I often invite my friends over for the evening, whether they’re wearing pajamas or not. When everyone gets hungry, they usually order pizza or make pesto pasta. I’m looking to expand my roster of crowd-pleasing meals, so I asked five foodie friends to share their go-to dinners for their friends…
“All year round, this vegetarian quiche It’s as easy as it gets. Put all the ingredients in a pot, mix and put in the oven. Best place? A delicious way to get kids to eat their veggies. ”— Latonya Yvette (of farmer fame)
“There’s nothing more mobilizing your friends than having a hot pot at home?” Meal preparation is not easy as there is very little cooking. Hours before everyone arrives, head out for thinly sliced lamb, a leafy greens platter, and a bundle of noodles. I make a ton of my mother’s Beijing-style white sesame dipping sauce. This is the most “cooking” I do all night. Out comes a butane camp stove and a dutch oven for boiling water at the dining room table. Everyone cooks their own bites of food in small wire baskets and puts them directly into pots of water. This will make a fragrant soup. An at-home hot pot paired with ice-cold beer and flaky scallion pancakes is fun, steamy, messy, cozy, and elbow-bumping magic. You can sit 10 strangers around the hotpot table, and by the end of the night everyone will be best friends. Natasha Picowitz (of tater tots cake fame)
“Our friends and their kids all love grilled sushi. Mine is loosely based on a recipe I saw Alissa Nguyen’s IG @gaming_foodie) — Layer sushi rice, furikake and roasted salmon. kewpie mayo, sriracha and cream cheese, soy sauce and a little sesame oil) in the oven. Served with avocado slices and a simple pickled Persian cucumber (tossed with rice vinegar and salt). (Ina Garten’s voice is always in her head, reminding her of things to do in advance so she can have fun and hang out with her guests!) — Erin Jean (on the hike and TJ’s breakfast fame)
“My answer is always risotto, with all sorts of fun textured toppings. I’m done.” chestnut risotto A beautiful dish with lightly pickled celery, roasted red onions and mushrooms, dill and plenty of sour cream. Risotto is often thought to take an inordinate amount of time, but it’s just stirring. It’s rice, so it’s relatively reasonable, and it’s easy to accommodate dietary restrictions. No dairy? Skip butter. vegetarian? No problem. Meat is rarely added. Even the basic parmesan version provides great comfort to my friends and my imagination can finish the thought with toppings. Eric Kim (first date and movie fame)
“pork ragout It’s an instant dinner party. Even a day or two in advance can be fully front-loaded. Plus, it makes the house smell great. In my opinion, it means more than a flower arrangement when hosting dinner guests. That way you can keep the drama to a minimum. — Our beloved Jenny Rosenstruk (and Here is her great newsletter)
What do you do for your group? I would love to hear your suggestions! Thank you very much.
(top photo contributor Megan Marin.)
PS Trader Joe hacks and restaurant surprises I still remember 20 years later.
