give 'em what they want

i love assemble your own dinner,

dinners.

i used to worry that it was rude:

i invite people over and then

make them work if they actually want

to eat. 

but time has given me 

wisdom and now i realize it's one

of the smartest ways to feed a group

(or one other person who just

happens to live with you).

this way, you've supplied options.

it's up to them to decide

if they realize want the olives

on their personal pizza, or if they'd 

prefer ham. it lets them

monitor the spice level, 

stir extra cheese into their chili 

and avoid

the coconut 

they started worrying about

when they heard you were 

serving tropical sundaes for 

dessert.

my mom used to do this all the time:

for a dinner party, she'd make large

batches of multiple kinds of soups,

then keep the pots on the stove 

as guests 

ladled their pick into a bowl

and then

sprinkled on scallions,

shredded cheese,

sour cream 

or 

crunchy croutons.

in the summer, my mom

made quesadillas,

which we would design

ourselves after she

grilled a ton of veggies,

set out bowls of 

feta

and

cheddar cheese,

tomatoes

and more.

once assembled,

she'd add a top tortilla

and bake them 

until golden and crispy.

i love the quesadilla party

so much that i've replicated

it on several occasions.

i've also turned to fish tacos

(and coincidentally, my mom has, too),

in recent years.

i first fell in love with at-home

fish tacos when i was hosting

our (sadly, now defunct) book club

and as the date got closer, the number of

people attending got smaller

and smaller. 

two days before, it was just me,

and two friends: lauren and lauren.

we decided to hold off on the discussion

until the next meeting with everyone and 

instead, just have dinner.

we had grown up together,

gone to camp together and had

somewhat recently reunited.

both of them were married,

i was living with larry and it 

seemed like a great opportunity

to just get together.

between the three of us - 

i don't eat meat, lauren doesn't eat 

cheese, the other lauren, shrimp

or rice - i felt challenged. i also

needed something somewhat stress-free

because they were coming over

after work. 

knowing that we all love

mexican food,

i finally landed on fish tacos and 

an adaptation of this recipe.

the night before, 

i pickled the red onions,

broiled, then blended together the 

tomatillo salsa

and

stirred lime juice into sour cream

for a crema.

when i got home from work 

the next evening,

i pulled everything out of

the fridge,

marinated the cod,

set out chips and 

a white bean dip that i had made

and waited. 

later, while lauren and lauren

sat at our tiny kitchen table

sipping wine,

i heated up tortillas,

mashed together guacamole,

grilled the fish,

and told them that i had decided to 

go to culinary school. 

i was so not stressed, and really,

what's the point of having

people over if you're 

miserable when your guests are

there?

since then, i've made fish tacos

many times, for many reasons,

including just simply wanting

a delicious dinner.

i've changed it up,

sometimes adding a white crumbly

cheese if i have it in the fridge,

using corn or flour tortillas,

playing with spices, 

using a fresh tomato salsa

or, like i did this time,

using shrimp instead of fish.

but the one thing that i never

leave out are the pickled onions.

because we now love them so much,

i'm embarrassed to say that i never

had a pickled slice before the first

fish taco dinner.

they're very fast and completely addicting.

at this point, i've

made them more times than i can count.

i usually set the 

rice wine vingar,

lime juice,

and 

salt to simmer,

before slicing the bulb.

when hot and extra bubbly,

i pour the brine over the onions,

now set in a bowl,

stir a few times and walk away.

while two hours of marinating is

optimal, i've gotten away with

45 minutes. at this point,

the onions still have crunch,

but they've turned from red

to pink

and

the sharp onion flavor

has settled considerably.

i love to make extra to serve

over eggs,

to toss into a salad,

place on sandwich or to

nibble on when there aren't

any pickles in the fridge.

usually, i prepare the onions first,

then slide the bowl

to the back of the counter

and work on everything else.

this time, when i made the shrimp,

i was planning to saute,

but at the last minute,

i placed them into a baking dish

that i had sprinkled with

ancho chili powder,

smoked paprika,

lime juice

and 

kosher salt. 

once the shrimp

were in place, i repeated the

sprinkling, drizzled

in a little oil and

roasted until pink, slightly

smoky and tender,

giving me time to mash

the guacamole.

by the time the shrimp came out

of the oven,

the tortillas were warm

and everything was on the table.

i watched as i started with the tomatillo

salsa, then the shrimp, onions,

guacamole and a drizzle of crema.

larry, chose

first guacamole, 

then onions, shrimp, crema, salsa.

it's up you. that's my favorite part.

either way, you're entertaining a ton

of flavors, textures and hot/cold action.

the shrimp, slightly spicy, tender

and piping hot,

play so well off the cool and tangy red onions.

the guacamole adds creaminess,

the salsa, heat, 

and the crema ties it all

together.

yes, there are a lot of bowls,

but really, that's the most

trouble this meal will

give you.

it's so good

and very fresh

and, a winner for 

most crowds.

and look at it this way:

yes, you have to clean the bowls,

but you're otherwise done:

now it's their turn to work. 

shrimp tacos with pickled red onions

adapted from bon appetit

in the same way that guests can assemble these anyway they want, feel free to use whatever you want inside your tortilla - consider this a guideline (which is why i feel ok about not giving exact measurements, below). you can use your favorite fish and grill or saute it. leave the seasonings off the shrimp and simply saute them. forget the guacamole, use sour cream instead or add thinly sliced chopped red cabbage. and if you're in a hurry, buy the condiments, heat up your protein of choice and eat. just don't leave off the onions (unless you really, really hate onions - but, even then, you might be surprised).

tomatilla salsa blended with a bit of chicken broth or water to thin it out slightly

guacamole

store-bought crema, sour cream or sour cream thinned out with a bit of lime juice

1 bottle (12 ounces) rice wine vinegar

1 large juicy lime, juiced

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 large red onion, halved and sliced

in small saucepot, bring rice wine vinegar, lime juice and kosher salt to a boil, stirring until the salt dissolves; let boil 1 minute. meanwhile, place onions in a heatproof bowl. pour boiling vinegar mixture over onions and stir a few times until onions just begin to wilt and are mostly submerged. let sit at least 45 minutes (preferably 1-2 hours). can be made up to one week ahead. cover; refrigerate.

1 juicy lime, halved

20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (i used 21-25 count)

ancho chili powder

smoked paprika

kosher salt

olive oil

heat oven to 400˚f. squeeze the juice from half a lime into the bottom of 8 x 8 baking dish. sprinkle with chili powder, smoked paprika and a little kosher salt. lay the shrimp in the baking dish, separating slightly. squeeze with remaining lime juice and sprinkle again with the chili powder, smoked paprika and kosher salt. drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. bake 10-12 minutes or until pink, opaque and cooked through. 

corn or flour tortillas

to heat tortiallas you have some options. 

for flour tortillas, i'm very content to wet a paper, wring it out, roll a couple tortillas up inside it and then heat for 30 seconds in the microwave. you can also wrap them (flat) in foil and bake in a 350˚f oven 5-10 minutes or until warm and pliable. 

for corn tortillas, you can warm them in the microwave by using two wet paper towels and placing the tortillas in between. you can also heat them the oven or coat a pan with cooking spray and cook about 30 seconds on each side over medium-high heat.

to serve:

place pickled onions, tomatillo salsa, guacamole, crema or sour cream, lime slices and anything else that you're craving in separate small bowls. place hot shrimp and warm tortillas on the table and let everyone make their own.

an (almost) 20 minute trio

this weekend, we had our friends, lauren and jon, 

over to watch the super bowl.

it was the second year in a row, 

that we held

our party for four.

in 2008, the giants were playing (see, i remembered!),

and it was a very serious day in our house.

i planned meticulously 

and went all out, football-style:

spicy sweet glazed wings

garlic rubbed potato skins

scallion-cayenne-lime dip

macaroni and cheese

and 

peanut butter mousse with grape fluff

(ok, that last one wasn't really 

sportsy 

or tough,

or manly,

but, i was in a marshmallow/fluff phase and

determined to try out a new recipe when faced

with a ready and willing audience.)

this year, however, was a whole different story:

the giants didn't make it,

i kind of knew who was playing 

and i guess i sort of gave the meal thought on friday,

when i picked up tomatillos, limes, a jalapeno and avocados.

but that was it.

i woke up sunday morning 

sans plan, 

a pit in my stomach

and a determination not to repeat

last year's menu.

an hour later, i was pretty sure 

that i was destined to call lauren

at 5 pm, apologize and beg her

to pick up a pizza.

the morning was spent, wracking my brain - useless

the computer - overwhelming

and larry - no wings? really?

i briefly contemplated 

chili - chicken, vegetable and cornbread-topped,

make-your-own quesadillas, tostadas and sandwiches

before finally landing, thank goodness,

on mexican lasagna.

it was simple, i could assemble ahead of time,

bake when they got there, serve from one dish,

and most importantly, make use of the ingredients 

i had purchased two days before. because really,

what i love most about cooking for friends, 

are the appetizers

and the desserts.

the meal, in between, often gets lost for me, even though

i feel a ridiculously strong pull to match my courses.

so, after spending literally hours planning,

and taking a trip to the store to fight other last minute shoppers

lingering extra long in the chip aisle and staring at shrimp rings,

i braced myself to make the three appetizers,

all dips: 

roasted tomatillo salsa

smoky black bean

guacamole.

they were so simple that it was over fast, and i thought, 

as i often do, why don't i just plan the 

main meal around the starters? (next year, someone remind me, please.)

because it just made sense

that while i was roasting quartered tomatillos, roughly chopped onion pieces,

garlic cloves and a jalapeno for the salsa,

that i should throw

the ingredients for the black bean dip in the food processor. 

by the time i had tasted and tweaked the beans, then tasted and tweaked some more, 

the vegetables were beautifully browned and salsa-ready.

when combined, the beans offered just enough mellowness 

that you feel you're eating something simple, 

smooth and hearty and easy-going, 

with a back heat that makes you want more and 

start to believe

that you're noshing on something special.

and the salsa,

while deep in flavor, thanks to the roasted vegetable-only 

mixture, offers a bright

note that you can only achieve by blending

them with an additional dose of raw onions and garlic 

and, of course,

lime juice.

and, the guacamole.

please, if you take anything away from this super bowl saga,

let it be this:

it is so, so, so easy to make your own guacamole.

there's no need to buy a seasoning packet or 

pick up a ready-made container.

i swear it took me 5 minutes total for a from-scratch batch

and i've been accused of being a slow-poke in the kitchen.

they were a hit 

(i heard better than the jar murmurs).

and when it was time to serve

the lasagna,

i looked around and thought,

sure, it's probably better that i didn't expect

my guests to snack on chips all night,

but, truth be told,

we probably didn't even need 

the bubbly dish.

these are all often-made, off-the-cuff recipes that i tried to quantify. but as usual, for recipes like these, have fun adding a little more garlic, cutting back on the lime juice or mixing in an something - like scallions, maybe - that you're crazy about. a lot of them, luckily, use similar ingredients, so you can get away with buying 1 bunch of cilantro, extra large onions or tomatoes instead of the medium ones specified and squeezing a couple of limes at once so that you don't have to torture the cut, which inevitably seems to appear on your finger when you're handling citrus, multiple times throughout the day.

smoky black bean 

smoked paprika is our new favorite spice. its reminiscent of the seasoning on barbecue potato chips (in a good way, i think) and, since we've discovered it, has really helped improve the flavor of many dishes. i think it was made just to be paired with black beans.

1 medium tomato, cored and chopped

1/2 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup chopped cilantro (washed and dried)

2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved

1 lime, juiced

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1-2 Tbs. hot sauce, depending on your taste and heat of your sauce (I used Goya)

1 1/2 Tbs. ground cumin

1 Tbs. smoked paprika

In bowl of food processor, combine chopped tomato, onion, cilantro, garlic and lime juice; sprinkle with a dash of kosher salt. Pulse just until chopped. Add black beans, hot sauce, ground cumin and smoked paprika. Run food processor until mixture is smooth. Season with salt. Taste; add more cumin, smoked paprika, hot sauce, lime juice or salt, until it suits your taste. Transfer mixture to a bowl; cover and keep in the fridge until ready to serve. Can be made 1 day ahead. 

roasted tomatilla salsa

i swear, it wasn't until i started this blog that i realized how much i adore roasting and more roasting. but, plain and simple, i think it's the answer to making questionable or out-of-season vegetables seem decadent and a way to truly deepen their flavor. this salsa, is not the kind of loose slip-off-the-chip type you may be used to. rather, because the only real liquid is lime juice, it's firmer and much more likely to show a dent when a bit is scooped from the bowl. if you're in the market for a pourable version, simply add a 1/4 to 1/2 cup chicken broth, vegetable broth or water before blending.

8-10 tomatillos

1 small onion, peeled, halved and divided

1 jalapeno, halved and seeded (keep the seeds in if you like it spicy)

5 cloves garlic, peeled, ends trimmed and divided

1/4 cup cilantro (washed and dried)

1/2 lime, juiced

Heat oven to 400˚F. Remove papery husks from tomatillos; rinse under running water to remove the sticky residue. Quater tomatillos; place on foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray or olive oil. Chop onion. Place half chopped onion on baking sheet; reserve other half. Add halved jalapeno and 4 whole garlic cloves to baking sheet. Coat with cooking spray or drizzle lightly with olive oil. Roast 20 min., or until slightly brown and sizzling. Let cool slightly. Transfer vegetables to blender. Add remaining chopped onion, remaining garlic clove, cilantro and lime juice. Blend until combined. Season with salt. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding extra onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice or salt to suit your taste. Transfer to bowl.

guacamole

when choosing an avocado, pick one that is deep green and gives a little when you push with your thumb. if there is little or no resistance, that one's not for you. i like chunky mixtures best and i find that when the avocado is really ripe, they collapse easily under your fork and leave little texture. also, it's lucky that this comes together so fast because you really want to serve it just after it's made to keep the guac from browning in front of your guests. if you're worried about timing, chop and juice the other ingredients earlier in the day.

2 ripe avocados

1 medium tomato, cored, halved, seeded and chopped

1/2 small red or yellow onion, peeled chopped

1 lime, juiced

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (this is up to you - if you worry about the spice, leave it out)

Halve avocados. Place the halves with the pits on a cutting board. Using sharp knife (and being very careful), whack the inner pit, twist the knife and pull; discard pits. Using spoon, scoop avocado flesh from skin and place in a mixing bowl. Using back of fork, mash avocado to desired consistency, making sure to leave pieces in tact. Gently mix in chopped onion, tomato and jalapeno, if using. Stir in lime juice; season with salt. Taste and adjust.