24 May 2009

homework: home cookin'

gabi, my sis: I know conventional wisdom warns against untried recipes...but I like to experiment with something I've never made before. Having company motivates me to be more creative. (I serve with an old standby--like fresh bread and a foolproof salad--just in case!)

elise: the best meal for guests is paul's homemade pizza. any and all toppings.

whitney, my bff: Chicken Tacos. It's become a favorite meal in our home; quick, easy and very yummy: Cook chicken breast in crock pot by adding fresh salsa over the top. If you want to add some color & more flavor; add green peppers, chopped onion, taco seasoning & hot sauce. Cook all day (8 hours). Shred chicken. Once chicken is done, heat can of re-fried beans & corn tortilla's. Serve with homemade guacamole.

brittany of tangled & true: BBQ ribs and kebabs, grilled veggies, homemade rolls or bread, fruit and dessert.

polly, my aunt: Homemade chicken noodle soup with delicious rolls!!!

abby, my cousin: Chicken pesto pasta salad with fruit OR Orange mojo shrimp over Caesar salad with fruit. I like to do something light because usually someone has brought a great dessert we all want to eat!

summer: if i were having guests tonight, i would opt to make a meal that is fun and laid-back, possibly mom's stromboli or deep dish pizza. (avoiding uptight and elaborate, that's the idea.) i happened upon the perfect recipe for homemade pizza crust, and i love finding times to use it. plus, this kind of meal allows me to spend time with my guests during the prep; i love the feel of working side by side in the kitchen. and if you have picky eaters on your hands, this gives them a chance to make it just how they like it.

amy, my sis: We love to prepare meals on the barbeque. It's casual, easy and delicious!

christie, my sis-in-law: I am not so great at the meals; much better at desserts. I tend to want to serve something from the BBQ or a no-fail crock pot recipe. Meat and I don't always get along, so I need something that I know will turn out fabulous. Some successes I've had are the Cafe Rio pork in the crockpot, or Pioneer Woman's lasagna. My philosophy is, if the dessert is fabulous, they won't remember that the meat was overdone! I always go over the top on desserts.

stephanie: Since you never know when your guests will really arrive (delays always seem to happen these days in some form or another!), I think a great soup is perfect to have on hand for that first evening together. I like the Barefoot Contessa recipe for Lentil Sausage Soup is always a winner. I prefer to substitute locally made Italian Sausage for the Kielbasa and like to serve the soup with a good artisan bread and a light salad. Nothing beats a simple but delicious meal like this after a long day of travel.

elizabeth, my sis-in-law: My favorite meal to serve large groups of visitors when I would rather be playing with them than cooking for them is Kalua Pig with Panipopo. Delicious smoked pork (made the easy way in a crock pot with liquid smoke and sea salt instead of in a pit with banana leaves) and soft white rolls baked in a perfect combo of coconut milk and sugar, not too sweet that you can't eat it with the pig. Serve it all with some sticky rice and fresh fruit and you have a great meal. {side note: elizabeth is part mom / part gourmet cook. you'll have to check her blog for recipes, seriously delicious..}

thank you, panelists. tune in next sunday for their last tidbits about making a house a home. what is your favorite meal to serve guests?

12 comments:

amy turn sharp said...

love this- I wrote about this meal last night- it is great for guests too http://doobleh-vay.blogspot.com/2009/05/what-hell-do-you-think-leona-really.html

Desiree said...

Oooh tofu curry! It's my specialty ^_^

rb said...

Hey, we've got the no-fail crock pot method for you. We wrote a whole book about it -- Cheater BBQ -- BBQ Anytime, Anywhere, in Any Weather. Check it out at www.cheaterbbq.com.

We combined my backyard bbq smoker obsession with Mindy's weeknight kitchen home economy to make fabulous ribs, chicken, brisket, pulled pork, the works. Great rubs and sauces, sides, leftovers.

You swap the smoker for a low oven or slow cooker and the wood chunks for some all natural liquid smoke in a bottle. Give it a try! R.B. Quinn

--r said...

homemade pizza. mmmmm...yummy.

katrina lauren said...

we like to BBQ in the summer...then the guys can chat by the grill (they seem to enjoy this activity!)
too cold to BBQ? my old standby is lasagna with greek salad & garlic toast. i have made it many a time so it doesn't stress me out to feed it to our guests!
K

summer said...

chicken tacos are officially on my menu for this week. mm. simmering away all day like that.. they sound too good to be true.

ALFIE said...

as my favorite meal of the day, i really love outdoing myself to serve guests breakfast. fat waffles, thick french toast, over-easy eggs, whole-grain toast and blackberry jam, crispy bacon, fresh cinnamon rolls with melting glaze...all accompanied by a large mug of coffee (or tea!) of course.

love love love this panel, marta!

Travelin'Oma said...

I really want to visit Elizabeth! Can you get me an invitation?

Tiffany said...

I love these ideas!

Kelli said...

I usually make lasagna...easy and filling. Makes me feel like home.

sunnysblog@gmail.com said...

I love this series of posts!

I make spaghetti pie - easy to make and so delicious. Spaghetti noodles/eggs/butter as the crust, a meat sauce as the filling and then cheese on top.

It's amazing warmed up as leftovers. YUMMMM.

TheCatLord said...

hi marta, i was wondering if whitney's chicken was a whole chicken or just parts in the crockpot.
when guest come over i like to cook something i can't mess up too bad- hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill!!

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