store.

Shrimp & Avocado Endive Boats

Grill or sauté shrimp that have been seasoned with salt and pepper. Let cool, then cut them into small pieces. Cut avocado into small cubes, toss with shrimp and then spoon both into endive leaves. Make a quick creamy topping by combining either greek yogurt, sour cream or creme fraiche with finely chopped red onion and cucumber and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Room Temp Bean & Veg Salad

Sauté small cubed red/orange peppers, zucchini and summer squash with red onion in oil, salt and pepper. Make a quick vinaigrette of crushed garlic, lemon zest and juice, dried oregano and olive oil. Mix the sautéed vegetables together with chick peas, cannelini beans, and pour dressing over the entire mixture. Serve at room temperature. (Of course, this can also be served warm, but the point is to not have to be in the kitchen.)

3 Bean Salad with raw veggies. A slightly difference version offering a completely no cook option.

For a completely no cook version: use raw red/yellow peppers, grape tomatoes and cucumbers plus black beans and toss with an herb dressing. Replace the dried oregano with fresh parsley, cilantro and mint.

Bite sized cubes of salmon

Sear them in a cast iron pan.

Grilled Salmon

Cut salmon into 2” squares. Season with salt and pepper and using olive oil, sear in a cast iron pan. That’s all this needs, or maybe a squeeze of lemon right before serving. This can be made ahead, refrigerated and served either cold or room temp. The small cubes makes these much easier to eat and requires no utensils. Pick it and pop it in your mouth.

Is there anything better to please your guests than a platter full of dairy rich bites? I think not.

Cheese Platter
The ubiquitous cheese platter. It never gets old and it’s everyone’s favorite.

You know what to do here. Place a variety of cheeses on a platter and fill up and around with crackers, nuts, fruits and jams. Remember color blocking and keeping each element together to create focus and visual appeal. Too much scattering just creates visual clutter.

And just like that you have a hearty table of nibbles perfect for no kitchen distractions. I miss all my peeps and this post gave me hope and inspiration for the next time, hopefully soon, when we will all meet again, and be able to safely blow out candles on a cake.

Although this may seem like a similar shot, it’s important to include because we can see John’s face and it includes JuanCarlos.

WAY before the pandemic when no one thought twice about blowing onto to the top of a cake!

We miss our friends and we miss Miami. And we are counting the days until we can all do this again, safely and with tons of love and laughter.

To wrap up, here are a few visual reminders of the sunshine, sunsets and the pure glory of our second home, Miami, and a couple of other reasons why we miss it so much.

Our favorite spot on Miami Beach where we place our chairs and towels and hang for hours.

The view as we walk along the miles of Miami Beach boardwalk.

The stunning sunset from our apartment. You can see why we love to sit on our terrace and enjoy a cocktail.

Another one just because it’s so calming.

The Feast of the Seven Fishes

Another request from the readers...

What to make on Christmas Eve.

If you are an Italian American then Christmas Eve is celebrated by serving a boat load of fish.  Some call it The Feast of the Seven Fishes.  In Italy they just call it a grand meal. 

It appears that the root of this tradition is based mostly in the religious fervor of abstaining from eating red meat until Christmas day.  Folks stayed away from meat eating during various religious days throughout the year and the eve before Christmas was no exception. La Vigilia or Vigilia di Natale; the vigil held until midnight when baby Jesus was born. However, in true Italian style, just because one is abstaining from one type of food doesn’t mean you go hungry.  Oh, the contrary.  Instead they serve an abundance of something else.  Hence, bring in the fishes!

My mom and grandmothers prepping. It takes a village and a few generations to feed an Italian family!     Photo credit: Paul Majewski

So serving seven fishes is a made up number really.  Some Italian American families go up to 13. These are clearly people will a ton of time on their hands. Preparing that many dishes, and ones that are not so easy to pull off is no simple feat.  But usually this group has a team of grandmothers, aunts, cousins, etc all pitching in.  It seems that whatever the number count, it is always an odd number since that brings good luck.  However, the number 7 is believed to hold a higher significance as it is based in religious reasons. Some theories:

• The number 7 is the most repeated number in the bible, making appearances over 700 times.
• God did all his work in 6 days and the 7th he rested.  I would say he could use a day off.
• In the Roman Catholic Church there are seven Sacraments.

Blah blah blah.  The number isn’t as important as the tradition of serving fish.  I’m not so big on the why but continuing traditions that bring good memories.  If it’s a tradition that is based on something religious and that has meaning to you, great.  If not, but the tradition evokes love and laughter with family and friends, well that my friend is what it is all about.

Family meal. Eat up everyone!                                                                                                                                            Photo credit: Paul Majewski

If you are going to attempt the feat of The Feast of Seven Fishes, start early.  And I mean that.  You will need several days of prep if you are going to make any of the tradition recipes.  I have listed them at the bottom of this post with links to popular recipes.  This list is the most common fish used for the feast.

• anchovies 
• salted cod fish
• clams
• eels
• lobster

• merluzzo (cod)
• mussels
• octopus
• sardines

• scungilli
• shrimp
• smelts
• squid
• whiting

So let's say that you are interested in trying this tradition but just want to give a nod to the fishes, as opposed to swimming with the fishes, which is another reference entirely. Then swim along with me. I like abundance but I don't have a team of helpers. Below are a few dishes that are simpler in preparation and in numbers.  Pick and choose among my recipe list below. I’m suggesting you start off with 3. Still an odd number for good luck, if you believe in that sort of thing, and much easier to manage. These recipes are not traditional Italian but a lighter version than all the usual fried options and much less demanding. You should only need one day of prep prior and help on the day of.

I had every intention of writing about some of the dishes below prior to this post but alas I had other recipes I wanted to share with you all year long. So you will just have to give it a whirl with my quick instructions.  You can always call or email me with questions.  I mean that.  

The FIsh usually swim onto the plates in an order like this:  First course, something light and snack like.  Then followed by a salad of seafood. Then a dish that is a bit heartier, like a roasted, grilled or seared fish, followed by the pasta course then a hearty seafood stew.  I think I hit most of these courses with the exception of the stew.  But remember I was trying to ease up on the workload for you.

Smoked Trout served on potatoes with sour cream & chives

• Cut small new potatoes in half, slicing off a tiny bit of the rounded edge so they sit properly.  Boil until tender. Let cool.  Top with flaked pieces of smoked trout, a dollop of sour cream and sprinkling of chives.

Little bites of yum, smoked trout with sour cream & chives on potato rounds

Crabmeat & Citrus 'Martini'

• Combine fresh crabmeat, with yellow bell pepper, celery, grapefruit and orange sections and mint. Serve in a martini glass with endive leaves and spoon the juice from the citrus into each glass.  

Boquerones 

•   Fresh anchovies can be served in several ways.  Check out the highlighted title link for serving ideas.

Salmon & Cucumber Rounds

• Cut English cucumbers into 1/2” rounds. On plastic wrap, spread smoked salmon out to create a full layer.  Spread whipped cream cheese over the entire layer. Sprinkle with chives (capers and minced shallots optional).  Roll up the entire layer to create a log. Wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Before serving cut into 1/2” rounds, place on top of the cucumber and finish with a small piece of fresh dill

Bellini with Crème Fraiche & Roe

• These mini bellinis that can be store bought, top with crème fraiche & your favorite roe.

Whole Baked or filet of fish: Salmon, Trout, Sole , Grouper or Grilled Shrimp

Roasted Salmon

Stuffed Dover Sole

Oven Roasted Grouper Filets with roasted tomatoes, onions and garlic

Grilled Shrimp served with grilled yellow peppers and onions, and creamy polenta.

Linguine & Clam Sauce

Yes, JuanCarlos was out in the snow cooking a paella!

All the above dishes not only would be my choices for Christmas Eve, but these were the dishes I served for a New Year's Party, only I swapped out the linguine & clams for seafood paella.  That dish is one that my 'also good in the kitchen' husband likes to tackle. The fun part about a paella (although not a traditional Italian dish,  is that guests love to watch it come together.)

If you feel that you have the strength of a mighty Italian, then go for the gold.  Below is a list of some of the most common dishes served during the Feast of the Seven Fishes.  I provided links to recipes from popular sites for your reference.  Please note that I have not tried these recipes. My goal was to do some of the leg work finding  links to make your search less stressful.

•   Baccalà (salt cod) as a salad or fried

•   Baked cod or Baked cod & potatoes

•   Baked Clams casino or a lighter, easier version Clams Casino

•   Cod fish balls in tomato sauce

•   Deep fried calamari

•   Deep fried cod

•   Deep fried fish/shrimp

•   Deep fried scallops

•   Fried smelts

•   Insalata di mare (seafood salad)

•   Linguine with anchovy, clam, lobster, tuna, or crab sauce

•   Marinated or fried eel

•   Octopus salad

•   Oyster shooters

•   Puttanesca traditional tomato sauce with anchovies

•   Scungilli salad (sea snail)

•   Shrimp cocktail traditional version   or Roasted Shrimp Cocktail version

•   Stuffed calamari in tomato sauce

•   Stuffed-baked lobsters

•   Whiting

Whatever you serve, whether it's 7 or 13 fishes, or no fish at all, just remember the most important ingredient of all... LOVE.

After all the fish, leave room for the dessert!                                                                                                                  Photo credit: Paul Majewski    

Buon Natale, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays. Eat well. Be well.