Posts Tagged ‘unexpected guests’
Food for unexpected guests
Thursday, July 15th, 2010
Surprise guests are welcomed in our small wine country town.
We can’t really help it, it’s just that we’re always walking past each other’s houses.
And sometimes it’s just more convenient to stop by rather than call first.
Because of this, we’re savvy unexpected guest entertainers.
We have lots of experience.
Take these recipes — you could put these together in 20 minutes or less from things you probably already have.
Here’s my top five treats for unexpected guests.
Artichoke dip!
I always keep a can of artichokes in the pantry and mayonnaise in the in the fridge. In emergencies, I drain and chop the artichokes, mix with a cup of the mayo and 1 cup of grated parmesan. Preheat the oven to 375° and bake the dip for 15 minutes, until browned and bubbly.
Buttery, salty popcorn!
Put 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels into a paper bag and cook in your microwave on the popcorn setting.
Melt 1/2 cup of salted butter, pour over popcorn and toss when hot, salt popcorn with fine table salt or popcorn salt.
Crackers and stuff to go on top of the crackers!
Due to my thrifty Midwestern upbringing, I find myself balking at the cost of premium crackers. But guess what? Tightly sealed, they’re perfect for unexpected guests. Toppings can include slivers of sharp cheddar and apple or cream cheese blended with herbs. I also put pretzel rods and really good mustard for pretzel dipping in this category.
Nuts, dark chocolate and dried fruit!
But you’ve already heard me talk about this one.
Premium vanilla ice cream and strawberry sauce
Put one pound frozen strawberries into a colander in your sink and rinse in cold water until the fruit thaws.
Place thawed frozen strawberries in a saucepan and cook over medium — stir in 2 tablespoons of sugar until the sugar is dissolved. You can strain the fruit by pushing through a strainer or you could leave the sauce chunky. Serve with premium vanilla ice cream.
All over the internet, folks argue whether you should be gracious to unexpected guests or just give them some warm tap water and look unimpressed.
As you can expect, community customs come into play — ours may be more forgiving than yours.
That said, I’m thrilled to provide a warm welcome, something to eat and a refreshing drink.
(Speaking of drinks, more recipes are coming this week.)
I’m so happy you’re here.
Brokey: Preparing for Unexpected Guests
Monday, July 12th, 2010
Our social schedule has been busy, what with bocce, birthday parties, more birthday parties and the unscheduled drop-in.
Piles of shoes don’t get put away,
lots of dishes in the sink,
a diaper bag plundering.
I did tell you that we love to drop in on each other, didn’t I?
I used to think that only happened on television — Dylan stops over just as I’m making out with Brandon! Bummer! — but the small town we live in celebrates it. Hooray! A drop-in!
And if it’s not welcome, you just say, “It’s not a good time.”
No harm, no foul.
Your community most likely has different guidelines.
Your friends would be pissed.
But here, here, we embrace the delight with an unexpected guest.
(And more often than not we’re ready for them.)
- Sparkling water (could be club soda).
- Iced tea in the fridge.
- An emergency container filled with dark chocolate, dried fruit, almonds and shortbread cookies.
(My emergency guest container has been filled over time.) - Oranges in the fridge.
- A mint plant.
- A willingness to set aside my to-do list.
My brokey unexpected guest preparation checklist
The last one is the most important to me.
My friends are big gifts.
I’m always thrilled when gifts arrive on the porch.
Mix the above items to serve iced tea with mint.
Serve cool orange slices with bubbly water and shortbread cookies.
Make chocolate bark by melting the dark chocolate and stirring in dried blueberries and almonds.
Nom.
By the way, the brokey part of that is that I’ve collected these items over time. I tend to already have oranges in my fruit drawer and almonds are a family pantry staple.
But you may be asking, “So what do I do now? Unexpected guests are downstairs and by their very nature, I have not prepared anything to serve them.”
Pleasantly enough, that info is coming tomorrow.
In the meantime, she asks me to draw animals, and then she colors them in.